Survival Gear is the most unused product until a natural disaster happens, then it’s the most desired products, but usually too late to help those that really need the help.
We sell around the World, and pride ourselves on offering a level of customer service that we would want to see ourselves if we were shopping online.
Our product ranges change regularly, so we hope that you come back to our sites to see some of the fantastic offers that we regularly have.
When I was a kid, I remember spending a lot of time outdoors and going on hikes. Looking at myself now, I probably seem over-prepared and paranoid with the amount of outdoor gear I carry now versus when I was younger. That’s because back then I didn’t really carry anything. Okay, that’s not entirely true….
The post Survival Hiking Kit appeared first on Survival Cache.
This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog.
By the end of this month, there will be no more Walmart stores in Portland. More than 641,000 people live within the city limits of Portland, so you would think that there should be a lot of money to be made there.
But Walmart has decided to wave the white flag. Portland has been transformed into a complete and utter hellhole, and apparently, Walmart executives have determined that things are not going to turn around any time soon. So they have announced that the last two Walmart stores in Portland that were still operational will be permanently shut down by the end of March…
The last two Walmart stores within Portland’s city limits will close in late March, the company announced.
The locations, at 1123 North Hayden Meadows Drive and at 4200 Southeast 82nd Avenue at the Eastport Plaza, will both close on Friday, March 24. Walmart says they are closing the stores because they were not meeting financial expectations.
A spokesperson for Walmart used very careful language to explain why these stores are being closed…
“The decision to close these stores was made after a careful review of their overall performance. We consider many factors, including current and projected financial performance, location, population, customer needs, and the proximity of other nearby stores when making these difficult decisions. After we decide to move forward, our focus is on our associates and their transition, which is the case here,” a spokesperson with Walmart said.
Of course, this isn’t exactly the truth.
But what do you expect Walmart to say?
Do you expect a corporate spokesperson to admit that Walmart is leaving Portland because it has become a drug-ridden, crime-infested hellhole?
One customer that was interviewed about the store closings addressed the real reason why Walmart is leaving…
“We gotta resolve the shoplifting one way or another,” she added, addressing the topic of retail theft at the city’s locations, “because that is simply the problem. It’s gotta stop.”
At this point, much of Portland has been turned into a giant tent city for the homeless.
And a very high percentage of the homeless are addicted to drugs.
The only way that many of those addicts can fund their addictions is by theft, and as I noted in an article that I posted yesterday, over 2,600 downtown businesses have left Portland in recent years as a result…
Business owners are fleeing Portland in droves amid a pronounced rise in crime and homelessness, officials in the Democratic stronghold have revealed.
Public data shows that since the pandemic, more than 2,600 downtown businesses have filed changes of address with the U.S. Postal Service to leave their downtown ZIP codes.
Several big-name employers, such Umpqua Bank, have been among the mass exodus, carried out by owners who have taken issue with the rising crime levels and homelessness – and the city’s failure to address it.
We really are in the midst of the worst drug crisis in the entire history of our country.
And it is getting worse with each passing year.
We have also just learned that Amazon will be shutting down retail locations in New York City, Seattle and San Francisco…
Amazon plans to close eight of its Go convenience stores, the company said Friday, a decision that coincides with a pullback in its physical footprint and a broader effort to cut costs.
The company will shut two Go stores in New York City, two locations in Seattle, and four stores in San Francisco. The stores will close on April 1, and Amazon said it will work to help affected employees secure other roles at the company.
Needless to say, all three of those cities are also dealing with massive crime waves that are being fueled by desperate drug addicts.
And is it just a coincidence that virtually all of the major cities that are having enormous problems with crime are run by Democrats?
Look, the truth is that our entire country is rapidly degenerating all around us, and that includes areas run by Republicans.
But the far-left policies that have been implemented by radical Democrats all over America have clearly been a complete failure.
In 2022, the ten states with the highest official rates of unemployment were all run by Democrats…
The ten states with the highest unemployment rates in 2022 were: Nevada (5.4 percent), whose governor was Democrat Steve Sisolak; Illinois (4.6 percent), whose governor was Democrat J.B. Pritzker; Delaware (4.5 percent) whose governor was Democrat John Carney; Pennsylvania (4.4. percent), whose governor was Democrat Tom Wolf; New York (4.3 percent), whose governor was Kathy Hochul; Washington (4.2 percent), whose governor was Democrat Jay Inslee; Oregon (4.2 percent), whose governor was Democrat Kate Brown; Michigan (4.2 percent), whose governor was Democrat Gretchen Whitmer; Connecticut (4.2 percent), whose governor was Democrat Ned Lamont; and California (4.2 percent), whose governor was Democrat Gavin Newsom.
Do you think that is just a coincidence?
Sadly, it isn’t just our society that is deteriorating.
As Egon von Greyerz has aptly noted, the entire world “has been in a process of self-destruction” for a very long time…
For at least half a century, the world has been in a process of self-destruction.
As the decline accelerates, the next phase of 5-10 years will include major political, social, economic as well as wealth – destruction.
What can be more heinous than a total economic and financial collapse accompanied by a potential World War III that at worst could destroy the world totally.
Sadly, he is quite correct.
If we stay on this self-destructive path, the consequences are going to be far more horrible than most people are even willing to imagine right now.
So let us hope that we reverse course while there is still time to do so.
