Year: 2017

Vinegar As An Essential Multi-Purpose Tool for TEOTWAWKI- Part 1, by J.R.

During TEOTWAWKI, long-term survivability will depend upon more than adequate caloric intake and the ability to defend oneself and one’s family.  Historically, the leading cause of death during times of prolonged war, conflict, or natural disasters has not been violence or the direct impact of disasters, rather, most people perished due to rampant disease and infections caused by the interruption of access to medical treatment, clean water, and adequate hygiene.  In dire times, access to medicinal agents and the ability to both prevent food and water-borne illness and to maintain hygienic living quarters may make the difference between life and …


Letter Re: Shielding a Cell Phone

Mr. Latimer: Simply as a departure point for thought: I placed my wife’s cell phone inside an empty metal coffee can and covered the open top with aluminum foil. I secured that by overlaying the plastic lid. The phone did not ring, nor would it receive a text. Outside of the can, both calls and texts went through. Should you (we) have a cell phone that has a integrated battery, this may make tracking or malicious communications more difficult. – Skyrat


News From The American Redoubt:

Anyone living anywhere near Hermiston, Oregon, should check out Eastern Oregon Tactical (EOT). They carry a broad inventory of guns and accessories, and also offer training including an online Oregon CCW permit training course. o o o Magpul up and running in Cheyenne, Wyoming. (They recently got a big USMC sole-source contract for Gen 3 PMAGs—a favorite item for both soldiers and preppers.) o o o Montana leads nation in gun companies per capita. o o o Big snow portends flooding in major Wyoming river basins o o o Idaho lawmakers to discuss mandatory minimums bill o o o Video: …


Economics and Investing:

Some news from Tyler Durden, over at Zero Hedge: As Millions Of Venezuelans Try To Flee The Country They Run Into A Problem. Here is a quote: “…the nation now lacks the materials to meet the soaring demand for new passports – making it almost impossible to leave the socialist utopia.” o o o The US government now has less cash than Google. (Sovereign man) Excerpt: “In fact the government has been extremely careful to keep the debt below $20 trillion in anticipation of another debt ceiling fiasco. One way they’ve done that is by burning through cash.” o o …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Homeschoolers under attack by officials conducting unannounced visits – DSV o o o If you’ve wondered how to teach your kids disaster survival skills, you might be interested in this article: 25 Ways to Teach Kids About Disasters Without Scaring Them – DSV o o o In the typical liberal media fashion, CNN doubles down on fake news: Shots Fired At Ferguson Market After CNN Broadcasts Fake News and Edited CCTV Footage o o o From Zero Hedge: CIA Stresses Loyalty to the AGENCY Over Loyalty to the Constitution, by you already knew that. – B.B. o o o James …




CZ 85B, by Pat Cascio

Continuing on with testing all-metal firearms, as requested by many of our readers, here’s one of my favorite double-stack 9mm handguns. The CZ-85B is simply an upgraded model of the original CZ-75. For many years, the CZ-75 was hard to come by in the USA, because it was produced in the Czech Republic when it was behind the “Iron Curtain”. The few CZ-75 handguns that were in the USA were very hard to come by and expensive, very expensive! Because of the scarcity of the original CZ-75, a number of near-clones of this gun appeared. One of the most recognized, …


Recipe of the Week: Garden Season Pico de Gallo (Cold Salsa), by L.H.

An easy and flavorful summertime garden treat. We eat it on our tacos and burritos. We eat it on the side of cottage cheese. We dip celery/carrot sticks and tortilla chips in it. It wonderfully tops a bowl of fresh shredded lettuce. Shoot, we sometimes just eat it out of the bowl with a spoon. It’s good stuff. Ingredients: 6 large garden tomatoes, chopped small (or) 4-5 cups smaller garden tomatoes such as cherries or romas (measured before chopping) 1/2 cup finely diced red onions 1 large medium-to-hot pepper such as jalapeno, habanero, Serrano etc., chopped fine 3 cloves garlic, …


Letter Re: Cell Phone Blocking/Masking

Hi James, For people with cell phones having non-removable batteries, I have wondered if cell phone tracking could be blocked by removing the sim card. I have such a phone, and although removing the battery is not an option, removing the sim card is pretty straightforward. – B.G. o o o Dear Editor, I work exclusively with cell phone RF protocols (4G/LTE, Bluetooth) and can say this “evidence bag” does the trick. http://a.co/7z56VAh In a separate item please let SurvivalBlog readers know that Polar Pure is back on the shelves in the USA after resolving its conflict with the geniuses …


Economics and Investing:

When This All Blows Up… (Peak Prosperity) Understanding the how and when of the next economic crash. Sent in by B.B. o o o More money for homeless? Seattle consultants said no last Fall. “But she said the true political challenge remains: how to shift money away from some groups that have been getting it for decades. Of 205 shelters and low-income housing projects reviewed countywide by Focus Strategies, 51 were judged to be ‘low-performing’ for return on taxpayer dollar. To get better results, politicians may have to lop off some social-service providers, who have huge hearts but aren’t cutting …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Harvard library circulating ‘fake news’ list, which, of course, includes just about every conservative news site. JWR’s Comment: Note that dozens of popular news websites and blogs (including SurvivalBlog) made it on their list but are tagged only “unknown.” This seems to be their default tag for any site that they simply dislike because its editorial stance doesn’t match their Progressive/neo-Maoist worldview. It is ironic that they often use the tag “bias” when they are blind to their own bias, which is self-evident. The short “Updates and Notes” section below the table is particularly telling about the strong bias of …



Notes for Sunday – March 12, 2017

Today is the birthday of science fiction author Harry Harrison, who is best known for his Deathworld trilogy. (He was born in 1920 and died in 2012.) On March 12, 1850 the first U.S. $20 gold piece was issued. The current bullion (melt) value of a $20 gold piece (not even considering any numismatic value) is about $1,185. Lesson learned: Trust gold, not paper.


Household Basics in TEOTWAWKI- Part 6, by Sarah Latimer

Well, this series on pantry basics (beyond meat, eggs, dairy, grains, fruits, and vegetables) is getting long. Yet, I still have several more items on my list to explore and share. These items even go beyond the normal bulk items we think of and beyond spices and herbs, though last week I covered salt and pepper and encouraged readers to use the improved SurvivalBlog search capabilities to go back and read some of the great articles our SurvivalBlog community has previous provided on the subject of “growing herbs” and spices. We have a wealth of information within our community not …