Note: Today I’m only going to recommend survival food kits from companies that I’ve personally reviewed, taste-tested, and purchased with my own money. – “Just In Case” Jack

I believe every adult should own several survival food kits.

Why? Because having a survival meals on hand for when times get tough is just plain smart.

FEMA recommends at least three days’ worth of food for emergencies.

But I consider 3 days “an absolute bare minimum”. It should ONLY be a starting point…

In order to be resilient to life’s inevitable shocks, and uncertainties you must arm yourself with more than just “the bare minimum”.

How? By researching.

Spending time reading articles, like this one, to find the best survival food kits for YOU.

It sounds simple, but here’s the problem. There are thousands of emergency food kits on the market today. The market is flooded with them.

It seems like all food companies are marketing and selling emergency food kits nowadays. But not all kits are worth your hard-earned money.

Some are great, some or ok, but many are not worth a damn…

And that’s why I wrote this survival food article. To help you invest in some of the best survival food kits without all the hassle. To give you guidance and confidence to ensure you get a great deal on your next survival food kit purchase.

So today I’ll be sharing everything I know about survival food kits, specifically.

• Exactly What IS A Survival Food Kit Anyways?
• What to Look for In A Quality Survival Food Kit (plus things to avoid)
• Reasons Why A Survival Food Kit May Be The Best Investment You Ever Make
• Best Survival Food Kits on The Market Today
• How To Build An Emergency Food Kit On A Budget

Note: If you already know what a survival food kit is and why you should get one – feel free to click any link above to skip ahead… 

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.

EXACTLY WHAT IS A SURVIVAL FOOD KIT ANYWAYS?

---

In the broadest terms, a survival food kit is simply a collection of non-perishable foods to help you survive an emergency.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Survival food kits come in all different sizes, preparation methods, and price points. They also come in all sorts of different container options – from bags to buckets.

Now once you start digging into the details, there are many emergency food kit options to consider. So, let’s start breaking all these options down in a helpful way.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A QUALITY SURVIVAL FOOD KIT (plus things to avoid)

---

First off, not all survival food kits are created equal. Much of the quality of a survival food kit is in the way the food is prepared AND how it’s sealed.

Preparation Options

The best survival food kits are prepared using a technique called freeze-drying.

Freeze-drying is a process by which nearly ALL the moisture is removed from the food. It’s done by the way of using low temperature and sublimation.

Freeze-dried foods are ideal for survival food kits. Why? Because less moisture equates to extremely long shelf life. We’re talking about the shelf life of multiple decades.

Plus, the process of freeze-drying allows the food to better retain its original texture.

This allows you to store the food dry but by adding it back into some boiling water the food reconstitutes. The dried food will absorb the water and comes back to a similar taste and texture as the original food.

What About Dehydration?

Dehydration is another food preservation option. But dehydration won’t remove nearly as much water AND the food won’t reconstitute as well.

So while dehydration is OK, it’s not the best.

What About MRE’s?

MRE’s meals are food items packed and sealed in mylar bags to extend the shelf life of the food inside. And sure, MRE’s have a longer shelf life than fresh foods but not nearly as long as freeze-dried foods.

For a comparison, MRE’s typically have a stable shelf life of anywhere from 1 – 5 years. But, freeze-dried foods are shelf-stable for up to 30 years!

Sealing & Storage Options

Once you have some food prepared, there are several food storage options available.

Mylar Bags

Mylar bags are a staple in emergency food storage.

They were originally known as BoPEt film. This film was invented by Dupont in the mid-1950s and quickly used by NASA ever since – that’s why they are also sometimes called “space blankets“.

They’re basically a thin bag made of special foil that is “unbreathable”. That means once sealed, tiny air molecules cannot pass through it.

This has one major advantage – keeping moisture and oxygen OUT.

You see, food won’t spoil is it’s kept in an environment in which organic material (mold) cannot grow. Organic materials need a few ingredients to begin growth, 2 of them being moisture and oxygen.

Without moisture and oxygen – mold cannot do its thing.

So, with a mylar bag, you’re putting in super dry freeze-dried foods and sealing it up. No moisture can pass through the mylar bag walls, keeping harmful moisture out – until your ready to eat it.

But here’s the deal, you can also toss an oxygen absorber or two into the bag with the food. These little packets will absorb any oxygen within the bag. Leaving the inside of the bag without enough oxygen for mold to grow.

But mylar bags by themselves are NOT enough.

Why? Because determined vermin can chew through these bags. And that’s where thick food grade buckets or tubs come into play.

Thick Plastic Food Grade Buckets / Tubs

To protect your survival food from vermin you need to put the mylar bags of food into buckets.

Bucket storage can also provide a few other benefits.

First, the food becomes stackable. Without buckets or tubs, you’ll have to store the survival food kit bags on open shelving. But they can take up a ton of useable space.

Instead, with hard plastic buckets or tubs, you can stack them from floor to ceiling. This saves a ton of space in your pantry or basement.

Another benefit of plastic buckets is that most of them have a robust carry handle.

Now, most people don’t plan to move their survival food kits often. But remember they last decades. So, who knows what may happen over the next few years – let alone decades?

You might move to a new house, or you might want to move the buckets to a different location within your home. And if you’re forced to bug out with a vehicle, a bucket with a handle makes this process much easier.

Affordability / Price

Of course, with most things in life, you get what you pay for…

But with survival kits, careful shopping can pay off big time. For example, there are often bulk discounts to be had. And sometimes you can get a “free” sample kit to try a certain brand out.

But you must be careful. It’s easy to focus on only the price but there’s a lot of misinformation within the survival meals space.

Everyone is jockeying to be the “best deal” or the “best food” or they add extra incentives to get you to buy.

And sometimes, these deals and incentives are perfectly fine. But make sure you’re confident you’re not getting duped. Price is a very important variable but not the ONLY one.

The bottom line is IF you understand what you’re getting, you can choose the RIGHT survival food kit for YOU. And it may just become one of the best investments you’ll ever make…

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.

WHY A SURVIVAL FOOD KITS MAY END UP BEING THE BEST INVESTMENT YOU EVER MAKE

---

Here’s the deal, the future is uncertain AND history is full of horrific disasters…

Whether a disaster is due to severe weather, or countries deciding it’s a good idea to destroy each other…

Regardless of the event – it’s a fact, the future is uncertain.

That’s why survival kits are so important. They’re something resilient people embrace and take seriously. They’re something the fragile masses tend to ignore, or worst, assume bad things will never happen to them.

And the more survival food kits you own the more resilient you become. Why? Because while 72 hours is better than nothing – disasters don’t follow such protocols.

72 hours will work for MOST emergencies BUT not all…

Recent history is full of massive famines that lasted much longer than “72 hours”:

• Great Famine – Ireland (1845 – 1853) – 1.5 million dead
• Vietnamese Famine of 1945 – 2 million dead
• North Korean Famine (1994 – 1998) – 3 million dead
• Russian Famine of 1921 – 5 million dead
• Bengal Famine of 1943 – 7 million dead
• Bengal Famine of 1770 – 10 million dead
• Soviet Famine (1932 – 1933) – 10 million dead
• Chalisa Famine of 1783 – 11 million dead
• Chinese Famine of 1907 – 25 million dead
• Great Chinese Famine (1932 – 1933) – 43 million dead

I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to roll the dice on starvation. It’s a horrific way to die!

And sure, the odds are unlikely any of us experience a starvation level disaster in our lifetimes. But even at low odds, it’s not impossible.

How much are you willing to bet that your right? Your life?

It’s crazy to me that people are willing to spend thousands of dollars on home insurance and car insurance. But avoid stepping up to buy something more important “food insurance”.

When you buy car insurance, you’re taking the side of the bet that says, “I’m betting I’ll have an accident in the next 6 months”. Your insurance company is taking the other side of the bet “that you WON’T have an accident in the next 6 months.”

And the insurance company is usually right – that’s how they make money. But even tho they are usually right, you’re still not willing to take that gamble.

Because if you lose, it could mean some serious financial hardship…

But with starvation – it’s not a financial hardship we’re talking about – it’s a slow, horrible, painful DEATH!

That fact changes EVERYTHING.

It makes it so you must do everything in your power to protect yourself from even tiny odds. Because while the odds are small, they are not impossible, and the downside is much too great.

People “think” they’re good at calculating the odds of things (we’re not). But we’re even worse at seeing the REAL amount of downside from black swan type events.

There are smallish bad events (like a car wreck, or hail damage, etc.). But then there are life-shattering bad events (like mass starvation).

When the downside is starvation, it trumps the “odds” every time.

And here’s the deal. Putting money down on “food insurance” a.k.a. survival meals are a one-time investment. One that will last most of an adult’s entire lifetime (30 years).

As opposed to car insurance which is an investment you must pay regularly (monthly or yearly).

So, in contrast, you can spend a one-time investment on survival food and get a lifetime of starvation protection! Sign me up!

And if it pays out? It’ll be the BEST investment I’ll ever make, and it won’t be even close.

If a stock you buy goes up 10% per year for 30 years, it’s a fantastic investment, right? You have more money to spend on more “stuff” you don’t really need. Woo-hoo!

But, IF your “one-time survival food kit investment” pays off, YOU get to avoid STARVATION!!

So which investment has a better payoff?

This is why I don’t understand why EVERYONE doesn’t invest in some survival food kits.

BEST SURVIVAL FOOD KITS ON THE MARKET TODAY (from 72 hours survival food kits to 1 year)

---

Now you know what to look for in a quality survival food kit. And I sure hope you’re now properly motivated as well.

So let’s shift our focus on the best ones to buy.

Because the number of choices is overwhelming, making it a difficult selection process to narrow down. But that’s what I’m here for. I’m going to share with you what I believe are the BEST survival food kits on the market today.

Note: I’m going to share only survival food kit brands that I’ve personally reviewed, taste-tested, and invested with.

VALLEY FOOD STORAGE

Valley Food Storage is the first survival food company I bought food from several years ago. And I’ve been very pleased with their products.

Go here if you want to check out my taste test.

They have a wide range of kit sizes. Everything from a small 72-hour survival food kit to 1-year survival food kits.

They even have a monthly subscription plan available as well. That way, you can build your survival food in monthly increments.

All their kits (except for the 72 hours survival meal kit) comes in hard plastic stackable buckets. So, they exceed all quality marks and are a great company I highly recommend.

You can’t go wrong with Valley Food Storage as your survival food kit company of choice. Here are a few of their most popular kits by the length of supply:

---

72 Hour Survival Food Kit

If you’re just looking to get started, then you’ll want to check out Valley Food Storage’s 72 Hour Survival Food Kit.

It’s an ideal starter survival food kit at an affordable price and it will provide nourishment for most short term emergencies.

They use thick mylar bags with wide seals at the top. This helps to ensure the bag remains closed to moisture and oxygen until you’re ready to consume.

Check Out Today’s Price

---

1 Month Freeze-Dried Food Kit 

This one-month food kit includes the same quality mylar pouches that are in the 72-hour kit. But there’s one major difference: buckets.

The food pouches are sealed inside two hard plastic, stackable buckets.

These buckets help to ensure the food remains dry, provides excellent protection from vermin, and allows you to stack the buckets.

Check Out Today’s Price

---

3 Month Freeze-Dried Food Kit

Now we’re starting to enter into some serious resiliency to a food crisis.

This 3 Month Kit will provide enough calories to keep someone well-fed for about 3 months. Again, this kit uses excellent mylar pouches and buckets.

And these use the same high-quality ingredients as all Valley Food Storage freeze-dried survival meals.

Check Out Today’s Price

---

6 Month Freeze Dried Food Kit

6 months’ worth of food sure seems like a lot, And for most emergencies, it is.

But if you’re someone who takes resiliency serious, then it may be worth it to you to store this much.

Again, the same quality pouches, food, and buckets – just a whole lot more of them.

Check Out Today’s Price

---

1 Year Freeze-Dried Food Kit

Of course, if you’re extremely motivated you increase your level of resiliency by stocking a year’s worth of freeze-dried food.

A year’s worth of food is my own personal target and yes, it’s overkill 99% of the time. But if I get unlucky I’m gonna be sure glad I made this investment!

Check Out Today’s Price

---

Freeze Dried Food Kit Subscription Plan

This offering is unique.

This is the only company I’ve seen offer an emergency food monthly subscription plan.

Because a large one-time investment can be a challenge for some people. But by spreading out the costs monthly most people can build a nice stash of survival food kits over a few month’s time.

Check Out Today’s Deal

---

LEGACY FOOD STORAGE

Legacy Food Storage is another quality survival food company. One I’ve personally reviewed and tested.

