Articles by The Patriot Caller

DIY Paper Log Hack [VIDEO]

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It’s hard to beat the smell of seasoned pinion pine logs burning in your wood stove… but there comes a time when even the sweetest of smoke smells get pretty dang tiresome. During a long, cold winter like this one, you may get sick of smelling like a fireplace every single day. Even more likely, you’ll run out of seasoned wood and turn to burning junk or even fresh cut or green wood. While it does provide warmth, unseasoned wood isn’t the best, cleanest, or the cheapest option. In fact, wastepaper logs can burn for 5-6 hours, substantially longer than […]

6 Ingenious Survival Hacks [PHOTOS]

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Necessity, so they say, is the mother of invention. And that mother’s righthand man is a little thing called resourcefulness. No matter how well thought-out your hiking backpack is, or how complete your emergency preparations are, it’s nearly impossible to keep every item that you may need around you at all times. It’s certainly impractical. The best way to combat this urge to bring “one of everything,” everywhere we go, is to embrace the art of “MacGuyvering,” AKA “resourcefulness.” Take, for example, learning to go without a kerosene lantern (see Exhibit A: Nearby photo). 1. The Water Jug Lantern Two of the most […]

9 Minutes of Expert Tactical Firearms Training for FREE

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When it comes to learning new skills, it’s really hard to beat YouTube. Often times, when I’m doing some automotive work on my truck, I’ll find an instructional video that details exactly how to replace the failing part. It’s amazing. However, the problem with YouTube is determining the credibility of the so-called “expert” in the video… especially when you’re dealing with serious topics like firearms and home defense. That’s why I was so excited to find these 3 short videos from tactical shooting instructor Clint Smith from the Thunder Ranch (Clint’s tactical shooting school in Oregon). In these 3 videos, Clint […]

[REALITY CHECK] How Much Water Do You Really Need?

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We’ve all heard the vague statistics about how much water we use each day, or how much we should drink, or even how much we should keep on hand for emergencies. Rarely do we question these numbers, because we never really have to… Unless a chemical spill contaminates a major waterway that serves an entire region of the country, leading officials to issue a historic water ban that last for over 5 days… like what occurred this week in West Virginia. Over 300,000 residents in and around the state’s capital, Charleston, we’re suddenly told not to drink, touch, bath in, or even […]

How To Start a Fire With Urine [VIDEO]

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True or False: You can start a fire with your own pee. TRUE. Depending on how hydrated you are, it may be far easier than you would ever think. In fact, if you can fill a clear plastic water bottle with fairly clear urine, then you have a lens. With that lens, although its not as efficient as a magnifying glass, can be used in much the same way. By holding the bottle upside down and allowing sunlight to pass through the convex top, you can focus the light onto tinder and create smoldering embers. Simply fan those embers, add […]

5 Ways to Boost Your Night Vision

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We can all agree that seeing in the darkness is a huge advantage under everyday circumstances. In a crisis situation, the quality of your night vision will be that much more important. Now, I wish I had 5 easy steps that would allow you to suddenly have the night vision of a cat (they require only 1/6th the light we do)… but unfortunately there are no known exercises, pills, or surgeries that can pull off that miracle. You can dramatically improve your vision at night however. With a few simple techniques, tricks, and even a couple of “magic pills” you […]

Top 5 Must Haves for Your Blackout Kit

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Most Americans laugh off the threat of power outages, believing the power will come back on in a few minutes… but as many of us have experienced first-hand, sometimes these blackouts can last hours or even days. Have you ever had to endure a blackout that lasted waaaay longer than you expected? I have. And here’s the thing, I wasn’t prepared. It was a real mess. And sure, flashlights are important in a blackout, but there are a lot of other items that are equally, if not more important. That’s why I’m not wasting a spot on my top 5 […]

WSJ: America’s Power Grid Is A Timebomb

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Do you have a blackout plan in place? I hope you so, because you may need it… According to the Wall Street Journal, the grid is in such a state of disrepair that blackouts this winter are a virtual guarantee. If you haven’t made the proper preparations, you may be in for some very dark, very cold days… especially if you live in the tri-state area, hit by super storm Sandy last winter. According to energy experts, no meaningful improvements have been made to the grid since the storm, since the great “East Coast Blackout” of 10 years ago. And […]

Top 15 Places to Store Your Survival Food

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Food storage is an essential part of any crisis plan, but where do you store all of those supplies? What if you live in an apartment that’s somewhat challenged in the square footage department? Where are you going to store all of that food? Unless you invest in compact food buckets with a  shelf life of 25+ years, there are a surprising number of considerations that go into the process. Each storage location has a unique set of pros and cons. Basements, closets, furniture, attics, storage sheds… all of these can vary widely in temperature, humidity, etc. Here’s a list […]