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What to Look for in Survival Shotguns

By
Elwood Shelton
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0
This woman offers a persuasive argument in favor of the practicality of survival shotguns with a view of the business end of her 12-gauge Mossberg 590A1.
This woman offers a persuasive argument in favor of the practicality of survival shotguns with a view of the business end of her 12-gauge Mossberg 590A1.

For most wilderness, farm and ranch utility duties or home-defense situations, the survival shotgun is an outstanding tool.

You could do just fine if it was the only weapon you had for those purposes. It can be useful, too, during civil unrest, and while it shouldn’t stand unsupported, it is a good mid-range and close-quarter battle (CQB) weapon in many situations.

Of course, if it is the only firearm you have or can afford, like so many other things in life, you make due.

Having a survival shotgun for defense is certainly better than throwing back the rocks hurled at you by the mob that wants to tear you and your family apart.

Short-Barreled Shotguns: Good as Survival Shotguns?

Short-barreled shotguns, starting with the 1897 Winchester pump, used to be known as a “riot” shotguns. This was back in the day when it was still alright for cops to shoot lead pellets (rather than rubber), at people who were causing mass property destruction and injury to others.

Don’t worry about going through all the BATFE paperwork and obtaining the NFA tax stamp for a short-barreled shotgun. You lose too much in terms of ballistics by going shorter than 18 inches.

The barrel length for survival shotguns should ideally be 18 inches. A 20-inch barrel will also work, but 18 is best. Twelve- or 20-gauge models are the gauges that will work best. Leave the .410-bore out. It simply doesn’t have enough longer-range power for riot duty outside the home. The 20-gauge has more than enough power but with less recoil than the 12-gauge, which means faster follow-up shots.

Survival Shotguns: Go with a pump

There is only one type of survival shotgun that should be selected for riot gun-type purposes and that is the pump. The pump shotgun is simple, fast, reliable, and can digest any ammo of the proper gauge and length you can find.

The semi-auto shotgun is much more complex to operate, more expensive, and more likely to be sensitive to different power levels within a gauge range. Too, other than the recoil-operated Benelli shotguns, the majority of semi-autos will require more maintenance and cleaning to continue their functionality. That is why police agencies never went to semi-auto duty shotguns en masse and limited their issue to specialized units like S.W.A.T.

The survival shotgun should be of the type termed the “tactical shotguns,” which I cover extensively in my book, The Gun Digest Guide to Tactical Shotguns.

Survival Shotgun Extras Not Worth It

Don’t worry about needing a flash suppressor or compensator on the barrel in either gauge.

You or another selected user should be able to handle one without compensation, and if that’s not possible, then get a different weapon.

Also, the bore should be choked Cylinder or Improved Cylinder. Don’t waste money on a gun with an interchangeable choke system.

Those are for sporting use and, in addition to racking up the cost, mean parts that can be lost or, worse yet, used with the wrong type of ammo. It would be a bad thing to shoot rifled slugs through a shotgun wearing a Full choke, for instance.

Do not get a shorty pistol grip-only shotgun without a buttstock. A folding stock is okay and is useful for defending yourself from inside a vehicle, but don’t forgo a buttstock altogether.

A Survival Shotgun Extra Worth It

The survival shotgun should have a tough protective coating, Parkerizing or some sort of matte finish, and be a model in common use by military or civilian police forces.

The Final Verdict: What Survival Shotgun to Buy

Go for a quality survival shotgun or riot shotgun made by a recognized manufacturer is not that expensive compared to most AR-15s.

Disasters: When Should You Bug Out?

By
Scott Wagner
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0
When is it time to bug out? That depends largely on location.
When is it time to bug out? That depends largely on location.

Bug Out, Shelter-in-Place or Both?

What plan should you be working on, sheltering in place, bugging out, or a mixture of both?

The answer depends on what the real estate agents always say is important—location, location, location. Simply put, is your home someplace you would want to get to or away from? The answer to that requires an equally simple set of additional questions: Where do you live? Is your home in the middle of a city? Is the area already high crime? Who are your neighbors? How aware of your neighborhood are outside people, i.e., is it a high-value area that might provide the best return for the least amount of work by marauders?

Next, ask if your home and property can be reasonably defended for a long period of time. Do you have the ability to harden any area of your house? Is there any chance your utility services or any other aspect of modern comfort, safety, and convenience will remain intact, even if it is through your own power generation?

Finally, is your home a place you cannot leave due to an invalid family member or some other such limiting condition? If your answers to these and other questions point to relocating to a different piece of real estate rather than staying in place, then you will need to be focused on being able to take as many essential items with you as you can, maybe at a moment’s notice, leaving behind only non-essential, replaceable items
of little survival value.

When Is it Time to Bug Out?

Hopefully, some of you have already looked ahead, or thought ahead, and have realized that living in a trendy urban area in the midst of or proximate to a big city with major crime problems isn’t the best of ideas.

Cops and firemen who regularly deal with the dregs of society have made it a long-standing tradition to live and keep their families as far away from the urban mess as possible.

In the rural area in which I live, there are firefighters and cops from both the nearby major urban police department, as well as from many of the now decayed suburban municipalities surround ing the main urban center that used to be considered safe.

In my neck of the woods, an average cop with any time under their belt has dreamed of, and sometimes managed to obtain, a “cabin in the woods” on a few acres of defensible land. Those of us who have made this choice are already ahead of the game and are not trying to work our way out of a hole. Cops in particular have been moving out and away from their jurisdictions for the 32 years I have been a cop, but so, too, have many firefighters.

