Category: Reader-Written Contributed Article

Living The Homesteading Life Dream – Part 1, by 3 AD Scout

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For many of us, being able to move to our retreat/homestead/bug out location (BOL) full time is an elusive endeavor but for some the homesteading life dream does become reality. Our permanent move to our BOL was planned for post-retirement but those plans were moved up due to a medical condition. This article will recount the good, the bad and the uncategorized of our journey to find, improve, maintain and move into our BOL. Finding a BOL wasn’t easy. At first, I was looking around the Allegheny National Forest, in Northwestern Pennsylvania. (see “Picking a BOL” by Pete Thorsen, posted …


Optimizing MURS Dakota Alert Sensors – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

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(Continued from Part 1. This installment concludes the article.) — MURS band Dakota Alert systems are very useful, but they often frustrate the user. Read up. It would be a huge loss if one could not operate their sensors correctly. And just like anything else, take one out of the Faraday cage and use it for awhile to gain experience with it. In a time of stress, getting a ‘false alarm’, could be nerve racking, when all hat it needs is batteries. In a pinch, but only in a pinch, would I connect directly to 12 VDC. With higher voltages …


Optimizing MURS Dakota Alert Sensors – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

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Editor’s Introductory Note: This essay describes one approach to optimizing the performance, extending the range, and securing the signal of MURS band Dakota Alert intrusion detection sensors–and other low power transmitters. — To begin, here’s some ground thruth on perimeter security: Security will be Job One. Everything else supports that objective. Manpower for most tasks will be greatly lacking. Every trick, hack, or tactic should be considered. If we don’t see’em, hear’em or smell’em coming, then it is over before it starts. You lose. Organizing with your community is the best defense for those without their own manpower. Defend at …


Black Powder for Self-Reliance – Part 4, by M.B.

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(Continued from Part 3. This concludes a four-part series.) Introductory Disclaimer (Repeated): Making black powder, while safe in the author’s experimental experience, can be dangerous. The author and SurvivalBlog.com do not endorse making black powder, and you do so at your own risk. Making black powder could also be in violation of the laws in your jurisdiction. You are responsible for compliance with all laws in your area. Neither the author, nor SurvivalBlog.com, are responsible for your use of the information in this article. The processes described herein are therefore for informational purposes only. Safety Note (Repeated): Black powder can …


Black Powder for Self-Reliance – Part 3, by M.B.

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(Continued from Part 2.) Introductory Disclaimer (Repeated): Making black powder, while safe in the author’s experimental experience, can be dangerous. The author and SurvivalBlog.com do not endorse making black powder, and you do so at your own risk. Making black powder could also be in violation of the laws in your jurisdiction. You are responsible for compliance with all laws in your area. Neither the author, nor SurvivalBlog.com, are responsible for your use of the information in this article. The processes described herein are therefore for informational purposes only. Safety Note (Repeated): Black powder can be dangerous if there is …


Black Powder for Self-Reliance – Part 2, by M.B.

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(Continued from Part 1.) Introductory Disclaimer (Repeated): Making black powder, while safe in the author’s experimental experience, can be dangerous. The author and SurvivalBlog.com do not endorse making black powder, and you do so at your own risk. Making black powder could also be in violation of the laws in your jurisdiction. You are responsible for compliance with all laws in your area. Neither the author, nor SurvivalBlog.com, are responsible for your use of the information in this article. The processes described herein are therefore for informational purposes only. Safety Note (Repeated): Black powder can be dangerous if there is …


Black Powder for Self-Reliance – Part 1, by M.B.

