BCP Cyber Sale This Weekend

Starting now and lasting through Monday, all items from the BCP Teespring Store are 15% off if you use this link.

(An explanation about the "X days left" notation on the items: Teespring is weird in that it requires campaigns of fixed length in order to sell things. I have set up the storefront so that when a campaign ends, it automatically re-launches with the shortest duration possible: 1 day. This allows you to get your merch shipped quickly rather than having to wait several days for the campaign to end.

In other words, don't worry about it: the t-shirts etc. can still be bought even if the timer "runs out".)

Also, if you intend to shop on Amazon this weekend, please consider using our referral link. It costs you nothing and helps us bring you more great content!

Saturday Shout: Caliente!

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

This is PROBABLY a typo.

But I'm too scared to go outside and find out.

I Really Want This to Fund

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I'm a big fan nifty gadgets. As a prepper I'm also a fan of items with multiple uses as those save space as weight.

Well, the item I'm going to talk about now is both multi-use and a nifty gadget: the Mule Light V2.



So why should you back this Kickstarter? Two reasons.

The Mule v2 does everything I need a flashlight to do. 

• It has a high beam, a low beam, and a strobe. 
• Need a broad light while you're working on something? It does that. 
• Need a bright (300 lumen) spotlight that doesn't ruin your night vision? It does that, too. 
• Need a black light for tracking blood. finding stains, or charging glow in the dark things without (again) ruining your night vision? It even does that. 

It has excellent battery life.

• If you get The Works you have two choices of battery:
• AAA batteries, which are easy to find but don't last as long, or
• Rechargeable Li-Ion battery. Pair that with any basic solar panel or dynamo and you have a way to recharge your flashlight during the day. 
• Use of hybrid mode -- where a three-second burst of light charges a glowstick -- extends both battery life and illumination capability to incredible levels (240 hours of use with AAA, 540 hours with Li-Ion).

I acknowledge that, at $65, it's rather spendy. But given all that it does, and its long battery life and ability to be recharged in the wild and this is a very useful and versatile piece of kit. I feel safe saying that because I've bought and used UVPaqLite products in the past, and they have never disappointed me.

I really want this project to fund, so if you're at all interested, please pledge within the week. We're about $33,000 shy of fully funding with only 7 more days to go.

Saturday Shout-Out: The Orb

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission.

I'm a big fan of UVPaglite and their products... in fact, they were the subject of BCP's very first Saturday Shout-Out. They're rugged, they're simple, they work.

They also have a new project on Kickstarter that I think is a nifty idea and useful for anyone who hunts, camps, or preps. Since everyone reading this blog fits at least one of those categories and possibly more, please investigate this Kickstarter and determine if it's something you'd like to help fund.

In other words, "Erin has already kicked in and really REALLY wants one of these, so please help make it happen."  Thanks!

Saturday Shout-Out: Linoge

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission. 

One of my earliest articles here was a photographic breakdown of my Get Home Bag.  I don't know if I said it then, but if I didn't, I'll say it now:  What works for me might not work for you, and you need to build your GHB to suit your environment and needs.

As it turns out, my good buddy Linoge over at Walls of the City has posted a photographic breakdown of his Get Home Bag, and as you can image it's remarkably different from mine.

Example:  He lives in North Carolina, where ice storms are a thing. Down in Florida where I live, it barely gets below freezing.

I encourage you all to over to his blog and read the whole thing. He's tuned his GHB for his needs and environment, and that's the only thing that matters.

Saturday Shout-Out: Firehand 3

Firehand has turned his "making kitchen knives from O1 tool steel" into a trilogy by writing a post (with pictures) about doing it without power tools. That's proper old-school, right there.

Go visit his blog and read the whole thing.

Part 1 here.

Part 2 here.

Saturday Shout-Out: Firehand 2

Firehand continues his series on making kitchen knives from O1 tool steel (part 1 to be found here).