Recently, more and more of those cops who have been moving “out” have been doing so not just to keep their families away from day to day criminal activity and other undesirable conditions, but to find a location from which they may be able to withstand a larger societal collapse. This is an entirely new twist on the practice.

If you are hemmed into living in a location near large centers of our population (the epicenters of civil unrest), and you are living in a home that is part of a shared building, such as an apartment or other multi-unit, multi-family condo structure, or a rehabbed or converted factory or warehouse, you will be lucky to just make it out of your
unit in one piece.

In those kinds of living spaces, the chance of being able to defend yourself against a large number of desperate neighbors or interlopers for any long-term period is very poor, since you cannot protect all sides of your living area or even have visibility on all sides, due to the common-wall construction. If you live in these types of structures, your plan should be for you to leave at the first sign of trouble and know where you are going to go via the safest route.

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Extreme Temperatures: The Quiet Natural Disasters

By
Elwood Shelton
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0

Extreme Temperatures: Not Dramatic, but Not Unimportant

Extreme-Temperatures-HeatExtreme temperatures rarely result in big, national headlines. It isn’t as dramatic as the destructive earthquake. The toll taken on our country by temperature extremes isn’t often a matter of a single, crushing, attention-grabbing moment.

Extreme temperatures nonetheless present a pretty compelling level of danger when viewed in comparison to other disasters as shown through statistics.

The nation averaged an annual 569 heat-related deaths in the period from 1999 through 2005, according to the CDC.

It goes to show that disaster doesn’t always have to mean the big, attention-grabbing weather events such as tornadoes, earthquakes or regional flooding.

Extreme Temperatures: A “Compelling Level of Danger”

The extreme hot or cold weather events that strike many communities a few times every year might very well qualify as disasters on individual scales depending on the abilities of people to regulate their body temperatures.

Extreme temperatures nonetheless present a pretty compelling level of danger when viewed in comparison to other disasters as shown through statistics.

Figures on deaths directly attributed to individual, severe weather events show heat waves have been more deadly in the United States than tornadoes in recent decades.

From 1988 through 2011, stretches of excessive heat and humidity took an average of 146 lives per year.

Tornadoes, meanwhile, took an average of 76 lives during each of those years, according to National Weather Service statistics.

Heat waves took nearly triple the toll on human lives than hurricanes did when viewed from that broader 24-year average. It might be a mind-boggling statistic at the surface.

Memories, after all, tend to focus on events such as Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy. We lean on thoughts of all the devastation that reaches our homes through images on our computer and television screens.

Hurricanes, though, when viewed over that wide-view, 24-year scale brought an average of only 56 annual deaths, the NWS reports.

Extreme Heat: Nothing to Brush Off

Although devastating, statistics state that hurricanes claim fewer lives on average compared to extreme temperature swings.
Although devastating, statistics state that hurricanes claim fewer lives on average compared to extreme temperature swings.

Heat is a notable killer annually. Those living in or near Chicago wouldn’t need a reminder on the toll that extreme temperatures can take. A sweltering heat wave that struck the city in July 1995 caused more than 700 deaths. Temperatures rose in excess of 100 degrees in the Windy City and elsewhere in the Upper Midwest.

That stretch of heat was made all the more miserable by accompanying high humidity. More than 3,000 people in Chicago sought care in emergency rooms before the mercury on the thermometers began its merciful decline.

It was a crisis that might not have stuck to the country’s collective memory in the same vein as so many others have.

Heat waves, unlike hurricanes, aren’t given first names. For a point of comparison, Hurricane Ike in 2008 was among America’s most damaging in terms of property loss. Its irreplaceable toll was less so. It took 195 lives as it moved through the Caribbean,
into the Gulf of Mexico and onward into Louisiana and Texas.

That’s less than a third of Chicago’s 1995 losses from the all-important human standpoint.

That major heat wave, as well as its corresponding death toll, was far and away an anomaly. The human lives taken by heat in our country are more often spread thin across the summer months and among many different places.

It’s a danger that quietly comes to bear one death at a time. The prepper should take note. Those who don’t ay close attention could lose track of some fairly significant risks.

Statistics tell the bigger story. The United States, believe it or not, is occasionally fortunate to have some years pass by without a single death attributable to a hurricane.

There wasn’t a single hurricane-related death in either 2006 or 2010, according to the weather service. Only one died from a hurricane in 2007. There were only two throughout 2009.

Extreme Cold: Bundle Up

That simply isn’t the case when it comes to extreme temperatures. In 2011, 29 deaths were attributed to cold weather events in the United States, according to the weather service.

In 2010, 34 died from extreme cold events. In 2011, extreme temperatures took 206 lives. Extreme heat brought 138 fatalities across the country the year before.

Prepare for Extreme Temperatures as You Would Any Other Disaster

Extreme temperatures happen frequently enough. You fall to a severe disadvantage when either extreme is combined with an inability to escape. Shelter requires urgency.

It makes the very best sense to have plans to eliminate a pressing and dangerous threat. The big-time hazards that accompany inadequate shelter are ultimately preventable for those who do their homework.

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Tactical Shotgun: Mossberg Flex Review

By
Editor James Card
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0
The Mossberg Flex cranks the classic Model 500 shotgun platform up a notch with the versatile TLS (tool-less locking system).
The Mossberg Flex cranks the classic Model 500 shotgun platform up a notch with the versatile TLS (tool-less locking system).

This Mossberg Flex review examines what makes this 12-gauge shotgun so versatile: TLS (tool-less locking system). The Mossberg Flex is a great survival gun.

The new Mossberg Flex continues the long tradition of the popular Model 500 shotguns, but with a twist. The stock, forend, and recoil pad of the Mossberg Flex can be changed in than a couple minutes with no tools.

