A 12-Month Preparedness Checklist – Part 2, by Reltney McFee

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

June

June is the month to assess the animals: are their vaccinations current? How is that Veterinary Medic Bag coming along? In addition, while I am out and about, June might be a nice month to function test my generator, and, following the thought that a power failure might require my generator to function, would it not be nice to have, gosh, LIGHT, while poking around getting such things set up?

Why, now that you ask, yes! Yes, light would be pleasant! I checked the batteries in January, and this month’s check both rides on January’s coat tails, as well as specifically focuses on the lights that I carry daily. Years ago, I was an RN working ICU on midnights. On a couple of occasions, the mains power failed and (to my dismay) the emergency generator at the hospital employing me did NOT power up.

It gets might, mighty dark in an ICU at oh-dark-hundred! I now carry two belt flashlights because “1 is none, and 2 is 1”. Due to this “2=1, 1=none” calculus, I also have two pen style flashlights in my shirt pocket at all times, as well as one coin cell click light on my badge, and an Streamlight Proton Light (powered by 4 x LR 41 batteries) on my key ring.

ANIMALS
Are vaccinations current?
Veterinary care supplies: (list)(out-date)(status/condition)
GENERATOR
Function Test/Run under load (heater)
Preventative maintenance: oil change? (Belts/other) need (inspection/servicing)?
LANTERNS AND BATTERIES (see battery list for locations)
Battery charge?
Battery condition?
EVERYDAY CARRY LIGHTS
Penlights
Click Light
O Light
Sure Fire light (on belt)
Thor Fire light (on belt)
RECURRENT CHECKS
Check Radios/Batteries
Change BOB Food and WaterContinue reading“A 12-Month Preparedness Checklist – Part 2, by Reltney McFee”

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:

We had a fairly quiet week here at the ranch. Because we are in the midst of mailing out orders for USB archive sticks, I had to make two extra trips to town. Since the Rawles Ranch is so remote, trips to town consume almost half a workday. Oh well, at least it is a scenic drive, with lots of opportunities to see wildlife.

The weather had been nice for a couple of weeks, with occasional sunshine, and temperatures often above freezing. But on Friday night a cold front came in and we got five inches of snow.

With cold weather, we’ve gone back to more frequent rotation of the electric stock tank heaters. Our stock tanks are positioned in pairs. During cold spells, if we don’t shift the heaters between tanks “morning-and-night” then we have to sledgehammer the ice off the top of the colder tank, to make the switch.

Now, Lily’s report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him.

And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.

And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.” – Genesis 48:13-22 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 27, 2023

On this day in 1832, mathematician and novelist Lewis Carroll, especially remembered for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass (1871), was born in Daresbury, Cheshire, England.

On January 27th, 1945 the Soviet Army liberated Auschwitz. Established in 1941 Auschwitz was a complex of three large camps and 40 smaller camps used for slave labor, unethical medical experiments, and monstrous killing grounds where prisoners were gassed and cremated. As the Soviets headed for Auschwitz, the German Gestapo began a murder spree and began destroying the facility in an attempt to hide the evidence of their crimes. When the Soviets arrived, they encountered 648 corpses and more than 7,000 starving camp survivors along with storehouses filled with hundreds of thousands of dresses, suits, and shoes that the Germans did not have time to burn.

January 27th 1880 — Patent No. 223,898 was granted to Thomas A. Edison for “an electric lamp for giving light by incandescence.”

Today is the birthday of singer-songwriter Kate Wolf. (Born 1942, died December 10, 1986.) Her untimely death at age 44 cut short an amazing career and robbed America of a great songwriting talent.

This is also the birthday of the late Helen Chenoweth (born, 1938, died October 2, 2006). She was a controversial Republican congresswoman from Orofino, Idaho.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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).
  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. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 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.

A 12-Month Preparedness Checklist – Part 1, by Reltney McFee

It has been said that amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics. I have attempted to put things aside for rainy days, and, with Mr. Biden at the helm, and Mr. Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation, well, my achy knees tell me that rainy days are a’comin.

