This guest post is by R Miller and entry in our non-fiction writing contest .

When emplacing barriers of any kind it is important to remember they will keep you in your area just as easily as they keep others out.

• How many layers (zones) of barriers do you want
• How much space in between barriers do you want
• Can you defend that much space
• Are their clear fields of fire in your last defensive zone

Is the purpose to guide someone around your area of operations/property or is it to block them from entering? People will generally take the path of least resistance in the woods.

Something to consider too is will your barriers keep large game out as well as in. Is that part of your overall food plan or would they be a bonus contingency as opportunity presents itself to hunt or trap.

There are several options to consider, two basic categories to think about, organic or man made barriers. Effective and simple are briars and other plants with thorns (locust tree, barberry), spikes or natural defenses such as poison Ivy, oak and sumac are also good items to consider for limiting access to your area. Immediate advantages are they are pretty much free plants, they are native to the area and are not obvious indicators of human presence or considered as part of a defense. I would suggest they would be used as part of the outside perimeter.

Making a hedgerow with plants of this type is another option. It signals human presence is the downside. Also it will conceal someone from you as well as it conceals you from them. Fall will change how this all looks but it will work just as effectively. Do not burn any plant that causes allergic reactions, the oils will float in the smoke and may cause skin blisters, eye irritation and if inhaled it is possible that it will cause lungs to blister, potentially someone may drown in their own fluids.

Felled trees can also work as barriers as well as cleared brush piled. The idea is not to make a fortress wall but to subtly cause people to move away from your area and keeping them from seeing what you have where you r shelter is or are what you are growing. The older the less obvious it will be.

Wooden rail fencing is another option along with building rock walls. They can offer both concealment and cover.

Man made barriers are usually some type of wire, plain wire, electrical wire, barbed wire, razor wire and tangle foot are the most common. These can be run in strands across post or trees, coils across the ground staked in place and stacked on top of each other. Heavy duty gloves or specialty gloves for razor wire, tangle foot and concertina are recommended. A small pair of bolt cutters is also recommended for ease of cutting.

Openings left can be used to guide people where you want them to go as well as your own ease of travel. Adding a gate is also an option. Generally large game will either jump fences or find a way around. If wild hogs are in your area they may break through the lower strands of wire.

Tube fencing, vinyl fencing, chain link, cinder blocks and even old cars have used to mark boundaries.

Going one step further and using animal tactics, you can dump human waste to discourage trespassing as well. Your water source must be taken into account if you resort to this method of marking your territory.

Trenching is another method to stop movement, over time they will gradually fill in with blown in leaves, dirt, water or all three. Standing water increases mosquitoes and disease potential.

Flowing water can be utilized as part of your defensive perimeter as well. Adding additional barriers increases the effectiveness.

The terrain and flora of your area will be the final word in what you can use for natural barriers.

This contest will end on June 5 2012 – prizes include:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Essentials Kit courtesy of LPC Survival and an EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves.. A value of over $300.

Second Prize) Winner will receive a $150 gift certificate for Wolf Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com   A total prize value of over $150.

Third Prize) Winner will receive copies of both of my books “31 Days to Survival: A Complete Plan for Emergency Preparedness” and “Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man’s Solution”  and a Katadyn Siphon Water Filter courtesy of Mayflower Trading Company.  A total prize value of $107.

Contest ends on June 5 2012.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

This guest post is by Susan B

I believe it will be harder for them.

One reason is the body stops producing stomach acids and enzymes required for the digestion of meat after many years of eating a meal free diet, they will throw up the meat when they try eating it, the body has adapted to easier to break down food and does not produce normal acids any longer; should they need to change their diet for survival their bodies will not adapt and most likely they will most likely be some of the first to die off because of this life style.

The long time lack of things like B-12 being very low will contribute to early weakness and starvation very quickly. A good thing is vegans will pose little threat to anyone as they will be dying off with the all the diabetic’s and others with weak bodies.

The Israelites were instructed by God to eat of the fatted calf before going to war.

A way to weaken a people is to promote a vegan diet. It has worked well here in the US. It takes some a few years to really get drained and then they think because they can no longer digest meat it is because the meat is bad for them rather than their bodies have been damaged from the diet.

I learned the hard way in my youth about the vegan diet, I was one for a year and the damage it did took several years to repair. I’m a protein type; my copper levels became really high and burned out my thyroid, to this day I cannot get it to function well.

