Hello folks, been on a little hiatus lately due to numerous projects I have going on but I wanted to chime in with my thoughts on the best survival knife under 100 dollars along with a little insight as to why I came to this conclusion. Actually you may be surprised that the survival knife I believe to be the best is MUCH cheaper than 100$ and it is of comparable quality to knives three times more expensive.

As you may know if you have followed my site over the years, I was always a huge fan of the USMC Ka-Bar Fighting knife. I used this knife for years and its large size never bothered me, but ultimately I came to the conclusion that for most camp tasks it is really a lot larger than necessary. It after all is a fighting knife. It is still an exceptional knife and I still highly recommend it, but after the TSA confiscated my Ka-Bar I decided to try something different.

The knife that I purchased after that unfortunate run in with airport security was the Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion. I have never looked back. This is without a doubt the best survival knife under 100 dollars for SHTF. It is incredibly versatile and built like a tank.

The spine is a full quarter inch thick! It is not to long and it is sturdy enough to chop, yet fine enough for delicate cutting tasks around camp. The design is brilliant in many ways, for example the tang comes all the way out of the handle and can be used to hammer and pummel.

This is a serious survival knife and perfect for your bug out bag, camping or hiking. It is a little over 10 inches long over all, with a blade length of 5.5 inches. It is light weight for how massive it is, but it is definitely not a ultra light, dinky knife. It splits kindling and can still skin game without feeling awkward in either situation.

I wrote a lengthy review on the Becker BK-2 over at Amazon.com so I am going to keep this short. In terms of construction, durability and functionality this is simply the best survival knife under 100$ period. Check out the reviews on it below.

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I recently came across an exceptionally good deal on a Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun. The only issue with the gun was that it was covered in pit bulls, wearing chains and barking. It was the new “Watchdog Pitbull Camo” model.

My first impression was that it looked like something DMX would have in a rap video. Or possibly something that the FBI would have seized from Michael Vick’s house when they crushed his dog fighting operation.

Now trust me, I can get gangster but to me, rule number 1 of being a gangster is not looking like one. I felt like if I was going to go hunting with this gun and I got pulled over on the way to our hunting tract, the cops would take one look at the pitbull camo and search my car for drugs. But I digress…

Thug Life. The Mossberg 500 Watchdog Pitbull Camo Shotgun also comes with street cred in your hood for free.

Now I really did not want to purchase a firearm that was covered in barking dogs with angry expressions but hey, it is still a Mossberg 500 under there and I would buy one covered in pictures of steaming piles of shit for the right price. So I said what the hell and I bought it.

Notice the angry expression on this dog. These dogs painted on the gun are sure to scare away criminals instantly so you are able to keep your gold chain, Jordan’s and Air Force One’s from getting jacked by somebody who comes in your house trippin. Real talk.

Only a woman wouldn’t buy a high quality item and an incredibly deal because of some aesthetic flaw. Just think about all those women who walk into a house on HGTV and don’t want to buy it because of the color of the cabinets.

The barrel is a standard 18.5 inch Mossberg barrel and it is also covered in really fierce looking dogs that are really impressive and useful.

Here is the gun next to a Maverick 88 that is sawed to 16.5 inches.

So this really isn’t a review of the Mossberg 500 Watchdog Pitbull Camo model at all because that would be stupid. That would be like reading a review of the blue Ford Mustangs.

Bottom line: I love the Mossberg 500 in any color or pattern and everyone should own one.

Come to think of it, you are really dumb if you found this looking for a review of the Mossberg 500 dog camo.

Oh and by the way, from any moderate distance you cannot make out the images of the dogs and it really just looks like black and grey camo so you don’t have to feel AS embarrassed when you run into a group of people hunting and they ask if you are lost.

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Chopping wood sucks. Especially with crappy equipment. When it comes to survival, being able to easily acquire firewood and construct shelters without using massive amounts of energy can be the difference between thriving and kicking the bucket.

In this article I am going to discuss my personal favorite collapsible survival saw for a bug out bag and why I believe this to be the best survival saw for your bug out bag.

I spend a great deal of time in the woods and I enjoy getting by with less equipment. Primitive survival takes practice and if I should ever find myself under some ash grey sky after an apocalyptic cataclysm, I like to be confident in my own ability and not rely to heavily on gear.

That being said, if you camp often, you understand how amazing a gas powered chainsaw is compared to any manual form or sawing or chopping.

Have you ever chopped down a tree with just a knife or a machete?

