Travelers Hit with New TSA Ban as Agency Forbids Large Power Banks.

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

—

No more large power banks! Travelers Hit with New TSA Ban as Agency Forbids Common Item in Checked Luggage. JWR’s Comments and Clarifications: The writer neglected to mention some key details. According to the TSA website, In carry-on bags only: “Lithium metal (non-rechargeable) batteries are limited to 2 grams of lithium per battery. Lithium ion (rechargeable) batteries are limited to a rating of 100 watt hours (Wh) per battery.” For USB-voltage devices, given Ohm’s Law, (to wit: $m A h = V Wh \times 1 , 000 Divided by Voltage),$ 27,650 MiliAmpHours (MAH) equates to 99.5 Watt Hours. (Higher voltage with the same battery capacity would mean that the Watt-Hours would be in excess of 100.) Oddly, according to the FAA, there is no limit on the number of separate spare laptop batteries or battery banks that you carry onboard at the same time, but they must be ones for your personal use — not for resale. So, presumably, carrying them in their original factory packaging could get them flagged as contraband.

o o o

Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein accuser, dies. JWR’s Comments: It is noteworthy that she repeatedly announced that she was not suicidal. No worries, folks. “There’s nothing to see here, move along.”

o o o

Reader H.L. mentioned this MSN slideshow: How Many Bald Eagles Are in Each U.S. State?

Ready Made Resources (a SurvivalBlog advertiser for 19 years) is running a big clearance sale. Joshua Griswold mentioned four water filters included in the sale that will be of particular interest to SurvivalBlog readers:

LifeSaver Jerrycan 20,000-gallon filter. (All colors In stock). If you mention “SurvivalBlog” in the comment section of your order, you will get a free replacement filter. The systems themselves are already discounted, and you’ll be getting a free $129 spare filter.
ClearSource Nomad Water Filter. They are offering 2 Sets of replacement filters on all orders for this system if you mention SurvivalBlog.
MSR Guardian Gravity Purifier. This is $100 off, until they run out of stock.
LifeStraw Mission 5L gravity-powered water purifier. Here is another gravity filter that is $50 off, only until they run out of stock.

o o o

Video from Adapt 2030: Problems With China Shipping and Ideas for You to Prepare.

o o o

Reader Lisa R. wrote:

“I enjoy reading your daily blog and find very useful information almost, if not, every day. But you may or may not have heard of what I am writing about today. I work in a small Mom and Pop gun store in rural northern Florida, so I get to talk with all sorts of people from around this great country, as well as many International visitors. This past week was no exception.

I was talking with a gentleman visiting from southern Illinois and asked about the problems they have with Chicago area politicians. And we talked. But then I asked if they had considered asking Chicago to leave their beautiful state and become independent city-state? The answer was one I was not expecting. It seems many in the rural counties have been considering seceding from the state of Illinois. And he further stated that many had considered joining with Missouri. But it also seems that Indiana is actively asking them to join Indiana. Now I have been reading about the Greater Idaho project happening in Oregon, but had not heard anything about Illinois [counties] doing the same thing. Did not know if you had heard of this. If not here is something to look into. Other states as well. My original home, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, many places would love to get out from under the influences of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. After all, that state has had open carry allowed since before I was born. But do not try it in Philadelphia!

I realize you speak about voting with your feet, but many people enjoy where they live except for the politics — my current state, included We joke, sometimes for real, about throwing out the southern end of the state as it is really just an extension of the Northeastern states of the USA.

Thank you very much for your very interesting blog. Looking forward to your posts every day.”

o o o

A recent video from Garand Thumb: Apocalypse Vehicles Setup. JWR’s Comments: Reliability is paramount, but always keep spare parts availability in mind. I DO NOT recommend buying oddball imported vehicles that don’t have a solid logistics base here in the United States. It will be much easier to find Ford F150 parts than Hilux parts, if and when society falls apart. Take a walk through your nearest wrecking yard, and do the math on parts availability. Logic dictates that the highest vehicle numbers equate to the highest parts availability.

o o o

Reader Lodge Pole wrote:

“As expected, the ground squirrels have moved back in underneath the shipping container where we keep our firewood and all sorts of “homesteading” equipment/gear. The neighbor who has giant slash piles spread around his property for bird habitat, burned one of the big piles near my property last weekend displacing the unhoused, and unwanted, rodents onto my property. I was alerted to the squirrels’ presence when a security camera caught one near the container. Upon investigation, I found the entrance and exit hole they had dug into my raised dirt and rock foundation. Needless to say, the traps are set. I set the first traps around 1330 hrs and upon checking them around 2000 hrs, I had already caught one squirrel. I used my favorite bait of peanut butter and melted chocolate chips mixed together.

