Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 4, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 3.)

8. Simple Electricity: Car Batteries and “Solar Generators”

Car-battery electric systems are basically a DIY “solar generator” and are easily put together at a fraction of the cost of commercial ones using three inexpensive components. As mentioned, solar generators don’t actually generate electricity and are really just large portable batteries with some extra features. They’re better referred to as “portable power stations.” They can be recharged three ways: solar panels ranging from 25-100 watts, 120-v house electricity, or 12-v vehicle electricity via the cigarette-lighter plug. They’re handy for many functions such as lighting, recharging laptops, and other items which use a USB cord. They can also run low-wattage appliances.

In a forthcoming article I discuss how to put a solar-charged one together for as little as $75 as well as the benefits of spending more money to use a 12-v lithium battery instead of a lead-acid car or deep-cycle battery.

My DOM Action List
1. Check the charge of all 12-v batteries:
Portable power stations
Deep-cycle battery in the well house
Both vehicles
Riding mower
All core batteries
2. Inventory 12-v battery maintenance supplies: test kits, gloves, pipettes, etc.
3. Begin charging everything that is rechargeable using well-house solar chargers, SunnyBoy SPS, 100-watt solar panel, and while multi-tasking the generator.
portable power station
night-vision equipment
phones
laptops
drills
flashlights
driveway alarmsContinue reading“Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 4, by St. Funogas”



Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the cascade of Chinese real estate and stock market crashes, and a possible Yuan currency crash. (See the Economy & Finance section, and the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Major Bank Raises Gold Targets $200, Still Below Current Price.

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From chartist die-hard Jim Curry, at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Forecast & U.S. Stocks Next ‘Kill Zone’.

Economy & Finance:

Panic Selling In China: Investors Dump Everything! Prepare For Stock Market And China’s Yuan Crash. JWR’s Comment: I’ve been warning about malinvestment and the incipient crash in China for more than two years. It all started with commercial real estate over-development.

o  o  o

Newsweek: China’s Stock Market Is in Free Fall.

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Reader C.B. sent us this: A Muni Giant Exits the Field. What It Means for the $4 Trillion Market.

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Over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Biden’s $5 Billion Student Loan Forgiveness Boost: Balancing Act Amidst Election Dynamics and Ethical Debates.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify.”  – Alexander Hamilton



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 25, 2024

On January 25, 1971, Idi Amin Dada seized power in Uganda. His rule from 1971 to 1979 was characterized by human rights abuse, political repression, and corruption.

On January 25, 1915: In New York, Alexander Graham Bell spoke to his assistant in San Francisco, inaugurating the first transcontinental telephone service.

Today is the birthday of celebrated Scottish poet Robert “Bobby” Burns. He was born on January 25, 1759.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, 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.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $870,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 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.



Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2.)

5. Meals and Menus for Day One and First Week

This may seem like a silly priority item but read on. There term “menu” is being used very loosely.

My DOM Action List
1. Keep freeze-dried foods in plain sight on the table.
2. Check cabinets for other easily-prepared foods and put on the table.

First and foremost: Do NOT open the fridge/freezer to get food for meals!

During my 10-day preps test I lost 6 lbs (and I’m not overweight to begin with) mostly because I was so busy and didn’t want to have to think about what food to prepare. It wasn’t until later in the week I remembered those two cases freeze-dried foods in the closet. One more testament to the fact that in the rush of Day One and the first week, it’s hard to think outside of “normal” and important things can be overlooked. During the rest of the trial I ate freeze-dried stroganoff twice a day. Having a list of foods ahead of time and setting them on the table or grouping them in a designated cabinet will prevent this from happening next time.

Menu – If someone is specifically put in charge of meal preparation things will go a lot more smoothly. The larger the group the more important this will be. The rest can worry about how to get the homestead organized and systems in place. Pressure canning should be going day and night in shifts until the freezer contents are all preserved. With this in mind, meal preps should not require stove use while the canning crew is working. The menus should be simple and easily prepared using preps like freeze-dried foods and MREs.Continue reading“Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 3, by St. Funogas”



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, we further examine homesteading self-sufficiency.

