Patriot Express Newsletter Edition #78
- Butch Erskine
- Oct 9, 2020
- 13 min read
Fellow Patriots,
Welcome to the Patriot Express Newsletter (PENL) Edition #78. We appreciate you stopping by to check out the newsletter. What a week we just finished on the road. It's always an honor to spend time out with fellow Patriots building Preparedness plans and bonding. Our great nation is filled with so many honorable Patriots who love this great land we call home. I'm so blessed to know these wonderful Americans. So grab something good to drink and much on and kick back for a few minutes to read this weeks PENL.
If you are a guest or newcomer to the HFS journey, please check out this link for additional information offered through HFS. https://www.hopeforsurvival.com/post/guest-and-newcomers-information-page I have removed the weekly newcomer information and guest guide and the link takes you to an article I just posted for all this information to welcome and help you take advantage of all the HFS information and material provided. I have added this feature to allow PENL regular readers less script to wake through weekly and it shortens the overall PENL product several pages of text.
Thursday Zoom Rallies – HFS continues the Thursday HFS Zoom Virtual rallies weekly. We completed week 26 with a great Zoom meeting. This week we covered the news, continued work on a project I had set up for the Waynesville Rally but ran out of time. That being, building a checklist of top 10 preparedness items and then identifying the top 10 items, per category, as a group. Then we watched a short video on radio communications and different aspects of it. We closed with the best part which is the weekly "chatter about what matters" to the participants. I love spending time with my Patriot family in the zoom rally.
If you have interest in attending a Thursday evening “Hope for Survival” Zoom virtual rally event please email me at preparedness101@protonmail.com to get on the distribution list for attendance information. This is a great group and platform to learn and build friendships. The virtual conference room access information will not be posted in open on the website for OPSEC reasons.
Special Training Event - Hope for Survival will be on the road providing on site preparedness training October 25, 2020 in Calhoun, Georgia. The training starts at 8 am through 5 pm. Lunch will be provided on site. The training will consist of Risk Analysis and Management, Family Communication Planning, Preparedness 101 (self) and 102.(team). This training is indoors. If you are interested and would like to attend this training please send me an email and I will connect you with the host of this event.
Moving along …
We must make this brief public announcement to protect the innocent.
Ding, Ding, Ding...."Attention HFS readers..... Opinions shared in this newsletter are just that, opinions, and nothing more. Read at your own risk. The owner and author of this site are not responsible for hurt feelings or thin-skinned readers. I do my best to show restraint and respect to the best extent possible. I take as many precautions as possible and try to remain as nonpolitical as possible, however, there are times when I just can't help but point certain things out. Sometimes we must pull up our spenders and suck it up. Just saying. Stay the course, read what you want, and avoid the rest. Avoid fear porn as much as possible and the day will be okay.) When all else fails… Keep the faith and always have Hope."
Let’s move along and get to some thoughts...
Thoughts for the week –
The trip south was busy last week. A full slate of things got accomplished in North Georgia supporting a fellow Patriot family. They are moving full speed ahead. I'm very proud of this family for their constant efforts over the past months to get their plans in place and continue building upon them. While I was teaching "canning" chicken to one group, Festus arrived early and taught a handgun safety then assisted a few folks by instructing a basic handgun course. Things went well and the atmosphere was perfect for the training. A great job goes out to Festus. One of the nice things about doing these onsite preparedness training opportunities is it allows everyone the chance to learn. Especially on specific types of handguns and types of ammo. In two specific events we have learned of certain calibers of handguns not firing certain types of ammunition sold for the specific caliber and model of firearm. Oddly, both times it involved the .380. One being a Ruger and the other being a Smith and Wesson, Shield. Without further examination on site we do believe the problem to be the type of ammo.
Next....
After a few days in North Georgia we moved over to Waynesville, NC on Saturday for a Hope for Survival Rally for the folks who participated in the Zoom group the past 25 weeks. It was an amazing time together. Having about six hours with fellow Patriot sisters and brothers was awesome. I don't think it gets any better. Ms. Lucy and Festus also made the trip to hang out and mingle with those who could travel and participate for the afternoon.