I have and I can tell you it absolutely sucks and takes an incredible amount of exertion spending a huge portion of your much needed calories. These calories may be very difficult to come by in a survival situation and they must be spent wisely.

When you are trying to keep a fire going, it is freezing and you are starving, having a collapsible saw that can allow you to cut larger, longer burning fire wood is a god send.

The BAHCO Laplander is an incredible, light weight and versatile addition to your bug out bag.

The BAHCO Laplander is the perfect solution for your sawing needs in a small, collapsible size that fits easily into your bug out bag and does not weigh you down. I have been impressed with this saw since the first time I had the pleasure of using it.

It has a very aggressive tooth structure and a solid build that allows it to easily saw through moderately thick wood and branches with ease. It makes cutting even cuts on thick branches a breeze which allows you to have a better surface for chopping or batoning when splitting fire wood.

The Laplander extends to an impressive size, easily performing most survival tasks.

Don’t let the price fool you either, this saw cuts like butter and features quality Swedish construction. I am a big fan of using a machete for most tasks, but the added versatility of a saw that takes up so little room and is so light weight gives you an immense advantage.

Don’t believe me? Check out the reviews on Amazon for yourself. This is the best folding survival saw on the market at a reasonable price and it has earned a place in my bug out bag.

What kind of survival saw are you guys using?

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I have the best readership in the world and this idea was brought to my attention by an e-mail from a reader. This is an incredibly simple way to refrigerate without electricity provided you live in a hot, arid climate and have access to water.

This is the post apocalyptic refrigerator that will preserve your food for weeks and can be constructed very simply, it was invented in Sub-Saharan Africa using ancient technology and it can be replicated very easily at home.

All you need to build this amazingly simple post apocalyptic refrigerator is 2 clay terracotta pots with no holes, or at least holes that can be sealed and you need sand. Be sure to select pots that are unglazed. One pot should be approximately 1 inch larger than the other. You also need cloth, such as tea cloth and this post apocalyptic pot in pot cooler will keep many foods fresh for up to three weeks!

The Zeer Pot is an electricity free refrigerator.

The genius of this simple refrigeration system is its ability to cool by the process of evaporation, similar to how humans cool themselves by the evaporation of sweat. As the water evaporates it removes heat from the inner container allowing produce and even meat to last exponentially longer.

The simple to make, “Zeer Pot” offers an electricity free solution for refrigeration that can make food last exponentially longer

Here is how to easily build this extremely simple yet ingenious solution to preserving produce after the apocalypse in just a few easy steps.

1. Get two, unglazed terracotta pots without holes if possible, but if you can only find them with a hole then just stick a cork in the hole, use duct tape or find a similar substance that will prevent water from leaking out the bottom of the larger pot and also prevent water from entering the inner pot.

2. Layer sand on the bottom of the larger terracotta pot and place the smaller pot inside the larger pot until the rims of both pots are equivalent in height.

3. When the smaller pot is within the larger pot, sitting on a bed of sand and equivalent in height to the larger pot, fill the gap in between the two pots with sand until it is almost level with the edge. Use clean sand if possible to prevent any possible contamination.

4. Now add water. Saturate the sand between the two pots until it is soaked and soak your tea cloth with water, placing it over the top of both pots. Allow the post apocalyptic refrigerator known as a “Zeer Pot” to cool through evaporation for a few hours and then place your produce, meat or drinks within the smaller pot and replace the wet cloth over the top of the pot.

This simple, yet effective post apocalyptic refrigerator will surprisingly cool liquids to approximately 59 degrees Fahrenheit, 15 degrees Celsius and allow storage for weeks instead of days.

This is a very effective way to cool your perishable goods and even if you do not live in a arid desert climate (and I am sure most of you do not) this can be kept inside your house at sufficiently less humidity than outside which will allow it to operate in a similar fashion.

With no electricity and a Zeer pot in your kitchen, you will be able to keep fruits, vegetables and even meats much longer than at ambient room temperature or even outside.

SHTF Fridge in action cooling veggies!

What is great is you can use this method at a barbeque or a pool party before the eventual apocalypse and wow your guests with your ancient ingenuity. Hopefully this post apocalyptic refrigerator will benefit someone, somewhere should the SHTF.

As usual keep your powder dry and sharpen your most effective weapon between your ears often.

- Judah

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New feature on the site is the ability to guest post!

You can  now easily submit an article on any relevant topic and add 2 links back to your own site!

The rules are as follows:

• Must be original content written by you.
• Must be 300 words or more.
• Must be interesting and relevant.

