Category: NBC

Thinking About the Unthinkable, Again – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 1.) Exposure versus Contamination I like reading survival articles and watching survival videos. One of the issues that I don’t see explained very well is the difference between exposure and contamination. As a corollary, imagine walking down a road and you see a pile of dog dung. You stop and you smell its nasty odor. In this case you have been exposed but not contaminated. Now imagine walking down the road and step in a pile of dog dung, now you are contaminated and exposed. Until you decontaminate (wash the dog dung off your boot) you will …


Thinking About the Unthinkable, Again – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

As a kid growing up in the 1980s my reading did not consist of comic books and other typical teen publications. My go to reading materials include “SURVIVE”, “AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE” and “SOLDIER OF FORTUNE” magazines. My mom actually purchased a subscription to “AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE” for me as a Christmas present. Back in the 1980s, the threat of nuclear war was still on the minds of many, but not all. It seemed like you had two spectrums regarding nuclear war, those that thought is was survivable and those that swallowed the Communist-backed “nuclear war isn’t survivable” propaganda line. One …


Update: The Big Picture — Grid Up Versus Grid Down–Oil, Soil, and Water

The following is an update to an article that I posted in SurvivalBlog back in September of 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast: — Before selecting a retreat locale, It is crucial that you decide on your own worst-case scenario. A location that is well-suited to surviving a “slow-slide” grid up scenario (a la the deflationary depression of the 1930s) might not necessarily be well suited to a grid down situations. As stated in my post on August 15, 2005, a grid down situation will likely cause a sudden onset variation of TEOTWAWKI with a concomitant mass …


Gardening in a Post-Nuclear Fallout Environment, by Don Shift

Several weeks ago, Reader L.E. asked how seeds would fare after a nuclear war. That got me researching about growing food after the nukes fly would be complicated. It turns out, not much. After a nuclear war, fallout and higher radiation counts worldwide will be a fact of life. The remnants of the fallout will remain acutely in our food chain for a century. Consuming radionuclides (radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes) will be unavoidable, but not as catastrophic as some think, and it can be mitigated. Fallout will not be a massive, universal phenomenon as some of the outdated fallout pattern …


On Thermonuclear War, by 3AD Scout

A lot of chatter can be heard and read about “nuclear war” these days. Like every other subject, there are many differing opinions as to whether or not it is going to happen. As Preppers, our goal is to survive disasters regardless of the origins of the disasters. There are some disasters that we seem to let our politics sway our opinion more than facts and some of us also become unknowing victims of the normalcy bias, nuclear war being one of those disasters. I am a product of the Cold War. As a teenager, I didn’t read comic books. …


Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by J.M.

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[Editor’s Introductory Note:  This lengthy and detailed article will be serialized into six parts.] I’ll admit it: I’m a techno-geek. Ever since I programmed my first computer in BASIC using punched paper tape many (many) years ago I’ve been fascinated by computers and electronics, and I’m always finding ways to leverage technology to improve various aspects of my life. I use RFID chips on many of my preps so I can locate them quickly, I’ve created an extensive database of all of my preps that includes type, quantity, location, storage bin, expiration/rotation date and lots more, and I’ve created a …


When Do We Change Masks? – Part 3, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

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(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) When the mask (and goggles?) is done in the “toaster,” then bag it in a fresh carry bag along with the goggles for your next adventure! (And why this challenging routine? It’s because not only do sneeze and cough droplets carry COVID-19 but even breathing produces a mist of viruses. And those particles are so small they can stay suspended in the air for up to 3 hours. All of these droplets and particles settle out on surfaces and the floor. And this virus is so incredibly contagious that persons who use …


When Do We Change Masks? – Part 2, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

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(Continued from Part 1.) GET SUNNY! Another option would be to expose your contaminated masks to sunlight. The UV component in sunlight will kill viruses. And if you position the mask just right, as the sun moves across the sky it will irradiate the entire face of the mask without any part being shaded and untreated. (You could even hang your masks from a clothesline if you clip the clothespin to one of the tabs where the strap attaches to the mask proper.) Unfortunately, for the Shepherdess and I and many other preppers, the weather here in Spokane does not …


