Preparedness Principles – Part 1, by Old Bobbert

In this two-part essay, I will relate some Profoundly Productive Proper Preparedness Principles:  “Protection From Failure.“ Part 1 is general, while Part 2 is quite specific and has lots of links. Disclaimer:  The contents of this article are offered only as educational information freely available to the general public. There is no intent to promote or enable any type of illegal, immoral, insurgent, destructive, dangerous activities, communications, or conduct. I find it distasteful that living in these times that I feel obliged to post such a disclaimer. — Introduction “Principles.”  It’s not just another dull word. No, it is an …


Re-Purposing Small Containers, by The Novice

The squeeze tube was invented by artist John Goffe Rand in 1841. It was originally designed to contain and dispense paint. By 1889, Johnson and Johnson began selling toothpaste in tubes. When I lived in Norway during the 1990s, I enjoyed dispensing cod caviar onto crackers from squeeze tubes. Squeeze tubes provide a convenient container/dispenser for substances that might otherwise be messy to use. One day recently as I was brushing my teeth, I was thinking that many toothpaste tubes are now plastic, whereas formerly they were usually made of metal. As I thought about this, I began to wonder …


To Freeze-Dry or Not Freeze-Dry, by J.A.

Our family began our self-sufficiency journey approximately 15 to 20 years ago at an LDS Home Storage Center location and we did not have a focused plan (Yes JW,R I should have thoroughly reviewed the list of lists, my bad!). In hindsight, we would not have gone as heavy as we did in wheat berries, beans and rice. However, that is water under the bridge at this point as we slowly work our way through the original purchases (wheat berry meatloaf anyone?). Since that time, our food storage has greatly diversified and if you have priced out certain freeze-dried items …


Constructing a DIY Composting Toilet, by SF in Oregon

Here is my description of my do-it-yourself (DIY) toilet that works like a charm. This is how to deal with the “S” part of when the Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF). Of all the kludges I’ve built off-grid, I’m most proud of my toilet. As preppers, we tend to spend a lot of time on food (what goes in) but not so much on sanitation (what comes out). If you are on-grid with a septic system, great. But as many folks in Texas recently discovered with their once in a generation below freezing storm and subsequent power outage, without water …


2021 Winter Storm Lessons Learned , by Chill N. Texas

I am a long time reader of SurvivalBlog.com but this is my first time submitting an article to the blog. Much of this will be “train of thought” as I am reading through my notes that I was keeping during and immediately after the exceptionally cold winter storm that hit the Houston, Texas area in February, 2021. I have been “preparedness-minded” most of my life, but didn’t consider myself officially a “prepper” until about 10 years ago. I have generally had the support (or at least she humors me) of the wife when it comes to being prepared, but as …


The Long Range Game – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) Mauser Models, and Excessive Head Space Small Ring (M1893-96) Mausers made in Germany can usually be safely loaded to a maximum pressure of 46,000 CUP. This rule applies to rifles also made in Sweden that used arguably higher grade Swedish steel available at that time. Mauser rifles were at first made only in Germany. Mauser sold essentially the same model with minor modifications, chambered for different cartridges. It is basically the same high-quality rifle that was made to shoot many different cartridges and had minor design differences that the customer requested. It was some like ordering …


The Long Range Game – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Clearly, the proposed Federal “Universal Background Checks” legislation is going to make it a hassle, if not eventually ‘heck’ to privately acquire post-1898 guns. If they cannot outright remove the Second Amendment, they will create a maze of hurtles to harass us, making it difficult to legally own. In the event that it would be smarter to keep the ‘safe queens’ safe, safe from ‘color of law’ or opportunistic of styled confiscation, pre-1899 antique rifles and handguns might be a part of the arsenal. These are not considered “firearms” by the BATF, and require no paperwork, and can even shipped …


