I love my kids. The energy they bring to our home, the warm embraces I receive every morning when they wake, and the joy of watching them learn and grow. All of these things make life beautiful.

I want them to grow up knowing the Lord, following God, valuing life, to be handy with a shovel, able to use a tractor … and a crack shot with a rifle. I desire them to be able to hunt game, dispatch a rabid coyote, and be able to drop a sexual predator with a well-aimed barrage of gunfire. In short, I want my kids to learn not only how to handle a firearm, but to respect that firearm and the responsibility that goes with it, and shoot extremely well.

Safety

As a firearm instructor, my top concern on the range is safety. This has to be our first step as a parent when it comes to how to teach a child to shoot and handle guns. Every child needs to be taught to respect a firearm. They also need to be taught that a firearm in an inanimate object, and it is only dangerous if in the hands of a dangerous or evil user. My wife and I know a woman who was raised by her parents to fear guns. To this day she is deathly afraid of the sight of a rifle, shotgun or pistol. This should never be our goal as a parent.

Teach your young children to never touch a firearm, except with Mommy or Daddy’s permission. My 5 year old is allowed to handle a firearm unloaded. I am already instilling in her little mind that her finger never touches the trigger until she is ready to shoot, and to keep the muzzle pointed in the safest direction possible. I am always right there when she handles it, and it is always unloaded unless she is firing at a target with my help. Our firearms remain locked up.

Christian Heroes For Christian Kids: This New Project Is Putting God Back Into History!

Our goal should be to see our children become confident, yet not cocky. Respectful, and not fearful. I want to raise my children in such a way that if they were to come across a firearm at a friend’s house someday left out and loaded, my child could safe that weapon — meaning he or she can determine safely if it was loaded or not, and unload and safe the firearm if needed.

I have an example here in my own life. As a teenager, I once came across a potentially dangerous situation at the home of a farmer I knew. I used to hunt and work his property part-time. During deer season one year, the farmer who never practiced the best firearm safety had gone into town with his son. They left a few rifles and shotguns in a common building on the farm fully loaded.  One of their shotguns, a Browning Auto-5, had a round in the chamber, and four more in the tube magazine. The muzzle of the shotgun was completely full of hardened mud and pebbles.

I was aghast at the sight. Growing up as a hunter and around firearms, I knew my way around them extremely well. I grabbed that shotgun before some of the other part-time employees who were a wee bit reckless came to work. I unloaded the shotgun, and then proceeded to unload the other firearms, a Remington 700 and a Mosin M1991/30. The shotgun with the plugged barrel sure made me feel uneasy, so I raced over to the tool shed, retrieved a cleaning rod and gun oil and gave the barrel a thorough cleaning. By the time the other knuckleheads arrived to work, I had stored the guns in a safe place out of their sight and told my boss. He shrugged as I handed him the ammunition I retrieved, but I knew deep down I did the right thing.

That is how you want to raise your kids to behave around a firearm.

Shooting a Firearm

Never start your kids on a high-powered rifle. I have seen so many idiots — and idiots is too kind a word — hand a youngster a .12 gauge or .30-06 for their first time shooting. When the kid is naturally bruised or knocked on his rear, the adult explodes in rip-roaring laughter. I honestly want to grab the firearm and wrap the barrel around the adult’s neck when I see this.

We should desire to see our kids grow up to love shooting, hunting and the outdoor sports. The first time out should be with light cartridges and small guns. Even a BB gun is great. A .22 is terrific for youngsters. Get them comfortable shooting, and then work on accuracy.

A .22 bolt action is the best tool to teach a child how to shoot. I never let a youngster use a scoped rifle unless they really need one. Start with iron sights and build confidence. Gently teach, and encourage your child. However, be strict with firearm safety. You must never waiver with a stern hand when it comes to safety.

Also, never let your child handle a firearm that they are not capable of handling.  Many of us can remember last year when a firearms instructor in Arizona let a little girl handle a UZI submachine gun with tragic consequences. Let’s not let that happen. Start slow.

If they are going to start deer hunting, why not a light kicker like a .223, which contrary to many armchair gun expert’s opinion, has dropped plenty of deer. If you must go heavier, think a .243 or .7mm-08. A .30-30 can do fine for an older child.

As your child gains confidence, feel free to teach them how to handle larger chamberings. I strongly suggest waiting to introduce the shotgun until they are comfortable enough to handle recoil. I have found many larger 8 and 9 year olds are ready for a youth .20 gauge and turkey hunting.

Stay safe, and God bless!

What advice would you add on teaching a child to shoot? Share it in the section below:

Recommended:

How To Raise A Child Who Loves Hunting

Learn How To ‘Live Off The Land’ With Just Your Gun. Read More Here.

The post The Right Way To Teach A Child To Shoot appeared first on Off The Grid News.

Have you ever wanted to make your own survival ration bars? Like the ones they sell in stores but homemade so you know what’s in them. Well, I got together with a few friends to make some homemade survival ration bars and here’s how it turned out. Make sure to read through the comments when you’re done for some suggestions on making them better!

Apparently, there are a couple of different recipes out there for these bars, we just used one I had been given by a food storage lady. This was really an interesting experiment because there were 6 of us making these survival bread loaves, and of course, they turned out 6 different ways. We’ll discuss what happened as we go through the directions.

Homemade Ration Bars | A Step-By-Step Tutorial

 

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups of oats
• 2 1/2 cups of powdered milk
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 TB of honey
• 1 3-oz package jello (orange or lemon)
• 3 TB of water

 

Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients

Mix the oats, powdered milk, and sugar together in a bowl: A couple of us used regular oats, a couple used quick oats. I really don’t think it matters which you use–whatever you have on hand is fine.

Step 2: Boil Water, Jello, and Honey

In a medium pan mix water, jello, and honey. Bring to a boil. This is just the 3 TB water called for, not the cup of water you’d usually use when making jello. We found that a rolling boil was better than just beginning to boil for the mixing step. The recipe I had specifically called for lemon or orange jello, but we didn’t know why that would be, so we made some with raspberry and watermelon jello also. After we tasted them, we figured the lemon or orange were specified due to the high amount of sugar in this recipe! The loaves made with sweet jello flavors were REALLY sweet when they were done!

No products found.

Watch this interesting video by Steve1989MREInfo and watch him eat the oldest ever recorded chocolate, and biscuits:



Ration bars are essential in survival situations. When you start to run out of food inside the house or anywhere that lacks access to food, these bars will save your life. Knowing at least one emergency ration bar recipe is a fundamental survival skill. Try this simple recipe and start adding ration bars in your emergency food storage.

