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 …


Letter Re: An Odd Piece of Equipment for Your Preps

Hugh, I saw the “Odds and Sods” post about tens units. The writer was disappointed that his unit was 9 volt and did not use AA. There are a few ways to convert 9 volt systems to run on AA, but I thought I would share this way, as it is the easiest. Obviously there are other versions out there, so it doesn’t hurt to shop around. I hope this helps. – R.M.


“Recycle, Repurpose, and Reuse”, by Regan and Hawk

My husband and I fall into the category of people known as “preppers”; we store food, weapons, supplies, and money for when it will be needed in the not too distant future. We track our stores and make sure that we won’t be caught short on many different things. However, one thing both of us have found is that all this prepping is not really enough. What do you do when something breaks or wears out and the stores are closed or it just can’t be found? What happens when you need something out of the norm for a project? …


Letter Re: Backup Electric Power Design Considerations

Hugh, The largest draw on your power is for the refrigeration of both you and your food. These guys have some interesting solutions that are direct connect DC. They seem to be fine folks, but the solutions are pricey. Danzer makes an interesting refrigerator that runs on 24 volt. I get the idea from numerous articles that you really should not have just one solar system in your house. I have bought components and run my Ham radio off a panel and a couple of deep cycle batteries, but I have a long way to go. www.wholesalesolar.com has some great …


Controlling UAV Drone Intrusions, by B.I.

I see much interest in the emerging technology of drones. It seems natural for survival groups that wish to band together, and perhaps develop community compounds, to consider drones, which are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), to surveil and protect their environment. Drones can be either individually controlled by an operator with a “radio control” or pre-programmed to fly a specific pattern and then return to a point of origin. Usually, they send data– telemetry, either digital or video/audio– back to the controller, for whatever purpose the drone has been deployed. This author is not a drone technician, …


Letter Re: Grid Down Digital Library

HJL, Downloading YouTube on Android. Remember micro-SD cards are interchangeable and inexpensive, so get a phone with a slot and make backups (and put them around various places). Often large (128Gb+, often U3 for GoPro) capacity cards will go on sale at least once a month, so I look for them and stock up. I’ve seen these as low as $15, limit 2. Sometimes there are excess stock or closeouts on prepaid, and I didn’t have to activate them though there was a trick to bypassing that screen. Most can be rooted. I have several, so it pays to look …


A Digital Library in a Grid-Down World, by J.G.

Since you are reading this online, nothing bad has happened yet to the grid. The walk from dependency on modern culture and conveniences to preparedness is ongoing. The naïve and nihilists are doing little to prepare for what we hope never happens. The rest of us are on a continuum of awareness and readiness. Today, we take the power grid as a given. Virtually all apocalyptic scenarios involve loss of power and electricity, sooner if not later. There are plenty of articles stating the absolute need for clean water, food, shelter, and security. This is not in dispute. We all …


Letter Re: Backup Electric Power Design Considerations

Editor, I found KK’s recent letter interesting in that he, as an experienced solar installer, recommends DC coupled systems. In particular, I would like him to expand on how his clients cope with using DC rather than AC on their properties and how and where they buy DC appliances, tools, pumps, et cetera. I understand that battery-powered electronics and tools are ubiquitous and well tested, but in general the batteries have voltages from 1.5 to 18 volts or so and the chargers accommodate that by plugging into 110 volt AC. Do his clients use small point load inverters for this? …


Lessons Of Real Life Bug-Out Circa 1944, by Grazu44

As long as I can remember, my father was prepared for the unexpected. I thought it was because he purchased a series of unreliable Chrysler products in the 70’s and 80’s that consistently broke down. (MOPAR– the name of Chrysler’s Parts Division– became an acronym in our house for “Moments Of Power Are Rare”). The fact of the matter was that my father “bugged out” of his native Lithuania with his family at the age of 14. Following World War II, he and his family were placed in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp for native Lithuanians in what would become …


Letter Re: How to Survive Workplace Violence

Dear Hugh, I would like to thank SM for useful comments that we should all think about in this day and age. I’ve actually been putting more thought into the subject of “workplace violence”, including the dreaded “active shooter” scenario, because my employer has recently implemented mandatory training for dealing with this event as well as a drill or two. Though the risk of such a tragedy remains low, it would seem that my employer feels that the risk is significant enough to justify the expense of such training. Though they would seem gravely concerned about our well-being, it is …