They also use a combination of freeze-dried food, mylar bags, and food buckets. This helps ensure their food kits stay shelf-stable for decades to come.

Their survival food kits start out at 60 servings all the way up to 4320 servings.

You can’t go wrong with Legacy Food Storage when it comes to quality food and price. They claim to offer the “lowest cost per lbs” of food and free shipping as well.

Here are a few of their most popular kits by “total number of servings”:

60 Servings / 120 Servings /  360 Servings / 720 Servings / 1440 Servings /  2880 Servings / 4320 Servings

They also have a few gluten-free survival food kits as well:

120 Servings / 240 Servings / 360 Servings

MOUNTAIN HOUSE

Mountain House freeze-dried food pouches are popular in the backpacking scene. Why? Because freeze-dried food weighs a whole lot less than fresh foods – and they keep better!

This is another survival food brand I’ve bought from in the past and have reviewed.

Most survival food kits have a 25-year guarantee but Mountain House has upped their “taste guarantee” to 30 years! That’s the longest guarantee I’ve ever come across in the survival food kit space.

Mountain House offers survival food kits in pouches and buckets. But my one gripe is they don’t sell large quantities in buckets – so if you want to stock up, you’ll just need to buy more single buckets.

The bottom line is: Mountain House is not the cheapest but they are one of the best. You can buy survival food from them with confidence; they’re a fine choice.

Here are the survival food kits they have available with buckets:

• Breakfast Assortment Bucket
• Classic Assortment Bucket
• Essential Assortment Bucket

HOW TO BUILD A SURVIVAL FOOD KIT YOURSELF

---

Now, you may be thinking…. hey, maybe I can do this myself.

And you’d be right; you ABSOLUTELY can.

But if you want to make your own freeze-dried foods, you’ll have to invest in a home freeze dryer machine. But freeze dryers are pretty expensive. They cost way more than your typical countertop appliance (like a food dehydrator).

A small freeze dryer will cost you at least $1600 or more. Which for some people, that’s no big deal, but for many, that’s a huge hurdle.

Now, you could use the freeze dryer to start your own small survival food kit shop. Or you could get a few friends to “share” the cost. Both of those options can help you make your own survival food kits.

But you’d still need to buy mylar bags, silica gel desiccants or oxygen absorbers, and food-grade buckets.

So, at the end of the day, most people find it a better deal to buy their freeze-dried food from a reputable company.

Your other DIY option is to NOT freeze-dry your survival food kits. Instead, focusing on storing dehydrated foods. And this can work OK IF you plan to rotate the “survival food” over time.

If you consume what you make and replace it often, you can create a rotating stockpile of survival food. But again, this adds another layer of hassle, complexity, and organizational skills.

So, if you’re up for it, you should absolutely DIY your survival food stockpile. But, either way, it’s going to be an investment in TIME or MONEY – you get to choose.

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.

FINAL THOUGHTS

---

Every year, you buy insurance and HOPE you never have to use it. And we are generally OK with this setup.

Well, the same goes for food insurance. You buy it and HOPE and PRAY you never need to use it!

And at the end of 30 years, if the food is still sitting there on the shelf, you get to eat it and enjoy it. Because nowadays freeze-dried survival meals taste great.

So, no matter what, an investment in survival food kits will never be a waste!

And one final thing to remember – there are no do-overs in survival. Woulda, coulda, shoulda won’t fill you or your families bellies in times of crisis.

Remember: Prepare, Adapt, and Overcome,

“Just In Case” Jack

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 10 Best Survival Food Kits (Tested) That Will Make You Resilient To Emergencies appeared first on Skilled Survival.

Looking for the best crossbow? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Here you’ll find honest and unbiased crossbow reviews. We cover only the best selling and top-rated crossbows available on the market today.

Our reviews and guides will help you make an informed decision. So you can feel confident about which crossbow is the best for your needs.

Whether you want a crossbow for leisure, hunting, or sports, this guide will help you find the right one.

Because these weapons come in a variety of shapes, sizes, pulling mechanisms.

And most importantly, they all have different calibers and shooting speeds.

So today I’m going to share everything I know about crossbows, specifically:

• Reasons Why You Should Get A Crossbow
• Key Features Found In A Quality Crossbow
• The Different Types of Crossbows You Can Choose
• How Much Draw Weight Do You Need?
• 13 Best Crossbows On The Market Today
• Crossbow Legality Questions and Answers

Note: Feel free to skip ahead by clicking any link above, especially if you’re in a hurry to read our crossbow reviews below.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GET A CROSSBOW

---

The crossbow excels as both a self-defense weapon and a hunting weapon.

But as survival site, we tend to look at things with an eye towards “worst-case” SHTF type scenarios.

That’s why I like this video from Canadian Prepper. He does a nice job laying out all the survival justifications for owning a crossbow:



KEY FEATURES FOUND IN A QUALITY CROSSBOW

---

When it comes time to choose a crossbow, there are lots of competing models and claims.

It can be a daunting task to wade through all the options and decide which fits your needs best.

To help narrow the field, you should consider the following features:

Arrow Speed

In the world of crossbows (and survival bows), speed is king. Faster arrow speeds translate to more powerful shots and penetrating power.

A compound crossbow can deliver these high speeds much easier than a recurve model. But don’t forget to consider the size and strength of the crossbow bolts.

The heavier the bolt the more momentum it will have to carry through a target.

A high-powered compound crossbow can snap a light, poorly constructed bolt. So make sure you buy ones rated to the task.

“Overall Weight”

As with anything you’re carrying around the woods, weight matters.

A lightweight crossbow may be easier to carry, but it won’t damp out the vibrations caused when you fire a bolt.

On the other hand, a heavyweight crossbow may feel like a boat anchor, but shoot smooth as silk.

So, it’s best to think about the type of hunting or shooting you plan to do.

Whether you stalk prey on foot or waiting in a blind or both. It’s best to think about how you intend to use your crossbow before you “pull the trigger” on a purchase.

“Draw Weight”

“Draw weight” is NOT the same as “overall weight.” “Overall weight” refers to how much weight you’ll be carrying.

While “Draw weight” is a measure of the force needed to pull the string back into position.

A higher draw weight means it’s harder to prep the crossbow for shooting. But the higher draw weight results in higher arrow speeds.

That’s why many crossbows offer cocking mechanisms, to help offset the difficulty of intense draw weights.

Crossbows with draw=assist mechanisms are popular, especially for those who are older or disabled.

Crossbow Noise

Compared to rifles and shotguns, just about any crossbow is relatively quiet. But you may be looking for something extremely quiet and stealthy.

Perhaps you want a model to avoid spooking game or to help conceal your presence.

A recurve crossbow with parallel limbs is the quietest.

This type of crossbow has fewer moving parts, and the forces are more balanced. This translates into fewer parts in motion to create noise in the first place.

Also, you can add stabilizers and string silencers to help reduce the “twang” of any bowstring.

Build Quality

A crossbow – especially a compound model – is a mechanical work of art.

The materials, the precision, and assembly all contribute to the reliability, accuracy, and power of the device.

If the manufacturer skimps on any of these, your experience as a user suffers.

Manufacturer / Brand Name

As with anything else, there is something to be said for long-lasting brand names.

A name is not the last word in quality. But a brand with a loyal following is most likely built on a quality product.

The same goes for outstanding customer support.

Local Knowledge

Stop by your local archery ranges and shops. Ask around for the best recommendations from other shooters and professionals.

Take the time to shoot any models you’re considering buying. Get help fitting and setting up your crossbow after purchase.

You’ll learn a lot more about how to fine-tune things and get some great shooting tips in the process.

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CROSSBOWS YOU CAN CHOOSE

---

The crossbow has come a long way since Leonardo da Vinci drew prototypes in his notebooks.

There are designs for a variety of uses, and at all levels of technology.

Pistol-Grip Crossbows

One-handed, pistol-grip crossbows are a niche market.

These are mostly for target shooting. Though perhaps you could hunt small game like rabbits with one with some practice.

But few will be able to take down larger game like deer.

Recurve Crossbows

A recurve crossbow is the most uncomplicated design.

Whether made of wood or modern materials, they have few moving parts. Making them inherently lighter and more durable.

Many recurve designs can be serviced in the field if a string breaks or is knocked out of alignment.

They are also usually a lower cost than more technologically advanced compound models. They are quieter when fired as well since they don’t have as many moving parts.

The most significant disadvantages are the massive draw weights and slower arrow speeds.

Compound Crossbows

The main difference between a compound crossbow and a recurve crossbow is noticeable at first sight.

There are multiple pulleys and cams on the ends of each limb of a compound bow. In addition to several wraps of cable around them as well.

This sophisticated design allows the bow to “let-off” the draw weight once you reach a certain point. This makes it far easier to cock the firing mechanism and still get fast arrow speeds.

Plus, the limbs of a compound bow are often much shorter than a recurve model. This allows for a more compact design with better maneuverability.

They often have much higher arrow speeds; thus, the resulting Kinetic Energy of the bolts is much higher. However, they do have some significant drawbacks.

First off, they’re louder, heavier, and more of a challenge to maintain.

In fact, a broken string can be dangerous as it unwinds through the cams and can not be serviced in the field.

Reverse Draw Crossbows

Reverse draw crossbows are primarily compound designs with the bow mechanism reversed.

This results in a better-balanced weapon. This means its more comfortable and maneuverable than it’s design predecessor.

Plus, they fire faster arrow speeds than most compound models and at reduced noise levels.

Here’s a nice introduction video on the different crossbow technologies. This video only scratches the surface but if you’re new to the world of crossbows, it’s a must-watch:

HOW MUCH DRAW WEIGHT DO YOU NEED?

---

The first question most people ask is, “How much draw weight is enough?”

To be honest, it depends on what you want to do with your crossbow. Modern crossbows are built for one of two purposes: target shooting and hunting.

1- Target Shooting

Lower draw weight and lighter arrows are perfectly acceptable. In fact, lower draw weights and reduced recoil will often be more accurate for shooting.

Ever notice that all the Olympic sharpshooters are using .22cal rifles? Same reason.

2 -Hunting

Accurate shooting is always essential, but so is knock-down power if your hunting.

As you hunt larger and larger game, the amount of energy required to take down the animal increases. An arrow must be able to penetrate the skin, muscle, and even bone to hit vital organs.

This is measured as the kinetic energy (KE) of the weapon. This is calculated using arrow speed and mass.

Higher speeds and higher mass result in a greater KE. This means you can either shoot a heavy arrow slower or a lighter arrow faster to achieve the same KE.

In the past several decades, the trend has been towards lighter, faster arrows. That’s because they fire further and reach the target faster. Often before the animal hears or realizes it got shot.

Most crossbow manufacturers design their hunting models around medium to large-sized game.

In North America, that means most hunting short of the absolute biggest game such as moose and bear.

With that said, an arrow speed of over 300 fps can efficiently dispatch a whitetail deer. If you’re hunting larger game, faster speeds (and heavier broadheads) would be necessary.

Here’s a helpful video that provides even more detail about crossbows, setup, and kinetic energy:



13 BEST CROSSBOWS ON THE MARKET TODAY

---

Like choosing any other piece of survival gear, you can spend as much or as little as you want on a crossbow. And like most things in life, you’ll get what you pay for.

If you have a large bankroll, go for a top of the line model. You can expect high performance and unmatched quality.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to stretch every dollar, you need to look out for deals and be ready to do your homework.

We’ve done some searching and found great options at every price point. Starting with some lower budget models that can get you into the sport:

1 – Barnett Jackal Package (315 fps)

The Barnett Jackal is a great entry-level model. This package contains a quiver, three bolts, and a sight.

If you’d like to hunt with it someday, you’ll just need to add some bolts with broadheads, and you’re ready to go.

The Barnett Jackal is lightweight and comes with a “dry fire” prevention safety feature. This helps to prevent damage from firing it without a bolt loaded.

Pros

• Affordable
• Solid design and construction
• The complete package for beginners

Cons

• Some people report it’s louder than expected
• Harder to cock than other similar models

Check Out Today’s Price



---

2 – CenterPoint Tormentor Whisper (350 fps)

The CenterPoint Tormentor Whisper improves on the Barnett Jackal in several areas.

First off, as the name implies, it’s much quieter. This is an important feature and prevents giving away your location.

Secondly, it’s much faster – which translates into more Kinetic Energy and knock-down power.

It has a suitable cocking mechanism and robust safety features.

Unfortunately, the arrow retention spring appears to be a weak design point. So be careful when loading your arrows.

Pros

• Quiet
• Good safety features
• Fast!

