A Florida Vacation, or SHTF?, by Z.P. Wilson

Greetings from Michigan, where the summers are glorious, and the winters long and cold. My wife and I have lived here all our lives, and have endured the seasonal cold by hunkering down at home with books and television. During our work lives, I often told her that when we retired, we would travel to warmer places when the snow flies.

We retired last year, so this was the first winter to put my idea into effect. I rented a house in Florida for the entire month of February. As we made plans for what to do and what to bring, a worry slowly crept into my brain—what to do if the Schumer Hit The Fan (SHTF) when we were far from home?

The Incomplete Prepper

I am the prepper in our family, and though my wife supports my efforts, she leaves most of it to me. I admit that I am an incomplete prepper. We’ve store food, cash, and ammo, but compared to some of the preppers I have read on this site, I am an amateur. Still, I think that any preps are better than no preps.

So I started thinking about various scenarios that could happen when we would be 1200 miles from home, in a large city with only the supplies we brought with us.

No matter the SHTF scenario, my primary concern was getting us home as quickly as possible. We planned to drive to Florida in my vehicle, a Ford Escape, which is a mid-size SUV. Here are my (admittedly incomplete) preparations for the journey.Continue reading“A Florida Vacation, or SHTF?, by Z.P. Wilson”

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:

This week we did a bit of snowplowing.  I also got some work done, remodeling our workshop. And I constructed a full-height 3′ x7′ poultry wire mesh room within our henhouse. We plan to use that room for specific breeding and to protect our baby chicks. The framework for that room was constructed with mixture of 2x2s and 2x4s. Its door is a framework of 2x2s with a 2×4 cross-brace, with poultry wire stapled on.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.

Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word.

In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” – Psalm 56 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 10, 2023

On March 10, 1910, China officially ended slavery. But unofficially, China now has one of the world’s largest slave populations. These are mostly political prisoners, working in laogai  prison factories. Sadly, there is no way of reliably knowing whether or not most of the “Made In China” merchandise that you buy might originate from these prisons.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 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. 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 $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

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 105 ends on March 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.

 

Building A Bicycle Generator, by Ed J.

Being able to generate even small amounts of electricity post-SHTF will be very valuable. A simple, human-powered, 12-volt generator can be constructed easily and for very little money. I started with a used bicycle that I picked up for $50 bucks. I recommend a bike with multiple gears as you are probably going to be using a very low gear most of the time. Single-speed bicycles tend to be geared very high, and it would take a large amount of effort to pedal one of those while powering a generator. To construct this system, at the very least, you will need a bicycle, a stand of some sort to keep it stationary, a 12-volt alternator, a long belt, wires and cables, switches and fuses, and a 12-volt battery. All of these items can be used, and could even be sourced after an apocalyptic event. Just remember, especially when considering electronic and mechanical devices with moving parts that two is one, and one is none.

Piecing It Together

As mentioned earlier, I started with a used bike, but I purchased a new bike trainer stand to make the whole thing stationary. I also bought a sheet of 3/4” plywood to use for mounting everything. Using “U” bolts and eye bolts, I mounted the stand to the plywood. You could use different methods of mounting your stand, but it is important that you be able to adjust the position of the bike from front to back as this will be your adjustment for tightening the belt. I removed the rear tire and inner tube from my bike and purchased a new pair of bicycle rubber rim strips. I used both of these on the rim to prevent unnecessary wearing of the belt. Now is a good time to go ahead and install your belt while you have the rear wheel off the bike. Though a used one would work, I purchased a brand new (remanufactured), 3-wire alternator for a 1970s model Chevy with the old-style pulley using a v-belt. Be sure to get one with an internal regulator.Continue reading“Building A Bicycle Generator, by Ed J.”

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 gains for precious metals in Dollar terms, and the Silicon Valley Bank crash.

Precious Metals:

Reported on Friday: Price gains in gold, silver on short covering, friendly outside markets.

And at the opening bell in Asia this morning, both gold and silver rose even more.

o  o  o

Kansas Bill Would Make Gold and Silver Legal Tender While Pushing Back Against CBDC.

o  o  o

From precious metals analyst Neils Christensen: Inflation is a global problem as annual European core CPI rises to a record high of 5.6%.