Unfortunately, evil continues to spread like wildfire all throughout our society, and the clock is ticking.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to the new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have published thousands of articles on 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 always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. 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. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and anyway that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
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Trekking the miles of aisles at SHOT Show is, as any shooting junkie would agree, a blast. But you never know what sorta shit you might step in. Seriously, who wouldn’t love getting up close and personal with all of the latest guns and gear heading to sporting goods dealers’ shelves? This year, the good people at Condor Outdoor called a very cool audible by outfitting a select few (75 to be exact) media professionals with a SHOT Show 2023 “Survivalist Swag Bag,” which they dubbed the “Hell & Back Care Package.” This pack was chockfull of adventure gear from 20 different companies—some usual suspects, and some you may never have heard of. Without further ado, here’s a peek at the goodies and links to manufacturers for more information.
The post Best Adventure Gear: Condor Outdoor Hell & Back Care Package appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.
A real survival flashlight should be able to survive the harshest of conditions.
Heat, moisture, and high impacts should be a non-issue if it’s truly tactical.
And I’d also argue that it should have more uses than just illumination.
If it’s going to truly live up to its survival nameplate; it needs to be designed to help keep you alive.
To help you survive.
So what could be more tactical than a flashlight that has 14 survival uses?
So in this article, we’ll cover 14 improvised uses for the FireHawk LED Tactical Flashlight.
There are two ways this tough everyday carry flashlight can neutralize a threat.
Let’s cover option one first.
This super bright LED flashlight is so bright; it comes from the factory with a yellow caution sticker. A sticker that warns you (the owner) against shining it directly into someone’s eyes.
So just how intense is this little-LED survival flashlight?
Try to recall an experience when some jackass forgot to turn off his high-beam headlights. Remember that burning sensation when your vision became temporarily impaired, and you had to blink multiple times to clear your retinas?
Shining this survival flashlight directly into your eyes feels a lot like that; maybe even worse.
So do not underestimate this option for self-defense.
It’s an effective and surprising maneuver in an unfriendly encounter. And not just useful at night either, during the day this LED flashlight is just as effective at blinding a foe.
Fundamentally, a threat can’t hit (or shoot) what it can’t see.
Stunning a threat with a super bright, focused LED beam of light pointed directly into their eyes will give you the upper hand. It will give you a few crucial seconds to react first. Enough time for you to fight or flee.
If you decide to fight, I recommend you move quickly and decisively against your temporarily blinded adversary.
Remember, you’re in danger so forget a “fair fight,” strike them before they know what hit them.
This is a HUGE advantage; don’t waste it.
If you choose to flee instead, again, act as quickly as possible to slip away before your opponent can fully recover. Before they can detect which direction you escaped.
There’s also a second way to use your FireHawk Tactical Flashlight as a self-defense weapon.
I want you to take a close look at the tip of this flashlight. See those metal prongs? See the deep grooves along the side?
Also, take note of the size of this survival flashlight and how well it fits in the palm of your hand.
Because of these tactical design elements (size, prongs, and grip), this flashlight makes for an excellent blunt forced melee weapon.
Now, of course, you wouldn’t use this method in any fight, but you would if your life depended on it.
The fit, the grip, and the metal prongs all add up to an ideal weapon to knock your foe out cold. Bring the tip of the flashlight down hard on your adversary and if you strike a blow in the perfect location, they will crumble to the ground straight away.
Just watch the damage that a FireHawk Flashlight can inflict on this poor orange:
There are numerous reasons why having a small hidden chamber is beneficial, but for those who can’t think of any off-hand, I’ll give you two that come to mind.
The bottom line is this:
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to hide something small, just remove the AA battery forming a discrete empty storage chamber.
You can use the soft and subtle clicking sound from the on/off button to signal a coordinated action.
Instead of shouting “1,2,3 let’s get ’em!”, you could click your FireHawk’s on/off button, and your team would know to spring into action on an unsuspecting foe.
Obviously, strategic coordination like this takes pre-planning, but the subtle click sound is a perfect action-signaling device.
Your FireHawk Flashlight requires a single AA battery; that’s it. But did you know you can use a single AA battery to start a fire?
All you need is a small strip of foil (gum wrappers work great for this).
Fold the foil. Then touch both ends of the foil to the opposite ends of a juiced battery and the foil will burst into flame.
So by carrying a working FireHawk Flashlight and a small pack of gum, you can improve your chances of survival by having the ability to create fire in a pinch.
And that’s what preparing, adapting, and overcoming are all about, using what you have with you to survive.
Let’s imagine for a second that you noticed a stalker. It’s at night, and you’d like to throw your stalker off your trail. You can accomplish this in 2 ways.
You can flash a beam of light onto an object located away from your current position. This will hopefully confuse the stalker who is following you.
They will see the flash of light and will stop to figure out what it was. They may even gravitate toward what they saw. Either way, the hesitation, and the confusion may give you enough time to slip away undetected.
The other way you can use your FireHawk Flashlight as a diversion tool is just to chuck it. The loud sound of it landing and hitting other objects will confuse a stalker and lead them toward the noise and away from you.
Personally, I’d rather keep the survival flashlight with me in case I needed to use it as a self-defense weapon, but for others, throwing it as a diversion device may make more sense.
Plus, the shape, size, and weight of this flashlight make it a good object to throw a long distance.
Objects that are too small or too light won’t work nearly as well because you can’t throw them far enough. Light objects also won’t make much noise.
This is a hand-held flashlight, not a headlamp, so how can you use it to work “hands-free”?
One of the smartest features of this flashlight is the recessed on/off button.
Having this button recessed helps prevent accidental activation, but it also allows you to set this survival flashlight down on a flat surface with the LED light facing up.
So you can turn it on, set it down (light end up), and then get to work with both hands.
While this setup is not as ideal as a good headlamp, it will provide enough ambient light in a dark room to accomplish most tasks. Better than trying to hold the flashlight in your teeth or working in the dark!
Hopefully, you never need to go to these lengths, and if you do, you’re going to lose its flashlight functionality. So there is a significant tradeoff to this survival use.