Cons

• Users have reported some durability issues

Check Out Today’s Price



---

3 – Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350 (350 fps)

Southern Crossbow is a relatively small company. But they’re making crossbows with unique features many people like.

Combined with their low cost, they are a good option for a beginner.

In particular, people like the familiarity of the AR-15 style stock. This can make for a smooth transition from shouldering and aiming a firearm.

They also have an acceptable amount of power, which translates to reasonably fast arrow speeds.

Pros

• Affordable
• Comfortable AR-15 stock

Cons

• Bolts were low quality
• Heavier than average

Check Out Today’s Price



---

Now let’s move up a bit in the price range. Next, are some quality crossbows at a medium price:

4 – Wicked Ridge Invader G3 (330 fps)

The Invader G3 is a very sturdy crossbow that should provide years of service.

It comes nearly pre-assembled on arrival, so you can head out to the range or the woods almost immediately.

It also features a well-designed cocking mechanism and dependable safety features.

Unlike some competitors, it’s a reasonably lightweight design with a compact limb system.

Pros

• Effective cocking mechanism
• Lightweight and maneuverable

Cons

• The scope may not hold zero for extended storage
• Somewhat noisy, especially the cocking mechanism

Check Out Today’s Price



---

5 – Barnett Whitetail Hunter II (350 fps)

The Barnett Whitetail Hunter II is another excellent, lightweight hunting crossbow. This crossbow has an advanced trigger mechanism and safety vs. others in this price range.

It’s small enough to not be bulky in a blind or treestand, but still boasts a respectable 350 fps.

The package also includes a modest scope, quiver, and bolts. This makes for a complete setup for an affordable price.

Pros

• Advanced trigger mechanism
• Lightweight
• Includes several excellent safety features

Cons

• Arrow track seems imprecise, causing grouping issues
• The scope is not the best, resulting in drift – many people have opted to replace

Check Out Today’s Price



---

6 – Barnett Whitetail Pro STR (400 fps)

The Barnett Whitetail Pro STR is nearing the “expensive” mark. But you’d think it cost more than this, with all the features included.

The string dampers help to keep it quiet, while the illuminated scope can help at the edge of shooting hours.

Like similar crossbow packages, it comes with a quiver and bolts. But the bolts included seem to be higher quality than comparable starter sets.

Pros

• Fast arrow speeds
• Included string dampers help quiet string noise

Cons

• Several reports of dry fires, which can damage the bow

Check Out Today’s Price



---

7 – Excalibur Matrix Grizzly SMF (300 fps)

This is a trusted brand by many for its durability and ease of maintenance. The Excalibur Matri Grizzly is the first recurve design on our list.

As expected, it’ s also a lightweight option at under 6lbs.

This crossbow is also friendly for those who want to DIY maintenance. Regular tasks such as replacing bowstrings are straightforward to perform.

However, the relatively low arrow speeds make this more a small to a medium-sized game weapon. But it excels at that role and will provide for years to come!

Pros

• Good quality construction and accessories
• Lightweight
• Field serviceable

Cons

• Louder than expected – so it would help to add string dampers

Check Out Today’s Price



---

If you’re willing to pay up for higher-end technology, these following crossbows take you up a level in quality:

8 – TenPoint Titan SS (340 fps)

TenPoint is quickly developing a solid reputation with the pros. They make high-quality crossbows at a variety of price points.

The Titan SS is a dependable workhorse for small to medium-sized game. It’s lightweight, compact, and easy to carry and shoot.

The 340 fps arrow speeds are fast enough for nimble deer. AND small enough to swing in the brush to follow a rabbit or grouse.

Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• High-quality build

Cons

• Not suitable for game larger than whitetail deer

Check Out Today’s Price



---

9 – Bear Archery Fisix FFL (375 fps)

I grew up with Fred Bear stories and visits to the Bear Archery store.

When I think of that name, traditional bows pop to mind. But it turns out that Bear Archery is producing some advanced reverse draw crossbows as well!

The Fisix FFL is a great example, with a tiny 11″ width at full draw and a well-balanced profile, making it easy to swing.

This crossbow is extremely solid! But that comes at a price – in this case, a weight of almost 10lbs!

You won’t want to carry the Fisix for a full day of stalking. But it’s hard to beat the accuracy that stability provides.

This is an ideal setup for a large blind or treestand hunting!

Pros

• Incredibly accurate
• Solid and durable Bear construction

Cons

• Nearly 10lbs!

Check Out Today’s Price



---

10 – Excalibur Matrix Bulldog (400 fps)

Here’s another fine recurve design from Excalibur. The Bulldog includes some significant upgrades from their starter models.

Notably, the high 400 fps arrow speeds are great for those interested in larger game. Because this crossbow generates far more kinetic energy than lower speed models.

The recurve design allows for easy maintenance and lightweight construction.

At just over 6lbs, it’s an easy load to carry around in the woods.

Bonus details such as the illuminated scope and integrated cocking rope make for a complete crossbow package.

Pros

• 400 fps speeds make it suitable for large game
• Quiver and quality bolts included

Cons

• Wide recurve design might not be maneuverable in brush or treestands

Check Out Today’s Price

---

Finally, if you absolutely have to have the best, here are some top of the line crossbows with ALL the features:

11 – TenPoint NitroX (385 fps)

The TenPoint NitroX lists a respectable arrow speed of 385 fps. But there are many reports of speeds well above 400 fps from this model.

With the right arrow combination, even 440 fps!

Obviously, that kind of speed creates the power to take down big game.

This is a rugged, reverse draw design, making it a technical work of art that’s hard to beat.

Pros

• Arrow speeds of more than 400 fps are possible
• Very well balanced due to reverse draw
• Extremely accurate due to vibration reduction

Cons

• Cost

Check Out Today’s Price



---

12 – Ravin R9 Package (390 fps)

At this higher price range, all the bows will tick the boxes for speed, quality, and reliability.

The Ravin R9 does so with a revolutionary design. That’s why it can boast as one of the smallest crossbows on the market, at under 7″ wide at full draw.

If you want to hunt in dense brush, a small blind, or narrow treestand, this is the crossbow that has your name on it.

It swings easily, fits anywhere, and can hit a target so fast it’s nearly impossible to spook them.

There’s a reason the R9 is DOMINATING the market these days. Now, if only it were less expensive…

Pros

• Tiny profile, only 7″ wide
• Blazing speed

Cons

• $uper high price

Check Out Today’s Price



---

13 – Scorpyd Aculeus (460 fps)

Yes, the Scorpyd Aculeus is one hell of an expensive crossbow.

It’s also one of the fastest designs on the market today. It comes in at an absolutely staggering speed of 460 fps.

So fast, in fact, that you’re limited on what arrows can handle the forces created when you pull the trigger.

All that speed is paired with incredible accuracy. This is due to its high-precision construction and detailed engineering.

This makes for an unbeatable crossbow for nearly any situation.

Pros

• Incredible speed
• Accuracy

Cons

• Audible click when removing safety
• Limited arrow choices
• $uper expensive

Check Out Today’s Price



CROSSBOW LEGALITY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

---

One of the most common questions about crossbows is whether they’re legal to own and use.

Unfortunately, I can’t give you legal advice. That’s why you should look up local regulations for where you live, before finalizing a crossbow purchase.

Depending on where you live, it may be treated more like a firearm than a bow, while some states only allow crossbows for hunting with disability permits.

The North American Crossbow Federation provides helpful information by state for crossbow hunting.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

FINAL THOUGHTS

---

A crossbow can be a great hunting tool. It combines the quiet approach of archery with an easier aiming and firing of a firearm.

You don’t run out of ammo (as long as you recover your arrows), and with proper care and maintenance, they can last for years.

There are so many models on the market that there’s certainly one that fits your budget and needs.

It’s worth considering a crossbow for your next hunting season!

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 13 Best Crossbows That Will Make You A Deadly Silent Shooter appeared first on Skilled Survival.

Wikipedia has the following to say about a concept called “Confirmation Bias”: “the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. It is a type of cognitive bias and a systematic error of inductive reasoning. People display this bias when they gather or remember information selectively, or when they interpret it in a biased way. The effect is stronger for desired outcomes, emotionally charged issues, and for deeply entrenched beliefs.” Basically, when one is looking for results or an answer, one tends to view drawn conclusions or perform research in a manner that supports a conscious or subconscious pre-existing bias. 

By Drew, contributing author to Survival Cache and SHTFblog

I’ll fully admit to initially having been under the influences of a full-blown confirmation bias when I first laid my eyes on the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM carbine. My first impression upon seeing Windham Weaponry’s new carbine was probably similar to how might you feel handling any other Armalite-pattern rifle for the first time: “Yup, it’s another AR.” And that’s what I thought this platform would be; yet another AR. I knew there were some interesting features, but overall, I thought the 9mm carbine would fit into the same manilla envelope that other ARs do, because I had a preconceived notion of what this little black rifle was all about. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that actually running this carbine through its paces steered me away from looking for data to support the conclusion I thought I already knew.

Pistol Caliber Magnificence

The Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM is a stellar piece of gear – well thought out but not over-designed to the point of lunacy. The whole package is approximately the same size as your standard M4 carbine, being about 6 ¾ lbs empty with no accessories, and just shy of 31” long with the stock collapsed all the way in. A 16 inch long medium-weight barrel (with no flash hider or brake) incorporates a 9mm-standard 1:10 rifling twist to stabilize heavier bullets for subsonic loads without compromising light-bullet accuracy. All the standard AR goodies are included: a free-floating anodized aluminum handguard, a 2” removable rail section for mounting accessories, and a full-length Picatinny rail that runs continuously from the back of the receiver all the way to the forwardmost point of the handguard. The A2-style pistol grip and 6-position telescoping CAR-style cuttstock are molded plastic, while the aluminum receivers are hard anodized in a pleasing, flawless matte black. The controls are all where they should be and operate the same as any AR would. The provided trigger is the expected Mil-Spec standard setup, and is compatible with all aftermarket AR-15 fire control systems. Nothing groundbreaking here, but no departures from the norm either – a huge benefit for training if you already run an AR-15.

When you break the receivers apart, however, you start noticing the changes that make this Windham Weaponry rifle unique. First off, the ejector is fixed into the lower receiver via two beefy allen screws, and juts upwards from just behind the magazine well – much different (and far simpler) than the plunger ejector that lives inside standard AR-15 bolts. 

And speaking of bolts, popping the R16FTT-9MM’s bolt out of its upper receiver raceway will reveal the big surprise: this gun runs as a straight blowback. That’s right: no gas tubes, no gas ports or blocks, no gas keys to loosen and leak. No separate rotating bolt for a Multi-piece BCG. The gasses from the round going off in the chamber push the bolt backwards and start the process of the carbine’s semi-automatic cycling; the rifle’s springs and physics perform the rest of the work. The straight closed-bolt blowback system has been around for over a century now and is well-developed and dependable – and it’s a great, reliable choice for the operation of this little carbine. Less moving parts than HK’s roller-delayed system, no weird dissimilar metals friction like a Thompson’s Blish Lock. No wildly unpredicatable accuracy from firing from an open bolt. No fuss, all simple, reliable goodness. It should even work well as a suppressed rig, too; no worrying if your gas port is correctly sized or properly gassed.

Glock Perfection in an AR package

The real crowd-pleasing aspect of the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine is its ability to source its high-velocity meals from 9mm Glock magazines. That’s right, proud Glock 17, 18, 19, 26, 34, et.al., owners can now run a high-quality AR platform carbine that feeds from magazines that are already on-hand. For SHTF planning, the utility is obvious – both your long gun and your sidearm can utilize the exact same magazines, easing your logistics strain as you pile up stacks of double-stack Glock magazines. 

Also read: Magpul PMAG27 Glock Magazine

Making magazine acquisition even easier is the fact that Magpul now offers high-quality, inexpensive 9mm Glock magazines; as a matter of fact, our subject carbine shipped with a Magpul 17-round magazine straight from Windham Weaponry. 

Since the carbine landed in my lap, I’ve been buying up a decidedly inconsistent mixture of polymer mags; 15-round Glock 19 and 17-round Glock 17 magazines, 33-round Glock “Giggle Sticks”, along with a complement of 15, 17, and 21-round Magpul GL-9 magazines. Every single one of them locks into the magwell securely and feeds the little 9mm rounds like greased snot through the blowback action of the Windham Weaponry 9mm Carbine.

