VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5 TOP 5 BUDGET FRIENDLY Cook All Day …

reasonable driving dis-

tance of a doctor’s office,

grocery store, or a movie

theater. The truth is, not

everyone is cut out for liv-

ing in rural isolation, no

matter how beautiful the

views are.

And that’s OKAY.

If you’ve ever watched vid-

eos from the apartment

While we all might have a

romanticized vision of liv-

ing off the grid out “in na-

ture.” We can’t all live on

a self-sufficient ranch in

the foothills of some rural

locale. And truth be told,

most of us really don’t

want to…

There’s an awful lot to be

said for living within a See SPACE, 8

TIPS FOR SMALL SPACE PREPPERS:

PART 1

If you’re like me, you’ve

never met a gun you did-

n’t like. Still, there are

some firearms that, for

whatever reason, tend to

leave an exceptionally

good impression with

shooters: Browning shot-

guns, Winchester lever-

action rifles, Colt 1911s…

and of course the AR-15.

The AR-15 is accurate,

easy to operate, light-

weight, and of course it

can hold plenty of ammo.

If you’re truly going to be

ready for anything, and

that “anything” might in-

clude holding off a gang of

looters trying to kill you

TOP 5 BUDGET FRIENDLY AR-15S

See AR-15s, 2

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5 MAY, 2014

SOLAR OVENS Cook All Day Long

Most self-reliance aficio-

nados consider fire to be

their most primary tool,

but they’re overlooking

something much more

fundamental.

The most potent and relia-

ble source of energy we

can tap into in a SHTF

situation is actually 93

million miles away. In

fact, this energy source

has showed up to work

every single day for hun-

dreds of millions of years

in a row.

Yes, I’m talking about the

sun. Not only does the sun

power many biological

functions such as photo-

synthesis, it can be har-

nessed in many primitive

SHTF applications.

In last month’s Patriot

Caller, we detailed several

methods for starting fires

with sunlight. In this arti-

cle, we’re going to com-

pletely remove fire from

the equation and use the

sun’s energy directly to

cook our off-the-grid

meals.

Meet the Solar Oven

The term “solar oven”

might sound a little tech-

nologically complicated, or

See OVEN, 5

dwellers that survived the

massive 2011 earthquake

and Fukushima melt-

down, you’ll understand

the importance of prep-

ping, especially in an

apartment. Many of the

dwellers had little to no

food in their refrigerators

and steal your stockpile,

a bolt-action deer rifle

simply isn’t going to cut

it.

Those are a few of the

reasons that the AR-15

has become the hands-

down favorite among the

self-reliance movement.

It brings the reliability

and functionality of a

2 PATRIOT CALLER MAY, 2014

military small arms rifle

together with the afforda-

bility of a civilian model in

a nice compact package.

But unlike some of the oth-

er “classics” in the firearm

hall of fame, the AR-15

doesn’t enjoy the same level

of quality across all models.

That’s because the AR -15

(which stands for “Armalite

Rifle 15,” named after the

original design firm) is ac-

tually a design pattern, re-

produced by literally dozens

of different manufacturers.

History

Colt Firearms purchased

the rights to the AR-15 de-

sign back in 1959, after

which it was adopted by the military and re-designated

as the M16. Colt Industries still owns the trademark for

the“AR15” and “AR-15,” as well as the naming rights.

Technically, only Colt’s version of the rifle can be legally

sold as an “AR-15.”

But most people refer to all of the rifle’s clones as AR-

15s in conversation, no matter the manufacturer. So

there’s a little piece of trivia for you to use when you’re

talking shop at the gun range.

The reason this is important to you when selecting your

own “AR-15” is that you must understand that the qual-

ity varies widely between manufacturers. And so do

some of the important characteristics such as weight,

caliber, reliability, and I almost forgot to mention…

price.

AR Basics

The reason the AR and its clones are so popular is sim-

ple: A unique combination of firepower and usability.

Consequently, these are the same reasons this style of

weapon is often singled out by gun control activists.

Unlike a bolt-action deer rifle, the AR is a semiautomat-

ic rifle, meaning that it uses the force created by the

bullet being fired to eject the spent shell and load an-

other cartridge into the chamber.