Thanks for your submission I will get it up as soon as possible!

I will be selecting from the most popular articles to receive prizes and the potential of a paid writing spot!

Submit an article now!

How much debt can the United States of America Handle? Over 80% of Americans think our government is a broken entity. Roughly 75% of Americans believe that politicians and government officials aren’t honest. What does this say about the future of our country?

The underlying factor driving all of this animosity is the fact that America is in enormous debt. The people of this country are constantly being lied to, so understandably they find government officials to be dishonest. It certainly isn’t rare for politicians to make promises that they don’t follow through on. As far as our debt is concerned, there really isn’t a realistic plan to get out of it, well their is realistic plan and it is very simple, the political climate in Washington ensures it will never happen unfortunately. The plan is as simple as forcing the government to stop spending money, but we all know that isn’t going to happen.

Washington is broke(n).

The United States right now has the equivalent of a 14 trillion dollar credit card debt and they certainly aren’t acting like you or I would if our credit card debt was as large as our total yearly income. The only thing Washington is doing is admitting there is definitely a serious fiscal crisis and then continuing to expand money and trying to use more spending and more government to solve the problem that the two have created.

The US can not afford to spend like it has been for much longer.

When can the US no longer handle the debt?

How long before the US can’t handle their debt anymore? This is completely dependent upon how the government and out elected officials act. They are not doing anything to address this ticking time bomb while they are out chasing monsters to slay abroad and expanding government programs to help people that the government policies are harming through unemployment.

The United States of America has as little as 2 or 3 years to get this debt under control and change their spending habits because the US is for all intents and purposes bankrupt. We spend money that we borrow from foreign lenders on foreign projects. It is absolutely insane. The solution that the government traditionally falls back on is printing massive new quantities of money that is inflationary and an invisible tax on responsible Americans who actually saved money. This debt will never fully be paid for and that’s terribly unsettling for Americans who actually understand economics to admit. The governments plan, spurred by the Federal Reserve is to liquidate the debt by destroying the US currency through inflation. Does that sound like a good plan to you? That’s what all governments historically do when their debt runs a muck.

If the US dollar loses much of its value then the debt owed becomes much cheaper because it remains the same “price” plus interest. Ultimately, hard working Americans foot the bill with their savings. The same way the US taxpayers took the bad debt from the big banks that were “too big to fail” and completely footed the bill for the banks irresponsible lending.

This not only destroys our savings, it destroys the value of our assets including our homes, businesses and investments and it is morally repugnant for a republic.

The only hope is you, the people of this great nation. Wake up and stop pretending fake promises from politicians will make life easier for you. They are destroying the nation. The young people of this country are starting to hear the message, and they will carry the torch of fiscal responsibility all the way to Washington if Washington doesn’t financially destroy us first.

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This is a piece I wrote a few years back for another website but it is still equally relevant today and it is an interesting read. On PostApocalypticSurvival.com the emphasis is clearly on aspects of survival without modern comforts; however I find it to be poignant to discuss geopolitics as it not only evokes a great deal of passion within me, it is the most likely culprit for shtf or post apocalyptic society.

I also get a kick out of the e-mail and comments that this type of article invokes. Especially from the Chinese perspective. My favorite e-mail so far was from a pro-communist Chinese citizen who simply said:

“Do not talk like a cowboy American talk always like a wise people”

The hotly contested issues of freedom of speech and censorship in China create a maelstrom of political debate around the world. This article addresses the actual laws used to prosecute dissidents in China, as well as the brave freedom fighters who are political prisoners under the grip of communism. Freedom of speech should be a universal right of mankind, the People’s Republic of China disagrees and persecutes those who speak out against tyranny accordingly. Censorship in China is rampant, but not everyone is silent on the issue.

In the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it states: “Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people”. The 1982 constitution of the People’s Republic of China guarantees freedom of speech to the people of China. This apparent right, clearly granted by the constitution, sadly could not be further from the truth.

Freedom of speech in China is “Subverting state power”.

Many in China are shackled and thrown into prison as part of the oppressive communist regime’s crackdown on Chinese dissidents. What gives the government the power to do this is an amendment passed on 03/04/1997 article 105 of the Chinese criminal law that states:

Article 105(2): Use of rumor mongering or defamation or other means to incite subversion of the national regime or the overthrow of the socialist system shall be punished by a sentence of five years or less of imprisonment, criminal detention, supervision or deprivation of political rights. Criminal leaders or those whose crimes are particularly severe shall be punished by a sentence of five years or more of imprisonment.

