March 2023 Snow Storm & Power Outage, by Rocky Hill

The following is an after-action report.

Situation

We are a couple in our mid-sixties living in our retirement (retreat) home in the south central U. S. We retired and moved from a very “blue” northern state with an eye toward living more safely in uncertain times. As a result, our house was built with some features that could help us when living gets “interesting. “

We live in a rural area, on a dead-end road with about nine neighbors. We have occasionally experienced power outages but to this point they have only been short term, one to four hours in duration.

The house is equipped with a dual-fuel generator that could power the entire house. It is regularly maintained and I have oil, filters and spark plugs stocked for long term use. A 350 gallon propane tank is dedicated for use with the generator. When the electricity stops, the generator runs two refrigerators and a large freezer, a heat pump, the well pump, and some lights.

Coming from a more northern location, we were used to getting “snowed in.” Our preparations include stored food and water. A gas fire place can adequately heat our living room and other rooms can be closed off to conserve heat. We invested in a rechargeable, battery-powered blanket can warm the bed before we sleep. We had a couple of battery lanterns, flashlights, candles and Cyalume light sticks for lighting. Five different cooking sources are available to us without electricity.

The Storm

Early March brought a snowstorm of unusual intensity for this part of the country. The heavy, wet snow followed by cold temperatures bowed trees, closed roads and snapped power lines resulting in a widespread power outage. This time, when the power went out, it stayed out for 36 hours. Not a devastatingly long time without electricity but as it turned out it was a good practical test of our preparations.
Roads were unplowed and remained closed but our four-wheel drive truck or even our UTV could get us to help if we needed it. Both vehicle’s gasoline tanks were parked on full and I keep several additional gallons of treated gasoline stored.

When the weather forecast indicated a large winter storm, our phones and other devices were fully charged. Chainsaws and other equipment were checked and readied.Continue reading“March 2023 Snow Storm & Power Outage, by Rocky Hill”

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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Video with some good advice from Austin-based building contractor Matt Risinger: Three Generator Pro Tips (from a mini-Prepper).

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Reader Ron M. suggested a brief, informative video describing NIJ body armor levels.

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T.M. forwarded this news link: General Mills Announces Recalls For Bleached, Unbleached Gold Medal Flour.

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Reader H.L. spotted this: See a Wolf Pack Emerge From Nowhere To Fight a Huge Grizzly.

JWR’s Comment: It goes without saying that if a pack of wolves can take on a 500+ pound grizzly bear, they can certainly make short work of a 200-pound adult human. Whenever you leave your home, always carry at least a large-bore pistol or revolver, and at least one reload — a spare loaded magazine or speedloader. Predators also come in a two-legged variety.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“By far the most numerous and most flagrant violations of personal liberty and individual rights are performed by governments … The major crimes throughout history, the ones executed on the largest scale, have been committed not by individuals or bands of individuals but by governments, as a deliberate policy of those governments — that is, by the official representatives of governments, acting in their official capacity.” – John Hospers (the first Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. President.)

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — May 2, 2023

On May 2nd, 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton announced that high-accuarcy GPS would be made available to the public; the satellite signals had previously been degraded for nonmilitary use.

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And on On May 2nd, 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France at a cost of four cents per acre for 828,000 square miles (2,144,520 square km), which soon proved to be a tremendous bargain.

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Seed for Security, LLC — one of our long-time sponsors — has announced a special sale. Their Colossal Security Pack is now 15% off. This pack is a total of over 5 pounds of fresh vegetable, grain, and herb seeds. All are non-GMO and are open-pollinated. Included are three of their popular collections: Super Survival, 4-Grain, and Heirloom Herb. Each Colossal Pack comes with a four-page seed-saving guide. This offer is for a limited time.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 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. 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.
  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. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. 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)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  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.

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More than $800,000 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 106 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.

 

The Dynamic of Older Church Security Team Members, by R.E.D.

Several weeks several weeks ago, I was asked to evaluate a proposed self-defense program that was to be used by a number of local church security teams. I was asked to do this because in my previous business career I often helped develop or evaluated training programs.