The 9mm Glock magazine compatibility is a Godsend to those wanting to design a single-caliber centerfire pistol/carbine plan; instead of trying to source the clunky Colt stick mags, SIG Sauer’s proprietary $60-each MPX magazines, or even pricier HK MP5 magazines, you can walk into any Cabela’s or reasonably well-stocked gun store and find rugged, proven magazines on the rack for dirt money; my last purchase was a Magpul 17-round magazine for $15.99 at Cabelas. I even found used Magpul 15-round mags at a local gun shop for $10 each. Though I don’t know why someone would discard anything that has “Magpul” moulded into it, I snatched them up with glee and they function with aplomb. I bought the 33-round Glock-made mags for $25 each on sale from Brownell’s.

Icing on the polymer cake: while there are several manufacturers who make 9mm AR lowers – a few of whom manufacture with Glock magazine capability – whittling down this category further is the need for a 9mm AR lower that runs on Glock mags, AND ALSO locks the bolt back when the mag runs dry. The Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine checks all the above boxes with a flawless bolt hold-open feature. A rifle that’s theoretically designed for battle or competition (or maybe really intense hunting?) should absolutely lock the bolt back when the mag runs dry. Major kudos to Windham Weaponry for making sure the rifle operates as we expect an AR-platform rifle should.

Suppressor Ready

Since pistol caliber carbines are immensely popular no doubt due in part for their ability to be effectively suppressed, Windham Weaponry provided the 9mm Carbine without a muzzle device – just a knurled thread protector at the danger end of the barrel. Unscrew the thread protector to expose the muzzle device threads. Windham Weaponry’s page for this particular model says these threads are ½” x 28 threads per inch – however I did note a company newsletter that stated all 9mm models are produced with ½” x 36 thread pitch. The moral of this story: if you’re looking to install a suppressor on your Windham Weaponry 9mm, be sure to double check the thread pitch. 

I visited my buddy with the SIG Sauer MPX-C that I reviewed a couple years ago so I could do a 9mm carbine comparison and take advantage of the SilencerCo Octane 9HD that he obtained for the SIG. However, the muzzle thread pitches are entirely different between the two guns, so I sadly wasn’t able to play with the Windham Weaponry 9mm suppressed. And with the thread adapter for an Octane 9 being about $90, I’ll have to save the suppressed report (pun intended) for a later date. But the ability is there, so a tax form is in my future, I predict. I mean, it only makes sense, right? Right.

Not Bad Out Of the Box, But…

Windham Weaponry kits out the 9mm Carbine with a complement of standard AR accoutrements that are perfectly functional, but I personally feel a touch dated in this ergonomically enhanced and developed firearms worldview. The standard provided collapsible buttstock is a mildly-enhanced throwback to Colt’s Vietnam-induced CAR-15/XM177 design of the 1960s, and the A2 style pistol grip is unchanged since the introduction of the M16A2 variant from the early 1980s. The black nylon sling is really just a strap with zero quick adjustability when installed between the provided QD rail mount and the telescoping buttstock.

Some may argue that these designs are perfectly adequate and functional, and they are absolutely right. However, after having my cheek pinched in some buttstock-receiver extension junctions a couple times, and wrestling with trying to retrofit a proper two-point sling on the buttstock, I just bit the bullet and purchased a black Magpul CTR buttstock and MOE pistol grip. These two simple additions added a touch of storage and a healthy serving of increased utility with the ability to properly mount a Blue Force Gear Vickers two-point sling on QD mounts fore and aft. This setup proved its worth on a carbine course and during numerous drills at the sandpit. Don’t get me wrong: Windham Weaponry provides a serviceable setup out of the box – and props to them for providing a complete package – but for a few extra bucks (MOE Grip – $20, CTR Stock – $60, Blue Force Gear Sling $55) you get a pistol-caliber wonder carbine that wants for nothing in the ergonomics and utility department.

Heads up though: when I yanked the original buttstock off the 9mm carbine to find that the stock receiver is of the Commercial variety, not the Mil-Spec configuration. I checked with Windham Weaponry, and they confirmed that most of their rifles go out the door with Commercial extensions, since the .03” narrower diameter allows the use of both Commercial and Mil-Spec stocks. Just be forewarned – it may be easier to find additional colors and configurations in the Mil-Spec sizes (as the industry as mostly standardized the use of Mil-Spec components), but they will rattle and wiggle just a tiny bit when used on Commercial tubes. Fully functional, just a bit annoying, if that sort of thing bothers you. Just an FYI.

The only other change I made was to swap out the stock style charging handle for a BCM Gunfighter Mod 4 piece with a left-side extension. More on the important “why?” of that modification here in a second – and it ain’t just for increased handle leverage.

You’ll also need to source sights and/or an optic to run this carbine properly. I had some kicking around, thankfully – but a set of decent BUIS will be probably around $60-70 to start – and optics can range from Wal-Mart $39 cheapies to red dots and ACOGs that will make you take an unsteady knee when you pull out the wallet. The Windham Weaponry 9mm AR carbine’s picatinny rail will gladly give any of them a solid home.

Yeah, But How Does It Shoot?

Ahh, here’s the question I’m sure most of you are dying to know the answer to. As soon as this little beast was in my sweaty palms, I grabbed a couple boxes of ammo and headed to the sandpit to get the 9mm Carbine dialed in and ready for some real-world testing. A Vortex AMG UH-1 holographic sight was mounted on the rail along with some folding sights. I planned on dialing the rifle in for 100 yards – from previous experience with the SIG Sauer MPX I knew that was about as far away as a 9mm is happy to go.  The provided Magpul 17-round magazine was loaded up with some Winchester 124-grain FMJ ammo, and within three shots had the rifle on target at 25 yards. I went to a kneeling position, and trying for a decent group, proceeded to plunk four rounds touching with no problems whatsoever. A good start.

Related: Survival Gear Review: SIG Sauer MPX-C

A few steps back to 50 yards confirmed that I was still on paper, and an adjustment to bring the bullet impact about an inch high at 50 yards worked well. A five-shot group from the kneeling position at 50 yards measured about 1 ½” or so. I then stood, and proceeded to handily perforate a 1-liter soda bottle shot for shot at the 100-yard marker. The gun was a shooter for sure – better than I expected. 

When I was testing handloads and some other factory ammunition through the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine, I found that resulting group size varied wildly by bullet type and weight, but all of the loads produced usable accuracy – especially when you consider that a stubby 9mm bullet ain’t exactly a ballistic wonder. I settled on a handload that played nice in the W-W carbine and my Glock 19; the load pushed a 124-grain Hornady FMJ bullet at about 1,250 fps – and grouped in the 4” range at 100 yards. I think the carbine could have done a bit better with a proper magnified optic, but the Vortex’s holographic reticle was incredibly fast and positive to work with – and 100-yard 4” groups from a 9mm carbine was A-OK with me. High-end defensive ammo did shoot markedly better, with Remington Golden Saber 124-grain +P loads in particular providing excellent accuracy.

The R16FTT-9MM proved to be boringly reliable. It gobbled up every nasty lead bulleted handload I made, every hollow point defense load I offered it, and every steel-cased crap Wolf load I dropped the hammer on. To this day, with probably close to 3,000 rounds through the rifle, I have yet to experience a malfunction with the gun – though I make sure to clean and lube the rifle often due to the blowback action’s rapid carbon buildup.

Running the 9mm Carbine in the Real World

I recently took a carbine course through SRT Concepts here in Maine (outstanding company for training, check them out if you’re in the New England Area). I checked with Peter Joyce, the instructor, ahead of time, and asked if I could run two guns at the course so I could compare a pistol caliber carbine against my normal 5.56mm AR. He liked the idea and welcomed me to run both rifles, as long as I was fully communicative with the instructors about swapping guns and following enhanced safety procedures while walking to and from the firing line with different rifles.

The carbine course was stellar, and a real eye-opener with the function, performance, and perception differences between the two calibers. On the base level, the two guns were approximately the same – my 5.56 AR even has a Windham Weaponry heavy barrel! – with collapsible Magpul stocks, 16” barrels, and identical sling setups. Optics were different, as my 5.56 rifle sports a Leupold Mk AR 1.5x-4 on a Burris PEPR mount, while I elected to run the 9mm carbine with the non-magnified Vortex AMG UH-1 holographic sight in keeping with the close-in philosophy the pistol-caliber platform promotes.

Related: Survival Gear Review: Windham Weaponry R18FSFSM-308

Both rifles performed flawlessly, with either carbine proving to be ridiculously accurate and perfectly capable of providing easy hits under all circumstances and shooting positions. At the 75 yard mark and beyond, I did find that the 9mm definitely didn’t have the outright practical accuracy and flat trajectory that the 5.56 afforded, but hits inside the “kill” box were simple at all ranges to 100 yards with the 9mm. A “running man” drill with 90 9mm rounds at all distances from powder-burn range to 100 yards, and launching bullets from a variety of positions including prone, offhand, weak-side transition, and from behind cover with the rifle laying sideways and the buttstock mounted over the shoulder turned up a perfect score with no rounds striking outside the scoring boxes. I used a mix of Winchester “White Box” 124-grain FMJ rounds and 124-grain FMJ handloads throughout the course with no failures to function. Recoil was positively negligible and the rifle was a breeze to fire quickly and accurately. 

The guys on the line either side of me appreciated the 9mm carbine greatly. My 5.56 AR wears a Seekins Precision muzzle brake that is hugely effective at taming muzzle rise, but blasts concussively every time the rifle goes off. (I was told by my instructor that the muzzle blast was flapping my neighbor’s shirt around!)  The 9mm carbine was launching 124-grain bullets at about 1,250 feet per second, making the rifle seem almost suppressed in comparison!. Reportedly the 9mm AR was much more comfortable to stand near while I was shooting. Even with no muzzle device, there were no issues with muzzle rise or blast. This is a major consideration for anyone possibly running this gun indoors – whether it be a warrant-serving police officer, or a homeowner defending his family.

The 9mm carbine’s quick handling characteristics were a joy on the range, and the safety was positive and crisp – a welcome characteristic indeed, especially when working near other shooters with plenty of distraction. Knowing through haptic feedback – a nice positive “click” – that the safety was fully engaged or fully disengaged when I operated it was a Godsend.

(Very  Minor) Trouble in Paradise 

Issues? Yeah, a couple – but these were not really the gun’s fault, just struggles that manifested themselves via the differences in magazine design. You see, due to the feeding angle of Glock magazines imparted by Gaston Glock’s grip design, the Windham Weaponry’s magazines rake backwards slightly in the magazine well and require a different insertion angle when reloading from the shoulder. Where a standard 5.56mm magazine inserts straight up into the magazine well, the 9mm magazines require you to cant your wrist forward and slant the top of the magazine slightly forward when inserting. I also had a bit of luck inserting a magazine sort of like an AK, with the top of the magazine facing my head and then rocking it upwards and into the magwell. However, this technique didn’t work as well with tactical reloads when you had to juggle two magazines with one hand. 

The other issue I found was that though magazines generally dropped free when the release was pushed, the smaller, lighter 17 and 15 round pistol mags very occasionally had enough polymer-to-aluminum friction to hang up and require a yank or a shake while performing a reload from the shoulder. Not the end of the world, but another step to work through when you need the gun topped off in a hurry. I did find that this hang-up phenomenon occurred mostly when the rifle had been in a position where the magazine had some lateral pressure on it, usually from leaning against a barricade or cover. 

Training and repetition will help you through both of these issues decisively, but I found that swapping back and forth between the 9mm and 5.56 platforms had me confused when it came time for fast reloads. Keep that in mind if you like having lots of different rifles.

The other problem I’d found (actually before I took the course) centered around the 9mm carbine’s blowback operating system. Every time the rifle went off, the gun cycled and hot gasses from the expended cartridge made their way back through the charging handle keyway, and blew directly on my eyes. I never noticed the problem while wearing eye protection, like I do 99.9% of the time – but the one time I didn’t use eye pro, the hot gasses expelling backwards rushed into my eyes like a rowdy heat gun directed on my face. It was uncomfortable to say the least – and while dry eyes aren’t fun, unburnt powder, case debris, or other carbon residue could travel with the gasses – possibly disabling your eye. Lesson one: always use eye protection. Lesson two: ditch the stock charging handle and source a replacement unit that has a built-up “wall” of material on the top of the part – this mitigates the gasses nicely. The BCM charging handle I dropped in the carbine (standard AR charging handles work just fine!) enhanced the gun’s manual of arms with increased leverage for operating the bolt from the shoulder, and it deflected hot gasses nicely. 

Of all the swapped parts I changed out on the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine, I would consider the charging handle swap the most important – a huge safety upgrade for your face and peepers. When the SHTF or that home invader kicks the door open at 2am, think you’ll be wearing safety glasses? Even odds that you won’t be. Keep that in mind.

