Category: Reader-Written Contributed Article

Surviving Virginia’s New Year’s Snowstorm, by K.A.A.

Unlike many of you, I am an average suburbanite, not a hardcore prepper living on a homestead in the country. My family needs to stay where we are because of my husband’s work. So we are making the best of living a short distance from Washington, DC. We are generally well-prepared for the typical emergencies experienced in northern Virginia, such as severe thunderstorms and hurricanes. But we were caught mostly unprepared for the unusually severe snowstorm that we had in early January, 2022. This storm delivered 14-inches of snow where I live and stranded hundreds of drivers, including one of …


Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) Spare Electric Motor The motors used in the Dankoff slow pumps are of the highest quality and would not need service except for brushes. However, it would be nice to have a spare motor just in case an armature fails, or a bearing fails, or if the original motor is lost to theft. If the spare pump motor was stored in an alternate location with a spare pump head and coupler, then we could eventually fabricate the missing parts.  A recent quote from the owner, Kenny at Dankoff Solar Pumps: $539 for …


Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 3.) Delivery Line Pressure Specifications Water pressure per foot of head, in the Dankoff chart indicates 60 PSI static pressure at 140 feet.  When water is pumped, if my gauge is accurate, 60 PSI was reached at about 100 feet. Note that 60psi is the maximum pressure rating of most 1/2″ drip irrigation that is the least expensive black poly pipe. As a quick reference when designing a system, download the PDF of this chart.  To save money, you can use inexpensive black poly pipe rated for 100 or 160 PSI for lifts above 120 feet. To …


Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.) If a 100-watt panel is used, the voltage could be 17.5 to 19 volts at its peak amperage, which is too high for long-term operation. As tested, I use two 100-watt panels, that have one cell covered with duct tape to reduce the voltage at the pump. Voltage is confirmed using a multimeter, and output measured with a one-gallon container, and a tachometer confirms that the pump head is turning at less than 1,725 rpm. Output should be slightly less 2.50 gallons per minute (GPM) if the Dankoff Model #1303 is used, and slightly less than …


Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) There are clear advantages with the addition of electronics, and a battery-based pump system.  However reliable they may, or may not be, both of these options can fail at a future date.  As it is, if there are not the microchips to produce it today, so I would not expect it to be available during or after TEOTWAWKI. If we know how to work around a complex device normally used to run solar pumps, then we can also avoid the expense of either the pump controller or perhaps even a PV system altogether. Simplicity is better …


Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

The Mission: To “Survive and Thrive” In my opinion, the ability to irrigate crops is not covered adequately.  Few have a plan, or the ability pump water for decades without electricity from the grid.  And fewer still have a contingency plan that includes relocating with this critical ability. Not only is our currency at risk, at the same time, so is our food supply and the ability to grow it.  Famine could soon be in the land. What is occurring in the world today has no equal in modern history books, but has been foretold in the Book of Revelation. …


You Need to Train, by Joe Dolio

I think that the biggest gap and blind spot that we have in preparedness circles is training. A quick look at social media will confirm this. You’ll find discussions and photos of all the latest whiz-bang gadgetry we buy, photos of our food stockpiles, photos of guns and ammo, but not a lot of discussion on the training we do. Now, I‘m not really a fan of discussing anything on social media, which I’ll get into in a second, but most people narrative their lives on it, and the lack of discussion is proof that training isn’t happening for most. …


Actionable Information on COVID 19 – Part 3, by J.B.H.

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) Despite the unclear science, there are several other things that I think one can do of practical value in this environment. This is very important, since, as previously noted, coronavirus may have always been a bigger issue than the flu that everyone has been talking about for decades. And it may continue to be a bigger issue. First, stay flexible and keep a close eye on the vaccine situation. Watch the current vaccines. Look for new vaccines. Collect what data you can including data from personal friends on their safety and effectiveness. …


Actionable Information on COVID 19 – Part 2, by J.B.H.

(Continued from Part 1.) The Viral Distribution of Influenza-Like Illnesses This subject has received little attention in the press that I have seen. I started thinking about this in response to various comments and memes talking about the lack of influenza cases in the last year. Many noted that in most years you have 10s of millions of flu cases estimated/recorded but this past year nearly none. Many viewed this as evidence that the COVID pandemic was nonsense, and perhaps they are right. However I went in different direction in my mind that I saw no one else going. What …


Actionable Information on COVID 19 – Part 1, by J.B.H.

Like many, I have spent arguably too much time over the last few years researching COVID 19 and many things related. I have listened to Presidents (Okay I don’t listen to Biden), health officials, pundits in the news and friends. I have read more medical studies than ever before in my life. I have read numerous articles from all sources and read thousands of comments regarding those articles, many of which have sent me to yet more articles and studies. The country, and world for that matter, is clearly divided on many of the issues surrounding COVID 19. How severe …


Reflections of an Aging Prepper, by Wayne Bosak

I was a city boy, but my wife was a country girl. In our early years while raising young children we learned how to garden and my wife used the skills she had learned from her mother preserving the food we raised. Raising our own food had become a way of life. After ten years of married life living in the city life we moved to rural Tennessee. For me, it was a huge change, but one that I embraced fully. Sometime during that first year in the rural life, I realized that I had found my home and lifestyle. …


A North American Holocaust? – Part 2, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) There are so many more survivor testimonies, that I couldn’t write about all of them. You can find them on YouTube, and there are documentaries and books that have been written. You might think it terribly maudlin to spend the time to listen to the survivor testimonies. I allowed myself to mentally and emotionally descend into the horror of each testimony. My goal? I wanted to understand how a “normal society” could possibly be convinced to demonize a whole group of people. How could neighbors, friends, and family turn against one another …


A North American Holocaust? – Part 1, by SaraSue

I spent some time during the Holidays studying the history of the Holocaust. Why? Well, I had some downtime due to my body not cooperating which required my feet to be elevated. When this happens I like to research various topics while resting. Secondly, something has been really bothering me and I wanted to get some answers for myself. I thought my experience might be typical for some of yours, so I thought I would share it. These are my thoughts and observations from holocaust survivor testimonies and how I think it relates to our current reality. I have a …


Gasoline Types and Long Term Storage, by Tunnel Rabbit

I started wrenching in 1976, and have several decades of experience in this field. Diesel is the best fuel for TEOTWAWKI, but I cannot afford to switch, and I do not have diesel chainsaw.  I store aviation gasoline (Avgas) “100LL” for my chainsaws and generators.  This pure form of gasoline does not separate, nor degrade as rapidly as modern gasoline sold are regular gas stations. It is much like gasoline was in the 1960s that contain lead, and has few additives. You can buy it at most airports that cater to general aviation private pilots. If stored in air-tight metal …


Gear Review: Axil GS Extreme Earbuds, by The Novice

Axil GS Extreme Earbuds transmit and even amplify ambient noises while filtering out the dangerously loud sounds that can result in hearing loss. I found the earbuds to work well in setting like the range, running a chainsaw outdoors, running a circular saw inside, or driving while a dog is baying near my ear. These earbuds have become my preferred method of hearing protection. The Backstory I have noticed that ear muffs and rifle stocks do not always play well together. The muffs and the stock somehow seem to get in each other’s way, with the stock banging the muffs, …