Travel Berkey Water Filter, by Thomas Christianson

Most SurvivalBlog readers are probably familiar with the rule of threes:

  • You can survive 3 minutes without breathable air or in icy water before losing consciousness.
  • You can survive 3 hours without adequate shelter/clothing in conditions of extreme heat and (especially) cold.
  • You can survive 3 days without water. Drinking unpotable water may extend your survival somewhat, but you may ultimately succumb to illness due to waterborne pathogens or toxins.
  • You can survive 3 weeks without food.

This rule outlines your priorities in a survival situation. If you fall through the ice into a frozen lake, obtaining an adequate supply of food is not your first priority.

In light of this, imagine that a severe weather event has taken down your local power grid and blocked avenues of transportation. You are safely at home. Your air supply is unaffected. Your home is undamaged, and is providing adequate protection from the elements. But your water supply is cut off, and it does not look like it will be restored for more than a week. What can you do to remain properly hydrated until your water supply is restored?

In my case, I have access to alternate sources of water. Among others, these sources include a pond, rain barrels, and a high water table that could be easily accessed via a shallow well. In someone else’s case, these sources might include rivers, lakes, swimming pools, and similar bodies of water. Unfortunately, it would not be advisable to drink water taken from many of these sources without treating that water somehow first. Fortunately, my wife, “Kari” and I have a Travel Berkey Water Filter. The Berkey would enable us to filter water from surface or near-surface sources in order to obtain potable water in a grid-down situation.Continue reading“Travel Berkey Water Filter, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Cookie Sheet Baked Feta and Vegetables

The following recipe for Cookie Sheet Baked Feta and Vegetables is from SurvivalBlog reader  Liz D.  This is intended to be baked on a cookie sheet with a full perimeter lip. It seems that Liz is a fan of the Terminator movies. She writes: “There is no feta but what we bake for ourselves.”

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary plus 2 tablespoons of rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Kernels from 4 ears of sweet corn
  • 8 mini bell peppers, stemmed, halved and seeded
  • 1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 ounces feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slabs
  • 1 cup fine bulgur
  • 8 cups of torn inner escarole leaves or baby spinach
Directions
  1. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  3. Combine the vinegar, rosemary sprig and honey in a small saucepan.
  4. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until thick and syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
  5. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig.
  6. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven.
  7. Scatter the corn, peppers, zucchini and scallions on the baking sheet.
  8. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt.
  9. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss.
  10. Nestle the slabs of feta in among the vegetables.
  11. Roast until the vegetables are tender and the feta is warmed through and softened, about 15 minutes.
  12. While the feta and vegetables are roasting, combine 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in the bulgur. Remove from the heat and cover. Let sit for 8 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
  13. Once the vegetables are tender, turn on the broiler and move the baking sheet to the top rack of the oven.
  14. Broil until the cheese and vegetables are browned in places — about 2 minutes.
SERVING

To serve: Divide the escarole among 4 shallow bowls. Top it with the warm bulgur, vegetables and feta. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction and serve.

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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!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic shows the recognition of the right to openly carry a firearm, by state. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

Update: Reader V.T. wrote to mention some possible errors in the graphic:

“Oklahoma has open carry with no permit required (although one is available).  I believe Missouri passed the same.”

The thumbnail image below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

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Please send your graphic ideas to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

The state is the great fictitious entity by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else.

For, today as in the past, each of us, more or less, would like to profit from the labor of others. One does not dare to proclaim this feeling publicly, one conceals it from oneself, and then what does one do? One imagines an intermediary; one addresses the state, and each class proceeds in turn to say to it: “You, who can take fairly and honorably, take from the public and share with us.” Alas! The state is only too ready to follow such diabolical advice; for it is composed of cabinet ministers, of bureaucrats, of men, in short, who, like all men, carry in their hearts the desire, and always enthusiastically seize the opportunity, to see their wealth and influence grow. The state understands, then, very quickly the use it can make of the role the public entrusts to it. It will be the arbiter, the master, of all destinies. It will take a great deal; hence, a great deal will remain for itself. It will multiply the number of its agents; it will enlarge the scope of its prerogatives; it will end by acquiring overwhelming proportions.” – Frédéric Bastiat, The Law

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 9, 2024

On June 9, 1803, British explorer Matthew Flinders arrived in Sydney becoming the first person to circumnavigate Australia, proving it is one continent.

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On June 9, 1923, the Brinks company unveiled their first armored security vans.

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On June 9, 1960, Roy Orbison released the single “Only the Lonely”. It became his first major hit – peaking at #2 in the US and topping the UK charts.

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Today is the birthday of Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat (1824–1883), is best known for the percussion cap revolver that bears his name. This clever design has a cylinder that rotates around a 20-gauge shotgun barrel.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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 $359 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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  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 USA Berkey Filters (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.

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More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.

Providing For Your Family During Power Outages – Part 2, by B.S.V.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Unfortunately, there isn’t a good level of sun available during heavy rains. We were also beginning to lose sunlight so solar wouldn’t be all that helpful even if the skies were clear. Evaluating the EB70S powering the television, I could see that it was going to lose power overnight. We didn’t need it for information any longer, but as we were still trapped inside from significant rain, it was now our primary source of entertainment. Of course, in a dire situation we could ration that power consumption to make it last multiple days – potentially over a week – by turning the television on strategically and using it only for information gathering. This wasn’t that dire, so we splurged in this aspect.