This amendment has grossly perverted basic human rights to allow the arrest of countless people under the crime of “inciting subversion of state power”. This is a sad example of an oppressive regime subverting internationally recognized human rights to keep a tight grip over the minds of individuals residing within their jurisdiction. Since its inception, thousands of Chinese have been jailed and silenced for any criticism of the People’s Republic of China or its abysmal human rights record.

Chinese propaganda and a lack of freedom of speech in China.

The state often releases a prisoner or two prior to high profile meetings with any ranking western diplomat, which the international community heralds as progress. However, countless Chinese citizens are imprisoned for even speaking about democracy. Western companies such as Google and Yahoo even cave to the Chinese government’s censorship laws for fear of losing access to such a large market and offensive words such as “democracy” return no results in Chinese Google searches.

In China, even discussing the countries ancient past can be considered a crime. Professor Yang Siquan of East China University was accused of being “counter revolutionary” for blogging about ancient Chinese culture. It is quite obvious to the western democratic observer that the “freedom of speech” guaranteed by the Chinese constitution only applies to language that conforms with the communist states accepted positions.

Human rights, freedom of speech and a global call to action.

Rights possessed by all individuals by virtue of being a person, regardless of their status are human rights. Freedom of speech is a basic human right. It is the right that allows people to evaluate their government and decide to cast that government off if necessary. It is essentially the right that guarantees all others.

The censorship in China is a relic of Maoism. It is a throwback to a time when political instability fueled a witch hunt to weed out the capitalists and pro democracy voices of the era. The country has shed its centrally planned economic system and adapted a hybrid of a capitalistic economy with a one party communist rule.

The country now boasts the second largest GDP in the world. Long gone are the days of the Maoist revolution, the time has come for change. While one person’s views are silenced anywhere in the world, liberty suffers everywhere. Freedom of speech and censorship in China affect the world as a whole and people who believe in human liberty around the world must unite in solidarity to free the people of China from their inhumane oppression.

“Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. God will not hold us guiltless, not to speak is to speak, not to act is to act.” – Dietrich Boenhoffe – Nazi political prisoner and Lutheran pastor, executed by hanging in 1945.

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Many people ask me if ALICE packs are better than MOLLE packs. But in a competition of ALICE vs MOLLE packs who comes out on top?

Both backpacks have a history of service with the US military and are of a solid construction.

If you are worried about quality, durability and reliability who is the victor in an ALICE vs MOLLE batttle? The All Purpose Light Weight Individual Carrying Equipment, or ALICE as it is called, is the earlier model of United States Military backpacking gear and has a large following amongst many old school, and new school, veterans.

The Modular Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment, or MOLLE (pronounced Molly) is the US military’s current version and is a more modern system that is heavily customizable.

ALICE packs have a history of service and are much older than MOLLE packs. ALICE packs have been with the US military since 1973. These packs were on US soldiers during Vietnam and held up brilliantly through the struggle. They come in 3 sizes and are capable of being worn with a metal frame that distributes the burden of the load.

These packs are less organized the MOLLE packs and you need to dig through the pack to find what you are looking for as the main pack is generally just a wide open sack, although there are approx. 4 other compartments in the pack to store supplies.

Another facet of the ALICE pack is that it does not have any zippers. This makes for less attributes to fail when in the field. The pack may seem primitive by today’s standards, but the pack is heavily reliable and is less likely to fail based on its simplistic design. It has also been carried by numerous veterans in the field and received very positive reviews.

The MOLLE pack is the current issue US military backpack. This pack provides a much wider variety of add on options and has a compartmentalized system. This pack has been through the harsh conditions of the Iraq and Afghanistan wares and has performed adequately. It is a much neater system and is much easier to organize large quantities of gear.

This system is lighter weight and uses a plastic frame as opposed to the metal frame of the ALICE pack.

The plastic frames have broken under certain conditions of the current wars such as airborne assaults. The breaks have resulted in newer generations having better construction than previous models and has generally been viewed positively by American forces since the generation upgrades.

The ALICE vs MOLLE debate will likely rage on amongst prior service veterans of the US military because most members are partial to the equipment they used while they served. The ALICE pack has the advantage of being sturdier with less parts being made of plastic and the no zipper design which makes a pack that is more likely to hold up to rugged conditions. It is also much cheaper than the newer MOLLE system.

The MOLLE pack has the advantage of being lighter, more organized and more customizable than the ALICE pack. It is sleeker and more modern looking but comes with a more expensive price tag.

