Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Top 3 EDC Survival Knives Under $50

Regardless of your budget, you need a good survival knife as part of your bug out bag. If you’re like most preppers, you want the best knife you can get for your money – but you also have to consider balancing out how much you can spend on any single item when you’re on a tight budget.

You may want a cheap (inexpensive) edc knife, but that doesn’t mean you need a cheap (quality) knife.

Most high-quality knives easily run $150 and up, with custom options going above and beyond even $500. While that’s nice if you can afford it, chances are you need a few knives around, one for your main bag, another for your get home bag. And they need to perform if the need arises.

Quality

When looking at quality edc knives at an affordable price, we wanted good knives, made by manufacturers with a reputation for great knives. This isn’t the place to find cheap knockoffs; we wanted options you could use in the field and be proud of.

Size

We wanted to look at knives that were right in the middle on size. There are much smaller knives (less blade material, less production cost), but they often lacked the minimum amount of blade necessary for a “general use” survival knife. Each of these every day carry knives feature a blade 4.1″ to 5.2″ in length which is a great size for a medium knife. While bigger knives were available in the same price range, comparing survival knives to machetes just isn’t a proper apples to apple comparison.

Affordability

The knives that made the list are all under $50 on Amazon, which should be affordable for any prepper or budding survivalist. While there are a lot of good knives in the $50-100 range, we stuck to a firm $50 limit for this list as we wanted 3 knives that were all within about $17 of each other.

Morakniv Bushcraft Forest Fixed BladeOutdoor Knife

The least expensive of the 3 knives, the Mora Bushcraft is a great first survival edc knife for a beginning prepper, or the perfect backup knife when paired with a more expensive primary knife. This Mora knife is shorter and has a thinner blade than other comparable knives. Not to say this knife isn’t of high quality – there are few stories of people managing to break a Mora.

Its 4.3" blade made of high-quality stainless steel and 0.10" (2.5 mm) thick. The knife features plastic made high-friction grip handle and with a belt clip sheath. The Morakniv Bushcraft full length 9.1" weight only 5.0 oz as well as comes with limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.

The only major complaint about this particular knife is the rounded spine, which doesn’t seem to take well to use with Ferro rod fire starters. I take that complaint minimally, as most starters come with their own striker, and I’d prefer NOT to use my blade if I don’t have to.

Schrade SCHF10-BRK Fixed Blade SurvivalKnife

The Schrade SCHF10 comes in with our biggest blade at 5.2″ and is all around a good, meaty knife that performs well. The micarta handles is molded well to provide great grip, even in wet conditions. Also, it has a lanyard hole. The 1/4″ thick blade makes for a solid knife that can take a beating but is still fairly well balanced and capable of accurate cuts as well as more bruising tasks. It has all the features you’d expect in a good edc knife under 50 dollars.

To protect this 10.5" knife Schrade provides a heavy duty Nylon sheath with an additional pouch for a sharpener, Ferro rod, tactical flashlight or other accessories. Most importantly the manufacturer offers a limited lifetime warranty for this Schrade SCHF10-BRK Fixed Blade Survival knife.

The negatives are this knife’s alleged sharpness from the factory. Having not tested other Schrade knives, we don’t know if that’s just a shipping standard with the company or just a bad run. That said, you should always sharpen your new knife prior to use anyway – so we think it’s a stupid complaint.

SOG SEAL Pup Fixed Blade M37N-CPTactical Survival Knife

The SOG SEAL Pup knife is another great every day carry knife with a proven history of use by Special Forces operators. It has a 4.75” AUS-8 stainless steel made quality thick blade which is partially serrated and powder coated. You would be surprised to know that this inexpensive knife’s blade made of SOG’s patented cryogenic heat treatment method.

The ergonomic finger grooves handle of this knife made out of Glass-reinforced nylon. There is a lanyard hole bottom of the handle. This SOG SEAL Pup Survival EDC Knife comes with MOLLE-COMPATIBLE SHEATH and limited lifetime warranty. The full tang knife has 9” overall length weight with sheath 5.4 ounces.

My only issue with this knife is only because the model looked at under $50 had the partially serrated edge blade. For about $10 more on Amazon, you can move up in the knife to a slightly longer blade that is a plain flat blade without serration. I would buy the better model if I had the extra $10, but this list was only looking at the sub-$50 models.

