Facebook survivalists recommend these supplies for your bugout location

A bugout location, or BOL, is where you plan to go in case of a mass evacuation or panic, such as what follows an earthquake or tsunami. If you live in a city devastated by a natural or manmade disaster, you might wish to leave the city and head for the h ills. Maybe you have a hunting shack on 40 acres a couple hours away — this would be your bugout location. If you live in the country, you might prefer to hunker down at your home, in which case you want to be sure you have reserves to sustain you for several days or weeks without the need to restock. Learn more about bugging out.

The Facebook Survivalist group bugout location checklist

The Survivalist group on Facebook has over 1000 members, many of whom are experienced hobbyists in the area of survival skills or emergency preparation. It’s very well run by the admins (at this writing, the acting admins are Dan Peters and Noel Napolitan), and you’ll find a great deal of useful information relating to survival skills and self-reliance.

I asked them to post three items they would want to have at their bugout location. Nearly 50 responses later, here’s a list compiled from their suggestions. Some members posted multiple responses, so their lists are longer. Several people duplicated responses by others — I’ve left them in so you can judge their importance by how frequently they come up.

Not all suggestions will apply in every situation, but go through them and pick out what will work for you:

• spring water, rice and beans, firewood – SnoMan
• med kit, shovel, entertainment (board game, cards) – Pete Prepper [Note from SnoMan: I recently discovered a great game called Voltage. As I write this, it’s on sale for only 2.99 and eligible for free shipping from Amazon. It’s a very clever, innovative card game, and my family loves it!]
• firearms, cooking utensils, personal hygiene supplies – Arne O. Sanders
• ammo, fuel (gas or diesel), wheat/grains – Ray Stalnaker
• condoms, cooking gear, fishing gear – Nunofya Damnbiznus
• antibiotics, informational books, hygiene products, mountain bike, binoculars, two-way radios, night vision binoculars, maps of city sewer lines, drag sled, snow shoes, range finders, field dressings, buck lure, cast iron dutch oven and pans, gold and silver, quick clot - Thomas Gray [Note from SnoMan: Early versions of quickclot could cause burns. Try this version contained in a dressing instead. It’s still very effective, but won’t burn].
• bedding (cots, blankets, pillows), chairs, table, chemical toilet, all purpose toilet paper – Kenneth Bechtel
• salt, garlic, honey, chili and cornbread supplies, wine, fire already prepared to light – Aleta Wallace
• hunting rifle/ammo, fishing pole, BK2 Becker - Jack Brandt
• playing cards, garden seeds, coffee, maps (road, USGS, forest service) for surrounding areas, canning jars and lids, pressure and regular canner, biometric documents (birth certificate, passports, shot records), blank notebooks, pens and pencils – Fiona Ellen Grayson
• machete, axe, knife, and sharpening gear, food, cooking supplies, firestarting kit,compass, water, bandana, sleeping bag, tent, fleece wear, first aid, tools (knife, multitool, hatchet or machete, rope, twine, tarp, nails, zipties, personal toiletries (TP, biodegradable soap, wipes, nail file, nail clippers, baking soda, pak towels), slingshot, fishing gear, snares, 2×4 board, 1/2-inch washer, rubber hose – Dan Peters
• colloidal silver, blankets, light source – Clara Holdorph Brown
• gun/knife/tool cleaning supplies and maintenance items, including oil, sharpeners, rags – Mictch McKee
• hand crank can opener, iron skillet, bacitracin zinc – Clinton Pfarr

Thanks to all the group members who participated!

~SnoMan

Preparing for Natural Disasters

Crisis preparedness can account for scenarios across many realms, such as economic collapse, terror attacks, war, crime, or personal setbacks. But the one bedrock rationale for preparedness that proves valid year after year is natural disaster.

Earthquakes, spring floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms, tsunamis … even volcanic eruptions qualify as fairly regular natural events on the big blue marble we call home. These types of disasters average tens of thousands of lives lost yearly. And perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives otherwise impacted. Top Ten Natural Disasters.

If you choose to ignore the possibility that the fickle finger of fate could reach out and flick you, then you lose your bet. The odds are probably favorable that you will live a long, uneventful life. But I would wager that disaster and misfortune are common enough that you will know someone personally at some point—and perhaps many—who will have been seriously impacted by some disaster that could have been at least somewhat mitigated by foresight, planning, and prudent actions. Whether to gamble at all is your call.

Assess Your Personal Risks for Natural Disasters

Where do you live? In an earthquake-prone area? On the coast where hurricanes or tidal waves are possible? In the mid-section of the country where snowstorms or tornadoes are commonplace?

If winter weather is an issue where you live, it’s a common-enough situation that you probably know the drill and what it takes to endure.

Near fault lines and in earthquake zones, surviving a seismic event itself is potentially just half the battle. Strong seismic activity can seriously damage infrastructure such as highways, emergency response, communication, utilities such as natural gas, electrical, and water, and even supply lines for food and other necessities.

