Final Prepper

Everything About Ringless Honey Mushrooms

Do not eat any mushroom without checking in person with a local, live, mushroom collector.

The first time I thought I saw the Ringless Honey Mushroom was on my neighbor’s lawn. The only problem was this species of mushroom grows on wood such as stumps or on decomposing roots. I had lived in the neighborhood 13 years and didn’t remember a tree on the lawn … though maybe there was a stump there when I first moved in…

Notice a slight raise and more dark hairs in the middle of the cap. The cap’s flesh is also white (see inside crack) to help you distinguish it from the toxic orange-flesh Jack-O-Lantern. Photo by Green Deane

Next time I thought I saw it was 200 miles away in West Palm Beach growing on an Eastern Cedar stump, or Southern Cedar … much the same thing (Junipers.) Ringless Honey Mushrooms usually don’t like conifers (its the pitch I imagine. I’ve also noticed them growing on Camphor stumps — pass — and on banyan roots… maybe worth trying as that is the fig family.) The third time, however, was a charm, about a mile from my house growing on oak stumps in an area that had been cleared a couple of years earlier. It was a mushroom mine, so to speak. When I took a Mushroom Certification class in late August in North Carolina they were everywhere. Locally they like October through December with November being the heaviest month.

Gills are widely spaced, touch but don’t run far down the stem, and stain or turn brown or brownish pink when bruised or aged. Photo by Green Deane

The Ringless Honey Mushroom, Armillaria tabescens, is a southern stand-in of a very common mushroom in North America and Europe, Armillaria mellea. which is also edible. The A. mellea, however, has a ring around the stem — an annulus — as almost all Armillaria do. The Ringless Honey Mushroom does not have a ring and there is also one ringless species in Europe, the A. ectypa. It is rare and classified as endangered in some areas. I note A. ectypa only grows in acidic marshes and is listed as edible and non-edible…. not good form to list an endangered species as edible. A. mellea is an infrequent Florida mushroom in the spring. Though looking similar again it has an annulus and the cap is tacky.

Ringless Honey Mushrooms grow on wood, in this photo around an oak stump. Photo by Green Deane

As mushrooms go the Ringless Honey Mushroom is one of the easier to identify. The Ringless Honey Mushroom grows on wood, preferably oak. But has also be found growing on Buckeyes, Hemlock, Hollies, Junipers, Sweetgums, Plums, Apples, Perseas, Maples, Pines, Ash, Alders, Almonds and Walnuts. Ringless Honey Mushrooms found growing on Hemlocks and Buckeyes are known to cause digestive upset. I would avoid those growing on plums, apples, almonds and hollies. Those trees can have some nasty chemicals in them including hydrocyanic acid. However a mycology professor told me these mushrooms should not pick up any bad chemicals from such trees. Oak is the most common and safest bet.

The spore print is white which helps separate it from the hallucinogenic Gymnopilus spectabilis (orange-brown spores) the deadly Galerina autumalis (brown spores) and Pholiota species (brown spores.) Photo by Green Deane

James Kimbrough in his book “Common Florida Mushrooms” says of the Ringless Honey Mushroom: “This is the most common late fall-early winter mushroom in Florida. It causes mushroom root-rot of numerous tree and shrub species, and is especially critical in the die back of oaks. It is seldom found in summer months, but appears in striking numbers as soon as late fall rains commence. It is a choice edible species, but because of its toughness, must be cooked longer than the average mushroom.” I would add one usually does not eat the stem. The mushroom is also a good candidate for drying. I fry them but have also parboil them for 15 minutes or so first, drain, then used.

Gills are knife-thin, sometimes forked, stems are white or light yellow on top tapering downward to darker stems. Photo by Green Deane

As for the scientific names, Armillaria (ah-mill-LAIR-ree-ah) is Dead Latin for “little bracelet.” Tabescens (tay-BESS-sins) mean decomposing. One would like to think it is called “little bracelet” because it can embrace an entire small stump but no. It is because of a bracelet-like frill on the fruiting bodies. And I don’t know if tabescens refers to helping wood decompose or the brown-black pile of dried muck the mushroom becomes when reproduction is done. They are called “honey mushrooms” because their color is similar to honey. And it should be added that not all categorizers of mushroom like “Armillaria” for the genus and prefer “Desarmillaria.”

Ringless Honey Mushrooms are cespitos, growing in a cluster. Also note how light-colored the young stems are. Photo by Green Deane

Kimbrough describes Ringless Honey Mushroom this way: Pileus is 2.5-10 cm, convex to plane, sometimes sunken at the disc with uplifted margins; yellow-brown with flat to erect scales. The lamellae are decurrent, somewhat distant, staining pinkish brown with age. Stipes are 7.5 to 20 cm long, 0.5 1.5 cm wide, tapering towards the base; off-white to brownish in color, lacking an annulus. Spores are white in deposit, broadly ellipsoid, 6.0-10 x 5.0-7.0 um, not staining blue in iodine. Basidia are clavate, 30.0-35.0 x 7.0-10.0 um, with four sterigmata. Normally I would translate those technical terms into plain English but with mushroom you should also learn the argot. But to give you an idea: The cap is one to four inches across, shaped like an upside down bowl to flat across the top with the edge turned up…

David Arora author of Mushrooms Demystified, describes the related Armillaria mellea as an edible spring mushroom then adds Armillaria tabescens is the same except no ring (annulus) and a dry cap. He provides more details:

Mature caps can range from two to four inches across. Photo by Green Deane

Cap: 3-15 cm broad or more, convex becoming plane or sometimes broadly umbonate or in age uplifted; surface viscid or dry, usually with scattered minute dark brown to blackish fibrillose scales or erect hairs, especially towards the center; color variable: yellow, yellow-brown, tawny, tan, pinkish brown, reddish-brown et cetra. Flesh thick and white when young, sometimes discolored in age; odor mild, taste usually latently bitter.

A young cap’s color is uniform without any brusing or aging towards brown-pink. Photo by Green Deane

Gills: Mushroom perfectionists can really rattle on about gill attachment, which are admittedly important. Start with the word F.A.D. Free, Attached, Descending. Gills are one of those three but there are nuances. Do they touch with an upward swing or square one? If they don’t attache the stem at al they are free. So these are “adnate” meaning square on to slightly decurrent (running down the stem some) or sometimes notched — half adnate; white to yellowish or sordid flesh-color, often spotted darker in age. Stalk: 5-20 cm long, 0.5 3(5) cm thick, tough and fibrous with a stringy pith inside; usually tapered below if growing in large clusters, or enlarged below if unclustered and on the ground; dry, whitish (above the ring in the A. mellea) soon yellow to reddish brown below and often cottony-scaly when very young. Spore print white 6-10 x -6 microns, elliptical, smooth, not amyloid.

Habitat: In small or massive clusters on stumps, logs, and living trees, or scattered to gregarious (occasionally solitary) on ground — but growing from roots or buried wood; common on a wide variety of trees and shrubs… on oaks trees the mycelium (mushroom roots) can frequently be seen as a whitish fan like growth between the bark and wood.

Whether young or middle aged select only firm caps for cooking. Stems are tough and fiberous. Photo by Green Deane

Arora says (of the A. mellea which he also says describes the A. tabescens) is eminently edible. Use only firm caps and discard though stalks (which are used for stock.) It is an abundant food source, crunchy in texture, and a very passable substitute for the shiitake in stir-fry dishes. The bitterness cooks out, but some forms are better than others. Arora recommends because of its various forms beginner should pick only those growing on wood.

There are three or four similar-looking mushrooms which are toxic. The Galerina autumnalis has a ring, is smaller, and has brown spores. The Pholiota species also have brown spores. Gymnopilus have rusty-orange spores. The Sulphur Tuft, Hypholoma fasciculare, which likes to grow on wood, has purple-brown spores. That leaves Jack-O-Lanterns, Omphalotus.

Jack-O-Lantern mushrooms, above, look similar but the cap’s inner flesh is orange or yellow, not white like the Ringless Honey Mushroom. The Jack-O-Lantern can cause severe gastric distress.

“Jacks” are similar but in age can become vase shaped. More importantly their color is shades of orange or reddish-orange, occasionally yellow orange or one species olive orange. The cap is smooth, the Ringed Honey mustard has small black hairs. Also the gills run down the stem strongly whereas in the Ringless Honey Mushroom the gills meet the stem or run down only a little. The flesh of the Jack-O-Lanterns is about the same color as the cap whereas the Honey Mushroom cap is tan/brown and the flesh is white. If you’re healthy Jacks won’t kill you but will cause severe gastrointestinal illness. Fresh Omphalotus gills can glow faintly in the dark. I’ve seen this several times. As the mushroom ages it loses the ability to glow so don’t rely on it. Some folks mistake Jacks for Golden Chanterelles but Chanterelles when cut are white inside (like the Honey Mushroom) and do not have true gills but rather ridges.

From the kitchen of James Kimbrough: Mushroom Meatloaf.

Young Armillaria tabescens. Photo by Green Deane

2 pounds of Armillaria mellea or A. tabescens
1 Large onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Cup of dry bread crumbs
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 Butter melted
1/2 Teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper

Saute half of the onion in two tablespoons of butter until golden brown. Save several large mushroom caps for garnish. Chop remaining mushrooms, including stems and remaining onions; mix with bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and remaining butter. Stir in eggs and sauteed onions. Press entire mixture in a well-greased loaf pan. Arrange mushrooms caps on top and press slightly. Bake for one hour at 350 F. Let stand several minutes; slice and serve with mushroom gravy.

The post Ringless Honey Mushrooms appeared first on Eat The Weeds and other things, too.

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0 Comments

Do not eat any mushroom without checking in person with a local, live, mushroom collector. The first time I thought I saw the Ringless Honey Mushroom was on my neighbor’s lawn.

How To Become A Better Shooter

I think it’s fair to say that we all wish we were better shooters, and we all have things we can improve on. Having a drill we can dedicate to will advance our shooting capabilities tremendously.

Well, over the past several years I’ve been lucky enough to train with some of the best instructors around, and even been allowed to share some of my own meagre knowledge with students looking to further their shooting skills.

Towards that end, I’m always interested in the best shooting drills to improve my own skills, as well as the best stuff to use when I’m teaching someone else. Which brings us to our topic for today.

These are the drills I work on every time I’m practicing at the range, and they train skills that are important for all types of shooting, from defensive-focused shooting to competition. These are the shooting drills that will make you a better shooter, and make sure you’re ready for anything that life, or a competition match director, can throw at you.

Let’s get to it.

The Proper Shooting Mindset

First thing’s first, we have to talk about the right mindset to get into before you start. Before I start my training or begin a class, I always want to focus on my goals. Am I trying to get ready for a competition, or am I working on drawing from a holster? Do I need to get my split times down, or do I need to practice reloads?

There are so many things that go into shooting well in any environment, and if we start changing lots of things at once, it can be difficult to know what’s helping and what’s not.

It’s also easy to develop bad habits if our form isn’t correct, so I always want to start and end each training session with accuracy. Ten rounds, smallest group possible, unlimited time. Simple, basic, and absolutely critical.

At the end of the day, hitting the target is the most important thing (after being safe) so I want to make sure I’m always working towards getting better there. This is something I started because of Mickey Schuch from Carry Trainer.

If you’re not familiar, definitely check out his stuff. Carry Trainer routinely posts videos of entire classes online, and he has a lot of good other stuff besides.

Taking a full minute or more to try and get ten rounds on paper as close as possible from a short distance is a great way to practice fundamentals and give yourself a kind of reset between other drills, especially with a handgun.

Recommended Training Gear

There are a few things I think everyone should have when training with firearms for serious use: good targets, snap caps, and a shot timer.

Steel targets are great, and for paper targets make sure you get either an IDPA-style target or something like the B27-style human silhouette targets.

Snap caps or dummy rounds, even empty cases, can be used in a variety of ways from setting up malfunction drills to dry-fire training. I keep some in my range bag at all times. Speaking of range bags, we have a great acrticle detailing the best range bags on the market right here.

For a shot timer, I use the Competition Electronics Pocket Pro. This allows me to time myself between shots, and to see measure my reaction times when readying or drawing the gun and shooting or reloading and shooting.

Reloading Drills and Transitions

Whatever kind of gun you have, be it pistol, rifle, or shotgun, you need to practice reloading it under pressure.

In a match, this is going to be one of the biggest things you can do to improve your stage times aside from getting all clean A-zone hits. In a combat situation, reloading can be the difference between life and death. Here’s Doug Koenig, who is a better shooter than I will ever even come close to being, showing you the basics.

Now, there are four types of reloads you need to be aware of, and you need to practice all of them.

First the empty reload Also called a slide-lock reload, or an “oh shit!” reload. This is where the slide or bolt is locked back on an empty magazine and you need to replace it.

A variation of this that’s more competition-focused is a speed reload.

Speed reloads are usually only done when you’ve identified a transition point in a stage, say moving from one shooting box to another, and you want to reload during that transition, even though you aren’t yet out of bullets.

Next, we have the tactical reload. This is more of an administrative task and is done during a lull, or when you’re in cover. This is also called a reload with retention.

Basically, you get to a point where you realize you’re about to be out of ammo, so you duck into cover, and swap a fresh mag for your almost-empty one.

