True Prepper Offers Free E-Book Downloads

 From True Prepper: "Free Survival PDFs, Manuals, & Downloads." Sections or categories include military manuals (including survival guides and skills useful to preppers); survival and bushcraft skills; preparedness manuals for civilians; first aid; a couple books on specific threats like EMP and nuclear winter; surviving nuclear war; a variety of checklists; and a couple useful references on the military phonetic alphabet and testing whether a plant is edible. 

E-Book: LDS Preparedness Manual

Prepping involves a lot of self-education on a wide variety of topics. The prepper often needs to be a true Renaissance Man or Woman. I have books on specific topics, but it also helps to have books that collect together a multitude of prepping topics to show how things fit together or remind you of items that you may have overlooked or not thought about.  

    One of these "generalist" prepping books is the the LDS Preparedness Manual (PDF) (Version 8.0 - 2012). I've linked to this book before, but to an earlier version. This 2012 edition is the latest version. It is also available through Amazon or from the publisher if you would prefer a bound version. Of you can print the PDF and put it in a 3-ring binder for easy reference.  

    I would note that although this volume indicates is the second volume ("Handbook 2") of a set: the first volume was intended for leaders of a church ward or stake (similar to a parish and diocese, respectively) whereas the second volume--the one linked to above--is for individuals and families. However, comparing the table of contents between the two, it appears that Handbook 1 and Handbook 2 cover many of the same topics.

    And speaking of topics, the Handbook 2 covers various topics:

• Why prepare?
• Mental and spiritual preparedness.
• Food storage--what to store and how to cook it (this is by far the bulk of the book)
• 72-Hour Kits and Bug-Out Kits
• Evacuation
• Communication
• Financial topics
• Storing medicines and what medicines to store.
• Defense.
• Heating, cooking and lighting.
• Clothing.
• Emergency shelter.
• Sanitation.
• Testing your preparations.
• Special considerations for babies and children.
• Articles and preparations for pandemics.
• Prepare for terrorist/nuclear attacks.
• Miscellaneous articles on various topics.  

At 500 pages, it is able to cover a lot of topics fairly well, and some topics to a great depth. For instance, the food storage section runs from page 44 to page 157 by itself. The article on "A High-Mobility 72 Hour Kit" is one of the best and most detailed explanations of what to pack and why for bugging out and organizing it in a easy way by layers: (1) your clothes and what to carry on your person; (2) a sling bag and its contents; (3) a small backpack (something the size of an assault pack) and what to carry in it; (4) individual weapons and tools; and (5) tools for your vehicle. And there is a detailed checklist of items to take for bugging out as well as things to do before you bug out. For staying at home, there is a detailed list of items to have on hand for everything from clothing to communications, important documents to entertainment and educational supplies, medicines, kitchen supplies, and more. 

    In such an expansive volume, there are a few sections that are a bit weak. Being a gun-guy and interested in self-defense, I tend to check out the articles or chapters pertaining to such topics. In this case I felt the two articles on defense and defensive firearms were underwhelming. The article on "Defense" was obviously written by someone that either (a) didn't know much about the topic or (b) didn't believe it appropriate to share useful information to the general public. The article on selecting preparedness firearms was better, but reminded me of Tappan's book on survival guns by recommending too many firearms for too many individual tasks. 

    The intended audience are member of the LDS Church and consequently there are references to scripture and teachings of past Church authorities. But the vast majority of the book is going to be useful to anyone interested in prepping. Certainly, it appears to be a valuable resource for anyone getting into prepping and has a lot of articles and checklists that would be useful to the experienced prepper. 

Big Country Expat Announces Downloadable Library

Big Country Expat has announced he has made some materials available on a Google Drive for download, including his Flammenwerfer Instructions and OPFOR War Manual collection. The direct link for the library is here. 

Gun & Prepping News #49

 Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:  

• Jon Low has posted a new Defensive Pistolcraft newsletter.  One story in particular stood out to me: a man that was robbed while taking a briefcase of important documents to his lawyer. He noticed two men in car following him as he left a bank for the building where his lawyer's office was located, but they didn't follow him into the parking lot. 

      As it turned out, they waited out of sight until I got out of my car, locked it and pocketed the keys.  At that moment, the pursuing car drove into the lot, and a huge man jumped out and tried to trap my briefcase.  

     Being a Shotokan black belt in my younger years, I instinctively drove my elbow into his sternum and didn’t let go of the case.  He tried again, and again, and I reacted.  At that moment, the car’s driver jumped out and hit me behind my knees, throwing me to the ground.  He then forcefully straddled me and began punching my face.  He hit me about 30 times, breaking four of my ribs, my occipital cavities and my nose.  He split my lips, then grabbed me by the hair and started smashing my head against the pavement.  

     Not one of the people around bothered to yell or call 911.  The building guard was in the back smoking and talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone.  The whole encounter was videotaped by the building’s security cameras.  

     After I managed to get up and make it to my lawyer’s office, all bloodied up, he called 911.  I wasn’t armed at that time, nor did I have a license to carry.  When the police came later, they took my statement, and I gave a complete description of the perpetrators.  They didn’t bother to check out the surveillance cameras, and their only words were, ”You’re lucky to be alive.  In nine out of ten similar incidents, we find the victim dead.”  Very comforting!  

     That was the end of the police involvement.  They never even bothered to track the car or the perpetrators.  I was taken by ambulance and spent two days in the hospital in extreme pain.  

The two lessons from this were: (1) the man relating the encounter acknowledged that it happened so fast that even if he had been carrying a firearm he probably wouldn't have had time to access it--in other words, know some hand-to-hand skills; and (2) "As Tim Larkin says, your hand-to-hand combat techniques must cause immediate incapacitation. That's not something you're going to learn in a Karate dojo." 

• Greg Ellifritz has posted a new Weekend Knowledge Dump. Lots of good stuff, as always, but here are few articles to which Greg has linked:
• "Concealed Carry in the Era of Terror Revisited" in which the author observes "Carrying a concealed pistol to protect against garden variety thugs is a vastly different proposition than confronting terrorists bent on committing murder and mayhem. Here are some planning considerations for this dire eventuality." One topic the author addresses is that there is a completely different mindset when dealing with terrorists versus your typical street thug:

So, with that in mind, the rules change. Back shoot them without hesitation or warning. The cheaper the shot, the better. To ensure there’s not a threat from behind as you move past their bodies, “anchor” shoot them through the brain and from a position of advantage.  While these methods of engagement are illegal and inappropriate for a criminal encounter and would likely see you charged with murder in that context, I suspect a citizen acting this way against a terrorist threat will be given a pass. (Differentiating between the two at that time could be difficult. Choose wisely.)  This will essentially be participating in no notice infantry combat in your hometown. 

 Well, I doubt that you would get a pass in a jurisdiction controlled by Democrats. But because of mass immigration and the resurgence of violent leftist groups, we should expect more terrorist attacks in the United States. 

• "Why you should NEVER rechamber the same AR-15 round twice." Although looking at the AR platform specifically, the issues raised--bullet setback and floating firing pins repeatedly bumping against primers--can occur in other firearms. 
• And a link to the October Rangemaster Newsletter, plus a lot more. 

• "October 2025 Drill of the Month — 25 Round Version, 'Dot Torture'"--Tactical Wire. Tom Givens writes:

Most of us are familiar with Dot Torture, an excellent practice/assessment drill originally devised by David Blinder, then popularized by the late Todd Green. Here is an abbreviated 25 round version, that takes less time and ammo. We will shoot it at 5 yards.  