However, if push comes to shove, you can rip the small spring out of the button circuitry and use it to make several small fish hooks.
These hooks will only work for small fish (small lake trout or bluegill). The spring hooks won’t be robust enough to haul in a 40-pound channel catfish.
So you now have a couple of makeshift fishhooks, but you also need a bit of lead weight to keep the hooks at the bottom of the lake (where the fish are).
Fortunately, this flashlight comes apart into three sections; i.e. three chunks of metal. So tie one of these flashlight parts to your fishing line and it will help keep your hook on the bottom of the pond.
Now, before someone complains, I agree this setup is less than ideal. Catching fish with this rig won’t be easy and may not even be worth the effort, but that’s for you to decide.
Plus, worms and fishing lines are not included so you’ll need to figure those out.
This use and the next use are my favorites for the FireHawk Flashlight. You CAN start a fire using just the parts of this flashlight without the battery.
But before starting a fire, you’ll need some fine highly flammable tinder. The dryer and finer the tinder, the easier it will be to light.
Remember those deep grooves located on the side of your flashlight?
You can use these grip grooves to create fine tinder. I’d rather use a fixed-blade survival knife for this, but if you accidentally leave it behind this works fairly well.
Apply some downward force while quickly rubbing the grooves across a stick. These grooves will cut out small fibers of wood. Keep doing this until you get a small pile of fine tinder. Now you’re ready to ignite this fine tinder pile.
Here’s the fun part. Remove your FireHawks LED focus lens from the tip. This lens does an amazing job of focusing light, similar to a magnifying glass.
So for this to work, you will need it to be sunny out. Even partly cloudy will make this a challenging proposition.
However, if you do have a sunny day, angle the focus lens to capture the direct sunlight and focus it onto the tinder. Make sure you have the curved side facing toward the sun for maximum energy focus.
Also, the tighter you focus the light, the denser the energy will be. Once you got it just right, hold it steady for a few minutes, and viola….you’ve made fire!
To be honest, this one will work with most flashlights (not just the FireHawk) but I like the power and size combination of the FireHawk to make this project as badass as possible.
First, you need to build a small mounting structure and then point the FireHawk directly through a magnifying glass.
It’s a simple but effective DIY project that almost anyone can complete in about an hour.
Now you have a setup that’s perfect for spotting animals or intruders on your property with ease.
If you’re camping in a primitive location or backpacking where bears are present, it’s recommended that you hang your food.
Hanging your food keeps it safe from bears and other wildlife. It’s a backpacking requirement in places like Glacier National Park where Grizzlies are prevalent.
In order to hang your food, you first put all your food into a bag or pouch. Next, you tie some string or paracord to the pouch and throw the opposite end of your string up over a high branch. The branch needs to be fairly high for this to work properly.
However, a good high branch is far to toss a light string over without using an object with some weight. Rocks work ok for this, but they are a pain to tie a string around without it slipping off.
So here’s where you’re FireHawk Flashlight comes in handy. It’s actually the perfect size and shape for throwing.
Plus, it’s got a heavy-duty clip to tie off too.
Also, don’t worry too much about it breaking your FireHawk, it can take some abuse and keep on shining.
Once you’ve tossed your FireHawk over the high branch, pull the string attached down and your food bag up. Tie it off to the tree trunk and you’re done.
Nowadays you can buy better-designed rigs to mount a survival flashlight to your rifle. But those custom-designed rigs are often only available for newer rifles and are expensive.
But for those of us with old-school, Ruger 22s who are doing a bit of nighttime survival varmint hunting, adding a FireHawk Flashlight on your rig can come in handy.
You can easily secure your Firehawk using electrical tape. The tape is tough, it stretches, it’s black, and it’s easy to cut off with minimal adhesive residual left behind.
Just wrap it a few times and you’re all set with a makeshift rifle spotlight.
I recommend adjusting your FireHawk for the tightly focused spotlight setting and not in splash lighting only want to light up your target; not the entire surrounding area.
I admit this survival use is on the obvious side, but it’s one of my favorite uses on backpacking trips so I just couldn’t leave it out.
Here’s the deal, reading a topographical map in good light is hard enough. Reading one in poor lighting can easily lead to a costly mistake.
And reading a topo map correctly is essential to avoid getting lost or ending up miles off track. Most of these maps have tiny print, and if you have aged eyes it can be extremely hard to pick out all those tiny details.
High-intensity illumination will drastically help improve your ability to read this small print.
A good survival flashlight is a must to read a map at night, but it also gets dim during the day underneath a dense forest canopy.
If you’re going into the wilderness for any reason (hunting, camping, fishing, or backpacking) take a local topographical map and your FireHawk with you to ensure you don’t miss all the crucial details.
Use your FireHawk flashlight as a rescue signaling device to improve your survival chances. This works during the day or at night.
At night, if you’re lost in the wilderness but see a rescue helicopter sweeping the area, point your FireHawk at it in the spotlight setting.
Wave it quickly back and forth to help garner even more attention. This high-powered, super bright LED will get noticed. Once the rescuers notice it, they will circle around to investigate further.
The same idea works during the day. While the contrast during the day will be much less than at night, this LED light can still catch the attention of a rescue team. Just make sure you get the beam of the light focused and pointed directly at your target.
The easiest way to do this is to stick your hand out at arm’s length. Now make a V shape with your first and second fingers. Put your target object (rescue helicopter) between your two fingers.
Once you have that setup, shine your FireHawk flashlight between your fingers and directly at the intended target.
Once you’ve acquired your target with the light beam, quickly shake the light back and forth between your fingers.
