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Several months ago I mentioned I bought a Shelf Reliance unit when they were on sale at Costco.  After a few initial hiccups setting it up, I’ve got to say I really like having it.  It’s actually, dare I say, FUN putting groceries away now, at least the can-based ones.

Well, I just found out they’re doing a giveaway next Friday (June 26) for a free 72″ Harvest system.  While these units are well worth the price normally, who’s going to complain about FREE?  Not me

Go check it out on their blog for how to enter.  And if you end up winning and don’t actually have a use for it (sure thing right?) I’m willing to take it off your hands…

The guys over at Utah Preppers just organized a group buy on some 285-gallon water tanks.  Go check it out.  As we’re in the middle of building a house and stuff it pretty much in disarray currently I’ve got to figure out where to store a few of these until the house is done.  My current garage is pretty full already.

EDIT: They’ve added a 275-gallon tank option that might be more appealing (and accessible to those outside the immediate area) to some.

Hopefully more consistent updates will flow as I dedicate some quality time to this site, I know I’ve been pretty stagnant for a while.

Just saw a post at The Pantry Panel that I think is amazing.  Maybe not the post itself, but the guy behind it. Let me explain…

The woman who wrote it was visiting her in-laws and saw a unique can rotation system composed entirely of cardboard, glue, paint, and a small piece of wood that her father-in-law had built.  She asked how he made them, to which he whipped out a full page instruction set on how he built them.  Pretty amazing really.

A few months ago we bought a large Shelf Reliance food rotation system but I didn’t really want to spend the money on their smaller cabinet/pantry solutions.  As such I haven’t really done anything to fulfil that need.  After reviewing the plans (go to the site for a link to a PDF you can print; want to make sure credit goes to where it’s due!)

I actually have some really good cardboard boxes I’m planning on doing this with.  That’s one benefit of working at a IT shop.  Computers generally ship in very nice cardboard! :-)  I’ll try and post some photos of the process next weekend.

If anyone else tries it I’d love to see your results.  Or if you have any enhancements you make to the design, please share!

Yes!  Just sent in my order for a .308 suppressor.  I figured I needed some consolation after the election results yesterday.  Granted, I didn’t really want McCain to win, but with Obama I’m pretty  sure gun owners are royally screwed.  Oh well, I’ll just have to have fun while it lasts…

I’ve been looking at getting a suppressor (aka silencer) for a while but never wanted to go through the hassle.  I think there was a part of me that didn’t want the stigma a lot of people assign to something like that either.  That is, until I realized I don’t really agree with those notions in the first place, especially considering much of it is based on nothing more than what they’ve seen portrayed in the movies.  So tough!

After doing copious amounts of research (by proxy through my coworker anyway ) I’ve narrowed my choices down to two:

• YHM (Yankee Hill Machine) Phantom 7.62 suppressor
• SAS (Suppressed Armament Systems) Arbiter 7.62 suppressor

From everything I’ve been able to tell, either one would be a good fit for me and would actually cost about the same with the options I want (quick-detach flash hider).  After considering everything, I opted for the SAS.  The primary reason is I feel it might be slightly better performing than the Yankee Hill.  The only downside is the unknown quality of on-going support from SAS as they are a much younger and smaller company.  This can go both ways and I can only hope it stays top notch.  The price breakdown for this is going to be something like:

$575.00 - SAS 7.62 suppressor
$75.00 - .308 quick-detach flash hider
$75.00 - .223 quick-detach flash hider (for my AR-15’s)
$50.00 - FFL transfer cost
$200.00 - IRS TAX.  Yeah, you’ve got to pay for a TAX STAMP, how backwards is that?

Total cost should be about $1,000.  More than I’d like to pay but I’ve decided to “just do it”.  At least I’m just getting the .308 can right from the start.  All reports suggest they will work fine on the smaller .223 round and this will make it so I don’t feel the need to get a .223 AND .308 suppressor.

Firearms are complicated enough to purchase already, especially when dealing with shipping across state lines, items like fully automatic weapons (machine guns) or suppressors are even more convoluted and complex.  If everything goes according to plan, it should go something like this:

1. Place order for suppressor. (DONE)
2. Send copy of FFL license to manufacturer.  They will verify the validity of the license.
3. Pay for the suppressor.
4. Manufacturer submits paperwork to BATFE for permission to do a dealer-to-dealer transfer.
5. 7-21 days (if all goes well) later, BAFTE approves the request and SAS ships suppressor to FFL.
6. Once FFL receives the suppressor, I am able to submit my own paperwork to BATFE for the tax stamp.
7. 3-9 months (if all goes well) later, BATFE approves the transfer and I can go pick up the suppressor from my FFL.
8. Enjoy.

At least that’s my current understanding.  Once the initial steps are taken care of, my FFL will help me with my part since they specialize in dealing with the ATF whereas I don’t!  I don’t plan on actually getting the thing until the middle of next year.  Who knows though, maybe I’ll get lucky and it will be by March!  Heh, yeah.

Finally, here are a few Youtube videos of the SAS in action…

The audio is kinda messed up on the video above, but it gives you some idea…

Needless to say, I can’t wait!

I’ve been following this site for a while now and it’s great.  Run by two Utah women it has a lot of information to get you started and help you be successful with your food storage efforts.  Check it out!

Site: Food Storage Made Easy

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