Experience with Tesla Solar and Powerwall 2, by Davey

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I’d like to relate my experience with installing and operating the Tesla Solar and Powerwall 2 system. Being able to be off-grid is a goal that most folks prepping aspire to achieve. There are many ways to accomplish this depending on your individual budget, location and needs. Take a moment and think about modern life. Modern life runs on electricity. All the things like your household appliances, lights, HVAC plus your fridge, water heater, and the chest freezer in the garage. The outdoor security lights plus your infrared camera systems and your security alarm system. What about your driveway notifier …


Reloading for Obsolete Rimfires, by Michael Z. Williamson

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Yes, that’s correct. Reloadable rimfire ammo for your obsolete guns. I can now shoot my original rimfires, most notably my 1863 Colt Pocket Navy conversion. The company HC Collection in France produces these kits for .32 Rimfire, .32 Rimfire Long, .38 Rimfire, and .41 Rimfire, as well as several pinfire calibers. I bought one to try out. The .32 Rimfire kit contains cartridge cases, bullets, swaging tools, dies, and instruction (in English.) It comes in a wooden case. Because it shipped from overseas, it did not contain primers, but those are readily available here in the USA. This kit can be …


Making Ham and Bacon at Home, by Michele C.

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I’m one of those ‘tin-foil hat’ weirdo preppers and proud of it; especially in light of the recent lockdown orders that many states have unconstitutionally ordered in light of COVID-19. When everyone was on a wild grab for toilet paper and other things they thought they needed, emptying store shelves of everything; my family and I were sitting home comfortable and unstressed. I am always teaching myself new things to make everything I need or want including making cured meats – in case it would no longer be available on supermarket shelves or in a SHTF situation. In the past …


Small Batch Meat Canning Tips, by Tractorguy

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Introductory Proviso: This article assumes that the user is already familiar with safe practices to pressure-can meat. This article is NOT a comprehensive discussion of all the caveats and procedures necessary for safe canning. It is ONLY supplementary information for specific items and situations listed below. The correct procedures (times and pressures) for safely pressure-canning low-pH items like meats are available from the manufacturer of your pressure canner or from the USDA. My wife and I enjoy pressure canning, and believe it to be the best procedure for storing small quantities of meat and other perishables for easy transportation and …


The Fleecing of History – Part 4, by Lazer

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(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) But What about Fascism? Oh boy, could I fill the books out on this topic. However, I would like to focus more on the lead in to Nazi Germany than the results…because it re-enforces where my article will end. Germany in the late 1920s through early 1930s was hit equally hard as America during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. Even though the Nazi party had existed for quite some time, it did not see a popularity boost until a zealous young man gave it a face and a promise. The root …


The Fleecing of History – Part 3, by Lazer

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(Continued from Part 2.) The Birth of Communism And here ladies and gentlemen is where the greatest revelation lies…the birth of the infamous Communist Manifesto. When Karl Marx viewed the world, he started as a socialist – but realized that socialism takes too long to accomplish its goal. If one could have the “leaders” make all the decisions, no-one would have to really worry about anything! Life would be easy! Only time is the great hand that slaps humans in the face to wake them up after implementing Communism. Communism after all, is based on subject obedience and brainwashing, plain …


The Fleecing of History – Part 2, by Lazer

(Continued from Part 1.) The Colonization Era: 300 – 1750 AD After the collapse of the Roman Empire, nation-states began to rise in their own power. I will not dive into all of them, as there is a lot of “rinse and repeat” styles of conquest, subjugation, and corruption. In this era, the name of the game was a continuation of the Roman Empire’s philosophy “see the world, fleece it dry”. However, the main leash that was used to control the masses became religion. It was during the 6th and 7th centuries that civilizations of people were now exposed to …


