Two Letters Re: Review of the Sawyer Filter

HJL, I have seen these filters sold with different components, bells, and whistles and have bought three different types. One package features components that allow you to gravity feed the water from a plastic food grade bucket through the filter and into a storage container. I have this set up ready to go now, if and when it is needed. The narrative on the packaging suggests that if this filter is used on an overseas mission trip it could be left behind for use by the native people. That’s a nice humanitarian touch. There was no mention that these filters …


Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

Survivalblog reader Patriotman suggested several books: The Coming Anarchy: Shattering the Dreams of the Post Cold War Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed The Collapse of Complex Societies o o o Reader DMS suggested these movies: Unconditional (the true story of “papa Joe”) Ring the Bell (my wife is buying a bell) Hoot (protecting Florida’s wildlife) Red Dog (true story)


Lessons From the Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2006, by Dr. Prepper

What I have found most useful from many useful articles on SurvivalBlog are the ones that honestly deal with personal experiences of stressful events, for example, those who have gone through hurricanes, floods, other natural storms, or man-made events. While it is useful from a planning perspective to speculate how things might be in an event that changes the world for us, there is nothing like learning from other’s experiences and what they thought went well and not so well. My family and I discovered first hand the value of preparation as well as the cost of the lack of …


Letter Re: onPoint Tactical Course

Hugh and Jim, I won the opportunity to attend one of the onPoint Tactical courses through the SurvivalBlog writing contest. However, I knew my 23-year-old son would get a lot more out of it than I, and Kevin Reeve (owner) graciously allowed Luke to attend in my place. He couldn’t have been more grateful for all he learned in the Basic Scout course. He spent hours telling the rest of the family of all he learned, and we all practiced some of the skills. (Luke has practiced a lot more than the rest of us.) And Luke immediately started making …


Recipe of the Week: Swedish Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients: 12 large cabbage leaves 1 beaten egg ¼ cup milk ¼ cup finely chopped onion 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 lb lean ground beef 1 cup cooked rice 1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Directions: Immerse cabbage leaves in a large kettle of boiling water for about 3 minutes or until limp, then drain. Combine egg, milk, onion, salt, pepper, beef, and cooked rice. Place about ¼ cup of the meat mixture in the center of each leaf, then fold in sides and roll …


Two Letters Re: Prepper Axioms

Hugh, I wanted to reaffirm a couple of points from these excellent, objective observations and guidance: CPR – I fully concur. I am 0 for 2 performing CPR. Optimism. My mother, still alive at age 83, has been through the following: Bedridden for over a year as a child with rheumatic fever Mentally and verbally abusive husband (Sorry, Dad, but it’s true) 10lb tumor removed at age 47, full rounds of chemo, full recovery Still a Democrat and liberal, in the face of all the facts Lesson: Optimism trumps pessimism. Fight first, treat later. I fully concur; been there, done …


Letter Re: Prepper Axioms

HJL, It is most certainly true that people should not choose to bug out in certain situations unless they have a sustainable location prepared in advance. However, many SurvivalBlog readers work far from home (well over 2,000 miles for me) and we absolutely must have detailed plans in place to get back to our families in a TEOTWAWKI event. This will become more common in a severe economic downturn. In that case, you’d be wise to have those packs prepared the author of this article speaks against, just in case your primary mode of transportation doesn’t get you home. And …


Mesh Networks, Digital Radio, EMP, and Metal Buildings, Oh My!, by R.V.

We are working on a grass roots Internet style network at my radio club. As I am a very curious fellow, I am currently reading Wireless Networking in the Developing World, which is a free ebook. This book, of which I am 1/3 of the way through reading, seems to exercise every possibility in connecting these wireless routers. The pros and cons of various management strategies and switching tactics are exhaustively discussed. Sources and software are named, making it a great reference. What got me started is the Ham Radio version of this, which is described online, which is a …


Letter Re: Prepper Axiom #5

Dear James and Hugh, Your writer of the day for June 20th brought a smile to me when I read his comments on the fallacy of “bugging out”. This topic is one that is near and dear to me, both personally and professionally as the design director for Hardened Structures and as a former infantryman and Boy Scout. Even with my training and experiences (or especially because of this training) it’s really inconceivable to me to think of providing 2,000 calories per day, every day for my family of four indefinitely, out in the boonies, with only a pack and …


Guest Article: The Best Oils For A Worst Case Scenario- Part 2, by Melissa Mink

#4- Cedarwood (Organic-Atlas) This is a very useful but tricky oil that I would not recommend any pregnant women use. It can be ingested but needs to be an Atlas variety only. Others are toxic and cannot be ingested, so know your oils! This one is also an amazing calmer and is much more powerful, in my own experience, at soothing bug bites and stings than Lavender. If you have ever owned a Cedar chest, you know how amazingly effective it is at repelling bugs. It is also not an oil that will give away your presence if needing to …


Two Letters Re: Prepper Axioms

Hi Jim, It’s been a while, but I thought I’d comment on this two-part article. This guy really nails it! A total realist. I like his understanding regarding the fallacy of “bugging out” for the average survivalist, along with other realities. His emphasis on physical fitness is locked-on, just for starters. Arguably, I even have to admit that in my efforts to be a Gray Man, I’m even standing out a little bit, at present (with a flat-coyote truck, and coyote and OD green clothing). I haven’t archived anything from the site in a couple years, due to the storehouse …


Guest Article: The Best Oils For A Worst Case Scenario – Part 1, by Melissa Mink

I am going to lay out the very best oils in my opinion to have on hand in a “worst case” scenario or emergency situation. I have used (ran a business and used personally) essential oils for 17 yrs now. They are a part of my life, in home and business every day. I am giving my wisdom, gleaned from experience and much research on the uses and abilities of essential oils. Although there is no replacement for a well-trained medical professional, I realize sometimes life puts us all into situations where what we need isn’t always accessible. So here …


Letter Re: Sanitation Considerations for Long Term Emergency Situations

SurvivalBlog, Reading all the back and forth last month regarding what to do after toilet paper is no longer available, lead me to the conclusion that I think we are making things much more dirty and complicated than necessary. I currently have a small one-gallon hand pump pressure sprayer in storage specifically for this purpose. It will be kept next to the toilet or outhouse and used essentially as a bidet. Simply remain sitting on the toilet, “power wash” the affected area, and dry with a clean cloth. You will still need to clean and disinfect the drying cloths, but …


Prepper Axioms That I Find Puzzling- Part 2, by N.B.

(SurvivalBlog Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SurvivalBlog, its editors, or its advertisers.) Prepper Axiom #3: “Grey man” I cringe every time I hear these words. It sounds so reasonable, but it isn’t. In essence, the idea is to make yourself so nondescript that no one pays you any notice. In theory, if they don’t notice you, then they won’t harm you. In certain situations this could work. However, I think it is very dangerous to apply it all the time. …


Letter Re: Prepper Axioms

Dear Editor, I have to comment on the recent article on prepper axioms. The author suggested oats were not part of his daily diet due to the preparation time. I was introduced to cold oats with fruit and nuts by an old girlfriend over 25 years ago. I have been eating cold oats for breakfast every day since then primarily to the taste but also for the quickness of the preparation. I make a large pot of oats. I boil 4 cups of water, then add 2 cups of oats with some ground flax seed and cinnamon. I stir the …