The article also links to a PDF of the appropriate target so you can print your own and provides the course of fire.  

• "Which Buffer Weight Should You Run in Your AR-15?"--Ammo Land.  This is a very good summary of key points and information on buffers, what they do, the different weights, and recommendations for different length gas systems. The author writes:

     Your AR-15’s buffer assembly is made up of three components: the buffer, buffer spring, and buffer tube. Together, they control how the bolt carrier group (BCG) travels rearward, absorbs recoil, and returns to battery after each shot.

    Choosing the right buffer weight affects: 

•     Bolt Speed & Cycling – Too light, and your BCG moves too fast, causing premature wear. Too heavy, and it may not cycle reliably.
•     Recoil Impulse – A heavier buffer slows the BCG, spreads the recoil impulse over more time, and makes follow-up shots easier.
•     Parts Longevity – Matching buffer weight to your gas system reduces battering on the receiver extension and bolt lugs.
•     Reliability – A properly tuned buffer system extracts and ejects consistently and chambers the next round with authority.

If this topic interests you, check out my post on "Short Stroke or Buffer? Trouble Shooting An AR". 

• "The Case For Pocket Carry"--Shooting Illustrated. The author relates:

    I worked in the gun world before I ever had to wear a suit professionally. As such, I regularly advocated that everyone should carry the most capable, user-friendly carry pistol they could, such as some flavor of Glock G19 sized semi-automatic.

    When my career path veered into the corporate sector, I was confronted with the harsh reality that concealing a duty-size, double-stack pistol wasn't nearly as easy as when I just untucked my too-big gun shop polo and pulled it over my IWB holster.

    I soon found myself in another literal white-collar, suit-and-tie job that had me in very close proximity with customers on a daily basis. It was in a relatively low-risk industry (no high value inventory or large amounts of cash), so I didn't have to worry about experiencing my own personal Nakatomi Christmas Party.

    That said, I still wanted to remain armed. After all, using Tom Givens’ alumni stats as the example, the only negative outcomes his students have suffered have been “forfeits”: showing up to your defensive gun usage without a gun. 

He discusses why he decided on pocket carry and his selection for a pocket carry gun: the KelTec P32. 

• On a related note: "The Case for Mouse Guns"--Shooting Illustrated. Like me, the author grew up "in a time when everyone 'knew' 9mm was weak and the only serious choice for self-defense was a .45 ACP" and "stopping power" was all the rage. But now we understand that "effectiveness has more to do with shot placement and penetration than bullet diameter." Thus, carrying a smaller handgun is no longer viewed as tantamount to suicide. Money quote: "A pistol is always a compromise weapon. It is carried because it’s convenient, not because it’s powerful. That mindset shift allows us to stop chasing ever-larger cartridges and start focusing on what truly matters: accuracy, reliability, and penetration in an accessible firearm." 
• "Move and Shoot or Shoot and then Move?"--Ammo Land.  The author discusses the pros and cons of each (although he seems to mean "move and shoot" rather than move then shoot). I'm not a fan of standing still waiting for someone to take a shot, so I guess I lean toward getting to cover before taking a shot. 
• "How Run and Gun Events Changed How I Shoot and Train"--Shooting Sports USA.  The author explains:

Unlike The Tactical Games, which have a strong CrossFit focus, or Three-Gun where the focus is on marksmanship, the Run and Gun format tries to balance general fitness in the guise of moving over longer distances with marksmanship ability. Courses are typically designed so an excellent runner who is a poor marksman will finish in the middle of the pack, just as an exceptional shooter who can’t run will be equally “mid,” as my teenager would say. 

• "The Importance of Safely Placing Your Finger on a Handgun"--Handguns Magazine. Where to place your trigger finger when you've drawn your weapon but are not yet ready to shoot. The author prefers a high index position that aligns the finger above the trigger guard and along the slide or frame. This, he explains, allows you to index the gun (i.e., align the gun with a target by using your trigger finger to point at the target) but keeping the finger safely away from the trigger. The author also discusses the surprise trigger break:

     Surprise trigger break refers to applying rearward pressure on the trigger gradually to keep the muzzle from moving as the shot is fired. That’s important because even the slightest muzzle movement when firing could result in a miss.

    The “surprise” refers to not anticipating when the shot will break, which often leads to a miss. It doesn’t mean you should be surprised you fired the pistol. Firing your pistol should always be a conscious decision.

•  "Carrying and Using the LDK Knife"--Greg Ellifritz. Greg was involved in the design of the LDK (last ditch knife). He "designed it primarily as a knife that could easily be missed on a cursory search if one was taken hostage." He intended it to be small enough it could be carried in a wallet, but the sheath for it has "multiple holes in it so that it can be laced in a boot or safety-pinned inside a piece of clothing," although Greg indicates that he originally carried it safety pinned inside and below the rear waistband of his pants when he traveled in third world countries. But, he adds:

I have since modified the carry mechanism slightly by attaching a small keyring.  I loop the keyring around my rear pants belt loop at the small of my back and tuck the knife down inside my waistband.  I have also attached a small handcuff key and handcuff shim from OscarDelta to the same keyring.  Now, no matter how I may be restrained, I have a reliable option for escape. 

•  "Review: Military Armament Corporation MAC-5"--Shooting Illustrated. Their semi-auto pistol version of the HK MP5, made by a plant in Turkey that is still licensed by HK. MSRP is listed as being $1,100. 
• "Was There Ever An M15 Rifle?"--American Rifleman. Yes, there was. It appears to have been a beefed up M14 designed to serve the same role as the Browning BAR as a squad automatic weapon. But it wasn't adopted because the Army believed that a few changes to the M14 would allow it to serve in the same role. They were wrong, of course. 
• "Court Rules Against Post Office Carry Ban"--The Truth About Guns. So if you live in the Northern District of Texas, your ability to carry a concealed weapon has slightly expanded. 
• Some articles from Blue Collar Prepping on water preps:
• "Prudent Prepping: Water Jugs"--the author explains why his favorite water jug for water storage is the  Reliance Products Jumbo-Tainer 7 Gallon Jerry Can.
• "Drinking Distilled Water"--downsides to drinking distilled water, including that it lacks any taste because there are no minerals in it; and because of that, it also can strip minerals from the body.
•  "Bleach for Water Purification"--this article was prompted by the failures in the water system in Telodo, Ohio, resulting in contamination of the water with microcystin toxin from algae.  Unfortunately, in that situation, filtering was of little use because while the filer would remove the algae, it didn't remove the toxin; and boiling the water would make the situation worse because the boiling would concentrate the toxin. Fortunately, bleach will remove the toxin because it reacts with the toxin producing a benign chemical. The article explains how to use bleach to purify the water, including figuring out how much bleach to use.
• "Purifying Water with Bleach, part 2"--this article provides some charts so you don't have to rely on the math needed in the earlier article.
• And on the topic of water: "Best Way to Fill Your Bathtub with Rainwater For Emergencies"--Modern Survival Online. This isn't about filling your tub when a disaster first strikes, but using the bathtub to store water collected from other sources--in this example, from rainwater--during an extended disaster. Thus, he discusses everything from using buckets, to using a diverter and hoses, to using hand pumps. He also recommends using a bathtub reservoir bag to make sure the water stays clean.  
• "Is Urban Survival Even Possible?"--Modern Survival Online. I think we all understand that long term survival in a city--particularly the large, dense, urban cores of our major cities--is going to be difficult simply because the number of people exceeds the carrying capacity of the land--cities all require a fairly constant supply of food, water and other supplies flowing into them. The author of this article delves into this topic in greater detail and why survival may be possible over a short term, but not over the long term. 
• On this same topic: "How Does an Emergency Crisis Affect a City"--Alpha Survivalist. The author reminds us that cities cannot feed themselves, and looks at the main risks in the event of a disaster: collapse collapse of social order; failure of water treatment and delivery systems; food shortages; and loss of electricity. The author also has some recommendations as storage of water, food and supplies should you decide to try and ride things out in the city. 
• "Sanitation in the City: How to Make a Kitty Litter Toilet When You Can’t Flush"--Organic Prepper. This isn't intended as a long term solution, but for short term emergencies where the power (and, thus, water) may be out. The basic idea is that you suspend a bag in a bucket or even in your toilet with a base layer of litter and then as you use it, spread a layer of fresh litter on top to cover the smell. The author warns that you will need to be careful about the amount of weight as human amounts of waste could quickly be heavy enough to rip the bag. 
• "Free Survival eBooks: Downloadable Straight from Amazon"--More Than Just Surviving. What is free on Amazon changes frequently.  So rather than providing a list of books that are currently free (but might not be in a few days) the author provides links to different categories of survival and prepping related books that list them according to price so you can find what is free at whatever time you are looking.