The Fleecing of History – Part 1, by Lazer

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For those of you who follow The Book, we are all described as sheep, called to follow our shepherd in life and beyond. For those that are wondering “what is he talking about?”, I’m refer to the Bible…the most reviewed and historically fact-checked book of all time. I am writing this because I feel bound to. You see, my children are asking some good hard questions, and I am betting that a lot of others are asking you as well. We best have accurate answers to relate to our children if we do not want them growing up to be …


Garden Bed Weed Management, by Southern Trapper

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Working a 9-to-5 job, I don’t have time to pull weeds every day so I sure won’t be able to do so during TEOTWAWKI when time and operational security are scarce. So, I have spent a lot of time experimenting with techniques to reduce weed growth and improve soil conditions that require minimal inputs and labor. Here I present three methods of preparing new garden beds and maintaining existing beds that require only hand tools. These techniques are particularly suitable for individuals who want to turn existing sod into high-intensity gardening as happened in March of 2020 when many suburban …


Forest Foraging: The Noble Oak, by Prepared Pamela

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Nearly 500 species of oak trees populate five continents. In Greek mythology they were a symbol of Zeus, the “God of Thunder.” The botanical name Quercus means “beautiful tree.” The acorn or nut usually contains a single seed enclosed in a tough leathery shell and borne in a cup-shaped capsule. Acorns are 1 to 6 centimeters long and 0.8 to 4 centimeters wide. They take between 6 and 24 months to mature depending on the species. Acorns were used as an important source of nutrition for thousands of years. They have been a treasured perennial plant fiercely protected by indigenous …


Starting Seeds Indoors: Tips and Trials, by CAL

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Last year I began to get much more serious about starting my plants from seed. As my garden has grown in size each year, I saw the wisdom in starting my own seeds. Never mind the increased pressure to make sure we have a sustainable food source during these turbulent times. I reasoned that starting my own seeds would give me a jump on the growing season. I could control for erratic early season weather and I would save a great deal of money as the price of seedlings as the nursery has been doubling in price. I have been …


A SSB CB Thrift Store Score!, by Tunnel Rabbit

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My advice is to keep checking the thrift stores. I went to town to sell eggs, and turned some of the egg money into a single-sideband (SSB) Citizen’s Band (CB) radio ($5), and 100 feet of new 75-ohm coaxial cable ($2.50). I can now get on the air for only for only $8.50! If I land one more of these, then I will consider modifying my Kenwood 830S 10-meter rig to 11 meter. I would then have a 100-watt rig with SSB capability to talk to my mobile SSB CBs. Having SSB mode CB would give me yet another redundant …


Gear Review: Permanent Metal Match, by The Novice

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The ability to start a fire is foundational for survival. For quite a while now, my primary fire-starting method has been a ferrocerium rod igniting cotton balls dabbed with petroleum jelly. My secondary method has been waterproof matches. I have been searching for a durable and reliable tool/process to be my tertiary fire-starting method. I wrote a little about this search in an article published on SurvivalBlog on January 10, 2021. This article is an update about the next stage in that search process. For Christmas this year, my wife gave me a permanent metal match. These are also known …


TEOTWAWKI Clothes-Washing System, by St. Funogas

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One thing we take for granted in this day and age is the ability to throw our clothes into a machine, forget about ‘em for an hour, then come back have them all nice and clean. When I was born, my military family was so poor my mother washed diapers for two babies in the bathtub. Not only was it hard on her knees but also on her petite hands as she wrung out all those diapers before hanging them on the line. The day my dad made third class he borrowed a crow (third-class insignia) and wore it home. …


Knowledge is Power: The Value of an Area Study – Part 2, by Viking4

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Human Terrain This section of the area study deals with the people who live in your Area of Operations (AO) and Area of Interest (AI). Data for this section can be a little harder to find depending on where you live. For my first area study I was able to search voter rolls to determine party affiliations. For my current area those records do not exist, though I was able to find more detailed political party details relevant to the AO. Data to determine and document the human terrain include: • Names …