Making wet wood burn: 1st in a series

From the emails etc. it seems that making wet wood burn gets the nod. First though, we need to do a review of what is needed to make, or cause fire. Then later a review of special circumstances, and how to deal with them.

• First, there has to be fuel. This can be wood, oil, gasoline or any number of flammable things.
• There has to be air, oxygen to be more precise. Without oxygen nothing will burn in the classic sense.
• There has to be ignition to start the process.

Combine the three, and you can have fire. Remove any of them, and you will not be able to maintain the process that is called burning, or fire.

Fuel needs, as a term, to be broken down a bit. There is tinder, and that is what gets things going. Tinder can be lint, wood that has been splintered, or shaved. Or it can be something along the lines of gasoline or charcoal starter.

Which brings us to ignition. There are many ignition methods. From friction methods along the lines of rubbing wood together, to sparking devices, to using a battery to cause a spark. The best known is probably the lowly match. This single subject could fill a small volume, and I will probably address that in depth in the future.

Then you have medium sized tinder, small twigs or branches are examples. After that there are full sized fuel sources. Usually larger pieces of wood, but it can also be dried animal dung, generally from cattle.

The ability to make fire is one of the most crucial skills that anyone in a survival situation can have. It takes practice though to become proficient. The old adage “Train hard, fight easy” really comes to mind when it comes to fire building. Get a good manual, such as the Army Survival Manuel cited in the first posting on this blog under recommended reading for ideas as to the various types of fires that you can build to fit various circumstances.

Preparation is the key to sucess. That includes practicing making fire. Keeping on hand different types of things to get fires started such as matches, a burning glass, a sparking device, and a butane lighter or two just to name some of the things that could save your life. Knowledge though, is the biggest factor.

A list of topics

Things have been kind of in turmoil as of late. That is the primary reason that there haven’t been any postings of late. However, I am getting ready to get this blog rolling. I need a little feed back about topics. What are people interested in these days? The recent election has spurred the sales of fire arms of all types, but especially in hand guns and military style weapons. It has also caused a tremendous resurgence in “militia” type organizations. Real ones, not cover up groups for racism or other scatter brained things that fall into the sky is falling category. The following are a few of the subjects that I have been asked about either via email, on the phone, or in person. Let me know what you think of them as subjects, and add any that you might be interested in.

• Making alcohol for medicinal purposes and other uses.
• Making fire; special circumstances, such as making wet wood burn.
• Primitive tool making.
• Land navigation, without a GPS unit.
• Organization of survival units (militia’s)
• explosives that can be used for building / engineering purposes in a survival situation.
• Trapping for survival and self defense.
• Disappearing in full view, or, how to be hidden in a society that has crumbled.
• Expand on the library.
• Expand on proper shooting: mental attitude of survival.
• Advanced First Aid.
• Expedient weapons.
  

Stashing, or rolling your own..?

Keeping enough reliable ammunition on hand is always a concern. While I have not reloaded a lot of different calibers I have rolled plenty of my own ammunition. Mostly because of my favored selections. Some are getting a bit difficult to locate, and are going through the roof price wise. So, if you are like me, or if you just want to have an edge on self sufficiency this might be of interest.

In addition to a basic reloading set up you will need a case trimmer and a vernier to measure cases with. A set of go / no go gauges is one alternative. While I absolutely love progressive loaders such as the Dillon series I have to think that the more parts that there are the more prone to breakage they might be. Case in point though is that I’ve never seen anyone have to return one for a defect.

Then we get to safety. In addition to all the standard safety rules that will be noted in any of the manuals in a survival situation keep your loads in the mid or moderate range. Smokeless powder will be hard to come by. Not to mention that brass will probably last a lot longer with moderate loads than with super hot ones that are on the edge of maximum limit types. Not to mention that most accuracy loads will not be extreme in nature. As Fred noted elsewhere, one shot is the name of the game.

Next we will look at the components of a cartridge:

Primers will in all probability become the most difficult items to acquire, and are also tough to build in a survival situation. Actual fabrication of components will come at a later date in a separate posting. Load up on a supply of them. They are relatively inexpensive at this time, however, as political winds shift that may not remain to be true for various reasons. Most of the brands that are on the market work well. I tend to buy CCI Brand but offerings from Federal, Remington, and others also have a loyal following. Make sure that you stock up with the types that you intend to use, as well as others. It is just good planing. After all, your beloved 30/06 rifle might somehow become damaged but you did come across a 257 Roberts that will do the job so long as you do your part. In addition, primers can be used for other things than cartridges as will be discussed at a later time.