This will create mini flashes of intense light that will help to get noticed. Signaling is a highly underappreciated survival strategy that could very well save your life.
As you can tell, we’re pretty proud of our FireHawk Flashlight and all its survival uses. In fact, we’re so proud that we want everyone to have one.
The post Survival Flashlight: 14 Improvised Uses appeared first on Skilled Survival.
Few human initiatives are as ancient and respectable as home fortification.
We separated ourselves from the animal kingdom by the strength of our wits and our knack for self-defense.
So to defend our family from others, we need to become home fortification experts.
Especially if the world we know collapses and desperate people want to take what’s ours.
Now good home fortification doesn’t require a full castle moat and a mangled barbed-wire fence ringing your lawn.
Creating a secure home can be done by adding many simple tactics.
It all depends on how far you want to take it.
So first, you must ask yourself:
The bottom line is this: The more difficult your home is to penetrate, the more likely a criminal will choose an easier target.
That’s the ultimate goal. Make it an absolute pain in the ass for the enemy, and he’ll move on to easier targets. (a.k.a your neighbors).
So with that said, I will share my best tips to help you put your personal home fortification plan in place.
Security Cameras Are Excellent Deterrents – Even If They Don’t Actually Work
A simple Google search will provide many home security and surveillance options. Systems you can purchase and have installed directly into your home.
Usually, these security services allow you to “arm” your home when you are not there or after you have gone to sleep. Once the system is armed, any windows breaking or doors being forced open will trigger an alarm that notifies local authorities.
They basically call 911 for you when someone breaks in. However, this constant monitoring is not cheap.
Basic DIY surveillance systems are cheaper and can be set up relatively easily. However, you can’t personally watch them 24/7.
So you have to decide which home fortification option is right for you…
The good news is that a potential intruder doesn’t know if that security camera is tied to a monitoring system (or not). They see cameras and will likely just move on to an easier target.
However, if you’re not willing to take that gamble and have the dollars to spend, there are quite a few home security and surveillance systems you could look into. Just do your homework before signing a long-term monitoring contract.
NOTE: Since this article was written, DIY surveillance systems, home security systems, and even doorbell cameras have dramatically improved. Most can alert you with a notification on your phone when they detect motion and allow you to talk and listen through the devices.
But honestly, this is just one security measure you can take to fortify your home. So if money is tight, then worry about the following options first.
Home defense must not be complex booby traps and unaffordable technology to work effectively. How about some simple solutions?
Like these:
Once all your standard entry points are protected with an alarm system, you should focus on your windows.
I will assume all your windows have locks – make sure you use them. But I’m not a big fan of window alarms. Why? Because a burglar can shatter and break a window out WITHOUT having to slide the window.
If the window doesn’t slide – traditional window alarms are useless.
Instead, you have two better options…
First is burglar bars. They are a great deterrent, but they’re not the best-looking option.
So if you want extra security and want it to look good, research security window film.
It’s a transparent film you can add to your windows, strengthening them. This means they’re much harder to break or shatter.
The film will also slow intruders down and force them to make more noise.
These handy motion-sensing illuminators are a cheap, simple way of detecting when intruders are intruding.
Fair warning, though: you will doubtlessly catch some unsuspecting wildlife by surprise occasionally.
Hang a doorknob chime on your door or some chimes just inside your door. Your mind will become accustomed to the jingling sound of your doors opening and closing.
If you are asleep and wake in the middle of the night to jingling and jangling … you know something unusual is afoot.
Whether you like them or not, these furry companions are one of the most effective home protectors.
Big dogs are better, for obvious reasons, but even little dogs can serve as an alarm or perhaps even a deterrent.
While a dog can be a good option, sometimes more exotic pets can offer an extra level of intimidation.
If someone breaks into a house and comes face-to-face with a Bengal tiger living in it, there is no way they will follow through with their villainous intentions.
But proceed with your own caution. Wild animals don’t always understand the difference between “good guys” and “bad guys.”
The age-old technology of the fence is one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments. They keep people out of places you don’t want them to be.
Install one if you’re concerned with home fortification. Just be smart about it.
They can create a false sense of security and even make you a target.
It’s just one tool you can use to make it harder for someone to snoop on your property. Most home fences can be easily scaled.
Use fencing to create choke points, visual deterrents, and psychological effects.
Big flamboyant houses with exuberant features and huge fences make for excellent targets.
It shouts, “We have lots of expensive stuff. So expensive we put up a huge fence.”
NOTE: Click here to see why you should avoid a tall fence around your home.
Not all fences are bad, but most fences are mere child’s play for an experienced criminal or a desperate mob. But there are ways to help conceal your house, protect your privacy, and provide security.
Mother nature has got you covered. Criminals won’t be able to scope your property out and develop a solid game plan if they can’t see in your windows from the street.
If you are lucky enough to live in a house with a lawn or acreage…use it. Planting a lot of trees and shrubs around your home is not just good for property values; it is also effective at concealing your privacy.
They can also help block windows and driveways, front doors, patios, or backyards from view.
And the fewer prying eyes roam your home, the better.
Shrubs can be planted strategically to funnel invaders into defined areas that are easy to watch. Many thorny bushes like blackberry and raspberry vines can act as physical barriers against threats.
These are nature’s barbed wire fences. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spaniards would plant Mesquite around the perimeters of their homes.
This gangly, wild-looking cactus would grow to well over 8 feet tall. It can serve as a perfect means of protection against unwelcome intruders.
Don’t underestimate a well-placed thorn bush or Cacti beneath your first-floor windows. I don’t care how motivated you are to break in; nobody wants to get stuck with a bunch of thorns trying.
Don’t Allow Anyone To Peer In Your Windows When You’re Not At Home and At Night
Eye-catching, expensive-looking houses are more likely to become targets. So do your best to keep your home flying under the radar.