N European blood lines have the worst time of it with a vegan diet because most are protein types. I do well on a primal or paleo diet like my ancestors.

Many people have such a high carb diet that they lose the ability to digest meat proteins so they naturally start cutting back on them and increase the carbs, you hear it all the time people saying they no longer eat red meat, it’s because they can’t and they’re to willfully ignorant to know why let alone the difference between grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone free and the grain fed crap anyway.

I believe this lack of ability to eat many different foods will make vegans extremely vulnerable when SHTF. I believe it makes sense to have a varied diet and stick closer to a hunter gathers style of diet because it will aid one in survival. Those who chose a vegan diet in the hard coming times will have a great deal more difficulty in my personal opinion. I would love to hear what ya’all think about special diets relating to survival.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

This guest post is by Ryan P and entry in our non-fiction writing contest .

The following is something that has been on my mind lately, and as it pertains to survivalists, I feel that this pertains to our society as a whole, on the grand scale. LESSONS FROM OUR PAST As all of us subscribers to this blog can agree, preparing for disaster is a good idea, one that even our Federal government (FEMA) acknowledges and promotes. We are all in agreement that we should store food and water provisions, we should educate ourselves regarding the skills we would need to deal with the aftermath of a disaster, and we must protect ourselves, our family and our property in the event of a disaster. I feel that one thing that goes widely undiscussed is the question of Why.

Why are so many of us concerned about a possible disaster? Is it rational to think this way? What will the true reality be like in the event of a large-scale disaster? Friends, we must educate ourselves. Put down the preparedness checklist for a minute and pick up a history book. In our-not-too distant past, at a time of relative peace following World War 1, the nation of Germany was humiliated and in shambles. Germany went into tremendous debt as she was forced to pay war debts that destroyed her economy. Hyperinflation was ignited and most in Germany were impoverished.

Bearing the brunt of the penalties brought about by the Treaty of Versailles, the German people are left feeling shunned and angry. The mood and the setting in 1920′s Germany was primed for a new beginning and a new leader (or Fuhrer). Enter a young, energetic, and charismatic (sound familiar?) man that capitalized on the national pulse by being the first German politician to speak out about the Treaty of Versailles on behalf of the people. Enter Adolf Hitler, a young man in the employee of his political party as an activist (sound familiar?). The party he belonged to, the new Nazi party, he eventually became leader (or Fuhrer) of.

To make a long story short, we all know who Hitler was and who he became. What many of us don’t know is that prior to Nazi aggression, Hitler was widely admired not only in his country, but around the world. He was TIME magazine’s Man of the Year in 1938; Nazi Germany was showcased under his leadership in the 1936 Olympics; he had such unflinching support of the German People that he was able to take control of Czechoslovakia without a single shot fired and it was only until he invaded Poland that the world began to be concerned.

THIS COULD HAPPEN TODAY. THERE ARE MANY THINGS GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT ARE GOING UNNOTICED OR NOT BEING PAID ADEQUATE ATTENTION TO.It is our responsibility to keep our ear to the ground and be prepared. We cannot be so foolish as to rely on what the FED or the media tells us we should do. We still have freedom, exercise it and prepare and educate yourselves. LIVE FREE OR DIE!

This contest will end on June 5 2012 – prizes include:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Essentials Kit courtesy of LPC Survival and an EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves.. A value of over $300.

Second Prize) Winner will receive a $150 gift certificate for Wolf Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com   A total prize value of over $150.

Third Prize) Winner will receive copies of both of my books “31 Days to Survival: A Complete Plan for Emergency Preparedness” and “Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man’s Solution”  and a Katadyn Siphon Water Filter courtesy of Mayflower Trading Company.  A total prize value of $107.

Contest ends on June 5 2012.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

→ The Recovery Is An Illusion : I contend that the recovery is an illusion created by the government using inflation numbers that are too low when deflating economic series. The lower the inflation rate you use for adjustment, the stronger the resulting inflation-adjusted growth.

→ Ron Paul wins majority of delegates in Minnesota : Ron you’re “the man” but I thought Romney was the nominee.

→ Here’s something not to do: fire a so-called warning shot or shots : The most serious problem with warning shots is that the courts will hold a person responsible for every shot he fires. In short, you own those warning shots. If they impact innocent people or property, the courts will not accept the claim that it was accidental.