Technically speaking, the AR uses what’s called a

“direct gas impingement,” which uses the gases escap-

from AR-15S page 1

ing from the round being fired to operate the rifle’s ac-

tion. The gases unlock the bolt and push it back, eject-

ing the spent shell. Then the rifle’s recoil spring sends

the bolt forward chambering a live round.

From the user’s perspective, the key point to know is

just that you can keep firing the weapon repeatedly un-

til it runs out of ammunition. In a home defense scenar-

io, this gives you a big advantage over an intruder with

an inferior weapon, plain and simple.

The original AR-15 weighed in at just under 6lbs, very

light for a rifle, especially a semiautomatic one. Many of

the AR-15 clones on the market today are significantly

heavier, up to 8.5lbs, depending on the options such as

barrel length, barrel weight, and of course the massive

array of AR accessories.

The ease of accessorizing the AR is yet another reason

for its success. Grip handles, red-dot sights, tactical

lighting, and high capacity magazines are just the tip of

the iceberg when it comes to tricking out your AR.

A quick word of warning: While these accessories can

give your AR some enhanced capabilities, they too vary

widely in quality and reliability. From my experience,

many of the very tempting “value” accessories result in

a rifle that’s less capable than the stock model.

Do your homework and seek out a reliable expert, such

as a gunsmith to fine-tune any adjustments that are

above your pay grade. Continued next page

PATRIOT CALLER 3 MAY, 2014

DPMS Panther Sportical 5.56 NATO

If you’re looking for a perfectly capable AR with abso-

lutely no frills at all and a very nice price tag to boot,

this might just be your rifle. The Panther Sportical has

a Picatinny rail and, well, not much else.

In fact, the description of the Panther Sportical on the

DMPS website reads, “This carbine might just be the

most simplistic, straight forward AR on the market.”

Which is actually a good thing if your desire is to cus-

tomize every bit of your AR.

The Panther Sportical has all the functions you’d expect

from an entry-level carbine, including a lightweight 16”

chromoly barrel, adjustable stock, A2 birdcage flash

hider, and a 30-round magazine. The total weight of the

Sportical is 6.3lbs (unloaded) and the overall length is a

handy 36.125 inches.

Aficionados might say the Panther Sportical is lacking

about $150 in mandatory upgrades, but Sportical fans

say they’ve got a solid weapon that shoots the same am-

mo just as flawlessly.

In addition, the bonus of choosing a “bare bones” AR

like the Sportical is that all your money is going toward

the rifle itself, and not a bunch of chincy add-ons that

you’ll want to replace later, if you want to think of it

that way.

Lowest Retail: $607

Bushmaster Carbon 15 Superlight ORC

This weapon puts a lot of technical advances in your

hands for under $700, and that includes red dot optics,

which saves you even more money. Chambered for

a .223 Remington/5.56 NATO, this model comes stand-

ard with a 16” aluminum barrel, A2 flash suppressor, a

Picatinny rail, and a 30-round flag magazine.

The high tech Carbon-15 composite receiver keeps this

gun lightweight, as does the contoured barrel. The total

weight of the Carbon 15, according to Bushmaster is

6.25lbs, which is plenty comfortable to carry.

There’s really no weak point in this gun except the fact

you’re virtually guaranteed to not be the only one shoot-

ing a Bushmaster at the shooting range (if that type of

thing bugs you).

Bushmaster is a very popular manufacturer for these

AR clones, and thus a lot of purists tend to dismiss

them. No matter how many times some people hear the

words, “there’s nothing wrong with a Bushmaster,” they

still want something else.

For those who can take those words to heart, you’re get-

ting a very solid, “ready-to-shoot” AR for an unbelieva-

bly low price. From my experience, I’ve shot a lot of cus-

tom builds that cost five times what this rifle costs and

have 500% more jamming problems.

Lowest Retail: $679

The Budget-Friendly Top 5

Purchasing an AR clone

(No, the Colt AR-15 is not

on the budget-friendly

list, in case you’re won-

dering) is a very pragmat-

ic way for many self-

reliance minded people to

cover all the bases with a

single weapon, which

makes it even more cost-

effective.

