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Survival 101: 3 benefits of a Canadian candle

ArdyFeb 13, 2018Camp Cooking,Camping,Camping, Adventures,Prepper0 Comment

A good fire is like a good dog in many ways. I’ve said before that fire not only offers you the ability to warm yourself, it also will cook your food, give you companionship, keep you company, etc… But this is not where the similarities end.  A dog can be useful on top of all of the other attributes that he has by being well trained. He can be used to track, protect, and hunt. As a last resort he can be used for food. A fire can be made to be more useful as well, if, like a well-trained dog, it is trained properly.

I present to you the idea of the Canadian Candle; a fire building technique that gives you the most bang for your buck. This simple technique of taking a single log and using it as a primary fire source, grill, heater, light source, and working tool is a surefire way of turning a normal military surplus tent adventure into a supremo-deluxo glamping excursion.  Here are three ways a Canadian Candle outshines a traditional fire.

  • It’s a Grill. A Canadian Candle can be used as a standalone grill once enflamed. The top focuses the heat of your fire in one spot for a very hot cook stove alternative. This surface will be very hot, and care must be taken to regulate the heat in your frying pan if you are trying to fry food items, you may center it however if using it to boil or poach foods.
  • Wood conservation. The Canadian Candle offers great sources of firewood for a traditional fire after using it as a heat source or cooking utensil. The inner burning ember works its way outward and leaves four good sticks of wood as well as a substantial log for the fire.
  • Makes furniture. If you decide not to break the remnants of your Canadian Candle up for more firewood, then a quick flip upside down results in a four legged piece of furniture. The remnant can be used as a table, chair, workstand, etc… The options are endless.

Whether you are camping or glamping, thriving or surviving, the Canadian Candle is an excellent option for the evening fire. It can be made by sawing or tying a log around the bottom and splitting the top. It is the perfect addition to any military tent adventure and will serve you well in the bush.

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Hardcore rations: 2 must haves for emergency survival

ArdyFeb 05, 2018Camp Cooking,Camping,Camping, Adventures,Emergency Preparedness,Prepper0 Comment

If you have ever been a historian of the Civil War or an aficionado of Native American history, then you will know about the two survival foods that took both the Indians and the Europeans through many of their wars.   I speak of course about Pemmican and Hardtack.  Both of these survival foods are easy to make and will last a long time. Hardtack may even last forever. Both are made from some pretty common items, both are filling and calorie laden, and you could begin stocking up on both very easily. Here is how to make them.

Pemmican:

This was the primary mainstay of Native Americans when they were on the trail. Much like beef jerky, it was easily packaged and carried, and didn’t require any preparation for consumption. Unlike beef jerky, it contains fruits, vegetables, and tallow to give a more filling, energy boosting meal than one could expect from just dehydrated meats. To make Pemmican:

  1. Separate meat from fat and jerk the meat. Then melt the fat.
  2. The jerky should be so dry it crumbles, and the fat should be strained to get the detritus out.
  3. Grind the jerky in a coffee grinder.
  4. Grind up any berries or nuts that you want to incorporate.
  5. Mix 50/50 jerky and filtered tallow
  6. Add nuts or berries.
  7. Store in a cool dark and dry place, or freeze. Can keep for years.

Hardtack:

This is the food that many a Civil War soldier awoke to for breakfast on both sides. Hardtack and coffee was a common meal, because often the hardtack had to be soaked in the coffee in order to get et. Hardtack is super easy to make, and can last as long as fifty years without getting spoiled. There is nothing easier to make than hardtack, and though it won’t be everything you wanted, it will keep you alive for a very long time. This is how you make Hardtack:

  1. Gather the ingredients, 3 cups of white flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 cup of water.
  2. Mix together in a bowl adding water until it doesn’t stick to your hands.
  3. Heat the oven to 375.
  4. Roll the dough out.
  5. Cut it into squares
  6. Poke holes in each square.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes on each side.
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Survival 101: make your own jerky

ArdyJan 25, 2018Camp Cooking,Camping,Emergency Preparedness,Hunting0 Comment

If you ever find yourself on a long term survival trip, one of the easiest ways to get food is to preserve meat for long term hoarding. This can be done by salt curing and drying, or by smoking which is the most sure-fire way, (no pun intended).