This is true for any of the 12-gauge models in the Mossberg Flex series: the Flex 500 All-Purpose, Flex 590 Tactical, Flex 500 Tactical and Flex 500 Hunting.

The TLS is the Key

The TLS (tool-less locking system) is what makes the Mossberg Flex exceptional.
The TLS (tool-less locking system) is what makes the Mossberg Flex exceptional.

The TLS (tool-less locking system) is what makes this system work. It was tested by the military, and they heaped abuse on the shotgun and the TLS system.

It works like this: A zinc coupling and socket locks the stock to the action. The bolt is
pulled up, turned and the stock comes off.

The forestock comes off and attached by way of a spring latch. Changing the recoil pads is as easy as pushing a button.

Transform the Shotgun

The Mossberg Flex can be transformed from an all-around utility shotgun, to a turkey gun, a waterfowling gun, a slug shooter for deer or as a tactical shotgun for home defense.

Barrels offered range from a 28-inch ventilated rib to a short and stout breaching barrel for tactical uses.

There are three sizes of recoil pads and a wide variety of stocks and forends are available in black, Realtree and Mossy Oak camouflage.

The Mossberg Flex versions available range in price from approximately $600 to $750 depending on numerous add-ons.

Survival Shelter Plans: It Starts With Your Gut

By
James Nowka
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0

To get started with making survival shelter plans, follow your gut instincts about what is needed. Plus: A free download on how to make survival shelters.

Survival Shelter Plans: Listen to Your Gut

Survival-Shelter-PlansSurvival shelter plans, just like every other piece of preparation, starts with listening to that strong voice of common sense that developed through all of our experiences.

Each of us has a pretty firm understanding of “hot.” Many of us know a pretty good thing or two about “cold.” Simply living is enough to give most people some sense of the dangers at hand as it pertains to emergency shelter needs.

Problems most often grow from minor and manageable to severe and dangerous when people, for whatever reason, decide to ignore that “gut feeling” that something just isn’t right.

You should always take advantage of what the body has to say and with full urgency when it comes to emergency shelters. The clock is already ticking toward that three-hour mark when the gut feeling starts talking to the mind.

Those beyond the home or any adequate cool or warmth can’t afford to waste a minute. Try to imagine the growing stress and the racing thoughts that would come should troubles grow from bad to worse when there’s limited time and no adequate relief in sight.

Survival Shelter Plans: Start with the 3-Hour Basics

Survival shelter plans might begin outside of any concerns of disaster. It should be thought of from the perspective of basic survival.

Those heading off from home should think ahead toward the possibility of an emergency and have some provisions to warm up or cool off along with them. Always think, “three hours.”

Ideas and the flexibility to improvise could, in some cases, make up for what you are lacking in gear.

Survival Shelter Plans: An Example for Bug-Out Shelters

My bug-out bag was very intentionally designed to recognize survival shelter’s critical place in the rule of threes.

Several survival shelter contingencies are kept in a pouch on the outside of the pack. In the event of an emergency, I wouldn’t have to root through the entire bug-out bag to locate those items of most immediate need.

My bug-out bag includes several ways to start a fire at close reach. There’s a poncho I could grab quickly if the clouds decided to open up and make life that much tougher.

The contents of the bag include a change of warm, dry clothing. There’s a tarp tucked inside and I have a small tent to provide some refuge from any potentially troublesome elements, whether it’s cold winds, rain or the hot sun.

A bug-out bag goes a long way toward making life easier, but of course, that’s assuming you thought your plan through and dutifully grabbed your gear before venturing out.

Survival Shelter Plans: Tap Your Inner Child

Those who become caught in the elements without an assortment of supplies might have to revert to some childhood creativity. All of us growing up had the imagination to build all kinds of different forts and in many different ways.

3 Tips for Choosing a Portable Solar Panel

By
Ben Sobieck
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0

Video by GoalZero

Tips for Choosing a Portable Solar Panel

Few pieces of techie survival gear pack the cool factor punch of portable solar panels. But before you fall under the spell of any portable solar generator, there are some things to keep in mind.

Portable Solar Panels: How Much Energy Do You Need?

The Goal Zero Guardian is perfect for charging car batteries.
The Goal Zero Guardian is perfect for charging car batteries.

Remember that prepper rule of thumb that says too much is never enough? It's still a good rule, but it does not apply nearly as much with portable solar panels. Overkill means you'll be wasting money and space.

For example, this GoalZero Guardian 12V Solar Recharging Kit will juice a car battery. At $200, that's too much if all you're only looking to keep your $100 cell phone charged.

A better option for small gadgets would be the Goal Zero Switch 8 Recharging Kit. It offers a smaller panel and a sleek, rechargeable battery to take anywhere. That's it in the video above.

Aim for the Goldilocks zone. Not too much. Not too little. Then go ahead and buy multiples of that particular model.

Portable Solar Panels: How Much Abuse Will You Put it Through?

The Goal Zero Escape comes with a tough outer shell.
The Goal Zero Escape comes with a tough outer shell.

“This is cool” or “this is good” isn't enough of a qualifier when it comes to portable solar panels. “It didn't fall apart when it fell out of my truck and got mauled by a bear” is better. If it can't stand up to conditions, it's not worth your money.

This is another Goldilocks scenario. There are portable solar panels with reinforced shells, such as this Goal Zero Escape, that can take a beating and then some.

However, if your portable solar panel never leaves the backyard, all that armor is just going to cost you extra. Go with something more efficient for your dollar, like the Goal Zero Nomad.

 

 

Portable Solar Panels: Is it Easy to Use?