The spring and summer garden is in full swing. Our garden, with the exception of a few melons and winter squash, is planted and growing fast with the warm weather we are already having. I am anxiously awaiting the yields of fresh produce. This is the first year we have a fully fenced garden, and tall raised beds. I am really enjoying not having to bend over to weed the garden, or to harvest the food we grow. Because of the depth of our new raised beds, about three feet tall, our winter carrots are longer, bigger and tastier then ever before. It’s wonderful not having to worry about the chickens, or dog, getting into our raised beds and tearing them up. Our fruit orchard looks like it is going to have a bumper crop this year as well. My wife, kids and I are very excited to not only eat the fresh fruit right off the tree, but to also harvest, process and can the literal fruits of our labor. We tend to make a lot of jams and jellies. If we have leftover fruit, we will blanch, pit and can the extra peaches, apricots and pluots for this fall and winter. Each year, we work harder and harder to shop less and less at the grocery store(s) and be more self-reliant.

I am growing concerned about the amount of ammunition law enforcement officials have found during some recent traffic stops that were being transported by Mexican nationals likely linked to the cartels. I am a devout believer that a citizen who is legally and financially able to do so, should be able to own as many firearms and as much ammunition as they want, no questions asked. However, these news reports: Mexican nationals arrested while transporting 180,000 rounds of ammunition from Utah to Colorado and Twice-Deported Man Accused Of Smuggling 18,000 Rounds Of Ammo Skips Court, are extremely disturbing. It appears most of the seized ammunition is .308 Winchester, with the other being listed as 7.62. I have not heard any clarification whether it is 7.62×51 NATO, or 7.62×39, the caliber most notably associated with the AK-47. Regardless, what is that much ammunition, in the hands of nefarious individuals, going to be used for? I believe it is for a well-planned, well-thought-out and constructed, high-casualty event on the US homeland. I believe this event will not just be in the big cities, but everywhere targeting schools, shopping centers, freeways, hospitals, government buildings, and maybe even certain military bases.

I hope and pray that I am wrong, but I believe this large-scale attack is imminent, in the not too far future. Remember, an unknown number of military-aged males came into our country illegally during the previous administration and we still have no idea where most of them are, let alone the judges who keep interfering with deportations.

Trying to think and stay ahead of what I believe is likely to happen and to avoid having to leave our house as much as possible if/when something happens, we have increased the size of our garden for year-round growing/harvesting as well as growing the size and variety of birds in our poultry flock(s). We are also starting to harvest and gather several more cords of firewood to replace what we used this past winter, but also to more thoroughly/tightly fill our shipping container.

Again, I hope I am wrong. Stay safe and vigilant out there, and keep your powder dry.”

o o o

Reader WHOINPHX had this comment on the recent article on obtaining Passport Border Crossing Cards:

“The application asks for a Social Security number. Since I do not have one, I needed to fill out a form stating that “I do not, and have not ever had one”. This was last year, and I received both my new passport and passport card within a month”

o o o

Reader MGB mentioned this, over at Primal Survival: The Off-Grid Laws of Every State in America: What States Allow Off Grid Living?

o o o

And some links just for fun, in closing: Why is America undefeatable? Because this is ‘MERICA. That’s Why! We also have Figure 8 School Bus Races. Oh, and we also have Bull Soccer. And Bull Poker. And Car Launches. And the Day of Destruction Enduro. Yes, and Mower Derby. And let’s not forget the Skateboarding Death Race. (You can skip forward to the 13:45 mark for the truly crazy part.) And then, there are our winter sports. Lastly, a cautionary note to any potential adversaries or invading armies: We also know how to mix up Tannerite.