Just to be clear, I have a 100 watt panel for my EB70S and on a clear day with good sun, we could probably support the television indefinitely. We wouldn’t necessary spend our resources like that, but solar is my long-term preferred solution since it is relatively sustainable. Separately, I have over 700 watts of solar panels for the AC500, so we could hold out in that configuration for a while – with sun. But we had no sun.

Continue reading“Providing For Your Family During Power Outages – Part 2, by B.S.V.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

I Was Just Two Years Old on D-Day, 1944

So Why Can These 100+ Year-Old D-Day Landing Veterans Stay Awake and Hold Their Fudge, Better Than Me?

News Links:

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” – 1 Timothy 4:1-10 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 8, 2024

On June 8, 1918, Nova Aquila, the brightest nova since Kepler’s nova of 1604, was discovered. Remnants of the stellar explosion can still be seen.

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On June 8th, 1776, Canadian Governor Sir Guy Carleton defeated American Patriot forces under John Sullivan. After taking heavy losses and the loss of General Richard Montgomery at Quebec, the Patriots were pursued by Governor Carleton. Halfway between Quebec and Montreal, at the Trois-Rivieres, the Patriots turned to fight. The Redcoats and German mercenaries killed 25, wounded 140, and captured 236, but Carleton allowed the rest of the 2,500-man force to complete their retreat. This battle changed the priorities of the Patriots, and Colonel Benedict Arnold wrote, “Let us quit and secure our own country before it is too late.”

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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 $359 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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  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 USA Berkey Filters (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 $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.

Providing For Your Family During Power Outages – Part 1, by B.S.V.

For the last several months I have been thinking of writing an article for SurvivalBlog, but there have been so many great articles by so many knowledgeable people that I have spent most of my time learning from SurvivalBlog rather than writing for it.

That changed last week (as I write this). I live in North Texas and was impacted by the storms that came through. A lot of news has, rightfully, focused on those areas where tornadoes caused damage – and there were enough of those to keep the news cycles busy. However, the news coverage was virtually non-existent for what impacted my little rural community. It wasn’t the flooding, of which there was plenty. It was the power outages, of which there were over 100,000 reported outage locations with more than 640,000 customers out of service.

So, what was the basically overlooked cause of damage? Straight-line winds…and these aren’t the breezes that dry your clothes on a nice Spring day. Nope, these winds were clocked at 65 miles per hour, gusting to 95 miles per hour. That is Category One hurricane territory. In my area, those winds were sustained for about three hours.

Continue reading“Providing For Your Family During Power Outages – Part 1, by B.S.V.”

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:

I was down with a cold for a full week, mostly recovering on Wednesday. So I wasn’t able to accomplish a lot around the ranch.  By Thursday, I was able to get one of our chainsaws out for a short session of firewood crosscutting.  By the time I finished one little chainsaw tank of gas (about 40 minutes) I was feeling wiped out.  There is nothing quite like recovering from a cold to leave me enervated. I was able to do just an hour of wood splitting and stacking on Friday. Pitiful.  I hate getting sick.

On Thursday afternoon, Lily and I dehorned another calf — an 8-day-old heifer.  It was a bit of a rodeo. A good thing that we didn’t wait until it was any older!

Now, Lily’s report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” – Isaiah 54 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 7, 2024

On June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.

June 7th, 1967 was the day of Jerusalem’s redemption from foreign governments in the Six Day War, placing it back under Israeli sovereign control after having been occupied for over 2,500 years. This was in accord with the UN General Assembly’s vote in 1948.

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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 Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.

Post Your Curtilage Boundaries!

In recent years American courts have not bolstered private property rights.  It has been well-publicized how the courts have deferred to local governments and even to private land developers, in allowing Eminent Domain declarations to deprive even multi-generational land owners of their property, for “public use”. This has gone far beyond just widening highways. Some of these “takings” have been for boondoggles like building privately-owned sports stadiums and shopping malls. But much less well known are court cases at the state and Federal levels that have upheld the assumed right of law enforcement officers to enter and surveil private lands with impunity, under the Open Fields Doctrine.

Open Fields = No Privacy

The Open Fields Doctrine is a modern derivation of the English Common Law, dating back to the era of Divine Right Kings.  As early as 1217, the British monarchy established the offices of “The Keepers of The King’s Deer” — also known as Rangers or Game Wardens. As officers of the crown, game wardens were given carte blanche to trespass on private lands at any hour of the day, to spy on suspected poachers, to seize evidence, extract confessions, and to make arrests. The notorious Sheriff of Nottingham was one such Game Warden. In medieval times, wardens were little more than armed and armored thugs whose job was to punish any “knave” caught poaching the king’s deer. Some of them even assumed the power of summary execution.  (See: Nathaniel Boothe’s The Rights of His Majesty’s Forest Asserted.)Continue reading“Post Your Curtilage Boundaries!”

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 recent oil glut. (See the Commodities section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold: Reversal Signals are Increasing.

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The latest from Hub Moolman: The US Dollar or Silver: Make Your Choice.

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Why It’s Time to Stop Taxing Gold & Silver.  (Full disclosure: Bullionstar is a SurvivalBlog affiliate advertiser.)

Economy & Finance:

New report: California ranks ‘dead last’ in ‘opportunity’.

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H.L. sent this one: Traitor Joe’s Economy Is Destroying Retirement Accounts in a Way Most People Are Overlooking.

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It is starting to smell like an election year! Biden administration cancels another $7.7 Billion in student loans.

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At Zero Hedge: Software Update “Glitch” Blamed For NYSE Market Break That Sparked Berkshire Wipe Out, Trading Halt Cascade.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”