Millennials are Giving Up City Life to Start Homesteading

This piece was published by the editors of Business Insider: Why millennials are giving up city life to start homesteading. A quote:

“Homesteading — or living self-sufficiently by doing things like growing and raising food and maybe even living off the electric grid or sewer system — has grown more popular since early 2020, according to the Homesteaders of America, an organization that advocates leading an independent, agrarian lifestyle.”

TSA Says Illegals Can Board Jetliners Without Identification

SurvivalBlog reader D.S.V.  sent this troubling news: TSA Says Illegals Can Board Jetliners Without Identification.

A Western Utah Covenant Community

From Insider.com:  They’re getting ready for the downfall of America. Just don’t call them preppers. (Thanks to reader C.B. for the link.)

A Tennessee-Kentucky Covenant Community

Reader Janet W. spotted this article: “Rural Renaissance”: Venture Fund Plans New Community In Appalachia To Escape Soros-Enabled-Hellhole Cities.

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



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle and fed and clothed like swine and hounds.” – John Adams, 1774



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 24, 2024

On January 24, 1984, Apple Computer unveiled its original Macintosh personal computer.

January 24th is the birthday of René Barjavel (born 1911, died November 24, 1985). This prescient French science fiction author wrote several books with survivalist themes, including Ravage, which was titled Ashes, Ashes in its English translation.

Today is also the birthday of Tamara K., the editor of the long-running View From The Porch blog.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, 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.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $870,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 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.



Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

Now, let’s dive in.

My Day One TEOTWAWKI Manual

Table of Contents
1. Do This First!
2. Don’t Do This!
3. Round Up the Group
4. Freezer and Refrigerator Contents
5. Meals and Menus
6. Fuel
7. Electricity: Generator
8. Lighting
9. Electricity: Using Car Batteries
10. Electricity: Whole-house Solar Panels
11. Inventory
12. Water
13. Sanitation
14. Garbage Management
15. DOM Copies for Neighbors
16. Defense
17. Nuclear war preps

Points 1-4 are ultra critical for any prepper’s manual and must have the highest priority in order to prevent wasting important and/or irreplaceable resources as well as to get the gang rounded up who will be part of our post-SHTF household.

For quick access, my manual resides on top of a certain cabinet in a small tote along with 10 copies of my DOM, a roll of duct tape, necklace flashlights, inventory sheets, etc. (See photo, above.)

Like all preps, testing our manual as a household group will improve our success if we ever have to put it to use in a real situation. These types of drills will pay big dividends. DOM steps can also be tweaked based on what is learned from each drill. We’ve all seen movies where the submarine crew is carrying out a live drill, everybody at their stations carrying out their assigned and well-practiced duties. The captain throws in some curve balls like flooding in the torpedo room to be sure the crew is prepared for any possible situation. We need to do the same with each section of our manual where possible.Continue reading“Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 2, by St. Funogas”



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.

I’m pleased to report that the waterproof 2005-2023 Archive USB sticks are now being mailed, a full week ahead of schedule. We expect to mail out about 150 sticks each weekday.  We’ve already received more than 750 orders for more than 1,400 sticks, and dozens of new orders are coming in daily, so it may take up to four weeks to clear the order backlog. Thanks for your patience. –  JWR

o  o  o

Andreas Bull-Hansen: This Makes You A Rebel Now.

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A very useful Wranglerstar instructional video: Why Special Forces Gear is Wrong for You!

o  o  o

‘Bear includes to show:’ Open carry legislation filed in Florida.

o  o  o

Reader Robert W. sent the link to this very useful map: U.S. Power Outages.

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My old friend Pete in Switzerland suggested this video: An Alternative to Cap & Ball For Self-Defense. JWR’s Comments: I sell a lot of S&W top break revolvers, at Elk Creek Company. No FFL is required. But check your State and local laws, before ordering.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding.” – Justice Louis Brandeis



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 23, 2024

Birthday of Larry Dean Olsen (January 23, 1939 — December 26, 2018.) He died December 26, 2018 at Miracle Hot Springs in Buhl, Idaho. He was born in Wendell, Idaho, on January 23, 1939, to parents Dean and Lola Olsen and grew up in Jerome, Idaho. Larry was widely recognized as the father of modern primitive survival education. He was the author of the international bestseller Outdoor Survival Skills, which was first printed in 1967 and widely considered the classic definitive book on the subject.

