POL for Preppers and Shooters by Dr. Rick

POL is a military acronym for “Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants.” And “Petroleum” in military lingo generally refers to all types of fuels, but we could rename it for our purposes as “Protectants” or “Preservatives,” which is part of the subject of this article. The in-depth study of oils and lubricants is rather scientific and in the domain of applied mechanical engineering. The products mentioned in this article are simply ones that I have found “that work” in my 60+ years as a hobby machinist, gunsmith, and shooter. I am simply sharing. I neither endorse these products nor receive compensation from …


Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 5, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) Canned Vegetables – 52 15-oz Cans For variety with meals. Peanut Butter – 12 40-oz jars Twelve jars of peanut butter sounds like a boat load to some people but again, our daily menus after the SHTF will change greatly from what they are now with so many processed and or refrigerated/frozen foods. Of course, peanut butter will work as a food-storage item for some people but not others. With the same money you can get another 48 cans of canned tuna and/or chicken, or other food items, but all will have …


Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 4, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 3.) Flour – 150 lbs Flour has 1,520 calories per pound. For just-in-time food prepping, whole wheat kernels (wheat berries) are impractical for most people. They require grinding before making flour and most people don’t have a wheat grinder on hand. For a JIT shopping list, flour is the best way to go. When stored properly, store-bought refined white flour can last 10+ years. I can personally vouch for 5+ years in a gasketed food-storage bucket without oxygen absorbers. I now add white flour to my food storage instead of adding more wheat. Flour isn’t just about …


Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2.) Priorities in Food Selection For a JIT Food-Storage Program The following list is a one-year supply for one person so multiply it by however many people you’re buying for. If a year’s worth doesn’t seem practical divide it by how many months you want to prepare for. Any kind of food-storage program should be primarily based on daily calories. For those without much money to spend, you want the most calories each dollar can provide you with. High-calorie foods also take up less storage space than low-calorie foods. Calorie information is provided on my list. For …


Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.) Repackaging vs Keeping Original Packaging Whether we’re using freezer or mylar bags for our SOP food storage, we’ll need to know what needs repackaging and what doesn’t. Leaving in Original Packaging – Pest-wise, some of the items on our shopping list can be left in the original packaging if the packaging is good enough or if the food doesn’t attract pests. Sugar can be left in its original paper bag. If it clumps inside the bag before opening, a few raps on a countertop will break up the lumps. The powdered milk I use comes in …


Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 1, by St. Funogas

This article describes a just-In-time food storage plan for preppers. These are some of the biggest reasons/excuses why some preppers don’t currently have much food storage: 1. I’ll probably never need it. 2. It’s too complicated to figure all the techniques out. 3. It’s too expensive. 4. Where am I going to store it all? 5. It would be much too embarrassing if my family and friends found out! This article is about taking probabilities into account as things heat up in the world and putting together a last-minute food-storage shopping list to be prepared just in case. Some of …


A Home-Made Water Filter, by Richard T.

I recently made my own water filter, using commonly available parts.  It is essentially a low-cost clone of one of the popular Berkey Water Filters. (Those are pictured above.) The material list and sources for the parts for this water filter are below the description of its construction and use. The base for this water filter construction is a 4-inch (inside diameter) Schedule 40 white PVC DWV pipe, cut  24 inches long. It is capped top and bottom but only the bottom cap is cemented on. Both caps have a ½” hole in the center. The hole in the bottom …


Relationships, Communities, and Resources, by 3AD Scout

Multiple relationships equals a community and a community equals resources. This sounds so simplistic but many Preppers do not work on developing relationships which means they do not have a SHTF community. Not having a community means that they are missing out on vital resources they may need during and after a widespread disaster or a societal collapse. I saw this concept in action for myself in the past few weeks. Making a relationship Amish buggies and wagons are a common sight on our road. A keen eye will sometimes allow you to get to know the locals versus those …


Hurricane Milton After Action Review – Part 3, by Soyez Ferme

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) Aftermath Awake before dawn to survey the damage, we found that two thirds of the barn roof lay in various pastures within a quarter-mile radius. The radio antenna that was attached to the barn was bent in a C-shape. A sheet of roofing must have hit it. A massive live oak tree had toppled over on its side, roots exposed. Many branches had snapped off other oak trees, some as big around as my waist. Leaves were gone from the tops of all the trees. Lower branches seemed to fare much better. …


Hurricane Milton After Action Review – Part 2, by Soyez Ferme

(Continued from Part 1.) Five days prior to landfall Sunday it was time to check the gas in all vehicles and 5-gallon jugs. I had 15 gallons of ethanol free gas for equipment, and I needed to fill up three empty jugs of regular gas for vehicle and farm truck use. I also filled up my truck and my wife’s SUV. This was Sunday before the storm and before panic fuel buying began. My tractor and generator run on diesel. On Sunday I assessed that there was 70 gallons of diesel on hand and that would be enough for getting …


Hurricane Milton After Action Review – Part 1, by Soyez Ferme

Date and Location: October 9, 2024 — West Coast of Florida, under the eye of Hurricane Milton, inland from landfall. Hurricane winds howled outside, and the rain pelted the windows when the lights flickered for the final time and died. On the darkest of nights as Hurricane Milton unleashed its fury on our rural Florida bunker, my mom confidently stated, “I feel safe here.” After a long, and mostly sleepless night, we rose before dawn to walk the property. What follows is a breakdown of the good, the bad and the ugly of our preparedness strategy for weathering a vicious …


Our Hurricane Experience in South Carolina, by K.U.

We live in a rural county about 60 miles from Augusta, Georgia. The night of September 26th, 2024 was one we never thought we’d experience so far inland. A full-blown hurricane was upon us (winds were recorded at 80-100mph in our county). We awoke early on the 27th to no power and 1 bar of very spotty cell service. We built our house on a hill and made sure that no trees were nearby, so our house had minimal damage. We had some water come in and down a wall from the chimney, but plan to fix that with a …


U.S. Military Tent Stoves – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) This photo shows the area behind the stove that is about 18 inches away. It could have been safely installed at only 12 inches away, yet because there was the space available and to help improve the airflow at the closest point, 6 inches, this was a good use of the additional distance. In addition, we can see the welds around the stove pipe collar on the wood stove and the welds at the juncture of the lower half and the pan that supports the grate. The bottom of the stove becomes …


U.S. Military Tent Stoves – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 3.) Army Tent Stove Modifications As the M1941/H-45 assembles with one half that sits on top of the lower half to make it ready to use. It can be made about 8 inches lower in height of its is assembled size for transport as one half can sit inside the other. The H-45 when assembled uses 3 nut and bolt attachment points on the outside of the stove to secure the pan to the top half. This is a worthwhile improvement as it would be possible to knock the top half off should some take a hard …


U.S. Military Tent Stoves – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.) Operating the M1941 In Extreme Weather I’ve found that the M1941 at -30F will provide adequate heat for a cabin that is not insulated and that is no more than 300 square feet in size. It will keep you comfortable and the water in the plumbing flowing if those pipes are exposed to the cabin’s interior. It will burn 6 to 8 loads of wood every 24 hours at that temperature depending on the type of wood used and how it was processed or split. One load of wood will fill a 6-gallon plastic bucket. Larger …