Log Home Repair, by Thomas Christianson

One of the major drawbacks of owning a log home is the amount of maintenance that such homes require. Logs decay if they are not properly maintained. To keep a log home from decaying, a log home owner must constantly inspect, stain, and repair the logs.

My wife, “Kari”, and I have lived in a log home for the past 11 years. The home was built about 36 years ago. Kari and I have worked hard to maintain the home, but not all of the previous owners were as diligent as we are. At least one previous owner neglected to stain the logs for much too long. That owner also evidently stacked firewood against the wall of the home near one of the sliding doors. That stacked firewood trapped moisture against the logs at that point, allowing decay to begin in one of the logs. Eventually, the decay progressed to the point that action needed to be taken to prevent further damage.Continue reading“Log Home Repair, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: R.J.’s Canned Meat Patties

The following recipe for Canned Meat Patties is from SurvivalBlog reader R.J.  It works well in combination with other storage foods.

Ingredients
  • Canned chicken, salmon, or almost any type of canned meat or seafood will suffice.
  • Bread crumbs, or cornmeal, or ground-up crackers
  • Eggs (fresh, or you can use reconstituted powdered eggs.)
Directions
  1. Combine canned meat, bread crumbs, and eggs in a mixing bowl.
  2. Combine it all together thoroughly and start making individual patties of desired size.
  3. Pour a bit of cooking oil into a pan and turn heat on to medium-high, be sure to let the oil heat up for a few minutes
  4. Place patties in the cooking oil and cook on each side until golden brown, the exact time will vary. Typically about 5 minutes for each side.
SERVING

Serve while still hot.

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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!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic shows Stand Your Ground (aka “Castle Doctrine”) Laws and legal precedents in the United States. Note that this data ironically comes from The Giffords Center, a rabidly anti-gun legislative pressure group. This map shows how out-of-touch the gun grabbers are with the majority of Americans and our long-standing legal traditions.

(Graphic courtesy of Reddit and Statista.)

The thumbnail image below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

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Please send your graphic ideas to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Oh Napolean Bonaparte, You’re the cause of my woe
Since my bonny light horseman to the wars he did go
Broken hearted I wander, broken hearted I remain
Since my bonny light horseman in the wars he was slain

When Bonny commanded his armies to stand
And proudly to his banners all gaily and grand
He leveled his cannons right over the plain
Andy my bonny lgith horseman in the wars he was slain

And if I was a small bird and had wings and could fly
I would fly over the salt sea where my true love does lie
Three years and six months now since he left this bright shore
Oh my bonny light horseman, will I ere see you more

The dove she laments for her mate as she flies;
“Oh where, tell me where is my true love? ” she sighs
And where in this world is there one to compare
With my bonny light horseman who was killed in the war.” – Lyrics to the traditional Irish song: Bonny Light Horseman

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — August 18, 2024

On August 18, 1872, Aaron Montgomery Ward issued the first “catalog” for his mail-order business, it was one sheet listing 163 available items.

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August 18th is the birthday of Meriwether Lewis, an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator who was best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — 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. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 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 $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

Observations on an Attempted Assassination, by R.G.

What a world we live in when we are given evidence that we cannot believe our government institutions. This assassination attempt keeps getting crazier and crazier. This is proof before our eyes that we are currently living in a world of disinformation and subterfuge. In the days of Kennedy and Reagan, the alphabet agencies could get away with something like this. But with smartphones and social media of today, it becomes infinitely harder to attempt an assassination and then get away with it.

I am a retired quality assurance manager who in my past life specialized in determining what went wrong during unplanned problems/accidents. If it was a physical issue, then you just focused on physics, math, and software, but eventually, it would get to human error. That is when you had to be prepared for human nature: protection of self and friends. So, you expected some misinformation/disinformation or even outright lying. Since I am now retired, I have plenty of time to sift through all the attempted assassination data and conspiracy theories that are flying around out there. So, I will try to enumerate what we think we know and what else is being said that “could be” considered conspiracy theory.Continue reading“Observations on an Attempted Assassination, by R.G.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

These Are The People

Who Characterize J.D. Vance as “Weird”

News Link:  JD Vance Blames His ‘Weird’ Label On ’24-Year-Old Social Media Interns’.

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.

And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

As he spake these words, many believed on him.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – John 8:18-32 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — August 17, 2024

On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille struck the US coastline and killed 259 people (mainly in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.)

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On August 17, 1859, the first air mail (in a balloon) took off from Lafayette, Indiana.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — 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. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 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 $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 2, by A.F.