When you do this, you should be retaining the partially-empty magazine in your support hand as you bring up the new mag, and then transitioning the partially spent mag to a pouch or pocket after seating the new one.

This is different from the speed reload where you just let the partially-empty mag hit the ground and leave it.

New York Reload

As anyone who played Call of Duty will tell you, switching to your pistol is always faster than reloading. A New York Reload (I swear I didn’t makeup the name, it’s a Massad Ayoob thing) is simply transitioning from one firearm to another.

Mas used to teach this specifically in regards to switching from a primary pistol to a backup revolver, but I think in more modern contexts its better to practice it as a transition from a rifle or shotgun to a handgun.

To practice, load a round in your long gun and at least one in your pistol. Put one shot on target with the long gun, let it fall across your body on a sling, and then draw your pistol and place one to two rounds on target.

This one is good for competition as well as self-defense, and is a good way to get used to work on clearing your holster as well.

Rifle/Shotgun Malfunction Drill

Any gun can fail, no matter how close to Perfection it may be, so it’s important to know what to do when yours eventually goes down.

With a long gun, I think your malfunction drill should be a NY reload. If you’re carrying a rifle and a handgun, you’re probably knowingly heading into harms way one way or another, and speed is of the essence when addressing a malfunction.

Transitioning to a pistol gets you back into the fight quickly, and allows you to stop the threat. Then you can go see what’s wrong with your rifle.

To practice, load up a mag with a snap cap somewhere in the mix, and when your gun goes click instead of bang, transition to your pistol and get your hit with that, then address the malfunction.

CCW Malfunction Drill

For the average civilian carrying a handgun, things are a little different. Your first option should be a speed reload in the event of a malfunction. Drop the mag, rack the slide, insert new mag, continue on.

What if you don’t have an extra mag and your gun goes click instead of bang? Tap, rack, bang!

Smack the heel of your hand into the baseplate of your magazine to ensure its seated, pull back on the slide or charging handle, try to shoot your target again.

To practice this, get out your snap caps and mix one in with your range ammo in a mag, or better yet, have someone else do it. Make sure you don’t know when the dummy round is going to come up. When it does, practice your malfunction clear and get another shot on target as quickly as possible.

Shooting Drills

These are drills you can practice with any firearm, and help you to get proficient with weapon manipulation and handling. In a high-stress situation, whether you’re in combat or competition, or even sitting in a deer stand scoped in a trophy buck, you’re going to default to your lowest level of proficiency.

In other words, your worst performance on a flat range is probably still going to be better than you can do when the heat is on. Keep that in mind at all times. These drills are essential for making sure that even your very worst is still good enough.

Up Drill/Draw

This is the simplest thing you can do, but it also cements the basics. Start with your pistol holstered, or your rifle/shotgun in a low ready. When you’re ready, bring the gun up and put one round in the center-mass or A-zone of your target. Bring the gun down or holster. Continue doing that until you get bored and then keep doing it a while longer.

This seems simple, but this is the foundation of everything you’re going to be doing, and working through an entire magazine this way will do wonders for you in the long run.

Failure Drill

Also called a “Failure to Stop” drill or a Mozambique drill, this is the classic two to the chest, one to the head drill that we see taught all over.

For this drill, start from a low ready or a holster. I like working with a shot timer, but you can easily get a buddy to call start, or just go on your own time.

Bring the gun up, put two rounds into the upper chest as fast as you can, and then follow it up with one carefully aimed shot to t-box. What’s the t-box? I’m so glad you asked.

The t-box is God’s off switch, specifically put into human beings so that other human beings can shut them down should the need arise. It gets its name from its shape. Imagine drawing a T-shaped box around someone’s eyes and nose. That’s the T-box.

A round of pretty much any caliber enters through there, and nerve impulses simply stop. A simple “headshot” isn’t always enough to stop an attacker, and I know of several cases of people taking shots to the jaw, forehead, or what have you and continuing to not only walk and talk, but fight back.

The point of this drill is to give you a rock-solid way to put an attacker down, no matter the amount of drugs, adrenaline, or religious fanaticism that may be involved.

Those first two shots are meant to slow the attacker down, allowing you to then place that third carefully aimed shot right where it needs to go to stop the threat. If you want to get an idea for the targets you’re aiming at, you can use a standard 8.5”x11” piece of printer paper for a chest zone, and a 3.5”x5” index card for the t-box.

Remember when you’re doing this, we aren’t looking for two rounds touching on the chest target. The goal here is to just simply shoot the bad guy (or gal) before they shoot you, and do so in a place that’s easy to hit, and will take their mind off shooting you.

Rule one of any gun fight is simple: Don’t Get Shot. The easiest way to follow rule one is to shoot them before they can shoot you. All the other high-speed tactical operator stuff is irrelevant if you can’t get this part down.

Box Drill

Stepping up to something a little more difficult, we have the box drill.

This is essentially a failure drill on two targets at the same time. Start with two targets spaced two or three yards apart, with your gun lowered or holstered.

Bring the gun up, place two upper-chest shots on one target, then place two upper chest shots on the second target, then t-box the second target, before transitioning back to t-box the first target. This should form a rectangle or box with your shots, hence the name.

This is a good practice for dealing with multiple attackers, and will help with transitioning from target to target. This is good for competition scenarios, and great for keeping you alive when you get jumped in a dark alley.

I am also a firm believer in the idea that anyone worth shooting once is worth shooting more than once, and practicing this will keep you from potentially freezing up after firing the first shot. It happens more often than you’d think.

Where to Go From Here…

Practical experience trumps everything you can do on your own on a static range. Take a class, join IDPA or USPSA, and get out there and shoot. Shoot dynamically, and shoot often. Don’t be afraid to push yourself, because that’s how you get better.

It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.

Another thing to remember: fast is good, accurate is better, fast and accurate is best. Focus on getting your accuracy down first, and get the movements down, and speed will come. Trying to be John Wick when you’re starting out is a good way to cement bad habits, and it’s a lot harder to unlearn bad habits than it is to take the time to learn good ones to start out with.

Parting Shots

These are the drills I work on almost every day, and this is what I work on with everyone I teach. These are simple, foundational things, but they will absolutely make you a better shooter, and may even save your life if you have to wield a firearm in self-defense.

What do you think of these drills? Do you have another that you think should be included? Let us know!

The post The Best Gun Drills To Become A Better Shooter: Benefits Of Each Drill appeared first on GunBacker. Kudos and thanks. We’re just paying it forward.

Other self-sufficiency and preparedness solutions recommended for you:

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The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us

Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation

Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns

Build yourself the only unlimited water source you’ll ever need

4 Important Forgotten Skills used by our Ancestors that can help you in any crisis

Secure your privacy in just 10 simple steps

0 Comments

I think it’s fair to say that we all wish we were better shooters, and we all have things we can improve on. Having a drill we can dedicate to

You Better Have These Seven Basic First-Aid Items

Do you have these seven basic first-aid items? Recent events reveal the importance of carrying first aid items at all times. The discussion of rendering emergency first-aid to someone often falls into the two categories of general first-aid and trauma first-aid. The U.S. Army discovered that trauma first-aid would be more common in a combat environment. Consequently, they adopted the Improved First Aid Kit (IFAK), which became known as the Individual First Aid Kit. The IFAK is essentially a trauma kit. Therefore, there are seven items to find as a foundation to build any size first aid kit from a personal kit to a group kit.

1. Tourniquet

Nearly all of the survival and preparedness experts agree that a tourniquet is a core item for any first-aid kit. A tourniquet helps stop bleeding to a severely injured extremity. However, improper application of a tourniquet can cause more injury, permanent loss of a limb, or even death under extreme circumstances. Thus, you should get certified first-aid training through the Red Cross or other authorized medical training organizations on the proper use of a tourniquet.

There are several versions and styles of the tourniquet. The tourniquet that is easy to employ is the CAT Tourniquet. CAT is an acronym that stands for Combat Application Tourniquet. These are currently in use with military and law enforcement organizations. There are other kinds of tourniquets, such as the ratchet tourniquet, the rapid application tourniquet (RAT), and the stretch-wrap-and-tuck (SWAT) tourniquet. However, whichever one that you prefer, a tourniquet should be an item in any first aid kit.

2. Cutting Device

Emergency first-aid may require cutting clothing away from an injury. Therefore, cutting is an essential task in first aid. An option for a cutting instrument is the Leatherman® Skeletool® RX. It is small enough that it will fit into most first-aid pouches on the market. However, if you cannot afford this multitool, then a quality pair of medical shears or scissors are a good option. Cutting is an essential task for rendering aid to a traumatic injury. A decent cutting instrument is helpful to enable this task. Therefore, a cutting tool of some type should be in any first-aid kit.

3. Disposable Medical Gloves

The wearing of medical gloves is vital for both the one giving first-aid and the one receiving the aid. Medical gloves help to reduce the transferring of germs into a person’s open wounds from the hands of the one rendering aid. They also reduce the risk to first-responders from absorbing blood-borne pathogens through the skin of their hands that an injured person may have in their system.

4. Self-Adhesive Bandage Wrap

Self-adhesive bandage wrap is a critical part of your first-aid considerations. The primary reason for its usefulness is that it can be applied to a wide variety of emergency medical applications. Self-adhesive bandage wrap is useful for making hasty pressure bandages, wrapping cuts with gauze, securing slings, and making slings. There is no glue-type adhesive. Therefore, these bandages work well in arid environments.

5. Quick Clot Gauze

Quick Clot is a recent development in the medical field. It officially goes by the name of hemostatic gauze. The clotting agent, Kaolin, helps to enable the blood to thicken. Therefore, it is terrific for stopping the bleeding on deep cuts, gashes, and penetration wounds to the body upon which a tourniquet is not necessary. Z-Medica is the manufacturer of Quick Clot products. Quick Clot should be part of your first-aid kit considerations.

6. Disposable Medical Face Mask

Many airborne contaminants and pathogens are floating in the air. We breathe them in and exhale them out every day. A medical mask should be part of your baseline considerations when building any first-aid kit. These masks do for the respiratory system that the medical gloves do for the hands. They help reduce the risk of breathing out germs into the open wounds of a person or breathing them in if the patient has an illness. Some types of medical masks have a clear plastic shield attached to prevent blood-borne pathogens from entering the body through the eyes. Therefore, a disposable medical face mask should be part of your first-aid kit loadout.

7. Israeli Compression Bandage

Bandages have been part of first-aid kits since their development. The military understands that the availability of bandages is a matter of life and death for the battlefield wounded. The increase in adverse situations in our contemporary era calls for the availability of bandages in everyday life. Consequently, an essential kind of dressing is the pressure bandage. A person knowing how to apply a pressure bandage to a severe bleeding injury efficiently is a critical task to master.

The best compression bandages on the market are the Israeli Compression Bandages. They are effective and easy to apply to an injury. The older, Vietnam era, pressure bandages were useful but could be cumbersome to use in a stressful situation because of the way they had to be wrapped and secured. Thus, you should consider keeping an Israeli Compression Bandage in all of your first-aid kits. Furthermore, you should always get first-aid training from a reputable organization, such as the Red Cross, before attempting to apply any pressure bandage.

Final Thoughts

First-aid kits are becoming an essential element to possess in the lives of everyday people. The rise in violent criminal activity in our nation has made people more aware of the necessity of keeping first-aid kits available. The seven items in the above discussion should be the foundation upon which to build your own first-aid kit. You need to get certified first-aid training through a reputable source before attempting to render any kind of medical aid to someone. The only exception should be those already well-rehearsed in giving first-aid to someone, such as military personnel, combat veterans, medical and law enforcement personnel. Once you receive training in first-aid, build your kit, then, keep it handy and ready for use.

The post Do You Have These Seven Basic First-Aid Items? appeared first on SIGMA 3 Survival School.

Other self-sufficiency and preparedness solutions recommended for you:

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Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns

Build yourself the only unlimited water source you’ll ever need

4 Important Forgotten Skills used by our Ancestors that can help you in any crisis

Secure your privacy in just 10 simple steps

0 Comments

Do you have these seven basic first-aid items? Recent events reveal the importance of carrying first aid items at all times. The discussion of rendering emergency first-aid to someone often

Women’s Concealed Carry Pants of 2019

Gun ownership is on the rise for American women. Concealed carry experts recommend carrying your weapon on your body at all times for self-defense.

This recommendation rules out purses, handbags and ankle holsters unless you only wear loose pants. Carrying in a bag can be a suboptimal choice for some people: if you have to be separated from you bag, or it gets lost/stolen, you’d have the headache of a missing bag and the horror of a missing firearm. Thus, women who want to concealed carry more effectively will have to find another option. In this case, we’re going to be looking at pants that are specifically designed for women who want to concealed carry a firearm.

Popular CCW Options For Women

The two most popular locations for ladies are inside the waistband (IWB), outside the waistband (OWB).These locations are easy to reach quickly and make it harder for an attacker to take your weapon.

However, these safety rules create a challenge for the carrywear industry.Most carrywear is designed to fit a man’s body, and many are of a distinctly utilitarian style that some women might not find appealing. This means that in both cut and fashion, men’s pants really won’t fit the bill for women’s concealed carrying.

Women on average have wider hips and shorter torsos than men. Moreover, wide hips cause the gun to tilt sideways and may cause gun prints on your clothes.