Do you have any other ration bars recipe you want to share? Let us know in the comments section below!

Up Next: 10 Survival Foods That Are Great During Short-Term Disasters

 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 21, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

Tourists that visit the Colosseum in Rome these days are getting quite a shock.  A gigantic statue of a pagan Canaanite deity known as “Molech” has been erected right at the entrance.  In ancient times, those that served Molech would literally sacrifice their children to him, and apparently this involved burning them to death.  And now a massive statue of this pagan idol is the centerpiece of a new “archaeological exhibition” at the world famous Roman Colosseum.  Yes, the exact same Colosseum where countless numbers of Christians were martyred for their faith is now the home for one of the most monstrous pagan deities that the world has ever seen.

I know that this sounds almost too strange to be true, but this is actually happening.  The following comes from the official press release for this “exhibition”…

A reconstruction of the terrible deity Moloch, linked to Phoenician and Carthaginian religions and featured in the 1914 film Cabiria (directed by Giovanni Pastore and written by Gabriele D’Annunzio) will be stationed at the entrance to the Colosseum to welcome visitors to the exhibition.

They are referring to this enormous statue as “Moloch”, but according to Wikipedia this ancient pagan god was also known as “Molech, Milcom, or Malcam”…

Moloch^[a] is the biblical name of a Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice, through fire or war. The name of this deity is also sometimes spelled Molech, Milcom, or Malcam.

For purposes of this article, I will use the name “Molech”, because that is the name that will be most familiar to the majority of my readers.

The organizers of this “exhibition” could have chosen to put Molech in a dark corner where nobody would have really noticed him, but instead they purposely decided to feature him in a place where 100 percent of the visitors to the Colosseum would immediately see him.

One woman that recently visited the Colosseum told LifeSiteNews what she witnessed…

“We were so excited the day we decided to go to the Colosseum,” Alexandra Clark told LifeSiteNews via email. She and her sister Tiffany were looking forward to visiting the site of Christian martyrdom.

“But the moment we got there the sight that greeted us was horrifying! Standing guard over the entrance was the colossal pagan statue of Moloch. It was placed in that prime spot so that everyone that entered into the Colosseum had to pass it,” she continued.

How in the world could something like this possibly be allowed?

And what makes this even more shocking is that the Colosseum is actually controlled by the Vatican.  The following comes from Breaking Israel News…

A source close to the matter told Breaking Israel News that: “There is no way that such a thing could be done without direct permission from the highest levels of the Vatican. The Colloseum of Rome is owned by the Vatican, and specifically the Diocese of Rome, also called the Holy See. If anyone wants to do anything there, they must get permissions from the office of the Diocese of Rome. This exhibition, called “Cathargo: the immortal myth” could not be held there at all unless permissions were granted at high levels.”

Somebody at the Vatican really messed up on this one.

This isn’t just some random ancient deity.  In Leviticus 18:21, the people of Israel are specifically warned against sacrificing their children to this monstrous idol…

And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

And in Jeremiah 32:35, we are told that this is precisely what many of the people of Israel ended up doing as they fell away from the Lord…

And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Why in the world would anyone think that such practices are something worth celebrating?

According to the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, the way that these babies would be killed was truly horrific…

The ancients would heat this idol up with fire until it was glowing, then they would take their newborn babies, place them on the arms of the idol, and watch them burn to death. I can’t help but compare today’s abortion massacre to the sacrifice of children by these ancient pagans. In both, innocent life is destroyed for the gain of the parent.

Over the past few years, there seems to have been a concerted effort to put up symbols from ancient pagan religions in the Middle East in key locations all over the globe.  This includes erecting the “arch of Baal” in both Washington D.C. and New York City.

But unlike some of those other “”exhibitions”, this one is going to last a whole lot longer than just a few days.

In fact, we are being told that this statue of Molech will remain standing at the Colosseum in Rome until March 29, 2020…

The statue of Moloch, worshipped by both the Canaanites and the Phoenicians, is part of an exhibit dedicated to Ancient Rome’s once-great rival, the city of Carthage. The large-scale exhibition, titled Carthago: The immortal myth, runs until March 29, 2020.

That is almost five months from now.

Interestingly, Rome was just hit by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake.  It is extremely unusual for such a large quake to happen there, and it really shook a lot of people up.

I have no idea if there is any connection, but I felt that it was noteworthy enough to share with all of you.

Without a doubt, it truly is an abomination that a gigantic statue of Molech is now standing right at the entrance of the Colosseum where so many Christians were brutally slaughtered by the Romans.

Unfortunately, not many people are talking about this story, and even fewer are getting upset about it.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

If you’re looking into buying in a home freezer dryer you’ve come to the right place.

Today, freeze dryers are still a fairly UNcommon household appliance. But I’m betting that’s about to change!

I envision a future where nearly every home has a freeze dryer and food waste becomes a thing of the past.

Where everyone can enjoy the incredible benefits of freeze-drying their own foods AT HOME. 

And even though it may seem like a huge effort to freeze dry at home, it’s not bad at all.

Once you fully understand how they work and look at all your options, you’ll be ready to invest in this innovative technology.

So today, I’m going to sharing everything I know about freeze dryers, specifically:

• What Exactly Is A Freeze Dryer
• How Freeze Dryers Work
• Benefits Of Owning An At Home Freeze Dryer
• Disadvantages To Owning A Freeze Dryer
• Key Features To Look For In A Freezer Dryer
• Best Freeze Dryer(s) On The Market Today
• How To Build A DIY Freeze Dryer
• Best Foods To Pair With Your New Freeze Dryer

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Family First Food Planning Guide. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A FREEZE DRYER?

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A freeze dryer machine is simply an appliance that removes nearly all the moisture from foods.

There are several important benefits to removing moisture from food (which we’ll get into later), the primary benefit being an incredibly long shelf life.

And when it comes to food preservation, and reduced food waste, it’s all about improved shelf life.

So now that you have an idea of WHAT a freeze dryer is, let’s discuss HOW a freeze dryer works. 

HOW FREEZE DRYERS WORK

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Before we discuss how freezing drying works, let’s talk about how it doesn’t work!

You see, many people get the process of freeze-drying confused with dehydration.

Why? Because freeze drying and dehydration are two standard food preservation methods. And both methods remove water from food products. That’s why a lot of people mistakenly use the two terms interchangeably.