Large hurricanes also can impact areas in very much the same way, with flooding adding additional danger to the mix.

Tornadoes affect areas similarly, though in typically smaller geographic vicinities.

Volcanoes and tsunamis are more rare, but potentially are far more devastating and impactful, long-term.

How to Mitigate the Risks of Natural Disasters

You know what the risks are where you live. Hopefully your home and workplace are soundly engineered, positioned, and built to account for local dangers. If not, move. Or make changes. Fortify your home base structurally and with survival supplies. That’s basic common sense.

In the great white north, or in mountainous areas, drive an all-wheel drive vehicle, or at least a front-wheel drive vehicle—and do it with caution in poor driving conditions. Equip the vehicle with a winter-weather survival kit that includes food and blankets and a shovel, to mention just a few of the essentials. Outfit your home with a wood stove and a supply of wood that is dried, cut, and split. Power outages in the dead of winter can quickly become life-threatening, so an alternative heat source is important.

In tornado country, make sure you have a shelter or a basement that you and yours can retreat to at short notice.

For hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, there is usually enough warning that evacuation is the prudent step to take. Be ready for that with your necessities and key valuables accessible and ready to grab for a quick escape. A reliable vehicle and perhaps an RV or trailer are very desirable assets, as well as supplies that can sustain your family for lengthy periods of time that may be required to remain away from home.

Important Preps for All Natural Disasters

Emergency storage food, such as Mountain House freeze dried food (with very long shelf life) should be a foundation for natural disaster preparedness. Food that stores well without refrigeration, and that is easily prepared, is a tremendous resource to have on hand after a disaster. It’s hard to go wrong with good-quality storage food.

Water filtration and purification capabilities are another “must-have.”Katadyn or Berkey water filters are two examples of quality water filters that are proven in disaster situations. Purification tablets are another advisable level of water-treatment. If you can store pure drinking water in quantity, certainly do so, in approved water-storage containers. Keep the water sealed, in a cool, dark area. If you have access to a well, and you can power that well pump, you are blessed.

Keep handy any special medical supplies such as prescription medicine or other equipment necessary for a member of your family to remain healthy. Comprehensive first aid kits are of course also important to have on hand. Extra blankets (Columbia for example) in waterproof packaging, matches, Coleman portable cooking gear, Eureka tents, and self-defense gear are also nice to have and some are some of the best brands out there.

Back-up generators and fuel for the generators can be critical in some scenarios. If you are looking to have a generator hooked into your home’s circuits, have a licensed electrician install a transfer switch beforehand to make sure you can safely power what you intend to power.

First prepare then stay aware. You’ll be in good shape for dealing with natural disasters that can otherwise become more threatening than they would need to be.

Hardtack is nutritious, delicious, and stores easily

You’ve all heard of hardtack. It’s a great survival food, because it is very nutritious and tasty, and also keeps extremely well when stored in the proper conditions. We’ll show you how to make hardtack using a simple recipe, and show how to cook it to make a delicious survival food.

Hardtack is an ideal survival food

What makes a good survival food? Well, first off, you need to be able to store it for long periods of time without spoiling. Second, it needs to be nutritious. And third, it should taste good. Tasting good is not really a necessity, but it sure is nice if you end up living off the stuff for a long time.

Hardtack satisfies all three conditions. Once it’s dried thoroughly, it will keep for years, provided it stays dry and away from pests. Edit: The Minnesota Historical Society has a piece of Civil War hardtack in its collection. It’s over 150 years old, and perfectly edible. Watch this video. If you make it with natural, healthy ingredients, it’s very nutritious. And if you know how to prepare it, it tastes delicious. Because it is completely dehydrated, it is relatively light and easy to transport, but because it is so dense, it packs a lot of nutrition in a small package.

Hardtack history

Hardtack has actually been around since the time of Egyptian sailors, but you probably know it better from the Civil War period. During the war, 3×3 inch squares of hardtack were shipped to both the Union and Confederate armies, making a staple part of a soldier’s rations. Typically made 6 months beforehand, it was as hard as a rock when it actually got to the troops. To soften it, they usually soaked it in water or coffee. Not only would this soften it enough for eating, but any insect larvae in the bread would float to the top, allowing the soldiers to skim them out.

Simple hardtack recipe

You can make hardtack almost identical to what sailors, troops, and pioneers have been eating (minus the weevils!) by following this simple recipe:

4-5 cups of flour

2 cups of water

3 tsp. of salt

Mix the flour, water and salt together, and make sure the mixture is fairly dry. Then roll it out to about 1/2 inch thickness, and shape it into a rectangle. Cut it into 3×3 inch squares, and poke holes in both sides. Place on an un-greased cookie or baking sheet, and cook for 30 minutes per side at 375˚ (or 350˚ if you have a convection oven).