Ultimately, in a battle of ALICE vs MOLLE the choice is up to the individual who will have to rely on the gear and the conditions that individual is preparing for. Both ALICE vs MOLLE systems were designed and crafted for the greatest military on the planet and should make fine backpacking systems for the individuals who will be relying on them.

I have an Army Surplus ALICE pack for my BOB, it was cheap and has less shit that can possibly go wrong with it but time and time again I kick myself for not getting a MOLLE because the compartmentalized design would be tremendously useful.

What kind of pack do you prefer?

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So I recently took a flight from Virginia to California and in my haste to catch the plane, I forgot to check my carry on bag before packing it. Needless to say, I found out what happens when you try to get through the TSA with a USMC Ka Bar.

Now I know this was completely my fault and I should have been better prepared and this all could have been avoided; but sometimes in life you are in a rush which usually leads to fuck ups. I had to leave straight from work to the airport and the job I have requires me to work with different metals and various chemicals which was the first thing that set the TSA alarm off.

The swabs of my hands flagged me for advanced screening, so I proceed to get the full pat down and then I see a huge crowd of TSA gathering around my backpack.

I see this portly little fat woman pull out my Ka Bar and unsheath it in slow motion. They are all gawking at the size of the blade as I stand there thinking holy fuck I am going to be that guy on the news.

Higher ups from TSA come in and surround me and proceed to start grilling the shit out of me. I quickly came up with some bull shit about how much fun I had on my camping trip and I forgot to take the knife out of my backpack.

So then they ask me if I will relinquish my weapons. It was weapons (plural) at this point because they found a smaller knife I had hidden in a compartment in my backpack that I also completely forgot about.

Then I am dragged into another room to get fully patted down by this guy who looks like he drives a white van full of candy around playgrounds. At this point I am pretty pissed that I just lost two knives so I say to the guy who is about to fondle me (thanks to US foreign policy and blowback) that I hope he is going to enjoy this as much as I am. He wasn’t amused.

I have 10 minutes till my flight leaves  and miraculously they tell me my story checks out and I am free to go. They also repacked my bags for me as a courtesy! I run, full sprint and catch my plane. Then when I get off in Dallas and try to get on another plane the TSA flags me again and puts me through a full body scanner to see if I picked up any more weapons.

They let me go and I think to myself; I never checked my backpack after they repacked it. I quickly check my bag and find that my laptop is missing.

The TSA stole my fucking laptop. I called the TSA and told them I am calling the police if I don’t get it back immediately so we’ll see what happens…

On the bright side I picked up a couple of new knives to replace the ones they confiscated so I will be doing a full review on them shortly. So far I love the new knives I purchased.

I bought a KaBar Becker BK2 Campanion and it feels like a tank so far. The spine is a quarter inch thick and it feels like you could chop a tree down with it.

The only problems I forsee is that the sheath is shit and the scales (handle) are also garbage but I am going to fabricate a new sheath and custom build scales for it when I get a chance.

I’ll probably do a video on it but check it out for yourself on Amazon.

Matches are great, but lets face it; a wet match is about as useful as tits on a welder. There are a ton of great ways to start fire that make matches seem obsolete, but keeping with my personal rule of at least 5 ways to start fire, matches play an integral role in your apocalypse preparedness.

Now you can have a ziplock bag full of matches in your pack and if they don’t snap in half that might work for you, but I like to take a more all things considered approach and use a system that keeps my matches dry while also protecting them from snapping.

That is why I recommend the UCO stormproof match kit. Couple this with a bunch of UCO stormproof matches and you mitigate the bullshit about traditional matches while gaining all of the advantages.

The UCO stormproof match case is the no bullshit solution to keeping your matches dry and also always having a spare striker. It holds around 25 matches and the specially designed UCO stormproof matches burn for a full 15 seconds under any conditions.

The UCO matches are truly windproof, waterproof and “even continue burning underwater”. The burning underwater has been bullshit in my experience because burning without oxygen isn’t possible and while I have tested this to no avail, the matches do continue to burn in heavy rain which I guess is a more reasonable claim and actually makes these matches extremely versatile.

My favorite thing about this case however, is not just its water proof properties, its the fact that it has built in strikers on the sides of the case. Couple this with the fact that the matches are those shitty “waterproof” Coleman matches you buy at Walmart and you have an effective fire starting system that stays dry and the matches really make firecraft a breeze.

Pick up this case and a few packs of UCO stormproof matches for your survival preparations. You’ll thank me if SHTF.

Keep your powder dry boys. – Judah

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