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The Third hedgeless_horseman's 12 Days of Christmas ~ Gift ideas for the Zero Hedge reader in your life
hedgeless_horseman's 12 Days of Christmas ~ Gift ideas for the Zero Hedge reader in your life
The Second Annual hedgeless_horseman's 12 Days of Christmas ~ Gift ideas for the Zero Hedge reader in your life
The Third hedgeless_horseman's 12 Days of Christmas ~ Gift ideas for the Zero Hedge reader in your life
Giving these first six gifts, and actually reading them, is the best way I know to work for peace on earth, and clearly more effective than just stating, "Peace on Earth," on your Christmas card.

$4 The Law, by Frederic Bastiat
$8 The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics) by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem
$9 The Bhagavad Gita (Oxford World's Classics) by W. J. Johnson
$15 Buddhist Scriptures (Penguin Classics) by Donald Lopez
$23 The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version by Michael D. Coogan

$119 Hoffner Knife Operator Kit
As mentioned in my article, Guide for Learning to Use a Sidearm to Defend Yourself, Your Loved Ones, and Your Property, Should a Race War Break Out , where I say the following about knives:
I recommend that you begin learning to use a pistol to defend yourself by learning to use a knife to defend yourself. Why? Well, first, it is an inexpensive and low-risk way to discover who the good tactical instructors are in your area. Second, the learning curve for a knife is much shorter, and can also serve to shorten the learning curve for a handgun. Third, a knife can be more effective than a pistol in many situations. Fourth, there are many situations when, or where, you simply cannot carry a pistol, but you can carry a knife. Finally, a knife is a good back-up to a malfunctioning pistol, or more likely a malfunctioning shooter.

$190 Soft Star Hawthorne-Zero Drop-Minimalist-Chukka Boots-Made in the USA
We have worn the run-a-mocs for years. They are amazing!!! Now, they make a boot.
In my article, Questions to assist in creating a working inventory of mind, body, and equipment for living in dangerous or uncertain times, some of the questions asked are:
- Am I able to run for my life for more than a minute?
- Do I have the strength to manage my own body weight? For example, can I pull myself up over a six-foot wall?
- Am I fit enough to perform sexually?
- Am I able to swim 500+ meters?
- Am I able to carry myself, my pack, and my weapon up, down, across, over, around, and through obstacles for many miles?
$408 will enable swimming 4-5 days per week for 30+ minutes, and can get almost anyone to a, "yes," on each of the questions in 90 days.
$135 Waterproof iPod - Audioflood
$15 Goggles - Speedo Vanquisher 2.0
$23 - $55 Suit - Speedo Endurance
$235 = $100 + $45/month x 3 months YMCA membership
$425 What are you going to do when the bombs start to fall? Grab and Go Supplies for 30 Days in a Fallout Shelter or Basement. Watch all of the free Tin Hat Ranch videos that are linked in my article to learn how to use this gear.
$40 = $5 x 8 - Stansport Water Bag 2 Gallon
$7 Potable Aqua Water Treatment 50 Tablets
$15 4-Inch Aluminum Pipe Wrench
$30 Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew Italian Roast Coffee (50 count)
$110 Datrex 2400 Emergency Food Bar (case of 30)
$8 Multivitamin (100 count)
$14 =$7x2 iOSAT Potassium Iodide Tablets, 130 mg (14 Tablets)
$20 iRonsnow IS-088 Dynamo Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio, Flashlight, Charger
$14 Plastic Sheeting 10'x 25' - 6.0 mil Thick Clear
$10 Roll 3M Duct Tape 50 yards
$15 Stansport 6 Chamber Air Mattress
$5 = $2.50 x 2 Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap
$23 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
$13 3M 8511 N95 Respirator (10-Pack)
$24 =$8x3 DuPont Tyvek Coverall With Bootie & Hood
$13 3M TEKK Goggle (3-Pack)
$16 West Chester 18" Chemical Resistant Gloves (Pack of 3 Pair)
$11 Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes Singles 24-Count (Pack of 5)
$5 Coleman Camper's Toilet Tissue (Pack of 3)
$25 Rothco G.I. Style Double-Strap Duffle Bag
$7 Master Lock 4688D Cable Luggage Lock
Also, in my article, Questions to assist in creating a working inventory of mind, body, and equipment for living in dangerous or uncertain times, one of the questions asked is:
- Do I have portable, widely recognized, and durable assets such as gold coins?