Roughly 38 to 40 Patriots traveled from seven states to spend time together, face to face, enjoying the bonding that took place over the summer. Hope for Survival wishes to thank each and everyone of the attendees for their time and effort to make this happen. I do believe a lot of of great things will continue to happen for this group in the weeks and months ahead. Networking will do great things in team building and connecting with others from the same locality. I'm really proud of this group of Patriots for their commitment over the summer, week after week, to participate in the HFS Zoom virtual training and group discussions on preparedness. So many different topics got covered during this period. Medicinal plants, essential oils, essential animals to have, leadership, Bug Out Bags, Bugging Out, food preparations, team building, Intelligence planning, communications, and other topics. If we only had a single location on a large plot of land. You all should be very proud of the time you invested and steps accomplished. I am personally proud of each and everyone one of you.
We couldn't get our two Patriot brothers to sing for the entertainment but we certainly had a lot of laughs in the process. Thanks to everyone for a great day of bonding.
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Late this summer many folks who canned their garden treasures started running out of canning lids and jar rings. Shelves emptied fast, which isn't so abnormal for this time of year. The issue was the resupply of resources. I, personally, keep a resupply in my inventory as part of my "one is none, two is one, and three is better" philosophy. In general folks could not find more or just replacement lids or rings.
So, a few of us turned to Ol' faithful, Amazon.com to check on supplies and reorder if available and affordable. Available, yes. Affordable, yes. Order placed and now just wait on the delivery. What is normally a fairly quick turn around, I noticed the shipment to delivered date lagging behind the normal time line. Hmmm. In the meantime, I was in Waynesville, N.C. and spoke with Ms. Jan at Carolina Readiness Supply on this topic. She shared a warning that had been passed off to her about the Ball products coming from Amazon being made and shipped from China. Not good.
Another Patriot friend ordered the same product the day I ordered mine, so I was curious to what he received in the shipment. I was in North Georgia recently and he showed me his shipment. All was good. Official Ball lids and rings. That made me feel fairly confident all would be good. Silly me. I arrived back to East TN from the four day trip and found my packages from Amazon delivered. I was being cautious to monitor for Ms. Jan's warning and I'm thankful for it.
Check this out. Compare a real Ball lid box and lid to the Chinese version of the same.
Notice the lid on the right to be good. Original. Wide mouth Ball lid. Now look at the box on the left. It also says wide mouth, but is a normal small mouth lid. Also notice the lid on the left is not marked. Additionally, the lid on the left does not have the center popper to indicate the jar sealed. Lastly, notice how damaged the box on the left is. These are Chinese boot leg lids sold as legitimate Ball lids. Be careful fellow Patriots. Next thing you know we will have fake men posing as politicians.
Update: Since drafting this topic in the PENL earlier in the week I have been notified by several other Patriots encountering the same problem ordering Ball jars and lids. The orders came from both Amazon and directly from the Ball company. I would be careful to checking around your local area and if you can't touch it and see it, don't buy it.
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I often tell folks regardless of socio-economic status, it is possible to build a food plan both short and long term. This past week, I went out shopping to one of my favorite stores, the Dollar Store and stocked up on products. I then went by Lowes and grabbed a few good grade buckets to store packed Mylar bagged dry foods in to then store in labeled buckets. I spent part of today splitting out my products in to the Mylar bags and getting them sealed up to store. I placed my oxygen absorber in each of the bags. I packed oatmeal, spaghetti, macaroni, oatmeal, lentils, navy beans, pinto beans, mixed beans, pancake mix, cornmeal mix and a few other things I do believe. I spent, with tax, $33.00. This food slit up, filled three 5 gallon buckets. For a family of two, that is about three weeks to one month of food depending on consumption rate. My point is, there is a way to do this if the mind has decided to get prepared and be self-reliant. While at the Dollar Store the person can shop for canned tuna, chicken, and spam to add protein to their diet. Remember, we aren't on a cruise. We are trying to survive. The foods packed in these buckets only need water. One can add spices as they desire to flavor the taste. The YouTube video of food preparedness that I filmed today should be available on my YouTube page tomorrow morning, I hope. The link to the Hope for Survival YouTube page is at this linhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxzpwOcydroW96rFBd2Vvw?view_as=subscriberk: If you like what you see, hit subscribe and share with others. One of the fastest ways to help others is through training videos and websites.
