Our Home Freeze Drying Saga, by R.P.

First, let me share a little background. Being single for a long time, I bought a very small house on a big lot. Well, things seem to happen in our lives. I met a woman, one thing led to another, and now I have a wife and three kids in a very tiny house. Retiring at the first of the year, my brother asked me to help rehab a house. While I was working, I kept hearing these ads for a food freeze drier by Harvest Right. After a few months of this, I went home one night and asked …


Letter Re: Cell Phone Masking and Denial of Geolocation Data

Hello James, I was stunned when out of the blue Google Maps sent me an e-mail detailing several hundred locations I have been to over the past several months. I immediately attempted to change settings to prevent this, but I feel Internet/cell phone data is an insidious invasion of privacy with the next logical step for government to bypass the usual requirements to access locations, phone numbers, data, et cetera, the 4th Amendment be damned. There are various RFID-blocking cell phone wallets/sleeves for sale online with varying degree of price and effectiveness as per reviews. Can you recommend a product …


Building an 80% Firearm- Part 4, by Tupreco

Building 80% 1911 and Glock Pistols In Part 3 of this series, we took a detailed look at selecting and completing an 80% AR-15 lower receiver. Whether or not you choose to build an AR-15 ghost gun, you may be interested to know that there are also 80% pistol frames and build kits out there to make your own ghost pistol as well. It’s a great challenge and very satisfying to complete one successfully. First, we will look at the legendary John Browning-designed 1911 version. Your 1911 Ghost Gun Trying to explain the popularity of the 1911 .45 ACP pistol …


Three More Letters Re: Dental Emergencies

Hello, I saw the post about dental care on the site today and wanted to share a company I found that has injectable lidocaine. I have ordered supplies from them before and am in no way affiliated with them. I just wanted to get the info out there if it fills a need for folks and if it passes your standards as far as recommending. – P.L. o o o HJL, You can get lidocaine at Travel Medicine Inc. – S.F. o o o Dear Editor, Please check out how Christian Missionaries, ITEC USA, have solved the emergency dental issues …


Building An 80% Firearm- Part 3, by Tupreco

Finishing an AR-15 80% Lower During the eight years of Obama’s presidency, a record 144 million pre-purchase NICS background checks were performed. This is almost exactly twice the number we saw during eight years of George W. Bush. Whether the numbers return to Bush-era levels under a Trump presidency remains to be seen. Certainly, while a background check is not an actual gun sale, it is widely believed that the numbers do correlate closely to actual gun sales. This substantial increase in firearms sales also saw a corresponding increase in firearms technology development. Good examples of this include the rise …


Three Letters Re: Dental Emergencies

Jim and Hugh, The Sustainable Prep Expo in Grants Pass, Oregon in May, will feature Dr. Howard Shayne doing hands-on classes in “Emergency Dental Techniques”. Preppers in the Northwest might want to consider attending this. – N.M. o o o HJL, I have bought from these people before. They sell lidocaine and good antibiotics. – Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlogs Editor at Large o o o Hugh, It’s easy to purchase Lidocaine powder, store it long term, and make your own as needed for emergencies. LidoKing – Lidocaine powder How to make injectable Lidocaine HCL – V.F.


Building An 80% Firearm- Part 2, by Tupreco

Learn The Why and How (continued) The key provision that makes the 80% industry possible is making sure that all the items being purchased and transported are parts and not a firearm. Because once the parts wind up in your hand, you have the right to now “make” a firearm as listed above but only if you can legally own that firearm in your state of residence. Does this mean I can make my own firearm? The short answer is “Yes, with conditions attached.” From the ATF website: An individual may generally make a firearm for personal use. However, individuals …


Letter Re: Dental Emergencies

Hugh and Jim, Regarding the post on 3/7 about dental emergencies. A few years back their was a like minded dentist up in TN that taught some Field Dentistry classes in middle TN. Dr. Tom offered an excellent two-day class that focused on just this sort of stuff. He was not just some dentist that figured he could cater to the “prepper” market. You could tell Dr. Tom was a survivalist, and he had thought through some incredibly creative ways to handle what could be survival dentistry. He offered tools there as well as the instruction. We did a lot …


Building An 80% Firearm- Part 1, by Tupreco

Learn the Why and How The election of Donald Trump is beginning to show concrete steps toward dialing back the Obama administration’s numerous efforts to undermine our Second Amendment rights. How that will continue to play out remains to be seen. Surprisingly though, even on Obama’s watch there were several pro-2nd Amendment (2A) court and legislative victories, including expansion of concealed carry in many states. Another thing that occurred while Obama was in office was an unexpected but welcome surprise from the ATF. Several years ago, a well-known AR-15 parts manufacturer requested and received the ATF’s formal approval to manufacture …


Letter Re: Dental Emergencies Questions

Dear Editor, After combing through the dental information on your blog, I’m hoping you might report a new and comprehensive article on dental care and how to be prepared. I think it important to address this issue because dental woes can render a person unable to function. As one of your blog entries noted, broken bones and other injuries of the body will eventually knit up, but a tooth abscess will only get worse and can actually become fatal. I’m looking to know what equipment is needed to address tooth extractions whether I have to do it myself, or, in …


Recipe of the Week: Is There Any More of That Chicken? by J.M.

This simple, inexpensive meal will leave your guests asking, “Is there any more of that chicken?”. The result is a moist, fall-off-the bone chicken thigh wrapped in a crisp sweet and tangy skin. Note that hormones and antibiotics spoil this recipe, so shop for quality chicken. Ingredients: 6-8 plump chicken thighs 1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced Fresh ground mild chili or black pepper ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup Balsamic or apple cider vinegar ½ cup honey 1-2 tsp Balsamic or apple cider vinegar ½ cup molasses Directions: Preheat oven or covered grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cooling …


Letter Re: Solid Fuel Stoves

Hugh, Our home is located in NW Wyoming, at an elevation of just under 6,000 feet. We have operated both a coal stove (Hitzer Model 30-95 EZ-Flo Hopper Stove) and a wood burner (Blaze King Princess Catalytic Model) for a number of years. The wood stove is on the lowest level of our three-story log home, while the coal stove provides emergency heat for our storage/pantry building. Over the years, we have learned a great many tips and techniques for using solid fuel heaters. The most important step in installing and using one of these stoves is to get the …


Two Letters Re: Proposed Executive Order Designating Certain Rifles for ‘Militia Purposes’

Hugh, The article “Proposed Executive Order Designating Certain Rifles for ‘Militia Purposes’ – G.G” is a big truckload of B.S. We, the people, don’t need an Executive Order. We have a Constitution that reads, “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” That part of our sacred document does not limit the militia to Made in USA AR-15’s! If you think that we will give up our imported firearms, then you are crazy! It is just another communist utopian gun control …


Prepping the Soul: The Skill of Multiplication, by R.S.

Even a casual glimpse at the headlines will confirm the continued descent of our society into immorality. Violence, illicit drugs, abortion, and the continued assault on the family are not only common place but are being actively sought as acceptable behavior by vast numbers of the public. Politicians are running to their defense, and legislation is following. The decline is steep. It is real, and it will continue. Revelation 1:1 tells us that these, “things must come to pass.” John doesn’t say that it might come to pass or even that it should come to pass but that it must. …


Letter Re: Proposed Executive Order Designating Certain Rifles for ‘Militia Purposes’

Gentlemen, The problem with this proposed executive order is that it refers to members of the “militia” rather than the citizenry. The militia is defined under law as follows: (a)The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard. (b) The classes of the militia are— …