Making Dosa the Old School Way, by E.P.

I have been making dosa — an unleavened fermented Indian bread — for more than 30 years. It has been a staple part of my diet.

Years ago my sister-in-law, who lives in India, brought me two wet grinders that she purchased in India. Back in 2020 I wrote an article for SurvivalBlog explaining how these work and how to make dosa dough using them:

Making Dosa – Indian Fermented Bread, by E.P.

Since they have an electric motor, and because of the way they are designed, they are not usable without electricity.

I began to think about a way to make dosa without electricity should the need ever arise. Years ago my dad made an exercise bicycle out of an old single speed bicycle. He removed the front wheel and the tire
and tube from the rear wheel and made a wooden frame to mount the bicycle to. He then made a hinged wooden platform that bolted to the bicycle frame below the seat, and mounted an old car generator to the
platform above the rear wheel. There was a long v-belt around the rear wheel rim and the generator pulley. The v-belt was held tight by moving a wooden stick upright between the wooden bicycle frame and the
platform that the generator was mounted to. Resistance was provided as the bicycle was pedaled by the rotating generator connected to the rear wheel rim via the v-belt.Continue reading“Making Dosa the Old School Way, by E.P.”

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:

After last week’s Redneck Pool cleaning project, I got the last of the garden hoses stowed away in our shop for the winter.  The stock tanks are in position. I just need to test the stock tank heaters. Those are notoriously finicky–especially the floating variety.

We took a trip down to Sandpoint, Idaho to do some shopping.  We mainly needed groceries and some bits and bobs from Home Depot.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord‘s anger come upon you.

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord‘s anger.

For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.” – Zephaniah 2:1-9 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 15, 2024

November 15, 1763: Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon begin surveying Mason–Dixon line between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

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The Battle of Morgarten was fought on November 15, 1315. The pike-armed Swiss militia defeated the army of the duke Leopold I of Austria.

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November 15th was the birthday of David Stirling. (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990.) He was a Scottish officer in the British Army, mountaineer, and the founder of the Special Air Service (SAS). He saw active service during the Second World War.

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On this day, Charles Dickens published the final installment of A Tale of Two Cities in Dickens’ circular.

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Seed for Security, LLC is running its Retirement Sale. Get your order in soon!

  • Electronic orders will be accepted until November 30, 2024.
  • Mail-in orders will accepted until November 15, 2024.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 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 $925,000 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 115 ends on November 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.

Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 4, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

After securing water and safety, climate control was my next concern. Prior to the storm, we had weather in the 80s and low 90s. Our home sits in a field along a north-to-south bearing. Morning sun isn’t too intense but the long evenings, lots of floor-to-ceiling windows and western exposure were making me nervous about getting the house cool enough to be comfortable in. I was also concerned about the potential for mildew to take hold given the humidity and lack of central air conditioning. Fortunately, the temperatures stayed mild and the humidity quickly dissipated.

For the daylight hours, we placed box fans in a pair of the eastern facing windows pulling air in and a second pair of fans in the western windows pushing out with the blinds pulled down to the tops of the fans. After sunset, we reversed the western fans to blow the cooler night air into our bedroom. A pedestal-style oscillating fan was kept on anytime the generator was running to move air through the central portion of our house. After not having fans running the first day, it became an Easter egg hunt around the farm trying to find forgotten box fans in the various buildings for the second day. Our habit became to turn off the generator around ten.Continue reading“Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 4, 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, we look at Bitcoin’s record high value in U.S. Doilar terms. (See the Forex & Cryptos: section.)

Precious Metals:

Spot silver dipped down to $30.49 on Thursday morning (November 14, 2024.)  I consider a price anywhere below $30.50 a reasonable “buy” price. Stack it while you can.

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Always a bit late to the party, there is this report from CBS: What’s the gold price forecast for November 2024?

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At Gold-Eagle.com: Europe Is Finalizing Preparations for a Gold Standard.

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Gold Gone AWOL? The Curious Case Of Foreign Central Banks’ Gold Stored In Canada.