Goal Zero Nomad
At $80, the Goal Zero Nomad is simple and economical.

Simplicity equals versatility with all survival gear, and that's especially true with portable solar panels. If you can't tell how to use it without opening the box, it's probably not worth the time.

On that note, check to see if the portable solar panel comes with the adapters you need (USB, cigarette lighter) before you buy it. It can be a big headache to mess around with scores of cords, plugs and wires just to get you the point of actually using the portable solar panel.

Don't forget that those adapters and cords need to be on-hand. If they don't fit in the carrying case for the portable solar panel, chances are they could wind up lost.

 

Portable Solar Panels: What Do You Think?

What sorts of portable solar panels have you used? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Arm Yourself With Knowledge

u5083

SAS Survival Handbook

Coleman 4D XPS LED Duo Lantern

Special Forces Survival Guide

Emergency Preparedness Checklist: Everyday Carry Gear

By
James Nowka
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0

What is Everyday Carry Gear?

What kinds of everyday carry gear would be on your emergency preparedness checklist?
What kinds of everyday carry gear would be on your emergency preparedness checklist?

Everyday carry, or EDC, gear is what we take with us every day, just in case.

For some, everyday carry gear is just a cell phone and a credit card. For me, I carry a simple grouping of tools that over the years have evolved into this emergency preparedness checklist.

The evolution started a long time ago with a pocket knife and grew into a refined collection that can help me solve most simple problems that crop up during my typical day. Depending on what my immediate plans are, I might add to this everyday carry gear with a small hatchet, a bigger knife or a bigger gun.

This emergency preparedness checklist contains enough to stop a fight, not what I would take to war.

Emergency Preparedness Checklist: Everyday Carry Gear

Here's my emergency preparedness checklist of everyday carry gear:

  • Larger knife with a lock and at least a 3.5-inch blade that can be opened with one hand
  • Pocketknife (small slip joint or traditional jack knife)
  • Pocket tool carried in a pouch on my belt
  • Small single-cell CR123A flashlight
  • Small pocket compass
  • Pen and pad of waterproof paper
  • Paracord survival bracelet
  • Belt (nylon web riggers type with steel buckle)
  • Cash
  • Sunglasses
  • Small wind-proof lighter
  • Watch
  • Handgun

5 Features To Look For In A Survival Knife

By
Creek Stewart
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0

Features-of-the-Best-Survival-Knife

Your survival knife is without question one of the top three most important items in your bug-out bag. An ignition device and a metal container are the other top two.

For many, choosing a survival knife is a very personal decision. With thousands of knives in the marketplace, the choices can be somewhat overwhelming. But remember that the best survival knife is the one that meets your individual needs.

Don’t be fooled by what you see in the movies. The fancy knives seen in survival movies are more for prop collectors than for real survivalists. You don’t know how much you need a good, sharp cutting tool in a survival situation until you don’t have one.

I learned this firsthand on a three-day survival trip in which I was not able to bring a modern knife. I will never take my knife for granted again.

Best Survival Knife: What it Should Do

By design, a survival knife should be fairly simple. It should be about function not “flash.” Below is a short list of tasks a survival knife should be able to assist you with:

  • Cutting
  • Hunting
  • Dressing game
  • Hammering shelter anchors
  • Digging
  • Self-defense
  • Splitting/chopping
  • Making fire
  • Carving
  • Signal mirror (if blade is polished steel)
  • Building shelter
  • Food preparation

Best Survival Knife Features: Fixed Blade

The best survival knife in my opinion should have a fixed blade – not a folding or lockback style.

True, folding knives can be more convenient to carry, but strength is compromised at the folding joint. If the knife breaks during rigorous use, you are SOL.

If you really like folding knives, carry one as a backup, but not as your primary survival knife. I carry a Spyderco Native locking folder as my everyday carry knife and it will be my bug-out bag backup knife as well.

Best Survival Knife Features: Full Tang

The phrase “full tang” means the metal knife blade and handle are made from one solid piece of metal. The metal handle is then sandwiched with knife scales to form a grip.

The alternative to a full tang is a rat tail tang. A rat tail tang is much smaller and narrow.

A full tang blade is much more robust and stable. It can withstand incredible abuse from demanding tasks, such as splitting wood (often called “batoning” in the survival community).

Best Survival Knife Features: Sharp

Your survival knife should be razor sharp. It should shave the hair off your forearm. If it doesn’t, buy a whet stone and hone the blade until it does.

You should take pride in your knife’s razor edge. A dull knife is more difficult and cumbersome to use effectively. It requires more effort and pressure to perform tasks, which leads to erratic carving and cutting.

A sharp knife is actually safer to use and is a more precise cutting tool that requires less energy and time as compared to using a dull knife.

Best Survival Knife Features: Size Does Matter

As a rough estimate, the overall length of your knife should be in between 7″ and 11″. A knife that is much larger that 11″ isn’t practical for delicate and detailed tasks.

However, a knife smaller than 7″ is less capable of performing tasks that require a larger blade, especially demanding jobs.

Best Survival Knife Features: Pointed Blade/Single Edge

Your knife needs to have a pointed blade tip. The point comes in handy for all kinds of chores.

I broke the point off of my favorite survival knife and it drastically impacted the knife’s effectiveness as a useful tool. I eventually had to replace it.

Also, the knife blade should not be double-sided. Choose a single-edged blade only. You won’t have a need for two sharp edges. The flat back ridge of a knife blade can actually serve several functions.

Below are some of the most common:

  • Striking a fire steel
  • Used as a stabilizing platform for thumb or hand
  • Pounding surface while splitting or “batoning” wood

What's the Best Survival Knife for You?