Economy & Finance:

Friday P.M. Update:

Silicon Valley Bank Shares Halted After Plunge Deepens.

and,

300 Billion Reasons Why SVB Contagion Is Spreading To The Broader Banking System. JWR’s Comment:  If your bank has a lot of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) exposure, then it might be a good time to draw your balance down below $1,000.

And in related news: NYPD called to Silicon Valley Bank branch as depositors attempt to pull cash: report.

Bloomberg: How a Bank Run Closed SVB and Where That Could Lead.

o  o  o

SurvivalBlog reader C.B. spotted this: Spending shocker: CBO’s latest debt projection should stun even Washington.

“A rapidly growing portion of what Washington terms ‘mandatory spending’ is interest on the federal debt.”

o  o  o

I found this piece from Fortune linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Citigroup cuts hundreds of jobs weeks after JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs announce layoffs.

o  o  o

Two times in 30 years the 2-year treasury stayed below $102, the market crashed 50%. Buckle up. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 9, 2023

On this day in 1862 during the American Civil War, the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (formerly Merrimack) battled in the harbor at Hampton Roads, Virginia, marking the beginning of a new era of naval warfare.

Today is the birthday of writer John McPhee (b. 1931), a master of creative nonfiction. One of McPhee’s most widely read books is Coming into the Country, which eloquently describes the Alaskan wilderness.

March 9th is the birthday of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin – the first man to ever travel in space. He was born in 1934 and died in the crash of a MiG-15-UTI fighter on March 27, 1968.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 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. 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 $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

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 105 ends on March 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.

‘Aging Out’ of Prepping: I Think Not!, by The Wild Hare

There was recently a request for a SurvivalBlog article on “aging out” of being an active prepper. The article request mentioned: “Things that sounded so doable 20 years ago are no longer possible for us. Looking at TEOTWAWKI from closer to 80 than 50 is a whole different kettle of fish.” (SurvivalBlog, February 23, 2023.)

I’d never heard the term ‘aging out’ until JWR thoughtfully lit me up like a Christmas Tree in suggesting this as a writing contest topic.

I’ll take the bait, because what this 78-year-old prepper has heard is the relentlessly ticking clock getting louder each year since the Y2K panic began my prepping days. Only lately have I become aware of what a large and steadily growing demographic bulge we ‘elders’ represent in the prepping community. So it’s time someone put at least a dent in the surprising scarcity of published articles focusing on the special challenges we face, what we bring to the table, and how age is changing our options.

The most obvious place to start is to be clear on our terms i.e., what exactly is ‘aging out?’ One common and relevant definition offers ‘To become too old for an activity, program, or institution; to become too mature for a behavior.’ Ah so. Beyond dispute, we are all eventually going to age out of this mortal journey. But what is very much up for dispute is how long and in what ways we elders can make ourselves relevant—both physically and mentally—to the prepping game. And only to re-state the obvious, getting everyone who can and who will to ‘stay in the game’ is literally becoming a life-or-death challenge in the face of our rapidly crumbling society.Continue reading“‘Aging Out’ of Prepping: I Think Not!, by The Wild Hare”

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, some further details on the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment.

Ohio Train Derailment: Separating Fact From Fiction

H.L. sent this, from The New York Times: Ohio Train Derailment: Separating Fact From Fiction. JWR’s Comments:  This article smacks of typical mainstream media tap-dancing and obfuscation. Reading one line in this article made me burst out laughing: “Phosgene smells like freshly cut hay and can cause coughing and wheezing if inhaled.”  Wheezing, indeed! In fact, phosgene was one of the main chemical warfare agents used in the First World War. It is deadly. It can kill healthy people in high-concentration, and those with chronic lung ailments, in low-concentration.  Many of those who survived it in the trenches of France suffered for decades, due to lung damage.

And here is another update: Heavy rain in East Palestine causes dam to overflow.