Gun & Prepping News #27

 Some articles that have caught my attention:

• First up is a new newsletter from Jon Low at Defensive Pistolcraft. It bears repeating, but he has a large number of links, quotes (some quite extensive) and his own comments and observations--so much, that it would be impossible for me to summarize them here, so be sure to click over and check them out. That said, I always try to pick out one or more items that caught my attention. This week, it was some comments that relate to the "average" or "typical" gun fight. Jon includes this quote from Greg Ellifritz: "Your gunfights will always be anomalies. So are those of all the instructors you venerate. It’s useful to keep those facts in mind." I don't have the context to this statement, so I don't know if Greg is saying that gun fights are, by their nature, anomalous and most conflicts can be resolved in other ways, or if he is saying that they are unique and do not fit into any standard "mold" or "formula". I suspect the latter. And it corresponds to a longer excerpt that Jon includes from Gabe Saurez on statistics and the maxim that the average gun fight is over in 3 seconds, involves 3 rounds, and takes place at 3 yards; and his warning about people that then use this to rule out certain scenarios, certain equipment and certain training. I won't include the full quote, but this captures the gist of it:

      I have been blessed with a large number of critical incidents.  I thoroughly appreciated each and everyone.  And each was totally different from the others.  As well, my students tend to be meat eater types and they have also faced the mythical elephant now and again.  Those that report back tell me the same.  Each gunfight, like each girl you date, will be a different experience.  You cannot predict anything statistically unless you are looking at a very small demographic . . . like redheads . . . or like night shift gas station cashiers.  

     For example, an analysis of ghetto liquor store owners using a weapon for self defense will not be the same as what a home owner in Beverly Hills will see when a three man team of Hoover Crips kicks in his door at zero dark thirty.  And that will be totally different from the Bounty Hunter who is fired upon from 20 yards in a parking lot by his quarry, as well as for the next Eli Dickens who happens to receive Churchill's tap when shopping with his girl.  

     If we are really looking at statistics as a guiding tool for self defense the vast majority of gun people should sell their Model 13 revolvers and join a gym as from my perspective they are in more danger from metabolic disease than from Meth-head Mike and his sharpened screwdriver. 

 And, he adds: "Statistics are interesting . . . but only as a point of conversation.  The wise man will train to be adaptable so that his skill sets are at the very least applicable across a vast spectrum of distances, initiatives, numbers of adversaries, etc."

    I would caution, however, against going to the other extreme and completely ignoring statistics. Tom Givens has collected information from his students that have been involved in shootings which provide useful insights (see, "When Citizens Fight Back"--American Handgunner). But the biggest takeaway should be that there are fundamental differences between armed citizen encounters and those in law enforcement (or the military or, I suspect, bounty hunters). As he looks over the information he has collected, Givens writes:

    The majority of these incidents involved an armed robbery, which I believe is probably the most likely scenario for armed self-defense by private citizen. We’re talking about business stickups, parking lot robberies at gunpoint, carjackings and home invasions — all crimes likely to get you killed. The reason the bad guy uses a weapon is to create standoff and to terrorize the victim into compliance, before closing in to take the wallet, purse, car keys, etc.

    The thug will, however, need to be close enough to his victim to communicate his desires and to easily close the distance and take the goods when the time comes. Thus the typical armed robbery occurs at anywhere from two or three steps, to roughly the length of a car — between the robber and his victim. That is, then, about three to seven yards typically, or say nine to 21′ or so. This is the distance at which most of my students have had to use their guns.

    I believe we should do the bulk of our training and practice at these “most likely” distances.

I'm not telling you that you don't need to, or shouldn't, practice at taking that 40 or 50 yard shot with your defensive pistol, or learn techniques only useful for contact distances. But Givens has a point about where to spend "the bulk of our training and practice". And I think that Saurez also has a point that most of us would benefit from more cardio training (especially running and sprinting).

•  "“Mass Shootings” versus Active Killer Attacks"--Active Response Training. Greg Ellifritz, here, is distinguishing between the situation where there is an outbreak of shooting in which a number of people are shot--generally the result of inner city drug gang conflict--and an active shooter event where the shooter is there specifically to kill those he or she comes across. And the reason to distinguish between the two types of incidents is because they should be responded to differently:

    When you hear shots nearby, immediately get down on the ground or behind cover.  Assess where the shots are coming from and plan a path of retreat in the opposite direction, ideally moving between large pieces of cover as you make your escape.  That’s it.  There is absolutely nothing else you should do.

     These are young thugs fighting other young thugs.  These are gang bangers fighting other gang bangers.  These are drunken idiots who decide to whip out a pistol when they are insulted.  None of those situations involves you in any way, even if you are in danger of catching an errant bullet.

    They don’t want to shoot you.  The only way you will get hit is by accident.  Don’t go looking for trouble.  Don’t try to intervene.  There is no “innocent third party” to protect.  Let the dumb shits shoot each other.  You don’t have to play their game.

Keep your weapon holstered.  It’s OK to have your hand on your holstered gun in the event you need to use it, but you should only draw if one of the shooters is directly threatening you/your family or is impeding your escape.

He also advises against sticking around to be a "good witness," lest the gangbanger, his buddies, or his family get your address and decide to pay you a visit.

• More: Greg Ellifritz also has a new Weekend Knowledge Dump up at his site. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet, but I'm sure it has links to a lot of useful articles and/or videos.
  

• "Rifles: Transition Time"--Shooting Illustrated. The author discusses transitioning from a rifle to a handgun. An excerpt:

    When carrying a rifle, there are three principal ways to clear a path for rapidly drawing and presenting a sidearm. The least preferred method is to simply drop the rifle to the ground. If that’s your only choice for getting to your backup firearm, so be it. But, as a general rule, relinquishing control of a firearm in the presence of active threats is a bad idea. 

    The second approach is to hold the rifle in your support hand, then draw and operate the backup gun with only the dominant hand. Again, if you have no other way to keep control of the rifle, this is probably your best choice—especially for a near and immediate threat. But in my experience, the most effective transition method is to simply let go of a rifle that has been slung across one’s chest, allowing the drawing and presenting of a hand-gun with a two-handed grip, while retaining control of the rifle.