When it’s done, you’ll want to let it dry and harden for a few days, just out in the open. When it has the consistency of a brick, it’s fully cured. Then simply store it in an airtight container or bucket. To prepare for eating, soak it in water or milk for about 15 minutes, and then fry in a buttered skillet. You can eat it with cheese, soup or just plain with a little salt added. Any way you do it, it’s delicious!

The most important knots in the world

The bowline (rhymes with “colon”) is reputedly the most important knot in the world. It is listed in the Ashley Book of Knots. The bowline is sometimes called the King of Knots because it has the best qualities of knots — ease of tying and untying. If ever you’re in a crevasse or deep water and someone throws you a lifeline, the bowline is the one knot you need to know. It is The Rolling Hitch is grossly underestimated in its survival skills value. Knowing this knot speeds up some of the most frequently-encountered survival activities, like preparing a shelter or securing gear.

The bowline knot is a lifeline

To haul you out of the water or any other predicament, your life saving knot needs to be easy to tie, and it should not slip. That is, it needs to form a loop around your body that will not cinch down and suffocate you while you’re pulled out, with your entire body weight on the knot. The bowline is perfect for this, and you need to know the quick and easy way to tie it.

Most videos on the Internet show you how to tie the bowline using the old “rabbit hole and tree” thing, but you need to know how to tie it the way sailors do. There’s a reason sailors tie the bowline the way I demonstrate in this video, and that reason is…. real life. When you’re actually living out real life and you have to tie the bowline, this is the way you do it. It’s fast, easy, and effective in every way that matters to you.

Sure, if you’re trying to teach someone how to tie the bowline, it’s easier to teach them using the rabbit hole and tree method. But if you’re using the bowline, you’re better off knowing how to tie it the way it’s shown here.

The “real” way to tie the bowline is the way sailors actually do it on the job. I know because I used to work on a shrimp boat, and we tied bowlines more than any other knot. It is structurally identical to the Sheet Bend. The only difference is that the Sheet Bend joins two ropes, and the Bowline forms a loop in a single rope.

The rolling hitch secures cover

I most often use the rolling hitch to secure a tarp, hang a hammock, or draw a tautline for a shelter (in fact, it is also called the tautline hitch). It’s the perfect way to pull a line tight between two object. For example, if I need to pull a line between two trees and hang a tarp over it to form an A-frame shelter, the rolling hitch is the knot I’ll use to pull and hold the line taut. Also, if I need to secure a load in my pickup truck, I’ll use the rolling hitch. When I arrive at my destination, I can easily loosen the line and release the load without cutting — and wasting — a single inch of rope or paracord. (I often mention paracord because it really is the best kind of rope or line to have in a survival situation. Be sure to get the “550″ kind that is actually mil-spec. It matters).

Use the Anchor Hitch (or Bend) to tie your rope off at one end

If you want to secure your rope to a branch, use the anchor bend, shown in the video below, which also illustrates how easy it is to tighten and loosen a load with the rolling hitch:

~SnoMan

Show your Glowpak, Paqlite, or Tooblite in Action

Enter your picture to win a $100 gift card from iCard Giftcard, SNO’s first corporate sponsor. Second prize is an autographed copy of The Truth About Liberty (a $25 value). Third prize is a free Tooblite Mini. Entries will be posted on our Pinterest board.

Deadline for submissions is March 15, 2012.

We want to see your Glowpak, Paqlite, or Tooblite in action. The Glowpak is the SNO Gear brand of the Paqlite, and is manufactured by the same people. So whether you purchased a Glowpak or a Paqlite, your photo qualifies for the contest! Take a photo and send it using the contact form below.

Contest Rules

1. Photos must be from 400 to 680 pixels wide and no taller than 680 pixels
2. File type must be jpg or gif
3. Maximum file size is 500k
4. They may show your Glowpak or Tooblite in any situation or lighting. Be creative!
5. You may submit up to three photos for consideration
6. Photos may be edited or “photoshopped” however you like
7. Photos will be judged for composition, creativity, imaginative product use, and suitability for the SNO audience
8. No nudity or sexual innuendo — this is a family-friendly blog!
9. All submissions are governed by the Terms of Use and become the property of Survival News Online
10. Survival News Online will be the sole judge for the contest, and prizes will be awarded in its sole and exclusive discretion
11. Employees, affiliates, sponsors, or principals of SNO Multimedia, SNO Holdings, LLC, UV Paqlite, and Brightline Holdings, LLC, are ineligible

Submit your photos using this form

Examples

Of course, you can do better than these!

Survival kit in a rigid, waterproof, floating case from S3 Cases

If done right, a survival kit is one of the easiest ways to make sure you’re prepared for an unexpected over-nighter in the wild. Properly designing, stocking, and maintaining your survival kit is not only good insurance against the unexpected, it’s also fun for the whole family, and it teaches the kids — in a fun way — basic principles like self-reliance and responsibility.