Economy & Finance:

From the left-leaning Reuters: Trump victory to reverberate through global economy.

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NASDAQ: How Would a New BRICS Currency Affect the US Dollar? (Updated 2024)

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From the statist/globalist CFR: The BRICS Summit 2024: An Expanding Alternative.

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At Zero Hedge: FEC Filings Show Kamala Harris Team Blew Funds On Hollywood Stars, Private Jets.  JWR’s Comments. How could she spend a billion dollars in just over 100 days and still end up $20 million in debt? Oh well, just one big sweetheart Madison Avenue autobiography book deal advance should cover that…

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 14, 2024

On November 14th, 1882, “Buckskin” Frank Leslie (pictured) killed Billy “The Kid” Claiborne.

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November 14th, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted in Colombia, killing over 20,000 as nearby towns were buried in mud, ice, and lava. Scientists studying the volcano believed an eruption was imminent and had recommended an evacuation of the area which was largely ignored, resulting in the high number of casualties.

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And on November 14th, 1994, the first public trains ran through the Channel Tunnel (“Chunnel”) linking England and France under the English Channel.

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An upcoming auction for a large wooded property in Tennessee, listed at SurvivalRealty: Gorgeous Hilltop Farm – 91+/- Acres.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 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 $925,000 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 115 ends on November 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.

Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 3, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 2.)

Other than cutting the fallen trees off of our state road to gain access to the greater community, the only additional sawing we did was to clear the brush from our access to the larger hen house. Seeing that a massive white oak was bearing down on the fair-sized pine resting on the chicken run, I used two adjacent stacks of 12-inch block tied together with lumber and ratchet straps to pick up the load until I could remove the tree.

 

I want to give a huge shoutout and thanks to Thomas Christianson for his January article on giving electric chainsaws an opportunity to prove themselves as I ended up heeding his advice. Shortly after reading that article, I attended a national disaster relief round table and sat in a session hosted by Stihl during which they presented their battery chainsaws and offered us the opportunity to try them. For what they are, meaning battery-powered, I was impressed enough to enquire about availability and pricing once I got home. The saw, speed charger and two of the largest capacity batteries priced out at north of $1,000 and fortunately was not in stock. Sticker shock!

While the dealer was looking up price and availability for me, I saw the 18-inch cordless Echo DCS-5000 56-volt, 5 amp-hour saw hanging on the wall. Since there was no way I could justify the price of the Stihl, I asked the dealer about the Echo for general use and he replied that the previous customers whom he had spoken with after their purchases has been pleased. I bought the Echo kit which included the saw, chain, one battery and the standard charger for $250. When I asked for the price of a second battery, it was $200. So I decided to splurge on a second full battery kit for the additional $50.Continue reading“Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 3, by A.F.”

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, news of a positive court ruling, overturning an “Assault Weapons” Ban.

Illinois Black Rifle & Magazine Ban Struck Down!

Several readers mentioned this great news: Federal judge strikes down Illinois assault weapons ban as unconstitutional.

The USAF’s Kawasaki Mini-Bikes: Extreme Deployment

Reader Tim J. sent this video about an AFSOC mobility development: Special Ops Edition “Kawasaki” Mini-Bikes: Extreme Deployment in Action.

Washington Coast Avian Flu Devastated Caspian Terns

Reader H.L. sent us this: Washington coast avian flu outbreak devastated Caspian terns, jumped to seals. The article begins:

“An epidemiological study found that 56% of a large breeding colony of Caspian terns died from a 2023 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at Rat Island in Washington state. Since then, no birds have successfully bred on the island, raising concerns that the outbreak may have had a significant impact on an already declining Pacific-coast population.

As part of the study, a team including Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as well as Washington State University researchers also documented that the avian flu virus H5N1was transmitted to harbor seals for the first time in the northeastern Pacific.

While there has not been another large coastal wildlife outbreak of H5N1 since, researchers estimated that about 10%–14% of the Caspian tern population in the Pacific flyway have been lost to H5N1 infections.”