Brass: Get all the brass that you can in the calibers that you have chosen. Make sure that it is actual nickle or brass, not steel, and not corosive type European brass. It may look inexpensive at the time of purchase but don’t be fooled. Again, all the major brands that are listed above sell quality brass. How you care for it will determine it’s useful life. ( I will defer to Stick & String for more about that.)

Bullets: Get a good selection in a variety of types and styles. Including some that would be considered to be “solids” and FMJ. Remember that elephant that was at the Zoo? Give yourself a fighting chance…

AK 47, AR 15, and Mosin Nagant

Well, I knew it had to happen. Private emails flooded my in box all preaching about the pluses of? You guessed it! The AK 47, the AR 15, and the various Mosin Nagant’s.

I suppose I should address these one by one. I don’t have any problem at all with any of them as weapons go. Just not for a survival situation in what is now America.

The Ak 47 is one tough and reliable weapon in whatever configuration that has been produced. In the United States we have pretty easy access to the semi-auto versions, and that is what I will be considering here. It shoots a round that is slightly less powerful than the 30/30 and will certainly fill the bill when venison is on the menu. For personal protection it is a world class performer. It has been said that you could drag an AK through mud, then across a desert, dump it into the ocean and swim a marathon dragging it behind you. Crawl to shore amidst all that swirling sand, stand up, cock it, and pull the trigger, and it will fire without fail. That’s saying a lot, and I have no reason to doubt the stories of AK reliability. Now though? tell me where, in America, you can find a reliable source of ammunition that in on a scale of, say, 30/06. Especially if all hell has broken loose, and Joe Blow’s Gun Emporium is no longer in existence..? If you can stock up on ammo and components, then more power to you.

Next we have the AR 15. They are great pop guns, and are useful across a wide variety of small game, up to deer size game with very careful shot placement. That said; the AR needs a lot of tender love and care. Try anything that was said above about the AK, and it will not fire in all probability. They are finicky about hygiene, and are notorious for not stopping bad guys without multiple hits. Could an AR 15 have a place in the arsenal of a survivalist? Certainly! I see it as a camp gun that could be an expedient weapon for defense. As noted above, the same things go for ammunition, plus add a lot of cleaning supplies.

Mosin Nagant rifles are just not all that common here in the United States, and most of what is here are junk. Unless you do a lot of work on them. I am told by others that the ones found in Europe, especially the Finnish re-works are fabulous. Tough, reliable, and extremely accurate. if you can get one of those, along with ammunition and components to build more ammo? Then by all means get one. If, however, you are simply determined to have a European rifle then go to Mitchell’s Mauser’s and take a look. The 8mm has a long history of being a very reliable performer.

Survival Firearm Calibers

Since I have been deluged with questions about calibers of firearms that should be considered for an extended period of self sufficiency or civil unrest I will write this short piece about the subject.

First and foremost in both a rifle and a pistol (revolver) is the 22 rim fire. Why? I mean, after all, you can’t reload it, and it really is underpowered for defensive purposes. The reason is that ammunition is very inexpensive, and can be found almost everywhere. It can be used for just about any purpose that involves a firearm. Your skill with it is the limiting factor.

More importantly is the decision about make and model. There probably will not be too many shacks around with a “Gunsmith” sign on the front door. My recommendation would be Ruger, both rifle, pistol, and revolver. They rarely break. It is that simple. Still, you should have a few spare parts on hand just in case. Firing pins come to mind, as well as the tools that would be needed to make repairs. (Hopefully Stick and String can fill in the blanks here! )

Next we get to handguns. Go into any gun store, or sporting goods store, or even Wal Mart and, invariably, you will find two calibers. Why is that important? because you very well may be scavenging for ammo, or components with which to build ammunition. Those two calibers are the 357 Magnum, and the Colt 45 ACP. Both are proved man stoppers, plentiful, and can be reloaded. Here I need to interject something. Get a “Lee Loader.” Along with the dies etc. for your chosen calibers. Both can also be loaded safely with black powder and b/p substitutes. The 357 can also shoot 38 Special ammunition, which is also readily available. There are many well made hand guns produced in these calibers. There are also many that are fine if only used on occasion, but will not stand up to rigorous use. Stick with a brand name that is well known and you should do fine. Since we are talking about an extended period here, I would also advise fixed sights. They are not as accurate as adjustable sights, I know. They also don’t break very often. Think reliability here, not marketing.