Conclusion

You can’t go wrong with any of the knives mentioned here. They are all high-quality knives under $50 from manufacturers with a reputation for great knives that will perform. If you’re looking for a secondary knife for your bag or a good, inexpensive knife for a secondary bag – these are the best of the group.

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Sunday, November 4, 2018

Home Defense Plan

How to Create a Home Defense Plan That Really Works

By Seth Thompson published in General, How To, Safety and Training

Every year, somewhere between 1.2 million and 3+ million American citizens use a firearm in self-defense, according to recently compiled home invasion statistics and crime reports. These numbers offer proof for the need to take home defense planning seriously.

burglar using a crowbar to break into a house

This doesn’t mean that homeowners should live in fear. It means that responsible homeowners need to use comprehensive home defense strategies to protect their property. The most effective strategies require proper planning and the best information to go off of to prevent these incidents from happening in their homes.

Here’s how to create a home defense plan that really works:

Start By Burglar-Proofing Your Home

Over 2 million home burglaries are reported each year in the U.S., according to Safeguard the World, a Florida security company. It’s important for homeowners to take the first critical step to protect themselves against the most common crime in most neighborhoods, by burglar-proofing their homes. Burglars are typically opportunists who will break into a house if it looks unkempt or unsecured.

Choose a modern security door with multiple latch bolts.

Start by securing potential weak points in your home, such as open windows, unlocked doors, open backyards with bushes, garages without lighting, and unsecured entry points to balconies and upper floors. Such weak points are what burglars or home invaders will look for when trying to get into your home.

Make sure your home is well maintained. Strategically place outdoor lighting to cover blind spots, trim your outdoor shrubs and lawn, never leave ladders outside, clear away debris, and fix any damaged windows and locks. Embrace the habit of shutting your windows and locking all doors when you’re not at home.

You can also get yourself and your family a dog as part of your home security plan. Large breeds, such as German Shepherds, Pit bulls, Labradors, Doberman, Bull mastiff, Akita, and Rottweilers are great options for homeowners who are serious about their home defense and deterrent strategies. These intelligent breeds have loud barks and are able to warn families of an intruder.

Install Video Surveillance Cameras

Only 20% of American homes use security cameras. Despite this, it’s important to note that homes without security systems are 300% more likely to be broken into than homes with them. Criminals don’t want to be recorded or seen, which is one of the main reasons why cameras are an effective deterrent. If you keep many valuables in your home or spend a lot of time away, installing security cameras is a must.

Modern security camera systems are more cost-effective than ever to install and maintain. Many also carry advanced features standard, such as remote viewing and playback from phones, tablets, and computers. Additional features for consideration include long-range infrared night vision, pan-tilt-zoom capabilities, motion-sensitive activation.

Install cameras in strategic areas like your main entry doors, garage, or backyard. Put up a surveillance sign saying “Video surveillance in use 24/7.” This is usually a great deterrent.

Consider Getting a Self-Defense Firearm

As part of your home defense plan, it’s advisable also to get yourself a rifle, shotgun or handgun for self-defense. Consider the type of gun and ammunition you need for self-defense, the training required to become proficient at using it, and additional equipment you may need. This could be a flashlight, ear protection, and/or a well-fitting holster.

You must also ensure that your gun or guns are stored safely in an easily accessible gun safe, so that your weapons and ammunition are ready when they’re needed.

Regularly Review and Practice Your Home Defense Plan

A home defense plan is never complete without regular reviews and practice to ensure its viability. By combining home defense strategies such as, burglar proofing, installing surveillance cameras both indoors and outdoors, and keeping a firearm ready, you can more easily take control of any situation that puts you and your family at risk. Cameras are an especially effective enhancement to the way you use guns for self-defense, as tools for enhanced situational awareness.

Make sure to strengthen all possible points of entry in your home and keep your home defense deterrents up to date. You and your family need a concrete home defense plan and must be able to execute it without hesitation or confusion. Consider the size and layout of your home, how many people live in your home, the abilities, and age of each member, and other details like where to go or regroup in case of a breach.

Taking the Right Approach

You can create a home defense plan that really works by being realistic and preparing for the most likely scenarios first. With the right approach, your home will be protected from incidents like break-ins when you’re at home or away, property intrusion and others.

Do you have a home security plan or tip? Share it in the comment section.

