Post-TEOTWAWKI Refrigeration, by 3AD Scout

My Amish neighbor, who recently moved into the neighborhood, was telling me that he was going to build an ice house from a kit.  I told him to let me know when he was going to assemble it and I would give him a hand.  I have some historical knowledge of how ice used to be harvested, stored, delivered, and used before modern refrigeration, so I was very interested in how the Amish store and use their ice today.

The Component kit

The ice house kit consisted of 14 large pieces of styrofoam that were one foot thick.  The kit also came with a door that had a very beefy metal locking latch system, and a piece of diamond plate for a threshold.  The styrofoam on the door panel was sandwiched in between two pieces of quarter-inch OSB that were covered by some type of resin type material.  The cost of this particular kit was about $2,000, including shipping.  I was told that the price for the kit was discounted since several Amish families had gotten together to do a bulk purchase of five units.  Continue reading“Post-TEOTWAWKI Refrigeration, by 3AD Scout”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, some news on the prepper development of the former Black Hills Ordnance Depot (BHOD).

Bunker Residents Raise Financial, Safety Concerns

Over at the leftist Yahoo News: Trouble in ‘prepper’ paradise: Bunker residents raise financial, safety concerns.

For some further reading on both the facility’s history and the Vivos XPoint project, see this well-illustrated piece at Cold War Tourist from 2020:  Black Hills Ordnance Depot – Igloo, SD.

A Vast, Growing Anomaly in Earth’s Magnetic Field

Reader C.B. sent us this: NASA Is Watching a Vast, Growing Anomaly in Earth’s Magnetic Field. An excerpt:

“NASA has been monitoring a strange anomaly in Earth’s magnetic field: a giant region of lower magnetic intensity in the skies above the planet, stretching out between South America and southwest Africa.

This vast, developing phenomenon, called the South Atlantic Anomaly, has intrigued and concerned scientists for years, and perhaps none more so than NASA researchers.

The space agency’s satellites and spacecraft are particularly vulnerable to the weakened magnetic field strength within the anomaly, and the resulting exposure to charged particles from the Sun.

The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) – likened by NASA to a ‘dent’ in Earth’s magnetic field, or a kind of ‘pothole in space’ – generally doesn’t affect life on Earth, but the same can’t be said for orbital spacecraft (including the International Space Station), which pass directly through the anomaly as they loop around the planet at low-Earth orbit altitudes.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals, as that which the term particularly expresses. This being the end of government, that alone is a just government which impartially secures to every man whatever is his own.” – James Madison, “Essay on Property,” 1792

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 1, 2025

On January 1, 45 B.C., the Julian calendar took effect for the first time, by edict of Roman consul Julius Caesar.

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January 1, 1583 was the first day of the Gregorian calendar in Holland and Flanders.

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On January 1, 1600, Scotland first began its numbered year on January 1st instead of March 25th.

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And on January 1, 1788, Quakers in Pennsylvania emancipated their slaves.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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.
  2. 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),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 116 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Collards: Our Winter Staple, by A.F.

One of the aspects of living where we do I find most appealing is the long gardening season. It is possible to keep produce of one type or another growing in the garden year-round, (though this is not the same as saying we have harvestable vegetables for the full year). Kale is the most resilient thus far since a single fall planting can carry into the following June if there is not an early heat spell. Cabbage and broccoli are each suitable for both late winter and late summer plantings and typically yield well while requiring minimal effort.

When life and time permit, we start brassica plants from seed in mid-August. Our observation has been that even buying sets from a local greenhouse is risky because they will quickly sell out of their own in house sets and rely on vendor plants to finish meeting demand. The sets brought in from outside the area typically struggle due to weak stems, often appearing to be pinched just above ground level. We start seedlings in 180 cell trays and transplant into larger cups as soon as the sprouts are as thick as a toothpick. We bottom water until the plant is three or more inches tall and rely on the potting mix nutrients for the first few weeks after up-potting.Continue reading“Collards: Our Winter Staple, by A.F.”

December, 2024 in Precious Metals, by Everett Millman

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance and silver’s performance and examine the factors that affected metal prices.

WHAT DID GOLD AND SILVER DO IN DECEMBER?

Despite enjoying a terrific annual performance, the precious metals fared poorly to close out the year. Gold ended the month down 1% while silver endured another monthly loss in excess of 5%.