ATF Pistol Brace and SBR Rule Defies Supreme Court

A new video from attorney Armed Scholar: ATF Short Barreled Rifle & Pistol Brace Rule Defies Supreme Court Authority! Congress Agrees!

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 8, 2023

March 8th is the birthday of famed revolver shooter, big game hunter, and gun writer Elmer Keith, who co-designed the S&W .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges. He authored the book Sixguns, which is still considered a standard reference. His fascinating life story is told in his last book, Hell, I was there! A Proto-Redoubter, Keith spent the second half of his life on a ranch near Salmon, Idaho. (Keith was born in 1899 and died February 12, 1984.)

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 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. 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 $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

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 105 ends on March 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.

Homeschooling Nuts and Bolts – Part 2, by R.B., EdD.

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

CURRICULUM—OH MY!

This is a truly scary word for beginning homeschoolers, and it really doesn’t need to be. You are the one who gets to decide what is taught. And you need to do that before you look for instructional materials. That means you should know what you’re aiming at. And you DO know, don’t you? Certainly your list at every level should include:

1. Reading and vocabulary. Instruction in reading can begin very early with some children, while others have to wait for reading readiness to develop. That’s absolutely OK. You will want a phonics approach, but also be aware that reading can involve other skills like pattern recognition. Reading for meaning and reflective reading are also part of the process as readers advance. Most other major subject areas involve reading as well, so look for appropriateness of reading materials in science, social studies, math, religion etc.
2. Mathematics. How often do you use calculus? How about trig? How much math does your student need to learn? Is algebra and geometry enough? (It was enough for me). Do you want math theory or do you want a strong basic skill set for daily work and life? Do you think drill and practice are essential, or just showing how many ways an answer can be achieved?

3. Religion and moral values. Even if you’re not “religious” you cannot ignore that most of the people in the world are, and that their religious beliefs influence or govern their actions. Your curriculum should include basic belief systems world-wide, and certainly materials which reflect your own faith. These materials are often available from local religious entities for free or little charge, and will give you places to access more. But start with a catechism of your own faith, and don’t be afraid to ask your pastor or elder for assistance. Regular catechism instruction and worship experience should be part of your curriculum, and can feed other areas of study, such as expository writing, music, and art. Don’t miss opportunities to “observe” worship of other faith communities.

4. Social studies, including geography, sociology, economics, government, and culture. Can you find Russia and Ukraine on a world map? Do you know the states of the United States? What is communism? These studies are crucial.Continue reading“Homeschooling Nuts and Bolts – Part 2, by R.B., EdD.”

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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First up, over at The Burning Platform: South Africa has collapsed, here’s why. JWR’s Comments:  For many years, I’ve written about “slow slide” scenarios. This is one that is now playing out for the whole world to see. When I traveled with my family to South Africa five years ago, I got to see this first hand. At that time, the power cuts were already a severe nuisance. But now, they’ve become even more frequent. This has driven a lot of small businesses out of business. Shopkeepers simply cannot afford to run generators behind their stores, day after day. The ESKOM power utility is a cesspool of nepotism, with hundreds of “relative of the boss” employees on the payroll for many years who rarely if ever show up for work. In 21st Century South Africa, driving highways is dicey, since there are huge, deep potholes! A lot of auto repair shops do a big business in repairing suspensions and replacing wheels.

South Africa’s now pitiful situation should serve as a warning to us. All sectors of the nation’s infrastructure are now crumbling, and the crime rate is tremendous. And this all started with divisive politics, affirmative action for any business with more than 50 employees (the Employment Equity Act), and widespread corruption. When an employee knows that he cannot be fired from his job, he soon reverts to doing nothing.

o  o  o

Reader James D. sent the link to this fictional video: Nuclear Armageddon — EAS WW3 Scenario.

o  o  o

A fantastic video: How America’s Largest Cast Iron Pan Factory Makes Almost Two Million Pans per Month.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“People often ask me how I feel about my invention being used to kill people every day and the AK being a common weapon of ethnic conflicts. I want to make it clear that I created my assault rifle to protect my country. You can blame politicians for its spreading out of control on a global scale.” – Mikhail Kalashnikov