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Thanks to everyone who purchased the Hope for Survival book over the past week. We sold over 60 books during the week. We greatly appreciate it and I know the folks at the Food Pantry appreciates the support very much. The book sales will bring another Hope for Survival donation of roughly $300.00. Thanks to all of you for your support to this effort.
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We had another great security meeting for our neighborhood security team. It is great to plan improvements and have everyone aboard the plan. We covered communications and using the P.A.C.E. plan for multiple methods to communicate, firearms classes for the ladies who are not currently qualified in safety and managing a firearm, zone responsibilities and needed manpower, vulnerable areas for adversarial approach routes and adding drone support for additional monitoring of perimeter approach routes. I ask, what are you doing for your neighborhood protection of families and property? Do you have a plan to protect your family and other families around you? If not, you may want to consider putting a plan together soon.
Next ...
During the Saturday rally in Waynesville N.C, I shared some thoughts on connecting with others who may be a potential for being a part of your community Preparedness team. It is one of the most often asked questions I hear recently. "I don't know how to find individuals who may make good team members." Here are a few suggestions to consider;
• Host a neighborhood picnic/cook out to meet those around you. Have targeted general conversations that gauge mindsets. Be ready to adjust on the fly. Be flexible and ready if confronted as a preparer. I’m not preparing for the apocalypse and just being ready for possible disasters applicable to your area. Or “it never hurts to have some food and resources put back in the event I lose my job, become ill, ……..
• Do projects in your yard that may attract a person of interest in the area. Gardening, solar, generator, fruit trees, mechanics …. Your first or second conversation may not need to be about preparing. Ask leading questions when possible.
• You may find like minded team members through a gun range, ham radio club, gardening club, political rallies, church, neighborhood walks, yard sales, flea markets, estate auctions, city landfill, pawn shops and through other friends.
• You may not have to talk. Just listen. Hear what people around you are talking about. Observing what is around you is powerful and produces lots of answer.
• You may not know all your neighbors. You only need one like minded neighbor/friend who can then target another one you may not know
• You can be OPSEC minded and protect your total package without appearing to be a tin foil hat wearing “prepper.” Act normal, even if you aren’t.
• Don’t “chap off” your neighbors. Even if they aren’t on your team you still have too live in the same area and time may bring you together.
• Remember, “keep your neighbors close and your enemy closer.”
• OPSEC is critical. Remember, preparing isn’t show-n-tell. You may be giving away your secrets to the person who is going to ring your doorbell wanting food, weapons, medicine or to introduce you to your other neighbors who now knows everything you shared with one. This is another “left of bang” area.
Next...
We are approaching the cooler period of the year as we transition out of 2020 in to 2021. I know many of you are excited to kiss 2020 good bye. What a year it has been. It has been a great year for Hope for Survival as many folks took advantage of multiple training opportunities, group training sessions and articles posted.
One of the areas I would point out to you is not forget to rotate whatever type of bag you have packed and carry with you locally and on trips. Check your supplies for serviceability and quality. Often times resources get crushed or leak. Make sure your fire starters still work okay. Check your food supplies and water source. Review your checklist to ensure you have all the items you have identified as being needed. Maps. Do you carry paper maps for your region? Are they still up to date? Do you have any highway or road changes? How about new bridges? Does your routes take you through neighborhoods that may have changed? Do you have a cache set up? When did you last check it? Batteries? Are your batteries still charged and in good working condition? Did you borrow any supplies from your bag and not replace them? Did you try on your winter clothing since last year? Maybe you caught the Covid-19 weight gain bug since last winter? As you rotate your clothing resources, try them on to ensure they still fit and can be worn with comfort. Check your shoe/boot laces to ensure they haven't dry rotted. Remember, your bag and what is in your bag could be the difference in surviving or not. The effort you put in to the bag could make the difference.
