Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week I did some “puttering around” in our our shop. For example, I set up a 1960s-vintage Model 60 Stanley miter box with a 28″ backsaw that I had found after some patient searching on eBay. Unlike most folks who now gravitate toward buying a fancy power miter saw, I wanted to go “low-tech.”   I can make do with a traditional power table saw, a more mobile Skilsaw, several crosscut and rip hand saws, and a hand saw miter box. Yes, this is slower, but this combination of tools will allow me to continue work without AC power, if need be.

I packed and mailed several Elk Creek Company orders, and I kept busy cataloging several new items.

With some help from Lily, and Miss Violet, I also laid adhesive floor tile in our little guest cabin.

Now, Lily’s report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.” – Psalm 81 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 29, 2024

On November 29, 1847, Cayuse Indians killed missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, and 12 others at Waiilatpu Mission in Oregon Country — near present-day Walla Walla, Washington.

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On November 29, 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie‘s Jacobite army moved into Manchester and occupied Carlisle.

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We are running a Black Friday sale at Elk Creek Company. Until Monday, December 2nd, 2024, all of our shotguns and all of our percussion revolvers are greatly reduced. Take a look!

—

 

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. 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.

—

More than $925,000 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 115 ends on November 30th, 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.

 

Photovoltaic Power and Prepping – Part 4, by B.S.V.

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

Question: Will I have power when the grid is down?
Question: Can I get net metering with a solar-only system, or do I need storage?

Battery size

With all the information above, you will be better situated to properly size your storage system. Just be aware that (unless you’re in a totally different socioeconomic class than I) you probably won’t get all the storage you want. I started off with the idea that I wanted to be three-days independent of the grid. When I found the cost of that, I scaled back. I couldn’t do it within my financial constraints. So I had to determine if it still made sense to go solar, or if another solution would be better for me. A whole-home generator would have allowed me to have the backup capability for less overall cost of equipment and installation. However, I would then have had the cost of that system as well as my usual electric bill, plus the upkeep, maintenance and associated fuel costs. For me, solar still made the most sense. However, it is important to step back from the excitement of ‘doing something’ to check whether your ‘doing the right thing’.Continue reading“Photovoltaic Power and Prepping – Part 4, by B.S.V.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Today’s E&I column is a special “Black Friday” edition that highlights some items available on sale for Christmas or Hanukkah gifts, some items for prepping, and many that double as items for tangible investments. The classic investing rule of “buy low and sell high” is immutable. It also applies to tangible investments. Today is the best day of the year to buy many items. But of course, shop responsibly. Avoid debt!

Please shop with our banner advertisers first. If they don’t have what you are looking for, then see our Affiliates page.  Thanks, – JWR.

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Seed for Security, LLC is running its Retirement Sale. Mailed-in orders are no longer accepted but Internet orders will be accepted until close of business tomorrow — Saturday, November 30, 2024. After that, they are closing their doors for retirement, and I’ve been told that they don’t have plans to sell their business. So this is truly “last call!”

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Just until midnight tonight, Ready Made Resources (one of our long-time advertisers) is running a big sale on full mil-spec AN/PVS-14 night vision monoculars.  They have them at reduced prices, and every PVS-14 purchase comes with a free Light Interference Filter (a $200 value) and a free PVS-14 Compass (a $200 value).

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Palmetto State Armory (a long-time SurvivalBlog banner and affiliate advertiser) has some great specials this week. Here are some examples:

  • Toolcraft Logo Premium 5.56 Nickel Boron AR-15 Bolt Carrier Group with Carpenter 158 Bolt. To find that deal, paste this SKU in their search box: 5165449729
  • Vortex Strikefire II 4MOA Red/Green Dot and 10 Magpul Gen2 PMAG 30 rd. 5.56×45 Magazines for $179.90. To find that deal, paste this SKU in their search box: BUN-219
  • PSA Dagger Compact 9mm Pistol With Extreme Carry Cuts, Sniper Green for $259.99. (FFL required.) To find that deal, paste this SKU in their search box: DG01-51655129773
  • AGM 1.5-12x25mm Rattler Thermal Rifle Scope/Monocular for $1,199.99. To find that deal, paste this SKU in their search box: 516551637780
  • Palmetto State Armory Magpul MOE Lower Build Kit – OD Green, for $99.99. To find that deal, paste this SKU in their search box: 8896.
  • PSA AR-15 “Stealth” Stripped Lower Receiver and a PSA Dagger Compact Complete Polymer Frame, for $99.98. (FFL required.) To find that deal, paste this SKU in their search box: BUN-178

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Until December 1st, GunMag Warehouse is running some great specials.  One example is their sale on  Lancer L5 AR-15 .223 / 5.56 30-Round Advanced Warfighter Magazines for as low as $9.99 each. That is an unprecedented price for these premium-quality magazines. Note that some magazine colors have already sold out. To find those Lancer deals, paste this SKU in their search box: 999-000-2320-3

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Siege Stove & Belts is running a Black Friday Sale with their stoves on sale, and $30 off all their belt buckles with belts.