Salt curing.

  • Using any meat or fish of your choice, the trick is to slice it as thin as possible. The point of both methods is to dehydrate the meat to prevent bacteria from spoiling it, and the drier the meat the better it will cure.
  • Rub salt all over the meat. It will draw moisture out and will kill bacteria.
  • Set in the hot sun. This will roast/dry/jerk the meat, turning it into a very hard sheet of dehydrated muscle.
  • Eat with care. This is a very hard and dry piece of meat and it is very salty as well. Look closely for signs of spoilage, and sniff well. Can be used to mix with berries and nuts to make Pemmican, but is also good to boil with vegetables and tubers for stew.

Smoking Jerky

  • Using any meat or fish, slice as thin as possible.
  • Build some sort of framework to go above your firepit. This framework is often multilayered and triangular in form to allow the smoke to rise and coat the meat evenly. The point is complete dehydration of the meat.
  • Build your fire and put green wood on it. Either fruit or nut wood works best. Avoid the evergreen variety, and any sort of bitter wood as this will permeate your jerky and gag you when you try to eat it.
  • Cover the meat. This is done to contain as much smoke as possible. If you have a dead deer, you may use the deerskin to envelope the meat and will thereby smoke the hide too.
  • Smoke until completely dry. It helps to flip the meat also, giving the bottom part against the wood of your frame a chance to dry out too. Smoking time will depend on how thinly you sliced your meat.
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SURVIVAL PARACORD; 4 HANDY USES YOU CAN IMPLEMENT TODAY

adminJan 12, 2018Hunting,Military Surplus Blog Posts,Prepper0 Comment

We’ve all been there. One minute you are out in the bush enjoying a camping or hunting trip and the very next minute you are engaged in a fight for survival, depending on nothing more than the items you have on you and your steely wit to save from certain death and damnation. In times like these there is nothing in the world that you need more than some para-cord. Of course we all know how to make cordage out of the inner bark of certain plants and trees, or how to cut cordage from rawhide, but to be honest, having some prepared and quality manufactured cordage on hand can be the difference between a fun survival trip and one which is just a miserable struggle. So here are four ways to be prepared for a survival situation by having paracord on hand as a replacement for everyday items.

  1. Wear a survival bracelet. You know what these things are, they are all the rage today, and most of you probably even know how to make them. If you don’t and you want to learn, watch a youtube video. Not only are they snazzy and you can make them to represent your favorite sports team or whatever, but they are easily incorporated into everyday dress.
  2. Craft a belt from paracord. Let’s face it, you need a belt anyway, why not make one from paracord and then you will have plenty of cordage with you at all times?
  3. Make a rifle/shotgun sling. This concept is relative to the concept of having a belt made of paracord. Why not craft your own long gun sling that you can use as a functional sling and put to use as cordage in a survival situation?
  4. Use as a wrap for your water bottle. Not only does this concept allow you to have a non-slip grip on your water bottle during a military surplus tent adventure or outdoor excursion, but it also supplies you with a plethora of cordage to use in a survival situation. As with all of these concepts, instructional videos are easily located on youtube.
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SWITCHBLADES: 3 REASONS THEY ARE A GOOD IDEA TO RE-LEGITIMIZE

adminJan 12, 2018Adventures,Camping,Current events,Prepper,Uncategorized0 Comment