Seth Thompson is a writer and content strategist specializing in topics concerning homeowners and business owners for companies including CCTV Security Pros. he also writes about developments in science and technology. In his free time, Seth enjoys basketball and nature walks.

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Saturday, October 20, 2018

EDC Survival

EDC or Every Day Carry is one of the most likely survival scenarios you are likely to encounter. This is a situation where things go bad, and all you have with you are the things that you normally carry with you EVERY DAY. IF you are lucky, you have your car with a good assortment of things available.

Lets look at two scenarios: 1) No Car and 2) Having your car with you.

NO CAR - What you should carry on your person every day

Charged cell phone; don't let it get too low!
Money - Cash, in small bills & a few coins
A knife &/or a Leatherman Multi-Tool
A ferrous rod &/or bic lighter for starting fire
Band aids in your wallet or purse for first aid
Concealed Carry pistol with extra rounds of ammo
Comfortable shoes for walking great distances
Long sleeve shirt &/or waterproof coat
Condom (un-lubricated) for carrying water
Know your edible wild plants; this is free and adds no weight

As you think about this to carry, remember the Rule of 3.

CAR - What to carry in your car

Gasoline - enough to get home. Never run it down near empty.
Case of bottled water (rotated every year)
Water filter
Stainless steel water bottle
2 Qt Pot to cook and boil water in
Rifle with military ammo can full
Back Pack
Machete
Water proof poncho or tarp for shelter
First Aid Kit
Long shelf life snack foods like beef jerky, granola, raisins or canned goods
Cell Phone, solar charger & water proof case; power off when not needed
MURS Radio and solar charger for communications
Motion Detecting, Solar Powered Lights &/or Alarms for Intruder Detection
Fishing - net, line & lots of hooks; extra line for security trip wires
A Thermal Scope will give you superior night vision for night travel
A regional MAP or Atlas, plastic coated or in a freezer bag for navigation

Know when it is time to get home with our Bug Out Red Flag Warning Signs.

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Monday, October 1, 2018

What is a Prepper?

Preparing is a basic human function. We prep for a visit to the grocery store by making a list. Eggs, check. Bread, check. Milk, check. You can even prepare mentally without physically doing anything."Prepping" is an extension of these normal preparations everyone already does. It is usually considered extreme due to the exposure it has garnered lately, being tied into ludicrous scenarios that grow more and more far fetched by the day. Those that use prepping to get ready for inevitable disasters or emergencies are "Preppers."

At TruePrepper, we are here to clear the air. Prepping is not about daydreaming on doomsday scenarios, it is about being ready for threats likely and unlikely that will be thrown your way. Prepping is about keeping yourself and your loved ones safe from harm and staying in control in unavoidable situations. Five steps can help you stay in control not only when SHTF, but in everyday scenarios as well:

Identify your Threats
Determine/Prioritize your Risks
Make a Plan
Develop a Kit
Train and Prepare

Identify your Threats
The first step is to take a look at all the threats we have identified on this website. Come back when you are done browsing, but it is quite a few! These are just threats we are making you aware of. Try to branch out and look at what your neighbors have experienced, conventional and unconventional. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

Is your neighborhood prone to burglaries? How often?
Do you live in a flood plain or where wildfires occur frequently?
Do you live near a nuclear plant or a fault line?
Do you live near a train that transports hazardous chemicals?
Does your neighbor feed bears for fun?