$2520 Portable, widely recognized, and durable assets.
$2470 = $123.50 x 20 Canada 1/10 oz Gold Maple Leaf (Random Year)
$50 LL Bean Leather Money Belt
Finally, if you know someone special that likes the finer things in life, and lives in an area where they may need to defend those finer things...and their life...I offer the following:

$4252 mrs_horseman's recipe for, "Can-of-Whoop-Ass."
$1300 Benelli M2 Tactical Shotgun with Ghost Ring Sights
$115 Mesa Tactical Urbino® Pistol Grip Stock for Benelli M2, 12½ inch length of pull
$75 Nordic Components +2 Rounds Extenion Tube for Benelli M2
$100 Meprolight Tru-Dot Tritium Sights for Benelli Shotguns with Ghost Ring Sights
$300 Surefire DSF-M1/M2 LED Forend WeaponLight for Benelli M2
$53 URBAN-SENTRY Hybrid Sling Complete Kit
$132 GG&G M2 Charging Handle & Tac Pad
$40 Urban ERT 30 round shotgun shell belt
$67 8" by 10" Semi-Concealable Style Covert Rifle Plates Carrier
$220 Level IV Stand-Alone Lightweight 10" by 12" Regular Shooters Cut Front
$220 Level IV Stand-Alone Lightweight 10" by 12" Rectangular Back Plate
$430 = 2 x $215 250rds 12 Ga. Winchester Military 2 3/4" 9 Pellet 00 Buckshot
$400 =2 x $200 250rds 12 Gauge Remington Slugger 2 3/4" 1oz. Rifled Slug
$800 =$400 x 2 Weekends of Tactical shotgun class
Merry Christmas!
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HH, there was a well-made hand-powered water pump you suggested a year or so ago...would you mind sharing that again please? lost the link and in the market...
Simple Pump
Simple Pump
Linguistical Illusionists of Masses fabricated outer perimeter of Safe Space, personal bubble zone resuscitated ….. No need to go all Kurt Saxon.
Who gives a shit really? In seventy years nature prevails, those commanding and those defying will all be dead (George Soros the exception), both have done nothing but waste their short life. Only once in American history did man stop bitchin and actually take up arms to become free (temporarily as it was). Their mistake: Shiny coin worth fruits of my labor? sshhh… and the everlasting winner is? Black Friday it is then.
Nice post.
Here is another source of chukkas some folks might like: http://www.redwingheritage.com/USD/product/footwear/chukkas/chukka-brown...
As to 'dangerous or uncertain times' - IMO, anything else is an illusion.
Hedgeless,
Those of us who are retired have not as much money. I am making space heaters for gifts.
These heaters are very efficient and use little energy.
I found them on a channel called the Axe Brothers. If you are handy with tools, you can churn these out cheap and quick. Here is the link for those interested:
http://www.axebros.com/how-to-make-the-candle-power-space-heater/
Everyone have a Great Turkey Day, be thankful the Oligarchs haven't wiped us out yet!
brilliant idea...thanks for sharing this.
have been using old clay pots as amplifiers for portable batt-powered bluetooth speakers. sounds amazing...
Never forget about how you get out of town. Weighing in at over 4000 lbs of metal and leather is the 1995 Lincoln Town Car. Easily capable of moving any cop cars blocking your wife and children's way out of town.
How about a passport with 5 years left on it and a visa to a country that isn't bombing people into hating America?
Thanks for the effort HH.
Keep prepping kids. It's gonna get uglier.
This year for Christmas the wife and I decided to get EMT certified. It's time to shit or get off the pot......
please cite sources for 1903s in a range where one can afford a dozen...garands too please !