Those are just a few of the features that I think make for the best survival knife. What about you? Leave a comment below and share the survival knives you've used.

 

Disaster Preparedness: Are There More Looters Now or Then?

By
James Nowka
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0
Looting is a common side effect of nearly every major disaster. This storefront shows the man-made disaster in New York City following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. (Vladimir Korostyshevskiy / Shutterstock.com)
Looting is a common side effect of nearly every major disaster. This storefront shows the man-made disaster in New York City following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. (Vladimir Korostyshevskiy / Shutterstock.com)

Looters and Disaster Response

A few days after the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, most of the officers in the New Orleans Police Department were pulled off of rescue operations in an effort to pull the city back from the criminal element, especially looters.

It speaks loudly to the impact crime can have after a disaster. Every officer that was reassigned to handle looters and other lawlessness was an officer that couldn’t be out there looking for the elderly, disabled and injured.

Not All Looters are the Same

You could hold less animosity for the people in a state of panic who stole groceries and other provisions out of survival fears. You might have fewer problems with a family that climbed through a broken window and into the shoe store to put new pairs on each of their children after flooding washed away their belongings.

It’s something completely different when you consider those who loaded up on new furniture, expensive booze, big-screen televisions and other luxuries in the wake of all the chaos.

There were plenty of the latter. Many businesses were cleared out to their walls, and plenty of those goods went well beyond the realm of necessities.

Looters: Catch and Release

Regaining a sense of order was no easy task. Officers had to prioritize who they were hauling in, and in many cases, police were limited to a system of catch and release.

The jail sustained significant damage in the hurricane, leaving the capacity to house offenders at a high premium. It meant law enforcement simply let go many of those causing trouble unless they were involved in violent offenses.

Rampant crime not only affected the crucial work of rescuing those from the floodwaters, but it also stood in the way of those who came in to start repairs on the power grid and other infrastructure.

What’s the difference between a looter and someone scavenging for supplies? After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, this shop in New York City was cleaned out. (Vladimir Korostyshevskiy / Shutterstock.com)
What’s the difference between a looter and someone scavenging for supplies? After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, this shop in New York City was cleaned out. (Vladimir Korostyshevskiy / Shutterstock.com)

Looters: Nothing New About Them

Though Hurricane Katrina was a unique situation in so many ways, it isn’t the only example. Reports of looting began to pile up in and near New York City in 2012 after Superstorm Sandy cleared.

Looters aren't solely a modern phenomenon. Looting and crime were rampant following the major hurricane that battered New England in September 1938.

That hurricane came prior to our modern practice of assigning first names to storms, though it came to be known by many as “The Long Island Express” based on its landfall there on Sept. 21, 1938.

New England was blindsided by the storm, which stood among the very worst disasters of the 20th century. The hurricane touched 10 New England states before finally falling apart in southern Quebec, Canada.

The Express left several hundred dead in its wake and caused $4.7 billion in damage by modern monetary figures. Looters then, like the looters in modern times, took full advantage of the disorder.

It’s pertinent to consider the time frame. The hurricane wreaked its havoc amid the Great Depression, and desperation was already at a fevered pitch when the Express rolled through.

Certainly, you couldn’t generalize or pin specific motives on lawbreakers as a whole, whether thinking of long ago or during more recent history. Some looters might have stolen for survival then. Some might have stolen for survival in 2005 and 2012.

Some certainly had profit in mind. Authorities in some locales following the 1938 storm were given “shoot to kill” orders in efforts to restore safety and security among the chaos. Fast-forward 68 years, and police in the wake of Katrina received those same orders.

Looters: History will repeat itself

Some have claimed the modern era is far less civil than past generations. The criminal behavior at play in 1938 and again in the 21st century suggests it isn’t a matter of the era. Those building their natural disaster preparedness plans might note that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

3 Rules: Choosing Centerfire Survival Handguns

By
Scott Wagner
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7

Best-Survival-Handguns-Centerfire
Survival handguns in societal disorder situations have the same basic requirements that rifles and shotguns do. The survival gun characteristics of reliability, ruggedness, portability, simplicity, effectiveness, and sustainability are just as critical.

Survival Handguns Rule #1: Portability

Now, portability may seem to be an “oh, duh” type of requirement for a survival handgun, since they are designed to be portable, but it really isn’t.

For example, if you don’t expect your travels to carry you through wilderness areas where grizzly bears roam, than a handgun chambered in .500 Smith & Wesson or even “just” a .44 Magnum simply isn’t required and, in fact, can be detrimental.

Portability for a handgun also doesn’t mean you have to have a primary handgun as small as the Ruger LCP.

What you need is a standard size, standard make, law enforcement or military duty sidearm, in its most basic configuration, meaning lights, optics, or custom competition modifications of any kind are not only not needed, but detrimental to the mission.

Survival Handguns Rule #2: High Capacity

The survival handgun you choose should be a high-capacity firearm of a commonly available caliber. With the present ammunition shortage, go with what you know you can obtain now and later.

That may seem like another “duh” point, but a firearm becomes less reliable the harder it is to find ammunition.

Survival Handguns Rule #3: The Six Centerfire Calibers

There are six basic centerfire calibers to consider for survival handguns, and I will list them in order of my preference.

  • 9mm
  • .40 Smith & Wesson
  • .45 ACP
  • .357 Magnum
  • .38 Special (I know, these last two are for revolvers)
  • 5.7x28mm (just to stir things up a bit)

While I love the .357 SIG and .38 Super and would take them over the .40 in a gunfight (the .357 SIG was our duty caliber at the sheriff’s office), they are not easily obtainable
calibers.