You do not have to paint the house with a camouflage green to achieve this (actually, that would stick out worse in most neighborhoods). Just avoid bright colors and stick to more natural hues. Park your vehicles in garages, around the back, or hide them under tarps.
Also, use window blinds or curtains to keep outsiders from seeing valuables or expensive items you might have.
No sane individual would knowingly break into a house full of highly trained, sharp-shooting badasses.
Not only does a well-trained clan deter potential intruders, but it also ensures that every family member is capable of self-defense.
This alone will grant you some semblance of peace of mind. But before you ship your relatives off to an army boot camp, do everything you can to prepare them with simpler means first.
It can be survival air rifles, .22s, .357s, or AK-47s, or even a survival bow. You’ve done your job as long as you get your loved ones to understand how guns work, how to use them, and how to stay safe with them.
Shooting is a great skill everyone should learn. It is useful for hunting and imperative for effective self-defense.
Enrolling in a martial arts school is one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself for a home invasion.
I’d rather have a firearm than not, but I won’t be a sitting duck if I end up unarmed.
Picking a specific style can be difficult. Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Mui Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu are all decent options to get started.
A simple kitchen knife, baseball bat, or golf club can become an effective self-defense weapon. But only if it’s in the hands of someone who knows how to use it effectively.
Bottom line: Your entire family should be both physically and mentally prepared to keep intruders at bay.
Don’t Go Cheap On Front Or Back Door Locks
It might seem intuitive to you, but you’d be surprised how many people are shocked when burglars gain access to their homes. Normally it’s through an unlocked window or a fragile sliding glass door!
Let’s break it down statistically and take a look. Here are the top seven common points of access criminals use to invade homes:
Obviously, the most important places to fortify are the front and back doors. Next are all the first-floor windows.
But don’t stop there; you should reinforce all possible entry points for maximum security.
Since most break-ins occur through doors or windows – that’s where you should spend most of your efforts!
Door Reinforcement Armor
Armor Concepts sells door armor! Door Armor is a patented door security device that reinforces your existing doors’ weak points.
So you should always reinforce those points of entry as best as you can. These products help you do just that!
And the cost of these products is very reasonable if you ask me – especially for what you get –> “insane peace of mind.”
Watch the following video on how well this door reinforcement device works.
Window Security Film
In general, there are several types of film and other window solutions, such as burglar bars, riot glass, or security screens.
But for most people who want a quick, good-looking window security upgrade, window security film is your best bet.
Usually, walls do not present a problem … unless the hulk is trying to break into your home (in which case: GOOD LUCK). But if someone decides to start shooting at the exterior of your home, drywall and wooden studs will not save you.
Brick or stone walls are the best for mitigating this threat. But leave yourself “loopholes.” These are small openings from which you can see and shoot without being seen or shot at.
Who knows, right? Maybe someone is so intent on breaking into your home that they decide to take the ash-tunnel route.
If you are in extreme danger and must fortify to the greatest extent possible, block up your chimney. You don’t want any bad Santas coming down the pipes.
Ensure you are well-armed and equipped to manage a home invasion situation. Planting trees, painting the house, and getting a German Shepard is great, but it is not always enough on their own.
You need to outfit your home fortification with as much firepower and ammunition as is necessary.
If you are serious about home defense (and you should be), set some booby traps on your property. Simple things like tripwires with bells attached can be enough to alert you to intruders. But please, do not set up any lethal traps inside your house.
First off, they are highly illegal. People have died at their own hands because they set off a booby trap they themselves set. Be careful when you set traps. If you are not vigilant, you might catch yourself.
Here is the rub: if someone is 100% determined to enter your home and rob you (or cause bodily harm), they probably can.
That is unless you have a well-defended, best-prepared bulletproof home, it can be broken into if a large enough group coordinates an attack. So you have 2 choices.
Which leads to the next dark truth. You may be unable to stay in your house forever if you’re unprepared. This is especially true if you find yourself in an urban city during an End Of The World As We Know It scenario.
Areas with higher populations are more susceptible to violent riots and high crime levels. So if you live in a big city or around many people, developing a backup plan is certainly in your best interest.
Evacuation doesn’t have to be bad; change can be overcome if you plan on it.
With luck, you’ll never have to defend your home from anyone or anything. That’s the hope.
But if things go south and you must defend your home, you can ensure you are prepared to the highest degree.
P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?
Find out now by taking my short Readiness Score Quiz – it’s absolutely free.
Once complete, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the “fragile” vs.” resilient” spectrum.
So click here to start the Quiz….And don’t worry; the questions are so easy a 3rd grader could answer them.
Click on the image to begin the Quiz and find out once and for all if you’re part of “The Fragile Masses” or “The Resilient Few.”
The post 17 Best Home Fortification Tactics To Stop Break-Ins appeared first on Skilled Survival.
Russia is encircling the strategically important Artyomovsk, and Kyiv’s forces are weighing their options, says Alexander Rodnyansky, a war adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine is considering a retreat from the city.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Alexander Rodnyansky stated that Russia is attempting to encircle Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) by using the best troops from the Wagner private military company. Rodnyansky told CNN’s Isa Soares that Kyiv’s forces would retreat or “strategically give up” the city “if they believed the costs of holding it outweigh the benefits.” Rodnyansky added that the Ukrainian military “is obviously going to weigh all the options.”
“So far, they’ve held the city, but, if need be, they will strategically pull back – because we’re not going to sacrifice all of our people just for nothing,” the presidential adviser claimed, arguing that it was ultimately up to the military to decide if and when a withdrawal was required.