You probably have the idea by now, and we could go on for pages. Writing the threats down will help you remember them for the next steps. There are many threats to your well being that we have not listed on this page, or ranked with our TrueRisk risk analysis system (such as bear attacks). These can be categorized as 'common sense' threats or 'unknown' threats. Common sense threats are threats that are so prevalent, we hope you have already considered them. This includes the possibility of a fatal car wreck, developing a debilitating health issue, and losing your job and having financial hardship to name a few. Unknown threats are threats not conceivable, or we have such little information on them we cannot judge the risk accurately.
Determine and Prioritize your Risks
Determining your risk to the threats you have identified is often overlooked in the prepping community, but it is one of the cornerstones of preparedness. Conducting a risk analysis is very important for prioritizing how you spend your time and physical resources. A risk analysis is completed by comparing the impact of a threat with the frequency that you anticipate that threat to occur. If you determine your risk levels wrong, and then prioritize your preparations accordingly, you may end up looking foolish or even worse, not being around to look foolish. Recently I read a blog post on how a well known prepper lost their home in a house fire. While my condolences go out to them and their family (nobody was injured, thankfully), I couldn't help but wonder if they had prioritized properly. Years of stockpiled food stores, energy solutions, and survival gear lost to one of the most common personal disasters that can affect a family. Take a look at our TrueRisk index, where at TruePrepper we have conducted a general risk analysis for you that you can tailor to your need. You will notice that almost everyone needs to prepare for house fires and home invasions first and foremost. Risk analysis and prioritization is important.
Make a Prepper Plan
Your plan can be written or verbal, small or large, a single plan or multiple plans, but it has to be shared and practiced. You have identified the threats, decided which you need to address and in what priority. Start with the high priority threats and plan accordingly. Your plan should include in the very least communication information, safe locations depending on threat, and ways to avoid threats and be more safe. Talk with your family about your plans for various disasters, emergencies, and survival scenarios. Share with trusted friends and ask for critiques to identify weak points in your planning.
Develop a Prepper Kit
Your kit can be generic, such as a simple disaster/survival kit, or it can be custom tuned to all threats you anticipate using specialized kits. The kit guides on TruePrepper are meant to get you started on developing different kits based on your needs. Our gear reviews are here to flesh out your prepper arsenal based on our collective knowledge and experience with the gear we share. Be wary of some items targeted to preppers online and in stores, as it is not always "you get what you pay for."
Train and Prepare
Set a schedule to practice, evaluate, and revise your emergency plans- at least annually. How do you prepare for the threats besides practicing your plan? You can mitigate them before they happen. If you live in a flood plain, look into flood insurance. Stay fit. You will be surprised at how much that helps all aspects of your life- not just during emergencies. Be resourceful. Keep learning new things- never stop learning. Survival skills are not only a huge help in making yourself self-sufficient, they are pretty fun to learn too. Last of all, although it is serious business to prepare for what life brings your way, try to have fun with it. If you find you enjoy prepping, you are more likely to stick with it and transfer the importance of being prepared to people you interact with.

For more good prepping information like this visit the True Prepper.

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Sunday, September 23, 2018

Prepper Training Drills

During an emergency, it is easy to become indecisive. Unsure about what to do, people often freeze and do nothing. Such delays can be life threatening in some cases. But having rehearsed your plans makes executing them second nature.

http://www.primitiveskills.com/

It is good to have plans, but we must be able to execute them, and that requires practice. So what are some good training drills to practice? Anything that you have formal written plans for should be practiced. In addition to that, here are some suggested Training Drills:

Bug Out Time - there are Red Flag Warnings that it is bug out time, but will we recognize them and respond in a timely & sensible way?
SHTF Day One exercise - what do you do the first day you realize things are falling apart?
Home Invasion - Often there is no warning, requiring that you respond quickly and respond. Group Security Drills
Urban Survival Perspective

Urban Survival Plan
Country Home Security Plan
Home Invasion Response Plan
Pandemic Quarantine procedures - don't just let people come and join your group.
Shooting Skills - Target Practice, especially for beginners. A .22 Long Rifle or BB gun are the best for beginners and still fun for old timers.
Group Movement Exercises for your Security Team. How do you safely move from point A to point B when the SHTF?
Power Outage - practice being out of power for 1 day, 2 days, .... days. Its ok to leave your refrigerator and freezer running, but turn the breaker off for everything else and practice surviving without electricity.
Fishing Skills are essential to Wilderness Survival and should be practices frequently.
Survival Fishing
3 Odd Techniques for Primitive Fishing
How to catch your own live bait
Noodling
Camping - outdoor skills are essential. Camp out with the family and practice living off the land with only what you can carry in your Survival Back Pack.
First Aid practice is good. Take Red Cross CPR classes or other such training.

Beyond this, document and practice your own Prepper plans.

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Sunday, September 16, 2018

Sewer disposal when the SHTF

Here is a TEST for you. After this test, the importance of this topic will be obvious.

Go 7 days without toilet paper or flushing your toilet. How long before it is intolerable?

Or try to bring in water from a creek or swimming pool in a 5 gal pail for every toilet flush you do.

Now suppose that every time you go out for a pail of water, that your life is in danger from Looters.

Consider the rule: when it is brown, flush it down; if it is yellow, let it mellow.