The metals started the month trending lower: on Dec. 2nd, spot gold fell about 0.5% to $2,636 per troy ounce, and silver prices slipped 13 cents lower to $30.47 per oz. Silver rose 78 cents over the course of Dec. 3rd and 4th, and then jumped another 88 cents on Dec. 9th to reach its high point for the month at $31.85/oz.

Amid a streak of seven consecutive losing days, silver slumped 4% into the red during trading on Dec.18th. The gold price lost $65 on the same day (-2.4%) to fall as low as $2,580/oz. There was a brief rebound on Dec. 20th, with silver rallying 1.55% higher and gold adding more than 1% on the day.

The week of Christmas saw both metals drift lower but by small increments. Following the holidays, gold fell somewhat sharply on Dec. 30th as it again tested the $2,600 level. To close out trading for 2024, gold settled around $2,620/oz and silver held near $28.80/oz on New Year’s Eve.Continue reading“December, 2024 in Precious Metals, by Everett Millman”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Have you heard that the best-selling 1949 survivalist novel Earth Abides finally became a television miniseries?  All of the episodes are now available over at MGM+ and at the computer virus-plagued www.lookmovie2.to. The script writers and producers took some considerable liberties with the storyline, but at least the novel’s basic premise is there… By the way, the novel has been continuously in print since its initial release — now edging on a 76-year print run!

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A thought-provoking and very common-sense John Lovell Warrior Poet Society video: 11th Hour Checklist. JWR’s Comment: John sounds more and more like a SurvivalBlogger with every passing year.

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There are several interesting new listings at the SurvivalRealty.com site, owned and operated by Jonathan Rawles.  Here is just one of them: Strategic Mountain Retreat in Highlands, NC.

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Reader Mike in Alaska wrote:

“Here’s a link you might want to share on the blog at some point. It is free software download for “Radio Mobile” that allows a map of radio propagation at a given site to be modeled and even printed out if needed. Our local ham club uses this software for mapping our repeater coverages in the interior of Alaska.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

 “As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow-citizens, the people are confirmed… in their right to keep and bear their private arms.”  – Philadelphia Federal Gazette and the Philadelphia Evening Post, June 18, 1789, commenting on the draft of the Second Amendment, which was then a proposed amendment.

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 31, 2024

On December 31, 1564 William I of Orange demanded freedom of religious conscience for his subjects in a dramatic speech to the Dutch Council of State.

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December 31, 1776: Rhode Island established wage and price controls in a failed attempt to curb inflation. The state limited daily wages to 70 cents for carpenters and 42 cents for tailors.

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Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog’s founder and Senior Editor James Wesley, Rawles (JWR).

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We are in need of entries for thr second month of Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 116 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Demographics, Dollars, and Our Destiny

The United States and many other Western nations are facing a demographic disaster. As I’ve mentioned before in SurvivalBlog, birth rates have fallen below the population replacement rate. In this essay, I will spell out some root causes of these demographic shifts that might surprise you, as well as some practical solutions. The primary cause of the current negative societal trends goes even deeper than a liberalized academic system, an activist mass media spouting progressive blather, entrenched D.C. “Swamp” politicians and bureaucrats, and uncontrolled illegal migration. The taproot of the pernicious weedpatch of our societal problems is monetary.  It all comes down to the very nature of our money in circulation since 1913.

I’ll get into some of the current societal ills in detail, but first I must spell out some important pieces of history:

The U.S. Constitution declared gold and silver to be lawful money.  The Coinage Act of 1792 essentially cloned the traditional Milled Spanish Silver Dollar’s weight, size, and purity as the U.S. Dollar. This was later codified in Title 12, Section 152 of the U.S. Code.  The same law standardized the weight, size, and purity of U.S. gold coins. When the U.S. Mint struck $10 Gold Eagles and $20 Gold Double Eagles (containing 0.9675 Troy ounces of gold) and silver dollars (containing 0.7734 Troy ounces of silver), that at that time indicated respective values of $20.67 per ounce for gold and $1.29 per ounce of silver. That worked out to a silver-to-gold ratio of nearly 16-to-1. And that ratio roughly matched mine production (and costs), at the time.

