Where to Call “Home”: Prepping Post-Pandemic – Part 1, by Alex Braszko

Introductory Notes: Alex Braszko is a retired Military Intelligence and Space Operations Officer with over 22 years of service in the U.S. Army. He is currently a Military Analyst at the Center for Army Lessons Learned. He is in the process of writing a book focused on prepping from a Christian perspective entitled, “Preparing for the Day; an Orthodox Christian Perspective on Prepping”. In this article, he provides a glimpse into the decision-making process he and his wife went through in selecting a final home. Given their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, he reviews the soundness of that decision.

The opinions expressed in this article are his own and in no way represent those of the United States Army or the Center for Army Lessons Learned.

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The world is a big, exciting place! There are so many different countries, cultures, and climates you can choose to live in, if you can afford the move and if you are granted access to live in those places. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to choose where they will live, however. When you are young, looking to start a career or if you are older, being told you must move to keep your job, or if you are simply looking for promotion opportunities, staying fixed in place may not be an option. Occasionally you end up in places you hate and swear you will never visit again. But sometimes you find yourself living in a part of the world that is as close to perfect as you can imagine. The experiences you gain living in a foreign country can be life-altering, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, but will almost always influence where you eventually do decide to settle down.

Maybe you’ve never left your local county. Maybe you come from generations of a family that lived and owned land on the same piece of earth for decades, if not centuries. Maybe you live in the perfect place from a prepper’s perspective. Congratulations, this article is definitely not for you. But if you are unsure, if you are considering moving and trying to figure out where, then maybe you will find this article helpful.Continue reading“Where to Call “Home”: Prepping Post-Pandemic – Part 1, by Alex Braszko”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we present a special round-up of photovoltaic (PV) power companies in the American Redoubt Region.

Idaho

Backwoods Solar Electric Systems
1589 Rapid Lightning Creek Rd., Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 (208) 263-4290

I started doing business with these folks back in 1992, when they installed a six-panel solar jack pump system at my ranch near Orofino, Idaho.

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Sun Power Solar & Electric, in Boise

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Idaho County Solar, LLC
P.O. Box 7, Grangeville, Idaho 83530 (208) 983-2185

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 4, 2022

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tennessee.

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Today, we present a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.  But first, we are announcing our most recent writing contest prize winners.

Writing Contest Winners Announced — Round 99

We’ve completed the judging for Round 99 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. This contest round ran a bit long, because a six-part article began running near the end of March. Round 100 begins today. The Round 99 prize winners are…

First Prize Winner:

First prize goes to SaraSue, for Shortages, a 7-Year Food Supply, and Beating Inflation – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 which was posted on February 22-25, 2022. She will receive:

  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 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize Winner:

Second prize goes to St. Funogas, for My Ultralight Get-Home Bag – Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, which was posted on February 3-4-5, 2022. He will receive:

  1. A transferable Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  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 Winner:

Third prize goes to Rufus King, for Handguns For Hard Times – Part 1, Part 2. He will receive:

  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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

Honorable Mention Prize Winners:

The writers of the following 14 articles have been awarded Honorable Mention prizes — a transferable and additive $100 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, good toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique or blackpowder replica gun. Note that three folks have been awarded multiple Honorable Mention prizes this month:

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 begins today and ends on May 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 New Prize:

Take note that one new prize package has been added to the Third Prize package, starting with Round 100: A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx. Both are made here in the United States.

Bersa Model 383, by Pat Cascio

This particular pistol, the Bersa Model 383, has been in the family for about 25-years, maybe even longer. It was my wife’s everyday carry gun, for a lot of years. She just likes the way it feels in her hand for some reason. It was a step-up from her little .22 LR pistol that was never reliable, and of course, the .22 LR is a pitiful stopper when used for self-defense. It took a lot of years before my wife gave up the Versa 383 and started carrying a Glock 19, with a laser on it. It was just recently, that she started carrying a Taurus G2c. And before that, she had the Taurus PT111. I offered her a Taurus G3c, but she preferred the G2c for some reason.

The .380 ACP round isn’t my first choice in a self-defense handgun, although with the new Ruger .380 MAX, that holds 10+ or 12+1 rounds of .380 ACP, my thinking has changed – that’s a lot of ammo in a small handgun – a very small handgun. Still, anything in .380 ACP is not my first choice in a self-defense handgun.

My wife and I have easily put at least 2,000-rounds of .380 ACP through this Bersa Model 383 over the years – always in target practice. However, for the past dozen years or more, the Bersa has sat unused, There are just too many other firearms that we enjoy shooting more than the Bersa.

The 383 is similar in size to the Walther PPK/s If that helps you understand the size – this size is considered “compact” by many gun makers. The gun has a 3.5-inch barrel, and weighs in at about 26-ounces. It has a steel frame. The current Bersa that is called the Thunder 380 has an aluminum frame is about half a pound lighter in weight. The 383 is blued – nicely done I might add. And has 3-dot white sights – a very nice touch. The grips are wooden, while on the new models, they are polymer. This is a single action/double action pistol – with the hammer down, the first shot is a long and VERY heavy pull. But the single-action trigger after that first shot isn’t terribly bad.Continue reading“Bersa Model 383, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Layered Baked Mexican Dip

The following recipe for a layered baked Mexican Dip is from blog reader Phil M.. He says: “I have made this is in at least ten different countries over the years and it’s always been a hit.”

