Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving

Book Review: Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
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The Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving is a great little guide to keep with your canning equipment.

It makes a great gift for those new to food preservation and has lots of great (and easy) recipes for those getting started in canning.

There really isn’t a lot to say about Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, it is rather small, but packed with information, has good illustrations, and covers what you need to know to can foods in a safe manner.

This book is what I used to get started canning,

While I made some mistakes when I started canning, it was only when I tried to do it without reading.

Once I decided I better learn rather than experiment and play, this book really helped me understand what was going on, as well as offering me good suggestions and recipes to get me canning safely.

As a prepper, I see all manner of recipes for canning, both hot water canning, and pressure canning.  And I have tried some that are not actually approved as safe.  You can get away with that for a while, the problem is, that you never know when you will have issues.  I recommend this book as every recipe inside it is intrinsically safe – you don’t have to worry about what ifs and botulism.

Carrying Concealed Weapons

 

Book Review: Carrying Concealed Weapons
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Ahern brings more than two decades of concealed carry writing experience (and more than a quarter century of actually carrying concealed weapons on a daily basis) to his new book

This is the definitive “how-to” book giving step-by-step, illustrated instructions on how to carry concealed weapons and how to know when others are as well. Sound advice and alternatives are provided from choosing your weapon, to body language, to holsters, to clothing restrictions, ankle and leg carry options, off-body carry, fanny packs, and much more.

This book also provides information on concealed storage of weapons, spotting techniques, concealing larger weapons and alertness. With the passage of laws permitting the carrying of concealed weapons being adopted by more and more states, CCW: Carrying Concealed Weapons is “must” reading for anyone contemplating the necessity of going about armed in today’s increasingly unsafe world.

CCW: Carrying Concealed Weapons is a book that I have used several times when teaching firearm courses, I recommend it to all firearm instructors for their library, as well as to all people that have decided to take their own personal protection seriously by carrying concealed firearms.

I recommend this book as a good basic guide to carrying firearms unseen.

Chemical Warfare Agents – Toxicity at Low Levels

Book Review: Chemical Warfare Agents
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Chemical Warfare Agents is another good technical reference for those worried about WMD exposure. Like last week’s book, this is a professional text, therefore it is very detailed and information orientated.

If your just a casual prepper then the price tag will probably turn you off, and you may be better off with a simpler book. However, if you have a understanding of chemistry, or are seriously concerned about weapons of mass destruction, then this is a good reference book to keep in your library.

I got this book from college when I was getting my degree in Emergency Management – since my minor was homeland security I ended up with a lot of books like this.

For some reason I never could bring myself to sell my college textbooks, figuring, I guess, that they may come in handy in the future.

I guess that’s why I have a shelf full of algebra books.

Update:

I did finally sell all my algebra books, I went to the used book store with all my college text books (except for the Emergency management and homeland security texts), as well as all the non-fiction that was not useful.  I also ditched all the fiction that was not part of a collection – i.e. Louis Lamour, Stephen Hunter, Classics….  I used the money to buy some more prepper books like this, as well as to save some space in the library.

Valley Food Storage Fruit Sampler

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Only the highest quality and REAL ingredients in your 25 year food storage. Visit us to get started today!

I have tried a number of different food storage companies over the years, and I have found a couple I like working with.  Valley Food Storage is one of them.  Recently I got a chance to try their food storage fruit sampler pack.

The freeze dried pack came with three 15 serving resealable bags.  One each of Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry.

My first experience with freeze dried fruit came in the Marines with strawberries in the MREs.  That was one one my favorites, but these strawberries are much more delicate and fresher tasting.  They melt right on your tongue and I can’t wait to try them in my morning oatmeal.

My son’s favorite was the blueberry – probably because they were a little like popcorn – light and airy, but with a crunch.  He did not like the raspberry because he said it was too “spicy”.  I agree it was tart, and not my favorite either.

I don’t recommend spending a lot of money on foods like freeze dried food storage fruit until you have the basics stored deep, but having something nice like fruit would make stressful times a little easier to manage.

IronClad 25lb Rubber Coated Gun Magnet Review

 

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I have had a couple different brand of gun magnets over the years.  The idea is simple.  They are a mountable magnet that you can attach to an object to keep a gun out of sight but easily accessible.

These gun magnets are well designed – they are rubber coated so they won’t scratch your firearm, and they come with some pretty aggressive Phillips mounting screws so the magnet can be sturdily mounted.

I don’t use these that often anymore – having kids means most all of my guns stay in the safe, but there are places these gun magnets are appropriate for – but I am not telling where I keep mine….

However, some ideas may be; under the dash of your car, under kitchen cabinets, under the computer desk, behind the from door, on the bed frame.

I like that they come in different sizes – 25 and 35 pounds so you can use them for pistols and long guns.

But don’t think they are just for guns – you can use these in the shop as well.  I have more than one, and have attached cord to one and use it as a retrieval tool.  These magnets are strong and small.

Remember there are many gun magnets on the market, some cheaper, some much more expensive, but the ironclad  gun magnet

  • Won’t Scratch Your Gun
  • Made for Quick Draw in Case of Emergency
  • Holds Up to a 25lb Gun

If this is something you can use in your home situation, then I highly recommend this brand of gun magnet.  It is high quality and a great value.

Currently this Iron Clad Gun Magnet has two promotions on Amazon save 25% 0n 4 (buy 3 get one free) and 15% on 2 individual gun magnet sets.