This last November, I had the epiphany that I needed to check the condition as well as charge of my batteries. This is a task for me semi-annually. I inspect for signs of leakage, I test the strength, using a voltage meter. Radio Shack used to sell them for $10-$20, once upon a time. I contemplate whether I have enough of each size. Unlike ammunition, “MOAR!” is not always the correct answer, for, ammunition keeps nearly forever if kept cool, dry and in the dark. Batteries have a self-discharge phenomenon, and both rechargeable as well as alkaline (and carbon-zinc), or “primary”, batteries, will lose their charge over time. (“Primary batteries” are single-use, and their charge derives from the chemicals with which they are made. “Secondary”, or rechargeable, batteries can be brought back up to charge, after discharge, although after a sufficient number of charge/discharge cycles, they gradually lose their ability to accept and hold a charge.) Therefore, in an ideal bunker, I would have just enough that I would have fully charged batteries in service, and enough fully charged replacements to cycle back and forth, so that no battery would die a lonely, unused, death, way back in the back of my battery shelf.

I am still striving for that level of efficiency.

When I checked this past month, to my disappointment, I found that most of my rechargeable batteries had discharged. Once I see if they will accept and hold a charge, I will know if they are in need of replacement, or simply monthly assessment.Continue reading“A 12-Month Preparedness Checklist – Part 1, by Reltney McFee”

Economics & Investing For Preppers:

Today, in lieu of my usual economics and investing news and commentary, I’d like to briefly expound a bit on my view of the collapsing real estate market in the United States.

I’ll begin by mentioning something published in Investment Watchblog that I found linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: US Median Home Price Drops 12% in Six Months – Largest Drop Since 2009. Please take the time to read that article.

Now take a look at an ominous figure that was neatly buried down in the ninth paragraph of an article with a cheery headline over at the web’s Perpetual Cheering Section, CNBC, on January 26th:

“A 26.7% plunge in residential fixed investment, reflecting a sharp slide in housing, served as a drag on the growth number…”

People are now recognizing that the tide has turned. See:  41% Of Americans Expect A Housing Crash In 2023. Here is a pericope from that article:

“41% of Americans, according to the survey that was originally reported by the New York Post, believe that the housing market will collapse within the next 12 months.

Comparatively speaking, only 25% of respondents said they believed the industry would escape a crash, and 34% said they were unsure.

74% of those anticipating a crash think it will be as catastrophic as, or worse than, the housing market collapse that occurred in 2008 during the Great Recession.”

Those articles confirm something that I’ve been warning folks about in SurvivalBlog, for many months.

With the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) likely to continue to raise interest rates, we can expect house prices to decline in most markets, and simply crater in the most over-priced markets.

I hope that my readers took my advice and have already shed themselves of any speculative investment (“spec”) houses or under-used vacation homes.

To back up a bit, I should point out that the real estate market in the UnIted States has been highly cyclical, since 1945. This article at Investopedia provides some solid background information: Four Key Factors That Drive the Real Estate Market.

We’ve Seen The Top

I can foresee that the currently unfolding real estate market rout will differ from previous market busts. In my estimation, this in part will be because government debt has reached extreme proportions. Presently, paying just the interest on the national debt now consumes nearly as much of the annual Federal budget as all defense spending, combined. Ponder that for a moment. Because of compounding interest, the mountain of government debt simply cannot be repaid without destroying the Dollar as a currency unit, via mass inflation.  Absent mass inflation, paying down the debt is mathematically impossible.  Let’s resign ourselves to that fact.

Interest rates were held artificially low by the Federal Reserve’s FOMC for at least five years too long. These low rates fueled a boom in the real estate market that enlarged market demand and grossly inflated house prices. Traditionally, the price of a typical three-bedroom suburban house (with interest) equated to about 10 years of income for the average buyer. Thus, when putting one-third of a middle-class income toward mortgage payments, a 30-year mortgage was feasible.  But in recent years, with ballooning house prices, that now equates to something closer to 20 years of income. The only reason that anyone other than cash buyers could afford to buy a house is because the artificially-low interest rates made monthly mortgage payments smaller. But, now, with interest rates normalizing to their traditional average levels, very few middle-class families can afford to buy a home.

Houses Are Too Expensive

Here is an excerpt from a 2018 article published by Curbed:

“To understand just how unaffordable owning a home can be in American cities today, look at the case of a teacher in San Francisco seeking his or her first house.

Educators in the City by the Bay earn a median salary of $72,340. But, according to a new Trulia report, they can afford less than one percent of the homes currently on the market.

