Book Review - Tough Times Survival Guide Vol. 2

This book is a collection of snippets from other Paladin Press works. I picked it up on the positive Amazon reviews, and because of the supposed content it contained--a diversity of topics like medical, caching ammo, transportation and so on. I was hoping for a "Greatest Hits" type compilation, but unfortunately that's not the case.

Most of the articles are very short in length--3 to 4 pages in length--and, as a result, are unable to provide more than an overview of the subject at hand. Some are only one or two pages of basic advice--things like seek out Red Cross for CPR training or a few bullet points on materials for improvising medical gear (using socks for bandages!). Really not a ton of interesting or compelling content, overall. Really a let down.

The best articles come from good ol' Ragnar Benson--some reprinted material on survival poaching, makeshift gunsmithing and a few pages on survival medical kits, which I found the most useful in the book. However, these entries just left me wishing that I'd spent my money on a complete Ragnar book, instead of this lame compilation--for example, the medical kit article was adapted from Survival Nurse.

In this day and age, with the wealth of information available on the 'net, publishers have to provide real value to make the cover price worthwhile. Tough Times Survival Guide Vol. 2 fails here.

Can't recommend this one, but if you're a die hard Paladin fan, it's under $14 on Amazon.

If anyone wants to swap for another survival-type book, J-frame speed loader or a pair of old-style wood/medallion grips, let me know.

The Walking Dead Open Thread

Here's your place to discuss tonight's episode, Triggerfinger. Thoughts, reactions, takeaways--all here.

From the previews, it looks like Rick, Glenn and Hershel have to face off against a group of bad guys, plus perhaps an ensuing zombie horde. Whether Shane will intervene is in question, and last time we saw Lori, she'd flipped a car in zombie territory. Should be an action-packed show tonight--I'm looking forward to it!

Thoughts on the Free Market Post-Collapse

It will be the tendency of many post-collapse communities to revert to what essentially amounts to communism. We'll see things like:

• Seizure of private property and redistribution for the so called greater good
• Laws against hoarding, with stiff punishment for violations
• Spying by neighbors and reporting to community leaders
• Assignment of roles/responsibilities by the state

While such behavior may originate from good intentions of ensuring survival, it quickly devolves into tyranny, corruption and so on. Prepared individuals would fare exceptionally poorly, having their stockpiles confiscated or fighting it out with their neighbors and community members.

Of course, communism and central planning isn't the only way, and history has shown that it is far from the most efficient way. History has shown the free market to be the most efficient way to operate, and I believe that would hold true even in the harsh conditions that would exists in a TEOTWAWKI world.

At home blood type test

Knowing your blood type is important in a medical emergency, and if you don't know yours, there are fairly simple at-home tests that you can use to figure it out. I picked up this kit from Amazon for under $11 bucks; it contains everything needed to perform the test.

Doomsday Preppers Open Thread

Here's your place to discuss tonight's episode of Doomsday Preppers? What did you think of the "preppers" featured? How is the show shaping up--pro-preparedness or trying to paint the prepared like nut jobs? Let us know what's on your mind!

Attack of the Misc!

It's been a while since I've done an Attack of the Misc! post, which is basically a random, disconnected post of stuff that may be interesting but doesn't necessitate a full-fledged post.

First up, I decided it was time to graduate from the .blogspot and purchase a real domain name, teotwawkiblog.net. I'd have preferred the .com, but Papa Bear J.W. Rawles has that. The old URL still works perfectly fine--it's not going anywhere, so no need to update links and bookmarks--but I figured teotwawkiblog.net was a lil' easier to remember. I may just turn it into a redirect back to the .blogspot address...still figuring this out! Update: For the time being, I'm going to run teotwawkiblog.net as a redirect to the regular .blogspot address. Should be working within the next couple of hours.

Second, it's Valentine's Day. Spend some time with your S/O and try to avoid the doom/gloom talk if at all possible.

Junk Silver

There's a lot of interest around investing in precious metals (PMs) these days. I've talked about the pros/cons of PMs in the past--you can check out some of my thoughts by following the precious metals tag. While I am not a PM fanatic like some in the survival community, they do have their place, and even if you're not interested in socking some funds away in silver or gold, it doesn't hurt to know about 'em.

Open Thread: The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead returns to TV, and here's your chance to comment on it with fellow survival-types. What did you think of the episode? Good, bad, ugly? Let us know!

SeaLine Dry Bag - Modern Haversack?

A 10L SeaLine dry sack with paracord shoulder strap.

These dry bags come well recommended by kayakers, rafters and others who spend time on the water--they keep gear dry, no matter how wet it might be on the outside. Rain, snow, or dropped into water, these dry bags will keep you gear dry. A couple of other good points:

• They'll also float, unless you load 'em up with exceedingly heavy stuff--lead or something similar. Filled with air, they'd certainly help you stay afloat if needed.
• You can smoosh out the air to compress clothes, sleeping bags, etc. in a vacuum-bag like fashion. Not as good, but certainly some added compression over a normal stuff sack.
• The tough vinyl offers an extra measure of protection from abrasion.
• You can also use it as a water container--it'll hold around 10L of water, which could be a life saver in a survival scenario. 
• Emptied of gear and filled with air, they'll also make a decent air pillow.

The bag has a single D-ring, which I've used to attach a paracord loop. This allows for haversack-style shoulder carrying.You could also use more conventional webbing material, which would be more comfortable than the simple paracord.

