Sharing Knowledge is Free

This week I had planned to give you a report on how well our mosquito yard spray worked. However, like many things in northern Michigan, the weather was not cooperating and we had low temperatures reach into the 40s every night this past week. Therefore we had no mosquitoes, but we did have some very nice campfire nights.

So instead of a mosquito spray report, I'll tell you about how I taught my 14-year-old daughter  to change the front brakes on my reasonably-priced everyday prepper vehicle.

There's no more inexpensive way to prep for any future catastrophe than by teaching your children and following generations how to do things. It doesn’t cost anything except a little bit of time and patience, and the pride in your kids and the knowledge that you won't go it alone (which is very important in a single-parent household) is an immeasurable payoff.

And it doesn’t have to be just your kids. I’ve had several neighbors inquire about raising their own chickens, and I’ve been able to give them some advice on what to look out for from my own experiences.

This is The Discerning Shootist for Blue Collar Prepping. Be good, be safe, and if you can’t be safe, be good and dangerous. 

Weather Apps

Because I am an adult in America, I have a cell phone. It's an older Samsung, but it's a smart phone which means I carry around a computer that can make phone calls. I use the computer functions much more than I do the phone functions, which means I have several apps installed on my phone. 

The ones that get the most use in the spring and summer are the weather apps. I live in the upper Midwest, so I have to deal with tornadoes and thunderstorms every year. Having a convenient way to track the weather in real time helps me make decisions that will minimize the risks I have to take. 

Here are some that I've used in the past and a few that I still use. (For the record, I don't have any financial stake in any of these apps. These are my opinions of apps that you can find in the common app stores available on Android and Apple phones. Links will take you to the official Android site, but you can find them on Apple with a simple search.)

MyRadar
Like most apps, there is a free version that will have ads covering part of the screen as well as a “pro” version (this one is $2.99) that runs ad-free. I tried the free version for a year or so and ended up spending the money for the pro version to support the developers.

MyRadar is a simple, clean radar app with plenty of optional settings for map styles, overlays, and information displayed. The map is interactive, which means you can drag the map around on your screen to see radar for any area as well as zoom in or out using two fingers. This is my go-to weather radar, since it loads much faster than the local news channels or other weather apps.

AccuWeather
This is good for local weather forecasts, with hourly and daily forecasts. It has radar, but it isn't as clear or easy to use as MyRadar. I don't mind the small ads on the bottom of the screen, so I haven't made the jump to the paid version. The forecasts are fairly accurate, about average for most weather forecasters. This is also the default source of weather information on my Samsung phone.

WTForecast
Sometimes we all need a laugh, and WTForecast gives a simple daily forecast for the next 10 days with a witty saying. The witty comment changes every time you open the app, and it takes a while to cycle through all of the random comments pertaining to the current weather at your location. For example, it's currently 93°F outside with 60% humidity and the comment is, “It's like a terrarium outside”. The background picture changes with the season and I believe it also changes by location. The ads are small enough that I don't notice them.

Be advised, there is a profanity option in the settings that will make most of the comments NSFW.

WeatherBug
I used to have this one installed on my desktop. It was nice having the outside temperature displayed on the task bar next to the clock. Then it was detected as spyware/adware by several PC security scans, so it got deleted (not a simple process back then) and I've not tried it since. The owners have since changed and claim that they've cleared out anything that may be harmful. I may give it another chance in the future.

Intellicast
I used this app for years, then the Weather Channel “upgraded” it to StormTracker (and now StormRadar) and got rid of most of the features that I liked. When it became a copy of other apps I have, it was deleted. I do have the web version bookmarked on my browser so I can still look at a ten-day graph of various weather conditions (wind, temperature, air pressure, humidity, etc.), but when they took that off of the app, it got deleted. The math geek in me likes to see graphs; I can gather information like how fast the temps are going to rise or fall or how long it's supposed to rain over which hours.



Weather has a big impact on my life and is one of the main things I prep for. That makes having good information a vital part of my preps. Multiple sources of information will give you the opportunity to compare and contrast their accuracy and reliability, so grab several and keep the ones that give you the most usable information.

Prudent Prepping: Buffet Post

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent 
Prepping. 

Another semi-monthly posting of topics and ideas too small for me to make into a stand alone blog post!

Budget Prepping
While this entire blog is an attempt to do prepping for as few dollars as possible, I'm talking about preparing a savings budget.

Having a plan for savings is as important as your prepping plan. Even if it's just dumping your change into a bucket or skipping one coffee per week, the dollars will add up. I skipped one or two coffees per week to buy my first post-divorce present to myself.

Every pundit and author of financial self-help books says something along the lines of "Having a goal is good, but unless you have plan to reach that goal, you're not going to make it."

Hand Sanitizer
I have a small bottle of sanitizer in my work gear and more in my GHB. It's not only a way to keep clean, but also a backup fire-starting aid in case I ever use up all my Esbit cubes.