These two facts mean women need special accessories to carry their weapons without sacrificing safety, comfort, and concealment. In the last couple of years, there has been a steady rise in carrywear products marketed to women.

For your convenience, we’ve compiled a top 10 list of concealed carry pants. Taking a look at our list, we hope you can find something that fits your needs and makes some fashion sense as well.

Graystone 5.11 Gun Concealed Carry Women’s Concealment Leggings

Product

Graystone 5.11 Gun Concealed Carry Womens Concealment…

Top Pick

73% Polyester, 27% Spandex
MAXIMUM CONCEALMENT: Comfortable holster leggings spandex design…
EASY-REACH QUICK DRAW: Specially designed front and back pockets…
Will not fall out during daily activities
Available in Camouflage

Our rating

Details

73% Polyester, 27% Spandex
MAXIMUM CONCEALMENT: Comfortable holster leggings spandex design…
EASY-REACH QUICK DRAW: Specially designed front and back pockets…
Will not fall out during daily activities
Available in Camouflage

These leggings are made of polyester and spandex for greater comfort and fit.

The Graystone 5.11s also offer four holster options: two in the back and two in front.

All four holsters are outside the waistband(OTW), which means your gun is on top of the leggings.

Whether you’re right-handed or a lefty, the 5.11 leggings have you covered.

The velcro straps also serve to secure your weapon while you’re on the move.On top of all these attractive features, the Graystone 5.11s still look like standard leggings you might wear to the gym or the store: that’s the goal of concealed carrying in the first place and these pants certainly meet that criteria

You’ll enjoy maximum concealment with a simple t-shirt or jacket which cover the top of the pants, making even a full size firearm a viable concealed carry option. A great choice for a quick grocery, gym session or even dressier occasions with the right pair of boots.These stylish leggings come in black and blue camo and cost under 40$.

AC Undercover Concealed Carry Yoga Pant Leggings Holster CCW Yoga Pant Ref. 613

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AC Undercover Concealed Carry Yoga Pant Leggings Holster CCW…

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Available in Black color
Includes two holsters for either front or rear carry
Each holster features a retention strap to secure the handgun
Enables to carry and conceal small and medium guns
They do run small, so make sure you get a size bigger than you…

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Available in Black color
Includes two holsters for either front or rear carry
Each holster features a retention strap to secure the handgun
Enables to carry and conceal small and medium guns
They do run small, so make sure you get a size bigger than you…

AC undercover is a big brand in the carrywear industry and the 613 yoga pants are a great addition to their catalog.

They feel soft to the touch without sacrificing durability because of the nylon and spandex blend. These pants offer two holsters at the front and back, at the “kidney’ position in the back and the “appendix” position in the front. The 613 pants are IWB or inside-the-waistband holsters.

You’ll have your weapon close to your body and secured by an elastic waistband.

Also, holsters have a quick-release retention strap, keeping the gun in place as you move about.

The retention strap is also specially designed for a quick draw in case of emergency. This feature in particular makes these leggings a viable choice for concealed carry.

The 613s tend to run a little small so we advise you to go up one size as per the seller’s instructions.

Also, these pants are designed for small and medium guns and may not fit your weapon.

Make sure to check the sizing guide before making a purchase.

The 613s pants only come in black and cost between 33-39$ for a single or 67.5 for a two pack.

ConcealmentClothes Women’s Concealed Carry Gun Holster 3/4 Leggings – Black

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ConcealmentClothes Women’s Concealed Carry Gun Holster 3/4…

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VERSATILE: These leggings are great for a quick work-out or even…
COMFORTABLE: Made from a soft polyblend material, these leggings…
EASY TO CARE FOR: With this 95% Polyester and 5% Spandex blend…
EXTRA POCKETS: The extra pockets on each side are perfect for…
GREAT FOR EVERYONE- Not just for police, FBI, DEA, TSA and other…

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VERSATILE: These leggings are great for a quick work-out or even…
COMFORTABLE: Made from a soft polyblend material, these leggings…
EASY TO CARE FOR: With this 95% Polyester and 5% Spandex blend…
EXTRA POCKETS: The extra pockets on each side are perfect for…
GREAT FOR EVERYONE- Not just for police, FBI, DEA, TSA and other…

ConcealmentClothes is a CCW specialized brand with shirts, holsters, and pants.

These black ¾ length leggings are for IWB carry, with one holster one at the front and one at the back with a strap to secure your weapon. Also, the leggings have extra pockets to carry your phone or any small accessories. Along with your firearm, these additional pockets would be a great place to keep your carry permit: this is a requirement in many states.

The polyester/spandex construction gives you a decent amount of stretch and recovery.

Despite the strong material, customers report a soft comfortable feel to these pants.

You’ll never worry about these pants losing their shape over time.

Polyester is a cold-weather fabric by nature, so they may not be a good choice if you live in a hot climate, but will be fine in moderate climates. If you wear leggings during the winter or fall, Concealment Clothes is a great, stylish choice.

Since these leggings are designed to keep their shape, make sure you order the right size. You can order them on amazon at less than 30$.

UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Original Concealment Leggings T1553

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UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Original Concealment Leggings…

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Perhaps the most attractive concealed carry option available!…
Available in mid-calf length, the ORIGINAL CONCEALMENT LEGGINGS…
The OCL is available in Right and Left Hand, XS thru XXXL, BLACK…

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Perhaps the most attractive concealed carry option available!…
Available in mid-calf length, the ORIGINAL CONCEALMENT LEGGINGS…
The OCL is available in Right and Left Hand, XS thru XXXL, BLACK…

UnderTech UnderCover is a well-known brand trusted by Law enforcement officers all over the world. This brand has a long history of adapting its products to professional standards.

They now offer the T1533 original leggings with an option for left-handed or right-handed customers. Like previous IWB carry pants, the Original Concealment Leggings have a retention band for extra safety. The exclusive patent-pending design secures the weapon while allowing the wearer to react fast in case of an emergency. If you are active, you can run, jump and exercise in these pants without the worry of dropping your weapon thanks to the thick material.

These leggings cost between $70-$79.99 with free shipping.

Women’s Concealment Shorts by UnderTech Undercover (2X, Black)

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Women’s Concealment Shorts by UnderTech Undercover (2X,…

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Consealment

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Consealment

Shorts offer the greatest variety for carrywear, since they allow you to carry without weary belts.

You can use them while wearing dresses, jeans or even your PJs.

These concealment shorts fit tightly to your body so you can wear them under your regular clothes.

However, there are only two holsters at the back making front carry impossible with this model.

These shorts by UnderTech hide your weapon without the bulk of a belly band or belt holster.

Keep in mind, the holsters fit small and medium handguns only.

They run in three different colors: black, nude and white and cost $59.99 with Free shipping

You can wear these on any occasion or style.

UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Concealed Carry Bootcut Leggings

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UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Concealed Carry Bootcut…

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Two handgun holsters in your choice of right or left hand draw
Front accessory pocket on opposite side of holsters – perfect for…
Two stylish and functional zipper pockets
90% Supplex Nylon, 10% Spandex
Inseam Length – 29 Inches

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Two handgun holsters in your choice of right or left hand draw
Front accessory pocket on opposite side of holsters – perfect for…
Two stylish and functional zipper pockets
90% Supplex Nylon, 10% Spandex
Inseam Length – 29 Inches

If you don’t enjoy tights, Undertech got your back with bootcut leggings.

Made with 90% Supplex nylon, these leggings feel like cotton while drying quickly.These bootcuts offer a looser fit while still hugging the body. They also have two holsters, one in the front at the appendix and one in the rear at the kidney position.

As an added feature, you have a secret pocket for cash, keys or small items such as your carry permit. The holster locations depend on your dominant hand, so make sure to choose the right version for the type of carry that you plan on using.The bootcut leggings are perfect dress pants with ample inseam for long legs. They will cost under 90$ with free shipping, making them on the more pricey end of this list.

UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Concealed Carry 101 Jeggings in Burgundy

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UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Concealed Carry 101 Jeggings in…

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Two holsters – one in front and rear
Holsters include retention strap for safety and security
Holster can also be used to carry a cell phone
Able to carry & conceal most self-defense handguns. Available in…
Hidden waistband pocket stashes cash or a key. Four-way stretch…

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Two holsters – one in front and rear
Holsters include retention strap for safety and security
Holster can also be used to carry a cell phone
Able to carry & conceal most self-defense handguns. Available in…
Hidden waistband pocket stashes cash or a key. Four-way stretch…

UnderTech Undercover also offers burgundy jean style leggings. It’s a step up from regular carry wear and has added look of quality.The classy burgundy red style comes with 2 holsters: one at the front and one at the rear. These jeggings are designed for right-handed shooters only so please consider a different option for lefties.Like other Undertech pants, all holsters have a retention strap to secure your weapon and reduce draw time.

Also, there are extra pockets for your phone or accessories. This is an excellent option for a night out in the city with the comfort of your weapon. The jeggings are for sale for $99.00 with Free Shipping.

Graystone Gun Holster Shorts Concealed Carry Compression Women’s – Concealment Spandex CCW Clothing with Two Glock Pockets

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Graystone Gun Holster Shorts Concealed Carry Compression…

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Graystone
Misc.

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Graystone
Misc.

The graystone shorts have the right mix of stretch and strength with polyester and spandex. The material offers great mobility and you’ll forget you were even wearing them. These shorts are also worn a little higher over the belly so check the pictures before you buy. There are two holsters in the back and you can easily wear jeans, dresses or any other outfit.

You only need a shirt to conceal your weapon without giving up comfort.The shorts come in black and white at $34.99 or $59.99 with free shipping for both options.

UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Concealed Carry Short Shorts

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UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Concealed Carry Short Shorts

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This Compression Concealment Short Shorts Holster is made…
FITS MOST HANDGUN BRANDS: Glock, Smith and Wesson, Revolver,…
Shorts are AMBIDEXTROUS – 2 easy-access holsters on each side of…
Made in USA
Micro/Polyester fabric blend.

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This Compression Concealment Short Shorts Holster is made…
FITS MOST HANDGUN BRANDS: Glock, Smith and Wesson, Revolver,…
Shorts are AMBIDEXTROUS – 2 easy-access holsters on each side of…
Made in USA
Micro/Polyester fabric blend.

After the success of concealment shorts, Undertech created even shorter shorts for law enforcement officers that will do nicely for civilian concealed carry as well. You’ll be the only to know you’re carrying even when you’re out for a run or wearing short skirts.

Despite a 2” inseam, the shorts have enough room to secure to handguns and a retention strap over the handle. Like the original shorts, there is plenty of elasticity in the material to fit different body types. You can wear these under form-fitting clothes without a noticeable print.

If you’re ready to give up holsters or unsightly gun belts, these shorts have the right concealment factor with silky smooth texture for your comfort.

They’re only offered in black for now and depending on size will cost between $54-$59.99 with free shipping.

UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Zip-Pocket Concealed Carry Leggings in Olive Green

Product

UnderTech UnderCover Women’s Zip-Pocket Concealed Carry…

Top Pick

Two handgun holsters in your choice of right or left hand draw
Front accessory pocket on opposite side of holsters – perfect for…
Two stylish and functional zipper pockets
90% Supplex Nylon, 10% Spandex
Inseam Length – 29 Inches

Our rating

Details

Two handgun holsters in your choice of right or left hand draw
Front accessory pocket on opposite side of holsters – perfect for…
Two stylish and functional zipper pockets
90% Supplex Nylon, 10% Spandex
Inseam Length – 29 Inches

Here is a new release of the original concealment pants with extra functional zip pockets.

Also, these leggings sit up higher for a flattering look.

If you ever struggled with unwieldy gun belts or holsters, this is another option for daily carry.

The olive leggings have 2 holsters at the front appendix position and kidney position at the back.

These olive leggings included the patented retention strap so you never have to worry about dislodging your weapon.

If you’re tired of black and white, this a great addition to add variety to your carrywear while looking great.

Just like previous UnderTech products, these leggings look and feel like brand-name leggings.

They currently retail for under $80 with Free shipping included.

Parting Shots…

As the demographics of gun ownership change, more carrywear manufacturers will enter the market.

Female gun owners are demanding more specialized accessories to satisfy their needs.

This leads to a vast selection of new products and brands.

We understand it can be confusing to sift through multiple reviews, demonstrations and product descriptions to find the right fit for your body type, style and still keep you safe.

Not all holsters are created equal: you will need something that fits you, your firearm, and your lifestyle.

After all, you need a holster that secures your weapon, allows for quick draw and still look discreet: there’s no point in concealed carrying if you’re ether too uncomfortable to carry at all, or if the world can tell that you’re carrying.

With more and more women concealed carrying for their own defense, there’s a burgeoning industry of female oriented products so that women aren’t forced into wearing men’s clothing or holsters in order to exercise their rights. Pants and shorts like the ones on this list look basically like normal leggings or shorts: no on will even know you’re carrying and that is one of the main criteria one ought to look for in deciding on a concealment garment. So, take a look at the products on this list if you want a little guidance on where to begin in the concealed carry game.

The post The Top Rated Womens CCW Pants of 2019: Keep Your CCW Comfortable appeared first on GunBacker. Kudos and many thanks. We’re just paying it forward when we think it’s worth it.