Despite making roughly $18,000 more than their peers in other states, many California teachers—like legions of other public servants, middle-class workers, and medical staff—need to resign themselves to finding roommates or enduring lengthy commutes. Some school districts, facing a brain drain due to rising real estate prices, are even developing affordable teacher housing so they can retain talent.

This housing math is brutal. With the average cost of a home in San Francisco hovering at $1.61 million, a typical 30-year mortgage—with a 20 percent down payment at today’s 4.55 percent interest rate—would require a monthly payment of $7,900 (more than double the $3,333 median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment last year).

Over the course of a year, that’s $94,800 in mortgage payments alone, clearly impossible on the aforementioned single teacher’s salary, even if you somehow put away enough for a down payment (that would be $322,000, if you’re aiming for 20 percent).”

Well, guess what, folks?  House prices continued to climb, and now, most recently, interest rates have risen a lot.  As of January 25, 2023, the prevailing 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.49%. Meanwhile, the “jumbo” 30-year fixed rate is 5.52%, the 30-year fixed rate is 6.66%, and the Veteran’s Administration (VA) loan 30-year fixed rate is 6.85%. In effect, the increase in interest rates by just 3% has pushed nearly half of would-be buyers out of the market. They simply can’t afford the monthly payments. That sad fact has rapidly turned the real estate market around.

Here is a “scrawled on the back of paper napkin” example for you:  A typical suburban home in a Blue State is now $420,000. In early 2022, with a 3% interest rate mortgage, the monthly payment was $1,800. But now, in January 2023, at a 6.5% interest rate, that same $420,000 home will require a $3,000 monthly payment.

The Roof Just Fell In

Instead of a super-heated seller’s market, we are starting to see a buyer’s market. Folks realize the market shifted, so they are trying to sell their “extra” houses (rentals, spec buys, vacation homes, and whatever), before house prices drop even further. We will soon witness a nationwide fire sale.

Some prices for existing listings on the coastline towns near Los Angeles and on the San Francisco Peninsula have already been reduced by 20% to 40%.  Granted, those were particularly over-heated markets, but this shows us the direction that the market is heading. This will get quite ugly. I predict that if the Fed raises another 50 basis points (read: 1/2 of one percent), then it will trigger some panic selling.

The hardest hit areas will be the places that were recently overvalued. These include:

  • Austin, Texas
  • Phoenix, Arizona
  • San Jose, California
  • San Diego, California
  • Lakeland, Florida.

We probably won’t see the bottom for at least a couple of years — or perhaps even five or more years, if this turns into a general market depression.

But, On The Bright Side…

Keep in mind that every market collapse has a bottom, and every bottom has some buying opportunities. And the really good news is that by buying real estate at the bottom of the market, you will be obtaining something for your family’s future that is quite tangible. This will become quite important when the Almighty Dollar inevitably collapses. Fiat currencies come and go, but the Earth abides, in 40-acre parcels.

As always: Sell high, and buy low.

And that’s all that I have to say about that.- JWR

—

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!

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 26, 2023

Today is the anniversary of the shooting death of LaVoy Finicum, during the 2016 Malheur Wildlife Refuge standoff.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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).
  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. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 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.

Get The Training, and Keep Training!

One thing that I’ve stressed in SurvivalBlog over the years is the importance of training. Reading and research by themselves are great, but they are no substitute for practical hands-on training.

Last year, one of my personal resolutions was to get refresher training, in several areas. In December, my family attended a one-evening CPR class. And in January we all took a two-day Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course. The latter was fairly intense training with plenty of hands-on outdoor practical exercises. For me, these classes served as a reminder that most skills are perishable.  It also reminded me that some terminology and doctrine evolve over time. For example, I had read that CPR doctrine had evolved to “chest compressions only” when responding to most suspected adult heart attacks. But I hadn’t heard that the terminology for burns had been updated. The traditional terms “first degree”, “second degree”, and “third degree” to describe burns have been expanded, as follows:

  • Superficial (first-degree) involves the epidermis of the skin only.
  • Superficial partial-thickness (second-degree) involves the superficial dermis. It appears red with blisters and is wet.
  • Deep partial-thickness (second-degree) involves the deeper dermis. It appears yellow or white, is dry, and does not blanch with pressure.
  • Third-degree involves the full thickness of skin and subcutaneous structures. It appears white or black/brown. With pressure, no blanching occurs. The burn is leathery and dry. There is minimal to no pain because of decreased sensation.