But there are major differences between dehydrated and freeze-dried food storage. First, let’s briefly discuss dehydration.

The Process Of Dehydration

Modern-day dehydration is a pretty simple process that nearly anyone can do at home.

Food dehydrators circulate hot, dry air across food on open racks. This causes the water to evaporate and the food to shrivel.

The temps are high enough to remove water but not high enough to actually cook the food.

Despite this, you lose many of the vitamins and nutrients in the process. Plus, the taste and texture can often change dramatically.

Raisins, dates, and beef jerky are all examples of dehydrated foods.

The Process Of Freeze Drying

On the other hand, freeze drying is a more complex process. One that involves 3 main steps:

1. Freezing
2. Lowering pressure
3. Removing the moisture through sublimation

The end product is completely different than “dehydrated” foods. Because of this complexity, it takes dedicated, high-tech equipment to freeze dry food.

Like dehydrating, you place food on large open racks to allow for air circulation. But, instead of placing the food in a high temp environment, you load the racks into a vacuum chamber.

Then the freeze dryer lowers the temperature inside the vacuum chamber. To an incredible low temp (around -40deg F).

Once the food is completely frozen, a vacuum pump lowers the pressure inside the chamber. And then the temperature is slowly raised back to normal.

Due to the reduced pressure, the water in the food “sublimes”.

Sublimation is the process where solid ice changes directly into water vapor without ever becoming liquid.

The food gives up its water content without sacrificing texture, flavor, or nutrition.

The bottom line:

IF you’ve seen someone rehydrate an entire lasagna on a backpacking trip (as I have), you’ll start to see the immense possibilities of owning a home freeze dryer!



THE BENEFITS OF FREEZE DRYING

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So, if it’s more complex to freeze dry foods, why choose it over dehydrating?

More Moisture Removal

One of the main reasons to remove moisture from food is to prevent the spread of mold and bacteria.

All living organisms need moisture to thrive. So by lowering the water contents, it’s nearly impossible for them to survive.

Most home dehydrators can remove about 90 to 95 percent of the water contained in foods.

By comparison, freeze drying will remove up to 98 to 99 percent of moisture content.

The bottom line:

Freeze drying food removes more moisture. Thus it has a much better shelf life than dehydrated foods.

Much Longer Shelf Life

The lower water content of freeze dried foods allows for a much longer shelf life if stored properly. That’s why it’s considered one of the best non-perishable foods..

Sealed freeze dried meals will keep their texture, flavor, and nutritional value up to 25 years (or longer)!

Better Nutritional Content

Dehydrating food doesn’t change the fiber or iron content. But many of the vitamins and minerals begin to break down at higher temps.

Freeze-dried foods keep more of these valuable vitamins and minerals.

More Appealing Appearance & Composition

For most people, the biggest hurdle for dehydrated foods is taste and texture.

Freeze dried foods keep the shape and color of fresh food. You can often rehydrate the food back to a similar original consistency!

For example:

Freeze-dried strawberries become soft again if you add a little water or place them in your mouth.

Lower Weight

The greater reduction in water content provides an extra reduction in weight.

This is great when you have to pack your food on your back for miles and every ounce counts!

Less Cooking Time & Effort

Freeze-dried foods generally only need the addition of water to reconstitute them. Unlike the slow simmer you have to do with dehydrated foods.

Depending on what you’re preparing, most freeze-dried foods will be ready to eat in less than 5 minutes.

This makes meal prep faster and easier for everyone – especially if backpacking or camping.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Family First Food Planning Guide. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

THE DISADVANTAGES OF FREEZE DRYING

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Of course, there are some serious drawbacks to freeze drying foods.

Higher Freeze Dryer Price

Honestly, this IS the biggest factor for most people. But it’s a shame…

I get it, a food dehydrator can come in at under $50 – and they show up frequently at Goodwill.

By comparison, even a smaller model home freeze dryer can cost more like $2000!

And on top of that, a freeze dryer will use electricity to operate. Energy costs can add up if you run it full time during the summer when fresh produce is rolling in from the garden.



But here are three ideas to make the cost of a freeze dry machine much more palatable.

1. Get a group of friends to “co-own” a home freeze dryer.

You could become a part-owner with friends or neighbors! Then you could share the freeze dryer for different parts of the year.

If you could find 4 other “investors” you all could own a $2000 freeze dryer for about $500. Much more reasonable if you’re on a tighter budget.

2. Start a small freeze-drying business

Consider a home freeze dryer as a small business adventure!

• You can loan the unit out to others for a set time frame…
• Or you could take other people’s foods and freeze dry it for them.
• Or sell freeze dried meals you pack yourself.

Customers could start off as friends, then neighbors. After that, you could consider farmers’ markets or even online sales.

3. They’ll pay for themselves if you compare to the cost of store-bought freezed-dried foods

Another way to justify the expense is the compare the cost to buy an equivalent amount of freeze dried food from the store.

With $2000 you can get about 295,000 calories worth of store-bought freeze dried food. For a typical family of four (1500 calories per person per day) that’s only about 1.5 months worth of emergency food.

On the other hand, with a home freeze dryer, you can freeze and store all your leftover, or bulk discount food purchases, or extra garden produce this year, next year, and on and on.

So if you use your freeze dried all the time, you end up saving money over time when you compare the cost of purchasing freeze dried foods from a store.

The bottom line:

By taking any of these approaches you could help justify the upfront cost of buying a freeze dryer. And if you use it as a small business venture your new freeze dryer investment could even turn a nice profit!

Fixed Process Volume

I’ve expanded my old reliable dehydrator 4 times. It now has many more drying racks than it did when I bought it.

This has given me a huge increase in the volume of food I can preserve.

Volume expansion is not as easy with a freeze dryer. This is because the food has to fit in a smaller vacuum chamber and each run can take days to finish.

KEY FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A FREEZE DRYER

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If you’ve made the decision to get a freeze dryer, you still need to ask some key questions before investing:

How much food do you need to preserve?

Most freeze dryers give stats on the size of the vacuum chamber and the amount of food that can fit in one batch.

If you plan on smaller batches (i.e. you’re only “cooking” for yourself and a partner), you can get away with a smaller dryer.

If you need to provide for a crowd or you plan to do more than one food type in a batch, you’ll likely need a larger dryer.

How much space do you have for a large appliance?

Just like any other appliance, a freeze dryer takes a lot of space. Plus the vacuum chamber, the control system, and pumps add to the footprint.