Photo By: The Cross and the Switchblade

In 1958, after a wave of Hollywood driven rhetoric, the Switchblade Act came into effect which essentially took the ability of millions of honest Americans to have a spring assisted knife from being carried on the person. It had a lot to do with the gang violence of New York, and the knee jerk reactions of politicians and bureaucrats who believe in the demonization of everything. Thank God the movie “Gangs of New York” hadn’t been made yet or we would have one hell of a time getting hatchets and meat cleavers… but I digress. There is a new bill in the works which will reverse the act of 1958 and make switchblade knives a legitimate set of working tools again. The Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2017 was drafted by Arizona Representative Andy Biggs to counter this asinine offensive against cutlery freedom in the nation, which limits the ability for interstate trade and travel with switchblades. Nearly 40 states in the union have already legalized the use of switchblades in one form or another according to Knife Rights Chairman, Doug Ritter, as quoted in a recent article in Knife News. Switchblades are a long time favorite of law enforcement, the military, preppers and survivalists. They are also pretty popular with people with disabilities. Here are three good reasons to invest in a switchblade for survival beyond the fact that they look cool as all hell.

  1. The psychological effect. This effect doesn’t just work in favor of the bearer of the knife by scaring the shiz-izzle out of a potential adversary, but it also emboldens the bearer and elicits a feeling of power whenever wielded as a defensive weapon. Much the same as a policeman’s asp.
  2. It offers an excellent backup weapon. Let’s face it, we’re all vulnerable to catching a round and I have seen plenty of footage where a fellow man at arms caught a round which disabled him and which was soon followed up with a coup de gras… not good! A one handed man’s knife can come in very handy in a situation like that.
  3. They are highly collectible. Not only are these things effective, they are highly collectible if they are well made and produced reputably, specifically German and Italian manufacturers, Boker Knives being a prime example. They are perfect additions to the arsenal whether you are on a full blown survival trip, a military surplus tent adventure, or a family camping endeavor. There are even military surplus switchblades available though federal law prohibits their being sold.
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SURVIVAL PREPPING: 7 PLACES TO GET GEAR CHEAP

adminJan 12, 2018Current events,Earthquake Preparedness,Emergency Preparedness,Prepper0 Comment

Photo By: Do it Yourself World

One of the things that I hate the most about prepping and disaster preparation is the fact that this ideology, which is really just one of basic survival, has been capitalized on as a money hoarding endeavor. Anyone who makes a trip to any outdoor store will be bombarded by a plethora of survival themed items that are being sold for top dollar. The good news is though that it is not necessary to buy top of the line overly expensive items to survive effectively or to prepare several bug-out kits for yourselves and your families. You need look no further than your own local neighborhood outlets to find many deals available for your needs. Here are seven options for cheap, (or free), gear and essentials.

  1. The local military surplus store. This goes without saying. The best made equipment is usually that which is used by the military to win wars. As a result of bureaucratic inefficiency, this equipment is regularly offered for sale as surplus at a fraction of the cost that it was purchased for… many times when it is still brand new.
  2. Thrift stores. This is like a civilian surplus store. Again, thanks to government bureaucracy, Americans can get a tax credit for giving their unwanted but valuable items to thrift shops… the savings go to you.
  3. Dollar stores. These things are incredible, and you can find anything in dollar stores that you need, from knives to bags of dried beans. You could literally fill every need for survival in a dollar store from shelter to food.
  4. Antique shops. Again, another example of civilian surplus. These shops are crammed full of formerly necessary items which have become unneeded as technology has advanced… things which will be needed again if the power grid were to fail.
  5. Gun and Knife shows. This form of collective bartering will get you all sorts of deals as you gather with like-minded people who are in need of resources, cash, or a change of scenery.
  6. Garage sales. It goes without saying that you can find all sorts of deals in your own neighborhood particularly if someone has recently been deceased.
  7. Dumpsters. Not just at apartment complexes near major universities, dumpsters hold lots of treasures especially near retail outlets.
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SURVIVAL NEEDS: 3 QUESTION YOU SHOULD ASK BEFORE YOU INVEST IN GOLD AND SILVER