→ AT AMAZON, Coupons Galore!

→ White House-backed cybersecurity bill sacrifices privacy : Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) warned on Monday that the Senate’s cybersecurity legislation is an “overreaction” that would undermine Americans’ right to privacy.

Once-Banned Bird Flu Study Suggests Pandemic Threat Is Real : “H5N1 viruses remain a significant threat for humans as a potential pandemic flu strain,” Kawaoka said. “We have found that relatively few mutations enable this virus to transmit in mammals.” Also Pandemic Potential? Bird Flu Becomes Airborne With Just 4 Mutations.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

This guest post is by Kim in Texas and entry in our non-fiction writing contest .

I’m pretty new to all this. Prepping seems like common sense to me, even if I never need it. But, for as enthusiastic and eager as I am, I’m also overwhelmed and unfocused. There is a LOT of information out there, but a limit to my time and money. I’ve had some success stocking up on food and household supplies since I was a couponer before I started prepping. That part came pretty easy.

Most recently, I’ve been trying to best figure out how to create some sort of everyday bag and what to put in it. I bought a backpack weeks ago that was destined to be my first every day/bug out/72 hour bag. But it sat empty in the corner of my room because I didn’t want to carry around an incomplete bag.

Tuesday, April 3rd, should have been my day off. But that week, I was scheduled to attend a conference in downtown Dallas. I was in a suit and heels and leaving my house. I opened the garage door and saw that it was rain-ish. Not really raining yet, but kind of wet out. And warm. So I walked back inside. I grabbed the empty backpack and a pair of tennis shoes, socks and a few other items I had been collecting for the bag: a pack of gum, a bottle of water, my pocket knife, an emergency whistle, a bag of peanuts, a small first aid kit, hand sanitizer and a light jacket. I put a case of water in my car. I don’t know why I grabbed anything besides the shoes and socks, I just did.

I went about my day. I headed on to the conference and sat in my seminars, backpack under my chair, along with a hundred plus other people. After lunch, I got a notification on my phone that a tornado touched down in Johnson County. A few minutes later, we were notified that a tornado hit Lancaster. Then the tornado sirens went off in downtown Dallas and the hotel intercom announced the potential for danger with instructions to stay inside interior rooms away from windows.

A little side info: I’m a police dispatcher, and the seminar I was attending was for telecommunications professionals from across the state.

Given our professions, you’ll understand why none of us heeded the instructions over the intercom. We all headed out into the hallway to find our coworkers amongst the rest of the attendees. Once we found each other, we spent the next hour huddled around a laptop watching the news coverage, and trying to contact our loved ones and offices to find out what was going on and if those of us that were local were going to be called to work.

As we sat around waiting, hearing the damage reports come in, we started chit-chatting. My backpack was the first topic of conversation. I shared its meager contents with my friends and we all shared a laugh. No one made fun of it… they all wished they had one just like it. I also spent that time cataloging more items I didn’t have, but wanted in the bag.

The first time I took an everyday bag with me, tornados rained down. Some counts are as high as 13 in a span of 2 hours. Fortunately, despite the damage the storms caused, there were no casualties reported (as of this writing) and only a few injuries. Turns out, I didn’t need anything from my bag, though we did break out the peanuts. But I’m glad I had it. It sure would have come in handy had I had to spend any significant amount of time in the hotel or in traffic on the highway.

When I left for the conference on Wednesday, my backpack had a full change of clothes, a little more food and water and a few other things from my pick list. I have a longer list of things I want in my bag, of course, but I’m sold. My bag will go everywhere with me from now on. And I’ll be putting together something similar to keep in my car as well.

I don’t pretend to have any new information to pass along, but if there are any other newbies out there, I hope they’ll realize what I have: a partially complete bag is better than no bag. Oh… and in the moment of need, those of us with any amount of forethought and preparation will be the envy of those around us… which is a whole other discussion. =)

This contest will end on June 5 2012 – prizes include:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Essentials Kit courtesy of LPC Survival and an EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves.. A value of over $300.

Second Prize) Winner will receive a $150 gift certificate for Wolf Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com   A total prize value of over $150.

Third Prize) Winner will receive copies of both of my books “31 Days to Survival: A Complete Plan for Emergency Preparedness” and “Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man’s Solution”  and a Katadyn Siphon Water Filter courtesy of Mayflower Trading Company.  A total prize value of $107.