    There are nearly as many ways to wear a slung rifle as there are types of slings, but one method is tailor-made for this technique. Wearing it in “ready” or “assault” mode, with the rifle across the chest and muzzle low, makes transitioning easy. To achieve this, a two-point sling should be attached so that the rifle’s support-hand side lies flat against the body.

    Further, the rear of the sling should pass over the strong-side shoulder, while the front is routed under the support-side armpit. This configuration allows one to simply drop the rifle so that it falls against the chest with the barrel angled down and the muzzle clear of legs and feet. Because this keeps the stock high on the strong side, a belt-holstered sidearm can be drawn normally.

• "The Pros And Cons Of A Defensive Revolver"--Shooting Illustrated. The first reason the author raises is that revolvers are legal to own in all 50 states whereas there are lots of restrictions on semi-auto handguns that vary widely from state-to-state or locale-to-locale. He also notes that revolvers have some advantages in concealability, their simplicity of operation, and reliability. On the latter point, he writes:

Neglect of lubrication and maintenance can make an unfired semi-automatic handgun malfunction, whereas revolvers tend to suffer neglect quite well. Conversely, modern semi-automatics tend to suffer abuse well, and revolvers require strict maintenance if you’re shooting a high round count in a short time. So, if you’re the type of person to abuse guns by constant dry-practice and live-fire, a semi-automatic will be an excellent option. If you’re one of the vast majority of citizens who place their defensive handgun in a drawer, safe or holster and forget about it for embarrassingly long periods of time, a revolver has much to recommend.

But also as to reliability, the author points out that many small semi-autos suffer from reliability issues when "in real-world incidents, where one might have a suboptimal two-handed or one-handed grip, be off-balance and as a result, 'limp-wrist' the gun, become entangled and grapple with an attacker or otherwise deviating from the optimal shooting technique we use on a practice range."

•  Related: "Selling Revolvers To Women (And Others)"--Shooting Industry Magazine. Massad Ayoob raises some of the same advantages as selling points to women. For instance:

    ... A whole lot more women than men are more concerned with being sexually assaulted than they are with being robbed. Sexual assault, by definition, occurs at contact distance. A short-barrel revolver has some huge advantages in an entangled, direct-contact struggle.

    As the great Henry Fitzgerald noted almost 100 years ago, a snub-nose revolver with a decent grip is possibly the most difficult gun for a strong male assailant to wrest away from a smaller, physically weaker intended victim. The victim has more to hang onto than the attacker who grabs the barrel. Decades of teaching weapon retention and disarming have shown me Fitzgerald was right. (Small pocket autos don’t give the attacker much to grab, but don’t give the defender much to hang onto, either.)

    Moreover, “contact distance” may necessitate a “contact shot.” Press-contact will push most auto pistols out of battery and render them unshootable; not so with the revolver. Remember, at press contact, muzzle blast is directed into the homicidal attacker’s body, significantly magnifying wound effect.

•  Related: "REVOLVERS"--Backwoods Home Magazine. Another article outlining some of the advantages to a revolver. 

• "TFB Armorer's Bench: Diagnosing and Assessing a Winchester 94"--The Firearm Blog. Some issues that you might come across with old and well used examples of this carbine.
• "The King and Queen of Handgun Stopping Power"--Tactical Anatomy Systems.  

"Shot placement is king; adequate penetration is queen; everything else is angels dancing on the heads of pins”--Karl Martell

•  "Behind the Bullet: .400 H&H Magnum"--American Hunter. 

    ... The .400 H&H Magnum uses the same belted design as the .375 H&H and .300 H&H use, maintaining the 2.85-inch case and 3.600-inch overall cartridge length. To ensure the same smooth feeding of the older siblings, Holland & Holland use a slight eight-degree shoulder, and has a neck measuring 0.684 inches, so there is plenty of neck tension. Holland & Holland decided on the same 400-grain bullets common to the .416s, however the smaller diameter will yield a higher sectional density (SD) value. The .400 H&H bullet has a SD value of .338, with the 416 bullet comes in at .330, and the .423-inch-diameter of the .404 Jeffery comes in .319. Does this marginal difference show itself in the field? It might, as a higher sectional density is often correlated to deeper penetration.

    The .400 H&H has a muzzle velocity of 2300 fps, generating 4,700 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle. While developing less energy than that of the lineup of .416s (which better that velocity by 100 fps) it is more than enough to properly handle dangerous game. ...

• "Enfield No. 5 Mk 1 Rifle: History of the 'Jungle Carbine'"--Rifle Shooter Magazine. The author provides some history of this interesting weapon as well as a review of a model he picked up and tested. An excerpt:

    The No. 5 Enfield in .303 British is almost the perfect bolt-action rifle. For once designers delivered a rifle with the right weight, length, balance and power for almost any task a World War II infantryman might encounter. But the No. 5 came too late because the bolt action itself was already obsolete, and two serious flaws consigned it to the scrap bin.

    For one, its zero sometimes wandered inexplicably, and while the short rifle that was perfectly capable in the jungles of Southeast Asia, it lacked the longer-range performance the Western Front of Europe demanded. Since the self-loading rifle was ascendant and fixes for the No. 5 were too slippery—not to mention plenty of No. 4 rifles still in inventory—it was scrapped in 1947 and the old, tried-and-true No. 4 stayed in service a while longer.

My father owned a couple of these for use as hunting rifles for my older brothers, but I don't remember any complaints about a wondering zero, and I've read other articles questioning whether it was real or an excuse to justify stopping production. 

• Related: "Fudd Friday: Is .303 British The Ultimate Fudd Cartridge?"--The Firearm Blog. The author relates that, while it has become hard to source factory loaded ammunition in the U.S., the .303 British is still quite common in the Commonwealth countries and former British colonies. 
  

• "10 Timely Hunting Survival Safety Tips"--American Hunter. 

1. Know the area you are hunting;
2. Do not rely solely on electronics;
3. Tell someone your plans and set a check-in time;
4. Watch for extreme weather changes;
5. Dress or carry clothes for the worst weather you are likely to encounter;
6. Be prepared to build a fire;
7. Bring a flashlight or headlamp and extra batteries;
8. If you get lost, warmth, shelter and water should be your top priorities;
9. Make sure your vehicle and ATV are ready for the backcountry and be prepared for minor breakdowns; and,
10. Keep a dry set of clothes in your vehicle.

•  "Build a Bug Out Kindle: A Digital Survival Library at Your Fingertips"--The Art of Manliness. This article is from 2022, so some of the technology mentioned may be dated, no longer available, or there may be updated versions available. 

    As an initial matter, I would point out that photographs in the article are of a color reader or tablet, not the black and white e-ink versions. Although the e-ink readers have much longer battery life, they are not very good at displaying illustrations, particularly if the originals were in color. I have no experience with the newer colorsoft Kindle readers. I think the best option would be a fully functional Android tablet with readers installed that can display a variety of formats. 

 

    In any event, the author goes on to discuss protection or power:

 

    Before we get into the books you should stock in your electronic survival library, let’s talk about ensuring you have access to that library, even during a grid-down scenario.

    Protecting and powering your Bug Out Kindle are two absolute requirements. If both of these options were not possible, a Kindle would not be included in my Bug Out Bag. Options abound when it comes to both.

 

    Military-grade cases and covers are readily available online that are shock-resistant and waterproof – two absolute bug out necessities. A durable waterproof sleeve or map case will suffice at a bare minimum.

 

    Solar power and manual crank USB chargers are readily available as well. Most hand-crank emergency radios now have a USB charger built in, which will power the Kindle, and there are devices these days that give you the option of charging via hand-crank or solar.