Some smaller freeze dryers can fit on a countertop, but the large ones are roughly the size of a dishwasher.

How much electricity can you provide for the freeze dryer?

The large pump and other machinery involved in a freeze dryer can take some serious power.

For the larger models, you may need to have a dedicated electrical circuit.

What maintenance are you willing to do?

Most home freeze dryers are fairly low maintenance. But they do need cleaning and inspecting the door seals and other critical parts.

Also, most come with a vacuum pump that requires oil changes on occasion.

Some allow for an upgrade to an oil-free pump, but it comes at a premium.

BEST FREEZE DRYER(S) ON THE MARKET TODAY

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When it comes to home freeze dryers, there’s really only one name on the market these days – Harvest Right.

Other manufacturers make solid, well-built freeze drying machines. But most of these units are for the industrial market instead of for “in-home” use.

These commercial units do occasionally come up for sale on auction sites. And a used commercial freeze dryer can be a GREAT deal if you find the right one for your uses.

For the rest of us, there are three models from Harvest Right (small, medium, large). All three units are essentially the same except for their dimensions and price.

But all three sizes have several color options to choose from, to help match any kitchen decor.

Small Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

The Small Harvest Right Freeze Dryer is an ideal unit for someone just getting into at home freeze drying.

It can freeze dry anywhere from 4-7 LBS of fresh food per batch which can translate into about 840 LBS of fresh food annually!

The size of the Small Harvest Right Freeze Dryer is 25 inches tall, 16.5 inches wide, and 18.5″ deep.

If you’re hoping to buy a freeze dryer than can fit on a kitchen countertop, this is the only unit I know of that can do it.

But even then, it is still a fairly large appliance for a countertop. Be aware of your headspace and depth to ensure it will fit – if this is your goal.

Check Out Today’s Price and Features

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Medium Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

The Medium Harvest Right Model can take up to 7 to 10lbs of fresh food per batch.

This is a decent amount of volume while not requiring the dedicated circuit that the Large unit may need.

The dimensions of the medium unit are 28.5 inches tall, 18 inches wide, and 21.25 inches deep.

It’s a good compromise on price, size, and capacity.

Check Out Today’s Price and Features



Large Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

Finally, Harvest Right makes a large at home freeze dry.

This larger unit can freeze dry up to 16 LBS of fresh food per batch.

This helps to drastically cut down on the number of batches you need to run!

However, this unit needs quite a bit of floor space. Its dimensions are 30.75 inches tall, 20.25 inches wide, and 23.75 inches deep.

So if you’re looking to invest in a home freeze dryer to start a small business venture, this is the best unit for you.

Check Out Today’s Price and Features

As of now, these are the 3 main choices freeze dryer choices for at-home freeze drying…

I’m hoping the market grows in the next few years to add some much-needed competition. I’d love to see new features and innovation – as well as a price drop.

But until then, the handy and frugal DIYer can always build their own freeze dryer!

HOW TO BUILD A DIY FREEZE DRYER

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Yes, it IS possible to build your own DIY Freeze Dryer, but it’s also challenging. This is not a project for those who are new to DIY.

And you’re not likely to match the same level of quality as a commercial version, but you can’t beat the price…

Here’s an excellent DIY Freeze Dryer build you can try to follow step by step (if you’re up for the challenge):

BEST FOODS TO USE IN A FREEZE DRYER

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While the manufacturers state nearly any food can be freeze dried, that’s not quite accurate.

Many foods freeze dry very well, but some need a bit more pre-processing first.

Here’s a video that provides a nice overview of using a freeze dryer at home:



Now that you have an overview, here are some more freeze dry preparation details for different food types.

Fruits and Veggies

Small fruits and vegetables (blueberries, beans, etc.) can be freeze dried in one piece. But you’ll need to cut larger items into smaller slices or chunks.

I’ve heard that freeze dried watermelon is fun. With the look and taste of watermelon, but the crunch and weight of rice cakes!

And the only way you’ll eat vegetables on a backpacking trip is if they’re freeze dried.

Meats

This same principle also applies to meats. Stewed meats freeze dry well, but large thick steaks are far more challenging.

Cook all meats before drying. The rehydration process may not involve adequate heat to cook it later.

Coffee

How did you think they fill those packets of instant coffee crystals?

Meat

Not jerky, but superlight chunks of steak ready to be added to dinner in a flash!

Fish and Seafood

Freeze dried shrimp feels like they should be fake, but they rehydrate to add to soups and burritos!

Eggs

Real scrambled eggs on day 9 of a trip? That’s a treat.

Dairy

Dried milk powder is a staple in some places. This makes it possible to keep a large amount of milk on hand without it spoiling or taking up the whole fridge.

Freeze dried butter powder is an amazing find that has made my camp cooking SO much better!

FINAL THOUGHTS

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Freeze drying food is a great way to add some variety and long term shelf life to your emergency supplies.

The simple cooking and lightweight make these easy foods to manage. Plus the taste, texture and nutritional improvements go a long way to enjoying foods for the long term!

No matter what the future holds…

Jason K.

P.s. Do you know where the closest nuclear bunker is from your home?

There are a lot of natural nuclear shelters in the US that are absolutely free. And one of them is near your home.

Click here to see the Closest Natural Nuclear Bunker to Your Home?

Click on the image above to find out where you need to take shelter.

The post Best Home Freeze Dryer On The Market Today – 2019 appeared first on Skilled Survival.

News flash: There’s been almost a century-long debate on which is the best caliber for CCW. Groundbreaking stuff, right?

Well, if I’m going to contribute to the conversation on this one, then here’s my thoughts: There is no single perfect round, in the same way that there’s no single perfect survival knife. If anything, perfection in this case is situationally dependent — meaning that perfection in a CCW round for one person may be the exact opposite to what perfection means for someone else.

Additionally, one of the variables in our ongoing search for personal CCW perfection has to do with the changing seasons. Given how we’re finding ourselves peering down the barrel of winter, I feel it’s time for us to gear up and get our CCW needs squared away. And this is why I, personally, am a fan of the 45 ACP for the application of winter concealed-carry. Here are my reasons …

It’s High Time For a Full-Size

Though the Bob Munden-types may be able to put a .38 Special round on a pie plate-sized target from 200 yards off with a “belly gun,” for the rest of us it’s just easier to achieve better accuracy with a full-sized weapon. There’s greater distance between the front and rear sights, subsequent shots are easier to make with more weight at the muzzle. Therefore, you’ve got a greater contact area on a larger frame, allowing for increased stability and handling. At the end of the day, a full-sized handgun offers better shooting and easier shooting.

