Category: Contest

Writing Contest Judging Results (Round 111)

We’ve completed the judging for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize goes to E.R., for his two-part article A Water System Adventure. It ran February 15-16, 2024, 2024.  (See Part 1 and Part 2.) His prizes will include: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 …


Rethinking Food Storage – Part 2, by Anita Bailey

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Although these genetic modifications are generally considered safe to consume, there is scant long-term research on the effects on human digestive function or other bodily processes. We just don’t know. People who consume them may be unwitting testers. However, there are indications that some herbicides remain in grains, even those labeled as organic. One of these that is increasingly concerning, is glyphosate which has been linked to non-Hodgkins-lymphoma, and other inflammation-related diseases and disorders such as diabetes, gut disorders, and autism. This chemical is used to kill unwanted grasses and other weeds …


Rethinking Food Storage – Part 1, by Anita Bailey

Most of us who read SurvivalBlog likely have some food – maybe a lot of food – stored up for the proverbial “rainy day” or other possible situations. Storing food has increased in public interest over the last few years. An internet search on “food storage” produces 1.6 billion hits at this writing, averaging about 1 search per minute all day and night. That’s a lot of interest. It’s not slowing down, either. I’ve been storing up for well over five decades. When I started, I lived in a major city. Now I’m rural on a farm. I continue the …


Home Security for the Gun-Deprived, by R.J.

When your temporary or semi-permanent home has to be away from true-home, you want to be secure there as well. This review is based on experiences and plans my family and I had when living and working (and for many years with young children) in not-the-most-salubrious-parts of the planet. These places also didn’t allow foreigners to own firesticks whether long- or hand-guns; a couple of countries grudgingly allowed private possession of shotguns but only for citizens, not transients, even if the transient was going to be there for years at a time. As a consequence, the Lady of the House …


The Smaller Things, by A. Midwester

To give you a little background, for most of my life I lived in an urban environment, everything I needed was just a short walk or drive away. It could have been a few 2x4s and screws for one of my many projects, a new tool when I needed it, or anything else like it. If it wasn’t available locally, I could easily order it online and expect it, almost without failure, within a day or two. It’s truly amazing what society has developed in terms of convenience. But it’s also scary to consider what would happen if that convenience …


Coping With a Spring Snowstorm, by Hollyberry

Here in Maine we had been experiencing a mild winter and heading into spring warmer temperatures than normal. The ground was bare, little plants were poking their heads up and the birds were singing. Most people took the plows off of their truck and dreams of gardening early were running through our heads. Well, there is an old saying: Man plans and God laughs.  That came true. On March 20th into the 21st, we received about 9-10 inches of heavy, wet snow. Then the temperatures plummeted to teens with below-zero wind chills. Okay, this is spring in Maine and these …


Barbering at Home, by SwampFox

Stereotypes are not a good thing. You know the “survivalist” or “mountain man” look that you see on television –long beard, unkempt hair, and generally rough clothing. While outdoor work and lack of supplies can lead to this condition, I believe it is possible to weather the hard times with good hygiene and style. When I was young, haircuts were usually done at home. Occasionally, I would go with my father to a barbershop, but that did not happen very often. Mostly, haircuts were done with a pair of scissors, and my father did a very good job with it. …


What Would Robinson Crusoe Get at WalMart?, by A.B.B.

Let’s suppose that you are Robinson Crusoe at TEOTWAWKI. If you have one last opportunity to go to a store, then what would you get? Where would you get it? Bic Ligters? Vitamin C tablets? Water purifiers? Your answers to these questions will predetermine your actions on TEOTWAWKI. My wife and I have decided to each carry cash, a 1 oz gold Krugerrand coin on our persons and twenty dollars face value of 90% junk silver in our book bags for the foreseeable future. If or when something hits, minimally the credit card systems will go down. Cash will become …


The Deuce and a Half as a BOV, by B.F. 

I am often amused at the articles in both mainstream publications and in the preparedness press that talk about using surplus military vehicles as “bug out vehicles” (BOVs). Sometimes these vehicles are basically stock, other times they are highly customized packages priced at $100,000 or more. In any event, I believe they are off the mark in their suggestions, although they do make for enjoyable reading. Now don’t get me wrong, I like surplus military vehicles. I own (or have owned) several including an M35A2 Deuce and a Half with winch. an M818 semi-tractor, an M1009 CUCV, an M998 HMMWV, …


Two-Ingredient Hygiene Treatments, by Mrs. Alaska

Have you ever wondered how people cleaned themselves for centuries without access to a thousand different commercial soaps, shampoos, and lotions? Several answers lie in the treatments below, which largely utilize kitchen staples, and, in many cases, only one or two ingredients. Ancient Romans, for example, slathered olive oil on their skin and then scraped it off with a dull blade (called a strigil), removing dead skin cells and moisturizing the skin at the same time. Contemporary friends in India swear to the efficacy of coconut oil for their luxuriant hair and lovely skin. A clay tablet, from about 2200 …


Some Practical Greeenhouse Gardening Experience, by Hollyberry

People tend to think if you have a greenhouse you sprinkle some seeds, water them, and the plants magically grow. It’s not that easy! Having a greenhouse, especially in a cold weather state, like where we live, has its own challenges. My goal with this article is to speed up the decade-long learning curve that we endured. Our greenhouse in Maine extends our growing season about a month and a half on the front end and about a month and a half on the back end. This is just an estimation, anything can happen with the weather! Before building your …


Life Without Running Water – Part 2, by E. Homesteader

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Collection Frequency and Usage Amounts Living in such a dry environment for so many years in Colorado instilled a natural water conservancy in us. Now that we live next to a lake and have abundant rainfall throughout the year, we feel very fortunate to have so much water “at our fingertips.” Currently, our water usage is very low since we don’t have a flush toilet, washing machine, or plants/garden that need watering. Until recently, we didn’t have an indoor shower, either. Laundry and car washing are done in our nearby small town. …


Life Without Running Water – Part 1, by E. Homesteader

When I was in my 30s I began to practice an off-the-grid, alternative lifestyle. But the unique circumstances of 2020 tested my adage: “make the best of what life offers,” and polished my homesteading skills like nothing before. By trial, and not too much error, I’ve learned to live without running water and want to share my experiences with you. I’m now in my 60s. Our story, or Why we Live without Running Water In September of 2019, we sold our 42 acre, off-grid Colorado homestead where we lived for 14 years, raising various small animals, tending a large garden, …


Cowboy Hot Tubs, by A Bielski Brother

Hygiene and clean clothes.  When you first hear those words, they sound boring.  Hygiene and clean clothes are not sexy like, “30-round magazines”, “Bug-Out-Bags”, or LP/OPs (listening posts/observation posts).  They are not sexy. They are something more.  They are essential. When, not if, the grid goes down, you will want to wash your clothes and stay clean.  I spent three years in Afghanistan and two years in Iraq as a military contractor.  Having hot showers was a mini-vacation for us.  When you’re outside in the elements continuously, it wears you down.  When the grid goes down, the elderly and young …


The Rise of the ALPR Bots, by Anon-12

America is quietly being populated with Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems in towns, cities, and on highways. Most Americans drive by these devices daily unaware that they are being watched and recorded into a state database and probably a national database. The ALPR units are often very small and not easily detectable when mounted on electric poles and highway sign poles. I work in a small city along the I-75 corridor which runs through six states from Florida and Michigan. I work in technology for a local company and know a few higher-ups in the local police department. One …