The only way to fly for an M-1 Garand is the Civilian Marksmanship Program (www.thecmp.org)
You can buy a dozen a year and they will be FedExed DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR. The only home delivery gun available in America by special Congressional exemption.
They will also sell you all kinds of ammo, including lots of nice armor piercing, semi-armor-piercing, match grade, and even incendiary armor piercing rounds. Plenty of bulk ammo in other calibers, as well. Plus bayonets, accessories, parts, books, you name it.
I think the fully-checked-out Service Grade Garands go for about 750 a pop these days and they are allegedly about to get their hands on the last 100,000 M1911A1s in US armories as well.
You can order Garands with nice new 30.06 or even .308 barrels in them. Lots of options. Occasional M-1 Carbines and 03s show up as well. M-1C and M1-D sniper rifles are available, as are occasional National Match Garands from the 60s.
Most Garands on the civilian/gun show market are guns bought by CMP members and then resold to stooges who do not realize that they can cut out the middle man and get a better gun into the bargain (since many guys swap out the best parts into their own arsenal and sell the dogs to the rubes).
You even get a nice DVD that tells the story of a Korean War Medal of Honor Marine who shot about 300 attacking Commies all by himself with a Garand and in his stocking feet because he had no time to put his boots on. Incredible story.
Great guns. Very powerful and accurate.
I would be careful of those CMP rifles. I have seen them and they are pretty beat up. I looked at them many years ago because I liked the one my brother has but he got that from our father. Ammo is not cheap either. For my money I would buy a WASR-10. I see they are up to $600 now and I paid $400 for mine some years ago. I have a milled receiver SKS too which is pretty cool. I have a 1911 Springfield and an M1A Springfield just to name a few. I have a enough guns. More than I will ever need. The only gun that I am mildly interested in is one of the Russian VEPR types just because I have so much ammo for it. Bolt-action Mosins get hard on the shoulder after a while.
To be honest, it would be hard for me to move all of what I have in a hurry. I know it is all worth a pretty penny because I won't buy junk as far as guns go. It was not about prepping so much as that I just love guns.
Brownells is a place I have done business with on several occasions. Gun parts and tools are always something you need because shit breaks or wears. I have accumulated a lot of that sort of stuff over the years as well. I can fix the famous Ruger trigger hang problem. I don't really have any answers for the terrible headspacing in the post 64 Winchester M70 rifles other than to make it a single shot. Since I handload I know about that issue. Most people would not know this but the jump from the bullet to the lands should be .002 thousand of an inch. Well, good old Winchester decided to go AMF Harley Davidson and left a huge jump in headspacing. If I take my headpsacing tool and measure and set to .002 inch you will find out that you can't load the magazine because the bullet sticks so far out of the casing that your remaining four rounds won't fit. The worst you can do to a rifle is fire ammunition that is not properly headspaced because you will wear out the throat of the barrel in a hurry. The bullet will hit the barrel throat and the lands at a slight angle and cause excessive wear which greatly reduces accuracy. Unfortunately, all military surplus ammunition and have deeply seated crimped bullets because they need it to go bang if dirt or debris somehow got into the action which obviously happens. Consumer ammo is the same way because it needs to fit all guns.
It sounds like you know a little about guns tarabel so I think you will respect what I have said. A throat wear rating of 5 is pretty bad. I know a lot of people who buy guns and in 30 years I don't know of anyone who has bought a CMP rifle of any sort. You would need an FFL to buy one. They won't just ship those to your door even if C&R class.
I bought a Saiga in .308. Famous reliable Kalashnikov action made in the Izhmash factory. Cheap, lasts forever, goes bang every time you pull the trigger. Ammo is available anywhere and easy to reload.
A little heavy though - God knows I carried those SOBs many a mile over hill and dale. I was training/active duty 1958-1966, and there were still a lot of them around in the 60's in the NG. I was an alternate on the 6th Army ROTC Rifle team back in the day, and had my very own Match M1. They were impressive sons of bitches, and a worthy foe at 1000 yards with iron sight. God knows what I could of done with a scope...
Thanks for this information, even though I have my Dad's scoped 270, which still shoots very true, I'm tempted.