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Introductory Disclaimer: Making black powder, while safe in the author’s experimental experience, can be dangerous. The author and SurvivalBlog.com do not endorse making black powder, and you do so at your own risk. Making black powder could also be in violation of the laws in your jurisdiction. You are responsible for compliance with all laws in your area. Neither the author, nor SurvivalBlog.com, are responsible for your use of the information in this article. The processes described herein are therefore for informational purposes only. Safety Note: Black powder can be dangerous if there is a gap between the powder and …


Use Fiction To Become Better Prepared, by Alex

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The “prepper” community is largely (and some might say intentionally) misrepresented by the mass media. Many stereotypes about the survivalist originate in mainstream media non-fiction “documentary” and “reality television” programming: the lone wolf survivor, the person or group who actually want to see the end of the world come about, the people preparing so they can prey on the weak, gun lovers who welcome the opportunity to go on a rampage, etc, etc, etc. People within the community already know about these falsehoods. What I want to discuss is the role that fiction can play in the life of a …


How To Use a Baofeng UV-5R, by Tunnel Rabbit

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The following is a piece intended to supplement three readily-available World Wide Web resources: How to manually program a Baofeng UV-5R Download the free programming software called Chirp How to program a Baofeng using a computer After punching in some frequencies, set the radio up for a ‘tactical’ operations by: 1.) Turning off the lighting in the display, and all beeps and bells and whistles. 2.) Set the power level on low for all tactical frequencies. 3.) Select the narrow band option to reduce the range further. 4.) Use several coats of black nail polish to ‘black out’ the LED …


A CONEX Cabin at Our BOL, by Montana Guy

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Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article (in shorter draft form) was originally posted in 2016 at Survivalistboards.com, and is posted with the author’s permission. (He retained his copyright.) Author’s Introductory Caveat: Some government authorities may not allow living like this. It worked for us in Montana but then we chose to not seek permission from them. — Our first Montana winter was spent in an 8′ x 10′ shelter. We survived. And yes, we are still married. This article is directed toward folks who: Live far from where they would like to establish a bug-out, and May want to eventually move …


A Failure to Communicate: Operation Market Garden, by Tunnel Rabbit

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Premised on the advantage of the’ element of surprise’, the bold and hastily conceived juggernaut, the subsequent hasty plan of piss poor preparation, lead to the piss poor execution of an operation of huge proportions, in that made Operation Market Garden, impressive in all regards. Although I’m certainly not a military historian, one can easily take that perspective, and learn something. The 1977 movie, A Bridge Too Far  [which was recently made available via Amazon Prime] is actually a great big fat 3-hour-long After Action Report, Hollywood style.  The fine and honest You Tube channel, History Buff provides criticism, insights …


Adventures in Beekeeping by K. in Tennessee

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I’ve been a regular reader of SurvivalBlog.com for years and had developed an interest in keeping bees. I started researching online, got a book or two from the library, and after a few years felt I was ready to give it a try. Then we moved 800 miles away, bought some land, built a house, and started a little hobby farm in southern Appalachia. Life has funny ways of getting in the way, but I’m much happier for it, and now I have a great place to try out the hobby of beekeeping. I was quite daunted with all of …


Food Storage: The Basics, by Pete Thorsen

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More and more people are seeing the common sense in having some stored food on hand in case of emergencies. Many of these people are not preppers but just want to have the peace of mind knowing they have some extra food on hand for “just in case.” The only problem for some is the question of “Where to start?” With food it is an easy start. Well, then again, maybe not so easy after all. If you decide to have food on hand for an emergency then you should think just that one line through some. What kind of …


Still Prepping After All These Years, by Tony T.

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I have written this to encourage others that may be getting weary with the never-ending labors of preparation. I have divided this into four parts: 1. Learning from my family. 2. Adjusting to my own family. 3. Persevering through the years 4. Where we are now. Learning From My Family I’ll start by describing my father and his family. I was raised in a family that by modern standards would be considered preppers, at least by some. Prepping is not universally defined, to my knowledge. Be that as it may, I say we were preppers, but were unaware. It started …


Two-Way Radio for Your Retreat, by Tunnel Rabbit

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Around here, in this part of the American Redoubt, everybody and their brother, including Bubba and the Back Woods Boys, may have access to a Baofeng, or an older dusty radio transceiver unit sitting in a box somewhere that was pulled out of their retired logging rig.  It could be CB, or VHF, or a Baofeng.  I know, because for years ‘we’ have promoted their use, and program radios for whomsoever will buy one.  Who knows what’ll happen, so I’ll program it for free, just so they’ll have it for a’ rainy’ day.  Push-to-talk radio may tie a small community …