Again, these are my personal favorites, but they are also top choices for survival handguns.

What Survival Handguns Do You Use?

What kinds of survival handguns do you use? Leave a comment below.

BOB: 3 Must-Have Emergency Water Storage Containers

By
Creek Stewart
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Because a bug out bag (BOB) is a 72-hour kit, I suggest you pack a minimum of approximately three liters of fresh drinking water per person.

Even with three full liters, there is little margin for error. Certain weather climates increase the amount of water a person needs to survive. You’ll consume more water if your journey is especially rigorous.

Personal hygiene can also tap into your water supply. The water you carry will constitute a large percentage of the overall weight of your bug out bag.

The good news is that the weight will decrease as you hydrate. In a survival situation, a good emergency water storage container can be invaluable.

 

3 Types of Emergency Water Storage Containers

The Aqua Vessel Insulated Filter Bottle keeps water cold and filters as you drink.
The Aqua Vessel Insulated Filter Bottle keeps water cold and filters as you drink.

Divide your supply up among three different emergency water storage containers. I never suggest carrying all three liters in a single emergency water storage container for two reasons:

1. If you have only one emergency water storage container and you lose or break it, you no longer have a viable way to carry and store water. This can present a very serious threat. Natural water-tight containers are not easy to find or make.

2. It’s easier to distribute weight in your bug out bag when it is divided into two or three smaller emergency water storage container. I suggest dividing your water into the following three different containers.

Emergency Water Storage Container #1: 32-oz. Wide-Mouth Nalgene Hard Bottle

Nalgene bottles are durable and crush resistant. Although “Nalgene” is actually a brand, the word has been adopted generically to describe any hardened plastic bottle (sort of like Kleenex and Xerox).

I have used Nalgenes in countless adventures and never has one failed me. I’ve even dropped one from 50 feet while rock climbing and it came out unscathed. Get the wide mouth version. They are easier to fill and they can double as a dish to eat from if necessary.

On their sides are printed measuring units, which is convenient for preparing dehydrated meals. I’ve also never had one leak. You can trust it in your pack.

Emergency Water Storage Container #2: Metal Water Bottle

Get this Stanley metal emergency water storage container direct from Living Ready.
Get this Stanley metal emergency water storage container.

These canteens weigh about the same as any Nalgene bottle. Rather than just carrying two Nalgene bottles, I suggest opting for a metal alternative.

A metal emergency water storage container can be used to boil and purify drinking water collected “in the field” should your immediate supply run dry.

 

 

 

Emergency Water Storage Container #3: Collapsible Soft Bottle

This Stanley collapsible emergency water storage container is one of the types of bottles the author recommends.
This Stanley collapsible emergency water storage container is one of the types of bottles the author recommends.

Packing a collapsible, soft emergency water storage container allows you to reduce bulk as water is used. Consume the contents of this emergency water storage container first.

When empty, they take up virtually no space and weigh just a few ounces.

They are not as durable, but with the two other containers listed above, you can afford to sacrifice durability for weight and space with this option.

What is a Mutual Assistance Group?

By
Charley Hogwood
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Mutual-Assistance-Groups

Here is why Mutual Assistance Groups are important for a bird's eye view of preparedness in your community. Survival doesn't have to mean going it alone.

Editor's Note: This is part of a series from Charley Hogwood of P.R.E.P. on mutual assistance groups (MAG). 

Mutual Assistance Groups: Are They Right for You?

A Mutual Assistance Group is a group of like-minded individuals who pledge to assist each other in times of crisis. The idea is that many hands make light work.

It may or may not be in your best interest to be aligned with one. There are several important things to consider before joining/starting a Mutual Assistance Group.

  • Do I work well with others under austere conditions?
  • What might I have to offer a Mutual Assistance Group by way of specialized skills and equipment?
  • Will I participate regularly with others to build the group before the SHTF?
  • Is everyone in my family on board with teaming up with others?
  • Will I stay with the group or evacuate under differing scenarios?

If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, you may not be ready to join a Mutual Assistance Group.

Mutual Assistance Groups: It Must be a Team Effort

Keep in mind that the other members are going to depend on you if the time comes. You will need to participate and contribute regularly to build teamwork and confidence among the members.

Mutual Assistance Groups often fall apart under their own weight. The thrill diminishes, conflicts of personality arise and people just get busy with other things in life. The last thing anyone needs in the face of crisis is more drama. Choose carefully.

Mutual Assistance Groups: Considerations Before Joining

Too often people are so eager to join a Mutual Assistance Group that they ignore their gut instincts. They think that any obvious conflicts of interest will fade away as everyone pulls together when times are tough.

Here is what actually happens. Mr. or Mrs. Prepper feels outnumbered by the unprepared population and worried that they won’t be able to fend off the ill-prepared masses when the SHTF. So they start to search for like-minded people in their neighborhood, at work and online.

They find someone who has a similar interest and they eagerly hitch their wagons together. As with all new relationships, or even new employment for that matter, about a month on they start to notice the quirks.

At first Mr. or Mrs. Prepper tries to justify and ignore the problems as growing pains, hoping everything will work itself out in time. Trust me that time rarely comes.

Things don’t get better in a stressful situation, they get worse. So if you aren’t able to find some synergy in everyday pre-collapse life with your Mutual Assistance Group, it won’t be better when everyone is in the psychological abyss of a systemic collapse. You get about three days of Kumbaya around the campfire before the unstable people begin to unravel.

Mutual Assistance Groups: Pulling the Trigger

If you’ve still decided that a Mutual Assistance Group is something that you’re interested in, you’ll then have to determine whether you’d like to start one on your own, or whether you’d like to join an already established group. More to come on this topic in next week’s post.