Next, and probably the most controversial would be a center fire rifle. If you can only choose one, then choose a semi-auto that will serve for both defense, and hunting purposes. Again, stick with name brands that are known for reliability. Sure, get a well made scope for it, but also make sure that it has iron sights that are well made as a back up. Many of the best rifles made today do not come with them, and that will be an extra expense. The venerable 30:06 Springfield is the jack of all trades, and master of none. It can also be found anywhere that ammunition can be found, as well as be reloaded with black powder and b/p substitutes. Thirty caliber bullets are probably the most common cartridge component that can be found so bear that in mind. The problem is that it (06) is not readily available in a semi auto configuration other than the fine BAR. That brings us to the “Son of Ought6.” The 308 Winchester, or 7.62 Nato (Yes, I know that there are very slight differences. I also know that both can easily be interchanged for all but “match” purposes.) Though not quite as available as the ‘06 the 308 is pretty wide spread. Further, inserts for the ‘06 can easily convert it to the .308 Win. Your choice according to your pocketbook in other words. The .308 is offered in many different semi-auto models across a wide price range with the Springfield M1A being the gold standard in production rifles. The .308 is built by virtually all of the major manufacturers as a bolt gun and it will do anything that the ‘06 will do for all practical purposes. The key point here being your pocket book. It is possible to purchase a single shot rifle in both ‘06 and .308 quite inexpensively. I am not all that enthusiastic about the quality of some of those offerings though. Believe me, a set of Ruger Number Ones will set you back some serious money while being well worth every hard earned penny! If push came to shove I would get a Remington 700 in 30:06 along with a drop in insert, and an M1A basic. Both, with (yuk!) modern non-wood stocks. If your finances are like mine, then go with the Remington.

This brings us to shotguns. If you can only have a single weapon available for what ever reason make sure that it is a shotgun. The same considerations should be given that were addressed above in the rifle section above. Get a twelve gauge. It will do anything that any other size will do, and ammunition is cheap, and readily available. There is a reason that the Remington 870 is the all time best selling shotgun. It is tough, inexpensive, and fits nearly every person without a lot of reworking. Yes, there are better specific need shotguns made by several manufacturers. When we speak of one that can get the job done though without a lot of extraneous additions the 870 will lead the pack. Get one with a screw in choke barrel, and a slug barrel to cover all the bases. Get a large selection of shot sizes leaning more toward smaller shot. That will fill the table, and is more than effective at close range for defensive needs. If you live in an area where particularly dangerous animals, other than man are, buckshot is pretty high up on the list. Now, think about this; if there is a total breakdown in society? Do you live near a zoo? If so you might just come face to face with a tiger, lion, or elephant. Arm yourself accordingly.

This really is a primer, and certainly not the end all on this subject. It is meant to get you to thinking about these things so that you can properly, and effectively plan for those things that we all hope will never happen.

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Recommended reading for the Survivor

Recommended reading for the Survivor is always an interesting subject because there are so many things that one should have at least a basic knowlege of. By example, it’s all fine and dandy to ask, how do I make a knife..? The bigger question (s) though would be what tools will I need, and how can I make them. There are many good works available dealing with these things. But the hands down blockbuster has to be a series written by a teacher, and his students. The Foxfire Books will answer nearly any question you have. From building a rifle from scratch to childbirth care and just about everything in between. If you can only afford a single set of books dealing with how to live spend your money there.

Then there are more specialized areas. Free to download is the US ARMY SURVIVAL MANUAL. It is surprisingly well written for a military manual and is actually fairly easy to read.

Paladin Press offers more titles having to do with the various aspects of survival than any other outlet that I am aware of at this time. One book that, although a bit dated, I highly recommend  is Training the Gunfighter. I believe that it is still available from Paladin Press.

Certainly basic first aid needs to be learned by all adults, I would refer you to your local Red Cross for training in first aid and CPR. Beyond that, take a first responder course if you can. If you are in a group setting, at least one of the group should advance to EMT-Intermediate, and Paramedic if possible. Training in nursing to compliment the advanced life support of other group members is a definite plus. There are simply too many good texts in this subject line for me to pick out any single best.

People are always asking about firearms training. In this day and age, if you are a civilian, not in law enforcement there is only one place to go. FRONT SIGHT. The programs there are unbelievable! You can get a free gun, free courses, and excellent instruction in various disciplines. I personally know special operations people that have gone there, and not only learned new things, but improved on the skills that they already had. Yes, I am talking Recon Marines, Rangers, Seals, and Special Forces. Unlike some places, you get the same training that people like them receive. be sure to sign up for their free news letter, and lessons that are emailed to you at no charge.

This is a very basic list and I am sure that other titles ans sources will be added as time goes on. Any additional recommendations?

From Stick & String

This is Stick & String’s first blog post. Transferred from a forum. I hope everyone likes his home grown style and way of expressing things.