When Do We Change Masks? – Part 1, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

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Editor’s Introductory Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series.  It was written by one of the most prolific contributors to SurvivalBlog. We’ve posted more than 50 of his articles and letter over the past 15 years. — You have your N-95 filter masks. Now how to you get the maximum use out of them? They’re “disposable.” But can you safely re-use them? Does anybody have “enough” masks? Fluorescent powder distribution. https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-019-4109-x DUST? So, when DO we change masks? Well… The tiny virus-containing droplets take a LONG time to actually plug up a filter mask (unlike dust or smoke). …


Letter: Acclimate to Wearing N95 Masks!

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Dear Prepper Friends and Family, As someone who sleeps with a CPAP machine running every night I’ve grown accustomed to the strangeness of having a mask on my face. Even more so, when I exhale the mask fills with hot breath and it feels as if I’m suffocating. When I inhale, however, I get clean, fresh air and it’s all okay. But I had to train myself to not struggle with it. We’re all going to run into this situation with N-95 filter masks if and when the time comes to wear them whenever we go out in public, to …


Letter: Clarifications on N95 Masks

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Dear Editor: There seems to be a lot of misunderstandings about N95 masks.  I have quoted some information from CDC, NIOSH, OSHA, and the FDA to help clear some of the confusion. The main issue I hear is that “only medical rated (by the FDA) N95 masks should be used to protect oneself against Coronavirus  and other flu.”  This is not necessarily true.  The “95” part of the N95 stands for the percentage of particulate matter that the mask will filter out.  The size of the test media is .03 micron.  At .03 micron an N95 mask is more than …


Getting Out of Dodge – Part 3, by Doc

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(Continued from Part 2.  This concludes the article series.) Getting back to the construction details:  I welded up a steel frame and built hinges using 1” bolts and pipe and 3/8” steel plate for the roof of the patio on the East end of the building. I used metal roof material supported by 6”x2” heavy tubing and 2” angle and a lot of rebar and a 3/8’ steel plate for the hydraulic cylinder to lift against. I bought a 5” diameter hydraulic cylinder 48” long and welded a trunion to steel plates on both ends. With the cylinder attached to …


The Current Nuclear Threat – Part 2, by John M.

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North Korea, Scenario 2 The second North Korean scenario involves China and potentially Russia. While the threat of mutually assured destruction makes a direct engagement with Russia or China unlikely, proxy wars have often been occurring. If China or Russia were to back North Korea, then it could benefit all parties against the U.S. China and the U.S. have been political adversaries for many years, but have also been economic partners in many respects. Recent competition has escalated, despite maintaining simultaneous partnerships. China has purchased vast amounts of U.S. debt and produces exports for the U.S.. But President Trump has …


The Current Nuclear Threat – Part 1, by John M.

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Mutually assured destruction. This phrase has long helped prevent direct armed conflict between Russia and the United States. Although many proxy wars have been fought over the past 70 years, since the Soviet Union developed nuclear weapons, both sides have been careful not to start a direct conflict that could escalate toward a nuclear exchange. During the Cold War, there were many moments that brought us close to nuclear war. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the world held their breath as the U.S. faced off with the Soviets over their attempt to place nuclear weapons in Cuba. Many …


Viable Eastern Retreats, by H.A.

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One of the prime considerations of anyone interested in preparing for a serious man-caused or natural disaster in the near future, is the matter of geography. James Rawles coined the concept of the American Redoubt, giving name and definition to an area widely-held to be ideal survival terrain. This area by one of its own main core criteria, is very low population density. But the majority of American people attempting to prepare are not in the American Redoubt. It is difficult for economic and other considerations to uproot and relocate there. More power to anyone seriously considering relocating to the …