Brass Tacks

The pistol caliber carbine efficacy debate is a subject for a future article (one I’m looking forward to indeed); we’re going to assume that your plans dictate that the 9mm caliber is what you want, and you’re looking to take advantage of the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM’s ability to utilize Glock magazines. And why shouldn’t you? For Survival Cache’s target audience – Preppers and Survivalists – the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine provides you with a hugely effective tool to maximize your minimalist ideals and requirements. No longer do you need to keep multiple magazine types, ammunition calibers, and other logistical and maintenance accoutrements to supply your firearms needs; the Glock-mag-fed 9mm carbine fixes this issue for you. Run one caliber through one type of magazines for both your long guns and sidearm. The low recoil, close-in effectiveness, and lightweight, quick handling would make this a stellar choice as a training rifle of primary arm for smaller-framed shooters, women, and supervised, appropriately-aged children as well.

I’ve written before about Windham Weaponry’s outstanding commitment to quality and innovation – and this R16FTT-9MM is a perfect manifestation of both of these ideals. This carbine is beautifully manufactured to a design that is exactly what a 9mm AR should be. I know I griped a tad about the accessories Windham Weaponry chose to include with the package, but the very plain and simple fact is that this carbine is 100% serviceable and ready to go out of the box once you throw a sighting system on. It’s also a great starting platform to build a suppressed carbine, or even an SBR. The street price of $900-950 for the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM carbine may seem a bit steep when lesser companies offer a package with ostensibly the same features, but this is a classic example of getting what you pay for. The quality, design, reliability, fit, and finish are light-years ahead of other companies’ offerings, and – perhaps most importantly – Windham Weaponry’s transferable warranty and customer service are outstanding in their field…which I cannot say about other companies with, well, budget-minded products. 

If you think this 9mm carbine is “Just another AR”, get past your own confirmation bias and try one out. You’ll realize for yourself that an AR in 9mm is an absolute platform enhancement when combined with a sidearm that uses the same feeding system. Pistol caliber carbines paired with a compatible pistol are hot right now – shooters and preppers are recognizing the versatility, effectiveness, and minimalist leanings of the concept. And there’s no better combo (in my humble opinion) than a Glock 19 and a Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM carbine. Grab one of each (or more, that’s cool too), stock up on cheap, reliable magazines and some cases of ammo, and proudly possess the best pairing of shooting tools on the market – they’re ready when you are, no matter what hits the fan. 

The post Survival Gear Review: Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM Carbine appeared first on Survival Cache.

When you think of survivalist, you’re probably thinking of igniting fires, building shelters, and hiking miles of wilderness. Though survivalists do these things, many people don’t think about the aquatic survival skills people need to know in order to survive places like rivers, oceans, and other larger bodies of water.

As a survivalist, you will need to be comfortable with the idea of being around water if you want to explore the world to the fullest. Not only that, but learning basic aquatic survival skills may save your life on vacations or allow you to explore your abilities as a survivalist in the water.

1. Swimming

All survivalists should know how to swim. Though there are a variety of swimming techniques to use, the most common form is freestyle, where you alternate kicking your legs and alternating extending your arms forward. Using your arms, you push yourself through the water using your legs as a natural propeller. However, knowing how to swim isn’t the only thing you need to know. You also need to be cognizant of your swimming ability and endurance so you don’t overdo it and put yourself in harmful situation.

2. Treading Water

There are a variety of techniques you can choose from when learning how to tread water. Some important things to keep in mind, however, is that you will need to use both arms and legs while keeping your head above water.

One technique you can try is moving your arms horizontally while spinning your legs as if you were on a bike: in a vertically circular motion. Another technique is to use flutter kicks (point your toes downward and then kick your legs back and forth in short bursts) while using your arms to keep balance. No matter what treading technique you try, you will run out of energy, so be sure to practice consistently and frequently.

If you cannot tread water anymore, then you may lie on your back in the water and float to regain your strength. You can attempt to backstroke to safety if you’re within an ideal range, but the main focus should be on you getting your strength back so you can stay afloat!

3. Getting out of Currents

If you get stuck in a river or ocean current, this isn’t the end of the world. If you are stuck in an ocean current and are getting pulled out to sea, do not panic. Take slow deep breaths and then begin to swim parallel to the shore. You will waste energy trying to fight against the current to swim back to shore. Though it may take a while, you will eventually feel the current stop pulling on you and then you can swim to shore. If you can, try and call for help, but not if you think you’re going to inhale water doing it!

Similarly to being stuck in an ocean current, do not fight against a current. Swim at in a diagonal line to shore; don’t swim upstream or perpendicular to the current. If, worst case scenario, you are going downstream and can’t fight it, turn your body so your feet are facing the way you are going. Doing this will prevent your head from hitting something and causing you injury or unconsciousness.

Always Prepare

If you are going to be around or going into any body of water, be prepared to bring a flotation device with you. This prevents you from having to expend precious energy in staying afloat in a dangerous situation. Along with having floatation devices, be sure to continue practicing swimming– never know when it could save your life one day.

This article was originally published by Brandon Smith at Alt-Market.

I get the question often, though one would think it’s obvious – Who are these “globalists” we refer to so much in the liberty movement?

Sometimes the request comes from honest people who only want to learn more. Sometimes it comes from disinformation agents attempting to mire discussion on the issue with assertions that the globalists “don’t exist.” The answer to the question can be simple and complex at the same time. In order to understand who the globalists are, we first have to understand what they want.

We talk a lot about the “globalists” because frankly, their agenda has become more open than ever in the past ten years.  There was a time not long ago when the idea of the existence of “globalists” was widely considered “conspiracy theory”. There was a time when organizations like the Bilderberg Group did not officially exist and the mainstream media rarely ever reported on them. There was a time when the agenda for one world economy and a one-world government was highly secretive and mentioned only in whispers in the mainstream. And, anyone who tried to expose this information to the public was called a “tinfoil hat-wearing lunatic”.

Today, the mainstream media writes puff-pieces about the Bilderberg Group and even jokes about their secrecy. When members of Donald Trump’s cabinet, Mike Pompeo and Jared Kushner, attended Bilderberg in 2019, the mainstream media was wallpapered with the news.

When the World Government Summit meets each year in Dubai, attended by many of the same people that attend Bilderberg as well as shady mainstream icons and gatekeepers like Elon Musk and Neil deGrasse Tyson, they don’t hide their discussions or their goals, they post them on YouTube.

I remember when talking about the US dollar being dethroned and replaced with a new one-world currency system and a cashless society controlled by the IMF was treated as bizarre theory. Now it’s openly called for by numerous leaders in the financial industry and in economic governance. The claim that these things are “conspiracy theory” no longer holds up anymore. In reality, the people who made such accusations a few years ago now look like idiots as the establishment floods the media with information and propaganda promoting everything the liberty movement has been warning about.

The argument on whether or not a globalist agenda “exists” is OVER. The liberty movement and the alternative media won that debate, and through our efforts, we have even forced the establishment into admitting the existence of some of their plans for a completely centralized global system managed by them. Now, the argument has changed. The mainstream doesn’t really deny anymore that the globalists exist; they talk about whether or not the globalist agenda is a good thing or a bad thing.

First, I would point out the sheer level of deception and disinformation used by the globalists over the past several decades.  This deception is designed to maneuver the public towards accepting a one-world economy and eventually one-world governance. If you have to lie consistently to people about your ideology in order to get them to support it, then there must be something very wrong with your ideology.

Second, the establishment may be going public with their plans for globalization, but they aren’t being honest about the consequences for the average person. And, there are many misconceptions out there, even in the liberty movement, about what exactly these people want. So, we need to construct a list of globalist desires vs globalist lies in order to define who we are dealing with. These are the beliefs and arguments of your run-of-the-mill globalist:

Centralization

A globalist believes everything must be centralized, from finance to money to social access to production to the government. They argue that centralization makes the system “more fair” for everyone, but in reality, they desire a system in which they have total control over every aspect of life. Globalists, more than anything, want to dominate and micro-manage every detail of civilization and socially engineer humanity in the image they prefer.

One World Currency System And Cashless Society

As an extension of centralization, globalists want a single currency system for the world. Not only this, but they want it digitized and easy to track. Meaning, a cashless society in which every act of trade by every person can be watched and scrutinized. If trade is no longer private, preparation for rebellion becomes rather difficult. When all resources can be managed and restricted to a high degree at the local level, rebellion would become unthinkable because the system becomes the parent and provider and the source of life.  A one-world currency and the cashless system would be the bedrock of one-world governance. You cannot have one without the other.

One World Government

Globalists want to erase all national borders and sovereignty and create a single elite bureaucracy, a one-world empire in which they are the “philosopher kings” as described in Plato’s Republic.

As Richard N. Gardner, former deputy assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations under Kennedy and Johnson, and a member of the Trilateral Commission wrote in the April 1974 issue of the Council on Foreign Relation’s (CFR) journal Foreign Affairs (pg. 558) in an article titled ‘The Hard Road To World Order’:

“In short, the ‘house of world order’ will have to be built from the bottom up rather than from the top down. It will look like a great ‘booming, buzzing confusion,’ to use William James’ famous description of reality, but an end-run around national sovereignty, eroding it piece by piece, will accomplish much more than the old-fashioned frontal assault.”

This system would be highly inbred, though they may continue to give the masses the illusion of public participation and “democracy” for a time. Ultimately, the globalists desire a faceless and unaccountable round table government, a seat of power which acts as an institution with limited liability, much like a corporation and run in the same sociopathic manner without legitimate public oversight. In the globalist world, there will be no redress of grievances.

Sustainability As Religion

Globalists often use the word “sustainability” in their white papers and agendas, from Agenda 21 to Agenda 2030. Environmentalism is the facade they employ to guilt the population into supporting global governance, among other things. As I noted in my recent article ‘Why Is The Elitist Establishment So Obsessed With Meat’, fake environmentalism and fraudulent global warming “science” is being exploited by globalists to demand control over everything from how much electricity you can use in your home, to how many children you can have, to how much our society is allowed to manufacture or produce, to what you are allowed to eat.

The so-called carbon pollution threat, perhaps the biggest scam in history, is a key component of the globalist agenda. As the globalist organization The Club Of Rome, a sub-institution attached to the United Nations, stated in their book ‘The First Global Revolution’:

“In searching for a common enemy against whom we can unite, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like, would fit the bill. In their totality and their interactions, these phenomena do constitute a common threat which must be confronted by everyone together. But in designating these dangers as the enemy, we fall into the trap, which we have already warned readers about, namely mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention in natural processes. and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy then is humanity itself.”

In other words, by presenting human beings as a species as the great danger, the globalists hope to convince humanity to sublimate itself before the mother earth goddess and beg to be kept in line. And, as the self-designated “guardians” of the Earth, the elites become the high priests of the new religion of sustainability. They and they alone would determine who is a loyal servant and who is a heretic. Carbon pollution becomes the new “original sin”; everyone is a sinner against the Earth, for everyone breaths and uses resources, and we must all do our part to appease the Earth by sacrificing as much as possible, even ourselves.

The elites don’t believe in this farce, they created it.  The sustainability cult is merely a weapon to be used to dominate mass psychology and make the populace more malleable.

Population Control

Globalists come from an ideological background that worships eugenics – the belief that genetics must be controlled and regulated, and those people they deem to be undesirables must be sterilized or exterminated.

The modern eugenics movement was launched by the Rockefeller Foundation in the early 1900s in America and was treated a legitimate scientific endeavor for decades. Eugenics was taught in schools and even celebrated at the World’s Fair. States like California that adopted eugenics legislation forcefully sterilized tens of thousands of people and denied thousands of marriage certificates based on genetics. The system was transferred to Germany in the 1930s where it gained world renown for its inherent brutality.

This ideology holds that 4% or less of the population is genetically worthy of leadership, and the elites conveniently assert that they represent part of that genetic purity.

After WWII the public developed a distaste for the idea of eugenics and population control, but under the guise of environmentalism, the agenda is making a comeback, as population reduction in the name of “saving the Earth” is in the mainstream media once again.  The Question then arises – Who gets to decide who lives and who dies?  Who gets to decide who is never born?  And, how will they come to their decisions?  No doubt a modern form of eugenics will be presented as the “science” used to “fairly” determine the content of the population if the elites get their way.

Narcissistic Sociopathy

It is interesting that the globalists used to present the 4% leadership argument in their eugenics publications, because 4% of the population is also consistent with the number of people who have inherent sociopathy or narcissistic sociopathy, either in latent or full-blown form, with 1% of people identified as full-blown psychopaths and the rest as latent.  Coincidence?

