Author Archives: SurvivalBlog Contributor

The Novice And The Expert- Part 3, by Old Bobbert

  By | , ,
17 Comments
Novice

Yesterday, we took a look at what we’d need to do first in the event of an EMP and just barely began to look at the possibility of a tsunami or serious flood across the U.S. East Coast, causing complete evacuation and shut down. We’ll continue today to look at this incident and others that might happen.

East Coast Tsunami (continued)

In the event that the New York City financial service system shuts down, for any reason, that singular event will shut down the entire world banking system. Awe, shucks! And this will happen while the system is correcting itself with more of what has caused the problems in the first place. They are working to borrow the money needed to pay interest and to get out of debt currently. As I read history, isn’t that called an illegal “ponsi scheme”? Yes, it is! This is a very real near … Continue reading →


Typeay’s Book Review: The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun, by Matt Bracken

  By |
9 Comments
The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun

So, how does one categorize The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun?

In my opinion, you simply can’t.

Anyone taking a cursory glance at Amazon’s current fiction novel listings will confirm what many folks may have already surmised. The past few years have seen an explosion of what is commonly now referred to as “dystopian fiction”.

In the typical dystopian tome, a lone protagonist or group sets out on a quest for survival in what was once the world as he, or she, knew it.

I will cut right to the chase.  Matt Bracken’s latest novel is not a work of dystopian fiction.


The Novice And The Expert- Part 2, by Old Bobbert

  By | , , ,
7 Comments
Novice

Today, we are continuing to learn, whether we are a novice or an expert in preparedness. If experts, we can learn how to guide a novice in their preparation planning.

Confidence Key Words

We left off yesterday with a group in a pandemic situation going grocery store shopping in teams with lists and cash. We had a reference to use confidence key words at checkout to help avoid being a victim. What are these confidence key words? I know that you know them. Read the following out loud: “Please and thank you. Yes, sir. Yes, ma’am. We appreciate your help.”

“We” is used often and especially if you are actually alone. These are the key words and this is the style of the type of person that the bad guys want to stay away from. You will then easily look to be the confident non-victim. You will most likely be … Continue reading →


Guest Article: The MVT Lite Fight Concept- Part 1, by Max Alexander

  By | , ,
3 Comments
Light Weight Gear

This is a follow-up contribution to the two gear posts: The Practical Application of Tactical Gear, Load, and Weight Considerations and Gear System: Philosophy, Set Up, Use, Fitness & Mindset. And as such, it should be read in combination with those posts. Notice that I have updated the gear photo from the one that I used in those posts.

There is not a huge difference between the gear displayed. There’s merely a different rifle and Lite Hydration Pack, plus I have added the helmet to the mix for purposes to be explained below. This illustrates the point that this post is not about specific brands of gear but rather the MVT Lite Fight concept that I have been advocating in these various blog posts.

It’s in the Details

In this post, I will be making some detailed comments. This post is specifically about putting … Continue reading →


Emergency Checklists, by M.B.

  By | , ,
15 Comments
Checklists

Where’s your emergency checklists? The worst part about emergency situations and disasters is that they never happen when it is convenient. It’s 2 AM and you awake to find someone pounding on your door. The dam has been breached and you have maybe 30 minutes to get to high ground. What would you do? How do you know what steps to take? What items would you take with you, and how would you prioritize things?

Emergency Chaos

Maybe you live in New Orleans or one of the other Gulf States. A category 5 hurricane is bearing down on you. Do you know what supplies you need and do you know what you currently have? Do you have the necessary medications, first aid, and firearms? “Where is everything at?” you think to yourself, as you frantically search around in the darkness groping for batteries for your flashlight.

Or maybe you hear … Continue reading →


Bowfishing For Survival, by J.W.

  By | , ,
3 Comments
Bowfishing

Just as there are many ways of skinning a cat, there are different methods you can employ to catch the fish.

And yes, you guessed it right: Bowfishing is one such method. It allows you to hunt all species of fish imaginable without necessarily using the typical fishing rod, reel, and worm baits. Instead, you only require a good bowfishing bow.

As much as bowfishing may sound entirely new to most people, it dates back to centuries ago, when it was one of the most reliable techniques of gathering food. Now, fast forward. The technique has evolved into what I’d like to call “modern bowfishing”. And in the following guide, I’ll walk you through every aspect of today’s bowfishing for survival as narrated by an expert survivalist. Let’s dive right in.

Gathering the Necessary Bowfishing Gear

The first thing you need to do for bowfishing involves equipping yourself with the … Continue reading →


Guest Post: So Why Would You Do Tactical Training?, by David

  By | , , , ,
20 Comments
Why Tactical Training

“So why do you do this tactical training stuff?” This is a question I get asked from time to time.  Sadly, the answer does not lend itself to a sentence or two.  Let me lay out my premises and then some conclusions.

(This article comes from David, who is a multi-class MVT alumni. He is the organizer of the Idaho Classes in 2016 and 2017. And MVT says, “We have already scheduled Idaho May 2018.”)

Assumed Role

In our family, I am literally the last man standing of my generation.  Since I am no longer immersed in pursuing “the rat race”, I have time to contemplate the long-term future and security of our children and grandchildren.  Our kids are busy with their careers and families.  Put differently, while I fervently hope bad times will not come knocking, I am the one most inclined to contemplate and plan for those “unlikely … Continue reading →


A Backpacker’s Perspective on Bugging Out, by Z.M.

  By | , ,
27 Comments
Backpacker Bugout

I like to backpack and want to share my perspective on bugging out. I’ve done hundreds of miles out on the Appalachian Trail and have spent a good number of nights out on the trail in the woods as a result. Having the wrong gear while trekking out for any length of time makes life pretty miserable.