With a quality AR clone,

you can have the range of

a long gun, the capacity of

a semi-auto pistol, and

the maneuverability to

operate in tight spaces.

Before I get to the Top 5,

let me start by saying that

just because your favorite

AR is not on this list, that

doesn’t mean it’s not a

great firearm or a great

value. I limited this list to

5 rifles to make the buy-

ing decision easier for

folks who don’t already

own an AR, and not to boost the egos of those who already do (myself

included).

For consistency and be-

cause it’s what most AR shooters expect, all the rifles below are cham-bered for 5.56NATO/.223 Remington.

Continued next page


The Budget-Friendly Top 5 (continued)

Mossberg MMR Tactical 65014

If you’ve ever shopped for a value shotgun or rifle,

you’re probably familiar with the name Mossberg. The

Connecticut-based firearms company has been manu-facturing hunting rifles and shotguns for nearly 100

years. Only recently, however, have they released a tac-

tical carbine based on the AR-15 pattern.

The MMR may be Mossberg’s first offering in the AR

field, but based on their reputation alone I’d be willing

to bet that they’ve got all the kinks worked out. All the reviews I’ve read about the MMR seem to uphold Moss-

berg’s tradition of making high quality firearms at a

price all shooters can afford.

Starting at 7lbs and going up from there, the MMR Tac-

tical isn’t the lightest, but many shooters prefer a heavi-

er weapon because it takes the edge off the recoil. The

MMR Tactical comes with standard front and rear ad-

justable sights, a 30-round magazine, quad rails for eas-

ily attachable accessories, and an upgraded Stark SE-1

pistol grip with battery storage.

If you want to save a little money, you can go with the

65011 model that’s “optics ready,” which is a fancy way

of saying that it has no sights.

In short, you may feel more confident getting a gun

from an established manufacturer that has been around and will be around for a long time. Mossberg is certainly

one of these manufacturers, as is the maker of the next

rifle on our list.

Lowest Retail: $738

Smith & Wesson M&P15

With the M&P, the bottom line is that it’s a Smith &

Wesson.

It looks good, shoots good, and comes with the base AR

package you’ll find with many of the other entries at

this price level. The main difference is that this one is a

Smith & Wesson, which is nice.

The budget-friendly M&P lineup has always been popu-

lar with shooters who prefer reliability and function

over frills and polish.

The M&P15 comes standard with an adjustable post

front sight and an adjustable dual aperture rear sight,

which may be all you ever need if you don’t want magni-

fication.

At 6.5lbs, the M&P15 is right smack in the normal

range for AR clones. While it doesn’t have many stand-

out features, you get the quality you’d expect from a

Smith & Wesson product at a price that unknown mak-

ers would be hard pressed to beat.

Frankly, there’s really no reason not to go with the

M&P15, especially if you plan to use open sights. Sever-

al veterans I’ve talked to say the M&P reminds them of

their military issue M16 in terms of balance and accura-

cy.

Lowest Retail: $629

Untraceable AR-15s:

Fact or Fiction? When guns are sold

through licensed dealers,

those dealers are required

to run federal background

checks and keep infor-

mation about the firearm,

such as serial numbers. In

theory at least, this allows

the ATF and FBI to keep

an of unofficial “backdoor”

gun registry.

In the event of a confisca-

tion, information like this

would make an agent’s job

much easier. The most

commonly recommended

solution is to build your

own AR-15, acquiring the

weapon part by part.

You don’t need to be a

gunsmith or a master

craftsman to build an AR

clone (the process is more

akin to “assembling” an

AR, not manufacturing

one), but there are a lot of

pitfalls to avoid.

For detailed instructions

and tips on how to “build”

your own AR-15, check out

Caleb Lee’s course at:

www.patriotcaller.com/

UntraceableAR

As many within the self-

reliance movement are

concerned with privacy,

especially privacy from

the US government, it’s

easy to understand why

there is a large interest in

“untraceable” firearms.


couple of cardboard boxes

and aluminum foil. Add a

little elbow grease, and

you’re cooking with gas…

or solar power, actually.