Watch the video to see what’s in my kit:

Essential contents of a good survival kit

At the very least, your survival kit should provide you the means to make fire and to communicate over long distances. If stealth is not necessary, your kit should be a bright yellow or hazard-orange. If you need to be more discreet, you should go with a dark color. The problem then is that you’ll be more liable to lose the kit. You can reduce this risk the way I’ve done — attach a Tooblite Mini glow-in-the-dark light stick. It uses no bulbs or batteries, and it lasts forever, recharging by exposure to any bright light.

The very most convenient fire-starter is a butane lighter, but it’s bulky in a small case and it can discharge without your knowing it. So you should have matches or a striker, dry tinder to take a spark, and a whistle. A whistle carries a lot farther than your voice, never mind the fact that you could make yourself hoarse calling when no one is around, and then find yourself mute when help is near. With a whistle, all you have to do is blow.

A signal mirror is good for very long distances and noisy environments, but it will only work if you have direct sunlight, or maybe a light haze. In the dark, or trapped in a cave or crevasse, you’d rather have a whistle. But if a plane or helicopter is searching for you, you’d rather have a signal mirror. Fortunately, Rescue Flash makes a signal mirror so tiny you can carry both, even in a very small case like the model T1000 from S3 Cases. I actually keep the T2000 in my EDC bag, but for the purposes of this article I’m experimenting with a smaller kit that will fit in a pocket.

The T1000 is light, rigid, waterproof, and buoyant. The rigidity is important because it helps prevent crushing the contents. (Be sure not to pack your kit too tight — you might break something inside, like your matches).

Survival kit packing list

There are as many survival kits as there are survivors, but here’s a list of recommended contents for your survival kit:

• sparker
• waterproof strike-anywhere matches. (Note: the matches linked here are not waterproof. I waterproofed them by painting them with clear nail polish).
• cotton tinder to take the spark
• liquid-filled compass
• sterile surgical steel blade
• mini signal mirror
• pencil and paper (e.g. taking notes about the terrain or calculating river crossing distances)
• flat magnifier
• 15 feet (4 meters) paracord (get the mil-spec 550 stuff — it really does matter!) Note: This is a link to a 1000′ spool of paracord. It’s the best value I can find, and if you’re like me, you’ll use every inch of it. It is tremendously useful, and an absolutely essential part of your preps, so buy 1000 feet of it!
• whistle This is an outstanding whistle. It’s flat-ish, very loud, and has a trill that helps the sound carry very long distances.
• razor blade. This is the razor I wish I had in my kit
• mini hacksaw. You can just cut off a piece of hacksaw blade to fit your kit
• snare wire
• nylon
• needle
• fish hooks and sinkers
• safety pins
• 6-inch strip of duct tape
• jungle-training cards (optional)
• Tooblite Mini — this helps you mark the case in the dark, and provides light for finding or examining the contents of your kit.

The more we learn from each other, the better off we all are, so please, share your kit contents by commenting below, or sending pictures or even a video link via the contact form.

~SnoMan

SnoMan responds to reader questions and comments

Reader: First off – thanks so much for making a resource like this available. After seeing one of your YouTube videos and then your website, I became convicted that I wasn’t doing enough to:

a.) be prepared myself

b.) more importantly, be prepared for my family

c.) also be prepared to help others

I’m working on changing all that. I’ve started on the Top 10 list you’ve provided, and digging into a DCB and BOB.

Here’s my question: in one of your vids you have a custom machine gun you demonstrate with two receivers, one of which is a .22 suppressed.

I’m very interested in that setup, and was wondering if you could point me in the direction of where you got it, how much you paid for it, etc.

From what I’ve seen, machine guns tend to be extremely expensive.

I’ve forwarded your site to a number of my friends and will be encouraging them to start digging in with this too.

One thing I really want to do this year is put together a trip where our families can go out and camp and also learn about survival, etc. I’ve not seen it yet (and I’ll keep looking), but would be very cool if you did a video on how to plan a good family camping trip to both have fun and learn about survival… or maybe a series where you show how to bring a family from knowing virtually nothing about survival to being able to make it should something happen… just an idea.

Thanks again for your site – and thanks for not being ashamed to state your associated views and witness.

Respectfully,

….

SnoMan responds: Thank you for supporting this site by sharing it. As I’ve said, when you’re prepared, it helps everyone, not just yourself. That’s why I resist policies that discourage preparedness, like hoarding laws, price gouging regulations, and prohibitions on rainwater collection. Those laws are morally indefensible and unenforceable anyway — we all have a moral obligation to provide for ourselves and our families, no matter what a bureaucrat says.

All civilian machineguns have to be registered, but no machinegun made after May 19, 1986 can be registered. That’s the result of the unconstitutional Hughes Amendment to the unconstitutional Firearm Owner’s Protection Act of 1986, which is a revision of the unconstitutional Gun Control Act of 1968. The upshot is that since 1986, the universe of machineguns available to civilians has been frozen, which in the face of steady demand causes an increase in price. In a free market, the gun you saw here should sell for no more than $2500 to $3000, which all the accessories — as it is, you probably won’t find it for less than $15,000.