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Gun ownership is on the rise for American women. Concealed carry experts recommend carrying your weapon on your body at all times for self-defense. This recommendation rules out purses, handbags and

How To Save Money This Winter

Tackling your heating bill this winter is one way to save money and there are some easy ways to do it! Lowering your heating costs can help you by having a little more disposable income to use for preps or to buy precious metals, or to stash away in a “rainy day fund.”

The truth is, it won’t hurt any of us to learn to live more frugally. Some don’t have a choice depending on their financial situation, but if you haven’t thought of trying to reduce your heating costs, you should! I have come to view it as almost a challenge. I try to beat last year’s cost (compared by month) this year. Turning it into a challenge has really helped, but do what works for you!

1. Lower the Thermostat
You can save up to 3% on your heating bill per degree lowered over a 24 hour period (or about 1 percent per 8 hours). During the winter months, we keep our thermostat set at 67 during the day and 60 at night. Play around with the temperatures to find something that works for your family. Generally, you’ll want it warmer at night if you have little kids. But just turning it down some saves us a lot of money and you can just toss an extra blanket on the bed.

2. Keep vents and radiators clear

Check and make sure your vents are not blocked by rugs or furniture, or that you don’t have any large objects in front of your radiator. This allows the air to circulate freely and you to get the full benefit of the warm air and put less strain on your furnace. This is also safer!

3. Heat Your Home With Wood

Using a woodburning stove is a lot cheaper than using electricity or propane to heat your home. While this may not be an option for everyone, it is definitely something to consider if you can pull it off. A woodburning stove can be a sizeable investment depending on how big of a stove you will need, but it’s nice to have when the power goes out and there’s nothing like the instant warmth it provides. Back up heat will be invaluable in an emergency and worth the upfront costs! Make sure you able to cut your own firewood, because if you have to buy it, costs could be pretty high depending on where you live and it won’t save you any money.

4. Check For Leaks and Seal Them

Your house leaks warm air, but if you find and seal most of these leaks, you can save between 10-20% on your heating bill this winter. To detect leaks, you should wait until it is cold outside. You will probably need at least a 30-degree difference in the indoor/outdoor temperatures to easily notice the difference. Look for leaks in common areas such as around doors, windows, near the attic, where wires and cables enter your house, and around electrical outlets. Seal all the gaps around any pipes, wires, vents or other openings with caulk or weather stripping.

5. Use a Humidifier

Using a humidifier can reduce your heating costs since moist air retains heat better than dry air. There are other benefits to using a humidifier. They help reduce static electricity, dry skin, and make it easier to breathe. A cast iron teapot placed on a wood-burning stove can accomplish this easily! Just fill it with water and let your stove’s heat do the work!

Hopefully, these tips will help you save money this winter on your heating bills!

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Tackling your heating bill this winter is one way to save money and there are some easy ways to do it! Lowering your heating costs can help you by having

Surviving Quicksand

Probably every Hollywoodian adventure flick out there has at least one scene where the protagonist or, better yet, the bad guy, finds himself trapped in quicksand. Film producers gave their very best to depict as gruesomely as possible what it means to become entangled in that sandy pit of death.

I have to admit that, for a very long time, I was convinced that there was no difference between stepping in quicksand and doing the mamba in a minefield. Although most of the things you see in movies are BS, not all are fictitious.

For instance, I remember seeing a screen adaption of The Hound of Baskerville, my favorite story from the Sherlock Holmes universe, in which one the main characters explain to doctor Watson how people may ‘unstuck’ themselves from quicksand by getting on their backs and swim. True to some degree, as you will find out later in this chapter, but not nearly enough to get out of quicksand.

A billboard advertising a book? DETAILS HERE

When it comes to movie depictions of shifting sands, the thing that irks me the most is this feeling of utter doom given off by those scenes. It’s something like “Crap! I stepped in quicksand. Well, nothing more to do than letting the sands swallow. Oh, to make things even more dramatic, I will roar like a raging lunatic and flutter my arms. That’s it! Lights out! Buh-bye! End of the line for me.”

It’s not exactly like that in real life. Sure, if you move around like crazy, that thing will eventually choke on sand or mud. That’s another thing – quicksand pits are not always made of sand, and it’s not just desert you’ve got to look out for.

Technically, any hole containing a fair amount of sand, dirt, silt or clay can become a quicksand pit it’s drenched by water and agitated by movement. I won’t bore you to death with the science behind quicksand, but I will say this – these treacherous pits can be found anywhere around the world, especially in areas that have been hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and flooding.

This is now the prepper’s “go to book” saving them time and money on costly doctor visits

So, my advice to you is to watch your step and stay away from puddles or suspicious pits. Carrying a walking stick always helps, especially when you have to traverse unknown terrain. As you’re walking, the ground in front of you with your stick a couple of times. If it appears to be solid, it means it’s safe to walk.

Still, if the end gets caught and you have trouble getting it out, you should definitely avoid the area. That’s basically it for the prepping and prevention part. Let’s now see what we should do in case we end up in a quicksand pit.

Step 1. Stop and discard.

Once you step in a quicksand pit, you’ll immediately notice that your body will slowly begin to plunge in the pit. Stop! Take a deep breath! You’re not going to die here. Now, the first thing you’ll need to concern yourself with is your weights – the heavier you are, the faster you’ll sink.

So, grab your backpack and throw it as far away from the quicksand pit as possible. If you have a toolbelt or anything similar, you should throw that away as well. Your boots make one Hell of a difference when it comes to getting out fast of quicksand. For instance, rubber boots, like those used by people fishing in shallow waters, are very useful for this kind of situation since they can be removed easier compared to their laced peers.

Step 2. Watch your movements

The whole idea of dealing with quicksand is knowing exactly when to move and when to stand still. What most people don’t know is that there’s a 5 to the 10-second interval which allows a quick escape. So, if you step in one of these quicksand pits, go through step one, which is discarding your backpack and any other stuff that might weigh you down, and try to take a couple of steps forward and backward.

Small, baby steps – don’t try to rush things. If you move slowly, you’ll soon feel that less grip. Continue doing this until you manage to break free of the quicksand pit.

Step 3. Drop and swim to safety

If you miss this interval, again, stop what you are doing, stand still, and take a deep breath. Remember that every twitch or sudden movement can stir the stuff inside the pit. This will tighten the grip and make you sink even further.

Once you’ve calmed down, slowly lay on your back, just as you would do at a hospital when a nice lady doctor offers you a consultation. Keep your arms parallel to your body. You should ensure that your head and torso remain above the ground. Take a short breather, and roll on one side. Now, arch your back and swim forward. Remember the backstrokes you’ve learned in swimming class? That’s exactly what you must need to do.

Over 700 pages jammed full of medical information written in an easy to read format that requires absolutely no medical knowledge

The only difference between swimming in water and quicksand is the amount of friction. Obviously, it’s more challenging to swim in mud or sand compared to water, but if you put your back into it, you’ll eventually reach solid ground.

Again, everything must be done in slow motion. Don’t rush it! If you feel that the effort’s too much, rest for a couple of minutes. Yes, I know it’s frustrating to have the same speed as a garden snail, but rushing it would only make you sink even further into the quicksand.

Once you feel that the ground below you is solid, flop back, firmly plant your hands on the ground, and push as hard as you can to yank yourself loose.

Don’t worry about losing your boots or smartphone in the quicksand pit. Those can be replaced; your life cannot. Above all, don’t try sticking your hand inside the hole in a desperate attempt to recover your position. Your priority right now would be to recover your B.O.B and\or toolbelt.

Do a quick inventory to see if anything went missing. If you have an emergency phone in your backpack, use it to call the authorities. You can also switch on your personal emergency beacon if you have one.

The next step would be to check all body areas that have been in contact with the quicksand pit. Remember that the extra friction may cause some nasty bruises and even wounds. If this is the case, get the first-kit out of your bug out bag and treat all resulting wounds before infection sets in.

Additional considerations on surviving quicksand pits

In 99.9 percent of cases, you can survive a quicksand encounter. Still, there are a couple of more things you should know about these things.

Quicksand pits are not specific to only one part of the world.

In fact, research has pointed out that these formations can appear anywhere in the world, especially in proximity to bodies of water such as lakes, underground springs, riverbanks, beaches, and marshes.

Quicksand pits are featureless.

There’s no possible way of telling if the thing in front of you is a quicksand pit or just another mud puddle or hole in the sand. Well, there actually is – by getting stuck in it!

Swimming is the best way to get out of quicksand.

Buoyancy is the only thing that keeps you from meeting an untimely demise. However, there are times when you may not be able to backstroke your way out of a quicksand pit. More specifically, the friction will be too higher for your body. If this happens, arch your back and hips more. This will allow you to equally distribute your body weight, ensuring buoyancy.

Not all quicksand pits are dangerous.

Although movies show that each encounter with a quicksand pit means certain death, in reality, you won’t sink lower than your ankles. Still, you shouldn’t take this for granted, since everything depends on how deep the pit’s in the first place.

Panicking is the leading cause of death in case of deep quicksand pits encounters.

Researchers have determined that most people who have choked to death in shifting sands, panicked and tried to latch onto anything they could find.

Remember that sudden and violent movement will only stir the bottom of the pit even more which, as you’ve guessed it, results in sinking. Stay calm, lay flat on your back, flop over, and use the backstroke to get out of the quicksand pit.

Walking sticks makes escapes a lot easier.

Escaping a quicksand pit is a lengthy and strenuous process (sometimes, it takes more than half a day to cover one or two meters). You can reduce the time it takes you to get out by using your walking stick as a flotation device.

Provided that you haven’t lost the stick or threw away with your bug out bag and\or toolbelt, lay flat on your back and place the walking stick underneath your body (it should be right below the lumbar area). In a couple of seconds, you will notice that there’s no more sinking.

Using your legs only, push slowly. After advancing a couple of inches, move the stick to a new position. It will take a while, but by combining the leg-pushing drill with the stick, you’ll soon be able to reach firm ground.

That’s basically it for my take on how to escape a quicksand pit. Again, not all encounters with this sand and water formations area deadly. The odds are you’ll probably never sink below the ankle level.

For smaller quicksand pits, it’s enough to move your legs back and forth to get out. Of course, the best method of escaping quicksand pits is to avoid them in the first place. Granted that shifting sands are featureless, but you can test the terrain in front of you with your walking stick. Avoid marshy and sandy area also helps, but you never know where life takes you.

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Probably every Hollywoodian adventure flick out there has at least one scene where the protagonist or, better yet, the bad guy, finds himself trapped in quicksand. Film producers gave their

Treating Open Wounds – if you’re not a doctor

For some newbies, the topic may elicit some bravado – “wow, an open wound. Neat! I was looking forward to testing out my new suturing kit.” It’s never like that; the worst thing that could happen to you in an SHTF situation is being forced to deal with an injury of this caliber. Of course, it’s even shittier if you’re the one who has been wounded and no one around to provide medical assistance.

Learn how to both diagnose and treat any medical problems you are going to encounter. Learn more about it here.

I want to share with you some tricks and tips that will be of great use to you in open wound management. Pray to God that it will never come to that, but you never know where life takes you.

Open Wound Management for NMPs (Non-medical personnel) and preppers

You know what’s the real golden rule of prepping? Shit can happen anywhere. And, unfortunately, it does. Scrapes, bruises, and nicks are very common around a household, especially when you have kids or if you’re that kind of person that has butter fingers. There’s nothing special about treating small cuts – apply pressure, wash, clean, and disinfect.

That’s all there is to it! Still, considering the crazy world we live in, even a trip to the corner store can turn into a deadly, Indiana Jones-like expedition. This is the very reason why you should always be ready to tackle any kind of emergency, no matter its nature.

As far as today’s subject is concerned, a good friend of mine, who also happens to be a thoracic surgeon in his spare time, one told me that the best thing you could do about an open wound would be to leave it alone.

Yes, I know it sounds crazy and rather dangerous considering that germs are always looking for ways to get inside our bodies, but there’s a good reason why doctors approach open wounds in this manner. Let’s backtrack a bit.

Regardless of the medical emergency, the first thing you need to do is to assess the patient. Check breathing, pulse, and state of consciousness. Many first-aid manuals state that the patient should not be moved unless he’s in immediate danger.

For instance, if a person is involved in a car accident, you should attempt to yank him out of the vehicle before the gas ignites it. So, if your patient is in danger, carry him to safety as fast as possible before assessing his condition.

In dealing with open wounds, hypovolemic shock and loss of consciousness are your opponents. When a person loses 20 to 40 percent of blood, his organs will begin to shut down one by one. Passing out is a distinct possibility.

However, if the blood volume cannot be restored, that person will die. Hypovolemic shock is a very common occurrence in case of open wounds. This is why the next step you will need to take would be to stop the bleeder.

Ask the patient to lie flat on his back and elevate the wound (if it’s on the leg, raise the his\her leg above body level). You may need to improvise some sort of stand; a rock, an old crate, a trashcan or anything that will help you raise the wounded limb.

Next order of business would be to figure out where’s the bleeding coming for – if an artery was severed or lacerated, then the blood will come out spurting. On the other hand, if it’s a vein, the blood coming out will flow.

Why do you need to know this? Because each scenario comes with a different approach. For instance, in case of a venous hemorrhage, it’s enough to pack it with sterile gauze in order to stop the bleeding.

On the other hand, if you’re dealing with an arterial hemorrhage, apart from packing it with sterile gauze, you will also need to compress the upper part of the artery to control the bleeding, giving your body enough time to perform what docs call hemostasis (stopping the bleeding).