The program that they were considering focused on both striking and grappling (judo, Brazilian jujitsu, etc.). The group also wanted to discuss training with collapsible batons as part of the proposed program.
I told the individuals that I strongly recommended against the program.

Initially, they were shocked and felt that perhaps I didn’t understand the content of the program, and the value the training would provide to their team members.

They also suggested that perhaps I didn’t understand the value of martial arts training in general and how it could help their security team members. I made them aware that I had been co-captain of my college karate team (we took the state championship). I also took a smattering of both judo and jujitsu. And, I certainly agree that self-defense training can be valuable for individuals and for church security team members.
At this point, they inquired how I could possibly feel that the training was inappropriate.

My explanation was something they had totally overlooked. I reminded them that they chose most of their security team members from senior members of their church congregations (often church leaders, deacons, etc.). At that time, I did not have the exact information, but I told them that I would guess that their average church security team member was in his 70s.Continue reading“The Dynamic of Older Church Security Team Members, by R.E.D.”

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 focus on growing wolf pack numbers. (See the Region-Wide and Washington sections.)

Region-Wide

Oregon, Idaho law enforcement and community honor fallen Nyssa officer.

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Melting snow to fill up rivers around the Inland Northwest.

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Wolf numbers increasing in Yellowstone, and throughout the Northern Rockies. An excerpt:

“Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains have met the FWS’s criteria for a recovered wolf population since 2002. As of December 2015, the US Fish & Wildlife Service estimated about 1,704 wolves and 95 breeding pairs in the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment.

The gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list in 2011 in Idaho and Montana. They were delisted in Wyoming in 2016, and that decision was held up on appeal in April 2017. Wolves are hunted in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana under state hunting regulations.”

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Yes, there is a way that Oregon counties could become part of Idaho.

Idaho

Cd’A School District declares financial emergency.

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Video: A group of over 2,500 sheep were herded towards the Table Rock region in Eagle, Idaho.

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Over at Redoubt News: No Confidence in Idaho State Rep. Mark Sauter.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 1, 2023

May 1st is the birthday of the late Joel Rosenberg, a Canadian-born novelist and gun rights advocate (born 1954, died June 2, 2011). He is not to be confused with Joel C. Rosenberg (born 1967), who is another great novelist and the author of The Last Jihad series.

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Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We are seeking entries for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $800,000 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 106 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.

EAA Witness .22LR Conversion Kit, by Thomas Christianson

With the price of ammo remaining high, I am interested in training tools that can help me maintain perishable skills without breaking the bank.

I recently purchased a 22lr conversion kit for my Rock Island Armory MAPP FS in 9mm. It allows me to train with the grip and trigger of the MAPP with less expensive 22lr ammo instead of 9mm. It is also a lot of fun to shoot.

The MAPP

Back in the summer of 2000, riots rocked many major and not-so-major cities in the United States. My friend, “Hawkeye” decided it was time for him to buy his first firearm. He asked me for help. I arranged a couple of range sessions to introduce him to firearms basics, and to expose him to some potential handgun choices. That process is described in a two-part article on Survivalblog: Part 1 and Part 2.

While helping Hawkeye search for a firearm, I borrowed an MAPP FS in 9mm from Rock Island Armory for testing and evaluation. I liked it so much that when Hawkeye chose something else (a SIG SP2022), I bought the MAPP. I can shoot the MAPP more accurately than any other 9mm handgun that I have used.

The MAPP is a Philippine-assembled, Italian-polymer-clone of the Czech CZ75. It is identical to the EAA Witness Polymer 9mm. Both are manufactured by Tanfoglio in Italy. Europen American Armory purchased the fully assembled handguns from Tanfoglio, and imported them into the United States. Rock Island Armory purchased the component parts from Tanfoglio, assembled them in the Philippines, and then imported them into the United States.

I must admit that ammo prices for the past couple of years have reduced the amount of live fire training that I have done with the MAPP. Ammo prices are still running about 85% higher than pre-pandemic levels.Continue reading“EAA Witness .22LR Conversion Kit, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:  Muffin Pan Chicken Pot Pies

The following recipe for Muffin Pan Chicken Pot Pies is from SurvivalBlog reader G.S..  This makes miniature pot pies for individual servings, rather than one big pie. One advantage is that this method takes less cooking time than baking a big pot pie.

Notes:  You can use any leftover cooked vegetables in this recipe. You can also substitute other types of cheese.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked chicken chopped
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
  • 1 cup mixed vegetables frozen
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can of biscuit dough (or an equivalent quantity of mixed Bisquick or similar biscuit dough>)
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Coat a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. Open the can of refigerated biscuit dough and place one biscuit in ten of the muffin cups.
  4. Spread out the dough so each muffin covers the sides of each compartment.
  5. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.
  6. Fill each muffin cup with the pot pie filling.
  7. Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly before removing the muffin chicken pot pies.
SERVING

Serve hot, but not too hot, to avoid and of the dreaded “Chicken-Pot-Pie-Tongue” burns.

STORAGE

These do not store well refrigerated, for re-heating. The crust loses its crisp consistency.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

April 2023 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance, and the factors that affected gold prices.

What Did Gold Do in April?

Gold hit triple-digit gains in March, which allowed April to start off strong. Gold futures gained $122 in March. Spot gold did even better, ending $143 higher. This put prices 7% higher for the month, and up 9% year to date.

Gold futures started April by settling at $2,000 per troy ounce on the 3rd. It got a big boost early, thanks to a shockingly low number of job openings. The JOLTS report on April 4th sent gold prices more than $40 higher. June gold futures settled $37.80 higher at $2,038.20, with spot gold closing $35.40 higher at $2,019.70. These big gains allowed gold futures to stay above $2,000 until April 21st.

Conflicting headwinds (stronger dollar) and tailwinds (lower bond yields) limited price action in either direction late in the month. Gold futures ended the month at $1,999.10. Spot gold closed out April at $1,989.40.Continue reading“April 2023 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”

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. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at some tax issues. (See the Taxes section.)

Precious Metals:

You may have noticed that silver is gaining, versus gold. As of Saturday morning, spot silver was at $25.34 per Troy ounce, while gold was at $2,003.30 per Troy ounce.  That is a 78.82-to-1 ratio.  I’m still looking at a ratio under 70-to-1 in the short term and 40-to-1 in the long term.  So if you have enough room for some  “ballast” in your vault and you can find a low-premium dealer, then buy silver, not gold.

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Signed as Law: Mississippi Takes First Step Toward Treating Gold and Silver as Money.

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At Gold-Eagle.com: Jim Willie: BRICS Are Driving Dollar & Precious Metals Markets.

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Chart: 200 Years of Global Gold Production, by Country.

Economy & Finance:

Moody’s: What if the Banking Crisis Is Not Over?

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JPMorgan, PNC To Buy First Republic After FDIC Seizure First Leaves Taxpayers Holding The Toxic Stuff.

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At Zero Hedge: So This Is What The Bottom Of The Freight Market Feels Like.

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CNN: The US economy grew at a much slower pace in the first quarter. JWR’s Adds: I fully expect to see a recession in Q2 or Q3 of this year. For some context, here is the trend —  not fully spelled out by the Pro-Bidenista CNN:

  • Growth rate in the third quarter of 2022:    3.2%
  • Growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2022:  2.6%
  • Growth rate in the first quarter of 2023:     1.1%

Taxes:

Lest we forget: 2023 Tax Brackets. JWR’s Comment: In an age of mass inflation, we’ll all become millionaire holders of near-worthless dollars, and we’ll all be in the top tax bracket.

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Tom Christianson suggested this article: IRS Hiring Gun-Carrying Agents in all 50 States.

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Reported last October: Inflation Is Surging, So Are Federal Tax Collections. JWR’s Comments: Despite record revenue, Congress consistently overspends. The National Debt is expected to jump from $31 trillion to $50 in the next few years.  The annual interest payments on the National Debt will soon exceed the size of the annual Department of Defense budget!

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Crypto Tax Rates: Complete Breakdown by Income Level 2023.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“This is a government of the people, by the people and for the people no longer. It is a government of corporations, by corporations, and for corporations.” – President Rutherford B. Hayes (ca. 1888.)

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 30, 2023

Today is the birthday of sci-fi novelist Larry Niven (born April 30, 1938). Along with Jerry Pournelle, he co-authored the survivalist classic Lucifer’s Hammer.

April 30th is also the birthday of software engineer Ed Yourdon, who was born in 1944. He passed away in 2016.

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Today’s feature article was too short to qualify as an entry for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

Some Storage Food Challenges, by S.F. in Oregon

In this brief article, I will discuss some issues with stored food.

Pests

Insects – There are many sources of information on how to store grains and beans using dry ice, nitrogen or oxygen absorbers so I will not duplicate that here. I will add that if you use mylar bags, get 12 mil or thicker. Lower mil thicknesses are problematic. I know this from personal experience. Thinner ones tear, puncture, and seal poorly.

Rodents – Get two barn cats.

Botulism

Canned food – Botulism from canned food is also addressed elsewhere, but I will remind the reader of the following symptoms that would appear 18-36 hours after ingesting the toxin.

  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Muscle weakness
  • Double vision
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Blurry vision
  • Slurred speech
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty moving the eyes
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Stomach pain
  • Diarrhea

Signs and symptoms in an infant might include:

  • Constipation
  • Poor feeding
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Pupils that are slow to react to light
  • Face showing less expression than usual
  • Weak cry that sounds different than usual
  • Difficulty breathing

The botulinum toxin is destroyed by boiling for 5 minutes. Other than in infants and the immunocompromised, the spores (which require pressure canning to kill) do not seem to present much danger. Since treatment for the botulinum toxin would require specific drugs and months of rehabilitation, in SHTF, it would likely be lethal, so consider boiling your home canned food before eating.

Aflatoxins

Now comes some information you may not know.

Aflatoxins are toxins created by mold. Similar to botulinium spores, adults are more resistant than children.

Acute toxicity results when someone consumes a high level of aflatoxins in a very short time. The most common signs and symptoms are:

  • Nausea
  • Yellowing of skin and sclera (icterus)
  • Itching
  • Vomiting
  • Bleeding
  • Abdominal pain
  • Lethargy
  • Edema
  • Convulsions
  • Coma
  • Death

Chronic toxicity occurs through consuming small amounts of aflatoxins over a prolonged period. Chronic exposure to aflatoxin can result in the following:

  • Impaired growth and development, especially in children
  • Immunosuppression
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (weight loss, abdominal mass, anorexia, vomiting, nausea, bleeding, psychosis, etc.)

Maternal exposure to aflatoxin is associated with a higher occurrence of preterm birth and late-term miscarriage.

There are test kits for aflatoxins (aflacheck) but a 365nm ultraviolet light* will cause kojic acid (a product of molds) to glow yellow-green.

The uvBeast V3 365nm Mini is a small light that may work well. While you may get false positives, you are very unlikely to get false negatives.

Don’t forget to test your stored animal feed for aflatoxins. If your animals eat aflatoxins, it will be in their tissue and you can get it by eating your animals or drinking their milk.

Histamine

Next comes histamine. Histamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with allergic reactions (and if high enough, schizophrenia.) The canning process increases histamine in foods, with the greatest source of histamine being in canned fish. If you find yourself itching after eating canned food, it may be a histamine reaction. Additionally, citrus foods, while not high in histamine, will cause histamine release.

How did I come to this conclusion? After months of unexplained itching, I found the effects of my consumption of canned sardines (highest in histamine) were being magnified by my daily lemon water drinks. I stopped them both, and the infernal itch disappeared shortly thereafter. There are also probiotics you can take (or culture in a yogurt maker with dairy or carrot juice), that degrade histamine in the gut**.

Finally, histamine is degraded by ascorbic acid, so if you don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, consider stockpiling some vitamin C.

Peace be with you in these challenging times.