Saturday Shout-Out: Firehand

Go over to Firehand's blog, Irons in the Fire, for a detailed description (with pictures!) on how to make kitchen knives from a flat piece of O1 tool steel.

Saturday Shout-Out: MZW's Bail-Out Bag

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission. 

After conferring with all of the BCP writers, we have decided to unanimously endorse Michael Z. Williamson's Bail-Out Bag as containing high quality items and possessing the best value that we've seen for the price

Now, let me make some things absolutely clear:

None of us received financial compensation for this, either prior to the review or after. In fact, Lokidude paid for his.

We have in no way, shape, or form entered into an advertising agreement with MZW. He didn't even know we were going to do this.

We are endorsing the product because we believe it is a good starting point for prepping and a good value. While it is indeed true that a more comprehensive (and possibly cheaper) BOB can be constructed piece by piece, this approach requires time, patience, and research. There is something to be said for a "buy it, have it, don't worry about it" kit: perhaps you can buy it for a family member who doesn't share your passion for prepping, or possibly stash it in your car as a backup.

Links to Lokidude's Review:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

We paid for this item. Also, this entire article is a disclaimer. Suck it, FTC.

Saturday Shout-Out: Wester Rifle Shooters Assn.

A big "Thank You" goes out to CA at Western Rifle Shooters Association for linking to posts on our blog.

If you're a new reader here:  don't be shy, we've only been online for something like 45 days now, so some of the authors are new, too. Wander around and see if there's anything that you find interesting. We're open to (reasonable) suggestions for topics, and if you look up at the top of the page you'll see our policy on guest articles. Check out the "Our Authors" link for some background information and our schedule of posting.


P.S.  Part 3 of the Death and Burial series will be up this Thursday.

Saturday Shout-Out: Solo Stove

Readers of my blog (and those folks who have skimmed my Product Reviews page) are aware that I am a big fan of the Solo Stove and that I endorse it for all prepper, backpackers, and campers.

I just got this in the mail yesterday, and I am pleased to share it with you, our readers.

Click to Shop Now!

Saturday Shout-Out: Bob S.

Bob S., over at 3 Boxes of BS, has an excellent article up that details a series of events which indicate why it makes good Prepper Sense to put away emergency money. 

An excerpt:

Last month my term life policy expired and my premium previously around 80 bucks was set to sky rocket up -- a standard ploy to get people to renew for another term apparently. Miscommunication and other issues occurred while we tried to get approved for another term life policy. In January the insurance company took advantage of the automatic draft feature we set up previously. The new premium (12.5x the old one) was drafted out of our account.

OUCH !!!

Got on the phone with the agent again; finished setting up appointments, etc — and was assured the increased premium would be refunded. Time goes by, no check. Appointments kept, medical screening done; no check.

We were stressed but not too bad. We moved money around from one account to our checking account to cover.

–This is where a strong ready reserve of cash / cash equivalent (money market account) comes in handy and is one of the first preps people should put in place IMHO.

Agent came over for me to sign application for new term policy and I had to write a check. Given strain on finances; we decided to make sure it wasn’t going to bounce. Good thing we did.

The insurance coming not only hadn’t gotten our refund out; they drafted our account again for the increased premium !

That was last Thursday. We were literally all out of money.

Read the whole thing -- it's worth the time.

Saturday Shout-Out: Brigid and UVPaqLite

A big thanks to Brigid over at Home on the Range for the link-love and kind words for those of us here at BCP! She's a prepper, a hunter, and a good friend of mine, which are just a few of the many reasons she's on our "Blogs We Like" sidebar.

Her post on Monday includes an in-depth review of the UVMatLite, which is another excellent product from UVPaqLite. You may have noticed that I am awfully fond of their products, as I have two of them in my Get Home Bag (and more in my BOB).

If you're interested in giving their products a try (I swear, I'm not getting a kickback here, they really are great) then you should look at their Risk Free Trial Pack. It's only $20, shipping is free, and if you don't love it you can send it back for a full refund. How can you possibly lose?