Treating Open Wounds

Once you have assessed the patient, elevated the wound, and identified the bleeder, it’s time to act. At this point, it’s important to stop the bleeding. It doesn’t matter if the wound’s filled with dirt or anything. You can concern yourself with those things after your patient no longer loses blood.

To do that, apply a sterile gauze right on the wound and apply pressure. If the wound continues to bleed, use another gauze. Stack as may gauzes or clean cloth as you see fit. Keep the pressure constant, even if you feel like your hands are about to give up on you.

In the meantime, if the patient’s conscious, ask him or her to drink water. Plenty of it! Remember that your goal is to replenish the liquids lost through the wound.

This is the only place where you can get DR. RALPH LA GUARDIA’S THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF MEDICINE

Keep pressure on the bleeder and add more gauze or cloth, if necessary. Once the bleeding has subsided, it’s time to tend to the wound. One of the most common mistakes I’ve encountered is yanking the bandages. Don’t do that – the barrier formed by clotted blood and those little cells that repair leaks is keeping the patient from bleeding.

Still, you will need to clean that wound to prevent infection. To do that, grab a bottle of sterilized water and pour over the bandage. Once the gauze has enough moisture, you will be able to remove it without too much difficulty. Stay calm! You’re almost to the finish line.

After removing the bandage, take a closer look at the wound site. Do you any dirt? Piece of wood or metal sticking out? If it’s just dirt, use plenty of clean water to wash the area. However, if there’s anything sticking out of the wound like a metal spike or, even worse, a protruding bone, leave them be.

Between washing, using a saline solution to flush the wound. In case your first-aid kit doesn’t include a syringe with saline solution, you can make some using a clean plastic bottle, water, and a tablespoon of fine rock salt. Mix, shake the bottle and use your survival knife to cut a small hole in the plastic cap. Use this liquid to flush the wound.

Remember when I told you about my doc friend who said that in most cases it’s better to leave the wound open? Well, that’s exactly what you must do. When you’re done cleaning and flushing the wound, apply a sterile gauze over the site to keep the area clean. You may also want to waterproof the site – wrap a sterile glove or an unfolded condom.

Now, in case the wound is smaller (one or one and a half inches between the skin flaps), you can attempt to suture it. Bear in mind that suturing is a last resort solution – you should only do this if you know that help will not reach you in time. In one of my articles, I’ve talked about how to do simple interrupted sutures.

Be sure your first-aid kit includes a suturing pack. Keep monitoring the wound for signs of infection – skin discoloration, oozing or acidic smell. If you’re lost in the wild, a quick way to keep infection at bay and stop tissue necrosis would be to use maggots. Yes, it sounds utterly disgusting, but those little suckers are great at eating dead tissue.

Wrap-up

Keep your priorities straight – assess, elevate, identify bleeder, hemostasis, wash, flush, and continue monitoring. Sounds like a no-brainer, but I can bet that you won’t feel that way once you’re facing a wound that won’t stop bleeding. You should also tell the patient to drink plenty of liquids.

Bleeders can go out of hand if the patient goes into a panic. That’s why it’s important to talk to him or her. Tell your patient that everything’s going to be okay and that help is on its way. Above all, don’t let him close his eyes. If you see that the victim is about to faint, pour some water over his face, and ask him to keep talking to you.

That’s basically all that you can learn as a non-medical person about open wound management. If you’re interested in learning more, check with your local Red Cross chapter. They’re bound to have a free advanced first-aid course. Any thoughts? Hit the comments section and let me know.

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0 Comments

For some newbies, the topic may elicit some bravado – “wow, an open wound. Neat! I was looking forward to testing out my new suturing kit.” It’s never like that;

You’re 7 Steps Away From Potted Meat

A potted meat food product is a food preserved by canning and consisting of various seasoned cooked meats, often puréed, minced, or ground, which is heat processed and sealed into small cans. This is different from potted meat, an older noncommercial method of preserving meat.

When you think of potted meat you probably think of Armor. Ritz cracks and that weird gelatin on top might come to mind, too. If you are like me, you think of great memories on the couch with dad. We would eat this stuff together and watch TV.

You might also think of your own pantry. You know, these canned meats have a tremendous shelf life and make for a great protein solution. Did you know that canned meats can last up to 5 years beyond the best by date printed on the can?

The Plant You Can Use as a Diuretic But Also To Make a Great Wine! Good news? It grows all over the place. Details here

While you might think that potted meat came to be during the age of metal canning and the industrial revolution, you would be mistaken. Just because it’s in a tin can today does not mean it started that way. The potting of meat or preserving meat by covering it in its own fat is hundreds of years old.

It was a process so popular, in fact, it was published in more than one volume on cooking in the 1700s. We are going to be using a recipe from the 1778 book A Lady’s Assistant By Charlotte Mason. The recipe is called Potting Beef.

I like this recipe best because it’s very easy, it doesn’t require any added nitrites and it can be executed with everything the average person has on hand. We are going use a modern-day twist on the “POTS” used but other than that it will be pretty much the same method used in the 1700s.

The Power of the Fat Cap

Before we get to the process of potting meat I would like to talk about the preserving power of fat. When it hardens fat creates a barrier from moisture and oxygen.

Most bacteria need moisture and oxygen to survive. Without those two things, bacteria will not be able to proliferate. That fat cap on potted meat is what preserves it. That barrier is vital. It’s very similar to the process of the French confit which preserved duck legs under duck fat.

The ideal place to store your potted meat will be in a cold place where the fat cap can harden. That is assuming the power is out. Of course, a fridge will be the best option. The French even buried their duck confit in earthenware to assure that fat cap did not get compromised.

Tools

The “pots” that would have been used were little more than earthenware or ceramic cups. Before the tin can this was how meat was potted. Our modern twist on this recipe is the resourceful use of coffee cups as the pots. I figure we all have a few too many coffee cups.

A Few Coffee Cups
A Large Bowl
A Sauce Pot
A Muddler or Another Tool to Pulverize the Beef

Ingredients for Potted Meat

A Few Pounds of Beef
Good Whole Butter
Clarified Butter

The Process of Making Potted Meat

Potting beef is very simple. Let’s start with that. We are simply going to mash up the meat and beat in some more fat. Then we are going to cover the entire thing with even more fat.

#1. Slow cook your beef, however, you are comfortable until it is falling apart. You can use a Dutch oven for this if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Once the meat is tender you are going to want to shred it a bit and chill it.

#2. After 8 or so hours your meat should be completely chilled, and you can start the process. Place all the meat into the bowl and begin to mash it with your muddler or something else hard that will really macerate the meat.

I guess you could use a food processor for this step but if you are making this recipe from the 18^th century it seems kinda weird.

#3. Now you are going to add an extra third the amount of butter to your meat and continue mixing this. You really want to incorporate the butter.

Understanding the idea behind an extra third is very important because it gives you the ability to reproduce this recipe no matter how much beef you have.

For 2lbs of cooked beef, we will simply use another pound of butter. If you were doing 20lbs of beef you would apply a third of the fat and that would be 10lbs. This ratio makes this process very simple to scale.

#4. Now you are going to press your butter meat mixture into your “pots” and leave about 2 inches from the top. This will assure you have room to pour your butter.

#5. Place your pots on a sheet pan and warm them around 200 degrees just until they are warmed through. This will take about a half-hour.

#6. In your saucepot melt the clarified butter. When you pull the pots from the oven you can start ladling some warm clarified butter into the open space in your pots. Fill them up good. This seal does all the preserving.

I used about ½ cup of melted clarified butter.

#7. Now chill the pots completely and you have potted your first bit of beef.

If you can keep the clarified butter intact you will be able to store these pots for months at a time. This requires storage in a cold, undisturbed environment. There may be no better way to preserve your meat in the winter. These pots can be stored covered outside in an off-grid situation. You might even be able to get away with storing them in a root cellar.

Potted meat has come a long way since the 1700s. When you make this potted beef, you will see just how different and how delicious home potted meat can be. It’s much more than a cheap amalgamation of pork parts and chicken parts that are canned under pressure.

You might also add herbs to this potted meat recipe. Things like oregano and thyme are not only going to flavor your meat but they are also going to add some medicinal properties to your recipe.

There is no denying it, cooking from scratch is true salvation and one of the most important survival skills.

Other self-sufficiency and preparedness solutions recommended for you:

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0 Comments

A potted meat food product is a food preserved by canning and consisting of various seasoned cooked meats, often puréed, minced, or ground, which is heat processed and sealed into small cans.

Do It Yourself Quarantine Plan

The news has been almost completely focused on Ebola for the last couple of weeks and information outlets are pouring out details by the minute. This type of event is what the 24-Hour news cycle was created for and pundits on every side are breathlessly announcing news, interviewing witnesses and experts and showing hour after hour of footage of hospitals, people in yellow gowns, nitrile gloves and face-masks. It is enough to make a sane person crazy and it is a sober reminder to preppers everywhere that precautions for events like this are valid, prudent and perhaps in some of our cases, just in the nick of time.

Well, the Final Prepper audience is full of sane people. I believe that most people who call themselves preppers are focused on taking simple logical steps to ensure the safety of their closest loved ones. It makes sense to pay attention to the news and shore up any supply needs that you might have. I believe it is very wise to keep an eye on the events in Dallas and elsewhere in the world in the event that this virus does grow outside of the limited scope that we have seen so far in the US at least.

When it is all said and done, this “outbreak” which isn’t really an outbreak at all here thankfully could end up disappearing from the news just as quickly as it came. Of course, it could also grow more serious. We aren’t clear exactly how Ebola is transmitted although very smart people are saying that it is hard to catch. So far, I am inclined to believe them only for the primary reason that we only have 3 cases at this time. Should that change I will be prepared to act and I am not going to relax simply because experts tell me not to be alarmed. I am not alarmed, but I am watching events closely as I am sure the rest of you are as well.

Self-Quarantine to reduce exposure risk

If Ebola does start to become a larger problem; if we begin to see a spike in cases, one possible option for limiting your exposure could be as simple as staying home. Self-Quarantine is the practice of taking yourself out of the world so to speak to avoid contact with others completely. This is pretty much bugging in by definition. The NBC News crew that returned from reporting on Ebola had their cameraman test positive for Ebola so they agreed to Self Quarantine themselves to eliminate exposure to the public for the recommended incubation period of up to 21 days. In the case of Dr. Nancy Snyderman, this proved too long and soon they were caught out at a local restaurant which led to a huge public outcry and a weak apology from the doctor.

I won’t argue that staying in quarantine for up to 21 days would be very difficult, especially if you were alone, but if things do turn worse we might all be better off staying indoors. If Ebola cases increase substantially, we might not have a choice if Executive Order 13295 is put into action. 13295 allows for the “apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of suspected communicable diseases.” Would you rather stay in your home and ride out the Ebola event or wherever the government wants to stick you? If you were faced with voluntary or involuntary quarantine to protect your family from Ebola, what would you need to consider?

Infrastructure for Self Quarantine

Not surprisingly, the CDC website has a lot of information about quarantine mostly from the viewpoint of the SARS epidemic back in 2003, but I believe the concepts and topics are still just as relevant if your goal is to reduce or eliminate possible exposure to infected individuals. Major infrastructure considerations for self-quarantine are:

Related Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation

Communication Options – Telephone, cell phones, Ham Radio to keep in touch with others outside of your home. Shortwave radio is another good option assuming the regular lines of communication are down.
Electricity – In a grid up scenario this should be fine, but if the grid goes down, do you have enough electricity for up to 21 days of isolation?
Heat Source – For the winter it is good to have a plan to keep you warm . I have Kerosene Heaters and plenty of stored fuel but I would personally need to augment my supply for very cold conditions. Right now, cold isn’t a factor, but 21 days without power in January would be tougher.
Potable Water – A core element of any prepper supply list is to have water on hand. Enough water for one gallon per person per day. If you have a family of 4 and are forced into quarantine from Ebola for 21 days that would be 84 gallons of water at a minimum.
Waste and Sanitation – As long as the utilities are functioning this shouldn’t be a problem, but if the crisis explodes (no pun intended) you may not have city water to fill the toilets so alternate accommodations would need to be made. Grid down sanitation options are one possibility but would require you to go outside if the water and sewer lines were out of commission.
Food – Do you have enough food to last for 21 days for your entire family? Again, with society still functioning I guess you could have neighbors bring food over but you wouldn’t want to be going to the grocery store.
Entertainment – 21 days in your home is a long time. 21 days cooped up with your family is an eternity in the most easy going and loving homes. You should have a plan to counter boredom if you want to preserve your sanity along with your health.

Accommodations for Self Quarantine

If you are limiting your exposure as a family unit and by that I mean if everyone in your family is together in this then you can go on living (with certain exceptions) as you were although you wouldn’t be going outside. Would you stop your mail or risk exposure by touching something that another individual had contacted?

I am sure that it depends somewhat on the nature of any potential Ebola outbreak. It could be that the current convention that you must come in contact with bodily fluids from infected people in order to contract the disease holds. If that were the case, you could probably safely move about your yard, but quarantine does mean your trips to the malls, movie theaters, school events, plays, sporting events, hospital visits to sick friends would all be out of the question.