CNN also spoke to a Ukrainian soldier who wished to remain anonymous, and who described the situation in Artyomovsk as “much worse than officially reported.” “We should add another 100% difficulty to the official reports. In all directions. Especially in the northern direction where the [Russians] have made the biggest advance,” he said, according to a report by RT.
Mass Drone Attack Unleashes Chaos, Air Raid Sirens Inside Russia
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar stated on Tuesday that more reinforcements are being sent to the strategically vital city. This was confirmed on Wednesday by the head of Wagner, Evgeny Prigozhin, who said Kiev had sent tens of thousands of its best fighters to Artyomovsk. “They are putting up fierce resistance. The bloodshed of the battles is increasing every day,” Prigozhin noted. –RT
U.S. Rulers: China To Suffer “Real Costs” If It Provides Lethal Aid To Russia
This war is consistently ramping up to all new levels. Be prepared for anything and use your discernment.
I’ve always found primitive weapons to be fascinating. In part, because they are a part of our history but also as simple as they appear, they are much more effective than they are given credit for. In my experience, most people don’t seem too interested in them. I think because the word primitive is attached…
The post 13 Primitive Weapons Explained appeared first on Survival Cache.
Have you heard about what is going on in Cambodia? If officials confirm that the H5N1 strain of the bird flu really is spreading from human to human there, it is likely to set off a wave of panic all over the globe. And if human to human transmission were to start happening in multiple countries, we would have a real nightmare on our hands. We just went through a pandemic that had a very low death rate, but it still paralyzed much of the world for an extended period of time. So how would global authorities react if a disease that has a death rate of more than 50 percent in humans starts spreading like wildfire?
According to the World Health Organization, more than 50 percent of the humans that have tested positive for H5N1 over the past two decades have died.
The good news is that it has been very difficult for humans to become infected. During the past 20 years, there have been less than a thousand confirmed cases.
So even though H5N1 has resulted in the deaths of about 200 million birds worldwide since December 2021, health authorities just kept assuring us that the risk to humans was low.
But now everything may be changing.
In recent weeks, we have seen H5N1 mutate and start to spread among various types of mammals, and that has deeply alarmed many experts. For example, the following comes from an article posted by Johns Hopkins University…
In particular, the jump from birds to mammals—including foxes, bears, mink, whales, and seals—is “significant and something to pay attention to,” says Davis, an associate professor in environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. “What people may not remember from high school biology is that there are larger differences between birds and mammals than there are among mammals, so finding the virus in mammals indicates an expanded host range.”
Earlier this month, I posted an article which discussed many of the mammal deaths that we have been seeing all over the planet.
In particular, the fact that H5N1 is spreading among minks is especially noteworthy, because minks have respiratory systems that are very similar to humans.
So that brings us to what is happening in Cambodia.
It is being reported that an 11-year-old girl has died after contracting H5N1…
Health officials in Prey Veng province have confirmed the death of an 11-year-old girl from H5N1, Cambodia’s first known human “bird flu” infection since 2014.
Panharith Seng, director of the Prey Veng provincial health department, told VOA Khmer on Thursday that many chickens and ducks in the area where the girl lived had died of H5N1.
We are being told that she was first diagnosed on February 16th and that she died shortly thereafter…
She became ill on February 16 and was sent to be treated at a hospital in the capital
She was diagnosed last-Wednesday after suffering a fever up to 39C (102F) with coughing and throat pain. She died shortly after her diagnosis, the Health Ministry said in a statement Wednesday night.
Needless to say, one case and one death is not anything to get frightened about.
But now it is being reported that 12 more people from the same Cambodian province “are suspected of having been infected with the H5N1 bird flu”…
A dozen people in Cambodia are suspected of having been infected with the H5N1 bird flu strain tearing through the world’s avian population – sparking global panic about a spillover of the deadly virus to humans.
The 12 suspected cases are located in the same province as an 11-year-old girl who died from the infection Wednesday, raising fears the virus may be spreading from human to human – not just from birds to people.
If these cases are confirmed, this will create quite a stir in that part of the world.
And a number of prominent health experts here in the western world are already expressing concern about what this might mean…
Dr Arturo Casadevall, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins, wrote on Twitter: ‘Key information is whether the 12 infected people obtained it from a bird source or from human-to-human transmission, which would be very worrisome.’
Dr Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and Chief of COVID Task Force at the New England Complex Systems Institute, tweeted: ‘Hope this wasn’t human to human, but I’m now getting to be worried,’
Hopefully this will turn out to be nothing.
But what if it does turn out to be something?
I believe that we have entered an era of great pandemics, and right now we are perfectly primed for the next one because there are countless people all over the globe with deeply compromised immune systems.
And I think that it is important to note that health authorities all over the world are acting as if this could end up being a really big deal.
For instance, health authorities in the UK are now studying what “a worst-case scenario bird flu outbreak” would look like…
Scientists are modelling how a worst-case scenario bird flu outbreak could sweep the UK if the virus spread to humans.
Officials at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said they are developing ‘scenarios of early human transmission’ to help with preparedness, planning and improvements to surveillance.
And the head of the WHO recently publicly announced that we “must prepare” for the possibility of an H5N1 pandemic.
NEW – WHO’s Tedros says we “must prepare” for a potential H5N1 human bird flu pandemic. pic.twitter.com/4Y3asCMN9S
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 9, 2023
There is one more thing that I wanted to mention.
Most people don’t realize this, but more than a decade ago scientists conducted gain-of-function experiments on H5N1. As a result of those experiments, they were able to get H5N1 to spread easily among ferrets…
In fact, back in 2011, two scientists separately undertook just this sort of research, adapting H5N1 to spread among ferrets, whose respiratory tract closely resembles our own. The research demonstrated that bird flu could not only spill over into mammalian hosts but, under the proper circumstances, pass between mammalian hosts—just as it now seems to be doing—and perhaps even human ones.