The behavior of the globalists is consistent with the common diagnosis of full-blown narcopaths, a condition that is believed to be inborn and incurable. Narcopaths (psychopaths) are devoid of empathy and are often self-obsessed. They suffer from delusions of grandeur and see themselves as “gods” among men. They believe other lowly people are tools to be used for their pleasure or to further their ascendance to godhood.  They lie incessantly as a survival mechanism and are good at determining what people want to hear.  Narcopaths feel no compassion towards those they harm or murder, yet crave attention and adoration from the same people they see as inferior. More than anything, they seek the power to micro-manage the lives of everyone around them and to feed off those people like a parasite feeds off a host victim.

Luciferianism

It is often argued by skeptics that psychopaths cannot organize cohesively, because such organizations would self destruct.  These people simply don’t know what they’re talking about.  Psychopaths throughout history organize ALL THE TIME, from tyrannical governments to organized crime and religious cults.  The globalists have their own binding ideologies and methods for organization.  One method is to ensure benefits to those who serve the group (as well as punishments for those who stray).  Predators often work together as long as there is ample prey.  Another method is the use of religious or ideological superiority; making adherents feel like they are part of an exclusive and chosen few destined for greatness.

This is a highly complicated issue that requires its own essay to examine in full. I believe I did this effectively in my article ‘Luciferians: A Secular Look At A Destructive Globalist Belief System’. Needless to say, this agenda is NOT one that globalists are willing to admit to openly very often, but I have outlined extensive evidence that Luciferianism is indeed the underlying globalist cult religion. It is essentially an ideology that promotes moral relativism, the worship of the self and the attainment of godhood by any means necessary – which fits perfectly with globalism and globalist behavior.

It is also the only ideological institution adopted by the UN, through the UN’s relationship with Lucis Trust, also originally called Lucifer Publishing Company. Lucis Trust still has a private library within the UN building today.

So, now that we know the various agendas and identifiers of globalists, we can now ask “Who are the globalists?” The answer is – ANYONE who promotes the above agendas, related arguments, or any corporate or political leader who works directly with them.  This includes presidents that claim to be anti-globalist while also filling their cabinets with people from globalist organizations.

To make a list of names is simple; merely study the membership rosters of globalists organizations like the Bilderberg Group, the Council On Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, Tavistock Institute, the IMF, the BIS, World Bank, the UN, etc. You will find a broad range of people from every nation and every ethnicity ALL sharing one goal – A world in which the future for every other person is dictated by them for all time; a world in which freedom is a memory and individual choice is a commodity only they have the right to enjoy.

Written by Wild Bill on The Prepper Journal.

As we normal folks prepare for emergencies, disasters and the like, I was curious as to how one might approach this should “money be no object.” I myself have never had that problem, when cost was an afterthought, not a concern. But there are those that are born to or succeed to a point where this is their reality and in such Daniel Williams brought the following to my attention.

I for one found it fascinating, not just for the content and presentation but for the reality that if the EOTWAWKI, SHTF happens some of the “Golden Horde” is going to be its own little fiefdom, replete with private armies and weapons you only see in the movies. Another consideration to take into account as we all try to survive.

If it demonstrates anything it clearly shows that being rich and successful does not mean you are not just as flawed as us little people.

Since The New Yorker unveiled the doomsday survivalist strategies of the super-rich in 2017, the planet’s most monied men and women have proceeded to amp things up.

And you can’t fault the scope of their ambition as they look to inter-planetary escape, de facto states and even immortality to evade the collapse of our planet and the revolt of its stinking, heathen masses.

As such, the content team at Loanable have created an infographic which shows the freshest, weirdest and most popular ways the master’s of the universe will side-step doom should a catastrophe topple the natural order.

Mars Biospheres

Do you believe this better for mankind than to become extinct?

It is possible this dilemma will come to pass. Because what if Musk musters only a few thousand survivalists to colonize the red planet? It will be their duty to spread life on Mars.

Musk’s recent pledge to bring Pizza Hut to his biospheres also extends to some of The Hut’s industry rivals, so his Spaceship X survivalists will see out their days with a heady mix of fast food inside a giant greenhouse with an anti-gravity chamber on hand. Should the world end, some will perhaps consider that an upgrade on our current form of civilization.

Laser Eye Surgery

To prepare for post-nuclear melt down and martial law being unable to contain the baying mobs, then first things first. You absolutely, positively, need to pre-emptively correct the plus 1.2 vision in your left eye, right?

Because this is what Steve Huffman would have us believe.

And if you can’t get round to laser eye surgery before the world goes to hell, then you must face down the existential threats by stockpiling contact lens solution instead.

And who am I to deride Huffman and his survivalist priorities? This man who is the brilliant, billionaire, founder of the “front page of the internet” as against a glib content creator, sitting in pajamas in a tiny basement flat, with pieces of peppermint immovably lodged in between his teeth?

Private Armies

The private standing army is the essential end-of-the world accessory for the financial overlord. And what really matters is how big your force of mercenary soldiers is compared to the next man’s.

In this spirit, a number of American survivalist billionaires recently met in secret in Switzerland – with the size of their squadrons top of the agenda. After all, what’s the point in accruing billions of dollars if you don’t have a system in place to protect it from the antsy hoi polloi when the world is in peril?

But if food and water and law and order are in short supply, and hyper-inflation kicks in as it typically does during extreme crisis, then subordinating one’s troops becomes a real issue.

And whereas in the past, the very rich could trade Givenchy, Chapaud and furs for loyalty, today’s fiscally elite survivalists are largely austere, righteous and lacking in ostentatious possessions (other than, ironically, their anti-armageddon accouterments) This means they’ll be faced with the futile task of trading stock in solar powered hectares in Arizona for the fading loyalty of their soldiers.

Food Mountains

Instead of posing the tired question of what would be your last meal before you die, we can instead ask what’s the best meal to have when the planet dies?

And on this front, survivalist food kits are a multi-billion dollar business. They are also a great leveler: rich and poor alike will typically be reliant on the same, boring types of emergency food: cereals, tinned fruit and vegetable and freeze-dried produce.

Many of the survivalist food kits, though, do offer charming, unexpected flourishes such as the hand wipes provided by leading emergency food kit manufacturer, Gear Hungry. After all, it’s bad enough having the world end before your very eyes without also having to deal with pesky, sticky fingers from your mini-pack raisin and sultana mix.

Survival Condo Projects

Luxury living inside a former nuclear bunker is a special pitch for special times. This form of subterranean existence is perfect for the super rich survivalist who isn’t grandiose or romantic enough to set their sites on living in space.

The full luxury, doomsday units in Wichita Falls, Texas can be yours from around $3 million USD and they will allow 75 people to outlive the real world for up to 5 years.

There is also a special, organic hydroponic and aquaculture facility which is THE place to get your hands on luxury survivalist produce. This means that when the general public run out of food and start eating each other’s radio- active flesh, you can dine on carefully cultivated matsutake mushrooms, saffron and albino sturgeon procured from the Sterlet fish being farmed in the sea water tanks.

The Wichita Falls condo units also offer a further, rich blend of banal and apocalyptic features. So you can enjoy “Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical air filtration” alongside the “Washer and dryer in each unit”. And as well as the “Command & Control Center” you will find “Full kitchens with High-end stainless appliances” lest you endure a nuclear fall out with the added indignity of not having a sashimi-grade cutting knife.

The Doomsday Clock

The time of the clock (which gauges how close the world is to catastrophe) is governed by The Board of Atomic Scientists whose numbers include a dozen Nobel prize winners and experts in various fields.

As well as the present day, the only other occasion the Doomsday Clock was as far gone as 11:58 pm was in 1953 – after the Soviet Union and the U.S had developed and tested “H-Bombs”.

So it doesn’t look good for us then.

It might, perhaps, be said, though, that The Board of Atomic Scientists a doom- laden lot. The earliest time they have ever recorded was 11:43 pm in 1991, after a pact between Russia and the U.S to reduce nuclear arms.

Which means we’ve never been more than a figurative 17 minutes from the end of the world. And this begs the question of what insane level of utopia we’d have to attain to make it, say, 08:27 am?

New Zealand

Many New Zealand media outlets reacted with anger to vast parts of their beautiful country being sold to over a dozen Silicon Valley billionaires. Presumably, it was more irritating still, though, when James Cameron started buying up land there.

All of the above contributed to a change in the law in 2018, restricting non-citizens’ right to buy property in New Zealand. This can be side-stepped, however, by acquiring permanent residency if $7.5m USD is invested in the country year-on year after an initial outlay.

This forms part of a bigger picture of “passport collecting” amongst dozens of the world’s richest survivalists. Because as well as allowing them to find political and economic safe havens, multi-citizenship is the ultimate keeping-it-classy-the hell with-you status symbol; the non-gauche equivalent of the mega-yacht.

Inside the mind of Ray Kurzweil

Eternal life achieved through a downloaded conscience is of long-running intrigue to survivalists, science fiction writers and raging narcissists alike. So let us ponder, then, what it means to exist without bodily movement or sensation for infinity…

…Those billions of years you’d have alone with your biggest regrets. The trillions of years spent with no means of generating new memories. Or perhaps you’d lose your mind and your memories altogether; for there can be no absolute guarantee against that.

So maybe, then, you’d be terrified, trapped and confused ad infinitum. In which case you’d think someone would flip the switch and put out of your misery. Unless you get overlooked in the data base, lost in the system. Forever conscious.

Enjoy it, Ray.

There you have it, perhaps “out there on some points” eye-opening on others. Knowledge is power, and your power is to process it and keep the parts that add value to your life.

Be Safe out there and be sure to check out The Prepper Journal Store and follow The Prepper Journal on Facebook!

The post Survival of the Richest: How the World’s Financial Elite are Preparing for Armageddon appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

Survive the harsh winter with our comprehensive list of winter survival tips to thrive in the cold.

RELATED: Total Whiteout | A Compilation Of Winter Storm Survival Tips

In this article:

1. Learning Winter Survival to Prep the Proper Winter Survival Kit
2. Winter Survival Kit | Emergency Kit List
3. Priorities for Your Winter Survival Kit
4. Stocking Your Winter Survival Kit or Bug Out Bag
5. Include a Fire-Building Kit in Your Winter Survival Kit
6. Winter Survival Kit Tool for Building a Shelter
7. Staying Hydrated
8. Signaling for Help
9. Finding Food
10. Building Traps and Snares
11. Tools and Weapons to Pack in Your Winter Survival Kit
12. Consider Safety When Prepping Your Winter Survival Kit

Winter Survival Kit | The Ultimate Checklist

Learning Winter Survival to Prep the Proper Winter Survival Kit

Why do many people fail with winter survival skills? When we think of “survival,” we immediately imagine activities perfect for warm weather.

These can include camping, fishing, hiking — the list goes on because most of us are more comfortable in warmer weather, of course. So, it’s not surprising we tend to practice or hone our survival skills during the summer.

This practice can be a dangerous and even deadly mistake when emergencies happen during winter. You may not have the right winter survival techniques and proper winter camping gear.

Want to learn more? Click here to download our complete guide to winter survival.

We cannot overstate the importance of winter camping kit and survival tips. Even the most basic of survival tasks can be more challenging when there’s cold temperature, snow, ice, and strong winds.

For this reason, we’ve put together your ultimate winter survival kit. It can help prepare yourself during the harsh, cold months.

Winter Survival Kit | Emergency Kit List

|

Since your survival needs will change depending on the season, it’s a good idea to pack a separate bug out bag for winter. This bag includes the essentials fit for the cold:

• Modern fire starters
• Folding saw
• Reflector blankets
• Hand and body warmers
• Metal cups
• Ice fishing supplies
• Wool socks
• Long underwear
• Ski mask and goggles
• Insulated water bottle
• Shovel
• Cold weather sleeping bag

Click here for more winter bug out essentials.

Priorities for Your Winter Survival Kit

In any survival situation — no matter the season — the most crucial step is to stay calm. This will enable you to think clearly.

You can make rational decisions to keep you alive. No matter how grim the outlook may be, try your best not to panic.

Once you have the time to organize your thoughts, here are the winter survival priorities:

1. Warmth

|

Despite popular belief, your first priority in a stressful situation is not food or water. It should be the best survival tent or shelter.

This is especially true in the winter months. Exposure to the elements even for a few minutes can be dangerous.

You can develop hypothermia. Before you do anything else, make sure you have adequate winter survival tents and shelters.

You should also have a fire to maintain your body’s much-needed warmth. After these, you can start looking for food, water, and other survival essentials.

2. Water

After shelter, water is the most pressing need. A person can survive a month or more without food. You can only go for three days without water (remember the survival rule of threes).

Keep in mind, drinking cold water or eating snow in winter will cause your body to burn a lot of calories, which your body desperately needs to stay alive. In a winter survival situation, always heat up the water before drinking it.