Could you work from home? – In today’s environment there are many of us who could work from home full time. As long as I had internet, power and a cell phone I could work anywhere in the world. Online meetings will probably be more common if travel is restricted during any outbreak. Actually, that would be fine with me too as the last place I would want to be during any kind of disease outbreak is at an airport or any place away from home really.
Could your children do schoolwork at home? – This would be tough for some but I imagine that a lot of schools would have to offer concessions in the case of quarantine. Certainly if the government locked everything down schools would either forgive homework or lean on online systems that are largely in place already. We still have one child that is home-schooled so she wouldn’t get out of anything, but another already gets her assignments online so staying out wouldn’t be a huge burden.
How would you pay your bills? – As long as we have money in the accounts, almost all of our bills except my weekly tithe are done electronically. If that goes down we have bigger problems.

Provided you had running water, power and a job that would allow you to stay home you should only need food to survive outside of climatic extremes. Take all of that away though and your self-imposed quarantine could still save your life, but it would be much harder. Again this assumes that Ebola will always and only be passed from bodily fluids. In this case self-quarantine to reduce exposure should be doable for most people with even basic preparations. Let’s hope we don’t see anything worse.

Other self-sufficiency and preparedness solutions recommended for you:

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The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us

Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation

Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns

Build yourself the only unlimited water source you’ll ever need

4 Important Forgotten Skills used by our Ancestors that can help you in any crisis

Secure your privacy in just 10 simple steps

0 Comments

The news has been almost completely focused on Ebola for the last couple of weeks and information outlets are pouring out details by the minute. This type of event is

Fit to Survive? Don’t Be the Weakest Link

The sole purpose of prepping is to prepare for survival in the event of a cataclysmic event. As a prepper, you stock your pantry full of non-perishable food, arrange for alternate shelter, stock up on guns and ammo, hoard first-aid supplies and medication, plan for sustainable food sources, and purchase insane inventories of odds and ends out of survivalist catalogs. But how many preppers miss one of the most basic needs for your survival? Your overall physical fitness and health could cause you to be either the greatest asset or the weakest link in a survival situation.

Numbers Count

Weight management is a key factor to your potential survival. Let’s face it, America has not gotten any thinner, even with high unemployment and economic turmoil. With extra weight, there also follows extra health risks. Type 2 diabetes is running rampant in our country. The fact that insulin is difficult to store and may be nearly impossible to acquire in a doomsday scenario should scare most preppers into wanting to avoid an escapable health snare. There is a definite link to the spare tire on the middle and the dreaded diabetes diagnosis.

If You Are Diabetic THIS Book teaches you what Is Essential For Your Survival Medicine Chest

Maintaining your health now while you stock up all your other prepper supplies could save you the aggravation of planning for insulin stores later. There is also heightened risk for injury when you are carrying more pounds than your skeletal frame can comfortably balance or support. And if you think five or ten pounds here or there won’t make that big of a difference when running from zombies then go grab a bag of flour out of your pantry and haul it around for a few hours. You will surely notice a decrease in speed if you don’t completely sack out on the floor from sheer exhaustion.

Feel the Burn

I know, everyone has heard about exercise until their ears are bleeding. When I drive by local fitness clubs in January the parking lot is filled with cars whose owners are packed into the cardio area like pudgy sardines. They tell themselves that this will be the year they will wear that polka dot bikini with pride or strap their speedo on and possibly be mistaken for Michael Phelps. Obviously something goes awry or else the parking lot wouldn’t be empty come March with signs blinking from the road peddling half-priced memberships fees. “Please come in and exercise,” they plead, “your bikini still loves you!”

Preppers should not view exercise as a means of looking spicy hot in the summer, but a way of preparing for harsh physical conditions. Suppose you have to go to your bug out location on foot for several miles. What if you actually have to do some heavy climbing? Do you want to be the sweaty mess at the bottom of the hill waving everyone to go on without you? Imagine that someone in your group becomes injured and you are too weak and out of shape to carry them?

These are real scenarios that can be avoided. A hundred years ago people would scoff at the idea of paying to exercise. Crossfit is currently the latest craze and it basically involves doing some military exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups and then trainers jazz it up with repetitions involving rolling a tractor tire around a grassy lot for a while. Being fit doesn’t mean throwing out wads of cash so instructors can boss you around yelling, “Roll the tire faster, paint my house, mow my lawn, pull my chariot, feel the burn, blah blah blah!” Take your fitness into your own hands.

Here are some simple fitness tips to prepare for apocalypse now:

Drop and give me 50.

The U.S. Army trains soldiers for combat and survival and have done so successfully for decades. Simply doing old school sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups every day will increase your upper body and core strength exponentially. Set a small goal and every week try to add a few more to your routine. A good time to do it and get in the habit is before bed. My husband has been doing this for years, and trust me, he is might sexy.

Pull-up bars can be purchased and installed in a door frame where it is out of the way. If you are a girl like me and you think you can’t do pull-ups, which is not unusual for the female body, you can cheat a little while still increasing strength. If you use a giant exercise band and place it over the top of the bar, then slip one loop through the other, pull tight, and allow it to hang down so your foot or feet slip through it, it will give you the help you need.

Learn how to grow nutrient dense foods that will nourish your mind and body

Remember, the thicker the band; the less you are working, so as you get stronger, buy a thinner band and continue to get smaller bands until you don’t need the aid any longer. Then challenge your teenage son’s friends to arm wrestling contests and win every time. You can wager bets on the outcome and when you handily defeat them and turn them red with shame, use the extra money for prepping supplies. Win, win.

Go play!

Ultimately, get out of the house! A variety of exercises can be performed on a daily basis that will work all the major muscle groups, give you cardio to keep up your stamina, and you don’t have to pay Biff at the gym to tell you how to do it. You may even cross off a few things on your wife’s “Honey-Do” list. Run around the yard and play with your kids. Chase them around until they pee in their pants, play hide and go seek with them, or challenge them to a race. They will probably win, unless you trick them by tying their shoelaces together. Go hiking or take long walks with someone you enjoy spending time with and that makes awesome trail mix. In the warmer months, get out in the garden everyday if you can. Chop some wood for yourself or offer to do it for someone else. Don’t give in to the temptation to buy a riding mower unless you have to mow a couple of acres or more. My widowed grandmother had a simple grass cutter without a motor and she mowed her entire acre and a half without any help. She lived to a very ripe old age and probably could have bench pressed a tractor tire if she needed to.

Take the long way home.

Whenever possible, skip the elevator, and park father from Wal-Mart than you need to. One day, my battery died in my car. I had a carload of children and groceries to boot. We all decided we would walk the three miles back home together and that it was going to be an adventure. We thoroughly enjoyed our unplanned workout and we talked and told stories to kill the time. When we returned home, the neighbors asked where we had been and we told them we had just walked from the grocery store and they looked at us like we had grown two heads. In my mind, several lessons were gained by my kids that day. First, walking instead of driving won’t kill you, unplanned inconveniences are always around the corner and you must have a Plan B when they happen, whining makes a chore longer, and that when zombies attack they will definitely get our neighbors first.

With the advent of so many modern conveniences, physical exertion and challenges have become almost non-existent. While some people focus on cardio alone, unfortunately they may realize too late that they don’t have the physical strength they may need in a survival situation. The opposite is true if you only focus on muscle strength. I have known many men who were “cut” and built like Popeye the Sailor, but when it came time to prove their speed and agility, they fell short and sulked in the corner curling Smart cars. The key to survival fitness is practicing both cardiovascular strength as well as muscle strength. No matter a person’s age or sex, there is always room for improvement. Small advances toward your overall physical health and fitness can improve your mental capability in high-stress situations and your ability to safeguard supplies as well as those around you from harm.

Other self-sufficiency and preparedness solutions recommended for you:

Healthy Soil + Healthy Plants = Healthy You

The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us

Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation

Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns

Build yourself the only unlimited water source you’ll ever need

4 Important Forgotten Skills used by our Ancestors that can help you in any crisis

Secure your privacy in just 10 simple steps

0 Comments

The sole purpose of prepping is to prepare for survival in the event of a cataclysmic event. As a prepper, you stock your pantry full of non-perishable food, arrange for

What To Do Before The Coming Gun Control

Gun Control – how far will we go as a nation to further limit the 2nd amendment? Will it stop at full automatics, or will it continue against semi autos, large capacity mags, and other accessories? Whatever you believe, one thing is certain – the upcoming election will be the most important one in the last century as it relates to gun control.

The tragedy in Orlando and other mass shootings in the U.S. and abroad has even some Congressional Republicans wavering on their previous reluctance in allowing any gun control legislation to pass. In my opinion, some form of additional gun control is inevitable. While the current Congress favors gun rights, this could all change in November. If you haven’t noticed, Americans have a very low opinion of Congress in general. They could vote out incumbents, mostly Republicans, just because they are mad at the current legislative stagnation. However, the main reason why this election is so important is that the next President will likely have the ability to not only tilt, but actually create a decidedly conservative or liberal Supreme Court, which would be in power for the next few decades at the least.

With Antonin Scalia’s death, three of the remaining eight Justices are older than 77. With the average age of Supreme Court Justice retirement at 78.7, you can do the math. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was installed by Bill Clinton, is 83. Stephen Breyer also from Clinton, is almost 78. Anthony Kennedy, who was a Reagan nominee, is almost 80. The remaining Supreme Court Justices are between 55 and 68. Let’s top it off with some recent reports that indicate Justice Clarence Thomas, 68, is said to be mulling retirement. As we know, he is the most staunchly conservative of the remaining Justices.

If you are a pro gun rights advocate, you should be very concerned. Don’t fool yourself into complacency. If you are a pro gun control advocate, you are probably salivating like a vulture circling a dying animal. Based on the above information, it is quite conceivable the next President would have the pleasure of nominating up to five Supreme Court Justices – one because of Scalia’s death, three because of retirement due to age, and one from a reported Clarence Thomas retirement.

If you buy into this line of thought, a pro guns right advocate might want to plan for the worst. For some, that might mean mortgaging the house and buying up as many ARs as possible, assuming they will be grandfathered post ban. It is hard to believe they would be not grandfathered since one might argue that an outright confiscation would cause too much of a civil unrest. So for this article I am assuming that every gun or accessory I mention will be grandfathered.

Additionally, I am not even accounting for any state law changes like the recent Federal Appeals court ruling from California, which removes the 2nd amendment right to carry a concealed weapon. That ruling alone is enough to push any gun rights advocate over the edge since it paves the way for other states to do something similar, until an inevitable Supreme Court hearing – so here we are again. Everything points back to the Supreme Court.

Planning for the worst with gun control

So what can you do to plan, or insure, against a worst case scenario resulting from extreme liberal gun control legislation? While I am only half-joking about mortgaging your house, I will outline some hardware and accessories to buy while you can, assuming you don’t live in some of the already prohibitive states like California, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Be sure to check your state laws on what you can buy, carry or conceal before trying to buy or use the equipment below in the manner described.

When investing in a firearm for defense, you have to first ask yourself, “What am I defending against”? Would it be for close quarter battle (CQB), home defense, a Car Trunk Backpack, need for extreme stopping power during CQB, protecting a small perimeter, or to keep intruders at bay from a long-range? In this article, I pick some of my favorites for each purpose. Some guns and accessories I mention will be specific, and others will be generalized in categories. One thing to remember, semi-automatic weapons are inherently more expensive. So some of these guns, especially the long-range selections mentioned, are not for those with limited budget. Also as a disclaimer, I own at least some of the items below.

Each of the guns I recommend below are semi automatics. Keep in mind that I am recommending them based on a premise of a ban, so I realize there are obviously other cheaper alternatives that are not semis, particularly in the home defense and long-range categories. Additionally, for most, with the exception of the 458 SOCOM and a few others, the ammo is readily available.

Close Quarter Battle – up to 100 yards

Sig Sauer MCX – Chambered in .300 AAC Blackout – This carbine received a lot of bad press recently due to the fact that it was the same one used by the terrorist in Orlando. Mistakenly referred to by the press as an AR (furthered by the ignorance that they believe AR stands for “assault rifle” instead of “Armalite”), the MCX in blackout is very effective and light, designed for CQB. The blackout ammo is very hard-hitting and the subsonic 220 grain is very quiet when coupled with a silencer. The MCX barrel can also be changed out quickly in favor of other calibers such as 5.56×45 NATO. Recent news articles have indicated that some British counter terror units are using the MCX. Add a Vortex 3x magnifier to your red dot of choice for a very high accuracy within 100 yards. The MCX costs roughly $1700, but the quality is worth the extra coin.

Springfield Armory SOCOM 16 CQB w/Vortex Venom Red Dot (.308/7.62 NATO) – this gun is nasty, from its looks, down to its hard-hitting 7.62×51 ammo. A child of the M1A, Springfield has a winner by shortening the barrel of the original M1A1 to 16”, installing a collapsible stock, and adding a vortex venom red dot as an option. This rifle will destroy anything in its sights. Wear ear protection though. 20 or 25 round mags are prevalent, but if you want to really equip this gun, Beta Mag makes a 100 round twin drum mag for it that will set you back $450 (and it would significantly increase the weight of an already heavy gun – but you can’t erase the fun factor of having one). The SOCOM 16 with Venom could top out over $2000, so it is hard on the budget, but worth it if you can afford it.