Bugging In or Bugging Out, With a Comprehensive List

With prepping there is a lot of debate on whether one should bug-in or bug-out post-disaster. The answer to that obviously depends upon not only the situation but how well prepared you are with tangible assets and outdoors skills as well.

I’ve seen a host of writers, who talk about bugging out, give their “comprehensive lists” with what you’ll need. But, to me, it is readily apparent that very few of these writers have ever spent a night out in the woods.

If somebody … Continue reading →


Recipe of the Week: Basic Bread, by P.B.

  By |
2 Comments
Recipe of the Week

I have been using this basic bread recipe for about 20 years and continue to experiment with different ingredients and techniques. My favorite is still using the basic ingredients, letting it cool overnight, and slicing it for toast the next morning. My neighbor’s like it also.

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour *
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of granular yeast
  • about 1 3/4 to 2 cups of warm water **

May also use the following items (examples):


Sol-Ark Review, by James in Florida

  By | ,
11 Comments
Sol-Ark

Over the course of the last year, I have bought my Sol-Ark system in increments as funds became available. First, I bought the Sol-Ark “brains” followed six months later by 15 solar panels. Then, last month, I purchased 16 AGM deep storage batteries.

Placement of the Sol-Ark Unit

I’m the kind of guy who likes to carefully think through a project before starting it. Having read the Sol-Ark installation instructions, which are very straight-forward and uncomplicated, I decided to mount the Sol-Ark unit in my garage utilities closet. I’m fortunate that my homebuilder actually made a mistake when building my house; my HVAC unit and water heater are in a closet with a wide door instead of being out in the open garage and subject to the heat and humidity. There is enough “leakage”, for lack of a better word, from my five year-old HVAC system that it keeps the … Continue reading →


Guest Post: Fine Gold versus F.I.N.E. Central Banks, by Gary Christenson

  By |
4 Comments
Fine Gold

Gold is one of nature’s finest creations.

On the other hand central banks create trillions of fiat currency units – dollars, euros, yen, quataloos, whatever – from nothing and use those currency units for purchases … Apple stock, salaries for a thousand Ph.D. economists, office buildings, lobbyists, politicians, gold bullion etc.

It is unfair that the Fed creates trillions of dollars from nothing and values those dollars equally with other dollars created from the efforts of millions of businesses and individuals.

Unfair? Of course it’s unfair. That’s the point! With their “unfair” ability to create fiat currency that spends the same as existing currency, central bankers increase their power and wealth at the expense of citizens. They own or control governments, congressmen, CEO’s, commercial bankers and more.


Being Unemployed And Starting A Home-Based Business, by W.L.

  By | , ,
5 Comments
Home-Based Business

This is my story of how I became unemployed and started a home-based business. It may be something useful to other preppers.

My Employment Story

I’m a prepper and have been doing so for the last thirteen years. Thank goodness I found SurvivalBlog then and began putting up canned goods and consumables ever since. I’ve had to live off my pantry for two years at a time and would have been in dire straits if I had not. Believe me, if you have not begun prepping for hard times, begin now. Even those with advanced degrees and certifications fall on hard times too.

Found Myself Unemployed 16 Times

I hold two senior certifications in the Human Resources field. Yet, over the last 25 years, I have been separated from my employment 16 times due to businesses closing and or being bought out by other larger conglomerates. I am, again, currently … Continue reading →


Planning For Success During And After The SHTF- Part 2, by Old Bobbert

  By | ,
2 Comments
Planning for Success

Yesterday, we looked at the rules of planning for success during and after the SHTF and began examining the component of a good plan and the changes that might be required after SHTF. We already covered the areas of finances and food and began looking at the topic of medical. We will continue on to examine the area of medical and other topics today.

Medical (continued)

  • Pre-incident acquisition of emergency and bartering medications and water purification tablets is very important. It is legal, and simple, to use any of the Internet search engines to determine and evaluate various pharmaceutical distribution sites located in other countries, especially India, marketing meds manufactured there and globally. Many are readily available. All Day Chemist is my regular favorite. They do have a constant $15 shipping charge, regardless of the size of the order. As an example of the cost savings, … Continue reading →

    • Letter Re: Using Cloth Diapers in TEOTWAWKI

      By | ,
    16 Comments
    Cloth Diapers

    Hugh,

    This will not apply to most of your readers, but my wife and I are using cloth diapers for our newborn son. At $5 a piece they pay for themselves quickly and will be useful when items are hard to obtain during uncertain times. Thanks for the blog, and attached is a link for the diapers. – R.T.

    HJL’s Comment: There are many advantages to cloth diapers. There are also many disadvantages. On our first child, we used cloth diapers (the standard white cotton with a separate plastic overpant). The point was to “go natural”, I think. However, I still remember swishing out the diapers in the toilet and the ammonia smell of the diaper pail to this day! For the second child, it was disposables all the way. It was good to know that we could use cloth if we needed to though.

    In … Continue reading →


    Planning For Success During And After The SHTF- Part 1, by Old Bobbert

      By | ,
    13 Comments
    Planning for Success

    Success requires a plan, and that is true if you want to have success during and after the SHTF. You can have a great deal of knowledge and ideas but not have organized and applied any of this. Remember, only applied knowledge is power, and this is especially true of financial power.

    Plan For Reality As It Exists Today

    Success without an action plan is dumb luck in action. So, get your plan well documented! Your plan should be, must be, based on your specific reality– reality as it exists today and never based on some pipe dream. You can’t plan on your dream of locally finding a fully-equipped FEMA storage point unguarded and complete with instructions, how-to videos, and weapons with tons of ammo that you know how to use and maintain. It just ain’t gonna happen that way, no how, not ever, and not for anybody anywhere. It … Continue reading →