However, in the warmer months, it’s MUCH harder to successfully conceal a full-sized weapon under a T-shirt or light button-down — that is, unless you’re Lou Ferrigno. But in the winter, you have the option of wearing a blazer, thicker fleece jackets, etc., and fewer worries of the awkward hip bulge that seems to draw unwanted attention.

Speaking of drawing, on the other hand, some of us need to wear gloves when temps really take a dive. Try drawing effectively with gloves while carrying a compact handgun, and you probably know what I mean. And don’t attempt that last part if the weapon’s loaded … it’s just that clumsy of a situation. On a full-size weapon, however, this is actually a feasible possibility (with proper practice and training, of course).

Rounds Behave Differently Against Layers

When it comes to selecting a round, the primary issue is often centered around its capacity to effectively stop a person’s ability to present a lethal threat, once shot placement has successfully been achieved.

It’s really a question of velocity vs grains, the proper balance of which should lead to the necessary amount of energy transfer with just enough target penetration to get the job done. Often, the 45 ACP’s primary setback is the fact that it packs too much penetration power, and tends to exit the target, creating a dire situational need to watch the target’s background. This is one reason why concealed-carriers tend to opt for the more lightweight, higher-velocity semi-auto rounds: 9mm and 40 S&W.

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But in the winter, even potential lethal threats will be wearing additional and thicker layers of clothing: leather coats, lined parkas, etc. This means that either the velocity of the round needs to increase (+P), or the round itself needs to get heavier. The problem with higher velocities, however, has to do with fragmentation and the theoretical lack of energy-transfer that results. This is unfortunately one of the frustrations concerning the 9mm round.

With that in mind, a heavier round will maintain its power without the need for increased velocity. For instance, if a 45 ACP hollow-point has successfully been delivered on target, then something interesting should happen: the wad of clothing fibers that accumulates in the conical gap will not only cause the round to expand like a 9mm round. This should also prevent over-penetration of the target, thereby maximizing energy-transfer.

And when the physics makes tactical sense, that’s called “stopping power.”

A Few Considerations …

But, of course, no caliber is without problems. There are a few things to keep in mind with the 45 ACP.

It’s probably not much of a surprise that crime rates statistically fall during the colder months of the year, and this has been the case over the last 30 years. In short, you’re going to have a profoundly lower chance of encountering a lethal threat outdoors. However, the probability of indoor encounters will either not change or slightly increase. And that means you’re hypothetically going to have to fire a 45 ACP weapon indoors in a defensive encounter. Unfortunately, not an ideal situation, because again, over-penetration-power remains a problem.

Also, if you do encounter a lethal threat outdoors, then magazine capacity could pose a bit of a problem. Especially in the frigid cold, fingers go numb and the body is less responsive to motor commands from the brain. Important commands that you will depend on for accuracy when the adrenaline gets pumping. So in order to overcome this potential loss in accuracy, it’s just like everything else when it comes to firearms: train, train, train … and then train some more.

What is your preference for concealed carry during winter? Share your tips in the section below:

Pump Shotguns Have One BIG Advantage Over Other Shotguns For Home Defense. Read More Here.

The post Is This The Absolute Best Gun For Concealed Carry During Winter? appeared first on Off The Grid News.

Why is the mainstream media being so quiet about all of the seismic activity that has been happening all across the United States?  During the last 7 days, there has been an earthquake swarm directly along the New Madrid Fault zone, Kansas and Oklahoma have been hit by a very unusual number of significant quakes, and there have been several sizable seismic events in the vicinity of the Yellowstone supervolcano.  But of course the west coast is getting hammered more than anyone else.  According to Cal Tech, there have been more than 1000 earthquakes in California and Nevada over the last week, but of course most of them have been very small.  Overall, the latest USGS numbers tell us that there have been more than 2,000 earthquakes nationally during the last 7 days, and apparently we aren’t supposed to be alarmed by that.  But could it be possible that all of this seismic activity is leading up to something really big?

Over the weekend, we witnessed some very unusual quakes in the middle of the country.  On Sunday, a magnitude 3.2 earthquake rattled Kansas…

The Kansas quake hit at 9:08 p.m. Central time near South Hutchinson, northwest of Wichita, according to the USGS. About 175 people reported feeling the tremor, some as far away as Osborne and Concordia, Kansas.

Thankfully that quake hit in an area with a very low population density, and so it didn’t affect that many people.

But then on Sunday, a series of relatively large earthquakes hammered Oklahoma…

A 3.0-magnitude earthquake hit near Fairview in northern Oklahoma, at 1 a.m. Sunday, followed by a 2.6-magnitude quake at 1:37 a.m. near Quinton in eastern Oklahoma, the USGS reports. A 2.7-magnitude tremor rattled Waukomis in northern Oklahoma at 4:25 p.m. Saturday

Overall, there have been 143 earthquakes in Oklahoma in the last 30 days, and the increasing level of seismic activity in that part of the nation definitely has a lot of people on edge.

But of much greater concern is what has been happening along the west coast.  The two major quakes that hit California in July were followed by more than 100,000 aftershocks, and scientists are warning that this “may have increased stress on parts of a major dormant fault line”…

A series of earthquakes which shook Southern California earlier this year may have increased stress on parts of a major dormant fault line which has not produced any significant activity since records began, according to a study.

Scientists from the University of Iowa examined the so-called Ridgecrest earthquakes, which began with a 6.4 magnitude foreshock in the Mojave Desert on July 4, followed the next day by a 7.1 magnitude quake—the largest in Southern California for two decades. In addition, more than 100,000 smaller aftershocks were recorded.

The “dormant fault line” which they are talking about is the Garlock Fault.

And the Garlock Fault runs directly into the San Andreas Fault.

One day there will be a massive quake that fundamentally alters the geography of southern California, and let us hope that day is delayed for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, we have also witnessed some unusual rumbling off the coast farther north.

In fact, five large earthquakes were detected off of the Oregon coast last month.  The following comes from a news story that was posted on October 21st…

A magnitude-4.6 earthquake Monday morning became the fifth to strike off the Oregon coast since the beginning of the month.

The quake rumbled around 6:47 a.m. about 120 miles west of Bandon and at a depth of roughly 6 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

On Thursday, a magnitude-4.7 temblor struck about 95 miles from Port Orford — just hours after students in Coos and Curry counties participated in an annual earthquake drill.