3. Signaling for Help

It is important to exert all efforts to get the attention of your rescuers, especially in the first three days. You can learn how to signal for help in the wilderness.

Know, too, the different emergency communications using light, fire, and smoke.

4. Food

Of course, your bug out bag should have MREs (meals, ready to eat) and other winter survival food items. Even so, make an effort to get food from other means.

Familiarize yourself with edible plants in the area. Learn to make traps and snares to obtain animals for food.

5. Tools and Weapons

Again, your bug out bag must come with a few basic survival tools. In addition, you should know how to make your own tools from the materials readily available to you.

Stocking Your Winter Survival Kit or Bug Out Bag

|

Having a well-stocked bug out bag is crucial, especially in the winter. The harsh elements can make it even harder to survive, let alone stay comfortable.

Your winter bug out bag should contain plenty of food, water, and matches. It must also have at least two high-quality knives and tools.

You may also need materials to build survival shelters, such as cordage. It should also have some tool for purifying water and warm winter survival gear.

The bag must include items you can use to signal for help. Your bug out bag should also include a first aid kit with all the necessary supplies to treat common ailments or preexisting illness or injury you may have.

Include a Fire-Building Kit in Your Winter Survival Kit

|

Building a fire is the single most important winter survival skill you can possess. Without it, you are unlikely to thrive longer than a few hours.

Here are the basic steps for building a fire in the winter:

1. Find Wood

Remember that wet wood won’t burn. It’s a waste of time to dig in the snow for wood buried underneath. Instead, look for fallen and downed branches and twigs on top of the snow.

2. Make Kindling

Carve dry the wood by breaking it apart and gathering the inner splinters. Use these small pieces as kindling for your fire.

3. Fuel the Fire

Once you have a flame, feed it with fuelwood. Dead limbs off standing trees work best, especially if they come from broad-leaf hardwood trees such as birch, dogwood, or maple.

Winter Survival Kit Tool for Building a Shelter

|

The type of winter survival shelter you need will depend on your situation. If you find yourself inside a vehicle, it is almost always preferable to stay put in your vehicle until help arrives.

Hopefully, you also have a car winter survival kit. If you’re not in a vehicle, use whatever materials you can find to construct a winter survival tent to protect yourself from the elements.

Keep an eye out for caves or rock overhangs. These can make for great survival shelters.

You can also dig into a snowdrift to create a makeshift “snow cave.” These are a few ways to find or create shelter in the winter.

RELATED: 13 Winter Survival Methods To Keep You Warm

Staying Hydrated

|

Aside from shelter, water is the most crucial thing to focus on in a survival situation. Fortunately, winter often means there is water readily available in the form of snow and ice.

After melting the snow or ice into water, heat it up before you drink it. Drinking cold water in the winter will make you colder.

It will cause your body to expend more calories. This is where a metal pot or cup comes in handy. You can heat it on an open flame safely.

You should also carry a water purification system. It can be LifeStraw or iodine tablets. They can help ensure your water is pure and free of bacteria.

Signaling for Help

|

The difficulty of finding a lost or stranded hiker can become even greater in the winter. The glare off the snow can cause decreased visibility.

The elements can make it challenging for others to get to you. If you plan on venturing out in the winter, always leave a detailed itinerary behind.

This way, rescuers will know where to look for you. It’s also important you stay put.

It may be tempting to strike out in search of help. Rescuers, though, are more likely to find you fast if you stay near your camp.

Use fire, smoke, reflective blankets, signal flares, and other methods to call attention to yourself.

Finding Food

|

Aside from the winter survival food in your bug out bag, your main source of food will be edible plants and animals. Learn more about the local plants.

Know the difference between edible and poisonous ones. In winter, look out for plants like aspen, birch, cattails, maple, pine, rose, and willows.

They have a variety of survival uses. In addition, develop your skills on how to hunt, build snare traps, and ice fish. These will help you acquire your much-needed animal protein.

Building Traps and Snares

|

A snare trap is the simplest, most effective way to hunt game in the winter. This loop of wire or cordage suspends an animal into the air or restrains it from movement.

Using a snare trap will save you time and energy that you would have spent hunting. Click here for our list of snare traps and how to make them.

Tools and Weapons to Pack in Your Winter Survival Kit

Tools and weapons will be lifesavers in a winter survival situation. They will help you hunt, prepare food, and build a shelter.

You can craft them from natural materials such as wood and flint. You can also modify your already-existing weapons.

Consider Safety When Prepping Your Winter Survival Kit

|

One of the best tips for winter survival is to always be aware of their surroundings. This season poses several unique threats. Here are a few things to consider when packing your winter survival gear:

1. Cotton Kills

Once you get cotton wet, it’s no longer able to keep you warm. Opt for a warmer fabric such as wool.

2. Prevent Hypothermia

Wear proper clothing, stay dry, and wear a hat. Also, stay out of the wind, build a fire, stay active, and eat energy-rich food.

These are only a few ways you can do to prevent hypothermia.

3. Identify and Treat Frostbite

Frostbite symptoms include cold and “tingly” ears, nose, fingers, and toes. You may also have numbness in the extremities.

The skin may be waxy or stiff and it can limit joint movement. For mild frostbite, warm the area with skin-to-skin contact for 15 minutes.

For superficial frostbite, splint and cover the affected area. You can then loosen clothing and seek medical attention.

In the case of deep frostbite, rescue and evacuation are the only cure.

Check out these simple winter survival tips from RoastedEngineers:

Winter survival needs a unique set of skills, situational awareness, and preparedness. These winter weather tips are only scratching the surface.

This article, though, can provide you with a good foundation to thrive during colder days.

Do you have cold weather survival tips? Share them in the comments section below!

Up Next: 

• Lost In The Woods 101: What To Do When Lost In The Woods
• Beyond The Freezing Point | Cold Weather Survival Tips
• Winter Survival | What To Do When The Heat Goes Out

Go to our Survival Life Store to shop some of our favorites self-defense tools and gear!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr!

***Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer.***
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on December 2, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

Anyone who has a stockpile of ammunition owes it to themselves to invest in some quality organization tools. I’m talking about investing in some ammo cans, ammo crates, or ammo boxes.

Why? Because I believe ammo can protect the longevity of your ammo AND I believe accuracy and organization go hand in hand.

And having an organized systematic approach to storing your ammo helps with both.

Proper ammo storage protects your investment AND supports a clearer mind for better range accuracy. And there are two basic types of ammo cans to choose from: Metal or Plastic.

And neither option is “right” or “wrong”. They’re just better or worse depending on YOUR circumstances and YOUR plans for use.

But in general:

• If you’re buying for long term ammunition storage – I recommend going with metal.
• If you want a few to help with transportation to and from the range – go with plastic.

Metal has stood the test of time – but it’s heavy. Plastic can deform over time (especially in extreme temps) but it’s much lighter. 

If you’re still on the fence about metal vs plastic, watch the following two videos to help give you some guidance (otherwise, skip over them to get to the Ammo Can recommendations):





Note: If you’re interested in even more info on ammo storage and “how to store your ammo for the long term” check out our comprehensive ammo storage guide.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

1 – MTM AC4C AMMO CRATE SYSTEM (4-Can)

---

This is ammo crate setup is hard to beat. It’s perfect for storing several calibers in a systematic and organized way.

Why? Because you get 4 cans AND an ammo crate that fit the cans perfectly (5 pieces total). This means you can store, organize, and haul a ton of ammo in a hassle-free way.

The individual cans simply lift out of the crate. So you can take just a single can or take all four by picking up the crate.

All these cans are 30-caliber, making them convenient to store all types of ammo in bulk.

And with the addition of the specialized crate, you can stack your ammo as high as you’d like (from floor to ceiling). All without worrying about knocking them over.

The cans and ammo crate are made of rugged polypropylene for extreme durability. Many people prefer the hard plastic over metal – since it won’t rust and there are no sharp edges.

Plus, the crate includes 4 tied down locations for truck or ATV transportation.

The ammo cans also have a water-resistant O-ring seal and a heavy-duty latching system. Albeit, the latch is a plastic snap lock which may have some durability concerns.

But everyone agrees this is the absolute best ammo crate setup for hauling ammo to the practice range.

Finally, all MTM products are “Made In USA” in Dayton Ohio.

One reviewer performed a test to see how much ammo he could fit via different calibers:

• “700 rounds of 45 auto was pretty much it. Maybe another 25rounds.
• 116 rounds of 12ga shells @ 2.75″ long. Also, could fit another 10-12 if need be.
• 1000 rounds of 9mm and plenty of room for at least another 150.
• I did a test with some 5.56 from a buddy. We got to 450 rounds with room still left
• This is PER CONTAINER by the way.”



Check Out Today’s Price

2 – PLANO AMMUNITION FIELD BOX AMMO STORAGE

---

Now, let’s take a look at the most cost-effective ammo can on the market.

This plastic ammo can feature a water-resistant O-ring seal that’s designed to keep your ammo dry and safe. It includes a brass latch and a heavy-duty carrying handle.

This is a stackable ammo box and according to one reviewer, it can hold the following:

• “9mm @ 1,000 rounds in the original boxes!!! (S&B 115 Gr FMJ… 20 Boxes of 50 rds)
• or- 9mm @ 500 rounds of LE in original boxes (Winch.Ranger 147 Gr SXT… 10 boxes of 50 rds)
• or- 223 Rem @ 520 rounds in original boxes (Wolf Prem. Gold 55 Gr FMJ… 26 boxes of 20 rds
• or- 12 ga @ 100 rounds in original boxes!!! (Royal Buck 2-3/4″ 00 Buck. 20 boxes of 5 shells)”

Now, this ammo box is a go-to when storage space is limited. For example, if you’re trying to fit ammo can inside a gun safe and you need something compact.

Finally, it’s near impossible to find something this good at a lower price point (unless that price point is FREE).

Check Out Today’s Price

3 – REDNECK CONVENT METAL AMMO CASE CAN

---

This metal ammo can features a “WORRY-FREE SEAL” that’s considered air and watertight.

It comes with a hinged lid with a locking latch and a flat-folding handle.

It’s built to last since it’s made of heavy gauge solid steel. The lid includes a rubber gasket that ensures a tight fit to keep water and air out.

It comes in classic camo green color (.30 caliber or .50 caliber), tan color (.50 caliber only) or black color (.50 caliber only).

Here’s a helpful comment from one reviewer to consider:

“Here’s what I consider the biggest advantage of this container. I stored loose ammunition in this can, and also in plastic ammo cans made by Plano and MTM. The plastic cans had rubber seals around the inside of the lid. So I assumed they would keep out moisture from humid air. I placed desiccant packs in all the containers…. the kind of desiccants that have beads that go from blue (when dry) to pink (when saturated). The desiccants in the plastic ammo boxes turned pink in less than two weeks. However, the desiccants in this metal can were still blue in the same period. For this reason alone, not to mention the superior strength of the Redneck can… I’m buying more metal cans to store all my ammo.”

One concern is the stack-ability of these.

The carry handle creates a small “void” on the bottom of each can that’s slightly off-center. This causes a very high stack of them to slant…

Check Out Today’s Price

4 – MTM Tactical Mag Can

---

Tired of storing all your ammo in boxes or loose inside an ammo can, why not just store your loaded magazines instead?

This Tactical Mag Can from MTM allows you to do exactly that.

It’s designed to hold up to 14 magazines inside foam tight foam inserts.

It comes with 2 carry handles, 4 tie-down points, and they are designed to be stackable.

It’s a simple but effective ammo crate design.

Note: This specific mag can is for .308 mags – click here to search for other sizes mag cans.

Check Out Today’s Price

5 – MTM ACR8 AMMO CRATE UTILITY BOX

---

Here’s an ammo crate that can carry a ton of ammo or gear! It provides an immense amount of storage space.

One reviewer’s take:

“I love this anno crate. It seems well made. I started looking into an alternative for storing ammunition in traditional ammo cans (.30, .50, fat .50’s etc.) I needed something that would keep my ammunition dry and organized.

These ammo crates are especially useful for storing shotgun shells or other ammunition that is not densely packed (example Remington green/white .223). When filled moving them is still manageable.

They stack well too. I was able to fit (60) boxes of Remington green/white box .223 in it without having to damage any of the boxes.

If I were to pack these into .50 cans I can only fit 300 to 400 rounds (without removing them from the box). I plan on buying more. Buy some, you won’t be disappointed.”

This ammo crate includes 2 strong handles and is designed to be stackable. And includes dual padlocks and four tie-down tabs.

This helps provide extra security and makes transportation easier.

