Chickens are one of the quintessential preparedness food sources, and for good reason. While it is still fresh in my mind, I’m going to offer some after-action information for those of you who may be thinking of raising chicks. It’s a little late in the season for this, so maybe I’ll repost it early next spring, as well. Continue reading “A Primer on Raising Chicks”
Month: May 2020
Why .25 ACP is the Ultimate Defensive Caliber
In this post I discuss why the much-maligned .25 ACP is the ultimate defensive caliber. I also explore the extensive testing and evaluation that has led me to this question, and how it will impact me moving forward. Enjoy!
Continue reading “Why .25 ACP is the Ultimate Defensive Caliber”
How To Build a Lock Library
There is a ton of material out there about lockpicking and how to get good at it. There isn’t a whole lot of material about actually building a collection of locks with which to practice. As someone who has been very good at lockpicking and taught it for a living for five years I can tell you: having access to a large number of locks is essential. Today I’m going to talk about how to build a lock library that supports learning and progress. Continue reading “How To Build a Lock Library”
Know a Knot! Directional Figure Eight
In this installment of Know A Knot we’re going to talk about a knot that kicked my butt for a long time. It’s a middle-of-the-line loop called the directional figure eight. Continue reading “Know a Knot! Directional Figure Eight”
Security Sunday: Weekly Gear Maintenance
All of us have a lot of crap to do. Aside from getting dinner on the table every night, there are all these periodic tasks, like changing smoke detector batteries, paying taxes, backing up our computers, getting oil changes, etc. Most of us are probably tracking most of that stuff mentally. I have been looking for a way to make some of this stuff easier to track, and I’ve found a pretty decent solution: “Security Sunday” (you don’t have to call it that – I just needed a title for this article). Continue reading “Security Sunday: Weekly Gear Maintenance”
Lock Safari: Dublin, Ireland
Last year I had the opportunity to spend some time in Belfast, Dublin, and Cork. Unfortunately, most of my time was spent in Dublin – my least favorite of the three. Recently I was reviewing my photos from that trip and realized how many noteworthy locks I actually found there. This will probably only be of interest to the lock nerds. If you aren’t you can still get something out of this: most American locks are junk compared to the locks used by the rest of the world. Continue reading “Lock Safari: Dublin, Ireland”
My Favorite Books Part 2
At the time of writing restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic are easing in many areas. Still, I hope many of you are finding some time to read some books. If you’re looking for something to read, I am going to offer some of my favorite books, and I’ll keep this series going, hopefully well into the future. Continue reading “My Favorite Books Part 2”
Life is General. Embrace the Coyote.
I was recently a guest on Matt Robertson’s excellent Everyday Marksman Podcast. The first question Matt asked me hinted at something. He wanted to know how I got into writing about the stuff I write about which amounts to, well, little bit of everything. The answer I wish I had given him? Life is general! Continue reading “Life is General. Embrace the Coyote.”
Patreon Benefit: Extra Writing
This week I spent several hours answering reader emails. I’m not complaining – I am extremely flattered that some of you care about my opinion enough to actually ask, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I make every effort to respond to everyone who writes in. I realized halfway through writing my fifth or sixth 1,000+ word reply this week that if one person has the question, multiple people could probably benefit from the answer. Which leads me to the point of this post… Continue reading “Patreon Benefit: Extra Writing”
High-Security Mechanical Locks
Outside of a very few specialized fields high-security locks are almost totally unknown. Even in the field of locksmithing where high-security locks are known, they are often misunderstood. Today I am going to offer you a primer on the fascinating world of high-security mechanical locks, the security benefits they offer, and what they can’t do for you. Continue reading “High-Security Mechanical Locks”