The author then continues by offering suggestions as to specific books to include. I'm not going to reproduce his list, but I will note that listed books and documents fall into six main categories: Survival Skills, Shelter, Water, Fire, Food, First Aid, and Documents. The latter category are not, of course, Kindle ebooks, but PDF scans of documents you find important: 

    ... From maps and GPS coordinates to addresses and telephone numbers, this puts literally any kind of information that you wish at your fingertips in the middle of a bug out scenario. I’ve loaded tons of medical documents such as antibiotic doses and measurements to this folder. I also include chemical water purification ratios and PDF manuals for some of my electronics, such as my handheld HAM radio.

    This feature, which some e-readers lack, gives you the option of loading personal documents such as insurance paperwork, pet shot records, marriage licenses, bank information, and the like for easy reference. I prefer to keep my personal documents on a secure, password-protected thumb drive, but the Kindle is a great option for less sensitive information.

    Finally, the author suggests including some games for the kids to keep their minds occupied. This is obviously a bit easier proposition if you are using a fully functional tablet. In this category, it would probably be helpful to include a book like Hoyle's Books of Games or similar. I would include some books both for personal reading and reading out loud to the whole of your family. My suggestion as to books to read out loud would be to include some of the classic children's literature like Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, The Wind In The Willows, etc. Not only is the vocabulary equal to or exceeding most books published for adults today, but because they were meant for children, the chapters are generally shorter.

• Related: "Free Survival PDFs, Manuals, & Downloads"--True Prepper. A good source for beginning your Digital Survival Library with a good selection of military manuals useful for survival and prepping, additional survival manuals from other organizations, some more general preparedness manuals, links to a couple of the "Where There Is No ..." series for basic medical care, books and manuals specific to surviving a nuclear attack, and a bunch of useful checklists. 
• Related: "The Essential Survival Tool for the Digital Age: An Offline Digital Survival Library"--Companion. Although this page is intended to interest you in purchasing their survival library of books (on a thumb drive), it also discusses equipment you need and the categories of information you should have.
  

• "Olight Arkfeld Ultra Review"--Every Day Commentary. This site mostly reviews EDC gear, including a lot of flashlights. So when the author says he does not like a flashlight--in this case, the Arkfeld Ultra--you probably want to pay attention. Of course, the reasons he might not like it may not be that relevant to you. In this case, two of the issues he had with the light was that (i) he doesn't like Olight's proprietary magnetic charging system, and (ii) you can't easily switch out the battery (for instance, if your battery dies and you want to slip in fully charged batter). I have several Olight flashlights and weapon lights and I actually like the Olight magnetic charging system. Unlike the author, I don't find it hard to throw in the extra charging cable just for the Olight (I'm already packing two or three varieties of charging cables anyway for other devices). And I would be willing to give up the ability to switch batteries to have a flashlight that is easier to carry in a pocket. But if that was all that was wrong with the light, I wouldn't have included this article in my list. The author identifies other issues, including that it just isn't all that good at its basic function of being a flashlight. 
• "11 Urban Survival Skills That Could Save Your Life"--Urban Survival Site. This is actually somewhat of a meta-list. That is, he lists 11 general categories of skills, but in each description is a link to additional articles on specific sub-topics or skills. The general categories include water collection and purification, foraging and scavenging, blending in, situational awareness, home security and defense, escaping dangerous people and riots, weapons training and safety, first aid and medical, basic handyman skills, basic vehicle repair. and how to barter and haggle.
  

Books for Your Basic Training

Some more e-books I came across that I thought might interest my readers who believe that we are facing a civil war and/or large scale social unrest beyond just protecting your house or neighborhood. The first-aid/medical manuals are of interest because they also include information on NBC related injuries or treatment that you won't find in a civilian manual. Please note that I've only perused or read a couple of these books/manuals, and I haven't served in the military, so please don't take this as my recommendations as to any particular book or course of training:

• The Official U.S. Army Combat Skills Handbook (PDF) by Matt Larsen. This is a compilation of material from numerous Army manuals and publications including but not limited to STP 7-11B1-SM-TG, Soldier's Manual and Trainer's Guide MOS 11B Infantry, Skill Level 1 (Aug. 6, 2004) and STP 21-1-SMCT, Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks, Skill Level 1 (Sep. 11, 2012). Covers first aid and preventative medicine, environmental conditions (desert, jungle, arctic), combatives, cover and concealment, fighting positions, general movement, movement and techniques for the urban environment, observation and reporting, combat marksmanship and weapons, communications, SERE, mines and demolition, and explosive devices.
• Alternate Selection: STP 21-1-SMCT, Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks, Skill Level 1 (Jun. 18, 2009) (PDF). Basic first aid, NBC training, basic movement and drills, navigation, communications, weapons, and miscellaneous defensive skills.
• Light Infantry Tactics For Small Teams by Christopher E. Larsen (PDF). Basic individual and leadership competencies, patrolling methods, defensive procedures, and offensive operations oriented. You might want to pick up the print version of this as it would be easier to use.
• SH 21-76 Ranger Handbook (Feb. 2011) (PDF). This is a very clear and clean copy unlike many other PDFs you might find.
• The Home Schooled Shootist: Training to Fight With a Carbine by Joe Nobody (epub). I have the print copy of this book as well as downloading this copy. It would probably be best to have both. The print copy is easier to use but the photographs and illustrations are black and white, whereas the photos in the e-book are in color with higher resolution.
• Alternate: FM 3-22.9 Rifle Marksmanship M16-/M4-Series Weapons (Aug. 2008) (PDF).
• U.S. Army Combat Pistol Training Handbook (epub). Not my first (or even second) choice for a pistol training manual, but since this post is primarily oriented around military manuals or military style training, here it is. 
• UNITED STATES ARMY COMBATIVES SCHOOL Basic Combatives Course (Level I) Handbook (PDF). If your background is civilian marital arts or self-defense classes, this is useful because it illustrates defensive concepts while carrying/using a rifle or carbine.

And for some advanced or specialized training:

• U.S. Army Survival, Evasion, and Recovery (epub). This appears to be a commercial printing of FM 21-76-1. Consider this additional information on field craft and first aid.
• U.S. Army Map Reading and Land Navigation Handbook (PDF) by Department of the Army. This appears to be a commercially published version of FM 3-25.26 (FM 21-26).
• U.S. Army First Aid Manual (epub). This appears to be a compilation of first aid materials from various Army manuals and publications.
• TM 9-1005-319-23 M16 Maintenance Manual (Dec. 1996) (PDF). Not an armorer's manual but goes over maintenance, including preventative maintenance. 
• MCTP 3-01C Machine Guns and Machine Gun Gunnery (May 2, 2016) (PDF).
• FM 5-250 Explosives and Demolitions (Jul 30, 1998) (PDF)
• FMFM 0-7 Close Combat And Hand To Hand Fighting (Jul 9, 1993) (PDF). This is the Marine Corp manual.
• Alternate selection: FM 21-150 Combatives (Sep. 30, 1992) (PDF).
• U.S. Army Guide To Military Mountaineering (epub). Includes first-aid/medical topics related to cold weather and high altitude.
• Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook (Jun 1, 2001) (PDF). Browsing through this, I was very impressed. It appears to me that this is probably as close as you will come to a complete course in medicine and surgery short of going to medical school. Much more detailed than Where There Is No Doctor while still covering a wider range of topics. Even includes sections on podiatry, dentistry, and basic veterinary medicine.