As the name implies, a

sun oven harnesses solar

power to cook food. Rather

than using solar panels

(photovoltaics) to convert

light into electricity, the

solar oven is much sim-

pler, which is why it’s also

very inexpensive to build.

from OVEN page 1

like something a hippie

might use, but let me as-

sure you that this design

is so simple and practical

that anyone interested in

self-reliance would benefit

from it.

A solar oven like the one

I’m going to show you can

literally be made from

items that are in your gar-

bage can right now. It re-

quires little more than a

Del-Ton Sport “DT Sport”

Yet another well-respected AR with no frills is the DT

Sport, a great option at this price range. Many shoppers

who are looking closely at the Bushmaster Carbon-15

may prefer the look and feel of this less common Del-

Ton model.

With hard coat anodized aluminum upper and lower

receivers, the DT Sport is the lightest carbine on our

list, weighing in at only 5.8lbs empty. That’s nice for

carrying, but slightly less comfortable for shooting.

However, once you get accustomed to your rifle’s recoil,

it’s really no big deal.

Like a few other entries on this list, the DT Sport has

an A2 flash hider, 6-position M4 stock, and is mostly

mil-spec all around. It does come with built-in front and

rear sling swivels, which is a nice little feature.

The biggest downside is that, with a flattop receiver

that has no sights, it doesn’t come “ready to shoot”

straight out of the box like a few of the others on this

list.

Lowest Retail: $625

Conclusion

If I had to pick a winner in this list of 5, I’d have to pick

the Smith & Wesson M&P, simply because of the name

on the side, the super low price, and the fact that it

comes fully ready to fire, straight out of the box. If you

haven’t picked up on it by now, “ready to shoot” is a

thing I like to stress with ARs in particular.

If you’re a novice, the last thing you want to do is spend

your hard-earned money on a rifle only to get it home

and realize that you immediately need to spend another

$150 on sights and other necessary accessories… acces-

sories that you probably won’t even know how to install

properly.

The Bushmaster Carbon-15, Mossberg MMR Tactical,

and the Smith & Wesson M&P are all ready to shoot

from the factory.

Whether or not you prefer the sights or red dot scope

the manufacturer has installed, that’s another matter.

They do have sights mounted.

If you like to personally customize and fine-tune your

weapons, then you may gravitate toward the DT Sport

or DMPS Sportical.

The important thing is that you have a high quality,

reliable firearm that will offer you superior firepower

when you need it most. Any of the weapons on this list

will fill that role.

The Budget-Friendly Top 5 (continued)

Continued next page


The DIY solar oven I’m

sharing with you simply

traps heat from the sun’s

UV light in an enclosed

“oven” to cook your food,

not unlike how a green-

house works. Hopefully,

your greenhouse doesn’t

get hot enough to cook

your veggies, let alone

bake a pizza. To achieve

this level of heat, you’ll

need to amplify the sun’s

rays using homemade re-

flectors. More on that in a

moment…

From a SHTF perspective,

the most valuable survival

tool is the one between

your ears. Thus, under-

standing how a solar oven

works, or even that they

exist, gives you a founda-

tion for improvised cook-

ing in an emergency.

Even if you don’t have the

time to build a solar oven

using the instructions in

this article, you’ll under-

stand the principles in-

volved. Believe me, it

doesn’t take a brain sur-

geon to build one of these

ovens and make improve-

ments on it. If it did, I

OVEN (continued) 2 inches ideally. This

serves as insulation.

Step 3 Spray paint the inside of

the smaller box black.

Step 4 After the paint has dried,

glue sheets of aluminum

foil to the bottom and

sides inside of the smaller

box.

Step 5 Place the small box inside

the larger box, on top of

the layer of newspaper.

Now add crumpled up

newspaper around the

small box, in the space

between the boxes to cre-

ate a layer of insulation.

Step 6 Tape two of the flaps from

step one together to make

one large sheet of card-

board, and cover one side

of this sheet with alumi-

num. This will be your

reflector.

sure wouldn’t have been

able to.

Of course there are a

number of commercially

available sun ovens that

reach temperatures over

400°F, but most of these

cost a pretty penny (the

one pictured on page 5

retails for $340).