If you are going to buy a Garand, buy an original one that is mint state, then be prepared to fork over about $4K for a decent example. It depends on who the manufacturer was. I like the IHC ones myself. I have a Russian M44 Tula which is a much more rare version of the Mosin from that time period. Guns are like coins: You have to know what you are looking at.
I spent eight of the last 15 christmas days solo in some backwoods part of the world and didn't miss any of the usual trappings. And five months ago I started a diet and get fit again effort. First day in the 50M pool I could just do one length and my muscles were burning. Nine weeks later I was up to ten lengths and I could keep going but swimming is boring as shit. I guess I could have bought some waterproof headphones but I just decided to hit the gym for 45 minutes before the pool. Dropped 38lbs so far which is nice. Added bonus, there was an indian family that always came to the pool but none of them could swim so they just sat there with their feet dangling in the water. I taught the three kids how to swim over a couple of weekends and the whole family now thinks I'm some sort of god. So they invited me up to celebrate the festival of lights with them. It's the little things.
Also look up videos on youtube about how to swim properly without screwing up your rotator cuffs.
The best preparation is the mind. Know your enemy and those who'll acquiesce to your enemy. The revised golden rule is to do unto them what they would do or allow to be done unto you, first.
In the jungle, trust no one; never reveal your strengths; hide or appear non-threatening; pounce when least expected. Everything else is an accessory.
I've Bhagvad Gita with me. You can take it for free
12 days of Christmas before Thanksgiving. For Shame.....
Just give me a titanium road bike with wireless shifting and all is forgiven....
You can have all that $4252 but if you are stuck in one place with stores of food, eventually you will run out of ammo.
A bow, a couple of dozen arrows and knowing where to forage looks like a better bet.
Fitness is likely the most important thing of all.
Light, fast and off the radar.
No, fitness is not the most important thing.
Community is - neighbors are.
It TSHTF and you do not know your neighbors well enough to develop a quick plan, if you don't already have one, you are truly fucked.
What a maroon.
I didn't see anything here that I would actually buy, except maybe the simple tools like duct tape, gloves.
Indeed.
What sort of list is this when there is a pipe wrench, but no vice grip, needle nose pliers, channel lock, or even a multi tool?
I would drop the pipe wrench, and put in a large channel lock and large vice grip. Maybe a breaker bar, with a short length of galvanized pipe for leverage and a back up weapon.
This list is mission specific, and assumes you have a weapon and knife as EDC. Nothing beats a pipe wrench for filling those water carriers, in a basement, in a grid down scenario.
@ hedgeless_horseman:
Your articles oftentimes remind me of the kind of writing I'd expect from a NY yuppie, who bought a farmette in the country and has decided to try their hand at survivalism.
16 Gallons of water (using the math of your Stansport bags) isn't going to last you very long, especially not if you have: more than 1 person or freeze-dried 'survival food' (which needs water to be used).
Do you really NEED an iPod to practice swimming? (surprised a "Beats by Dre" set of headphones wasn't recommended, too) .Swimming 500 meters in a pool, and swimming downriver with a 50 lb. pack while fully-dressed, are 2 different things. When you're "heading for the hills", are you going to strip-off your work clothes, and put on your speedo? What if it's wintertime? Do you know how to treat hypothermia?
Put a $300 tacti-cool forend light on your shotgun...because that definitely won't give away your position in the dark.
If you're planning on staying in your home (which is the best path, for most people, BY FAR), you are much better off investing your hard-earned into:
1. Water storage, water purification and distillation equipment.
2. Food storage, and alternate means of food preparation (if you don't already have an off-grid system).
3. Weaponry - forget "Tacti-cool", it's mostly a waste of money. You just need 1 good rifle, 1 good shotgun, and 1 good handgun (and the knowledge & ammo to use all 3 properly). Guns aren't the only way to defend your home, either, and some VERY low-tech solutions, are extremely cheap, and very effective.
4. A means of waste disposal - unless you're planning on surviving a medium-term grid-down scenario with a lot of trash and bodily waste in the shelter with you, this isn't an area to be overlooked (but something that 99.9% of these "internet survival experts" DO overlook).