When the factory mixture is gone,  I re-fill the bottles with my own blend of unscented sanitizer and jojoba oil. There is just enough oil to keep my hands from drying out from the alcohol and without it, my hands get pretty chapped. I started using jojoba oil way back in 2015 and began adding it to my sanitizer sometime after that. I believe the sanitizer/oil mix is a good way to keep my hands clean and healthy.

The Takeaway

• Have a Plan. Plan your plan, and don't be afraid to change it to get better results.
• With my small budget, multi-use items are a necessity.

The Recap 

• Hand sanitizer gel, 2 oz bottles. Various stores, never more than $1.99 
• Jojoba Oil from Trader Joe's. Was $7.95 (in 2015) and I've still got half a bottle!

  
Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.

Guest Post: Lower-Cost Scope Comparison and Review

by George Groot
George is a member of our Facebook Group and has written for us before.

A few years back, the competition rules for the service rifle were changed to allow a “maximum of 4.5 power with 35mm objective lens” optic on AR-15 type rifles. This was done mainly to make the sport more accessible to people who didn’t want to have to learn all the intricacies of iron sight shooting at distance, and to make it easier on older shooters who have eyes that just aren’t as good as they were when they were younger.

Because of this change, I have been able to test a number of optics, and here is a review of the less expensive competition scopes for preppers.

https://amzn.to/2LpAznx

Bushnell Banner 1.5-4.5x32
This is a non-illuminated budget scope manufactured for Bushnell by Su Optics of South Korea. At 1.5 power there is some obvious spherical distortion around the edge of the sight picture, but that really clears up at 4.5 power. The light gathering of this scope is very good, and while the elevation and windage adjustments are finger adjustable and have graduated lines, they are small and this scope was really meant to be a “set it and forget it” type hunting scope. For around $90, this is a pretty good option for a .30-30 or an AR-pattern rifle. Turret adjustments are one-quarter MOA, and the “multi-X” reticle is easy to use to get centered on your target.

https://amzn.to/2M0b6SQ

Nikon P-223
This optic is made in the Philippines and has very clear glass, no noticeable spherical distortion at the edges, and a bullet drop compensator (BDC) reticle combined with uncapped tactical turrets. It is the most compact scope here, and for $140 you get excellent Nikon glass and adjustments. The downside is that you have no ability to drop it down to a lower magnification for rapid snap shots, but out of all the scopes in this review this is the best one for a dedicated long-range option, as you can use the BDC for quick shots or dial in each shot using the half-MOA turrets.

This is the only scope reviewed here that has stadia lines to let you know which revolution your windage and elevation knobs are on, which is a really useful feature for long-range shooting. This scope would really be at home on a “ranch rifle” setup where snap shots at predators from the top of a quad could happen fairly regularly.

https://amzn.to/2Jw7CJq

Vortex Crossfire II 1-4x24
This is a solid entry level “me too” optic by Vortex. The regular reticle version is a standard Duplex and works fine for hunting or competing in daylight hours, and is about 10 dollars cheaper than the illuminated version. The illuminated version is worth the extra money because if you should need to make quick snap shots in low light the red center dot on the reticle gives you that option, but if the illumination fails (the battery dies, for example) you still have a decent scope.

Zeroing the scope is the same as any other, and you just need an hex key to adjust the knobs to zero. After multiple high-power matches, the adjustments have so far proved repeatable from my 200 yard zero out to 600 yards. Adjustment clicks are graduated in half MOA adjustments, although they a little “mushy” so I like to see where I stop the knob.

Mounting Options
For mounting these scopes I have used the Vortex Cantilever 30mm, a Burris P.E.P.R 30mm, and a CCOP 30mm and 1” version. The Vortex and Burris options are solid, but the CCOP is essentially a clone of the P.E.P.R and sells for $30 less. Only the Nikon P-223 3x32 is too small to fit inside the CCOP 1” mount, and needs a set of medium or high rings to attach it to the rail.

Final Thoughts
There are many other scopes out there in this price range, and if I didn’t mention them it is only because I have no experience with them. Having handled the scopes reviewed here, I can say that the Vortex illuminated gets the most use from me as it is the scope that sits on my primary competition rifle. What I like least about the Vortex is that the illumination control knob sits on the ocular bell which is less convenient to me than if it were placed opposite the windage knob, and also there is not an “off” selection between brightness options. But neither of these are dealbreakers for me, and so the Vortex continues to be my primary go-to scope.

Small Game and Survival

Many preppers talk about hunting after SHTF. I have heard countless discussions about caliber, availability of ammunition, capability of weapons, and so on. These discussions almost inevitably center around the taking of large game, as an elk or a deer can provide a lot of meat for someone.