That’s a little much for a

simple box with no moving

parts, in my opinion. Still,

if you want an off-the-grid

option that doesn’t require

fuel, and you don’t have

the time to design your

own, these prebuilt ovens

certainly do work. If you

do some searching, you

can find portable sun ov-

ens that fold up into a nice

carrying bag. I’m not sure

how well these work, but

they certainly seem con-

venient.

Required Materials:

2 Medium sized card-

board boxes. One should

fit inside the other and,

keep in mind, the small-

er of the two needs to fit

your cooking dishes.

1 roll of aluminum foil

(75 feet should be

enough)

1 sheet of glass, plexi-

glass, or translucent

plastic that fits over the

larger box. You can find

these at window stores;

they often have extra

glass laying around for

free.

1 bottle of Elmer’s glue

(almost any glue will

work)

1 can of black spray

paint

Tape measure

Box cutters

Newspaper

A cooking thermometer

Two small pieces of

wood (optional)

Step1 Cut the 4 flaps off of the

small boxes using your

razor knife. Set a couple of

these flaps aside for use in

Step 6.

Step 2 Add a layer of crumpled

up newspaper to the bot-

tom of the larger box, 1 to Continued next page


Step 7

Set your sheet of glass or

plastic over the opening of

the large box. Then, posi-

tion your reflector toward

the center of your small

box, directing as much

sunlight into it as possi-

ble. You may be able to

attach your reflector to

one of the remaining flaps

on the large box using

glue, tape and/or popsicle

sticks.

How to Use Your Oven

As you’ve probably noticed

by now, at no point in

It’s a good idea to know the minimum safe temper-

atures for cooking differ-

ent meats. That way, you can use your cooking ther-

mometer to make sure

your dishes are fully

cooked and safe to eat.

Here are a few of the safe

cooking temperatures for

common meats:

Chicken/Poultry - 165°F

Pork - 145°F

Beef - 145°F

Eggs - 160°F

Casseroles - 165°F

these instructions did I

mention a thermostat.

That’s because, unlike

conventional ovens, a low-

tech solar oven can’t simp-

ly be set to preheat to 400

degrees.

The temperature inside

your solar oven is a factor

of its efficiency, as well as

weather conditions of

course. With that said,

you must rely on a ther-

mometer to monitor the

temperatures inside your

oven.

The size of your reflector

surface, as well as its posi-

tion relative to the sun,

will be the primary factor

that heats your oven. The

more directly your reflec-

tor focuses light into your

cooking chamber, the hot-

ter it will get. Adding in-

sulation and eliminating

leaks will also give your

temperatures a boost.

Cooking with a solar oven

is similar to charcoal grill-

ing or even using a smok-

er. Since the heat source

you’re using isn’t con-

stant, you must pay atten-

tion to the temperature of

the food you’re cooking.

OVEN (continued)


(since they ate out much

of the time), and found

their water contaminated.

Many people think they do

not have the space to truly

prepare. When they watch

programs like Dooms Day

Preppers and see people

with 2 - 3 years of food

storage costing thousands

of dollars and requiring a

lot of storage space, they

get discouraged and give

up even before they start.

But let me tell you, almost

all of those people al-

so started small.

What’s more, many urban

dwellers think that be-

cause restaurants and

markets surround them,

there’s no need to store up

food and supplies. If

you’ve seen videos of New

Yorkers dumpster diving

after Hurricane Sandy,

you know how that logic

works out in reality (or

fails to work out).

Don’t think you can’t prac-

tice self-reliance because

you live in a small apart-

ment or condo or even a

zero-lot line home in the

suburbs. There are strate-

gic advantages and disad-

vantages to every location.

But remember, the steps

you take now can mean all

the difference in a surviv-

al situation.

Finding ways to build a

stockpile when you live in

a shoebox is tough but not

impossible. Prepping in a

small space just means

that you need to carefully

choose what you store and

put a bit more thought

into what you’ll actually

need versus what you just

from SPACE page 1

The Next Step: Track

your usage

Take about three days to

track everything you

use. From the time you

wake up until bedtime,

keep a little notepad with

you and make a note of all

the food, water, and con-

sumer products you and

your family use.

The purpose of this step is

to make you aware of eve-

rything your family uses,

even the little things you

typically gloss over, so you

will only stock up on stuff

you actually use. These

items are good to have on

hand, even if no emergen-

cy happens.