There’s a number of Class III websites on the internet where you can find machineguns for sale:

• Autoweapons
• Impact Guns
• Gunbroker

Of course, the best way to find out how to get a fully automatic gun is to contact your friendly neighborhood Class III firearms dealer.

Your idea of a family camping/survival week is a good one. I encourage everyone to do something similar. It’s a good idea to get two or three or even more families together to share the experience. At first you might be pooling ignorance, but experience is a great taskmaster. You might try it with just the adults and older kids at first. Leave the tots at home until you know what you’re doing.

Reader: I stumbled upon your website, innocently enough, through the myriads of youtube.  I was wondering about FNP 45 compatibles suppressors and lo-and-behold, the SNOman.  A videos and clicks later I was summarily impressed with the depth and familiarity and simple fun with which you presented your topics.  I’m definitely sold on the paklite as a product but more so your enthusiastic review of it.  Pending my own personal playtime with the three pack I ordered they may be going down range to my brother Marines in Afghanistan.

So simply this message was to let you know I’m a fan of your work.  Outdoors, guns, gear, and providing: what every red blooded American man should know.

G-d Bless.

SnoMan responds: You’ll love the Paqlites! Now about red-blooded Americans: During the last year I’ve noticed a small increase in the share of younger men in my audience, but 55% are still 45 and older, and only 10% are 13-25. What that means is that interest in survival skills is not high enough among the most helpless (clueless?) people in our society. I’m very grateful for your interest, and if you spread it among your brother Marines, it will help everyone be a little better prepared. Bless you for your service — Semper Fi!

Reader: Hey Snoman First thanks for all you do!

I would like to ask what you think is the best all around survival/self defense rifle to be had?  Something lightweight, reliable, durable and do you think that the .308 (7.62 nato) is too much punch for this sort of weapon.  Looking for something in a WROL situation but that can also be used to drop deer sized game and below for the survival side of things.

I was thinking of an AR15 or 10 in .308 but I am concerned about over penetration at closer ranges.  I will howver have an 870 MCS for close range and an XD 9mm as the side arm.  So I am looking for the rifle now.  Any assistance or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

SnoMan responds: My favorite rifle for a self-defense and hunting combination is the AR15. I have a Colt 6940 set up as a mid-range sniper with a NightForce scope, an Atlas V8 bipod, a Magpul stock and grip, and a superb trigger. You can see it here. With this gun I could hunt any North American game to 500 yards (and a better shooter could go farther), and yet I could have it optimized for close tactical applications in about five minutes. It’s not that I think 7.62 is too much, it’s just that 5.56 is such a good crossover. Yes, I prefer 7.62 for very long range sniping, and yes, it’s stronger. But 5.56 is lighter and cheaper, so I can carry more with me, and I can practice more for the same money.

A reader sent this fascinating article about the right to resist unlawful arrest and detention.

Simple method for smoking salt cured pork

Wood smoking is a time-tested way to preserve meat. Properly cured meat will keep for years; smoking it imparts flavor and some additional protection from pests and spoilage. In this article I’ll describe how I made salt-cured pork side meat and show you how I smoked it to make homemade bacon. The results far exceeded my expectations, which were already quite high.

There are other methods of food preservation, and you should use them all for redundancy. These include canning, freezing, and jerking. One of the great advantages of smoke curing is that it can be done very easily with very little in the way of materials or technology.

What you’ll need to salt-cure the bacon

I slaughtered a 380-lb hog and had about 130 lbs of hams, shoulders, and side meat to cure, so I mixed up a large batch of seasoning. You’ll need to adjust your quantities depending on how much meat you’re curing. For every 100 lbs of meat I used:

• 8 lbs salt
• 2 oz saltpeter (potassium nitrate) — some recipes call for up to 3.5 oz per 100 lbs, so you should confirm this.

That’s it. I didn’t use any sugar, but if you choose to, it will help counter the harshness of the salt. Just add 3 lbs of sugar to the cure. Rub the cure thoroughly on all exposed surfaces of your side meat. To make bacon I cure the side meat for 7 days per inch of thickness. I turn them over and give them a second rub with a little more salt halfway through. These are approximate times; the warmer it is, the quicker the salt permeates the meat, and for every day the temperature drops below freezing I add a day to the cure, unless the highs were above, say 50 degrees or so.

I know this sounds sort of nebulous, but I don’t have a controlled environment in which to do my cures, like a meat locker. I have to live with the weather and adjust the times based on my experience. We had a ridiculously warm period right after I slaughtered the hog. Butchering day was well into the 60s, which made for some hectic preparation. We had to work with ice, coolers, and many trips between the freezer and the prep table outside. I would much rather have had temperatures in the 30s.

