Category: Contest

Risk Mitigation: Strategies for the Prepper, by Dan S.

Risk mitigation. Sounds fancy but all it means is “what are the most viable threats and what actions I can take to reduce the threats.” In this article, I am going to discuss risk mitigation strategies and provide practical examples of how this linear thought process can be used by the prepper in how they plan, provision, and train for WTSHTF. Risk mitigation differs from contingency planning by asking what can I do before a critical incident happens, versus what can I do after it happens. A major aspect of continuity planning for large organizations (government, business, academia, health care, …


More than Half-Past 2021, by A.E.

I have a love-hate relationship with prepping. I love the planning and preparation, playing the game of “What if?” for probable problems in my/our future; the ready access to supplies without running errands to pick up ‘stuff’ on a regular basis. I hate the prospect that preps are necessary due to possible life or death problems. It means things are not stable and therefore dangerous to me and mine. So let’s look at some of our instability that could lead to problems. First of all, our government is being run, pretty much top to bottom, by political hacks who usually …


Slowing Evaporation From a Zippo Lighter, by The Novice

The iconic Zippo lighter is an excellent tool for starting fires. Battlefield tested from World War 2 to the War on Terror, it has proven to be a versatile, durable, and reliable tool in daily use. One major drawback of the Zippo is that it loses fuel fairly quickly due to evaporation. I had previously read about an old trick for slowing this evaporation by using a piece of bicycle inner tube. I decided to give it a try. Lighter History A lighter is a portable and reusable device designed to produce a flame. Already in the 1600s, the first …


The Joys of Canning, by St. Funogas

It was one of those intolerably hot and muggy days of August. My sister in the Redoubt called to say they could see the smoke from the big fires in California and the Northwest and how hot the weather had gotten even near the Tetons. She said in no uncertain terms, “Only a fool would be trying to get any work done today instead of lounging in a hammock with some lemonade!” And there I was slaving over a hot stove canning three-bean salad before the beans got overripe, the steam making the muggy day even muggier. And yet, I …


Seed Harvesting Tips for Survival – Part 2, by R.B.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) How Do I Store Seeds Inexpensively and Efficiently? During the summer, save empty envelopes from mail received and carefully cut one end open to remove the contents. If it is an envelope with a cellophane window, slice open the end closest to the window. (There is now a reason to open some of that unwanted junk mail you receive.) Also accumulate empty pill and vitamin bottles and save any *tiny* jewelry-size zip-lock bags. Large mouth jugs with screw-top lids that held three to five pounds of food (parmesan cheese, dried onions, etc) …


Seed Harvesting Tips for Survival – Part 1, by R.B.

As I’m writing this, we are in the full swing of seed gathering here in zone 6 of the northern South. The purpose of this article is to help people in any section of the country learn some easy and inexpensive ways to gather and save seed for now and for harder times to come. Consider the following. Will seed always be available for each type of vegetable, fruit, grain, or flower that you want to grow? Truth be told there are already shortages due to skyrocketing orders following concerns about potential food production failures. What about current price inflation …


Hand Sanitizer, A Knife, and Eyeglasses Cleaner, by The Novice

I would like to pass along some odd discoveries for your amusement and edification. Repurposing Surplus Hand Sanitizer With the advent of Covid, many micro breweries and chemical companies in our area turned their production capacity to making hand sanitizer. They wanted to do their part to help slow the spread of Covid. No good deed goes unpunished. On December 29, 2020, the FDA notified these companies that they needed to pay a $14,060 Monograph Drug Facility Fee and $9,373 Contract Manufacturing Organization Facility Fee by February 11, 2021. After significant media outcry, the fees were withdrawn. They are a …


This is Not My Planned TEOTWAWKI , by S.F. in Oregon

I’ve planned and prepared for a panoply of disasters: Financial collapse?  Check.  EMP strike?  Check.  Mutant Biker Apocalypse?  Check.  Slow descent into Third World conditions?  Hmmm…  This is not the TEOTWAWKI I prepared for.  So, let’s regroup and reassess. As society collapses slowly in what can only be described as a slow-motion-controlled demolition of civilization, what are we witnessing? Labor shortages, at least for now.  Perhaps the end of unemployment benefits will reverse this, but if this is planned (The Great Reset), then it may continue.  How does this play out?  The other day a friend who does not make …


Books, Reviews, and Censorship, by M.M.

As a historian and self-confessed bibliophile, I despise censorship of any kind by anyone at any time. If you disagree with an author, the simple course of action is to not purchase their work(s). With the Internet, books are easier to come by today than in any other time in human history. You can shop in thousands of bookstores and never leave home. Click some buttons and the book is en route to your mailbox and will arrive in a few days. An easy way to access the internet is via your so-called smartphone. What a wonderful tool. You can …


Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced: Round 96

We’ve complete the judging for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prize winners are: First Prize: Mike V., for Combating Sheep Flock Parasites Part 1, and Part 2, posted on August 14-15, 2021. 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 $2000. 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 course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s …


Reacting to Riots, by Don Shift

Editor’s Introductory Note: This guest post is an adaptation of an excerpt from Don Shift’s non-fiction book Suburban Defense: A cop’s guide to protecting your home and neighborhood during riots, civil war, or SHTF. It is posted with permission. — 2020 was the year of the mass riot that made its way into residential neighborhoods. We saw ad hoc groups spring up in defense, but just standing around openly carrying isn’t always going to turn the tide. Bad guys will call your bluff and suburbanites to rural defenders need to consider proper riot/crowd control techniques and equipment. Goals of your …


The Urban Versus Rural Chasm, by MacHam

When doing research for this fascinating topic I found so little in the way in empirical research. The question I asked over and over again is: How could such a vast swath of America be ignored for so long? Yet no one asked these questions. Using very current 2020 United States census data you will see that 52% of America lives in unincorporated communities. Then coupled with the fact that 8.4% of America lives in small-town USA, that is cities and towns under 10,000 people. So a qualified majority lives their lives in relative political obscurity. I hope with some …


Get Out of the Cities – Part 2, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) In Part 1, I discussed the primary reason for getting out of the big cities: It is just not safe. The main reasons I have been told that people hesitate on moving to a rural location is not knowing what to do for a living – getting a job. The money thing. Secondarily, the inconvenience of being far away from customary activities. Thirdly, fear of the unknown. There are many reasons why people can’t fathom moving away from the big city. Making money If you can’t “take your job with you”, for …


Get Out of the Cities – Part 1, by SaraSue

If you’re on the fence, then please get off of it and make your move. I realize how scary that sounds because I’ve done it. I realize how insane it sounds to walk away from a job with really good benefits and a retirement account. Again, because I did it. I did it for health reasons several years ago, but the current situation is no different – there is a need, a demand, a situation at hand (unconstitutional mandates?), that requires finding a spot far away from the madness and its influences. I was scared spitless at the time – …


Consider Where We Are – Part 2, by APD-4

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) The Unravelling era by definition had no peak or pinnacle and one finds it hard to pick out sentinel events. The normalization of alternative lifestyles, education and mores was reflected in the government by its multiple scandals (Monica Lewinsky/Clinton), and in the preeminence of the Entertainment industry. The lack of regulation would lead to various economic bubbles (real estate, Internet start-up) and deference to Big Business (repeal of the Glass-Steagal Act). Meanwhile, the 1993 WTC bombing attempt, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 2000 presidential election would portend a coming storm. A …