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

When the time to cook arrives, the first step is to sort through the beans and remove any detritus or shriveled beans. In commercial products, it isn’t uncommon to find small rocks that were collected by the combine at harvest mixed in with the beans. Your next step is deciding if you are going to pre-soak or not. I tend to pre-soak dried peas but skip the pre-soak for beans. In both cases, I prefer cooking in a crock pot over using a pot on the stovetop. The common belief is that adding salt to soaking beans prevents the beans from fully hydrating and softening. I have never added salt for this reason and therefore can’t say if its presence before cooking negatively impacts the texture. I do give my rehydrated peas a rinse with cold water before cooking.

As to flavoring your dish, both garlic and onion in fresh or powdered forms are mainstays in our home. Field peas pair well with small amounts of bay leaf or rosemary whereas pinto beans deserve a bit of cayenne and butter beans only need time and salt (in my opinion). For cooking liquid, never use water alone. Beef stock, bullion powder, apple cider and marinades can be used as partial water replacement to impart unique or specific flavors to dishes. For crock pot cooking I aim for six cups of liquid per pound of beans and cook on low all day.Continue reading“Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 2, by A.F.”

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:

I was busy this past week cross-cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood. Our youngest daughter did most of the stacking.

I helped Lily harvest part of our potato crop and put them in storage in our cool room.

One day this week, I did an on-site seminar for one of my consulting clients and a couple of his close friends.

I also mailed out several Elk Creek Company orders. These included several pre-1899 Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 rifles. There is now just one of them left, from a batch of 10. “Going, going…”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.“- Judges 6:1-10 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 16, 2024

On August 16, 1777, American militiamen led by General Stark defeated British forces at the Battle of Bennington, during the American War of Independence. The battle was fought at Walloomsac, New York, ten miles northwest of Bennington, Vermont.

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On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to re-establish the Bank of the United States. In response, angry supporters of the bank gathered outside the White House and burned an effigy of Tyler.

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We are pleased to announce that the kind folks at MobileSecSolutions.com are donating two new prizes that will be part of the Second Prize package for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, starting with the current contest round. These prizes are:

Long-time SurivalBlog readers may recall that their Cell Phone Blocker double Faraday Bag was reviewed in SurvivalBlog, back in January, 2015.

Also note that in addition to their electronics protection products, MobileSecSolutions.com now also provides a clever and stealthy one-way pager service. With this service, you can use your phone, then drop it in a Faraday bag, but still be reachable via pager in many areas, depending on your local pager service. After receiving a pager message, you can then pull out your phone and make a call and then disappear again afterward — thus preserving your location privacy while still retaining the ability to use a phone. So, you can be in contact via pager while also being both stealthy and EMP-protected! Contact MobileSecSolutions, for details on their pager service.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — 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. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 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 $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 1, by A.F.

Do you remember your first assigned chore from childhood? Starting at age four, I was tasked with walking up the ridge to my grandparent’s home every Monday around five o’clock to bring home our portion of the week’s pinto beans. To my knowledge, my grandmother fixed pintos every Monday from the late 1940s through the late 1990s. On Sunday evening she would spill out the dry beans on her kitchen table, then “look them” for stones or debris then sweep them into a large bowl to soak overnight.

On Monday morning the beans were rinsed, moved into a large pot, covered with water and set on the wood cook stove in preparation to feed the family and whomever might stop by. A little bit of salt, pepper and a piece of cured streaked meat were the seasonings and as surely as night follows day, the beans were served along with stewed potatoes and cornbread. Given that leftovers were heated on the stove top, any beans not eaten early in the week would be approaching refried consistency by Thursdays. When my mother took over fixing the beans, the recipe stayed the same and the beans were tasty but the low and slow wood stove imparted flavor couldn’t be duplicated.Continue reading“Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 1, by A.F.”

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, a recap of the tumultuous early August stock crash.

Precious Metals:

Spot gold hit another all-time high this morning in Asian trading.  When I last checked, it was at $2,511.20 per Troy ounce. (Up $42.80.) The more heavily-manipulated silver market has some catching up to do. The silver shorts may soon be in a panic.

o  o  o

Gold Is Back Over $2,500 As Money Starts Going Back Into ETFs.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: PBoC’s Gold Conduit Revealed: Chinese Central Bank Did Not Stop Buying Gold In May.

Economy & Finance:

‘Magnificent Seven’ Losses Approach $3 Trillion Amid Weeks-Long Selloff.

o  o  o

10 Imploding Stocks Cost Investors A Staggering $2.6 Trillion.

o  o  o

World’s Richest Lose $134 Billion in Stock Slump, Led By Bezos.

o  o  o

Charles Hugh Smith: The Great Unwinding: Is There Any Way to Come Out Ahead?

o  o  o

And at Zero Hedge: “Travel Trends Deteriorating” As Consumer Downturn Worsens.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”