The reason why these quakes are so alarming is because they happened in the vicinity of the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

As Steve Quayle recently told Greg Hunter, someday the Cascadia Subduction Zone will suddenly come to life, and it will be the greatest natural disaster that we have seen so far in all of American history…

What’s the worst case scenario if the Cascadia Subduction Zone lets loose and volcanos, earthquakes and tsunamis are unleashed? Quayle says “The amount of damage, and I am going to choose my words carefully, is going to be precedent setting. It’s going to be the combination of volcanos going off that are inland from the subduction zone where the plates meet, coupled with tsunamis. . . . When this happens, you will lose eight million to twenty million people. When it happens, you will lose all productivity in the electronic field, obviously Silicon Valley, and all food production in all of California, Oregon and Washington. When it happens, you will have a State of Emergency unlike any other. How about the refugees? There will be 3.5 million refugees to take care of. When this happens, what happens to the underground aquifers, and where does everybody go for fresh water? There will be years of drought, years of famine and years of water, water where did it all go? It is a very dire situation painted by computer models. This is not a sensational thing. It is a reality based, scientific study with the application of what happens.”

Quayle warns that the public would likely have roughly “15 minutes to get to safety,” and “the tsunami waves would be 500 to 1,500 feet tall.”

You can see the trailer for the new film that is being produced about the Cascadia Subduction Zone right here.  I am so glad that this movie is being made, because I have been trying to warn people about what is going to happen for a long time.  For example, the following comes from one of my previous articles entitled “You Have Been Warned: Experts Tell Us That A Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake And Tsunami Will Destroy Everything West Of Interstate 5”…

One day it will happen. With little or no warning, the Cascadia Subduction Zone will produce a catastrophic earthquake and accompanying tsunami that will essentially destroy everything west of Interstate 5 in the Pacific Northwest. It will be the worst natural disaster up to that point in American history, and as you will see below, the experts are saying that we are completely and utterly unprepared for it. Of course the San Andreas Fault gets more publicity, but the truth is that the Cascadia Subduction Zone is capable of producing a quake “almost 30 times more energetic” than anything the San Andreas Fault can produce.

Scientists assure us that it is just a matter of time before such a disaster takes place.

So essentially those living right along the coast are taking a huge gamble.

Day after day, they hope that there is still at least a little bit more time before the Cascadia Subduction Zone absolutely devastates the Northwest.

Of course up until now that gamble has paid off, but one day their luck will suddenly run out.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep.  My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters.  (#CommissionsEarned)  By purchasing those books you help to support my work.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I can only allow this to happen if this “About the Author” section is included with each article.  In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished.  This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

The post Hundreds Of Earthquakes Rattle The U.S. As The Level Of Seismic Activity In North America Continues To Rise appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

To find success when big game hunting, you have to get as far away from the roads as possible. That’s doubly hard, because while you may be able to comfortably hike 10 miles in, you may not want to pack a critter 10 miles out over four or five trips. According to multiple studies cited on backcountryhunter.org, most game animals like to stay at least 300 meters away from roads. Distancing yourself from lazy road hunters and their noisy vehicles greatly increases your chances of seeing that prized critter. ATVs are great, but many national forest trails are closed to motorized vehicles like Jeeps, ATVs and Motorcycles. Also, ATVs are noisier than most trucks, and just push animals even further out.

Contributed by By Mark, Former Marine Reconnaissance Team Leader, Marine Infantry Officer, Cross Fit Coach, and Survivalist.

We saw this first hand on a recent hunt out in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Both trucks and ATVs were Road Hunting the Forest Service roads like they were patrolling the southern border. None of these road hunters shared the success that we noted during our hunt. So what are you to do? You want to reach the backcountry but maybe hiking three miles up to 10,500 feet is not an option for you. Or maybe you are looking to get really deep and don’t want to spend two days hiking. According to TrailTrove, the average human hikes at two to three miles each hour. This is average from TrailTrove is without a backpack (20 to 30 pounds), a hunting rifle (6-7 pounds), and hunting clothes including boots, pants and jacket (7 pounds). With this extra weight, you are most likely going to be below 1 mph with stops & breaks. Also, consider the toll on your body. You hike three miles up to 10,000 feet with 40+ lbs of extra weight. You are going to be huffing and puffing by the time you get to the top. 

An elk can average 88 to 270 lbs of harvestable meat.  You might be lucky if you don’t get an elk because that will be at a minimum one more trip back up the mountain for two people to get all of the meat out. Those are heavy loads that put a lot of stress on your body. I recently heard about some backcountry hunters using electric mountain bikes to get deep into the woods. After seeing that the BLM has recently changed their rules on electric bikes, I decided that I wanted to try it for myself. After a bunch of homework studying things like range, price, warranty, extras, reviews, & experience, we landed on QuietKat. QuietKat is based out of Eagle, Colorado and they seem to have hunting and the outdoors in their blood. I have been watching them for a few years and they seemed to keep coming out with cooler bikes every season. 

Split Decision

We got two bikes. My hunting partner, Derek, has a chronic tailbone injury and required looking for a softer ride. He was willing to spend more money on his bike so he got the Fat Tire Ridgerunner.

QuietKat Fat Tire Ridgerunner
Motor: Ultra Mid Drive 1000 watt
Display: Digital-Color
Battery: 48v/16ah Panasonic
Frame Sizes: 17” Medium & 19” Large
Brakes: 4 Piston Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Fork: RST Air Suspension 150mm, Rockshox on rear
Suspension: Fire-Link Four-Bar Linkage
Wheel/Tire: 26 x 4.8” CTS Roly Poly Fat Tires
Gearing: 9 Speed Wide-Range
Drive: Stainless Steel Chain
Weight: 65lbs
Top Unassisted Speed: 1000W: 28mph
Range: ~25 Miles Unassisted, up to 50 miles under Pedal Assist
Color: Charcoal

I got the Apex which has a hard tail and front suspension. 