That is just one example of where I found that my training was out-of-date.

Learning More

I’d also like to encourage my readers to broaden the horizons of their training.  Many of you already have first aid, CPR, and firearms training.  But have you taken a lockpicking course, a knife-fighting class, or an urban escape and evasion course? The latter is taught by one of our kind writing contest prize donors, onPoint Tactical. They even offer an off-grid dental course.

Keep in mind that not all of your training will come from formal schools.  You may learn pressure canning from a neighbor. Or learn knot tying from a co-worker. Or you can learn sheep shearing or farrier work, just by offering to ride along, as an unpaid “helper.”

Topics to Consider

Even the most outdoorsy sprout-eating folks who have taken all the intense mountaineering and whitewater rafting courses may have overlooked some important fundamental skills. Many of these are taught at community colleges, at a just minimal cost. Just a few examples:

  • Small Engine Repair
  • Martial Arts
  • Beekeeping
  • Forestry
  • Pottery
  • Animal Science
  • Soil Science
  • Fiber Working

And don’t overlook the more traditional skills like blacksmithing and knifemaking. There are classes taught all around the country. And there are apprenticeship programs available — both short courses and longer, more in-depth training. There are even short courses in locksmithing available, ranging from one to five days.

Fiber arts — including sheep shearing, wool carding, dyeing, spinning, and weaving — are also taught quite widely around the U.S. and Canada.  Many of these classes are available for free or at very little cost.

Also, consider volunteering with a group like Trail Life. That is a Christian alternative to the now morally bankrupt “Scouting, USA”. By assisting young men in their training, you will pick up a lot of skills, by osmosis.

Hands-On Food Storage

Dry-pack canning used to be taught by nearly all of the 101 LDS church Home Storage Centers. But now most of them no longer allow hands-on packing, by individuals. Sadly, there are now only twelve remaining “Fully Operating” LDS Canneries that allow self-canning of bulk food items:

  • Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
  • Mesa, Arizona
  • Boise, Idaho
  • Idaho Falls, Idaho
  • Carrollton, Texas
  • Lindon, Utah
  • Logan, Utah
  • Ogden, Utah
  • Salt Lake City, Utah (Welfare Square)
  • Sandy, Utah
  • Springville, Utah
  • St. George, Utah
Advanced MediCal Training

Once you’ve attended the Red Cross basic and advanced first aid courses, you should consider more in-depth courses, including the Wilderness First Responder (WFR or “Woofer”) course.  There are also special courses intended for survivalists and preppers operating in austere conditions, such as those taught by Patriot Nurse or those by Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy.

Firearms Training

I encourage ongoing firearms training.  Frequent training is particularly important because fine motor skills are perishable, and in high-stress situations, you will surely default to the level of your training. There is an oft-quoted saying: “On your best day in combat, you’ll be no better than your bad days at the range.”  Organizations like Gunsight Academy offer very professional training that will get you up to speed quickly. I suggest that you take as many courses as you can afford and that your schedule allows. And if you live in any of the western states, then don’t overlook taking a long-range shooting course. Darrell Holland teaches one of the best.

All-in-all, remember that learning is something that should go on for a lifetime. I look forward to someday attending training side-by-side with my grandchildren. It will be first-time training for them, but refresher training for me and my wife “Avalanche Lily.” I can think of no better legacy for us to pass on to them. – JWR

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 Second Amendment Sanctuaries.

61% of U.S. Counties are Now Second Amendment Sanctuaries

One under-reported piece of news is that as of December, 2022, 61% of U.S. counties had declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries.  Once this trend started, entire states followed suit. This has been going on since 2013, but the mass media has conspicuously ignored this groundswell of public opinion. A 2020-dated map shows the progress of the movement.

Dozens of Sheriffs Won’t Enforce New Illinois Gun Law

Dozens of local sheriffs say they won’t enforce new Illinois gun law.

Pfizer Exploring Mutating COVID-19 Virus Via ‘Directed Evolution’

Pfizer Exposed For Exploring “Mutating” COVID-19 Virus For New Vaccines Via ‘Directed Evolution’.

Hundreds of Hospitals Could Close Across Rural America

Over at MedicalXpess: Hundreds of hospitals could close across rural America.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 25, 2023

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 104 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. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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).
  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. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 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.