A New Tick-Borne Virus in China

Reader C.B. flagged this news item: New virus uncovered in China—is this a sign tick-borne diseases are on the rise?

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 13, 2024

In a November 13, 1789 letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, Benjamin Franklin wrote: “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

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Continental Army Brigadier General Richard Montgomery took Montreal, Canada without opposition on this day in 1775. Ironically, shortly after this Montgomery was killed while fighting the British in Quebec, and the British retook the territory.

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Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was born in Scotland on November 13th, 1850.

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We are running a Week-Long Veteran’s Day Sale at Elk Creek Company. The prices of all of our in-stock military-issue rifles (and sporters) and our military-issue revolvers have been deeply reduced. Place your order before Monday, November 18th.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 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 $925,000 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 115 ends on November 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.

Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 2, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 1.)

Back to the Friday morning of the storm: The rain stopped here around 10 A.M.. According to our rain gauge, we received 5.6” overnight. As I walked our property, I found a tangle of trees had fallen with a very large white oak knocking over a decent-sized pine, and that in turn landed on one of our chicken coops. A sycamore had fallen from our side of the property line and damaged a section of our neighbor’s pasture fence, the top of a white oak had broken out and blocked one of our internal roads, a poplar was laying across our spring cistern, the road our driveway connects to was blocked by multiple trees in both directions, several hundred feet of utility lines were on the ground near our home and the creek that forms our property line was backed up by a nearby river such that the lowest elevations of our property were under five or so feet of water. We were fortunate.

As of this writing, the only loss we incurred was a two-inch irrigation pump that spent the night underwater. I may be able to repair it. Our neighbor had a young bull (around 500 pounds) escape and no one has seen it in three weeks. Remarkably, none of the homes in our community suffered damage beyond a few torn-off shingles. There were/are so many downed trees here and in the surrounding counties. Obviously, some homes took damage; but the number of occurrences where a tree fell away from a house, vehicle or property even falling opposite to surrounding trees gave a strong testimony that the Lord was watching over His people during the storm. At my in-law’s place, twenty-six oak and hickory trees were uprooted on their two acres. The way trees fell between my father-in-law’s parked trucks, tractors, and trailers without scratching the paint cannot be described as anything other than divine intervention.Continue reading“Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 2, by A.F.”

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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Via SurvivalBlog reader C.B., we’ve just heard of the passing of Dr. Richard Cash, on October 22nd. He was the driving force in popularizing modern Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORSes). His work has surely saved countless lives, particularly in the Third World.  Dr. Cash was 83 years old. Our condolences to his family.

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Iran-Backed Houthis Reportedly Declare Ceasefire Shortly After Trump Victory.

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Texas Secessionists Declare ‘Revolution’ After Election Results. JWR’s Comment: Their choice of headline wording shows the statist bias of the Newsweek editors.

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On November 6th, my #1 Son, Jonathan Rawles, posted a set of 2024 presidential election maps showing the northwest states on X/Twitter: Total Redoubt Victory.

JWR’s Comments: Those maps confirm what we already knew about the ongoing conservative political shift, east of the  Cascades. The liberals are fond of saying: “Demographics Are Destiny.”  Well, I have a news flash for them: Demographics also work for us. Conservative families tend to have lots of kids, and if they are home-schooled, nearly all of those kids grow up to be conservatives. Game Over.

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An interesting SurvivalRealty property in North Idaho, with a house built of ICFs: Grid Down Fortified Homestead.

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Blog reader “Sis” wrote:

“Good morning. I’m of course following the recent stock-up article series. If people do have a blender they can make rice or oat flour in it. Also although it would be quite slow you can use your coffee grinder to grind up wheat, dried beans, etc. to use in cooking. It gives a person a lot more options when making food. Also, the book “Cookin’ With Home Storage” [by Peggy Layton and Vicki Tate] is helpful. Readers should be able to get a used copy quite inexpensively, online. Have a blessed day.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The whole of the Bill of Rights is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals…It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.”  – Albert Gallatin, October 7th, 1789.