QuietKat Apex
Motor: BBSHD Mid Drive 1000 Watt
Display: Digital
Battery: 48v/11.6ah Panasonic
Frame Sizes: 19” (M/L) and 17″ (S/M)
Brakes: 2 Piston Hydraulic – 203mm Rotor
Fork: GT Air Suspension 100mm
Wheel/Tire: 26″ x 4.5″ (Fat Bike)
Gearing: 9 Speed Wide-Range
Drive: Stainless Steel Chain
Weight:  75lbs
Top Unassisted Speed:  25mph
Range: ~20 Miles
Load: 300lbs
Colors: Charcoal / Camo

Impressions & Thoughts:

One: Our wheels said Juggernaut on the side of them and the name was fitting. The wheels are huge. And by huge I mean massive.  Riding a normal mountain bike on single track, I would not want this much tire. Really fat tires would be heavy and hard to push around on a normal bike but the traction from the fat tires bring is insane, and makes you feel much safer on the mountain. With this being an electric assisted bike and you can push the throttle and with a little peddling you are cruising at 12 mph almost instantly. The big tires add stability and traction both on the front tire for turning and the rear tire for climbing. These are not motorcycles and you still need to pedal, but it really helps climbing those steep inclines.

Two: The bikes are fast. Our first time riding the bikes were not ideal for learning. We were at an altitude of 8,500 feet, little bit of snow on the ground, heading up to 10,500. The QuietKats will take off if you hit the throttle hard, the torque is pretty good. Riding a bike at 20 mph up single track in the mountains can be a little scary and mind blowing at the same time. It took us about about a mile to get comfortable with the bikes, having packs on as well as the cart system that was attached to the back of my bike. To be honest, I have considerable more mountain biking experience than Derek. I was pretty comfortable after about 100 yards. Derek, who broke his tailbone, and has really not ridden a bike since was not a huge fan of the QuietKat at first. I heard a lot of cussing and yelling on the trail that made me think “Oh man, this might have been a mistake.” but after a little coaching, mainly telling Derek to sit down while going uphill so your body weight is heavy on the back tire for traction made a huge improvement for him. By the time we got to 10,500 ft, Derek was sold. I think his exact quote when we got to the top of the mountain was “These things are sick.” On our first ride, I think we averaged about 10 mph uphill with very limited stops. Also, because the QuietKat motors are electric, you do not lose any power at altitude. Most gas engines lose about 3 HP per 1,000 ft of altitude. I know from experience that my old Honda Rincon didn’t like altitude above 10,000 feet even though I had it tuned for the mountains.

Three: The bikes are quiet. I personally think we were much quieter on these bikes than if we were struggling up the side of the mountain carrying gear and heavy boots. I don’t have a way of measuring this but every time I turned back to see if Derek was still behind me, I always saw him before I heard anything. Also, our exposure time on trail was less than 20 minutes compared to 1 to 2 hours by foot. I also believe our scent signature was much less because we were up high out of the grass and only the tires touched the trail. I believe we pushed the animals less because of how quiet these bikes were.

Four: The bikes are heavy. The one downside of this bike (if there is one) is that these bikes are heavy. It took two of us to muscle these bikes into the back of the pick up truck. Could either of us have done it alone? Yes, but we didn’t want to take the chance of scratching the truck. Also, a normal trailer hitch bike carrier (Yakima or Thule) will not work with these, they are too heavy. If you get one, you might want to look into a light weight ramp system to load these into your truck or SUV if you are hunting solo.

Five: Hard to put away. These things are so much fun that you might want to cut your hunt early just to cruise around on your QuietKat. Honestly, you get can places on these things that would be hard by foot without several days of walking. They are super fun on the trail and you find yourself making excuses for wanting to find a new hunting area and getting back on the QuietKats. “Hey, I think I am going to go scout this other mountain, be back in a bit.”

Six: Tough in powder. The bikes did well on hard snow, and were stunning over normal ground, but thick powder snow caused them to fishtail a bit, and are probably not the best fit. Luckily this isn’t most of hunting season. Also, we did not deflate the tires which could be an option. To be fair, rear wheel ATVs also struggle in deep snow.

Traveling With The Kat

We traveled around the Rocky Mountains with the QuietKats and a fully assembled pull behind cart in the back of the Jeep Gladiator. The front tires of the QuietKats were hanging over the tailgate using a QuietKat Tailgate pad. We strapped them down and due to their weight, they travel well in the back of pick up trucks. We were exposed to some pretty harsh weather up there and were worried about the computer components on the Kats. We had no issues. Every time we pushed the power button, the Kats fired right up and away we went.

Stashing the Kats

Once we reached our planned hunting area, we just marked the Kat location on our GPS and laid them down behind some trees. After a few days, we started just leaving our extra gear near the Kats as well. We were never worried about anyone stealing our gear or our Kats at 10,000 feet. You can remove the battery with a key and you can also use a cable lock to secure your bikes but we never did. If I was in the city, I would get a no joke lock for these bikes but Elk and Mule Deer don’t steal. 

Kat Down

The 2 wheel trailer system that we got with the QuietKat was awesome. It held a ton of gear and was easy to set up and attach to the bike. A bit of caution, you do have to watch out for larger rocks on the trail with the two wheel system. We turned the trailer system over a few times with large rocks. All of our gear was strapped down so flipping the trailer back upright was no issue. They do make a single wheel cargo trailer. I wish I could have compared the two to see which is better. I feel like the single wheel version may have been better for single track. I know Doc Montana recently reviewed the Burley COHO XC Bike Trailer and made it look easy flying down single track in Montana.  

The Proof is in the Pudding

We got deeper & faster into the backcountry than our hunting competitors and on the first morning we saw 3 elk walk into a pasture on the backside of a mountain at 10,500 feet. Without the QuietKats this would have been a painful journey and getting an elk here would have made for a long day of packing meat out with at least one extra trip up the mountain. With the QuietKat & trailer, just one trip down the mountain, elk & gear. 

Overall:

We give the QuietKat four thumbs up. Super fun. Super easy to ride. Versatile, you can use them for things besides hunting (ex: commuting, camping, bug out, military operations, etc). Charging was easy, just remove the battery and bring it inside. There is something about the power and quietness of these bikes that will blow you away. I was dreaming about an American Spec Ops unit using these to insert quietly outside of ear shot of the sound of a helicopter, I could see it in the future. Bottomline, they are fun to ride.  

Video: 

This is not our video but we felt this video from Bowsite.com hit it out of the park and captured our thoughts as well. Take a look. 

Please visit QuietKat for more information.  Use discount code SurvivalCacheFS on the QuietKat website for free shipping if you decide to order one. Or you can look at QuietKat on Amazon.

Visit Amazon Affiliate Sponsors of Survival Cache.

The post Survival Gear Review: QuietKat All Terrain Electric Mountain Bike appeared first on Survival Cache.

