Letter Re: How To Survive Without Your Glasses

Regarding the “How to survive without your glasses” post from contributor J.E. on Saturday August 23, those were all good tips, but some folks have sufficiently poor uncorrected vision that rough shapes and colors is all that can be detected beyond a few feet. Planning a self defense strategy with those limitations could wind up being hazardous to everyone around them, friend or foe. Simple myopia (nearsightedness) can be at least partially overcome with magnifying lenses, which is what’s going on when J.E. suggests using binoculars in place of glasses. For those with astigmatism (distortions in the lens of the …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Living Off Grid – Does It Cost More? . – H.L. I’m not sure this is a fair comparison. The author admits that it is difficult to compare the two, but I believe it goes deeper than the issues he lists. You also have to compare the stability of your power as well as long-term maintenance costs. It is my current understanding that living off the power grid with solar is really only cost effective when the commercial utility power would have to be brought in at great expense. However, there is something to be said for “peace of mind”. …



Notes for Tuesday – August 26, 2014

August 26, 526, is the official anniversary of the invention of toilet paper by the Chinese. We celebrate this, not because of the convenience of it. In fact, it has many shortcomings, some described within the articles and letters of SurvivalBlog. We celebrate it primarily because now we have an official metric of just how hard core of a prepper you are as well as a metric for just how economically unstable your country is. August 26, 1946 is also the official release date of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 54 …


Letter Re: Another Good Reason to Can

HJL, Concerning redistributing your home canned food, the new FDA regulations for packaging or repackaging foods are onerous at best. In order to be certified to pack tomatoes, you have a couple of weeks of classes to attend now. This has made it impossible for charitable private organizations, like the Mormon church, to continue many of their programs. In fact if I give away home canned goods to friends, I am technically in violation of the law now. Personally, it means that the average two and a half tons per year of food that I was canning and distributing I …


News From The American Redoubt:

Idaho to distribute predator deterrent money o o o For Once, Republican Candidates Aren’t the Ones Embarrassing Themselves. We love the American Redoubt, but they are not immune from “crazies”. A Google search reveals this candidate’s vlog, and you can see for yourself why 90 percent of communication is body language rather than words. o o o Child Falls to Death in Yellowstone Canyon o o o Federal ruling points to differences over grizzlies’ survivability



Odds ‘n Sods:

This video from Afghanistan shows some interesting new weapons, web gear, and optics variants, along with some good, old fashioned fire and maneuver tactics: U.S. Recon Team Assaults Taliban Position Under Fire Warning: This video includes foul language. – JWR o o o Electromagnetic Warfare Is Here. – M.C. o o o Lawyers Ask Ferguson Mayor to Grant Amnesty for Nonviolent Warrants, Fines. – T.P. o o o 10 George Orwell Quotes That Predicted Life In 2014 America. – J.W. o o o Why Do the People Abuse Themselves by Empowering Government?. – H.L. o o o How Will You …



Notes for Monday – August 25, 2014<

August 25th is a birthday shared by novelist Frederick Forsyth (born 1938) and American humorist Patrick F. McManus (born 1933.) Forsyth was the author of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, and many others. McManus was born and raised in Sandpoint, Idaho, so his books could be classified as American Redoubt humor. JWR met Pat a few years ago, and Pat very kindly autographed his entire battered collection of Pat’s books. Some of these books had been so well-loved that the pages were falling out of their bindings. …


Guest Article: Another Good Reason to Can, Process, Preserve, and Repackage Your Produce, by R.W.

As if you have not heard enough great reasons to process, can, and preserve your own foods, here is more food for thought (pun intended). I cannot speak to every state in the union, but as for the state I live in there are some very strict rules about what foods can be placed in an “official, non-profit Food Pantry”– a charity often run by a church or other non-profit organization that hands out food to those in need. Here are a few of the draconian rules that apply to organizations that are trying to get food (mostly non-perishables) to …


Scot’s Product Review: InstaFire

Fire is kind of a big deal. It keeps us warm, cooks our food, and can signal for help. It’s comforting to sit around one. Being able to have a fire quickly is a very nice thing. InstaFire FireStarter lives up to its name, though you do actually have to go to the bother of striking a match to light it. That’s really not too much to ask for, though, considering the benefit. Yes, there are a lot of things you can set on fire with a match, but unlike a piece of wadded up newspaper, this stuff burns hot …


Recipe of the Week: Italian Bean Soup, by L.H.

This is a favorite soup of ours. It’s hearty, healthy, and perfect for a cold winter’s day. It is also a wonderful way to slip some healthy spinach into the diets of those in your family who think they don’t like it; they’ll never taste that it’s there. Ingredients: 2 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) cannellini beans (or any white beans), rinsed and drained 1 tbs. olive oil ½ – 1 c. cooked, diced ham 2 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, sliced 1 small onion, diced 1 c. thinly-shredded cabbage 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes 3 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) …