Too often, when someone

feels the need to prepare,

they run out and buy all

the stuff that seems like a

good idea because the

items are cheap or sounds

like a prepping must-

have, but turns out that

no one will use it.

Preparing for an emergen-

cy is not a one-time effort,

but is a constant activity.

Here are 5 tips for making

the most out of your space.

1. Max Out Your Water

Resources

One of the most important

resources in a crisis is

clean water. If you live in

an apartment, chances are

that you won’t have access

to a clean mountain

stream, pond, or even a

WANT. As we tell you re-

peatedly, the worst thing

that you can do is put it

off.

It doesn’t matter how

small your stockpile is

right now – BUILD ONE

and think of ways to ex-

pand it!

Likewise, there are many

ways to customize your

preparedness plans to suit

your space, no matter how

big or small.

The main focus is to think

compact, i.e. largest num-

ber of items in smallest

possible space. Squeeze as

much as you can in by uti-

lizing every inch of wasted

space.

First Things First: Free

up some space

Although it is tempting

and a lot more exciting to

just go out and buy sup-

plies and gear, the all-

important first step is to

designate a space for your

supplies.

Find a closet or drawer or

even a corner of the house

that you will use for your

emergency supplies.

Depending on how orga-

nized you are when you

start out, you may have to

de-clutter and get rid of

stuff in order to accom-

plish this.

Spend a Saturday going

through your belongings,

weeding out stuff you no

longer use.

The purpose of this step

is two-fold:

You clean up an area

and find an empty space

for your prepping sup-

plies.

You may find items you

can sell at a garage sale,

Ebay or Craigslist that

get you some extra funds

to fund your emergency

budget.

Or, you can donate

items to charity and get

a tax deduction.

De-cluttering is a win-win

for everyone, plus you will

feel better in the pro-

cess. Do not skip this

step! Continued next page


return home during a cri-

sis.

Instead of storing canned

or boxed food, which can

take up a ton of space,

consider storing dehydrat-

ed food. If you like DIY

projects, you can dehy-

drate your own food, seal

it in plastic bags, and

place those in sealed 5-

gallon buckets.

You can also store your

dry goods in the bags, too.

A sealed bag of pancake

mix takes up much less

space than a box and

stays fresh longer. You

can get great 5-gallon

buckets from local restau-

rants. Remember that

even the best dehydrated

or sealed food still has an

expiration date. Rotate!

Emergency Food Buckets

If you’re not a “hands-on”

type of person, especially

in the kitchen, then I

highly recommend pur-

chasing high quality sur-

vival food buckets. These

buckets have a shelf life of

25 years and can contain

as much as 360 servings of

delicious food (yes, it actu-

ally tastes good).

I’ve been really impressed

with the food kits we’ve

made available through

Readiness Plan. These

kits have actual meals

like pasta primavera, en-

chiladas, and broccoli

chees bakes.

Unlike MREs, the rations

in these kits are not simp-

ly designed to keep you

from starving (FYI, MREs

are not exactly easy on the

digestion or nutritionally

balanced).

These food kits from Read-

iness Plan are designed

for real live humans with

actual taste buds, which is

nice. They’re low in sodi-

um and cholesterol, and

they’re GMO-free. Plus,

they’re extremely compact

and easy to store. You can

literally stuff these on a

shelf and you’ve got a 3-

month food supply that’s

good for 25 years…

3. Become a Tabletop

Farmer

You may be shocked by

how much you can grow in

a space the size of a file

cabinet. It may not allow

you to be completely self-

sufficient, but you can

supplement your food

stockpile with fresh fruit,

veggies, and even fish.

Then again, you can al-

ways scale up your system

and get completely off the

food grid.

Aquaponics systems creat-

ed a sustainable and bal-

anced production environ-

large storage tank. That

doesn’t mean you can’t

store at least 30 days of

fresh drinking water.

Several options are availa-

ble. Instead of storing 300

gallons of water, consider

storing enough drinking

water for a few days, then

supplementing your pota-

ble supply with filtered or

purified rainwater.