5 Reasons to Own Survival Firearms

By
James Nowka
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Here are five reasons why it makes sense to put survival firearms near the top of your prep list.
Here are five reasons why it makes sense to put survival firearms near the top of your prep list.

I carry a firearm every day. I do so recognizing that even a 911 call would be too little and too late when a dire threat is staring right into my eyes. That goes for disaster situations, too, which is why I own survival firearms.

But are survival firearms really necessary? People with limited funds may invest in other survival gear first. Every situation is different, but there are great reasons to put survival firearms at the top of the list. Here are five.

#5 Reason to Own Survival Firearms: Escalation

Time and again, violent struggles recorded by dispatchers ended up being homicide scenes by the time police arrived. If you're put in a situation where it's you or an attacker, you need to have the response options that only survival firearms can offer.

#4 Reason to Own Survival Firearms: You Won't See Violence Coming

The mass shootings in the United States in recent years illustrate the speed by which violent episodes unfold. Though police arrived quickly, they arrived to several deaths. Now compound that level of calamity with a widespread disaster scenario. You're on your own.

#3 Reason to Own Survival Firearms: Police Priorities

The priorities of police agencies expand during a post-disaster response. Police officers are relied upon as life savers and are appropriately pulled into search-and-rescue roles to bring the injured to safety. This limits their ability to deter criminal activity, which becomes a much larger issue compared to pre-disaster scenarios. Again, you're on your own.

#2 Reason to Own Survival Firearms: Law Enforcement Officers are Also Experiencing the Disaster

On top of the previous reason, remember that individual officers are real-life people like anyone else.

When the shift is over and it’s time to change out of their uniforms, they head home to their families. They, too, experience their own losses amid catastrophe and have their own loved ones and a host of worries at the fronts of their minds.

They have to manage all those thoughts while still trying to give their best to a community in need.

When the community at large is dealing with chaos, members of law enforcement might often deal with stress at a far higher degree.

#1 Reason to Own Survival Firearms: Waiting Isn't Always an Option

Even if law enforcement resources are available, sometimes after a disaster there’s no time to wait for police assistance. The same is true with everyday life.

Which is why I carry a firearm every day. What do you do to stay protected? Leave a comment below.

MAG: How to Meet Mutual Assistance Group Members

By
Charley Hogwood
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MAG-prepper-group

Editor's Note: This is part of a series from Charley Hogwood of P.R.E.P. on mutual assistance groups (MAG). 

So you’ve thought about it long and hard and have decided to seek out others and join an existing mutual assistance group (MAG). Perhaps you have an interest in starting your own group with the preference of building it according to your own set of values. There are some things you’ll want to keep in mind to save yourself a lot of grief and misery down the trail.

Married to the MAG

First, decide what you want from this endeavor. You may begin to notice that much of this process involves soul searching. There is a reason for it.

Think of it as marriage, but with a survival twist. In this case, if it goes bad the spurned lover and possibly his or her friends will take all of your stuff (not just half!).

Practice MAG Ettiquette

With this in mind it is wise to vet everyone carefully before they gain important knowledge about your plans and supplies. This is known as OPSEC (operational security). This doesn’t mean that you become that creepy person who never speaks; just don’t share any specific details that could compromise your safety later on.

Practice etiquette when speaking with prospective friends:

  • Begin with small talk to get a feel for their views
  • Don’t ask questions you wouldn’t want to answer yourself
  • And never, ever say you are going to their house if the SHTF

Where are Potential MAG Members?

Where does one even begin to look for like-minded friends?  That is the big money question. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times but begin close to home, that’s where you are likely to need them the most.

Some ideas to meet others:

•    Join a CERT team
•    Frequent a local farmers market
•    Take classes in self reliance such as gardening, bee keeping, homesteading
•    Join an active local online meetup.com group that does things self reliance

Now that you know how and where to find others you’ll want to make sure you are what they’re looking for. To be a strong candidate you will need to offer something useful to the group. Some people think they can just buy their way into a group by way of money and equipment then just bask in the protections of others while having no discernible skills. That is a recipe for disaster.

Skills Useful to a MAG

What are some useful skills to a mutual assistance group?

  • Medical
  • Fishing
  • Hunting
  • Cooking
  • Teaching
  • Trapping
  • Carpentry
  • Tactical ops
  • Tool making
  • Gunsmithing
  • Metal working
  • Homesteading
  • Communications
  • Power generation
  • Animal husbandry
  • Gardening/farming

Meeting MAG Members

OK, now we know where to look, how to have a conversation and how to be of value to others.

Before you commit to anything, attempt to participate in some of the MAG's meetings or team building events. Try to meet as many members as possible. The reason for this is to get an overall feel for how things work, who is in charge and what personalities stand out.

Once you become comfortable slowly ease in and show your willingness to participate as an equal by offering your skills and knowledge at events.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to have a mutually beneficial relationship and will begin to form the bonds necessary to move further into the organization and planning stages for the group.

.308 Winchester: A Top Survival Ammunition Choice

By
Editor James Card
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0

The .308 Winchester is a versatile cartridge for many purposes. Learn what makes it a top choice when it comes to survival ammunition.

This Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle is chambered in .308 Winchester, a top choice for those looking for survival ammunition with punch.
This Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle is chambered in .308 Winchester, a top choice for those looking for survival ammunition with punch.

There are volumes of ink devoted to explaining the virtues of the .22 long rifle cartridge. For good reasons, it's the reigning champ of the survival and preparedness crowd. But for those looking for something with a punch, the .308 Winchester is a prime choice.