Century Arms AK-47 – while not Russian made, this AK is one of the most recognized and vilified guns in the US because it is the one people see on the news when ISIS or some other terrorist footage is shown. Additionally, all of the Hollywood movie bad guys use them. They are on the list not so much for their accuracy, but more for their high-profile, which equates to the probability of being banned. These AKs are affordable, having a price point under $800. The 7.62×39 ammo is hard-hitting and relatively cheap, especially if you target practice with bullets that have steel casing such as TulAmmo. I would not, however, use TulAmmo in a life threatening situation as I have experience in its failure to feed on occasion.

CMMG Mutant AKM2 – This gun is appropriately named. The Mutant is an AK/AR-15 hybrid. A regular AK style rifle is extremely reliable, but it is not inherently designed for aftermarket sights or other attachments. The Mutant fires the omnipresent 7.62×39 AK ammo through a 16” barrel, but, as CMMG’s site says, “it offers the modularity of an AR-15”. With the ability to add aftermarket sights, combined with the fact that every rifle comes equipped with a MOE pistol grip, SV muzzle brake, Geissele SSA trigger, 30rd AK PMAG, and CMMG’s lifetime quality guarantee, the Mutant offers the best of both worlds. The $1700 cost is more on the high-end AR price point, but it would be nice to have one of these at your disposal if budget permits.

SIG Sauer 516 Patrol – chambered in 5.56 NATO with a 16” barrel, a quad rail, collapsible Magpul stock, and a four-position gas regulator (which has a silencer position), this gun, in my opinion is among the most versatile and reliable ARs in the market. Sig Sauer’s reliability is legendary, and the 516 does not disappoint. The standard 516 can be acquired for about $1600. There are also different versions that come with a fixed carbon fiber stock and/or an extended carbon fiber fore-end, but it will add $4-500 to the price. Personally, I like the standard version for long-term reliability. Maybe I am old school, but I can’t see the carbon fiber holding up to many sustained battles and abuse. You trade marginal weight savings for reliability. I may be wrong, but I guess time will tell. I would become a believer if I see the military adopt the carbon fiber version.

Car Trunk Backpack

Keltec Sub 2000 chambered in 40 S&W; paired with Glock 22 (also 40 S&W); the Keltec is an extremely accurate carbine that uses Glock mags. It also folds up nicely to fit in a small backpack. Add a TruGlo green laser/light combo to the bottom Picatinny rail to make it even more effective. It also has a threaded barrel waiting for a silencer. The Keltec can be bought for less than $400 as of this writing – one of the single best values for a carbine in the market. You can also equip your backpack with a Glock 22 and use the same mags between the two. Glock has a high-capacity 22 round 40 S&W factory mag. Alternatively, Magpul is coming out with the PMAG27, a 27 round mag for 40 S&W. The Korean company KCI also has 40 S&W high-capacity mags, but I would only use them at the range. I have seen both good and bad reviews of KCI, so I wouldn’t trust them with your life until I see a better track record. Load up your factory mags with Critical Duty bullets, and you have a very effective defense while on the road. As a footnote, the Keltec also comes chambered in 9mm if you prefer that caliber. There are some who believe 9mm and 40 S&W will have very similar stopping power over short distances. As always, check your state laws before concealing firearms in your car or on your person.

Extreme Stopping Power, CQB

458 SOCOM – The 458 SOCOM caliber was a result of our Special Ops soldiers’ experience in Somalia during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu (immortalized in the movie Blackhawk Down). Some soldiers noted that it took multiple hits of 5.56 to bring down the enemy since many of them were flyin high on “Khat”, an herbal stimulant from evergreen leaves that can cause hallucinations and manic behavior. They needed a bullet that would do the job in one hit, resulting in the 458 SOCOM. A SOCOM upper can be mounted to any standard AR15 lower, or you can buy a full factory rifle from Rock River ($1300) or Wilson Combat ($2500). You need to use 30 rd Lancer mags, which are a cross between a PMAG and steel mag. A PMAG will split open if you use it for this ammo. This bullet needs the steel support offered by Lancers. Additionally, the bullet size only allows for loading about 7-9 rounds in a 30 rd Lancer mag, which is probably why it never fully caught on with the military, and is reserved for special circumstances. The factory ammo is sometimes hard to get and expensive (up to $3 per round), but if you are a reloader, you can save quite a bit and the individual casings and bullets are more readily available. In any event, it is a great caliber to have when you need that extra stopping power.

Home Defense Shotgun

Fostech Origin 12 with 30 round Drum – this 12 gauge shotgun is down right wicked. Billed as the fastest semi auto shotgun in the world, the Origin 12 is Fostech’s answer to the Russian made Saiga 12. It looks like an AK on steroids, having an 18” barrel and collapsible stock. It comes with a 5 round mag, but when you add the optional 30 round drum mag ($400), you won’t have to shoot because the bad guy home invaders will run at the mere sight of it. There are numerous jaw dropping YouTube videos dedicated to this shotgun. Look it up. I guarantee you will be impressed, but you would need to part with $2500 to own it, not including the drum mag. If I was a liberal gun control proponent, this type of hardware would be on my radar.

Benelli Super Eagle with XRail – the Benelli 12 gauge semi auto shotgun is already used by many law enforcement officers. If you add a $800 XRail attachment, it ups the number of shots to 23 with a 26” barrel. If you get an integrated XRail, it comes with a 21” barrel and 26 shot capability, which would make the Benelli even more effective in a tactical environment. The integrated version, including the shotgun, runs about $3300. In my view, the XRail would clearly be in the sights of the gun control advocates.

Woodsman and Mountain Man Activities (whatever they might do)

Rock River Arms Lightweight Mountain Rifle – chambered in .223/5.56, this gun is light to carry in the mountains or woods, accurate, and most of all, cool looking. It not for a sustained battle though as the rail gets very hot to the touch, but it is fun to shoot. Use gloves.

Midrange 100 – 500 yards

SIG 716 DMR Gen 1 (.308/7.62) – buy the Gen 1 while still available. The pending Gen 2 version is more like a patrol style (16 inch barrel, collapsible stock, key mod instead of quad rail, two pounds lighter than Gen 1). If you haven’t noticed I am not a weight weenie. I always have felt that you should keep physically fit, and either lose weight yourself or pump iron, especially if preparing for battle. Don’t skimp on the hardware. The heavier Gen 1 serves a purpose. I would not use the Gen 2 for midrange because of the 16 inch barrel. Some may disagree, but that’s ok.

The Gen 1 comes with an 18 inch barrel, quad rail, Harris Bipod, and Magpul Precision Rifle stock – much more for the money, and definitely more accurate at the midrange. The 716 accepts standard PMAGS. In a pinch, while the gun will top out at 10-11 pounds, you could theoretically pick it up and use for CQB, but that is obviously not the main purpose. My dream sight for this gun would be the Trijicon ACOG 6×48 with the RMR red dot on top. Alternatively, any mid range scope would work for the budget conscious. The DMR costs around $2500 without the sights.

Wilson Combat Urban Super Sniper – barrel chambered with a .223 Wylde – this barrel is designed to be extremely accurate using either .223 or 5.56 ammo. It will run about $2500, but it will be hard pressed to find one as accurate for mid-range using a 5.56. That said keep in mind the Ballistics of a 5.56 bullet. This barrel is meant for tighter urban environments as the gun’s title suggests. It becomes significantly less effective past the mid-range, so you would not want to use this to hold off zombies past 300 yards unless you can get head-shots. Might work for slow movers, not the World War Z type though.

FNH M249S Saw – this gun got a lot of press at the NRA 2015 meeting in Nashville. Chambered in 5.56, the M249S is the semi-auto version of the military’s full auto version (originally introduced in 1988). It has the ability to accept belt fed or mag-loaded ammo, giving it an ability to fire a large quantity of ammo before needing to reload. It actually comes with an attached plastic ammo box to hold the belt fed ammo. WIth a 20.5 inch barrel, some would consider it capable of defending mid range. While I don’t doubt the fire power, I have some questions on 5.56 ballistics that give me pause to use this gun to defend against targets further than 300 yards. That said, the sheer volume of bullets that you can fire without reloading would put this gun on the chopping block. The Saw’s cost is approximately $8000, give or take a few hundred.

Long Range – over 500 yards (my definition of long-range – which is up for debate)

Barrett M107A1 – while cost prohibitive for many, I would be remiss to leave it out as the most effective semi auto long-range gun available on the market. With its 50 bmg bullet, this gun will stop most Mad Max style vehicles. Already prohibited in California via the .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004, which prohibits the sale of guns chambered in the caliber, this weapon would certainly be on the chopping block of a liberal Supreme Court. If you go all out with the Barrett Optical Ranging System (BORS), which is an integrated ballistics computer, you can automate your ballistics calculations. This weapon can be yours for 12-15k, or you can wait for the SHTF and pick one up off an abandoned military vehicle. Keep in mind that the M107A1 is not only expensive to buy, but also expensive to shoot. That said, I would say anyone who owns one can’t help but smile every time the trigger is pulled, though the blast might be life altering.

Noreen Firearms “Bad News” 338 Lapua Magnum – the Lapua ammo has increasingly become a favorite of the snipers, but the military application has been limited because most Lapua rifles are bolt actioned. Enter the Bad News Lapua, which is the first semi-auto rifle chambered in this caliber. With a 26” barrel, a Magpul Precision Rifle stock, piston driven, and weighing in at 13 lbs, this gun is made to be mobile. In an ever-changing landscape, I could see the application up to 1500 yards. If I am not mistaken, the 338 Lapua caliber holds the record for the longest range hit at 2 miles (with an Accuracy International bolt-action rifle). While not designed to go as far or as hard-hitting as the 50 BMG, the Bad News offers a nice alternative for those that want a “cheaper” long range semi, topping out at $6000. The Lapua ammo, however, can run you up to $5.00 per round – so get into reloading to save some cash. It is a good skill to have, especially if the SHTF.

Nemo Omen – yet another effective gun for the longer range. The Omen is chambered in 300 Win Mag and would also be effective to 1500 yards. It is the “cheapest” out of the long-range rifles in this article at roughly $4000. The Win Mag ammo is readily available and popular with hunters as well. I would get the 20” barrel for a greater muzzle velocity. The mags, however, are not something readily available and are specific to the gun. So get a bunch upfront so you have them.

Keep in mind I realize bolt actions may be more precise and affordable. There are some like the Ruger Precision Rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Win that put out more than respectable groupings at long ranges. They can be bought for under $1200 as well, but I reiterate that this article is about insuring against potential bans.

Hunting Handguns

I believe a ban would not affect most handguns. It would most likely address high-capacity mags. However, there is one handgun that comes to mind as a potential target for a ban, and it is more related to the caliber, not the mag capacity. Magnum Research’s Desert Eagle 50AE would probably be on the radar due to the large 50 caliber bullet. The 50 AE is the most powerful semi-automatic handgun on the planet. It comes in an array of cool finishes, with my favorite being the Black Tigerstripe. The cost is around $1600, and the ammo is expensive and less available than its little brother chambered in a 44. Again, you would benefit by being a reloader.

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

For those with limited budgets, one way to help to insure yourself against gun control is to stock up on accessories, even if you don’t own the associated weapon. I believe the most effective thing you could do is to acquire some of the high-capacity magazines listed below. However, if you believe in the possibility of severe restrictions, there are other items to think about. What follows below are some suggestions without regard to price. With the exception of the Beta Mags, Fostech Echo Trigger, thermal sights, night vision, and silencers (I hate the politically correct word “suppressor”), these items can be bought relatively cheap (from $10 to $200).