Be warned that you’re not supposed to cure your product in temperatures above 40 degrees. Our exceeded that every day and turned out fine, but you really need a meat locker.

After the meat is cured, rub off the salt under running water, let it dry, and then optionally give it a heavy coat of pepper.

Trivia: For hams I figure a day-and-a-half per pound. For a corned shoulder I figure half of that, and then I freeze them.

Smoking the bacon

I like a light smoke, if any. I use salt pork for a number of things in addition to making fried bacon strips. These include seasoning beans, chili, and stews, and for these I prefer cured pork that hasn’t been smoke. I even like the breakfast bacon to have a very mild smoke; every one I’ve ever bought was too smoky for my taste. So for me, smoking my own salt pork is the way to go.

Keep it very simple. I have an old block well house on the property, and I stripped out the equipment to make room for smoking. To hang the meat, I drove nails in the rafters. The smoke is provided quite simply by building a small fire on the floor, building up a small bed of coals, and slowly feeding green aromatic smokewoods to the fire.

This is a cold-smoke process; it will not cook the meat. In fact, when I started this we were hit with the coldest weather of the season and the temperature in the smokehouse never exceeded about 50 degrees.

Ideally, you should keep the smoke going constantly and get it over with, but if it goes out, just restart it. For a light smoke like mine, give it about 10-20 hours of smoke, depending how thick a smoke you’re able to contain in the smokehouse.

Woods for smoking meat

The following woods are all acceptable choices:

• Hickory
• Mesquite
• Fruit woods such as apple, cherry, pear, and crabapple are my favorite choices. I’ve never tried citrus.
• Oak is a tolerable choice, but it can be very tannic and impart an acrid taste. I used oak as the fire base and it turned out fine, but again, I did a light smoke. If you prefer a richer smoke you would have doubled the smoke time that I used, and it might have turned out harsh.

Woods to avoid when smoking meat

I’m sure there are many others you should avoid, but these are some that I know are especially nasty:

• All conifers
• Crape Myrtle
• Hackberry
• Sycamore
• Holly

What to expect

It’s easy to check the meat — use the nose. Just take a piece off the nail and smell it. You should do this outside the smokehouse, though, so you’re sure to smell the smokiness of the meat itself, and not of the environment.

This takes practice, but it’s a valuable survival skill. It’s the kind of thing that can greatly improve your quality of life in the Zombie Apocalypse.

~SnoMan

Chemical lights with no chemical

I’ve been investigating emergency lighting options for some time, and recently I found a really good one in my mailbox. The geniuses at UVPaqlite sent me two glow-in-the-dark items — a pad and a tube. These amazing emergency lights use no batteries, glow all night, and are reusable for a lifetime. Try that with candles, oil lamps, or flashlights. In this video we review the 6 x 8 Paqlite and the 6-inch Tooblite, but there are many other models available. These are definitely a new addition to my everyday carry bag and my bugout bag.

These lights fall in the category of glow light products, but unlike chemical glow sticks like Cyalume, which glow a few hours and then are discarded, these glow lights are reusable indefinitely. Now, the chemlights glow brighter and have their uses — I have two in my EDC bag. But the reusable glow lights are an essential backup.

Because of the interest created by the first video below, we are now selling the Paqlite as the GlowPak in the new online SNO Gear Shop. The first video demonstrates the GlowPak and the Tooblite. The second video gives details about the introductory sale. Note: The manufacturer is no longer offering the 2-for-1 medium GlowPak, but I negotiated a special limited-time deal so you can get a free Tooblite Mini with every medium GlowPak you buy.

Traditional emergency lighting options

If the power goes off, or if you need to light your tent, you’ve had a number of options, but they all had some sort of expiration date. Now, I’m not knocking these — they all have a use, and I use them all.

• Candles — a single candle will light a large room well enough to avoid collisions, and at close range will provide enough light to read by. Of course, they burn up, and then they’re gone.
• Lamps — whether it’s a commercial lamp using petroleum-based oil or a homemade lamp using vegetable oil, they will provide about the same light as a candle, but they both consume fuel and eventually run out.
• Flashlights — I’ve been researching low-output LED lights for some time. You’ve seen the little key-chain lights. Some are bright, like the Pulsar II from Princeton Tec, and last only 12 hours. Some are much dimmer but last longer. I bought a 10-pack of these Mini Micro LEDs from Amazon for under $6, and tested one for an incredible 5 days of continuous operation before it was too dim to read by. If you’re camping, you might use it about 30 minutes a day, which is 240 days of use before you have to change the battery. (Get a pack!) But still, I’ve been looking for one that’s ultra-low-output and hoping it would run for as long as 30 days, which would be about 3 years of daily use for 30 minutes a day. So far, no luck. If you know of one, please let me know. All flashlights require new batteries at some point, so if you run out of batteries, you’re in the dark.
• Chemical lights — the higher quality chemical glow-sticks like the Cyalume burn a lot brighter than the Tooblite, but only for a few hours, and then it’s done forever.