Ingredients
  • 1 Can refried beans (or dried equivalent)
  • Jalapeno peppers  to taste
  • 1 to 1½ cups cottage cheese
  • 2 Cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or mild cheddar cheese
  • 2 green peppers diced
  • 3 red peppers diced
  • One bag of Nacho chips (round ones are good)
Directions
  1. In a medium casserole, spread the refried beans evenly.
  2. Add a layer of Jalapeño peppers (I used pickled from a jar).
  3. Over that, spread the cottage cheese,
  4. Then add the Shredded cheese (I use mild cheddar) evenly,
  5. Add the Green and Red peppers to cover the cheese and
  6. Bake at 350 Degrees F for 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling all over the dish,
SERVING

Serve hot, and be warned you, it will burn your mouth!  This is a great party snack or movie night snack. It also works well as a light supper.

STORAGE

Left-overs may be refrigerated. “Reheated, they go well with eggs and bacon or sausage and a side of pan-fried potatoes.”

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Do you have a favorite 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 and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at farm commodities. (See the Commodities section.)

Precious Metals:

Andre sent us this: Russia Is Now Initiating A Short Squeeze On Gold Derivatives In The West.

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What You Need To Know About Physical Gold Supply And Demand.

Economy, Finance, & Taxation:

Recession ahead! US Treasury yield curve inverts again.

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MSN: Chinese and European markets have seen a massive capital exodus since Russia invaded Ukraine. (Our thanks to C.R.B. for the link.)

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A Stoic Finance video: Two $100 Billion Hedge Funds Just Collapsed…

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Beware of wartime fake news triggering a run, EU banks told.

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Biden pitches largest tax hike in history as part of $5.8T budget request.  JWR’s Comment: Take note that Biden’s proposed tax is based on “net worth” rather than annual income. So, if a “land rich” rancher only took a small profit as income, he’d still be taxed at this new confiscatory rate. This sort of tax is what will inevitably cause Atlas to Shrug.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 3, 2022

This is the birthday of Washington Irving, an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th Century. He is best known for short stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but he also wrote several biographies and served as the US Ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

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Please continue to pray for the people of Ukraine. The situation is becoming quite dire, with atrocities coming to light.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  4. 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).
  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 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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 begins on Monday, 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.

Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 6, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 5.  This concludes the article.)

For an inexpensive commercial slingshot the PC Supersonic is an excellent initial option. It costs around $20, is made of super strong polymer and has thumb screws for band attachment, which allows quick band changes in the field. It only supports OTT for band attachment, which works well for most beginners, supports multiple grip styles and comes with a single lighter weight band. It doesn’t have an arrow rest option, but if you search the web for ‘diy slingshot arrow rest’ you can find a number of ways to easily add one.

Moving up in cost, the SimpleShot Scout series is one of the best all-around options available both for beginners as well as advanced users. It’s available in two models – the LT, which works well for smaller hands and is more compact, and the XT which is slightly larger. Both models are $40+shipping, and both come with two medium flat bands with pre-tied pouches. Both the XT and LT use SimpleShot’s Flip Clip and can be configured as either OTT or TTF, and I highly recommend getting the optional thumb screws ($5), which allow easy band changes in the field (there are two different sizes of thumb screws – make sure you get the right ones for your model). Continue reading“Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 6, by J.M.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

To share this, you can find it here: https://www.kapwing.com/videos/624710f46c98a600fac8989b

Meme Text:

The You’re-A-Peons are About To Learn

That Master-Blaster Runs EuroTown…

“Embargo On!”

News Links:

Video Link: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome: “Master-Blaster Runs Bartertown”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” – Matthew 7:1-23 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 2, 2022

Today is the birthday of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (Apr 2, 1849 – February 8, 1902) was a Russian military officer, engineer, and a co-designer of the Mosin-Nagant rifle.  These rifles have been spotted in use in the current Ukraine war.

This is the birthday of Émile François Zola, a novelist and essayist. He is most often remembered as the author of “J’accuse” (I Accuse!), his lengthy open letter to President Félix Faure, which accused the French government of anti-semitism.

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You might have noticed that our primary server was down for several hours yesterday. (Friday, April 1st, 2022.)  There is no cause for alarm. It wasn’t a hacker or a solar flare that was to blame. Nay, it was just a power company excavator that was digging in the wrong place  — and severed a very expensive fiberoptic cable.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 begins on Monday, 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.

 

Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 5, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 4.)

If you want to easily include some arrows as part of your slingshot carry kit without worrying about how to store and carry them, PocketShot makes some great standard and bowfishing 3-section take-down arrows. If you plan on going after larger game you should replace the field tips on the standard arrows with broadheads.

As an aside, since slingshot people stole arrows from archery folks, I guess some turnabout is only fair –a company called Shoottech Systems makes a dual-string bow with a magnetic catch on the string that allows you to shoot steel balls with a bow.

Darts are arrow’s little brother, but they can be amazingly effective for hunting and fishing as well as self-defense, and they’re a lot more portable and concealable. These are typically 5”-6” long shafts with a sharp tip, a notch for hooking it to the band string and a knurled tail to grip when you’re drawing. Like arrows they’re available with fletching for hunting (and self-defense) and without fletching for fishing. My favorite hunting dart is the Sniper Sling Gen 2, which has a shaft made of carbon fiber and a replaceable tip. They weigh around .2 oz. (6g), which is a little more than a 7/16 steel ball, so you can use regular bands instead of heavy ones, but they have amazing accuracy and penetration power even with regular bands. Using a single tapered Theraband Gold band with a dart string and only drawing to my cheek I shot one at ½” plywood from about 30’ away and the dart completely penetrated the plywood with the tip sticking out around ¼” on the other side. Here’s a video of some guys testing them out with similar results. The darts are a bit more expensive ($28 for 5), but worth it. If you ever need replacement tips you can contact Sniper Sling via email and they’ll sell you some for $1.20 each plus shipping.Continue reading“Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 5, by J.M.”