E-Book: "The Russian Way Of War"

The Russian Way of War: Force Structure, Tactics, and Modernization of the Russian Ground Forces (PDF) by Dr. Lester W. Grau and Charles K. Bartles (Foreign Military Studies Office, 2016).

E-Books: Medical Treatment of Radiological Injuries

 

Hiroshima burn marks

For the medically inclined, here are links to some books and articles on treating radiological injuries:

• FM 4-02.283 Treatment of Nuclear and Radiological Casualties (PDF). See also this April 2000 draft FM 8-283 Treatment of Nuclear Warfare Casualties and Low-Level Radiation Injuries (PDF).
• Medical Management of Radiological Casualties (Online Third Edition, 2010) (PDF).
• Medical Consequences of Nuclear Warfare (PDF) (epub)
• "Radiation Injury After a Nuclear Detonation: Medical Consequences and the Need for Scarce Resources Allocation," Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2011 March ; 5(0 1): S32–S44. doi:10.1001/dmp.2011.17. (PDF). From the abstract:

A 10-kiloton (kT) nuclear detonation within a US city could expose hundreds of thousands of people to radiation. The Scarce Resources for a Nuclear Detonation Project was undertaken to guide community planning and response in the aftermath of a nuclear detonation, when demand will greatly exceed available resources. This article reviews the pertinent literature on radiation injuries from human exposures and animal models to provide a foundation for the triage and management approaches outlined in this special issue. Whole-body doses >2 Gy can produce clinically significant acute radiation syndrome (ARS), which classically involves the hematologic, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, and cardiovascular/central nervous systems. The severity and presentation of ARS are affected by several factors, including radiation dose and dose rate, interindividual variability in radiation response, type of radiation (eg, gamma alone, gamma plus neutrons), partial-body shielding, and possibly age, sex, and certain preexisting medical conditions. The combination of radiation with trauma, burns, or both (ie, combined injury) confers a worse prognosis than the same dose of radiation alone. Supportive care measures, including fluid support, antibiotics, and possibly myeloid cytokines (eg, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor), can improve the prognosis for some irradiated casualties. Finally, expert guidance and surge capacity for casualties with ARS are available from the Radiation Emergency Medical Management Web site and the Radiation Injury Treatment Network.

• Merck Manual (consumer version), "Radiation Injury" by Jerrold T. Bushberg, PhD, DABMP, DABSNM, The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
• Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event - Workshop Report (PDF).
• "General Medical Effects of Nuclear Weapons: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis", FM 8-9 NATO Handbook on the Medical Aspects of NBC Defensive Operations (AMedP-6(B)).
• Medical Planning and Response Manual for a Nuclear Detonation Incident: A Practical Guide (PDF).
• Arizona Department of Health Services Radiological Emergency Response Plan (PDF).

E-Book: "Atomic Bombing: How To Protect Yourself"

I saw the pictured book cover at Western Rifle Shooters Association and thought I would track it down for those interested in a PDF copy. You can download a copy here. The book was published in 1950. The topics covered include:

1. What an A-Bomb will do
2. What you can do in civil defense
3. Organizing against A-Bomb attack
4. Keeping A-Bombs away from America
5. Kinds of A-Bomb Radiation
6. The danger of radioactive poisoning
7. How to detect radiation
8. Decontamination
9. Preventing panic
10. Protection is possible
11. Medical first aid
12. The treatment of burns
13. The treatment of shock
14. How to fight a fire
15. Preventing sabotage and looting
16. The history of atomic energy
17. Peaceful uses of atomic energy
18. The hydrogen bomb--can it be made?
19. Can A-Bombing be prevented?

I've only glanced through the book so I can't give a full review but here are a few things I noted. First of all, having been written in 1950, the book is obviously dated--there was a significant amount of testing and research on nuclear weapons and their effects that followed the publication of this book, the dangers of EMP had not yet been realized, and there have obviously been advances in technology and medicine (even first aid) since its publication.

    Second, there is a heavy emphasis on civil defense and being working in conjunction with a federal or state civil defense plan. Thus the information presented is a mix of information intended for civil defense officers and other planners, as well as for the individual. Much of the preparation information deals with community response rather than on how to save you and your family while the world burns. The book also takes the perspective of not just surviving a nuclear attack, but that we would, at that point, be at war with another country (i.e., the Soviet Union), and so it addresses concerns about sabotage and working with the FBI. 

    Third, notwithstanding the foregoing, it does have some good information. It includes a detailed description of what an atomic blast would be like, an simple and basic description of radiation and radiation sickness (poisoning), and delves into decontamination than other books. Although some of the information is obsolete, it has a fairly comprehensive section on first-aid for common injuries after a nuclear attack with an emphasis on treating burns and injuries from blast and debris. It discusses preventing and fighting fires that would result from the thermal flash or other causes. 

    I would not depend solely on this book for my preparations for a nuclear attack, but it has some valuable information and appears it would be interesting from a historical perspective, if nothing else.

E-Books: Additional Fallout Shelter Designs And Information

 Your best bet for constructing a basic shelter from radiation and fallout for a modest budget is if you have an unfinished basement and then converting a section into a fallout shelter. This can be as fancy as building the equivalent of a thick walled "safe room" in the basement or as simple as constructing an expedient lean-to type shelter in a basement corner. The booklet, "Fallout Protection for Basements" contains ideas for in-basement shelters, although it does not have specific plans. It is more of a book on available options.

    The booklet, "Family Shelter Designs" has plans for 8 types of shelters, including three in-basement shelters. The designs included are:

1. Basement Sand-Filled Lumber Lean-To Shelter
2. Basement Corrugated Asbestos-Cement Lean-To Shelter
3. Basement Concrete Block Shelter
4. Outside Semimounded Plywood Box Shelter
5. Belowground Corrugated Steel Culvert Shelter
6. Outside Semimounded Steel Igloo Shelter
7. Aboveground Earth-Covered Lumber A-Frame Shelter
8. Belowground New Construction Clay Masonry Shelter

    The booklet, "The Family Fallout Shelter", covers in more detail the construction of the concrete block basement shelter and underground concrete shelter, as well as some additional detail drawings for some of the shelters described in the "Family Shelter Designs" booklet discussed above. It also has a list of suggested items to have stocked in your shelter. 

    If you farm or raise livestock, this one is definitely for you: "Protecting Family And Livestock From Nuclear Fallout." This has information on radiation and the dangers posed by it, as well as a discussion of shielding requirements and what existing structures would be adequate. It also discusses calculating the amount of feed for animals and, since it may not be possible to shield all the animals, advice on what animals to protect and which to abandon. Another section lists specific items to store in a shelter (for humans) and addresses common issues for shelter including waste management and air circulation. Finally, it has a section on shelter construction. 

    Another for farmers and ranchers is this one: "Fallout On The Farm" which discusses dealing with fallout both as to crops and as to livestock. 

    Although not on building shelters, "Guidance for Development of an Emergency Fallout Shelter Stocking Plan" has information on stocking food and supplies, including a list of foods showing the amount for a single serving and for 100 servings, and information on the amount of water that you would be able to collect from water heaters, pipes in buildings, and similar. 

    Finally, you should be sure to read the booklet, "You Will Survive Doomsday" because it covers some "myths" regarding nuclear survival, including some misconceptions relevant to shelter construction and surviving in one.

E-Book: Nuclear War Survival Skills

Continuing with my recent posts on books and pamphlets relevant to prepping for a nuclear war is the big kahuna: Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearny (1987 edition). This book is very focused on surviving a nuclear war over any other disaster. Moreover, because of this focus, it primarily focuses on surviving the initial nuclear attack and the initial couple of weeks when fallout will be the most dangerous, although the discussion on food storage and preparations covers a longer time frame. 