Anyone who carries has to face the reality that someday they might find themselves needing to use their gun. Sadly, there are some who never fully think this through. They managed to get their concealed carry license because they felt they needed it. Nevertheless, they don’t practice and they don’t really think about what it will mean to actually use their gun in self-defense.

The reality is that any use of a firearm in self-defense is risky. While it does allow the use of deadly force when necessary to defend yourself or defend others, there’s a huge caveat. That is, the courts must agree that your actions were both necessary and reasonable. Otherwise, someone can still accuse you of murder.

Granted, being accused of murder is better than being the victim of a murder. However, if you’re going to be the one who is pulling the trigger, you want to make sure that your action is truly necessary. The less wiggle room you can give a prosecutor to show that you acted angrily or irrationally, the less chance there will be that you end up in court defending your actions.

 

Smart Self-Defense: What Are You Thinking?

I want to ask you something: what are you thinking with respect to carrying a gun? Are you thinking that you are safe because you have it? Do you think that you can outshoot a bad guy? Are you thinking that the key to surviving a shootout is to draw fast and shoot straight? Do you look forward to the opportunity to prove yourself where the rubber meets the road?

The reality is that there are some prosecutors who will try to prove that you were looking for the opportunity to use your gun to kill someone even if it was done in self-defense. They will use your membership in the NRA and signs in your window with themes like “Protected by Smith & Wesson” as an indication that you were merely awaiting the opportunity to legally kill someone. If they can create that idea in the minds of the jury, you could end up facing a murder conviction. Remarkably, it doesn’t matter if that perception is true or not.

What you and I should be thinking is that our guns are a tool of last resort. In other words, we should try to avoid a shootout if we can. Then, if we have no choice but to use deadly force in self-defense or in the defense of others, we will know that we did everything we could to avoid killing another person.

 

Smart Self-Defense: Avoiding Violence

Before drawing a gun, it makes sense to try avoiding a situation altogether. While that isn’t always possible, there are plenty of situations that can be avoided simply by not going where violence is occurring or by leaving when it looks like something is going to go down.

Now I know the temptation is there to be the hero of the moment. I feel that same temptation too. But that doesn’t mean that I should be the hero. First of all, that’s not my responsibility. I am not charged by society to protect them, but the police are. While it is possible that I could defend someone and keep them from harm, I have to ask myself, “At what price?”

There is always a price associated with taking the life of someone, even if the courts declare you not guilty. The human mind has a way of torturing itself for killing another. That’s a much harder price to pay than the justice that the courts mete out.

 

Smart Self-Defense: It’s Time To Go

So, how can you avoid this kind of predicament?

First off, if you are maintaining your situational awareness, then you should have a pretty good idea that something is about to happen. Once you have a feel for this, you need to make an important decision. Do you stay and see it out or do you leave before it can happen? Most of us would stay when in reality we should leave before anything can escalate.

Think about that for a moment. There is nothing that says you have a responsibility to defend society. What you do have a responsibility to do is defend yourself and your family. So do your best to do that, not necessarily by shooting, but by getting your family out of there before the shooting starts.

Granted, if you leave a store or restaurant every time you think something is likely to go down, you’re going to be leaving for nothing a majority of the time. But that’s okay since you’re accomplishing your goal and protecting your family. You can always go back after it’s clear that it is safe.

 

Smart Self-Defense: Don’t Go There At All

You can say the same thing when hearing news that something is happening or about to happen. If there’s a demonstration scheduled downtown, then avoid downtown. You’re not part of that demonstration anyway, so there’s really no reason for you to be there. If you want to find out what happens, watch the news.

The same can be said for many other potentially dangerous situations, such as being in a bad area of town. Unless you have a legitimate reason to be there, why go? Find somewhere else to buy what you need or another route to take so you can avoid problems. Don’t put yourself unnecessarily in danger.

 

Smart Self-Defense: Diffusing The Situation

Even when trying your best to avoid a violent situation, you may find yourself in one notwithstanding. A classic example is someone getting mad in a bar or night club. Take some guy catching you looking at his girlfriend for an example. If he’s the violent type or has been drinking too much, he may decide to confront you for that imagined slight. What do you do?

In most cases, it is fairly easy to diffuse such a situation by turning their negative comment back into a positive one. In the situation mentioned above, the accusation of, “Hey, are you looking at my girl?” is intended to get a rise out of you. Responding by saying, “Yes I am, she’s beautiful. You’re a very lucky man” is the exact opposite of what he is expecting. By not rising to the situation with a snarky comment but instead complimenting him, you end his desire to cause trouble.

Of course, if that doesn’t work, you can always run away. If he’s really been drinking, he may not be able to keep up. There’s nothing that you can lose by running except your pride. But you really don’t need that to survive anyway, so there should be no problem with letting it go, right?

 

Smart Self-Defense: When It’s Time To Draw

When all else fails, it’s time to draw; but the point I’m hoping you’re seeing here is that you don’t want to draw until you’ve exhausted other possibilities. If someone walks into the restaurant you’re eating at and opens fire, you don’t have other options. Nonetheless, if they are trying to start trouble, you do. Take advantage of those possibilities when you can.

But when it’s clear that you must use your gun, don’t hesitate to do so. At least, don’t hesitate any longer than tactically necessary. Remember, as long as you conceal your gun, you have the element of surprise on your side. Consequently, don’t draw until you are ready. If you can, take the time to move into a good tactical position where you have cover and the bad guys are flanked before drawing.

 

Smart Self-Defense: Give Them A Chance To Run

The old saying is, “Don’t draw your gun unless you intend to use it and don’t use it unless you are shooting to kill.” On the whole, I agree with that. But I also agree with the statistic which says that in 70% of the cases where a concealed gun is used in self-defense, merely presenting the gun is enough to cause the bad guys to flee. For this reason, give them the chance to flee before pulling the trigger.

This is exactly why you want to flank them if you can. You can catch them in a way where you have the advantage and it may give you an extra second or two before they are able to respond. This strategy might help tip their decision towards fleeing instead of fighting. It also might give you the second you need to get your sight ready if they decide to shoot it out. Altogether, you’ve got to use whatever you can to your advantage.

You may also enjoy reading an additional Off The Grid News article: 9 ‘Survival Guns’ That Will Keep You Alive In Any Situation

Or download our free 29-page report that discusses how to legally carry firearms (almost) anywhere, anytime: Stick To Your Guns

Do you have any more tips or suggestions on smart self-defense with a firearm? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Smart Self-Defense: Knowing When To Shoot And When Not To appeared first on Off The Grid News.