adminJan 12, 2018Current events,Emergency Preparedness,Prepper0 Comment

One of the questions that I hear quite often about prepping and survival in general is that age old quandary of whether one should invest heavily in silver and gold in preparation for the coming apocalypse. The answer to a question like this is never really cut and dried, because there are too many possibilities involved with an apocalyptic event. Whether it is a full collapse of the government for instance, whether martial law is declared, etc… It is my practice therefore to prepare for the very most minimalistic scenario, that of full economic and societal collapse resulting in the degradation of society to it’s maximum deviation. The fact of the matter is that you can not eat silver and gold. It doesn’t keep you warm at night, doesn’t fashion well into arrow heads and knife blades, and can’t help you build a fire as far as I know. So, in order to help you answer this question for yourself, I have developed three survival questions that I ask myself each and every time I put something into my bug out kit or take out into a survival situation or military surplus tent adventure.

  1. Can it feed me? In other words can I eat it or use it to get something to eat? I’m not talking about bartering here, I’m talking about a specific directed use. Everything you have should be able to perform three or four functions. A knife for instance is good for many things from fire building to self defense. The same is true for many, many other survival items. Paracord for instance. If it doesn’t have a dual role it is probably not needed.
  2. Is it worth it’s weight? No pun intended here, but there are many times that jerky will be more valuable than gold… like when you’re hungry for instance. You may want to consider whether the gold/silver would be more valuable than bullets for instance. I can assure you that in most situations you won’t be able to get more for gold than for bullets… one way or another.
  3. Can I find it in the wild? Well, this goes without saying, but gold and silver are just lying around in some places, why would you take with you something that is the equivalent of a rock, (albeit a shiny one)?
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SURVIVAL CANNING; 4 THINGS YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU COULD CAN

adminJan 12, 2018Camp Cooking,Camping,Emergency Preparedness,Prepper0 Comment

Canned “King White Salmon” from the annual NY trip

Recently I was working a long shift with my good friend Tom L. when I suddenly detected the odor of sweaty socks and fishy garbage wafting through the office at about chest level. Since I was sitting down I got the maximum effect out of this phenomena and immediately jumped to the most likely conclusion. “Tom!” I yelled, “What the hell are you eating?” He appeared quickly from around the corner, eyes gleaming with devilish lust, a small canning jar hanging limply from one hand. In his other hand he brandished the fork side of the hobo knife I had given him for Christmas, the year before. He gestured towards me with the jar and the knife at the same time. “It’s fish sarge, canned salmon from last year’s run in New York. Me and Jerry got twenty-seven pounds of this stuff apiece. I been canning it.” It smelled like hell, but I had to admit that he had my interest. I am a sucker for canned things. I love sardines, clams, oysters… all of it. Even canned crab meat. So it was with very little trepidation that I took a bit of old Tom’s canned salmon and ate it… It was like a party in my mouth! I decided then and there to accompany Tom and Jerry, (yes, I know!), on their next fishing trip for no other reason than to stock up on a supply of fish for myself. Tom is going to can it for me too. Here are things that Tom cans that would make an excellent addition to any military surplus tent adventure, survival trip, or existence after a coming apocalypse.

  1. Venison and other meats. Tom has his own special seasonings he adds and he won’t tell me what they are; however, the point is that you can preserve any kind of meat, fish, chicken etc… by canning it.
  2. Casseroles and meals. I never thought of it, but Tom had canned many different already cooked meals to include stews, spaghettis, and lasagna.
  3. Dried beans. Very effective for if and when you don’t have a bagging system and you need them to last for food or seed.
  4. Gravy. Perfect way to save sausage gravy for a time when there is no refrigeration process.
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URBAN WARFARE TACTICS 101: THREE REASONS WE DON’T DRAW ON A PULLED GUN

adminJan 12, 2018Adventures,Current events,Emergency Preparedness,Prepper0 Comment