 

Doing Laundry Off-Grid and DIY Soap Recipes, by E.H.

When living completely off-grid, without either running water or corporate electricity, I wash clothes by hand and that’s okay. One way to maintain a good attitude about hand-washing laundry is to stay on top of it. Facing a mountain of dirty laundry with no washing machine can stir up feelings of dread, so I do it in small batches on a regular basis. I’d rather head for a laundromat when confronted with a big pile of stained and stinky laundry. Days are coming, however, when that won’t be an option, but you can bet things will still keep getting dirty. So wherever you are in your strategy to get out of Babylon, or if you find yourself in a survival mode situation, you may benefit from some of my off-grid laundry experiences.

When it comes to living at an off-grid camp, the fewer trips to town the better, so here is what I’ve done about the inevitable laundry. Rather than letting dirty clothes pile up where they take up space, mildew if they’re moist, and make an inviting shelter for rodents, I put them directly into a four or five gallon bucket to soak in saved bath water and laundry soap. When the bucket is full, it’s time to deal with it. Yes, saved bath water. Don’t be alarmed. If you find yourself in a water hauling situation you will probably start reusing water just like me and my off-grid neighbors have for years. Use common sense though. Don’t keep water containing feces or animal fat sitting around. Animal fats or meat scraps not fed to pets, or feces from diapers and such are best burned or adequately buried. Obviously, if the bath water is starting to resemble a cesspool because the whole family has taken turns in it like people did in the good old days, that won’t do either. You might substitute dish rinse water in that case.

In summer, I save on fuel by setting the bucket in the sun during the warmest part of the day. Draping a black bag or cloth over it will cause more heat to absorb faster. On colder days I heat water on a stove or an open fire.Continue reading“Doing Laundry Off-Grid and DIY Soap Recipes, by E.H.”

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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We’ll start out with this at USA Today, sent by reader H.L.: What part of the US has the most disasters? See a county-by-county breakdown.

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Reader J.M. in Montana wrote:

“I am passing on to you some information that I learned in nursing school (a long time ago) that I feel would be of great value to your readers. It is about rehydrating a person in a remote setting that cannot take fluids orally. The method uses the colon and is safe, very effective and does not require sterility or special equipment. I have wondered why I have never seen this explained in all the readings I have done over the years about emergency medicine in remote areas or under extreme circumstances. I thought of this, again, while reading today’s book review about treating burn victims. I did an iInternet search and came up with this web page which is an excellent explanation of the how and when of this life-saving technique:  https://www.realfirstaid.co.uk/rectal

I want more people to be aware of this simple, life-saving technique if or when they may need to use it.”

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Here is a useful tool for gardeners created by a SurvivalBlog reader with a blog own: How Much to Grow Calculator.

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Reader S.L. had this query:

“While researching SurvivalBlog for information on how much bleach to use per gallon for purifying water storage, I noticed in a couple of articles you recommend Calcium Hypochlorite, and in several others [mentionomh other situations] you recommend Sodium Hypochlorite. We keep sixty gallons for our near townhome, a couple of water BOBs in storage, plus we have a Royal Berkey for everyday tapwater filtering. Water is stored in a dark, cool, dry, lower level, off of the floor.  Our farm property has plenty of water.
I know you always recommend plain bleach with no additives (scents, whiteners, or brighteners, etc), but which form of bleach (Calcium or Sodium Hypochlorite) is preferable, and is 8 or 16 drops per gallon best?”

JWR Replies:  Chlorox is Sodium Hypochlorite. It degrades more quickly but it is safer to store and use than Calcium Hypochlorite.  (Calcium Hypochlorite is most commonly sold as a powder, and is commonly called pool shock.) The problem with Chlorox (Sodium Hypochlorite) is that it weakens as it is stored, over time.  You can use less (8 drops per gallon) if the bleach was freshly purchased, but use more if it has been stored for more than a year.

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Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson has posted some advice: What To Do About The ATF’s Pistol Brace “Interpretation”. (Note: There is a bit of off-color language.)

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At FoxNews: Elon Musk chose us to report on the Twitter Files. Here are the disturbing things I learned about the FBI.

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Reader C.B. suggested this news about some clever technology: Using cosmic rays to generate and distribute random numbers and boost security for local devices and networks.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”