Contest ends on June 5 2012.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

This guest post is by Harold M and entry in our non-fiction writing contest .

First off, let me say that I am not a vegetarian nor a health food junkie. I love steak, burgers, brats, ham…damn near all meat. I also eat a lot of fish (tuna, mackerel, salmon, shrimp et cetera). My wife and I have accumulated a decent amount of food storage to date (never as much as we think we will need but plugging away at it every week). But when TSHTF, however it occurs, one food store that we are going to have plenty of is Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah).

My wife eats much healthier than me and she is always looking/researching “better for you foods.” She had heard of Quinoa before and finally found a Quinoa mix at the grocery store in the health food section. It costs about $3 for the pack and made more than enough for two at dinner as a side dish. We tried it and loved it. She then ran into it at warehouse store at a cost of about $5 for a two-pound bag. It is unseasoned but a much better value than a pre-seasoned pack. It has a year shelf life but I am sure if properly stored, it would last much longer than that.

Now here is why no prepper should be without it. It is a highly nutritious 100% whole grain. It is both gluten-free and wheat free. It is a complete protein and contains all essential amino acids. It is an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and contains B vitamins. In a SHTF scenario, meat may become less available so this is an excellent way to get all the protein you need in a “one stop shop.” And it tastes great to boot!

It is simple to make: Combine two cups of liquid to one cup of Quinoa and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (in a covered pan) for 15 minutes and you’re done.

My wife uses two cups of chicken broth and a pinch of a Knorr chicken bouillon cube instead of water. Then with about 5 minutes left of cooking the Quinoa, she adds a can of seasoned black beans. Most excellent!!

You can add chopped vegetables, beef broth and seasonings to your own taste. Or you can just use plain water. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor that tastes great on its own. It is also a good substitute for rice.

Up until now, we have been stockpiling rice in our food stores. However, since she has discovered Quinoa, we are now going to lean more towards it than rice. Rice is less expensive but does not have the nutritional value that Quinoa contains. It is important to stay as healthy as possible during TSHTF scenario and Quinoa is a super food that is both easy to store and prepare.

We would highly recommend that everyone strongly consider Quinoa for their food supply not just in a SHTF scenario, but in everyday cooking.

This contest will end on June 5 2012 – prizes include:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Essentials Kit courtesy of LPC Survival and an EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves.. A value of over $300.

Second Prize) Winner will receive a $150 gift certificate for Wolf Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com   A total prize value of over $150.

Third Prize) Winner will receive copies of both of my books “31 Days to Survival: A Complete Plan for Emergency Preparedness” and “Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man’s Solution”  and a Katadyn Siphon Water Filter courtesy of Mayflower Trading Company.  A total prize value of $107.

Contest ends on June 5 2012.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

→ Sunday morning, while working outside in my yard I distinctly heard three bursts of full auto fire. It sounded like the shots were about a mile away, however I could not tell the exact spot where the shots were fired. But, one thing is certain, and that is that someone nearby has full auto weapons.

→ New FBI Surveillance Backdoors : According to one news report, FBI officials have been meeting with Facebook, Google, Microsoft (which owns Skype and Hotmail), and Yahoo, among other companies.

→ 25,000 FPS Handgun Cartridge : In 2005, Smith & Wesson filed a patent application for a “high velocity ammunition system and firearm.” The abstract stated the bullets fired from this handgun would achieve muzzle velocities in excess of 25,000 fps!

→ Number of Americans Working Past 65 at All-Time High : For the first time since the government began keeping track of the numbers in 1981 — and probably the first time ever — one in nine American men over the age of 75 was working in April. This must be some of the change Obummer talked about during his first campaign…

→ The long shadow of Barack Obama’s identity crisis. : The Washington Post has obsessed over an incident in which Mitt Romney allegedly cut the hair of a fellow high school student. The mainstream media paid plenty of attention to George W. Bush’s “irresponsible youth,” and speculated about whether he had used cocaine. Yet, the MSM has essentially ignored Barack Obama’s admission in his autobiography of cocaine use, of attending Socialist seminars while in college, and of being drawn as a young man to Marxists and Communists.

→ Robert Reich to Graduates:  “You’re F*cked!”   “The job market you’re heading into is still bad. Fewer than half of the graduates from last year’s class have as yet found full-time jobs. Most are still looking.  That’s been the pattern over the last three graduating classes.”