This sort of research should be banned globally, but it isn’t.
Let us hope that we don’t see an H5N1 pandemic any time soon.
Because the panic that we would witness would be off the charts.
There would be more lockdowns, more restrictions and more attacks on personal liberty.
And it is likely that millions upon millions of people would die.
So I will be watching this story very closely, and I will definitely be hoping that this new outbreak in Cambodia quickly fizzles out.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have published thousands of articles on 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 always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. 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. 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 definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post If The H5N1 Bird Flu Really Is Starting To Spread Among Humans, We Could Have A MAJOR Health Scare On Our Hands appeared first on End Of The American Dream.
Bryce of CRKT knives – interesting knives feature
This article %16 Most Interesting Knives from SHOT Show 2023% appeared first on %SHTF Blog – Modern Survival%.
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This year definitely brought some surprises in the “World of Wheelguns.” Some of these revolvers were ultra-small and others were super-huge. Some aren’t really new, but are again available from other manufacturers or importers. Others comprise variations on a theme and are different versions with longer or shorter barrels, different grip frames and/or finishes and even new sight options. I fully appreciate that the revolvers included in this roundup all use more-or-less conventional ammunition. No new “super whiz-bang” ammo for these guns; it is hard enough to find “regular” cartridges with the continuing supply chain difficulties. So, let’s take a look at what I saw in the various booths at the 2023 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
This French DA/SA revolver in .38/.357 Magnum came out in 1973 and adopted for duty use by the French GIGN, an elite anti-terrorist force. Beretta is now importing it into the USA. The N73 has a 4-inch full-length, underlug barrel. The 6-shot cylinder and frame design stands up to thousands of rounds of Magnum ammo. A special grip mitigates recoil and it has an adjustable trigger and polished blue finish. Overall length (OAL) is 9.17 inches, empty weight is 34.2 ounces, and MSRP is $3,600. (beretta.com)
A second version of the MR73 debuts for the target or sport shooter. With the same basic features as the Gendarmerie, it has a 5.25-inch barrel and patridge front sight, mated with an LPA adjustable rear sight. The trigger adjusts for pull weight and over-travel; both it and the hammer come straw-colored. Black rubber target grips are ergonomically designed and limit recoil transfer to the shooters hand. Finish is a polished blue, OAL is 10.39 inches, empty weight 37.0 ounces, and the MSRP is $3,600. (beretta.com)
Kept under wraps until just before the SHOT Show, Colt is now offering its large-frame Anaconda .44 Magnum with a 4.25-inch barrel. The barrel has a vent rib, full-length underlug and recessed target crown. A red-ramp front sight is standard, but is user-interchangeable. Constructed of forged stainless steel, it has an OAL of 11.25 inches and empty weight of 42 ounces. This is a DA/SA revolver with a 6-shot cylinder, adjustable rear sight, and Hogue over-molded black rubber grips. MSRP is $1,499. (colt.com)
Another “Snake Gun,” Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR is so new it’s not even on the Colt website yet. Unlike its older siblings, this is a 10-shot version in .22 LR. Of forged stainless-steel construction, the one-piece barrel has a vent rib and full-length underlug. The front sight is red fiber-optic and there’s an adjustable rear sight. Barrel lengths offered are 4.25 and 6 inches. Hogue over-molded black rubber grips are standard. This DA/SA revolver has an empty weight of 34 ounces and an OAL of 9.25 inches (4.25-inch) (colt.com)
Introduced in 2021, the Sidekick DA/SA .22 LR revolver now has a sibling with a 3-inch barrel and round-butt/birdshead-style grip. This nine-shooter has an empty weight of 24.50 ounces, which is kept down by a zinc frame. The barrel and cylinder are steel and the gun is black Cerakote finished, with black polymer grips. It has fixed sights and an optional .22 Magnum cylinder. The cylinder swings out for simultaneous ejection of spent cases; OAL is 9.88 inches and the MSRP is $320. (diamondbackfirearms.com)
While the Colt Python remerged in 2021, in 2022 a 3-inch barrel version appeared. Now Lipsey’s in cooperation with Tyler Gunworks has created a Premier-Grade Lipsey’s Exclusive of this fine .357 Magnum wheelgun. Made of stainless steel with Tyler’s American Elk Stag grips with Colt medallions, it is lavishly engraved on some 2/3 of its surface. This is a six-shot DA/SA revolver, its vent rib and full underlug offer excellent balance. Features include a red ramp front sight and fully-adjustable rear sight; OAL is 8.5 inches, empty weight 40 ounces, and the MSRP is $2,400. (lipseyes.com)
A new Korth revolver is out called the NXS. This premium-grade wheelgun has an eight-shot cylinder in .38/.357 Magnum and comes in 4- or 6-inch barrel lengths. Its distinctive features include a ventilated barrel shroud with a Picatinny rail, just behind the gold-bead, protected front sight, plus a rail below the sight, on the underlug. There’s also a rail on the top-strap of the frame and a fully-adjustable rear sight. The rear of the cylinder is cut to allow moon-clip use. An accessory 9mm cylinder is available. Finish is black DLC, with Wilson-style walnut grips. OAL is 11.65 inches (6-inch), empty weight is 50.7 ounces, and MSRP is $5,299. (nighthawkcustom.com)