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Brownells has specials on MagPul magazines and gun parts, Streamlight weapons lights, Aero Precision AR parts, OEM Glock magazines, Geissele AR parts, mil-spec ammo cans, and much more.

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Optics Planet has dozens of Black Friday Specials.  And until midnight tonight, you may use the coupon code “PREFUN” to get an additional $40 off, for any order over $250, and you can get $75 off orders of $500+ with code “PREPARTY“.

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Berkey USA Filters is offering Free Shipping on all USA orders.

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Just for this week through Monday, December 2, 2024, Jonathan Rawles is offering his Prepared Property Buyer Course at a $90 discount. That is the deepest discount offered each year.

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NukAlert™ now offers free shipping on their patented personal radiation meters.

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Gainesville Coins — not one of our advertisers, but a kind monthly blog column contributor (provided to us free of charge with no strings attached) — has some great Black Friday specials.

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KeepShooting.com is offering free shipping on orders over $75.  Despite a recent rush of orders, they still have they still have some ThyroSafe Potassium Iodine Radiation Protection Tablets available.

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Natchez Shooting & Outdoors has announced Door Buster deals with savings of up to 70% starting on Black Friday and going through Monday.

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JASE Medical is offering $25 off their prescription drug supply kits if you use the discount code BLACKFRIDAY.  This special offer ends on Monday, December 2, 2024. Take a look!

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And, at the risk of sounding self-promotional, I’d like to mention that we are also running a Black Friday sale at Elk Creek Company. Just until Monday, December 2, 2024, all of our pre-1899 shotguns and all of our percussion revolvers are greatly reduced. No FFL is required for pre-1899 guns or percussion guns, and we can mail them to most states. Take a look!

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Lastly, here is a news story, to round out today’s column for those with some time on their hands and a sense of adventure: Bitcoin millionaire hides $2M in treasures across US — then leaves mysterious clues on how to find them.

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Provisos:

SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.

News Tips:

Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News items from local news outlets that are missed by the news wire services are especially appreciated. Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. …We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. …In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons…who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” – Edward Bernays, Propaganda

 

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 28, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving! Please give prayers of thanks to God for his providential blessings upon our families and our nation.

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On November 28, 1895, America’s first auto race was run, organized by the Chicago Times-Herald. The course was from Chicago to Evanston and back. Six cars raced 55 miles. Frank Duryea won, averaging 7 MPH.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. 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.

—

More than $925,000 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 115 ends on November 30th, 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.

 

 

Photovoltaic Power and Prepping – Part 3, by B.S.V.

(Continued from Part 2.)

When it came to setting angles, my installer wanted to install at the U.S. default angle of 20 degrees. That angle serves the most people across the country in most situations. Now, I’m a taller-than average, bigger-than-average guy and wear extra-large gloves, so I know one-size does not fit all. You must consider what is best for you and your goals and not just what may be the rule of thumb. I happened to hear the guys talking about the angle after they had already set the poles in the ground. Like I said, I hadn’t even thought to consider this aspect of the install so I hadn’t thought to address it.

For me, I would have preferred that the panels be set at 28.1 degrees since that is my best year-round angle. However, the poles the guys set were not long enough to accommodate that angle, but I was able to get 25 degrees. That’s pretty much a happy middle between the rule of thumb and where I wanted to be, so I’m satisfied enough with it. In all actuality, if I hadn’t been out there when they were talking about it, I probably never would have known the difference. That’s why I’m giving you the heads-up.Continue reading“Photovoltaic Power and Prepping – Part 3, by B.S.V.”

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 look at some escalation in the Ukraine war.

Further Ukraine War Escalation

The leftist/globalist CNN reports: From a call with Putin to an experimental strike, a dramatic week transforms the war in Ukraine. Here is a pericope:

“The past seven days have fundamentally changed Ukraine’s long conflict, and at a breakneck pace ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. The week marks a seismic escalation that nevertheless risks fading fast in the fatigue swamping the war, so it is worthy of a recap.

The White House publicly authorized Ukraine Sunday to fire missiles it supplied into Russia proper, which it swiftly did Monday. Moscow responded by using an experimental medium-range missile, with hypersonic speeds and a multiple warhead system usually reserved for nuclear payloads, to strike Dnipro Thursday. Putin claimed the “Oreshnik” could evade all Western air defense.”