Magazines

Ruger BX25 or 2×25 – a 25 and 50 round .22lr magazine: Yes it’s a small-caliber, but it’s more about the capacity
30-40 Round 5.56 and AK Mags from Magpul, Lancer, Hexmag, and others: if you can’t afford them, go with the steel – they work well and can be picked up for half the price of a poly.
20 and 25 round M1A1 steel mags for the SOCOM 16 CQB
20 round 7.62×51 mags by Magpul for the Sig 716
PMAG D-60: a 60 round 5.56 drum mag by Magpul
Surefire 60 and 100 5.56 round mag: only about an inch and a half longer than a 30 round mag, the Surefire gives a lot of added capacity.
Beta Mags: this company offers a ton of different 100 round twin drum mags, but they are expensive.
Korean Drum mags: KCI offers 100 round drum mags for a number of different calibers at very reasonable prices. I would reserve them for target practice or to trade/barter (assuming you can legally do so in the future state of gun control).
Origin 12 – 30 round mags: Specific to the Origin 12, but a must have if you own this gun.
Glock high-capacity mags (all calibers) – factory and aftermarket: While I believe the factory Glock mags are the most reliable, I have seen good reviews of the PMAG and Elite Tactical Systems (ETS) high capacity mags. Both the PMAG and ETS mags can be bought at a fraction of the price of the factory Glock mags. The same goes for KCI, though these mags have mixed reviews.- Stripped or Complete AR15 and AR10 Lowers: Buy as many as you can. As you may already know, the lower is the part that is considered the gun. You can always build an AR after the ban, again assuming grandfathering. You can get some very cheap by Anderson Arms, or if you want the cool factor, get the Spike’s Tactical “The Jack”, which has a forged skull, or the “Warthog”. Keep in mind, however, that some lawmakers believe that collapsible stocks should be banned. If you subscribe to this belief, buy a complete lower that includes a collapsible stock.
Foregrips: Believe it or not, foregrips have been scrutinized as some believe these accessories can increase the fire rate of a weapon. You can get a ton of these really cheap on Amazon.
Sig Sauer Pistol Brace: this accessory initially took the industry by storm, but it is very controversial since the ATF says that if you use it as a shoulder stock on a buffer tube equipped pistol, it can reclassify your gun as a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR), which is subject to ATF registration and tax. Per Sig Sauer, the pistol brace is designed to stabilize the handgun while shooting with a single hand. In summary, while still legal, make sure you use it as designed or risk a felony. I believe there is a high probability this brace will be outlawed in the coming ban as it is already being questioned by the ATF. As a disclaimer, I do not hold out myself to be an expert on firearms laws, so check these facts for yourself.
Fostech Echo Trigger: this trigger fires the gun not only when pulled, but also upon release. It is as close to a fully auto as you can legally get. There are other companies that make such a trigger, but I have seen reviews with some problems. Without getting specific, Fostech seems to have learned from other’s mistakes. This one has my head scratching regarding legality. While the ATF currently deems them legal, I have seen some YouTube videos, and once becoming proficient, you can reach a cadence that is pretty close to fully auto. You can switch to regular semi auto as well. These triggers are shipping later this year. I will be sure to get a few as I believe they have a high ban probability in the future.
Silencers: there are a ton of different companies that producer silencers. I prefer SilencerCo’s new Hybrid, which will work with pistols as well as higher calibers such as the 458 SOCOM. If you are lucky enough to live in a state where they are legal, get a least one. I believe that after July 13th, 2016, a new ATF ruling allows you to obtain a silencer without a Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) sign off, though you would still need to get your fingerprints and photos when submitting your registration with the ATF. If you were smart enough to start a gun trust, you can avoid the fingerprints, photos, and CLEO sign off until July 13th (again, check with your local FFL to verify the ruling). Gun trusts can be started for as little as $75, but time is running out.
Thermal and Night Vision Sights – less likely to be banned, but you never know. These sights give the operator a great advantage, and overzealous gun control legislators might believe they pose too much of a risk.
Reloading dies, primers, and powder for AR calibers: again, less likely to be banned but who knows how extreme a ban is coming. If you are a reloader, better to be safe than sorry.
Collapsible Stocks: mentioned previously as part of a complete upper, this type of stock is definitely on the radar of some liberal lawmakers.
Ammo: stock up on the AR/AK calibers. If you have enough of a budget for the longer range 338 Lapua and 50 BMG, more power to you. Get it while you can.

In summary, while it is hard to speculate the extent of any proposed ban, if you are able to obtain at least some of the above hardware and accessories, you will be somewhat insured. Again, I realize that many of the guns in particular might be out of budget. There are cheaper weapon alternatives, especially in the AR market for CQB. If that is all you can afford, it is better than nothing. If you can’t afford the full weapon, by some complete and stripped lowers for the future.

If you are frightened after reading this article, I have achieved my goal. Get out and vote in November. The only thing certain is that this election is critical on many different levels.

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Gun Control – how far will we go as a nation to further limit the 2nd amendment? Will it stop at full automatics, or will it continue against semi autos,

How Much Should A Bug Out Bag Cost?

Do you have your bug out bag packed and waiting for you in the hall closet? Is your bug out bag tested and ready to go in a moment’s notice? Do you have a bug out bag at all or wonder, what is a bug out bag? Maybe you are just starting on the journey into preparedness and like a lot of other people, you are focusing on getting your bug out bag ready and have encountered the dilemma that so many of us have struggled with ourselves.

Bug Out Bags can be pretty expensive if you don’t know what you are doing and you may find yourself looking at all of the options and wondering, how much should a bug out bag cost? Do you need to go broke to provide a level of safety and security or is there a better way?

I am always looking for ways to improve my gear or readiness level and the subject of bug out bags is one that gets a lot of attention. There are millions of lists of items you “must have” in your bug out bag; even the prepper journal has our own bug out bag checklist and as you probably know, companies are already offering pre-built bug out bags for those who simply want to buy everything in one pack and forget about it.

Actually, this isn’t really a new phenomenon but I was out scouring the internet the other day and saw a company selling Bug Out bags with “everything you need” to be “ready for anything” for the low price of $2299.00.

I couldn’t believe the price they were asking people to pay so I went out and looked at the items that were included in their bug out bag and starting pricing them each out on Amazon. Aside from a lot of things I consider to be unnecessary (2 whole rolls of duct tape?), they had very expensive items in their bags when you could have easily substituted quality made, but cheaper equivalents. The bag weighed 44 pounds too which isn’t too shabby, but not the greatest either.

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I started thinking that many people go about planning a bug out bag with the items they need, but neglect to look at the bigger picture and how I might be able to save someone from a potentially costly mistake. This article is my effort to demonstrate how you don’t need to spend $2200 or $1000 or even $700 to create a perfectly suitable bug out bag. Of course this assumes you have none of the items you need and would have to purchase everything.

What is a bug out bag?

Let’s start by defining what I mean by bug out bag and describing how I envision its use in a SHTF scenario. A bug out bag is what you grab when you are heading out the door and you don’t know when you will be coming home. It should contain all of the supplies you will need to live for at least 72 hours. That point is crucial in understanding the items I chose and by comparison what I think could be left out. It is not the bag that will make you “ready for anything” because that is an unobtainable goal. Properly configured though; a good bug out bag should help keep you alive.

What do you need in a good bug out bag?

Now that we know what a bug out bag is designed for, let’s go over the items I think you need to achieve that goal. I am leaving off firearms from this list.

The bag itself – something to carry all of the stuff you need.
Water
Container
Filter/Purification
Food – Usually enough for 72 hours (2000 calories a day)
Way to cook the food?
Utensils
Shelter
Change of clothing (appropriate to season)
Rain protection
Sleeping Bag or system
Something to keep the elements off your head
Tarp
Tent
Tools
Knife
Multi-tool
Means to make fireFire starter/Lighter
Tinder
Light
First Aid
Optional items – Nice to have
Toiletries
Wipes – For washing up
Toilet paper
Gloves
Cordage – 50 Feet
Tarps or rain fly’s are lighter options than a tent and take up less space.

How can you save money on a bug out bag?

OK, so now I have a list of items that I think are pretty much the necessary minimums for keeping you alive and healthy for three days. Could I add more stuff in there? Sure, but it will cost you in weight and dollars. The bag contents I have below are under $500 (just barely) and weigh about 20 pounds. Weight is a very important consideration for your bug out bag for two main reasons. First, if your bug out bag weighs too much it will hurt you eventually. It might not hurt when you try it on around the house, but after walking 10 miles down the road with it, you will regret every single unnecessary ounce in there.

With too much weight comes limited mobility. The heavier the pack, the harder it is for you to move quickly. Moving quickly might be needed in a SHTF scenario. So, what items do I have chosen to create a bug out bag that is less than $500 (again assuming you have none of these supplies already) and weighs about 20 pounds?

Bug Out Bag

There are millions of options out there, but you could try the Mil-Tech Army Patrol Assault Pack for only $30 and 43.2 ounces.

Water

Container – I use the 32 ounce plastic Nalgene bottles for convenience. They run about $10 and weigh 8 ounces.
Filter/Purification – Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System. $19, no moving parts to break and only 6.4 ounces

Food

Simple Fuel – For the most calories in a compact space, try Mainstay emergency ration bars. Each has 3600 calories and two should last you 72 hours. $16 and 41.6 ounces for two (7200 calories)
Way to cook the food or at least heat water? – Solo stoves use small sticks that you should be able to find most anywhere. The Solo stove is $70 and weighs 12.8 ounces.
Utensils – Plastic Spoon, Fork, Knife – Grab a set the next time you are at the Fast food place, or a nice Lexan 3 piece Camping utensil $6 and 2.4 ounces.
Coffee/Tea – If you plan on this a nice titanium mug runs about $20 but only weighs 2.7 ounces

The bag itself can contribute significantly to cost and weight. Ask yourself if you need to spend $200 on a bag that will sit in your trunk.

Shelter

One change of clothing (appropriate to season). Remember you aren’t going on vacation here.
Rain protection – A poncho is the most versatile and cheap form of rain gear you can buy. Trash bags don’t count. You can purchase a camouflage Waterproof ripstop poncho for $15 and it weighs 17.6 ounces. Add a poncho liner for cold weather.
Sleeping Bag – Probably the most expensive item but the Elite Survival systems Recon 3 is $156 and 48 ounces. This also will take up the most room in your pack.
Something to keep the elements off your head
Tarp – A sturdy camouflage tarp is only $12 and weighs 32 ounces. Not too light, but still lighter and more compact than a tent.

Tools

Knife – Ka-Bar Knife – $59, 12.8 ounces and enough to do small and large chores.
Multi-tool – Leatherman Wingman Multi Tool – $29 and 10.4 ounces
Means to make fire
Fire starter/Lighter/Tinder – Grab 2 Bic lighters, some dryer lint and throw them in a Ziploc bag. $2 for the lighters and a couple ounces.
Light – Petzl Tikka 2 LED Headlamp – $29 and 3.5 ounces.
First Aid – Adventure Medical Kit – $25 and 9.6 ounces.

Optional Items

Toiletries
Toilet paper – You can easily grab a half roll from your home and put it in your pack. Low weight and no extra cost.
Wipes – For washing up – These are a little heavier at 19.2 ounces at $5.00
Gloves – Simple leather/cotton work gloves – $6.00 and only 3 ounces.
Cordage – 50 Feet of paracord should be more than enough – $5.00 and 2 ounces.

What additions or substitutions should I make to my bug out bag?

What about cost? You can save money there too. Instead of that $70 Solo Stove, you could make your own alcohol stove for practically nothing. Instead of the Nalgene you could simply use an old water bottle.But I can’t live without my kindle your say or I must have a two-man tent because I will need privacy. Of course everyone is different and this is only a guideline. I think the items I have here are a good place to start. Can you shave even more weight off this pack? Of course. You could start removing items like unnecessary Band-Aids in the first aid kit. You could forego the package of wipes and just use a washcloth; you could get a smaller knife, use a survival bivvy instead of the more expensive sleeping bag.

I am worried about the quality of some cheaper items. Will this bug out bag last?

Ah, that is the million dollar question isn’t it? What is this bag for? How do you envision using it? Could this be simply a ready to go bag in case there is a flood or hurricane coming? If so, will you be bugging out most likely to someone else’s house or a hotel in a safer area? If that is your plan, then you could forget items like tents and sleeping bags possibly. The bag itself doesn’t have to be military spec either if you are just planning for temporary displacement.

If on the other hand, you are planning for SHTF, Mad Max Road Warrior roaming the countryside, then maybe you should give a little more thought to gear selection and quality. All of these decisions have trade-offs and they almost always come down to weight and cost. Better quality usually will cost you more, but the question for you is ‘Is it necessary’?

I know there are a lot of data points in here. My list above worked out to a Bug Out Bag that you could buy right now. The total of the contents on that list, not counting clothes was $498.63. The weight came in at a total of 20.65 pounds if my math is right. It may not be the perfect bag for everyone, but it is a start.

Let me know what you think about your Bug Out Bag. Is there anything missing from this list that you have to have?

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I couldn’t believe the price they were asking people to pay so I went out and looked at the items that were included in their bug out bag and starting

Do not eat any mushroom without checking in person with a local, live, mushroom collector.

The Proper Shooting Mindset

Recommended Training Gear

Reloading Drills and Transitions

New York Reload

Rifle/Shotgun Malfunction Drill

CCW Malfunction Drill

Shooting Drills

Up Drill/Draw

Failure Drill

Box Drill

Where to Go From Here…

Parting Shots

1. Tourniquet

2. Cutting Device

3. Disposable Medical Gloves

4. Self-Adhesive Bandage Wrap

5. Quick Clot Gauze

6. Disposable Medical Face Mask

7. Israeli Compression Bandage

Final Thoughts

Popular CCW Options For Women

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Women’s Concealment Shorts by UnderTech Undercover (2X, Black)

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Parting Shots…

Step 1. Stop and discard.

Step 2. Watch your movements

Step 3. Drop and swim to safety

Additional considerations on surviving quicksand pits

Open Wound Management for NMPs (Non-medical personnel) and preppers

Treating Open Wounds

Wrap-up

The Power of the Fat Cap

Tools

Ingredients for Potted Meat

The Process of Making Potted Meat

Self-Quarantine to reduce exposure risk

Infrastructure for Self Quarantine

Accommodations for Self Quarantine

Numbers Count

Feel the Burn

Drop and give me 50.

Go play!

Take the long way home.

Planning for the worst with gun control

Close Quarter Battle – up to 100 yards

Car Trunk Backpack

Extreme Stopping Power, CQB

Home Defense Shotgun

Woodsman and Mountain Man Activities (whatever they might do)

Midrange 100 – 500 yards

Long Range – over 500 yards (my definition of long-range – which is up for debate)

Hunting Handguns

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

Magazines

What is a bug out bag?

What do you need in a good bug out bag?

How can you save money on a bug out bag?

What additions or substitutions should I make to my bug out bag?

I am worried about the quality of some cheaper items. Will this bug out bag last?

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