For many, it may be difficult to imagine how dark and violent the world can become. City Survival could become dangerous, especially without a Neighborhood Watch Program.

But our focus here is on waste disposal, which is an often overlooked consideration. Imagine what the neighborhood will be like when everyone starts dumping their poop in different places. Is there a vacant lot, or empty space away from everyone and water sources for dumping waste? Perhaps a business dumpster, or even an abandoned business.

Burning some waste and burying the rest (got shovels?) in 8" deep catholes could be a solution, although the smoke from burning could draw undesirable attention to you, putting your life in danger especially if you don't have Security &/or Intruder Detection. Even if you detect intruders, do your people have Shooting Training, or even Gun Safety Training?

The US Department of Conservation offers the following:

Shallow holes for human waste

Dig a shallow hole for human waste; but not just any hole, anywhere. Choose an appropriate place to dig the hole.
How to do it:

Keep human waste well away from waterways. Dig shallow holes at least 50 m from water, tracks and campsites.
Select a site where other people are not likely to walk or camp, such as next to thick undergrowth or near fallen timber. If possible also dig your hole where it will receive plenty of sunlight. Heat from the sun helps decomposition.
Use a trowel to dig a hole 150 - 200 mm deep (about the length of the trowel blade) and 100 -150 mm wide. Deposit your solid human waste. Then back fill the hole with dirt and disguise it with leaf litter or other natural materials.
If camping in an area for more than one night, or if camping with a large group, agree on a single toilet place and dig a hole deep enough for the group for the length of your stay.

Toilet paper

If you have to use paper, use only plain, unbleached, non-perfumed types.
Use toilet paper sparingly.
Do not burn toilet paper, as this can result in wildfires. Bury paper in your shallow hole or carry it out with you in a plastic bag.
Try using natural materials such as bark or leaf vegetation (non-prickly!) or snow instead. Natural ‘toilet paper’ is as sanitary as processed toilet paper and blends back easily into the environment.

While a topic of debate, using human waste, a.k.a. bio solids or night soil for fertilizer, has been done for centuries. In the absence of commercial fertilizer (and pesticides), it may be necessary to use anything possible. Human urine is sterile and contains Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium which are essential plant nutrients.

Your Neighborhood Watch Program could help organize a safe, sanitary latrine location a minimum of 200 feet away from water, trails, and campsites, in organic soil. Your latrine should be about 12" deep and one foot long for each person that will be using it each day. Then as the first one foot is used, the waste is covered and then the next foot is used.

By the middle of the 1800's cities, life in big cities was hazardous to your health. The air was polluted, the streams were open sewers and the streets were covered in horse manure. This led to disease and the death of many people. We must manage waste to prevent this from reoccurring and a small amount of planning can help achieve this.

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Thursday, September 13, 2018

Hurricane Bug Out Bag

If you only have 5 minutes, be sure to grab these 6 things:

Warm rain coat and layered clothing
Heavy duty resealable water jug (full); preferably metal that can be used for boiling water in.
Pocket Knife
Bic Lighter - light candles or fire.
Concentrated, dried packaged foods, peanut butter
Bottle of bleach to purify water - 2 drops of bleach per liter of water. Let it sit 30 minutes.

If you have time to pack a Bug Out Bag, here are some suggestions.

Small tent
Survival blanket
Stainless steel bottle of water (2 liters)
Granola bars or MRE's
Fire tinder - cotton balls in petroleum jelly
Fire starter - 2 methods
Large fixed blade knife
Duct tape
High top water proof boots & extra socks.

Beyond this, look at the list of things that expert survivors take to live in the wild for long periods.

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Saturday, September 8, 2018

MeMaw's Goulash

This is an economical dish that is easy to make in about 45 minutes; another good addition to our Pioneer Recipe series.

Ingredients:
1 - pound Hamburger
2 - 14.5 oz cans of Stewed tomatoes (or frozen)
1 - cup white rice
2 - cups elbow macaroni
12 - cups of water
Salt & Pepper

Steps:

Brown Hamburger and drain thoroughly
Add Tomatoes and 12 cups of water, then bring to a rapid boil
Add rice and macaroni & stir
Cover and simmer on low fire for 20 minutes without opening the lid and do NOT stir
Open, stir, salt & pepper to taste then cook uncovered for 5 - 10 more minutes
Turn fire off, cover and let sit for 10 minutes