→ AT AMAZON, $5 Off a Select $25 Stanley Tool Order

→ Another gang beating in Baltimore. : the victim was white, and the attackers were all black. In Thursday’s reported assault, Guglielmi said the 19-year-old victim was white and the attackers were all juvenile black males. Yet, more “proof” that racism is only a white thing… i.e. only white people can be racist or commit hate related crimes…

→ Makes me sad : Half of Florida high school students fail reading test.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

Finished flooring my new 8X9 chicken coop. hopefully I'll have it finished by the end of next week...

Before adding the plywood flooring...

Bought .22 ammo and Ruger 10/22 magazines (I now have eight of these.)

Bought this Back Saw and Miter Box for $5 at a yard sale.

Bought another "Dry Box" at Wal-Mart

Relished the view from my backyard.

Well folks, that is it for me this week – what did you do to prep this week? Let use know in the comments below.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

This is a guest post and entry in our non-fiction writing contest  by Steve A

For thousands of years, our ancestors fought to find new and more efficient ways to fold, spindle, and mutilate others.  At the same time, they also looked for better ways to farm, hunt, and make their livelihoods.  For most of them, the tools they had at hand had to suffice for both tasks.

Until fairly modern times, people were relegated to muscle powered weaponry, with the bow, crossbow, and a few other missile weapons added.  Today, the firearm is the weapon of choice.

I know there are some people who by choice choose not to include firearms in their prepping.  I won’t argue for or against that, even though I’m definitely not one of them.  Nonetheless, there may be a time when a firearm is not available, broken, out of ammunition, or just not the tool for the job.  In that case, you need to have a back up.  I’m assuming of course, that you don’t have another firearm.  Our ancestors put a lot of thought and effort into developing non-firearm weaponry, and we would be silly not to learn from them.

There are a few caveats that I need to include before I start.  First, most preppers are armed with firearms, and are at least basically proficient in their use.  However, there are a many circumstances that may preclude having a firearm with you.  I my case, I am often on military property, and federal law prohibits carrying firearms on military property except under very specific circumstances.  Second, no one knows when or even if things are going to come apart at the seams, so it is possible that when SHTF actually occurs, you are not sitting on top of your gear and personal arsenal.  Third, it is entirely possible that you could lose your supplies and stockpiled gear, due to flooding, fire, or just having to leave quickly to prevent being overrun.  All that said, I think I can assume again that you are not just going to give up and be a victim just because you don’t have a firearm.

Just about anything can be a weapon if needed.  A chair, a broken bottle, a scrap of 2×4, all make dangerous improvised weapons.  But as preppers, while we love to improvise, when it comes to defending our lives and loved ones, improvisation takes a back seat to prepared gear and how to use it.  While most people prepare with a firearm in mind, few keep full medieval armor and weapons on hand just in case.  Instead, just like with much of our gear and skills, preppers need to think in terms of multi-use items, or how to maximize the usage of what we have with us.  I’m going to cover armament that can fill more than one role, generally a tool-like purpose as well as a weapon.

Primitive weapons fall into two main categories, melee and missile.  Melee weapons are hand-to-hand weapons, and missile weapons are designed to place a projectile onto a target at a distance beyond arm’s reach.  Missile weaponry includes bows and crossbows, but I am not going to cover that here, as at best I’m a mediocre archer, and not up to demonstrating just how little I know about it.  I’m also going to skip all the other missile weapons like slings, atlatls, and thrown items like knives and axes.  Another area I’m going to leave out is martial arts weapons, because unless you’re a martial artist, you probably won’t have them on hand, and if you are a martial artist, you know more about them than I do.

Instead, I want to concentrate on the generic hand-to-hand options available.  I also want to state up front that hand-to-hand combat should be a last resort.  Unless you are heavily armored in armor designed to stop hand-powered weapons, you will get hurt, possibly very badly.   That said, let’s get on to seeing what may work for you.

I will break down things into three general categories: bludgeoning, slashing and piercing.  Most primitive weaponry falls into one of these three groups, but a few cross into one or both of the others as well.  I will also be concentrating on weapons that have a practical purpose to the prepper as a tool or instrument besides just a weapon.