Well, the election is over so there’s no point in rehashing any of the candidate bashing or nail biting so that won’t even enter into this  post. I predict, write it down, that in the near future we ARE going to have economic “distress” to some degree, and possibly even civil unrest closely following. The usual stopgaps designed to protect us from  radical bills being enacted into law are no longer in place. This nation is closely teetering on major depression. The government is quickly running out of it’s bag of tricks to prop up the economy-let alone what the new administration is going to “change”. Therefore I’ve decided to start preparing (in fact, already started) for the worst, while hoping for the best. While I’m FAR from being any  kind of expert on anything-much less survival, I don’t feel qualified to  recommend how to prepare. All I can do is tell y’all some of the things I’m going to do, and expect more information from those better qualified  than I. Here’s what we’re doing for starters. Buying more firearms (like I needed a reason-LOL ), with at least 1 center fire rifle equipped with a BUNCH of high capacity magazines and  ammo to match. A 12 gauge pump along with several handguns cover any  close range need for defense, while a couple extremely accurate bolt  action rifles take care of very long range needs-both hunting and  defense. I’m also really stocking up a LOT on rim-fire and reloading components. Since I like oddball cartridges/calibers it’s even more important to ensure I have plenty of ammo. Also, I’m NOT going to have  ANYTHING remotely illegal so as to stay “off the radar”. Stocking up on all types of food that have a long shelf life or thorough  packaging. Forget foods that will go bad very soon and repackage raw food-stocks such as flour, sugar, cornmeal, powdered milk, powdered eggs, salt, and spices to last much longer. Water filters and water purifiers are a must because if the “city” water system goes down or is compromised they will be the only way to  obtain water after the first few days. Don’t depend on water in the cheap plastic jugs like you get from store as the plastic deteriorates  after awhile, possibly as fast as 6 months. Fuel-both gasoline and kerosene is pretty obviously needed but need to be treated and conditioned so as not to go “bad”. My goal is 500  gallons, cycling to keep fresh. Sturdy clothing will always be good to have as it can be used all  the time, along with material to make whatever you need if so inclined and have the knowledge to (I don’t). I’m also going to make SURE to have cash on hand just in case for some reason, the banks fail, close, computers go offline, or there’s a “run” on banks to prevent me from accessing my account. I’m not smart  enough to predict what exact type of cash to keep, but will also have plenty to barter if it comes to that. I look for medicine to be hard to get if all this happens, and I suffer from acid reflux so I’m stocking up on over the counter medication for this. I’m also stocking up on other medications (over  the counter) and first aid items to the point of having an actual field  surgery kit. I wish I could stock up on antibiotics but they are  prescription only. If we are really in the worst scenario, I’m not going  to worry about blood pressure meds and anti-depressants- gawd help THEM  if I’m off my meds and have valid reason to “go off”!!! Lastly, location, location, location is very important (as they say in  business 101) as it’s always better to NOT have to fight to protect  yourselves unless absolutely necessary. Don’t get me wrong, if I have to , I’ll fight BUT it would be MUCH better to be simply far enough back away from urban areas or far enough “back in the holler” and be  overlooked by those that would cause harm to me or mine as others have  mentioned. That’s why, since I’m permanently disabled and retired, we are  looking to relocate to the most remote place possible, even thou we already live on farm, and still stay in Ky. Yes, I know there are much  better states to do this in but want to stay in ky-at least right now. Am I sounding paranoid? OF COURSE but it never hurts as it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry. ONLY the paranoid survive! I’m running out of things to say so it’s time for y’all to share your  thoughts/input. PLEASE contribute even if you never have before or  think your ideas are “silly” as I’m SURE they won’t be. Input on  different states’ laws would come in helpful. Also, howdy to our  neighbors from In and other states that I haven’t talked with in a  while. What all am I missing folks?

Why a blog about this subject?

In my travels around the Internet many people have expressed a desire for a practical blog dealing with survival and existing in a world where things are changing rapidly. No, this will not be a blog about conspiracy theory, the New World Order or anything along those lines. It will deal with political realities, and how they might affect you, your family, and society as a whole.

Indeed, the results of the recent election motivated many to ask me to start this blog. Bear in mind that I am anything but politically correct. I am quite opinionated when it comes to a lot of things. Other things, no, I am pretty easy to get along with on. Try pushing my buttons to find out just what those things are

If you have a particular thing that you would like explored just post your interest, and we (I will not be the only contributor) will try and get that answered for you.

Some topics that have already been proposed include; survival armament. What to buy, and why. Tool making so that you can build your own items that are needed. A reading list that will help you get started. Various types of training and where to get those skills, or how to develop them yourself.