The 10L dry sack is big enough to carry a basic survival kit like a Dave Canterbury style 10-piece kit. While a basic, shoulder-bag sized survival kit has its limitations, this is certainly an good kit to have on a short hike, scout, etc.

While I prefer backpack carry in most cases, I know there are many who like shoulder bags and old-school haversacks. Due to the waterproof nature of these dry bags, I think they make a superior gear option for that kind of kit, especially if you're going to be on/near water.

Check 'em out on Amazon >

NOTE: The Marines are using a similar bag--a bit more high tech--called the MAC Sack, also made by SeaLine. It has a built in air purge valve to help with the compression. I don't have any first hand experience with the MAC Sack, but the reviews are very good.

The Walking Dead returns this Sunday!

Lightweight Cook Kit

Here's my lightweight cooking kit, which consists of:

- 28 ounce Snowpeak Titanium pot and lid
- Sea to Summit Alpha Light long spoon
- Pop can alcohol stove
- Hardware cloth pot stand

Whole kit weighs less than 10 ounces and has some solid versatility. The alcohol stove will run off a variety of fuels and gets water boiling pretty quickly. The hardware cloth pot stand isn't a must have, but it's useful and enables me to cook over twigs, fuel tablets, and so on, in addition to the pop can stove.

The Snowpeak pot nests fairly well under a standard Nalgene-style bottle, with the lid riding nested under the pot. I'm not a titanium junkie, but it's a nice pot and lid, sturdy and lightweight. I would like measurement markings on the sides, though. Came in a set (the Mini Solo), which included a smaller pot and a fairly nice mesh bag. Pricey, but I got mine with an REI member discount.

Went with a spoon over a spork because I couldn't find a long handled spork--the long handle is useful for eating out of food packages, mixing, etc. Does its job.

I need to get together a windscreen, looking at some heavy duty foil for that role.

Doomsday Preppers Open Thread

A reminder that Doomsday Preppers airs tonight at 9pm ET/PT. Check out my review here. In short, if you get NatGeo and are planning on some TV-time this week, put this on your list. In my opinion, pretty good overall prepper TV. Fun to see what others have planned for troubled times, shortcomings and so on.

I wanted to have an open thread for you guys to discuss your thoughts/concerns about tonight's episode, so it is here. This is your space, so comment away!

EDIT: It looks like there's not one but TWO episodes tonight.

Randy Church's Take on a PVC Sheath

Leave it to Brother Randy to take PVC and turn it into a work of art. This sheath uses a piece sandwiched PVC bucket at its core - yep, really, you can just see the end peaking out there. There's a full photo spread and write up on Randy's site, and this cool knife is also up for grabs. Check it out >

Welcome to Shelf Reliance & Jade Garn!

I'd like to welcome our newest sponsor, Shelf Reliance consultant Jade Garn. Shelf Reliance sells a wide variety of food storage products--you probably know them for their range of can rotators/shelf units, but they also sell a pretty comprehensive line of freeze dried foods and staples. Here's her online store - lots to look at.

By ordering through Jade's consultant website, you get a discount from standard Shelf Reliance prices. Discounts are good!

What's more, Jade is offering some special deals for the month of February. If you sign up for their Q Club (basically a monthly subscription for storage foods), here's the deal:

• Anyone who signs up for the Q at a $100 budget or more AND has it ship in the month of February gets a free pouch of vegetables of their choice.

•  If your monthly budget is over $100 for 3 months in a row, you get the Platinum Membership free for life, along with the free Annual Fee for life. Platinum Members get shipping discounts, special products, rewards points, gifts, exclusive recipes and the lowest prices on Shelf Reliance products.

The Q Club is a pretty cool way to build up food storage without going into debt--you set your monthly budget, pick your products and Shelf Reliance ships them to your doorstep.

Jade also has a bunch of specials for February, which you can see by clicking here.

Anyways, we're glad to welcome Jade & Shelf Reliance on board. Please visit her site, peruse the products and see if any fit your needs.

Update from Edwood7 - Zombie Contest Winner

Thought you guys might be interested to hear how Edwood7, the winner of our October Zombie Weaponry photo contest, has been using a couple of the prizes we sent his way. They're an OscarDelta Go Tube and a jumbo go tube that originally contained an OscarDelta survival bracelet. Pretty cool.

From Edwood7:

"I have been using the 2 go tubes a lot, but the small one gets use the most. I work all over Mexico and going to an ATM is not an option most days.

I use the small black go tube as a way to stash money. I have even buried it a few times with no problems. When I’m somewhere new that I don’t know very well, I usually find a place I can fall back to if anything would go wrong. If an escape and evasion type scenario would play out, I would go back to my emergency stash and pick up some essentials to help me get out of there.

The large go tube is in a long flare pouch on my vest, it’s where I store most of my CR123A batteries, I just add a bit of cotton between each battery so that they won’t rattle around and get damaged (the cotton in the tube can be used for other purposes as well). The fact that it is water proof is incredible useful for this type of thing, especially since I’m working in a lot of jungle areas."



 Glad that they're being put to good use fighting the good fight south of the border! If you're interested, check out OscarDelta's products on their website, here >

DIY Survival Candles

Candles are an easy-to-use source of emergency lighting and a little bit of heat. I'm shocked to see some of the prices that are charged for long burning candles sold for survival or emergency preparedness - if you want to buy a dozen or so candles, the cost really starts to add up.

Never fear! You can make your own survival candles at home for cheap, using high-quality, long burning soy wax. It's an easy project - the materials are easy to buy and you won't need any specialized tools.