The new GlowPak and Tooblite glow in the dark lights

These amazing devices use the same kind of glow-in-the-dark technology that light your watch dials. They reactivate with any light, so you can hang it outside your tent during the day, or just shine a flashlight on it for a few seconds, and it returns hours of light. Now, granted, it’s fairly dim, but for a couple of hours after dark, it’s bright enough to light up the entire tent with a glow that distinctly illuminates any potential hazards like shoes, empty dishes, or sleeping spouses. You don’t want to step on those.

The light keeps on coming all night. Right before dawn you’ll find it’s still bright enough to help you find the tent-flap zipper, your house slippers, or your glasses on the nightstand.

Top: Surefire Lumamax; Bottom Left - a nameless LED light that will burn for 5 days; Bottom Right - the Princeton Tec Pulsar II is very bright and lasts 12 hours

UV Paqlite and Tooblite

GlowPak and Tooblite advantages

• No bulbs
• No batteries
• Reusable forever
• Works under water
• Non-toxic
• No chemical activation
• Easily stowed
• Lightweight
• Dozens of uses (lighting, signaling, trail marking….)

You get two 6 x 8 GlowPaks for $16.50, and the 6-inch Tooblite retails for $6.50. If you compare that to the cost of a flashlight and the batteries it will use over its lifetime, that’s some really cheap lighting.

~SnoMan

The advantages of a sound suppressor in survival situations

In a post-meltdown survival situation, the use of sound suppressors or gun “silencers” will offer several advantages for hunters and territorial defenders. In this article we will examine two popular suppressors by Yankee Hill Machine and do a noise comparison. Although the technical name of these devices is sound suppressor, the term silencer, while inaccurate, is still used in the US code and regulations, and in common parlance among many competitive and recreational shooters. Nomenclature snobs be warned: I’ll use the terms suppressor and silencer interchangeably.

As far as I know, it is illegal in every state to hunt with a silencer, ostensibly because it makes it easier to poach. Even if you’re not poaching, it’s still illegal. I think it’s silly, but I comply and I’m not recommending to anyone that they break the law. That said, in a life or death survival situation, a silencer definitely gives the hunter or territorial defender some advantages:

• First, by suppressing the sound of the blast, it reduces the area in which game and hostile persons will be alerted to his presence. For the hunter, this significantly increases the ROI of energy expenditure, as he has to travel lesser distances to find game. Over a long winter, this could well mean the difference between survival and starvation.
• Second, by suppressing the blast, it makes it more difficult to localize the shooter. While the sonic crack of the flying bullet is not suppressed, it is not a localized event, but a more generalized sound that does not offer pinpoint data about the shooter’s position. (The sonic crack is just a miniature sonic “boom,” whose sound is perceived in relation to the observer’s location in the bullet’s mach cone angle, which varies by the bullet’s shape, velocity, and height above the observer, not in relation to the bullet’s point of origin. That’s a lot of variables, and the point is, the sonic crack of the bullet doesn’t give the observer much useful information about its point of origin. If you’d like to drill deep into the physics of the mach cone, read about the Prandtl-Meyer Expansion Fan). It’s not perfect — there is still an audible blast, and even the mechanical signature of the gun is detectable for some distances, sometimes great distances, as when shooting near a body of water.
• Third, the silencer is an extremely effective flash suppressor, which allows the shooter to operate in twilight or dark conditions without revealing his position.
• And finally… the first three advantages are tactical; this one is practical and applies in any situation. The simple fact of reducing noise helps prevent hearing damage and abates possible nuisance to neighbors who don’t like to hear frequent gunshots.

Silencers are class III items under the National Firearms Act, so they have to be registered with the federal government. Registration costs $200 per silencer, and must be administered by a properly licensed firearms dealer. If you want one, find your friendly neighborhood class III dealer and get started soon because it can take several months for the paperwork to clear.

If there’s any disadvantage to using a silencer, it’s that it creates a lot of blowback. Eye protection is good practice any time you shoot, but with a silencer it’s mandatory. Blowback is especially bad when shooting a suppressed semi-auto rifle because your face is so close to the firing mechanism, and your eyes get a concentrated dose of blast gases. You can hold your breath and avoid breathing the noxious fumes, but you can’t really close your eyes while shooting, can you? After a few magazines my face looks peppered with oil and dust, and my glasses have to be cleaned.

Sound suppressor comparison video

In this video we compare the sound of a .223 caliber round shot through a suppressed and unsuppressed Colt 5.56 Carbine. Using the same gun, we also compare the sound of a .22 LR round shot with and without the Phantom suppressor. The CMMG .22 conversion kit replaces the firing bolt and allows the use of .22 LR in an AR 15. With the suppressor mounted, the conversion kit failed to feed, and I was only able to demonstrate single shots. I haven’t yet determined what was causing the FTFs.