    The contents of the book include some preface sections, including an introduction, followed by the following chapters:

1. The Dangers from Nuclear Weapons: Myths and Facts
2. Psychological Preparations
3. Warnings and Communications
4. Evacuation
5. Shelter, the Greatest Need
6. Ventilation and Cooling of Shelters
7. Protection Against Fires and Carbon Monoxide
8. Water
9. Food
10. Fallout Radiation Meters
11. Light 
12. Shelter Sanitation and Preventive Medicine
13. Surviving Without Doctors
14. Expedient Shelter Furnishings
15. Improvised Clothing and Protective Items
16. Minimum Pre-Crises Preparations
17. Permanent Family Fallout Shelters for Duel Use 
18. Trans-Pacific Fallout

In addition, there are the following Appendices:

    A.    Instructions for Six Expedient Fallout Shelters

    B.     How to Make and Use a Homemade Shelter-Ventilating Pump, the KAP

    C.    Instructions for a Homemade Fallout Meter

    D.    Expedient Blast Shelters

    E.    How to Make and Use a Homemade Plywood Double-Action Piston Pump and Filter

    F.     Means for Providing Improved Ventilation and Daylight to a Shelter with an Emergency Exit

Finally, the book as a selected index and a list of selected references.  I don't have an older copy, but, due to differences in fonts, it appears that Chapters 17 and 18 and Appendices E and F are new to the 1987 edition. It appeared to me that portions of the chapter on food had also been expanded. 

    You will probably notice right away that the Life After Doomsday book incorporates information from this book on expedient shelters, instructions for the fallout meter and ventilation pump design, but not to the detail in this volume. For instance, Life After Doomsday had two trench style expedient shelters, while this has instructions on six styles of expedient shelters. 

    If you are like me, you probably don't have the space or money to add a permanent shelter and would have to rely on an expedient shelter. However, expedient in this case does not mean that you can simply throw it together with whatever you have hand. The designs take a substantial amount of wood for framing and supports and, presumably, fasteners of some sort. I would expect that in the event of an impending attack, you would not have the time to go and shop for all of this, and panic buying might result in the materials not being available even if you had the time. Thus, if you believe that you might need a fallout shelter, you would want to purchase and store the materials beforehand. 

    But before all of that, take a careful look at the fallout maps to see if you will need a fallout shelter. Although there are some scary looking maps, the reality is that the fallout will either be heavier material that will fall out of the atmosphere within a relatively short distance--several tens of miles--or be lighter dust that will be swept high into the atmosphere and probably take years to settle out. And, remember, that we are looking at warheads of less than 1 MT yield each. Thus the map at p. 36 of the PDF, which assumes ground bursts from multi-megaton yield weapons, shows a heavier fallout pattern than what is probably realistic. If you go to p. 29 of Life After Doomsday (p. 34 of the PDF) the author there offers what he considers a more realistic fallout map, reflecting that most of the heavy material will be from surface detonations to destroy hardened facilities such as missile silos. Similarly, on page 46 of the latter volume (p. 51 of the PDF), he shows areas that will likely be fallout free under even a worst-case scenario. Thus, I believe that unless you are downwind of hardened facilities (several hundred miles) or downwind of an airburst of a major city (40 or 50 miles), fallout will probably not such a risk to necessitate a special fallout shelter. Study up on the topic, but I think that you will most likely come to the same conclusion. For most of us, the danger will be radioactive particles building up over months or years from the stuff swept into the upper atmosphere and entering the food chain.

E-Book: Life After Doomsday by Bruce D. Clayton, Ph.D.

You can download this book here. In my mind, this is THE classic book on survival and prepping for those concerned with surviving a nuclear conflict. For while the author considers other types of disasters--local, regional, or national--the emphasis in the book is on convincing the reader that they could, indeed, survive with proper planning, and then goes about the basics of that planning. An running approximately 180 pages, it isn't a long read, either.

    The book is split into a Preface, in which he explains what motivated him to write the book, followed by 8 chapters and several appendices.

    Chapter 1, "It's a Disaster!" goes over several historically common types of regional or national disasters--famine, pandemic, natural disasters--religious disasters (i.e., the Apocalypses), man-made disasters, resource depletion, political unrest and terrorism, and, finally, good ol' "shall we play a game" thermonuclear war. Chapter 2 delves more deeply into nuclear war and its effects, and is probably as good a primer on the topic as you will read.

    Chapter 3, "To Flee or Not To Flee" discusses likely targets during a nuclear war as well as going into a greater discussion of fallout and some general patterns of fallout so that you are aren't fleeing one area only to move into another that is going to be heavily impacted by fallout. He finishes a chapter with a series of questions to help you decide if you need to move and where to move based on your assessment of what type of disaster you face, your willingness/ability to move, and so forth. This latter portion is not just for nuclear attack, but also covers hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquake risks, and so on. One thing to keep in mind when reading this chapter is that the stocks of both Russian and American missiles and bombs are much smaller today than when the book was written, and the yields have also fallen. The Russian's primary ICBM today is the R-36M2 Voevoda (SS-18 Mod 5) which can carry up to 10 MIRVs with yields of 500 to 750 kT each. Basically, it was determined that it was more destructive (at least against cities) to use multiple smaller warheads impacting in overlapping patterns than to use one giant multi-megaton warhead. Consequently, the blast, radiation and thermal effects will be over a larger area than would be predicted with a single megaton detonation. 

    Chapter 4, "Home Sweet Hole" is all about protection from the initial gamma radiation blast, thermal effects, and overpressure caused by a nuclear explosion, as well as the subsequent fallout. It has some basic ideas on shelters from expensive, purpose built shelters, to expedient blast and fallout shelters. It also discusses using an airplane or sailboat as a refuge during the attack and afterward. Finally, it addresses some special considerations as far as clothing, gas masks/filters, etc.

    Chapter 5, "A Loaf of Bread, a Jug of Wine, and Chow", is all about storing or growing food and storing and purifying water, and related topics. Not much has changed here other than there are lot of specific prepper oriented products available today. 

    Chapter 6, "Nobody Makes Housecalls Anymore", is on first aid and self-help medical care, including supplies to stock up. Remember, even if you don't know how to use them, they are at least there should you find a doctor that could provide assistance to you or your family. Obviously a lot has happened over the past 20 years to address gun shot and other penetrating wound treatment in the field, so you definitely would want to augment what is in this book with some IFAK trauma kits.

    Chapter 7, "To Have and to Hold", is a very basic review of how to make sure someone else doesn't come along and take what you have. This chapter is not intended for the gun geek or the person with combat experience, but a complete newbie. It was also written in the early 1980s. So his advice and recommendations may not match what you would recommend today. However, for a newbie, it is a good starting point. Also, he doesn't dance around with debating the different types of firearms: he has specific brands and models that he recommends. If I were to update the list today, I would probably suggest replacing the HK91 with a scoped AR10/AR308 from a reputable manufacturer, and the AR-180 with a 16-inch AR-15 style rifle from a reputable manufacturer and/or a bullpup in 5.56 with a red-dot and magnifier as well as a weapon light. I would ditch the folding stock and pistol grip on the shotgun and go with a standard stock, but stick a red dot and weapon light on it. And, much as I like the 1911 in .45 ACP, the handgun recommendation should be updated from a compact 1911 Commander to a Glock 19 in 9mm.  