Bludgeoning:  Bludgeoning weapons damage by blunt force trauma.  They can easily damage someone through body armor and helmets, because they don’t have to penetrate the armor to injure.  Even a glancing blow can incapacitate a foe.  Of all primitive weapons, bludgeoning weapons are also the most flexible when it comes to other uses.

Clubs:  Man’s oldest weapon may have been a rock, but I’m going to give the simple club credit here.  A club is so basic and effective that it is still in use, even issued to police and military as a weapon today.  Riot sticks, night sticks, baseball bats and tonfa are just modern forms of the club.  The club needs to at least 18 inches in length, and thick enough to grip securely, in order to be effective.  Of course it can be longer, but beyond 48 inches (riot stick size), it may become too unwieldy.  It requires little skill to use, but muscle strength makes all the difference.  What other use can it be put to?  Besides smashing things, a club can be used to prop a door open or closed, drive in a peg (not a nail), and poke in to areas you might not want to put your hand into first.

Staves:  The Staff is little more than an over-grown club.  It is also still made, although modern versions are rarely made to be used as a weapon.  In ancient times, a staff may have been the only weapon a person had, and properly used, could provide a very effective defense.  Unlike the club, using a staff almost always requires both hands, as it should be about 6 feet long and an inch or more in diameter.  Its use beyond the most basic striking and blocking requires training and practice.  It’s plain and common appearance, however, makes it an excellent choice as a simple weapon to keep on hand.  It can also be used for walking/hiking, herding animals, testing the ground/water/etc for safety before crossing, balance, and even hanging a bag for travel ala hobo style.

Hammers:  The hammer is one of the most basic hand tools available.  You can almost fix anything with it, or at least beat the heck out of it.  With hammers, bigger is better when you start talking about needing it as a weapon.  Of course there are many types of hammers, and some are very specialized.  For the purpose of this article, there are a few that could meet your requirements.  A large framing hammer, 22 oz or more, makes a handy weapon, and drives nails and stakes.  A blacksmith’s hammer also does a good job, both for beating metal into shape and taking out a threat.  Sledge hammers are devastating against a human, but are very slow to use and if you miss, you almost always leave yourself off balance and open to attack, so avoid them as a choice unless you’re built like Hercules.  I believe the best choice is the wrecking/utility bar, a combination hammer-style tool the combines a strike face with various spike-like points.  Two options I would consider are Stanley’s Fat Max Utility Bar and Dead On tool’s Annihilator Wrecking/Utility Bar.  Both are made of a solid piece of steel, and are virtually indestructible.  Besides their use as a weapon, there’s not much you can’t get in to with one and they still can be used as a regular hammer.

Slashing:  Slashing weapons are probably the most commonly pictured primitive weapons.  From knives, to axes, to swords, this class of weapons more than any other has come to incorporate the whole idea of “medieval” weapons.  Unfortunately, since most preppers aren’t planning to become Wasteland Warriors from all the 1980’s movies, many slashing weapons are not as useful to us as our imaginations might like.

Knives:   Every prepper worth the title has at least one knife, and probably more than one.  Knives are Man’s oldest purpose made tool, and we still need them for things from kitchen chores to combat every day.  As this is a whole topic all to itself, I’ll just say that when you pick a knife, get the best one you can afford that is not a specialized design.  While Rambo’s knife may be very intimidating, try preparing a meal with one.  Likewise, try field dressing a deer with only a Swiss Army knife.  You can do both tasks, but they’re not easy without the appropriate knife.  A good general purpose hunting knife or medium sized K-Bar design might be your best bet for both utility and defense.

Axes and Hatchets:  Many preppers argue about whether or not an ax should even be carried.  If you’re bugging out, on foot, that is a valid point from a weight and usefulness standpoint.  If you’re bugging in, an ax seems only prudent when it comes to chopping wood or breaking game.  However, as a weapon, the modern wood ax isn’t a good choice.  It can be devastating, but as with a sledge hammer, if you miss, you’re in trouble.  Combat axes, like a medieval battle ax, are better on people, but do a very poor job on chopping wood or other tasks.  Instead of an ax, a more flexible choice would be a hatchet or tomahawk.  Both are lighter and more than capable of cutting small trees and branches for wood, and for fighting.  A well made hatchet or tomahawk can also double as a light hammer, and could eliminate the need and weight of carrying two tools should you have to bug out.  Also, while I don’t advocate it’s use this way unless you practice a lot, a tomahawk can be thrown, and at short range is very deadly.