You can also see the dramatic effect of the Mite on the Walther P22. Because the .22 round is subsonic when fired from the P22, the amount of suppression is remarkable, even without water.

Examining the Yankee Hill Machine Phantom 5.56

Here we have a YHM Phantom for the 5.56 mm round. As you probably know, 5.56 is the same diameter as .223 caliber, and can be used with either round. It can also be mounted on a .22 rifle or, as I did here, on an AR 15 with a .22 conversion kit. This allows you to shoot .22 cartridges from your AR 15. In our demonstration, the Phantom was mounted on a Colt 5.56 Carbine with the QD mount/flash hider.

The Phantom has some very appealing design features. This particular model comes with a QD (quick detach) mount that allows rapid attachment and detachment from the barrel (some models are threaded directly to the barrel of the gun). The QD mount doubles as an effective flash hider when the sound suppressor is not mounted. When mounted, a gas seal keeps the threads clean so they won’t bind, making it much easier to remove the suppressor by hand. The flash hider is not merely a convenience — it is designed to support the suppressor on two concentric thread coils. This important safety feature helps keep the suppressor on axis even if not fully tightened, which helps avoid dangerous and expensive baffle strikes.

The YHM Phantom weighs 20 ounces

This well-used Phantom QD mount shows some spalling on the flash hider, but a gas seal keeps the mounting threads clean and in good shape

The suppressor was mounted on a Colt 5.56 Carbine with Nightforce scope, Atlas V8 bipod, and Magpul ACS stock

The QD mount for the Phantom has two points of attachment to help keep it on axis even if not completely tightened

YHM QD Phantom 5.56 Specifications

• Caliber — .223 cal/5.56 mm
• Length — 6.875 in
• Diameter — 1.500 in
• Weight — 20 oz
• Suppression Level — -35 dB
• Material — Chrome moly steel and heat treated Inconel 718
• Finish — Matte Black
• Retail cost — $565 (plus the $200 federal registration fee)

The YHM .22 Mite

One of the most interesting aspects of the Mite is that it can be disassembled for cleaning, and comes with a disassembly tool for easy service. The small diameter of this silencer allows the use of stock sights, in most cases — some other silencers are so big around that you have to mount raised sights in order to see over the can. This can weighs in at under 3 ounces; amazing considering what it delivers in terms of sound suppression.

Comparing the sizes of the Phantom and the Mite. The Phantom weighs 7 times as much as the Mite

The Mite was mounted on a Walther P22

The Mite mounts on a threaded barrel attachment

Don’t let Hollywood set your expectations, but depending on caliber, pistol silencers can have a remarkable effect. If you shoot a .45 or a .22 pistol, both of which are subsonic, the amount of sound suppression is truly impressive because there’s no sonic crack of the bullet to spoil the effect. In fact, you’ll find the gun’s mechanical cycling clearly audible. This is not to say that your gun will sound like the Hollywood “dzip” or “phut,” but I can shoot the Mite all day without hearing protection, and I really think my little girl is louder when she greets me after work.

YHM .22 Mite Specifications

• Caliber — .22
• Length — 5.300 Inches
• Diameter — 1.00 Inches
• Weight — 2.9 Ounces
• Suppression Level — -35 to -40 dB Depending on Host Firearm
• Material — Aircraft Quality Aluminum and Stainless Steel
• Finish — Matte Black Hardcoat
• Method of Attachment — 1/2″-28 Threads
• Retail cost — $283 (plus the $200 federal registration fee)

Using water to improve sound suppression

Sound suppression is enhanced by the use of water in the can. By vaporizing and atomizing, water absorbs energy that would otherwise go into blast noise and flash. Grease and oil can also be used, but water is much more effective because it has a much higher specific heat. In other words, for a given mass, it takes a lot more heat to raise the temperature of water than it does oil or grease, so a gram of water will attenuate more energy than a gram of oil or grease. Another disadvantage is that grease and oil are messier than water, which is already bad enough. Water-based gels are also effective, but care must be taken to clear the bore before firing, or dangerously high pressures may develop.

I don’t recommend the use of water, gels, oil, or grease in rifle suppressors because the pressures involved are so much greater, and I’d be concerned that it might damage the suppressor, creating a potentially dangerous situation for the next shot. In any event, there’s so much energy in rifle shots that wet suppressors are only effective for one or two shots at a time.

OPSEC and suppressor registration

I concede that registering your suppressor is incompatible with operational security. Any time the state decides to confiscate suppressors, it will know you have yours, as you can’t legally transfer it without registering the transfer. But it is conceivable that in a post-meltdown scenario, individual liberties might actually improve, and that the state would refrain from confiscating guns and NFA items like suppressors. In that case, you’ll be able to reap the logistical and tactical benefits of owning a silencer.

And if that’s not the case, and you lose your suppressor, at least you will have had some fun with it.

~ SnoMan