Consider keeping a full 55

-gallon barrel (preferably

several) on your patio. An

emergency bathtub water

bladder for each tub is a

more flexible alternative.

This gives you an extra 60

gallons of water per bag

that you can fill up right

before SHTF, assuming

you advance notice. A

good filter, e.g. a Berkey,

should be in your water

kit too.

2. Store Your Food

Wisely

Many of the typical “go-to”

spaces may not be availa-

ble to you (basements,

sheds, attics, storage

sheds, etc) if you live in a

townhouse or an apart-

ment. That’s okay. In fact,

it can even be an ad-

vantage.

You see, one of the biggest

food storage mistakes I

see on a regular basis is

keeping all food in one

place. Especially a base-

ment or garage where it

can be easily damaged by

heat or flooding.

Spreading your stockpile

throughout several loca-

tions, such as your car,

office, or even a storage

unit (close to home or an-

other location you spend a

lot of time), can solve your

space problems while also

giving you more ways to

access critical supplies in

the event that you can’t

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Continued next page


(http://patriotcaller.com/

EndlessFoodSource).

Source, includes plans for

an indoor aquaponics sys-

tem the size of a file cabi-

net

ment in which fish ferti-

lize your veggies, which in

turn filter and clean out

the water that the fish

live in.

How To Plan An

Apartment Garden

With a little planning, you

can establish a highly pro-

ductive apartment garden,

no matter how limited you

are in terms or space or

finances. Recycled items

are a great way to keep

costs at a minimum and

conserve space.

Begin saving soda bottles,

yogurt tubs, food jars, etc.,

for later use as containers.

SPACE (cont inued)

Garage sales and thrift

stores may also have some

useful items such as hang-

ing shoe organizers that

can be repurposed as ver-

tical planters.

It’s wise to carefully plan

out your space, and work

with what you have. Most

apartments have a balco-

ny or patio – but also con-

sider using the space near

a sunny window, or on the

rooftop if available.

Need some guidance on

how to garden in small

spaces? There is a wealth

of knowledge regarding

small space gardening on

the internet. My report,

entitled Endless Food Continued next page


Compounding the

“Operational Security”

problem is that many of

your preps may seem es-

pecially unusual to your

apartment-dwelling neigh-

bors. It’s a bit of a de-

mographics issue. In a

rural area, no one would

bat an eye when you pull

up with a huge water tank

in the back of your truck,

or a crate of rabbits, or

400lbs of fertilizer… The

same is not true of an

apartment high-rise.

That’s why privacy is key.

All food storage should be

concealed as best as possi-

ble. Any weapons should

be stored well out of sight,

unloaded, or locked away

in a safe. Privacy will help

you protect your survival

gear in an emergency. No

one can steal your food,

silver coins, water, or

weapons if they don’t

know these supplies exist.

In “Tips of Small Space

Preppers: Part 2” we’ll

discuss some sneaky ways

to hide your preparations

from prying eyes, as well

as clever offsite storage

solutions.

owners to permit them to

create a rooftop garden,

with each participating

resident paying a fee for a

small plot of space. Others

have used the common

areas of their building,

like a courtyard, to create

a community garden.

In other instances, people

in an entire neighborhood band together and find vacant, unused space to transform into a neighbor-hood planting project.

When going this route, make sure that you obtain approval from the appro-priate individuals, such as the property owners or government officials, be-

fore you break ground.

Invest in seeds that are non-GMO and non-hybrid, and store them in water-

proof and rodent proof re-

sealable containers. This will ensure long-term food storage, leaving the option of growing seeds now or later.

4. Practice Maximum

OPSEC

Whether you are prepar-ing in a small or ample space, you need be consci-entious about your privacy by keeping things out of

sight. No one needs to be notified about your per-sonal preparedness, food storage, or weapons. Keep your supplies private by keeping your blinds or

curtains closed. In some situations, management and maintenance workers actually have keys to your unit. During inspections

and repairs, hide your preps in areas away from prying eyes.

If you haven’t researched

aquaponics, I really rec-

ommend you get the re-

port. It’s a great introduc-

tion to the most produc-

tive form of gardening so

far invented.

As you research small

space gardening, take

notes on what types of

containers and practices

they used. Growing plants

vertically is a better use of

space and yields a crop

comparable to larger gar-

den spaces.

