A while back, I kept running into the same problem every summer. I felt like I didn’t have a reliable water source in case of an emergency. My rain barrels would run dry by the middle of July, the creek would get low, and the only thing left coming out of the hose was treated town water that my seedlings hate. It was clear that I needed to do something… I started to panic a little bit and this is why I went looking for a way to make my own clean water without depending on the rain that wasn’t…
Author: Tommy Grant
When Gun Owners of America (GOA) members Brandon Herrera and Texas State Representative Wes Virdell acquired firearm suppressors over the counter at Silencer Shop without filing an ATF Form 4 or waiting for federal registration approval, it sent shockwaves through the firearms community.For the first time since the National Firearms Act (NFA) was enacted in 1934, federal authorities were enjoined from enforcing registration requirements on certain lawful suppressor transfers. However, navigating this new legal landscape requires understanding the exact boundaries of the court’s order.FAQ: Navigating the Non-NFA Suppressor RulesBelow are answers to the primary questions gun owners have about this…
Many of us have preserved everything from fruits to vegetables as jams, jellies, and pickles. A lot of us have never had a reason nor the inclination to can beef or any other meat for that matter. But there are good reasons to consider canning meats like beef. You’re concerned about the rising price of meats like beef and want to stock up before prices spike higher. You want to buy a side of beef to save money but have run out of freezer space. You live remotely and off-the-grid and simply don’t have the ability to freeze foods. You’re…
This year marked the 15th deployment of U.S. Marines to Australia under the Marine Rotation Force-Darwin (MRF-D) initiative, but this year’s rotation looked different from the rest because of its certification as a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF).“This is the first rotation in the 15-year history of the program to be certified as a MAGTF, and that’s a big deal,” Col. George Flynn, commanding officer of MRF-D 2026, explained to Defense News.Flynn noted that being certified validates the MAGTF’s credibility and proficiency because, if called upon, a commander “knows the force is going to be able to accomplish…
The U.S. Marine Corps on Wednesday identified the loss of a Marine recruit after he suffered a medical emergency at Camp Pendleton, California.Pvt. Aiden Craig, 18, died on Aug. 5 after initially suffering from an undisclosed ailment during a routine physical fitness test. Craig was taken to Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, California, and pronounced dead four days later.The Texas native enlisted in the Marines on June 1, 2026, and was assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Craig was on day 47 of recruit training at the time of his medical…
Last month, the Marine Corps introduced new service-level training to teach Marines how to counter small combat drones with weapons currently available in their arsenal. The training commenced with a three-day event at Twentynine Palms, California, where Marines from the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions learned how to shoot down small unmanned aerial systems, or sUASs, with rifles, shotguns and grenade launchers, according to a recent release. Capt. Faith Richardson, a platoon commander with the Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group, said in the release that they aimed to give Marines “a realistic look at the threat.”For the exercise, TTECG…
The Brief: Gun Owners of America and Silencer Shop completed the first legal transfer of firearm suppressors without federal registration since 1934. This event in Leander, Texas, followed a court ruling that struck down National Firearms Act registration requirements after a new law eliminated the associated manufacturing and transfer taxes. The new procedure replaces the lengthy federal registration process with standard background checks identical to those for traditional firearms. This change specifically affects federal mandates, though buyers must still adhere to state-level restrictions and verify local dealer compliance before completing similar over-the-counter transactions. LEANDER, TX — A 92-year-old pillar of…
Most camp sanitation advice online is really just toilet advice. The toilet matters, but it is only one piece of a much bigger system, and the pieces people skip, dishwater, trash, hand hygiene, illness containment, are exactly the ones that quietly wreck a camp when nobody is paying attention. This guide covers the full picture. If you specifically need help building a portable toilet setup, we have a dedicated guide for that. This one covers everything around it: graywater, waste, hygiene, and keeping one sick person from becoming an entire sick camp. Why Camp Sanitation Matters More Than People Think…
It can be tough to hang up a favorite hunting rifle, but when laws requiring straight-wall cartridges go away, you might find yourself doing just that.I have become increasingly sentimental about things, to the point that I worry it might be a terminal descent into nostalgia instead of a meaningful period of reflection on what I have thus far accomplished in life. It could be the kids growing up or my hometown having changed so much that it no longer feels like the place I knew.And the changes keep coming.Even good things, on occasion, have a touch of dread—signaling broader…
I grew up around manure. It was on my boots before school, it was in the garden every spring, and the smell of a cow barn in August is still one of those things that puts me right back in my father’s place. I helped him patch a shed wall with a dung and clay mix when I was ten, and I remember thinking it was the strangest thing, spreading cow patties on a building like frosting on a cake. That wall held up for another twenty years. What I never understood is why manure barely comes up in prepper…