Next...
Okay, lets move along to the news…
Preparedness News –
1. From Pudge - Survival Blog - https://survivalblog.com/wargaming-by-pudge/ - This is an excellent article. In a recent training class you may remember me talking about conducting lessons learned to your plans and then addressing how to fix the problem. Your Risk Analysis process should help you in some ways, but exercise role playing should help also. Think about it and give it a try. Like I often say, "to beat a bad guy you must think like a bad guy."
2. Guest - Common Sense Home - For the ladies - Getting Started with Firearms (Part 1 and 2)
3. From KJ Barber - Ask a Prepper - https://www.askaprepper.com/6-practical-uses-for-autumn-falling-leaves/ - It's that time of year again and before long the golden beauties will fall from their branches to become the yard nuisance. Year after year. Love them while they hang but hate them once they fall. Why not take advantage of some suggestions on how to use them to your advantage?
4. From Bob Rodgers - Preppers Will - https://prepperswill.com/build-your-own-survival-shack-diy-project/ - This link is worth the click just to admire the awesome looking survival shack on the article. This is the dream shack on the side of the mountain that most men dream about.
5. From Prepper Aaron - Simple Prepper - https://www.thesimpleprepper.com/store/how-to-score-big-on-amazon-prime-day-2020/ - If you still need to purchase preparedness items, you may wish to take note of this article and the Amazon Prime dates noted.
Other News –
1. From Tyler Durden - Zero Hedge - https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/goldman-sets-stage-climate-change-taxes-under-biden-administration - A this point, I really don't think anyone is paying attention. And, those who support a Joe Biden ticket probably could care less about taxes, lower or higher. He could campaign saying he will raise taxes to 100% and folks would still vote for him just to be rid of the current President. This makes me wonder just how many of the young supporters of the Democratic party works. If they worked, they would understand how much money they earn before taxes are deducted. Right? If so, how could they actually support a plan to take more of their earned income? Wait, logic has not been a part of 2020 in any way.
Drum roll...........
That's all my Patriot brothers and sisters. Stay alert and strong.
Thanks much for your time to read the PENL and hanging with us at Hope for Survival. We all have different desires in news and what we read at different points in our day. Hopefully HFS has provided information to stimulate your thinking and the realities around us. It is important for you to keep your feet and minds grounded as the world continues towards an unknown destination.
Keep the faith and continue doing great things for yourself and others. Keep the emails flowing. Bring new friends and help spread the word on Preparedness. Visit the HFS YouTube page and check out the numerous preparedness videos. Subscribe and hit like. It’s a minimal price to pay for free information. I appreciate you sharing the great things you are doing with your plans and progress moving you forward. Keep charging ahead.
Prayers - Please keep our great nation, our elected leaders, military and first responders in your thoughts and prayers. As we approach the Nov 2020 elections, we must pray for a calm nation and focus on the purpose of the election and what the results of the election could mean, both candidates. Please pray for our leadership to find answers and guidance to the problems facing our great nation as we approach our election. May peace be cast upon us and protect us as we vote. Please include my TN pastor in your prayers as he contracted Covid-19 this week. He also has four young daughters and a wonderful wife in the family home that needs protection from this virus. I pray for each, and every one of our Patriots. May we all be protected from the growing evils surrounding and attacking our families daily. May we pray for all the blessings and things in life to be thankful about and continued hope for revival around the world. We must continually pray for the unsaved, our family and friends who live each day without the protection for eternal life and salvation. Amen.
Keep charging and have a safe week. Always remember, we are blessed people. Don’t allow the events around us to create fear in your life. Build your own self-reliance and focus on hope. We are a great nation and we must continue to be great people who make up this great nation.
Blessings,
Bravo Echo Out,
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