After an absence of several years, Rossi has returned to revolver production. The new RM669 is a medium frame, all stainless-steel, six-shot wheelgun, in .38/.357 Magnum. It has a 6-inch barrel with a solid rib and full-length underlug, plus a red ramp front sight. It’s a DA/SA design with a hammer block safety and adjustable rear sight. The checkered black synthetic grips have a gold Rossi emblem. With an OAL of 11.14 inches and empty weight of 34.4 ounces, it’s still easy handling for field or target range use. MSRP is $620.99. (rossiusa.com)
A second DA .38/.357 six-shot wheelgun is also available. It’s a fixed sight version with a 3-inch barrel, OAL of 7.95 inches, and empty weight of 27.3 ounces. Additionally, it has black rubberized grips with a round-butt configuration for concealment. All stainless with a satin finish, the barrel has a full-length rib and underlug, plus the front sight is a blue ramp. It is very much reminiscent of the last DA revolver issued by the FBI and will work with common holsters and speedloaders meant for medium-frame revolvers. MSRP is a reasonable $460.99. (rossiusa.com)
The X-Frame revolver debuted in .500 Magnum in 2003. A new version called the Model 350 has been fitted with a seven-shot cylinder chambered for the .350 Legend. This stainless-steel behemoth has a 7.5-inch barrel, with a full-length rib and underlug, plus a port above the muzzle. With an OAL of 13.5 inches, it weighs 71.5 ounces empty. A DA/SA revolver, it comes with an adjustable rear sight, red ramp front sight and Hogue black rubber grips. The rear of the cylinder is relieved for moon clip use, allowing quick cartridge loading. MSRP is $1599. (smith-wesson.com)
Little-known outside of Michigan is the 4110; made at Silver Creek Firearms. This stainless steel, DA/SA, 7-shooter chambers the .38/.357 Magnum. It loads like an Old West six-gun, with a loading gate and an ejector rod affixed to the right side of the barrel. It has an 8-inch barrel, 13.5-inch OAL, and an empty weight of 3.7 pounds. The barrel is ported with a full-length rib and underlug; it has an adjustable rear sight and fiber-optic front sight. Bases for a MRD sight or Picatinny rail are optional. Grips are laminated wood in several colors. MSRP is $3,250. (silvercreekfirearms.com)
Recently introduced, the Model 605, a variation of the Model 856, is a five-shot .357 Magnum DA/SA revolver. Built from stainless-steel with a matte silver or black finish, it has a 3-inch barrel, a full-length rib and underlug, plus a black ramp front sight. Features include a smooth combat trigger, exposed hammer, along with extended ejector rod and black rubber grips. TORO stands for Taurus Optics Ready Option and has an optics plate compatible with the Holoson K footprint. OAL is 7.5 inches and the empty weight is 23.5 ounces. MSRP is $470.99. (taurususa.com)
This small-frame DA revolver is a six-shot in .38 Special +P. Like the Model 605, it is stainless steel and comes in matte black or satin silver. It also has the same type of 3-inch barrel and extended ejector rod. Just like the Model 605 TORO, it’s optics ready, but also has a fixed rear sight in the event of an optics failure. The round-butt rubber grips on the Model 856 aid with concealment and absorb recoil. OAL is 7.5 inches and empty weight is 23.5 ounces, while the MSRP is $445.99. (taurususa.com)
This elongated frame DA revolver, with a five-shot .45 Colt/.410 bore cylinder was introduced in 2006 and called the Judge. The latest version is an Executive Grade. It has a special Executive logo on the side-plate, presentation-grade checkered wood grips, a brass rod front sight and hand-fitted action. There’s a 3-inch barrel, with a ¾-length underlug, and a low, solid rib. The rear sight is a fixed notch in the top-strap and the cylinder will chamber .45 Colt cartridges and 2.5- or 3-inch .410 shot-shells. OAL is 9.5 inches, and the empty weight 36 ounces, with a $949.99 MSRP. (taurususa.com)
The Raging Hunter in .460 Magnum is an ultimate-performance hunting handgun, with a Star Wars look. The extended 10.5-inch barrel has a muzzle brake with a dual-retention system that reduces muzzle flip and recoil by some 25-percent. A bottom barrel rail is for attaching a bipod or other shooting aid. There’s fiber-optic front and rear sights, plus a top Picatinny rail for optics. The barrel and frame are made of alloy steel with a black oxide finish; the frame is stainless-steel with a matte finish. Grips are thick black, pebble-grained rubber. OAL is 16.22 inches, empty weight 71.26 ounces, and the MSRP $1,269.99. (taurususa.com)
Produced due to popular demand, the large-frame Taurus Raging Hunter revolver is now available in .500 Magnum. Built with an alloy-steel frame and five-shot cylinder, it has a stainless-steel ported and target crowned barrel, inside a black anodized aluminum barrel shroud. The top of the shroud has an integral Picatinny rail for optics and the Raging Hunter has an adjustable rear sight and patridge-type front sight. The alloy steel parts have a black oxide finish and the black grips are thick, pebble-grained rubber. OAL is 13.1 inches, the empty weight is 63.6 ounces, and the MSRP is $1,060.99. (taurususa.com)
The RZMK-357 from Zenk is a “bullpup-style” revolver; the cylinder placed directly atop the grip-frame. It looks like a semi-auto, with a big bulge on the rear of the slide. That “slide” is a cover enclosing the 4.75” barrel and cylinder, with a rail on top. At the left rear of the cylinder enclosure is a latch that releases the cover to tip up on a hinge at the front of the frame. There’s also a safety lever on the left, in front of the cylinder. This is a six-shooter (.38/.357), and is DA-only, OAL is 6.85 inches, empty weight 33.5 ounces, and made of stainless-steel, with a black or silver finish and black checkered grips. MSRP is TBD. (zenk.us)
The post NEW for 2023: The Best New Revolvers for Defense or Sport appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.