NATO Troops to Ukraine?

Discussions on sending troops to Ukraine resume in Europe – Le Monde.

A British Journalist Goes Survivalist

Walt mentioned this article over at the UK Guardian, a female journalist goes survivalist: I’m finally into ‘prepping’ and ready for the apocalypse.

Global Diabetes Cases Are Climbing

H.L. sent us this from Zero Hedge: Global Diabetes Cases Are Climbing.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“We must recollect…what it is we have at stake, what it is we have to contend for. It is for our
property, it is for our liberty, it is for our independence, nay, for our existence as a nation; it is for
our character, it is for our very name as Englishmen, it is for everything dear and valuable to man
on this side of the grave.” – William Pitt, House of Commons, July 22, 1803

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 27, 2024

On November 27, 1807 Portuguese Royal Family and eventually its court of nearly 15,000 people left Lisbon for their colony of Brazil to escape invading Napoleonic troops.

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November 27th is the birthday of Ludwig Loewe (November 27, 1837 – September 11, 1886). He was a merchant, manufacturer, philanthropist, and a member of the German Reichstag. Loewe’s companies became involved in the production of armaments, employing famous designers and creating many notable guns. Ludwig Loewe Company of Berlin produced large numbers of Mauser bolt action rifles, most famously used in the Second Boer War. Since Loewe was Jewish, many Loewe-made guns are stamped with a Star of David. The Loewe Company was merged into the Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) conglomerate in 1897. Hence, all “Loewe” maker-marked guns are Federally-exempt pre-1899 antiques.

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We are running a Black Friday sale at Elk Creek Company. Until December 2, 2024, all of our shotguns and all of our percussion revolvers are greatly reduced. Take a look!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. 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.

—

More than $925,000 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 115 ends on November 30th, 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.

Photovoltaic Power and Prepping – Part 2, by B.S.V.

(Continued from Part 1.)

Question: How is my system size being determined?
Question: How many hours per day of power production will I have?

Here is where a little ‘art’ comes into all this ‘science’. Panels come in a few different sizes, usually around 325 to 425 Watts. The most common seems to be 400 Watts of generation. What they try to do is balance your usage with the size of panels. In the above case, it would take about 50 panels @ 400 watts per panel to equal the 19kW system (actually 20, but that is where the ‘art’ comes in).

BTW, this would be a huge array. Not something likely to fit in your backyard, and unless you have a much larger house than I’m familiar with, it probably wouldn’t fit on your roof either. I’m using round numbers for demonstration purposes. My actual system is a 16kW system of 40 panels and it still is about 60 feet long and over seven feet high. (See photo.)Continue reading“Photovoltaic Power and Prepping – Part 2, by B.S.V.”

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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Suspected killer who went on NYC stabbing spree confessed he picked victims because they were ‘alone,’ ‘distracted’: sources.  JWR’s Comment:  Nothing has done more to reduce the situational awareness of the American citizenry than the advent of “smart” phones. Particularly in the cities, you need to keep your head on the swivel. Losing situational awareness by staring at a smartphone could get you killed. I must also mention that this lackadaisical behavior is also a major contributor to the 83% increase in pedestrian traffic fatalities in the past 10 years.

o  o  o

Reader D.S.V. sent us this news: Passengers evacuated from Southwest flight after cell phone catches fire at DIA.

o  o  o

Reader Robert W. sent this fun video:  A quick walk-through of the ultimate man cave.  Robert’s Comment:  “Not too bad…  …for a beginner.”

o  o  o

Mrs. Alaska wrote:

“I was delighted to read the article on dosa (Indian crepe) making, since I had so enjoyed those on our trips to India, but never tried to make them myself.  On the other hand, his hand grinding was rather intimidating.  So, I looked up recipes online to see if I could make dosas with leftover cooked rice (ground in a food processor), flour, yogurt, salt, and a bit of baking soda.  The answer is yes, and the four batches I made got better and better as I figured out time, temperature, and thickness.  Readers can find various recipes with the search term, “ïnstant dosa recipes.”  After initial practice, these are easy and fast.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with
the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection.” – John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859)

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 26, 2024

November 26, 1778: British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to visit Maui in the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii).

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And on November 26. 1922, English archaeologist Howard Carter opened Tutankhamun’s virtually intact tomb in Egypt.

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November 26th is the birthday of both gun inventor Eugene Reising (born 1884, died February 21, 1967) and the late Barton Biggs (born 1932, died July 14, 2012). Biggs was a money manager known for his pro-preparedness stance.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. 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 $925,000 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 115 ends on November 30th, 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.