Letter: IR Floodlights

HJL, I recently had my vehicle broken into in the wee hours of the morning. While we had video surveillance running and though it did indeed capture the image of the perp, I was entirely unsatisfied with it. The camera has built-in IR illumination, but it is only good for about 20 feet. The driveway camera is almost 100 feet from where the break-in occurred and the only reason it got a clear picture is because the dome light in the vehicle turned on illuminating the thief. The camera was unable to see his approach. A quick search of Amazon …




An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure- Part 2, by L.W.

Clean Clothes The first line of defense in protecting the skin is your clothing. Protect the hands by always using gloves appropriate to the task at hand—medical gloves for caring for the sick and injured; heavy duty rubber gloves for washing dishes and a completely different set for bathroom cleaning; garden gloves; and leather work gloves. Beyond the gloves, we also need to use clothing to protect the rest of the body. The better covered the body, the better the defense. Understand that sunscreen will eventually run out or lose its efficacy, so protecting the skin from sunburn (and the …




An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure- Part 1, by L.W.

In 2007 the British Medical Journal polled doctors about what they considered to be the most important medical advance in modern history. While not necessarily a medical advance, clean water and sanitation—the number one answer in the survey—have undoubtedly prevented more early deaths than any other single advancement. The question for us is: What do we do to ensure we have clean water and to promote sanitation when TEOTWAWKI hits? The black plague killed over 75 million Europeans. Why? Rats and their fleas were the major source of spreading Yersinia Pestis– the cause of the black plague. Why were rats …




Letter Re: Doxycycline and Penicillin

Hugh, I am interested in obtaining a supply of doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat Lyme disease. If bugging out on foot ever became a necessity the exposure to ticks and Lyme disease in my part of the country is quite high. Can you make recommendations for purchasing this medication? I found little to guide me in your archives. I have seen it suggested to get veterinary medications; however when I looked at one major website doxycycline and penicillin where listed as the same drug. I believe that’s not accurate. Who am I to trust? – KM HJL’s Comment: You’re …




Letter: Self-Maintaining Mosquito Trap

With all the excitement about the Zika virus lately I thought I’d share my discovery of an effective low-maintenance mosquito trap. Take a 1/2 oak barrel. Line it with plastic to keep the leakage down. (Most gardening stores sell a plastic tub-like liner for this purpose.) You could just saw a plastic barrel in half I guess, but that’s not very pretty. Put it in a sunny spot and fill it with water. Add two goldfish. Put a bit of shade over part of the barrel for the “fishies” to shelter under. Top off with water as needed through the …




Our Solar System Experience, by F. in TX

Back in 2014, my wife and I installed a 9 KW solar system. The system is an off-grid with battery backup. After about 18 months of use we do like the system, despite the cost and complexity of installation. I spent about a year doing research on which type of system best met our needs and settled on a grid tied system with battery backup, since it would give us the ability to use grid or off-grid power. With most grid tied-only systems, you will be outta luck once SHTF; grid-tied-only systems shut down as a safety precaution. The off …




Letter Re: Nullification vs. Article 5 Convention

Hugh, There is no question that our Federal government is spinning out-of-control. Here is an interesting video, about 3 1/2 minutes. I’m not certain about the legality of nullification due to the supremacy clause and if that’s even relevant, but I am also not a constitutional attorney. I certainly like the concept of nullification better. – L.A.




Project Management for Preppers- Part 2, by B.F.

Let’s focus on techniques you can use. Project management is sometimes compared to a three legged stool. The legs are Time, Cost, and Quality. All three need to be kept in balance so that the stool doesn’t fall over. Another way of saying this is that you can have a project good, fast, or cheap; pick any two. There are a lot of tools available for your use, when you want to design a project. Many are computer based, some are free, and some are expensive. Projects and project management has been around for quite a while, even before we …




Letter Re: Half-Dollars as an Investment

Hi Hugh, I was just reading James’ blog on saving nickels again. I have about a year or more’s worth of coins I’ve been saving. My late wife had rolled $10 worth of halves which I’ve saved. Would it be wise to hold onto them? How about Canadian silver coins? Aren’t they mostly silver? HJL’s Comment: The base metal content of half dollars made from 1971 to 2014 is 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel with a current value of less than six cents. Unless you are able to procure coins of high silver content, they are most likely not worth …




Project Management for Preppers- Part 1, by B.F.

Project management is the art of getting things done. “So what?” you may ask, “I have been getting things done all my life!” Well, that’s probably true, but the use of project management techniques can help ensure that you get things done on time and at the cost you allocated for the work. We all have more demands on our time than we have time available to accomplish those demands. Sometimes there are also external factors, such as weather, expiration of permits, and others, that can impact our need to get things done in a timely manner and to get …




Letter Re: Bug Out Bags for Dogs

SurvivalBlog reader K.D. wrote in to question the need for a BOB for a dog in TEOTWAWKI, believing that most dogs will be more of an OPSEC liability than anything else and envisions large packs of roaming dogs fending for themselves as they are abandoned by their owners. HJL’s Comment: While I might agree with your sentiment if it were to apply to the family pet (easily the vast majority of dogs today), it most certainly does not apply to what I would term “working” dogs. Working dogs are readily used by both police and military to handle dangerous situations. …




Bug Out Bags for Dogs, by James from upstate NY

Bugging out is a plan during a disaster situation for most preppers, and most spend numerous hours planning out what items to put into their B.O.B (bug out bag). In the area of prepping, it seems that the natural focus in on having a bug out bag. You can picture in your mind the last disaster, whether it be natural or man-made, that you watched unfold on your nightly news and then envision you and your family leaving ahead of the undoubtedly numerous people who waited too long. Having a bug out bag for you and your family members is …




The Side of the Road Is Not Just for Emergencies, by B.A.

I see many people on the side of the road. Many times it is as simple as a flat. Other times it is something that the driver cannot fix. What many people do not know is that your car is designed to shut down automatically should certain things go out of tolerance. This is to prevent damage to your engine or vehicle. Many of us are pre-programmed, too, to think that the car is a special device for which only a select few of us can open the hood and work our magic. That is not the truth. Sure, if …




Letter Re: Comment on Savage

Mr. C, I’ve enjoyed your reviews and was interested in your recent Savage rifle review. While Savage has some things going for its offerings, one big weakness (well, two– the other is their denial of the first) is their built-in magazine in the Savage M11. Two sharp runners are presented when the bolt comes back. To load cartridges, the cartridge must be precisely placed between the two runners and pressed down to enter the magazine. The runners are sharp and fairly inflexible, but the real issue on loading is if the loader misses the runners and the cartridge goes past …




Recipe of the Week: Nutty Chicken Breast

Ingredients: ¼ cup peanut butter 2 Tbsp chopped peanuts 4 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp instant minced onion 1 Tbsp minced parsley 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 pinch ground ginger 4 whole chicken breasts, halved, skinned and boned 2 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp melted butter or margarine 1 (10½ oz) can chicken broth 1 Tbsp cornstarch Directions: Mix peanut butter, peanuts, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, onion, parsley, garlic, garlic, and ginger. Spread inside of each chicken breast, fold in half, and close with a small skewer or a toothpick. Place in a slow-cooking pot. Mix remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce …