Do-It-Yourself Rocket Stoves, by E.B.

…will have broken lumber which provides a useful and readily available fuel, or they can burn previously overlooked fuel such as branches of smaller diameter (around the thickness or a finger or thumb works well in my little stoves) that may have been considered too small to be worthwhile issuing in a proper wood-stove. I have purposely tried to make all my rocket stoves out of locally available and free re-purposed materials, or very inexpensive materials which are readily available. I have found some ‘non-freematerials really help the process, and create a superior product (like JB Weld) but I also want to be able to make them out of the most basic materials around if needed. The Science of Improved Stoves There are a number of principles that go into making a good rocket stove. From what I know, the most important is that they need to be hot….




How to Install a Woodstove in an RV or Small Cabin, by Tunnel Rabbit

…a 25 to 30 foot RV with a wood stove. RVs with pull-outs are a good choice as the stove can be located away from flammable materials, and the permanent alterations are not as radical. Double wall stove pipe can be put through a ceiling vent. However, this is not the safest method because of the very close proximity to flammable materials. Putting the chimney through a window section is far better. If using a vent, then use cement, or Hardy backer board, or drywall lined with aluminum sheeting to protect edges of the vent hole and adjacent walls. If double-wall pipe cannot be found, then use 4-inch stove pipe to increase the distance between the pipe and flammable materials. Since I do not have the ability to provide drawings or photos, this written description can only give you an overview. Take note that this installation does not meet building…




Letter Re: Ballistic Protection of Building Materials

Mr Rawles, I saw the letter you posted asking about the ballistic protection afforded by common building materials. I did some experimenting on this topic, testing the protection of concrete-filled blocks against a number of common calibers. You can see my findings here: http://www.clairewolfe.com/wolfesblog/00001296.html and here: http://www.clairewolfe.com/wolfesblog/00001404.html Even 8 inches of concrete offers only temporary protection from rifle ammunition (though it’s quite good against pistol fire.) For info on other materials, you might direct folks to: http://www.theboxotruth.com/ – Ian…




Letter Re: Inexpensive Building and Gardening Techniques

…price range.  Keep looking, and you will find your ideal spot. When we bought the property, it had a run down trailer, a small metal garage, and small log sheds that were falling down, along with a lot of junk that her son dumped there after she moved out, so we had our work cut out for us getting it cleaned out.  First thing we did was go to work making the trailer livable again.  We replaced the floor and carpet with mainly free or very inexpensive materials that people gave me, or that I found in the “Free Stuff” and “Materials” section of Craigslist. All the while I was collecting reclaimed wood and other materials and storing it in the garage. Next, we made use of a small clearing, and started dropping trees to make a larger area for our garden/livestock area.  I put my oldest boy to work…




Emergency Shelters From Materials On-Hand, by SnoMan

The key to building an emergency shelter is knowing how to improvise. Whatever the situation, whatever materials you have, if you need shelter from the elements, you’ll have to make do. Be efficient; every calorie spent is a calorie you’ll have to replace, so build your shelter using the least time and energy you can. For the purposes of this series of articles, we’re assuming you’ll be on the move, and that your shelters are truly just for temporary, perhaps even one-night use. If you’re going to be in place for awhile, then the rules about minimalist construction are off, and you should make your situation more comfortable, which is good for morale. Gather your materials Whatever you have on hand might be useful, so let your imagination run for awhile before you begin construction. A crashed plane might still be in good enough condition to sleep in. If it’s…




The Extreme Solar Still Concept, by Jim B.

…add to my kit this time”, you’re asking? Nothing. One more time: Not a thing! If you carry a hunk of plastic and a cup now for a solar still/E-shelter, that will continue to be the only thing you need. Think, for example, if the first car tires were square they would not work very well, and with just a small alteration in shape and no extra material we could get them spinning down the highway. Everything that I will try to detail out to you now I have taken to the field and tested personally. I started with baselines, building exact replicas of the solar stills in the survival books. I tested these in various places at various times during the year to get a good average base to draw from, and testing things my way in the same places and times of the year. These test that I…




The Tao of Cordage – Part 1 , by J.M.

…Kernmantle is cordage made up of an inner core (or ‘kern’) of multiple twisted lines, covered with a braided sheath or ‘mantle’. It shares many of the features of twisted and braided, but can also amplify some of the disadvantages of both. The most common type of kernmantle cordage is the 550 paracord so loved by preppers everywhere. One of the biggest advantages of kernmantle cordage is that you can remove the inner strands and use them for lighter tasks like fishing and sewing, and still use the outer mantle for heavier tasks. Materials The type of material cordage is made from can have a significant impact on its characteristics. While in the distant past your only options were natural fibers like hemp, modern materials science now allows cordage to be created with numerous different manmade materials that significantly outperform anything nature can provide. One of the most common materials




Letter Re: Officer Survival Initiative First Aid Materials

…local outdoor adventure organization) conducts two weekend Wilderness First Aid courses annually with instructors from NOLS/Wilderness Medicine Institute. About half of each class is conducted outdoors, regardless of weather, to add reality to the situation. I enjoyed the winter sessions. Not only do the aid givers need to deal with a fracture, but they also need to keep the victim from freezing to death– a real dose of reality. Third: You are so right about two days being insufficient for detailed training, though it sure can help with the limited resources mindset. A prepper might say the shorter courses have some holes in them (no coverage of gunshot wounds, for example), but there is something for everyone. In addition to the two-day WFA course, the Wilderness Medicine Institute has a one-week Wilderness Advanced First Aid course, a two-week Wilderness First Responders course, a month-long course for Wilderness EMTs, and even…




Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Update

…with land that are retreat worthy at www.JeffAllenRealtor.com by clicking on the “Property Search” link or use the “Helpful Links” button to find out more about our area. If you need a more refined search, please give us a call (479.246.1657), or e-mail your request specifications to jeffallen@lindsey.com and we can e-mail you search results. [Our parent agency] Lindsey and Associates is ranked # 1 in real estate sales for the State of Arkansas, giving our clients top rated service with their transactions. TDS Adds: I did a search and found 750 acres outside of the town of Westville for $1,000 per acre. It has a small man made lake, cabin and is in 50% timber and 50% in pasture. It seems that the MLS system will not link back so to view it you’ll need to click the search engine above and input 750 acres or MLS number Ref…




The Power of Police and Rules for Encountering Them – Part 2, by APC

…most people are not aware of. During a legitimate detention, an officer can legally do two things, upon articulating a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed, is being committed, or will be committed. Please note that a police officer almost NEVER has to articulate this suspicion to YOU. He must articulate it to a magistrate or judge, if it comes to that. During a detention, an officer may: Place you in restraints (handcuffs) for his own safety. It does not mean you are under arrest. Perform a limited search (Terry Pat, or stop and frisk) by patting you down and looking for weapons. Note: The search must be limited to weapons, and therefore generally does not involve searching individual pockets (except by patting them down from the outside). Generally, any contraband found during such a search by illegal means is inadmissible. The cop is supposed to be searching…




Making Sense of What You Hear- Part 3, by Hal2000

…must keep your computer software and drivers up to date as well. And if your computer breaks or locks up, there goes your Ham radio. Whenever someone asks me about SDR’s, I tell them that I don’t mind having a computer in my radio, but I don’t want my radio to be in a computer. I don’t want to have to rely on Bill Gates to use my Ham radio. Hams are hooking radios to computers and the Internet and doing some really neat things. Using certain talk groups on a DMR repeater will allow you to talk to Hams in foreign countries on your VHF/UHF handheld. Using D-star you can dial up repeaters in foreign countries and talk to Hams there. Using IRLP you can dial up any other IRLP repeater anywhere. But all of this depends on computers and the Internet. My advice to preppers is to not…




Shopping For Your Survival Retreat, by John J.

…web site is much better tailored than Craigslist to help people with their real estate needs. The site is very easy to use, if you find a listing that you want information on then you can contact the realtor who’s information will be listed on that property’s page. The realtor can e-mail you a full write up about the property including its address.   You may find that using a realtor directly will help you in your property search. For those who are experienced and resourceful you’ll be able to find properties on your own, but it can be useful to have a realtor to e-mail you listings. Realtors have direct access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system. This system is where the bulk of properties are listed in. A realtor can e-mail you listings from the MLS, these will have a complete write up about the property as…




The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

…everything is going on lock down in the USA and EU PS. Iran is bad bad bad anonomous Each search I did today on Dr Mercola came up with no results for articles. I know last year when Google started refining their search results to skip Dr Mercola and many others writing about natural methods. I receive Dr Mercola’s, health nut news, natural news etc and have for over 15 yrs. Today even putting his name in the search, my results on Duck Duck Go came up with no articles. I am concerned since Google (who actually run the searches as well as startpage results) anonomously still restrict results. I am concerned since no place in all the news on this new virus do they mention the use of any natural food, vitamin, herb or mineral that could help. I feel the only things we will be offered are meds…




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

…I suspect this is the plan. Control a country’s education and media and you control their minds. Telesilla of Argos Ben Shapiro is a dynamic speaker, always interesting, and contributes tremendously to the Conservative conversation. He recently published remarks about having been wrong about President Trump, and indicating he would be voting for DJT in 2020. https://www.independentsentinel.com/ben-shapiro-admits-he-was-wrong-hes-voting-for-donald-trump/ Telesilla of Argos Excellent SB recommendations! …and on the subject of resources! This is a great time to reconsider everything from social medial to search engines. This news report on the social media front was deeply concerning, although not a surprise: https://nypost.com/2020/10/20/meet-your-chinese-facebook-censors/ We also saw the news that Duck Duck Go appeared to be supressing Citizen Free Press. With this in mind, we have moved our own search system to Start Page: https://startpage.com/ Here’s the Citizens Free Press Reference: https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/alert-duck-duck-go-search-engine-removes-link-to-citizen-free-press/ benjammin 3 things about that DIY solar generator. There’s no way that battery…




The SPLC Crosses the Line with Their Latest Smears

The smears and innuendos by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that I’ve noted before in SurvivalBlog are continuing. Take a few minutes to read this new article on the controversial Citadel project that appeared in the Summer issue of the SPLC’s magazine, and at their web site, titled: Behind the Walls. It was written by Spokane region journalist Bill Morlin. The SPLC is famous for cleverly using loaded words, half-truths, and guilt by association to attempt to destroy the reputations of conservatives. This latest article is no exception. Take note of the numerous conclusions that Morlin draws just from the “bizarre” comma in my name. The seven years of archives of SurvivalBlog (the equivalent of 7,000+ pages) don’t back up his assertions. To characterize my blog as a “sovereign citizen” blog is patently false. I write a family preparedness blog, not a “sovereign citizen” blog. The Sovereignty movement has…