Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 5, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.)

I’ll refer the reader to My Ten-Day Test-My-Preps Adventure – Part 4 for the details of how my system works and what I am able to do with it. In a nutshell, during sunlight hours I can take the available 1,500 watts and feed them into my home/shop wiring system and run nearly everything including the freezer.

On Day One if the SHTF, the actual switchover process from grid-tie to off-grid takes just a few minutes. In a simplified explanation, I activate the SPS switch at the inverter and plug a suicide cord (male plug on both ends) into the 120-v outlet next to that switch. I plug the other end of the cord into the nearby 120-v outlet where my air compressor is plugged in. At the breaker box just above that outlet, I install a short jumper wire to connect the two bus bars. With that, the SPS back feeds electricity into the breaker panel and the system is up and ready to power my house and shop.

[JWR Adds This Safety Warning:  See the many warnings that have been published in SurvivalBlog over the years about the risk of backfeeding the grid. Readers should consult a qualified electrician to install a safe and approved transfer switch. The lives of utility company linemen depend on this precaution!]

Update: St. Funogas Added:

As per JWR’s warning about accidental backfeeding into the grid in a non-TEOTWAWKI situation, it’s not only unsafe if the proper safety measures aren’t followed but also illegal and you can be hit with heavy fines, liability lawsuits, and the power company can disconnect your service permanently. Before electric providers will allow grid-tied solar panels to be activated, they require installation of their approved shutoff right below the meter which has the capability of being bolted or padlocked in the off position. The comments in my article were referring to a TEOTWAWKI permanent grid-down situation and the safety steps were outlined: the main shutoff is locked in the off position, then the main breaker turned off before backfeeding solar panels into the home wiring system.  All of these precautions apply to home generators as well.  To be prepared ahead of time for backfeeding if the SHTF, adding a transfer switch as mentioned by JWR is recommended. A less-expensive option is a generator interlock plate ($15-50). These are approved by the National Electric Code and consist of a plate which attaches to the breaker panel and makes it physically impossible to have both the main breaker and a backfeed breaker on at the same time.  Also safer than a suicide cord is a code-approved generator cord and inlet box used for home generators and RVs.  Mine are already on order and anyone prepping for a long-term grid-down situation may want to consider doing the same.

Since it only works when the sun is shining there are some inconveniences. These inconveniences become negligible compared to having no electricity at all. While the sun is shining water tanks can be filled, washing machines operated, laptops and batteries recharged, shop tools can drill, cut, and sand, electric chainsaws can make firewood, sewing machines and kitchen appliances can work, and the electric mower can be used to maintain that firebreak around the house and trim the garden paths. As a huge service to neighbors, you can also recharge everything from their car batteries to their laptops.Continue reading“Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan – Part 5, by St. Funogas”

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 quiet week here at the ranch.  I was busy with taking orders for USB blog archive sticks, and mailing out a few to family and friends. Just making extra trips into town to pick up mail and logging in the 5% of USB stick orders that were paid by check took a lot of my time, this week.

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

It is good to see that our stock water tanks have thawed out.  But our corrals and our barnyard are now great big messy slushies. They are no fun to walk in, even in mud boots.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done.

And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.

And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord commanded Moses.

And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.” – Leviticus 8:1-12 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 26, 2024

On January 26th, 1905, the world’s largest diamond was found in South Africa. The Cullinan Diamond weighed 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g or 1.37 lb) and has an estimated value of 2 billion USD.

—

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

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $870,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

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

(Continued from Part 3.)

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

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

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

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

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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

Precious Metals:

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

o  o  o

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

Economy & Finance:

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

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 25, 2024

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

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

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

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $870,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

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

(Continued from Part 2.)

5. Meals and Menus for Day One and First Week

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

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

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

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

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

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we further examine homesteading self-sufficiency.

Millennials are Giving Up City Life to Start Homesteading

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

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

TSA Says Illegals Can Board Jetliners Without Identification

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

A Western Utah Covenant Community

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

A Tennessee-Kentucky Covenant Community

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

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 24, 2024

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

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

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

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $870,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

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

(Continued from Part 1.)

Now, let’s dive in.

My Day One TEOTWAWKI Manual

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

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

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

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

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

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

—

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

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

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