Gear Review: A Recoil Pad and Some Earplugs, by The Novice

In the past, I have written a little about my father’s .30-06. It is a well used Remington 742, manufactured before 1967. It has been my primary deer rifle for many years. If I remember right, Patrick F. McManus once wrote about previously-hiked-trails becoming gradually longer and steeper, packs becoming heavier, the ground becoming harder to sleep on, and autumn evenings becoming colder. I believe that he attributed these changes to the earth shifting on its axis. Or perhaps they are due to global warming, or even COVID-19. As Mr. McManus mentioned in his story, there is at least one …


Understanding the Liberal Thought Process, by Edward

Disclaimer: I’m not a psychologist, just a guy with an interest in human motivations. This essay gives my opinions based on observations and amateur research. Your experiences will differ, and you may disagree. To begin, two terms require definition for purposes of this essay. • Virtue is defined herein as a liberal’s moral belief held with such certainty that pressuring society toward greater Virtue justifies any means. The term “Virtue” here is very different from what most consider virtuous. Rather, this type of Virtue represents the epitome of the phrase, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” • …


The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

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(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) ANTENNA SELECTION Mobile Antennas Selection, and Mounts The following list is very short list as most antennas on the market require the installer to tune the antenna with an SWR meter.  Often this fact is omitted. Fortunately, both these antennas do not need to be tuned and are more than adequate.  There is not much need to look further. Both of these antennas have NMO bases, and there is a variety of heavy to light magenetic mount with various cable lengths available that have MNO fittings.  Magnetic mount bases are very popular, …


The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

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(Continued from Part 3.) The Quad Barreled Cannon, The Wouxun KG-UV980P, $310.00 The Wouxun KG-UV980P Quad Band Base/Mobile Two Way Radio is a quad band, with cross band repeat, a 50 watt transceiver, that transmits using FM only in these frequency ranges: 26 to 29 MHz, 50 to 54 MHz, 136 to 174 MHz, and 400 to 480 MHz.  It can generally be described in terms of Amateur Radio as a 10 meter, 6 meter, 2 meter, and 70cm, yet this unit transmits outside of these Amateur bands, and is much more than simply a Ham radio.  For example, it …


The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

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(Continued from Part 2.) Editor’s Note: The following section of the article describes some high power and out-of-band transmission modifications that are not legal under most circumstances. In an absolute disaster situation, anyone can operate outside of normal bands/channels without a license and probably without any legal repercussions. But doing so in normal times will surely get someone arrested, their gear seized, and some hefty fines. Beware! BACK TO THE FUTURE, CB RADIO IS BACK! Although Citizen Band (CB) might not be a part of our primary radio communications plan, we may need to operate a CB to talk to …


The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

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(Continued from Part 1.) UHF Business Band Transceivers This is a more versatile radio than the Midland MXT400 that can access off the beaten path frequencies, and provides much better COMSEC (Communications Security). These can use the same antenna, cable, and adapters detailed for the GMRS transceivers. This type of radio can be programmed per your instructions by BuyTwoWayRadios.com, and the radio is easy to use and rugged. Our choice of frequencies are limited by the radio to the UHF band, and the limits of the antenna that covers only a section of the UHF band. We can also purchase …


The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

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Editor’s Introductory Note:  Because of the length of this detailed article, it will be serialized into five parts. — I’ll begin with a note of warning for those who would delve into, or recommend sophisticated radio equipment.  The learning curve can be steep, and it requires a significant investment of time to become competent. I recommend using the “Keep, Simple, Stupid” (K.I.S.S.) principle. The apocryphal originator of the K.I.S.S. principle was no simpleton. He was the aircraft design genius Kelly Johnson, and we should heed the advice. It is likely that simple-to-use equipment is the best choice for most. Here …


Budget Dry Fire Training: The Mantis X2, by The Novice

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The story is told of a man with a leaky roof. One rainy day, his wife said to him, “The roof is leaking. Why don’t you fix it?” The man replied, “I can’t. It’s raining.” The next day dawned sunny and clear. The man’s wife said to him, “The weather is nice today. Why don’t you fix the roof?” The man replied, “I don’t need to. It’s not leaking.” Many firearm owners now find themselves in a similar position to the man with the leaky roof. For a number of years, ammunition was plentiful and inexpensive. They said, “Why do …