Pole Type Weapons:  If you can imagine a way to slice, dice, and julienne a person, someone has taken that idea and mounted it on a pole to use as a weapon.  Everything from a big knife (glaive) to the axe/spear/hook combination of the halberd has been tried and discarded until only the halberd has remained to modern times (the Vatican’s Swiss Guard, and yes, they know how to use them).  For preppers, none of these really work except for the old English Bill, now made as a brush ax.  It comes in several varieties, with both long and short handles.  Originally used for pruning limbs on trees, it also easily pruned limbs on foes.  Oh, and it chops up brush as well.  It is slow to use, but again, very effective if its hits.  It isn’t easy to carry around, so this would be best used it you were bugging in or had one stored at your bug out location.

Spears:  The lowly spear is often regarded as the weapon of the expendable.  Hence, the expression “spear carrier” for the rank and file peons present only to soak up enemy fire.  Actually, the spear is a very versatile weapon, and it crosses the line between a slashing and a thrusting weapon.  Technically, it can also be used as a bludgeoning weapon, if handled as a staff.  A spear can be as simple as a pointed stick, with a fire hardened point.  It can be a staff with a knife blade lashed to it.  It can also be a purpose-made weapon.  A spear should be between six to eight feet in length, including the head or blade.  A crossbar at the end of the blade is very useful for keeping aggressive game from coming up the shaft to get in a final strike against the wielder (like wild boar).

An exception to the size is the Assegai, a Zulu fighting spear with a 3 foot shaft, and as the colonial British could attest, a very effective weapon in deed.  So how does a spear fit into our multi-use requirement?  First, the spear is a hunting weapon.  You have to get close, but our ancestors could do it, so we can learn (and not starve in the mean time).  Second, the spear adds reach for knock fruit out of trees, moving downed power lines, or even keeping wild dogs at bay.  And third, spears can be made out of and handy pole and sharp object.  As a final note, spears have a psychological effect on an opponent.  A bayonet on a rifle is just a spear, and most people and animals will not willingly risk impaling themselves rushing a spear-wielding opponent.  At least to me, not having to use a weapon to achieve my goals is preferable to having to use one, and a simple spear could give me that edge.

Swords:  Everyone’s favorite post apocalypse/Zombie weapon!  I will admit I own a few swords, some decorative, some actual weapons.  A sword is a specialized weapon, and I’m mentioning it here only because if I didn’t someone would ask about it.  From a prepping standpoint, a sword is pretty much useless.  Without training, a sword is just as dangerous to you as it is to a foe.  You can’t really hunt with one, chop wood with one, or use it for much else except combat.  If you insist on carrying a sword, I strongly suggest you learn how to use it.  Check out your local Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) chapter, and get in with their fighters, while your other half gets in with their craft folks and learns something really useful.  While your bruises heal, they can tell you all about it…

Entrenching Tools:  Using an entrenching tool as a weapon goes back to at least Roman times.  In the Twentieth Century, World War One caused troops to start to deliberately modify their E-tools for use in trench raids and as last ditch weapons (no pun intended here).  World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam all had cases where E-tools were used to defend their users against attackers in close combat.  I do not know of any instances from recent wars, but I believe that has had more to do with the nature of the fighting than anything else.  Modern E-tools (the folding kind) usually come with one edge partially sharpened to act as an ax, although they are hard to swing due to their grip configuration.  With a little work they can hold a great edge, until you use them to dig a hole.  Even so, they are very compact and versatile.  I would recommend a surplus E-tool with a fixed wooden handle, like the East German model, either genuine surplus or the Cold Steel version.  The fixed handle makes them longer, but also easier to wield as a weapon.  An E-tool of some sort should be part of everyone’s gear, so having it as a defensive tool as well just makes sense.

Machetes:  Unlike a sword, the machete started out as a tool for cutting crops and brush.  It just so happens that it also makes a very effective close combat weapon.  A machete comes in many lengths and forms, from a basic brush tool to a kuhkri  design optimized for weight-forward cutting.  It makes a very effective weapon that requires little training to use other than it’s intended use as a tool.  A well made machete can also replace an ax or hatchet for light wood cutting, and a heavier (thicker bladed) version could handle small trees.  If you have to have a slashing weapon in your stockpile, this would be an excellent choice.