On January 23, 1556, an earthquake in Shaanxi, China, killing an estimated 830,000 people. Counting casualties is often imprecise after large-scale disasters, especially prior to the 20th century, but this disaster is still considered the deadliest of all time. The quake struck in late evening, with aftershocks continuing through the following morning. Later scientific investigation revealed that the magnitude of the quake was approximately 8.0 to 8.3, which isn’t close to the strongest tremor on record. However, the quake struck in the middle of a densely populated area with poorly constructed buildings and homes, resulting in a horrific death toll.

January 23, 1855 was the birthday of John Moses Browning. He was the brilliant designer of dozens of guns, including the M1911 pistol, Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), and the venerable M2 .50 Caliber Machinegun. This is also the birthday of my #2 Grandson. His coincidental “Browning Birthday” will ensure that he will inherit a disproportionately large portion of my guns that are Browning designs.

A couple of new retreat property listings over at SurvivalRealty.com:

A True Inholding Homestead | $875,000 | 7300 FS Rd S530-A Zenia CA 95559

and,

Private and Sustainable Retreat: Forest Property with nearby River, Fresh Water Springs and Essential Amenities – Quepos, Costa Rica.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, 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.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $870,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 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.



Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 1, by St. Funogas

Last year I did a 10-day test of my preps. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) It was the most important prepping activity I’ve every done and a real eye-opener to say the least. I found it an enjoyable experience that required a lot of problem-solving. For 2024, I highly recommend such a test of our preps, even if only for a few days. How about during a week’s vacation? I promise it’ll be one of your most memorable and educational.

As the test began, I quickly I discovered I only had a very fuzzy idea of what I’d do during those first few hours and days of TEOTWAWKI. It’s not that I didn’t have the preps, it was more a question of getting into a whole new mindset and trying to prioritize what needed to happen in those first few hours, and what exactly I needed to do with all those preps. As Jim Croce sang, “Your life has changed, confusion reigns, what have you become?” How true it was.

By the end of Day One I decided to avoid that confusion from happening again, and to prevent the waste of resources such as freezer contents, I needed an action list, an instruction booklet if you will, of how to handle Day One and Week One. After the first week when the most important priorities have been taken care of and changes of habit will have started to take effect, the manual will no longer be necessary as we transition to the “new normal” mode.

This article is a look at the actual manual I prepared and an explanation of why each section was included. I call it my Day One Manual (DOM). It assumes a scenario where the grid is lost and the SHTF with no prior warning. I refer to this type of SHTF event as instant, while slow-motion refers to those few weeks during which it’s become almost certain that Day One is nearly upon us and it’s time to take some final actions, similar to how the events unfold in JWR’s novel Patriots. For me, a second manual will be prepared for that type of event as some of the priorities will differ.Continue reading“Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 1, by St. Funogas”



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 of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on winter weather and weather-related car crashes.

Region-Wide

Feds begin process of considering restoration of grizzlies in Bitterroot ecosystem.

o  o  o

Air Force to host ‘Sentinel’ public meetings in Lewistown and Great Falls. A pericope:

“The U.S. Air Force will host town hall meetings in Lewistown and Great Falls next week to provide people with information about the Sentinel Program. The Air Force is modernizing the existing Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile systems with the new Sentinel Program.

This will include modernization of launch facilities, control centers, and other ground infrastructure across the 13,800 square mile missile complex of Malmstrom Air Force base.

The project includes the renovation of existing missile launch facilities, the construction of two dozen new missile alert facilities, and 62 new communication towers within the missile fields overseen by Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, and F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.”

o  o  o

Man accused of killing woman, living with body in Idaho Falls for 3 weeks.

Idaho

Snow plow driver hospitalized after crash on I-84.

o  o  o

Idaho’s December unemployment rate remains at 3.3%.

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2023 was the deadliest year on Idaho roads in two decades.

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Judge denies Chad Daybell’s attorney to withdraw from case, may have to serve without pay.

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



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Because many of us make mistakes that can have bad consequences, some intellectuals believe that it is the role of government to intervene and make some of our decisions for us. From what galaxy government is going to hire creatures who do not make mistakes is a question they leave unanswered.” – Thomas Sowell