This ammo crate also includes a water-resistant O-ring seal which will keep your ammo and gear dry in wet conditions.



Check Out Today’s Price

6 – MAGNUM 53540 METAL AMMO CANS (3 pieces)

---

Here’s a nice assortment bundle of ammo cans (small, medium, and large). Here are the measurements of each size:

• Small – 10 7/8” by 3 3/4” by 7” (30 cal)
• Medium – 11 7/8” by 6 1/8” by 7 1/2” (50 cal)
• Large – 12 7/8” by 7 1/4” by 9” (fat 50 cal)

One nice feature is these three cans are able to nest inside each other. So, they save space if you want to haul them around empty (like back home after the shooting range).

Each ammo box is airtight and water-resistant due to the thick rubber seal that comes with each.

They also have metal laches, metal hinges, and a metal handle.

So, this is a good deal if you’re looking for multiple sizes in a single purchase.

Check Out Today’s Price

7 – HIGH DESERT PLASTIC AMMO BOXES (6 pack)

---

If you are looking for a bulk discount, these 6 large 30 cal plastic ammo boxes might do the trick.

These are water-resistant due to their tongue and groove lid design and rubber sealed gasket. Plus, they include pre-drilled holes for adding a padlock.

They also have a nice hinged plastic handle for convenient transportation.

The one complaint is it’s not extremely heavy-duty and not a guarantee to be “airtight” for the long term.

But at this price point, these still may be worthwhile if you’re primarily looking to organize your stash.

Check Out Today’s Price

8 – PREVIOUSLY ISSUED U.S. G.I. M2A1 METAL 50 CAL AMMO CAN (used)

---

If you’re looking for a brand spanking new ammo can with ZERO flaws – this one is NOT for you!

But, if you want a small piece of history and like the idea of your can having a few battle scars – then you’re in luck.

These are previously used 50 cal ammo cans that Military Issued  – flaws and all. Rust? Possible. Dings, dents, scratches? Probably.

But as one reviewer commented:

“I love the fact that it has been previously used by our military.”

Another reviewer suggests:

“First off, this ammo can is USED MILITARY SURPLUS. So if you expect a cosmetically flawless can suitable for decoration, keep looking. If you want a solid steel construction ammo can, this is the one. I purchased this can expecting surface rust, dings, dents, etc.

These cans are fantastic and I would not hesitate to purchase more. As a personal bonus, my can was marked with 5.56mm on the side, exactly what I plan on storing in it. Buy with confidence!”

They are U.S. military surplus 50 caliber ammo cans, which makes the rugged and built to last.

They’re constructed out of heavy gauge steel and include a rubber gasket. This helps to provide protection from moisture.

The inside dimensions are 11 by 5.5 by 7.

Check Out Today’s Price

9 – SOLID TACTICAL 50 CAL AMMO CAN (includes desiccant pack)

---

This 50 cal ammo can takes air and water-resistance to an entirely new level. So much so that each one is individually tested to give you peace of mind for long term ammo storage.

It’s made from the highest quality metal making them both tough and durable.

Solid Tactical also provides a Money-back promise. This means you can buy this 50 cal ammo can with confidence knowing it’s a RISK-FREE proposition.

Here’s one person’s take:

“Box arrived quickly, and I was surprised at how heavy duty it was. From my memory, the army ammo boxes weren’t this sturdy. It is heavy and it takes a little muscle to open the latch. It has a watertight seal and comes with a few desiccant packs.”



Check Out Today’s Price

10 – MTM ACC9 AMMO CAN COMBO (holds 1000 rounds)

---

This ammo can has one very nice bonus feature for those who want even more organization. It includes ten 100-round containers that fit inside the ammo box itself.

These extra containers are a second level or organization. It’s perfect for those who can’t stand just dumping their ammunition haphazardly into their cans.

It also comes with color-coded stickers sheets with 4 color choices (a total of 80 labels). Plus, 10 ammo description cards.

One reviewer’s take:

“Awesome Can for 9mm. Worth every penny. It comes with 10 100 Rd cases and one large container that holds all 10. Plus, it has enough room for 1 more. I just received this today. But can already tell it is going to make ammo storage, range days and reloading so much easier.”

Check Out Today’s Price

A FEW MUST-OWN ACCESSORIES

---

Decals / Stickers

You need to invest in some Can Decals.

They allow you to know what’s inside the ammo box without having to open it up. This is critical for long term storage or when under a time crunch.

For storage, you want to keep your ammo free of moisture with silica gel desiccant packs. And that means keeping your ammo box 100% completely sealed.

That means you’ll want to avoid opening them up unnecessarily – like to see which caliber of bullet you’ve stored in it.

AND if you’re under pressure to access the correct ammo fast, good labeling will save time and help avoid costly mistakes.

Locking Hardware

Adding ammo can locks is always a good idea.

Sure, a lock won’t stop a thief, they would just take the whole can. But they will prevent kids from accessing your ammunition stash.

However, there are two options, adding lock hardware or adding a hanging lock.

Foam Inserts

If you want your ammo cans to hold magazines, then you have to get foam inserts. These help to keep your magazines organized and protected.

There are many different foam insert cutouts to choose from. Such as the Case Club M2A1 .50 Cal  Foam Insert.

Or you can click here to see many more foam insert options.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

FINAL THOUGHTS

---

Owning an ammo stockpile is an investment.

It’s an investment in your personal defense both today and in the future. And like any worthwhile investment, you should protect it.

With ammunition, that means storing your ammo in ammo cans.

And honestly, they’re not all that expensive. Plus, you buy them once and they’ll last you a lifetime.

It’s a resilient and wise idea to keep your ammunition as organized and protected as possible.

Remember: Prepare, Adapt, and Overcome,

“Just In Case” Jack

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 10 Best Ammo Cans That Will Make Your Range Buddies Insanely Jealous appeared first on Skilled Survival.

What in the world has happened to us?  Once upon a time, America was made up of tightly-knit communities that were united by family, faith and patriotism, but now we are more isolated than ever before.  Of course one of the biggest reasons for this is the fact that we are all spending countless hours staring at screens instead of interacting with real people, and this is something that I covered in a previous article.  However, our fundamental beliefs are also significantly shaping how we behave.  For the past couple of generations, we have de-emphasized family, faith and patriotism as a nation, and instead we have become an extremely “me-centered” society that is primarily focused on doing whatever makes ourselves happy in the moment.  But this single-minded pursuit of individual happiness has resulted in much of the country being perpetually mired in loneliness, depression and/or addiction.

When you look at the numbers, they truly are startling.  For example, a recent survey that was conducted by Cigna found that almost half of all Americans feel lonely…

Nearly half of Americans are lonely, according to a survey of 20,000 people across America by Cigna, which used the well-regarded UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure responses. Indeed 46% said they sometimes or always feel alone and 47% say they sometimes or always feel left out.

And other surveys have produced numbers that are even more alarming.  A Harris Poll that was conducted a few years ago actually discovered that 72 percent of all Americans “experience loneliness”…

The survey of more than 2,000 Americans conducted by the Harris Poll last month on behalf of the American Osteopathic Association, showed that almost three-quarters (72 percent) of Americans experience loneliness. And for many, it’s not just a once-in-a-while occurrence — one-third said they feel lonely at least once a week.

Of course this is commonly known as “the happiest time of the year”, but for many it just magnifies their loneliness.

People see love, warmth and community modeled in television commercials and in Hallmark movies, and they assume that most people out there must be living lives like that.

Sadly, that is not true at all.  What we see on our televisions are echoes of the way that America used to be, and many of us would love to see that type of culture make a roaring comeback.

But for now, America is a very, very lonely place, and this reality is reflected in a song that was just released by one of our most popular pop singers…

Mabel, the singer behind the hit “Don’t Call Me Up,” has a new track for those who struggle with loneliness during the holidays.

Titled “Loneliest Time of Year,” Mabel captured how for some people, the holidays can heighten feelings like loneliness, loss and depression. In the song, released Friday, she sings lines like, “Sorry I’m not so merry/But I feel like this yearly/Christmas time isn’t my vibe/Brings no joy into my life” and “If I’m feeling lonely/I can’t be the only one.”

Yes, millions of American families will gather during the holidays, but way too many of those gatherings are filled with bitterness, resentment, strife and discord.

In fact, another new survey has found that the average American only needs 3 hours and 54 minutes “before they start to feel sick of their families”…

The holidays are supposed to be a time to come together with family and celebrate, but a new survey finds that most Americans can barely get through an evening with their family before needing a break. A total of 2,000 Americans who usually travel to visit family during the holidays took part in the research, and 75% say they will inevitably need to get away from their relatives and indulge in some much needed “me time.”

In fact, it only takes respondents an average of three hours and 54 minutes before they start to feel sick of their families.

This isn’t how it is supposed to be.

We were created to love and to be loved.  And when you remove love from the equation, people become very miserable quite rapidly.

In America today, “deaths of despair” are happening at the highest rate in all of U.S. history.  The following information comes directly from the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee…

Anne Case and Angus Deaton famously chronicled a dramatic rise among middle-aged non-Hispanic whites since 1999 in “deaths of despair”—deaths by suicide, drug and alcohol poisoning, and alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis.1 The Social Capital Project has extended Case and Deaton’s research to cover the full American population as far back as available data permit: to 1900 in some cases, and to 1959 or 1968 in others. We present here a snapshot of the long-term trends in deaths of despair. We also attach our full dataset for use in future research, including results broken down by age, sex, and race.

Mortality from deaths of despair far surpasses anything seen in America since the dawn of the 20^th century. (The trend for middle-aged whites reveals a more dramatic rise but only goes back continuously to 1959.) The recent increase has primarily been driven by an unprecedented epidemic of drug overdoses, but even excluding those deaths, the combined mortality rate from suicides and alcohol-related deaths is higher than at any point in more than 100 years.

So it would appear that our very unhappy nation is rapidly becoming even unhappier.

And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what this is happening.

As a society, we decided that marriage wasn’t important.  So now we have one of the lowest marriage rates and one of the highest divorce rates in the entire world.

As a society, we decided that children weren’t important.  So now our birth rate has dropped below replacement level and a third of all U.S. children live in a home without a father.

As a society, we decided that patriotism wasn’t important.  So now the American flag is being banned by some schools as a “divisive symbol” and most of our young people have never even read the entire U.S. Constitution.

As a society, we decided that God wasn’t important.  So now just about every form of evil that you can possibly imagine is exploding in our society, and we are literally on a path that leads to national suicide.

If you feel lonely, miserable or depressed this holiday season, I would definitely encourage you to get my latest book entitled “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  It is filled with very practical advice that will enable you to start turning things around immediately.  But even more importantly, reach out to those that you love during this holiday season.

Life is way too short to live it alone.

Society would have us believe that those that have the most money are the most “successful”.  But that is not true at all.  In reality, those that love the most are really the most “successful”, and so let us endeavor to be people of great love.

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.

The post Americans Are Lonely, Miserable And Depressed – The Legacy Of A Society That Has Rejected Family, Faith And Patriotism appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

The entirety of human history has been shaped by one thing: theft.  Depending on who is allowed to steal the fruits of labor and how much leeway they gave themselves to steal has had an effect on every aspect of humanity’s history.

Taxation is theft. It’s a simple concept and not debatable.  Justification of it makes it nonetheless theft. And according to British author and co-host of Money Pit Dominic Frisby, the legalized theft by governments has been responsible for every war, mass murder, and revolution.  Frisby joined Keiser Report to discuss the history of taxation and how humans have been transformed into cattle to fund the overbearing and violent nanny state we are all living under.



“The ultimate form of taxation is, of course, slavery, where you lose all ownership of your labor,” he says, adding that throughout history taxes had unintended consequences.  But if stealing 100% of the fruits of a person’s labor is slavery, at what point is it no longer enslavement? “The entire history of the world, the entire history of civilization, has been shaped by taxation. As I said, every revolution, every war is funded by taxes,” Frisby remarked, according to RT.



Dominic Frisby is the author of Daylight Robbery: How Tax Shaped Our Past and Will Change Our Future.

For most people, tax is something we pay, simply because we must. We seldom think much more about it; in fact, tax is something we’d rather forget.

But the reality is that tax is the key to power. No government can survive without tax revenue – it is the fuel that every state, large and small, runs on. Many of the problems we face today, not least the enormous wealth gaps between rich and poor and between generations, can be traced back to our systems of tax. If you tax windows, many will sacrifice their daylight. If you tax cigarettes, some people will choose not to smoke; others will take up smuggling. Tax companies too much and many will relocate offshore.

In  Daylight Robbery, Dominic Frisby offers an alternative vision of a system that is as old as civilization itself.

This article contains affiliate links.