5. Some creature comforts - When you're 'hunkered down', you have a LOT of time on your hands, and need something to occupy it, or else you'll go crazy. Books, board games, a deck of cards, are all worth having around.
In a grid down scenario, a good bet would be to raid water heaters, for there would be about 30 to 50 gallons of water in them, and they have drain valves that usually do not require a pipe wrench, maybe a vice grip, and knowing to flip the relief valve at the top to get every last drop out, and maybe some yummy sediment too.
Otherwise, the vise grip and channel lock can improvise.
Buy older AMERICAN MADE ones, even if one has to buy an "antique" or "collectible" tool, well worth the money spent for they are nearly indestructible.
Flea Markets are good places for old tools. Geezers die all the time and not all their stuff goes to scrap.
I have great pity for the fool that will be liquidating my shop, but I will not be leaving them a legacy.
HH did say at the beginning that this gift idea list was for people who appreciate the finer things in life. I can't afford a lot of what's on the list but can appreciate where he's coming from. Christmas is coming so a lot of the financial guys that can afford 1st class stuff might appreciate his choices. I scoured a lot of the fancy gift catalogs from the 50's and 60's as a kid and this is in the same vein.
the trials and tribulations of man after the collapse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0pthi1ocVs
Nice! I've taken many of Hoffner's courses, including shotgun.
The Quran is a terrible book. I don't mean that in the moral or ethical sense, but in the literary sense. It's a bunch of half-formed thoughts and bullshit stories crushed together with little rhyme or reason. It's also brutally, pointlessly repetitive. It's absolutely not worth reading.
If we're keeping with religious books, I recommend God Speaks by Meher Baba. It's probably the finest explanation of the panentheist, universalist, spiritually-monist viewpoint.
It doesn't sound right, but I'm tempted to pray nobody ever sends me any religion books for any reason.
Lumps of coal appreciated here Chunga! Have a nice holiday. I'm getting too old for this shit!
Lumps of coal appreciated here Chunga! Have a nice holiday. I'm getting too old for this shit!
C'mon down man! We were just laughing that we're getting old...Lovey decided to change things up by making corn bread stuffing this year and we're thinking that's wild and crazy LOL.
Might take you up on that as soon as I get the new roof on. Its a metal one too.
Excellent book without going full religious.
One of life's pleasing ironies is that Islam, which has a dog's breakfast of a holy book, managed to inspire the finest religious poetry ever penned. No one can touch Rumi and Hafiz.
"Am I fit enough to perform sexually?..'
WTF planning on raping or mabe being raped...?
Damned if I know why you got so many down votes for Maslow.
When I was in collitch a long time ago, there were only 5 levels in Maslow's hierarchy.
This one makes more sense. Funny several people picked up on the sex in the bottom level - food and sleep and shelter and warmth are also in that level. And by the by, if you ever have a really close call and almost buy the farm, sex is one of the things you look forward to the most, and soon...
I guarntee that if you wear those fag boots you will be the one biting the pillow.
That don't fly in Texas, except for Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston...
LOL
Very much on par with the guy always with a new cowboy hat, spotless lifted 4x4 (that carefully avoids puddles and drives 3mph on dirt roads) and clean/new cowboy boots.
I have several pairs of cowboy boots and also a couple pairs of English riding boots. They are ideal for spending time in the saddle. When I have to walk all day, I will take the flat chukkas. Then again, with 20+ years of marriage to a beautiful woman, and standing 6-3, I am comfortable with my manliness and stature.
Wouldn't know about english riding boots and as for walking all day, I'll choose my 990s. Then again, with 15+ years of banging decent chics (can't lie, not all were great) and standing 6-1 even without said footware, I too have nothing to be uncomfortable about.
I think we met once HH during a shoot at tiger valley, maybe 3-4 years ago? I seem to remember someone talking in the pits about a boating accident...
I'm just hacking on ya.
Question, are you going to open carry come Jan 1st? I think I'm going to wait awhile till new wears off.
I will still carry concealed.