    Chapter 8, "Wake Me When It's Over", is about what to do after the blast: leadership, shelter schedules, decontamination, sanitation, illumination and power, communication, etc. 

The appendices are as follows:

• Appendix A: Nuclear Target Areas within the United States
• Appendix B: Fallout Pattern Data
• Appendix C: Expedient Shelter Construction (showing a couple trench style shelter that can easily constructed).
• Appendix D: The Kearney Air Pump (for ventilation in a shelter)
• Appendix E: Supplementary Medical Information (medical information specific to a nuclear attack)
• Appendix F: Special Radiological Information (radioactive decay and some methods to calculate how long to stay in your shelter)
• Appendix G: The Kearny Fallout Meter (plans on constructing an expedient fallout meter to measure radiation).

E-Book: "Food Storage Recipes"

Link here. This 36 page booklet was published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Home Storage Center in Lindon, Utah. As the booklet explains, the recipes use only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit. The contents for that kit are in the image below:

    In addition to the recipes, it has sections dealing with food safety, water and water storage, using wheat (including methods of cracking the wheat for cooking or grinding into flour), gluten free flour, and more. This link goes to a Church website with information to find the location of food storage center near you or to order online. 

E-Book: "Safe Home Food Storage"

    This booklet is similar to the one I linked to last week from Utah State University, but this one is from the extension office at Texas A&M. Link here.

    The first several pages are on pantry, refrigerator and freezer conditions (temperatures, containers to use, other suggestions), a discussion on food freshness and "use by" labels, and comments on left-overs. The bulk of the document is a detailed table setting out how long food can safely be stored in a pantry, refrigerator, or freezer, respectively, with notes about any special handling instructions. 

"Food Storage In The Home"--University of Utah Extension Office

This pamphlet, Food Storage In The Home, is a short (21 pages) guide to what to store and how to store it to protect against degradation or infestation.

A Couple More For My Idaho Readers: An Atlas Of Idaho's Wildlife and Idaho Wild Trees

The Atlas of Idaho's Wildlife was published by the Idaho Department of Fish & Game.  Unfortunately, it lacks photographs or drawings of the animals, but includes information about each animal as well as a rough map showing the area in which it can be found.

The Wild Trees of Idaho by Frederic D. Johnson employs black and white line drawings.

Another For My Idaho Readers: Forest Service "Field Guide to Forest Plants of Northern Idaho"

This is available as a download from PDFDrive. It is dated 1985 and is 252 pages. It uses black and white drawings.

For My Idaho Readers: U of I "Master Gardener Program Handbook"

This is a course book for a course on gardening. This is the link to a PDF of the whole book. For information on ordering a physical copy of the book or to download individual chapters, go here. The basic sections are as follows:

Chapter 1 — Introduction and policies 

Chapter 2 — Introduction to horticulture and plant physiology 

Chapter 3 — Basic botany 

Chapter 4 — Plant propagation 

Chapter 5 — Soils and fertilizers 

Chapter 6 — Horticultural equipment management 

Chapter 7 — Plant management 

Chapter 8 — Backyard composting 

Chapter 9 — Pesticide management and safety 

Chapter 10 — Basic entomology 

Chapter 11 — Insect management 

Chapter 12 — Rodents, birds and other pests 

Chapter 13 — Plant disease diagnosis and management

Chapter 14 — Weeds

Chapter 15 — Turfgrass establishment and management

Chapter 16 — Landscaping

Chapter 17 — Landscape plants

Chapter 18 — Woody Landscape plants

Chapter 19 — Herbaceous ornamentals

Chapter 20 — Principles of vegetable culture 

Chapter 21 — Vegetable crop recommendations

Chapter 22 — Fruit trees

Chapter 23 — Small fruits

Chapter 24 — Houseplants and home greenhouses

Chapter 25 — Organic gardening

Planet Ebook and The Creative Archive

    I've just barely finished a couple books on the collapse of Roman/Classical Civilization in the early 7th Century AD following the violent spread of Islam throughout the Near East and most of the the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The Islamic invasion and predations caused a three century "dark age" throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Near and Middle East where there is virtually no activities that left archeological evidence (this is has inspired a theory that the 7th, 8th, and 9th Centuries were "made up" and never occurred). This dark age was not just physical destruction of communities and trade, but also a destruction of books and libraries, and the end of trade in papyrus that was used as "paper" at that time throughout Europe and other Mediterranean areas. As much as anything else, this resulted in the loss of the Roman/Classical Civilization with its widespread literacy and helped usher in the period of feudalism. 

    It must be presumed that any disaster sufficient to destroy or seriously disrupt civilization could result in a similar loss of libraries and centers of learning on a national level, and certainly disruption of elementary and secondary education at the local and state level. Yet I have only seen at most one or two books on prepping that have discussed preparing to educate your children and to set aside books that important to preserving our culture. I believe it was Alexis de Tocqueville who related that in the early American Republic there was not to be found a home, high or low, that did not have a Bible, something written by Shakespeare, and a newspaper or similar. And, in fact, the shared love of Shakespeare by both the "masses" and the "elites" was a feature of American civilization until the flood of foreign migration in the post-Civil War era.

    We are not in so dire a predicament of losing our civilizational knowledge today. Libraries, both great and small, are widespread across the continent; and the average person can likewise afford personal libraries greater than all but the wealthiest individuals could afford in prior centuries. If electronic devices can be preserved, then a person can easily put together a collection of books ranging from kindergarten level to college and professional texts and treatises, reference books related to the trades, engineering, medicine, manufacturing, etc. 

    But educating future generations is more than just assembling a bunch of how-to books. Even the Arab invaders of the 7th Century saw the value in keeping alive knowledge concerning science, medicine, and other technical subjects. What they destroyed were the religious, philosophical, and cultural and literary works of the ages. For instance, although parts of the collection of the Library of Alexandria had been victim to fires, mobs, and armies before, the Library met its final end on the orders of the Second Muslim Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab (634 – 644 AD). Although some historians consider the account apocryphal, an early account of the destruction related (footnotes omitted; brackets in original):

    "We are told that the Arab emir, ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ, consulted ibn al-Khattab on what to do with the books in the Library of Alexandria. Ibn al-Khattab’s answer came quick to him:

    “As for the books you mention, if there is in it what complies with the Book of God [Q’uran], then it is already there and is not needed and if what is in these books contradict the Book of God there is no need for it. And you can then proceed in destroying them.”

    ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ then ordered that the books should be dispersed in the public baths and to burn them in the bath’s heaters. Al-Qifti adds: “And I was told that at that time several public baths used [the books] for heating, bringing some fame to new public baths which later on were forgotten afterwards and it is said that they had enough heating for six months. One who listens to what has happened can only be amazed!”

    So, with the importance of preserving cultural and literary works in mind, I was pleasantly surprised to come across a web-site called Planet Ebook that has a collection of what are generally considered some of the great cultural and literary works of Western Civilization (at least, those that are no longer under copyright). Books by Mark Twain, James Joyce, Nicolo Machiavelli, Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, and more. Each book, moreover, is available in PDF, epub, and mobi formats so you can be sure to get one that is compatible with one of your electronic book readers. And, of course, I have listed other resources for locating books in my ebook resource page.

    Another source I came across recently was a site called The Creative Archive that has collected together ebook versions of the classic Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Three Investigator books. The books are offered in PDF, but they don't have page numbering, header or footers, so they should easily be converted to epub and mobi files. I know these are not classics of American literature but they do inculcate many Western values through fun and interesting stories for tweens and early teens.