I go the opposite direction and make an argument for taking small game instead. This approach has several advantages:

• Small game is very common. In fact, most small game animals are considered pests. In Utah, there are a number of small game animals that do not require a permit of any sort to hunt or trap. You are almost guaranteed to find small game animals within city limits, even in big cities.
• Small game is likely to disappear last in a long term emergency. Everyone else will be busy hunting large game, leaving the small things for you.
• Small game makes a single meal, and if you don’t have refrigeration that makes a big difference. You may have to kill two or three animals to get a meal, but you don't have to spend time processing the rest of the meat so that it's preserved without refrigeration. 
• You can hunt small game with smaller, cheaper weapons. A slingshot is much easier to acquire and keep in your preps than a full size hunting rifle, and the ammunition is cheaper and much easier to improvise. I don’t recommend a slingshot for hunting deer (even if it has been done), but it's fine for hunting quail. Airguns and bows that are sufficient to the task are much cheaper than ones up to hunting large game, and blowguns are a traditional method to hunt small game.
• Small game traps are much easier to keep. They are lighter, smaller, less expensive, and easier to improvise with wire or rope. 
• Small game hunting is inexpensive. In Utah, the permit for small game is much less expensive than that for a deer tag. A combined small game/fishing licence along with an air rifle, ammunition and so on costs less than a single elk tag. This means that you can afford to practice.

You aren't limited in variety when it comes to small game, either:

• Pheasant is originally from Asia, but it now ranges over much of the world specifically from people introducing it as a game animal. Its taste is excellent, and it has provided food for centuries. It has lovely feathers that can also (and often have been) used for decoration.
• Potguts (also known as Uinta ground squirrels) and similar squirrels are a popular source of protein for small game hunters.
• Rabbits have no bag limit where I live and everywhere I have looked at the hunting laws for. They are also commonly considered a pest animal, and may not even require a permit to hunt.
• Pigeons (a domesticated form of doves) are possibly the most common animal in any major city, and they were originally bred as poultry. They are a common food in the middle east and there are countless recipes for them online. 
• Raccoons are a pest across much of the US, and a staple of southern cooking in days gone by. My grandmother told stories of hunting and eating raccoons during the great depression, and how tasty they really are.

You may want to be careful with any animals living in a city. Since they are surviving on garbage, the taste may be poor, and any of the mammals may have rabies, so look up the symptoms and signs of it to prevent infection.

Be sure to look up your local laws and regulations before you start hunting small game -- you don’t want to violate the law!

Good luck, be safe, and don’t forget to practice.

Elastic Shoelaces

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

Several of my shoes use Hickies-brand no-tie shoelaces, and I'm quite enamored of them.

https://amzn.to/2JoJvMN

I know what you're probably thinking: "Erin, you've already told me that I should replace my shoelaces with paracord. Why are you now suggesting I replace the paracord with elastic bands?"

That's a fair question. The answer is that paracord laces are a general purpose prep, while elastic laces are a solution for a very specific problem. Here are some examples:

They making getting through security screening a lot easier. I can put on or take off my shoes like they were loafers, but the elastic keeps them just snug on my feet as if I'd tied them. If you fly a lot, or otherwise need to take your shoes off on a regular basis, these save a lot of time and effort. 

They are great for people with physical or mental disabilities.  My father has Parkinson's Disease and can no longer remember how to tie a necktie; forgetting how to tie a shoelace can't be far behind. My mother has arthritis in her fingers and sometimes has difficulty with fine motor skills, and this will only get worse as she gets older. In both cases, the simple "pull it on and you're done" nature of the elastic will give both of them more independence. 

They speed up getting ready in an emergency. I have a pair of side-zip combat boots that I keep by the door as my "Something has gone wrong and I need to be outside NOW" shoes because they will handle any environment. However, despite zipping up the side, they still have shoelaces. The idea is that I fit the shoe to my foot, unzip the boot, and pull my foot out; when I'm ready to go, I just reverse the process. The problem is that my boots don't work like that -- I can get my foot out, sure, but I can't get it back in again unless I untied the boots then re-tied them once my foot was in. This completely eliminated any benefit to the side-zip! However, once I replaced the laces with Hickies, I was able to slip into my boots quickly and without issue. 

So while these are not specifically emergency preps, I find that they make my life easier on a day-to-day basis by helping me and members of my family speed through daily challenges.

I've used mine for over a year now and I have no complaints regarding their performance. The worst thing I can say about them is that, being elasticized, the more you stretch them the more they will fatigue, so the laces at the very top of your shoe or boot are likely to wear out and snap. This isn't a problem, as a package of Hickies comes with spares and the laces themselves are easy to swap out. I'm told that the 2.0 version addresses this problem with increased durability, but I haven't yet tried them.


Buy a package and see if you like them. You won't be putting them into your bug-out bag, but you just might find that they become part of your every day carry.

Homemade Mosquito Spray

Mix together

• 3 cups Epsom salts 
• 3 cans of stale cheap beer 
• 1 big bottle of cheap blue mouthwash 

Stir until salts dissolve, then pour into sprayer.

Next week, I'll talk about how heavily I sprayed and how well it worked.