Because most city dwell-

ers will find themselves

pressed for space, using

any available vertical

space will help maximize

your gardening possibili-

ties. For example, convert

a discarded wooden pallet

into a vertical plant con-

tainer. First, secure any

loose wooden boards and

make sure no nails are

exposed to prevent injury.

Next, install landscape

fabric or some other mate-

rial to the rear of the pal-

let to provide space for soil

and root growth, and to

minimize damage to the

wall on which the pallet

will hang or lean against.

Then, plant vegetation

that will thrive in this sort

of environment. Although

plants with large, heavy

leaves might not grow

well in that sort of semi-

horizontal position, trail-

ing or cascading plants

and herbs with more deli-

cate leaves will likely do

fine.

The same concept can

work for converting a

hanging pocket shoe or-

ganizer into a vertical

plant container. For that

project, the key is to en-

sure that the fabric mate-

rial permits proper drain-

age and that the hooks

used to secure the shoe-

organizer-turned-garden-

masterpiece are strong

enough to handle the

weight of the soil, plants,

and water.

Another very creative mi-

cro gardening idea I’ve

seen several times is to

convert rain gutter sec-

tions into planter boxes.

By hanging these sections

vertically, like a ladder,

you can maximize your

sunlight, while also creat-

ing an attractive looking

vertical garden that you

can show off to friends.

If you want even more

space than a container

garden or a vertical gar-

den can provide, consult

with your neighbors and

talk about teaming up to

find a space that you can

use together. For example,

some high-rise residents

have convinced building

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5. Keep tinder and

matches dry

This one's simple. To keep

your matches and tinder

dry, wrap them with alu-

minum foil.

6. Lure a fish

Many species of fish are

attracted to shiny objects.

Wrap some aluminum foil

around your fishing line or

construct a makeshift foil

lure near your hook. The

reflective foil lure around

your hook will entice fish

to strike.

7. Trail Marker

You can mark important

locations, trails, or rally

points by wrapping a

small piece of foil on a tree

branch. These are espe-

cially helpful in the

nighttime hours, as

they’re reflective and easi-

ly seen with a flashlight.

7 SURVIVAL USES FOR ALUMINUM FOIL

Necessity, as they say, is

the mother of invention.

In a SHTF situation,

where supplies are severe-

ly limited, necessity ap-

pears just about every-

where you look. That

means that knowing a

multitude of survival

hacks is the mother lode

of problem solving...

Ideally, your survival

stockpile should be filled

with what I call hyper-

multipurpose items like

duct-tape, hydrogen per-

oxide, and of course alumi-

num foil.

Aluminum foil falls in

right behind duct tape and

bailing wire in terms of

usefulness. I've compiled a

list of 7 unusual uses for

the stuff. If you get crea-

tive, I'm sure you could

think of dozens more uses

for this very flexible kitch-

en item.

1. Fix Battery

Connections

If one of your battery-

powered gadgets is only

working intermittently,

that could mean you have

a loose battery connection.

Springs can lose tension

after a period of time,

which allows your batter-

ies to bounce around in-

side and lose contact. To

fix this problem get a

small piece of aluminum

foil fold it until it is thick

enough to fill the slack.

2. Makeshift Frying Pan

You can use aluminum foil

to make a frying pan in

case you’re stranded with-

out any regulation

cookware. Building an

improvised frying pan us-

ing aluminum foil is super

easy. All you need is alu-

minum foil and two large

sticks. Wrap the edges of

aluminum foil around the

sticks and voila! You now

have a frying pan.

3. Keep Your

Bedroll Dry

Wet bedding materials

can really put the kibosh

on your much-needed

sleep. To protect your

sleeping bag from rain or

morning dew, put some

heavy-duty aluminum foil

under your sleeping bag,

or even drape it on top

(the dew will form on the

foil instead of your bag).

4. Make a funnel

When you need a funnel

but you don’t have one or

can’t find one, use an alu-

minum foil to make a fun-

nel. Get some aluminum

foil then roll it until you

get the proper shape.

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VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5 TOP 5 BUDGET FRIENDLY Cook All Day …