It’s been on my mind lately to cover some specwar tactics regarding urban warfare. The good news is that there is an excellent resource out there for good, common sense strategies regarding urban tactics and if you care to subscribe to these guys on youtube, you can see dozens of cases involving survival gunplay and self defense tactics. The name of the channel is “ACTIVE SELF PROTECTION” or “ASP” which carries a dual meaning. So, the first thing I want to cover is the topic of the linked video, and that is the fact that we should never draw on a drawn gun… unless, that is, there is sufficient opportunity to do so. I’m going to warn you right off the bat, the first part of the video is a bit hard to watch as it shows an altercation between an obviously fit and capable police officer who loses a gunfight for two reasons in my opinion. First, he tried to draw on a drawn gun, and second he hadn’t performed nearly enough muscle memory drills with his equipment to be proficient with it. Drawing a duty weapon is not a two handed, several second endeavor. I personally break leather at least several dozen times per TOD just to be ready to perform in an altercation with no aforethought or struggle. In any event, the scope of this writing is to stress the importance of not drawing against a drawn weapon and here are three reasons it’s a bad idea to be committed to such an act.

  1. Action is faster than reaction. I often stress to my counterparts and cohorts the fact that in order to be successful in a gunfight we need to shoot the other guy before he shoots us, or at the very least shoot him better than he shoots us. The problem is that the bad guy, bushwacker, ambusher, or cretin who slinks in the shadows knows that we are in a gunfight way before we do.
  2. It causes you to rely too much on a firearm. I have said this many times in the past decade and I say it again: the main reason the police have lost so much credibility with the public is that they are more prone to shoot you these days than they are to go hands on with you. I blame this on a lack of defensive tactics training and too much confidence in “gadgets”… among other things.
  3. Firearms are most effective when used from a position of cover. Fight or Flight is an ingrained survival instinct for a reason. The best thing to do before you engage a gunman is to find a position of cover to engage him from. Matt Dillon facing down Black Bart in Gunsmoke was a Hollywood fantasy… even at that Matt got shot a lot.
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URBAN TACTICS 101: THE 3 LESSONS OF THE TRAILING GUNMAN

adminJan 12, 2018Adventures,Current events,Emergency Preparedness,Prepper0 Comment

As part of this series of urban tactics for the survival minded, I’d like to bring up a great proponent of survival and combat thinking: No matter how much you train, prepare, and develop strategies, you should never lose sight of the fact that your opponents are just as likely to train and prepare for their nefarious activities as well. This brings us to this writing’s lesson, that of the tactics adopted by the bad guys. As our counterparts in Mumbai, Paris, Mali, Savoy, and other places have unfortunately discovered, not every mass killer is an inadequate and unsophisticated personality who is a lone wolf style gunman that will kill himself when confronted by an opposing force. Some of these guys are the sick and twisted equivalent of SEAL Team Six and have had vast amounts of training to prepare for the attack that they are generating. Therefore, we must never underestimate them my brothers, and one of the ways we can keep from doing so is to be aware of the tactics that they might use. In this instance, the trailing gunman. So here are three lessons we should learn from the tactic of the trailing gunman.

  1. Always check your six. Always, always, always check your six. Defend your back. That is your most vulnerable spot and you should monitor it constantly. Tunnel vision will get you killed.
  2. Distance is your friend. Once I heard Old Master Chief of Seal Team Five, Hershel Davis, comment on his preferred weaponry in any given situation and wasn’t surprised to hear that his favorite long gun for combat was either the M-14, or the M-1 Garand. I know why too. It’s because you can really reach and touch a MF’er with both the .308 and the .30/06 round. You can touch them from as far away as you can see them and it is better to settle the thing from a distance than to engage in CQB… it just is.
  3. Strike quickly. Forget the bullshit of offering an active killer the opportunity to surrender. That will only get you killed, even the cops don’t do that anymore, their only goal is to stop the threat. Take your shot as soon as you get it, and scan the area for further threats… from cover!
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