.308 Winchester: Breaking It Down

In power, the .308 Winchester is superior to the .300 Savage and almost equal to the .30-06. It delivers about 100 fps less muzzle velocity than the larger .30-06 with any given bullet weight.

Most authorities consider the .308 suitable for most North American big game, although it’s on the light side for moose or brown bear. This chambering is a favorite of target shooters and has a reputation for excellent accuracy. It is the basis for a number of wildcat cartridges that have been adopted as factory chamberings: .243 Winchester, 6.5-08, 7mm-08 Remington, .358 Winchester, and the rimmed versions of the .307 Winchester and .356 Winchester.

.308 Winchester: Availability

Yes, the ammo shortage has everyone concerned. The .308 Winchester offers better odds, though. All major domestic and foreign ammunition companies offer this cartridge. Practically every manufacturer of high-powered sporting rifles chambers the .308 Winchester, since it will work through medium- or standard-length actions.

History of the .308 Winchester

Introduced by Winchester as a new sporting cartridge, in 1952, the .308 Winchester is nothing more than the NATO 7.62x51mm military round. This was a very smart move, to tack the Winchester name on what was sure to become a popular sporting number.

The Model 70 bolt-action and 88 lever-action Winchesters were the first American sporting rifles so chambered. It was adopted as the official U.S. military rifle cartridge, in 1954, although guns for it were not ready until 1957.

Jeff Cooper on the .308 Winchester

The late Jeff Cooper, one of the most influential firearm instructors and writers of the 20th Century, had this to say about the .308:

To be really useful a rifle must be as short, light and quick to use as is technically compatible with adequate power and useful accuracy.

Adequate power may be had with any of the 20-caliber family of military cartridges, the best of which was probably the 30.06, now largely pre-empted by its compacted offspring, the 308.

Useful accuracy is that which the shooter can put to use…Let us proceed on the assumption that we need a two-inch-shooting .308 as a base…A 30-caliber, 150-grain spitzer at 2700 fps may not be a “magnum,” but it has been logging one-shot kills all over the world for so long that one may well ask why anything more is necessary, unless one’s target weighs over 1,000 pounds.

Add it up, and the .308 Winchester is a top choice for survival ammunition.

Organizing Your Mutual Assistance Group

By
Charley Hogwood
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0

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series from Charley Hogwood of P.R.E.P. on mutual assistance groups (MAG). 

Why a Mutual Assistance Group (MAG) Needs Organization

Be wary of those claiming to be willing to leave others behind. That says a lot about how they are prepared to walk away when times are tough.
Be wary of those claiming to be willing to leave others behind. That says a lot about how they are prepared to walk away when times are tough.

A mutual assistance group (MAG) is just like any other organization. It doesn’t matter what form you decide on, every group will need some version of leadership and organization if it is to be at the ready.

Many people can appreciate the benefits of belonging to a mutual assistance group, but many aren’t ready to hand over their personal sovereignty to be led by another.

After all, if you don’t want to depend on the government or anyone else to be there in hard times, why should you relinquish some of your independence to other people just because you are in a mutual assistance group?

We’ll call this the “Independence Conflict.”

5 Ways to Organize a Mutual Assistance Group

The Community Group

  • They live near enough to help each other in case of localized emergencies. MAG members live so close together that if there are travel restrictions, they wouldn’t be considered outsiders. Neighbors would fall into this category.
  • They usually communicate with each other through social media or in person, and even get together as friends in social situations or have a community arrangement of some sort.
  • They may or may not plan for an activation, but claim to be there for each other.
  • These MAG members are nearby neighbors, friends or family who form an alliance to take care of each other in times of need.
  • May be a group within a group on a more personal level.
  • May have specific plans to work together in advance of an emergency.

The Survival Group

  • An organized, like-minded group of individuals and/or families that seek each other out to form a self-reliant community with each other.
  • May move in or around each other or plan to meet in case of activation.
  • The group regularly gathers to plan and train for predetermined scenarios.

Networks

  • These are loosely organized, usually leaderless frameworks that will support individuals or families of the mutual assistance group who may need assistance or temporary lodging.
  • Frameworks will usually have contingency plans available to all MAG members to download and print for use in case of a total grid-down scenario.
  • Every MAG member will be aware of activation levels, marking techniques and possibly neighboring members. This will form a web of safety for evacuation in every direction should the situation require evacuation.

Ad Hoc or Hasty Groups

  • Usually formed out of necessity in a crisis, such as a major earthquake or other no-notice event where strangers may come together out of a natural desire to work together.
  • Little vetting of members, if any, and often there are very few materials or an unbalanced inventory of supplies on hand at the outset.
  • These may be survivors trapped in a building, a group lost in the wilderness or victims of a crash or sinking ship.

3 MAG Leadership Options

Mutual-assistance-group-photoThere are several leadership options available to a mutual assistance group that don’t require re-inventing the proverbial wheel. They may be executed independently or become merged to create the final leadership model.

Single Leader

  • A Single Leader MAG may be effective in small numbers. If the group increases in size, the leader will experience problems maintaining control over his/her subordinates.

Committee / Task Leadership

  • Committee Leadership groups are effective when there are enough MAG members to round out the many tasks of daily survival.

Consensus by Vote

  • Some MAGs may find that a visible majority vote by raised hand or anonymous written ballot will show the division and popularity of a decision.

Organization Depends on Compliance

Whichever structure you choose, it must be documented. Its authority must be accepted to obtain legitimacy. It doesn’t matter whether there are 10 or 100 members.

In order to maintain effectiveness, members of a mutual assistance group must all be on board or there will be problems when things get tough.

 

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