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 established the Federal Reserve System as the central bank of the United States. This new central bank scheme allowed a heretofore unconstitutional form of money to be created.  Because banks only had to hold a fraction of their deposits as reserves, the rest could be loaned out at interest. Thus, new Dollars were effectively loaned into existence. Henceforth, the size of the nation’s money supply was expanded not by mintage and currency printing but instead by manipulation of interest rates.  Interest rates are controlled by the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee (FOMC) — which was also created in 1913.Continue reading“Demographics, Dollars, and Our Destiny”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, news that some avalanche watches are in effect..

Region-Wide

Owyhee protection bill passes U.S. Senate. The article begins:

“The Owyhee Canyonlands are one step closer to gaining federal protection.

On a Friday voice vote, the U.S. Senate passed the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act, which would designate more than 1 million acres as federally protected wilderness centered around Eastern Oregon’s Malheur County. Also known as the Malheur CEO Act, the bill is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon.”

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High Avalanche Danger Today in: Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, & Idaho.

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60-Day Extended Weather Forecast for Inland Northwest.

Idaho

Cattle on the loose along I-15 near Shelley snarl traffic.

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Backcountry Avalanche Watches issued for multiple North Idaho counties.

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Two Idaho ski areas made Newsweek’s Top 10 in the nation – including the No. 1 spot.

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Civil Rights Attorney John H. Bryan: My Video Makes TV News in Idaho – Town Responds and Gaslights!

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 30, 2024

December 30, 1865 was the birthday of Rudyard Kipling.

December 30, 1903: An electric arc lamp set fire to the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, leaving 602 dead in one of the deadliest single-building blazes in American history.

December 30, 1933: A low temperature of -50°F (-46°C) was recorded in Bloomfield, Vermont. (A state record.)

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Ready Made Resources is running a big End of Year Night Vision Sale is here! From now until midnight Central Time on December 31st, you can take advantage of some great deals. Stock is extremely limited, so don’t wait—secure your gear today! Plus, every PVS-14 purchase includes a free Wilcox G11 Mount (a $350 value) and a free Helmet (a $200 value).

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Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We are in great need of entries for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 116 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

Tyrant Designs TDC 001 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

The Tyrant Designs TDC 001 Folding Knife is a rugged everyday carry (EDC) knife with outstanding fit and finish. The durability of the materials and the quality of the craftsmanship make it superior to the average EDC knife.

The 3-inch, saber-ground, tanto blade is made of D2 steel and is 0.33 inches thick. The black nitride finish on the blade is unusually resilient. The blade opens easily by rotating around a ball-bearing pivot.

The dual thumb studs are more robust than those on any other knife I have used. The aluminum handle is a convenient shape, and the textured durameter rubber grips enable the user to grasp that handle securely during use.

The reversible deep carry pocket clip makes the knife stealthier than most other EDC knives. The blade is held securely in the open position with a liner lock.Continue reading“Tyrant Designs TDC 001 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: No-Alcohol Eggnog

The following recipe for No-Alcohol Eggnog is from SurvivalBlog reader T.W. in New Hampshire.

Ingredients
  • 6 egg yolks
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 cloves
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 30 mls Lyre’s American Malt (optional)
  • Whipped cream for topping (optional)
  • Whipped cream and cinnamon for topping (optional)
Directions
  1. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture lightens a little in color and goes creamy. An electric beater makes this easier but a traditional handheld whisk works fine.
  2. Place cream, milk, ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir to combine until the mixture is steaming slightly. Don’t let it boil.
  3. Add a large spoonful of the warm milk mixture to your egg mixture, then whisk it quickly to combine. Add another large spoonful and whisk again.
  4. Repeat this process until half of the milk mixture has been added to the egg mixture.
  5. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the milk mixture, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan on the stove.
  6. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches about 160F on a cooking thermometer or thickens a little. This will only take a few minutes. Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem thick enough, it will thicken more as it cools.
  7. Remove from the stove and stir in the vanilla.
  8. Place eggnog in a jug, cover and place in the fridge to cool. If you love cinnamon, then add the stick back into jug before placing it in your refrigerator to steep further.  Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
SERVING

Pour into your favorite glasses or mugs and stir in 30ml/1oz of Lyre’s American Malt to each glass right before serving (optional).

Top with whatever you choose. I love whipped cream and powdered cinnamon.

STORAGE

It can be refrigerated for a day or two, and reblended, but eggnog does not store well. So I don’t recommend doubling this recipe unless you are serving a large party.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!