Piercing:  Piercing weapons do their damage by piercing the target, hopefully striking vital organs or causing blood loss.  Many of the options already listed, such as knives, spears, and machetes can also be used to pierce a target, and so I’ll not cover them again.  Modifications to clubs, staves, and axes can also give the ability to pierce, but at the cost of being able to do their primary functions, becoming pure weapons instead of multi-purpose tools.

Ice Picks:  Ice?  Who’d going to have ice when there’s no power and no working freezers?  While where you live may or may not get ice in the winter, an ice pick is a great kitchen tool to have in your field or camping kit.  Piercing meat for spices or marinade, venting a can to drain juice, or even pre-SHTF breaking up ice for cold ones, an ice pick has many uses.  As a weapon, it is deceptively dangerous.  It can pierce leather, clothing, and skin with ease, doing critical damage to internal organs.  It can even pierce the bones of the human skull.  At one time, it was a favored assassination tool of the Mafia.  It is also easy to conceal, as long as precautions are taken not to stick yourself with it.

The above list is hardly all-inclusive.  Nearly anything can be made into a weapon, but I have tried to focus on tools that a prepper could or should have on hand that can do double duty without being modified.

I highly recommend getting training in some form of primitive weaponry, whether through your favorite dojo, the SCA, or a qualified instructor.  Personally, I recommend the SCA over the others, as you can also learn lots of skills not associated with fighting, but are low tech and will be vital in a post SHTF environment.

I hope this information is useful to you.  I do want to stress again that hand-to-hand combat is nasty, brutish, bloody, and you are very likely to get hurt.  Keep your firearm handy, well fed, and working.  But if the worst happens, you don’t have to find yourself defenseless.  You do have options other than a firearm to protect yourself and your loved ones.

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest where you could win:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Essentials Kit courtesy of LPC Survival and an EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves.. A value of over $300.

Second Prize) Winner will receive a Stealth Body Armor Level II vest courtesy of SafeGuard ARMOR™ LLC and a $150 gift certificate for Wolf Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com A total prize value of over $600.

Third Prize) Winner will receive copies of both of my books “31 Days to Survival: A Complete Plan for Emergency Preparedness” and “Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man’s Solution” and a Katadyn Siphon Water Filter courtesy of Mayflower Trading Company. A total prize value of $107.

Contest ends on June 5 2012.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved

→ How The U.S. Dollar Will Be Replaced : There is only one factor that shields the dollar from implosion, and that is its position as the world reserve currency. Without this exalted status, the currency’s value vanishes. Backed by nothing but massive and unpayable debt, it sits frighteningly idle, like a time bomb, waiting for the moment of ignition.

→ Here Comes the Sunstorm : The sun is expected to hit a peak eruption period in 2013, and while superstorms don’t always occur in peak periods, some warn of a disaster. John Kappenman, a consultant and former power engineer who has spent decades researching the storms, says the modern power grid isn’t hardened for the worst nature has to offer. He says an extreme storm could cause blackouts lasting weeks or months, leaving major cities temporarily uninhabitable and taking a massive economic toll.

→ An attack on gun rights?

→ Proof that only the police should have guns : Officer has negligent discharge at middle school. Anyway you might want to watch these two videos just in case you ever get questioned by the police, Flex Your Rights and “Never talk to the police” .

→ Should we scrap our “old” Constitution? : If it seems our Constitution is faltering, it’s because our politicians and bureaucrats have been ignoring it, our courts keep compromising it, and the American people have been too spineless or too ignorant to make them stop. It is not because the document is faulty. I think it’s still the best around.

→ Pandemic Influenza Exercise Begins : Nearly 100 civilian and military representatives from seven African nations, the United States and three United Nations organizations met in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, May 14, 2012 for a weeklong exercise to conduct a baseline review of the current capability of the government of Burkina Faso to respond to a potential severe pandemic disaster.

→ Another deadly pandemic a matter of when, not if : A deadly global pandemic is threatening to devastate the world. It’s not a matter of if one will strike; it’s just a matter of when. The movie Contagion depicted the terrifying scenario. A new highly deadly virus springs up somewhere and spreads around the globe in hours. It kills hundreds of millions of people. Western civilisation falls apart as people can’t go to work, food stores and shops close and deliveries cease. Hospitals are not only overflowing with patients, they’re not even coming close to meeting demand.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved