Pessimist or a Realist? Our Present Situation – Part 1, by The Lone Canadian

“My wife calls me a pessimist. I claim I’m a realist. Chances are, I’m just an a** with an attitude problem.” That’s my tag line on one of the sites that I belong to. Now, you may take offense at my wording, but if you knew me, you’d have to agree that the sentiment is pretty accurate.

I’m writing this in the final few days of 2022, and I’ve had to go back and examine that tag line. I’ve had to question whether I am a pessimist, or am I simply well-informed when it comes to current events, and honest with myself with regards to the current state of the world? I guess, on the surface, that if you look at what is presently happening in the world, and acknowledge the events, that it could seem pessimistic. I just choose to acknowledge what is happening as reality, and as a prepper, try to figure out what I can do to try and mitigate the effects of these events. You can’t prepare if you don’t know what’s coming. I also have to admit that, at present, many of these things seem pretty overwhelming. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of sunshine on the horizon. And to be completely honest, the outlook seems to be pretty depressing, if you choose to look at it that way. I guess the reason I call myself a realist and not a pessimist is that I don’t let the gloom and doom paralyse me. I see pessimism as an excuse to throw up your hands, and surrender to the inevitable, because you can’t do anything to change it. A realist will face the facts, no matter how daunting, and not give in to despair.

So, if you have the courage, let’s take a little trip down the rabbit hole that is my mind. I’m going to be 100% honest about what I see out there, and much of it isn’t pretty, so if you are prone to being depressed, or don’t really want to hear the truth, please stop reading right now – go over to Facebook for some sunshine and unicorns. I will put a disclaimer here that these are only my thoughts and opinions. Most of what I talk about is verifiable fact, but as any liberal will tell you, “Truth is relative.” So, buckle up your seat belt, and hold on, as we explore a little bit of “truth” as espoused by The Lone Canadian.Continue reading“Pessimist or a Realist? Our Present Situation – Part 1, by The Lone Canadian”

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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Slingshot and archery design genius Joerg Sprave is at it again, with a second generation of commercially available repeating crossbows. In this video, he demonstrates a full-auto crossbow prototype, powered by a Makita battery drill motor: Archery Extreme: Ode to Joy. It bears mentioning that Sprave’s video channel now has an astounding 2.94 million subscribers, worldwide.

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Illinois bans semiautomatic weapons, critics vow court test. JWR’s Comment: This unconstitutional law will obviously not withstand a court test, with the strong precedent set by the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision. But sadly, it may take several years for that case to be heard.

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SurvivalBlog Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this link in an e-mail with the droll title: “An answer to a question nobody asked”: Wheelgun Wednesday: Zenk RZMK-357 Bullpup Revolver.

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SaraSue sent these two snippets:

“I am reading through the book of Revelation again.

Too many people are dying.  Just this week, in my own circle of family, friends, and acquaintances, there were 3 deaths.  Last year, there was just one.  All young to mid-life.  Every week there’s a news story of an athlete or a young person in public life, who has “died suddenly”. More than 1,100 athletes have died in the past two years, suddenly.  I have watched the “Died Suddenly” documentary, but it hits home when it’s people you know.  And of course, you can’t ask, “are they vaccinated?”  No.  You keep your mouth shut and you offer your condolences, and try to figure out how to help their family.  Never in my life have so many people near to me, other than from War, died.  Something is definitely going on of Biblical proportions.  I urge everyone to stay in the Word of God and keep that relationship with Jesus Christ as more prized than anything else.”

and,

“I tamed a large Guernsey cow and trained her to milk – her first time.  She’s so much bigger than the Jersey.  It’s been a rodeo a few times as she refused to stand for milking, and took off with the milker attached, then bucked it off in the field.  LOL.  Another time she almost broke down the milking structure.  We’re finally in the groove and she’s stopped kicking and rebelling.  I pretend that I’m just as big as she is – the Boss Cow.  It took a little over 2 weeks to train her.  I’m shocked that I haven’t been kicked by a cow yet during my dairy adventure.  Her milk is amazing!  The chickens have started laying again, and I have a barn cat addition to keep the mice at bay.  I’m planning out the gardens, and trying to decide if it’s worth it to sell excess produce, eggs, and milk this year.  It sure would help with the Feed bill, but I hate trading my privacy.  I won’t be advertising, only word of mouth with trusted family and friends, if I decide to.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 17, 2023

Acting for Hawaiian sugar interests and their American allies, a committee led by Sanford Ballard Dole deposed Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani on January 17, 1893 and installed a provisional government with Dole as president.

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This is the anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens in 1781. This small battle was the turning point of the American Revolution in the South. In it, the best battlefield tactician America produced, the backwoodsman Daniel Morgan, decisively and utterly defeated the most arrogant, bloody and successful field grade officer in the British Army, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton. The battle set in motion the chain of events that led directly to the decisive siege at Yorktown and the British decision to give up on the war.

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On Jan. 17, 1920 the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect, establishing Prohibition. By one account, 286 distilleries, 992 breweries, and more than 300,000 bars and saloons were closed.

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On this day in 1994 the 6.7 magnitude Northridge Earthquake struck Los Angeles. It caused about $20 billion in damage and killed 61 people.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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.

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More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

 

Portable Power Systems: Providing Remote Energy, by K.R.

As we moved onto our current rural retreat some years ago, one of our first steps was to install a set of grid-tied solar panels, very similar to the system described in the Survival Blog article by St. Funogas on September 10 and September 11, 2022. Similar to the author of that essay, we figured that we would use that system, along with isolated single panels for single applications, until we goft up the nerve to build a full-scale off-grid solar system. However, since that time new products have come out and my thinking has shifted. There is a new kid on the block that has shifted the paradigm for producing electricity in remote areas: the portable power system. These are often marketed under the misnomer “solar generators”.

Why a Portable Power System?

A portable power system takes in power from various sources, stores the energy, and then provides the outlets to use that energy in a number of ways:  DC-to DC power, and DC-to-AC, with and inverter. For example, I can charge our portable power system with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, a house 120 Volt AC outlet, or even a running car engine; and store that electrical energy in the battery. Then I can use that energy later for anything that runs on DC or AC electricity.

Portable power systems have been available for some time. Four years ago, we bought a small solar-powered battery that can recharge our cell phone remotely. It was a cool gadget, but it had limited usefulness because of its small scale. But with the advent of LiFePO4 battery technology (Lithium Iron Phosphate), portable power systems can be much larger, more efficient, and last longer. Now they can power major appliances, workshops, medical devices, office data emergency backup, you name it. Also, these batteries are good for 3,500-6,000 charging cycles, as opposed to the 500 cycles of lead-acid batteries.

Why does this change my thinking about providing power for my remote electrical needs? I used to see the solution for retreat-wide self-sustaining electrical production as simply installing the number of solar panels and batteries that I would need to cover my current electrical use. But that involves considerable cost, and at some point that would involve several hundred pounds of batteries that not only require an amount of money roughly equal to the amount invested in PV panels, but also ongoing maintenance costs. Additionally, those batteries need to be replaced because they have a limited life span.

Instead of thinking of a large-scale solution, now I am seeing the value of more portable, flexible small-scale solutions that can cover a wider range of needs–both anticipated and unanticipated. The long lifetime and portability of the LiFePO4 battery power systems mean I can use fewer solar panels, certainly no more than the ones I have already, and move that portable power system to where the power is needed.Continue reading“Portable Power Systems: Providing Remote Energy, by K.R.”

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, an update on the Greater Idaho movement. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

A Greater Idaho bill has been read in the Oregon State Senate. From a recent Greater Idaho project press release:

“A bill inviting Idaho to begin talks with Oregon on the potential to relocate the state line they share was read on the floor of the Oregon Senate yesterday. Oregon state senator Dennis Linthicum is the lead sponsor, and the initial cosponsors are Senator Brian Boquist and Rep. Werner Reschke. Freshman Representative Emily McIntire, sworn in yesterday, has indicated to leaders of the Greater Idaho movement that she will sign on as a cosponsor when House rules allow.

The bill, SJM 2, became public yesterday along with other pre-session filed bills. It states: “we, the members of the 82nd Legislative Assembly stand ready to begin discussions regarding the potential to relocate the Oregon/Idaho border, and invite the Idaho Legislature, the Governor of Idaho, the Governor of Oregon to begin talks on this topic with this Legislative Assembly.

The bill notes that, of the 15 rural, conservative counties of eastern Oregon that are proposed to become parts of Idaho, eleven have already approved ballot measures indicating voter support. It notes that Oregon slightly relocated its border with Washington in 1958.

The bill lists several reasons that the Democrat majority of the Oregon Legislature should want to relocate the boundary: support for the self-determination of the people of eastern Oregon, financial benefits of offloading eastern Oregon, and concern about the interference of (conservative) eastern Oregon into the (progressive) politics of western Oregon.

The bill states that eastern Oregon is an economic drain on Oregon’s state budget because of the high income taxes paid by the Portland area. The bill also references a poll that found that only 3% of the voters of northwestern Oregon are willing to pay what it costs to have rural regions of Oregon included in the Oregon state budget.  The movement estimates the cost is over $500 per northwestern Oregonian wage earner annually.

Along with all other bills filed prior to the beginning of the legislative session, the bill now lies on the desk of the new President of the Senate, Rob Wagner. According to rules approved yesterday, any progress on a Senate bill requires his approval. The Greater Idaho movement’s website greateridaho.org calls on him to allow their bill to get a hearing. Spokesman for the Greater Idaho movement, Matt McCaw pointed to the same January 2022 SurveyUSA poll that showed that 68% of northwestern Oregon voters thought that the Oregon Legislature should hold hearings on the idea, and only 20% opposed.

‘Portland voters forced a gun control measure on the whole state, although eastern Oregon voters almost blocked it. And then an eastern Oregon judge blocked it. His injunction might stand for a couple years while he decides the case.  If Oregon had let Grant and Harney counties go when they requested to join Idaho, then their judge wouldn’t have blocked an Oregon measure. Grant and Harney counties are ranchland, and Portland is not. It doesn’t make sense for these two cultures to be dictating policy to each other,’ he said.”

Idaho

Idaho Sled Dog Challenge returns for fifth year.

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Moscow murder suspect waives right to speedy preliminary hearing, judge schedules hearing for late June. This article has embedded within it a lengthy Probable Cause statement.

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Threats to city staff force cancellation of the Kuna Rodeo.

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Idaho Falls warehouse could be Amazon’s.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Glorious indeed has been our Contest: glorious, if we consider the Prize for which we have contended, and glorious in its Issue; but in the midst of our Joys, I hope we shall not forget that, to divine Providence is to be ascribed the Glory and the Praise.” – George Washington, in a letter to Reverend John Rodgers, June 11, 1783

Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 16, 2023

On January 16, 1991, the Persian Gulf War, triggered by Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait in August 1990, began with a U.S.-led air offensive against Iraq that continued until a cease-fire was declared on February 28th.

The Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16th, 2003. STS-107 would explode on re-entry 15 days later, killing all seven of the crew members on board. SurvivalBlog salutes all seven crewmembers: Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Mission Specialist David Brown, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.

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Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

Cold Steel Range Boss, by Thomas Christianson

The Cold Steel Range Boss is a light, sharp, thin, and tough knife for everyday carry (EDC). With a manufacturer-suggested retail price at the date of this writing of $51.99 and available online for as low as $37.05, it represents a great value for the cost-conscious knife buyer. It is also a good, solid knife for the buyer for whom money is no object.

Background

I recently asked Cold Steel if I could review their four-inch Range Boss knife in black. They were kind enough to agree, and a few days later a package arrived via FedEx from GSM, LLC., 5250 Frye Road, Irving, TX 75061.

Opening the Box

The 6.25 X 4.5 x 4.25 inch shipping box contained a 5.5 x 1.75 x 1.88 inch product box. The product box was chock full of interesting information. It told me that Cold Steel’s motto is “Anytime. Anywhere.” It provided an address and phone number for Cold Steel that is different from their headquarters address in Irvin, Texas (6060 Nicolle St., Ventura, CA 93003; 800-255-4716). It told me that the item number for the four-inch Range Boss with a black handle is CS-20KR5. It called attention to videos and other helpful materials on social media sites and at ColdSteel.com.Continue reading“Cold Steel Range Boss, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Noodles with Peanut Sauce is from Mrs. Alaska.

1.  Save any meat or fish bones and/or vegetable skins, peels, ends, leaves, etc to occasionally make batches of broth.  Pressure can this broth to save it long term.
2.  Cook a package of noodles in broth, according to directions. (Boiling noodles in broth results in a more flavorful dish than boiling them in water.)  Note that generally dry wheat noodles take 8 – 13 minutes, rice noodles 5 minutes, and fresh, homemade pasta just 2-3 minutes.
3. Drain the noodles, saving the broth for making the sauce.
3. The sauce:  Mix one-quart broth with 1/3  to 1 cup peanut butter (your preference, to suit your taste.)  Less peanut butter will yield a thinner, lighter sauce.  More peanut butter results in a thicker and heartier sauce.  Add 3 – 4 TBS soy sauce.  Add aromatics of choice, such as garlic, onion, cayenne.
4.  Combine sauce and hot noodles so that the pasta absorbs the flavor.
5.  Add any pre-cooked meat or vegetables, of choice.  The sauce clings well to broccoli and cauliflower.
6. Top the dish with one cup of shelled peanuts and fresh scallions or chives.

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JWR Adds: Mrs. Alaska has a fascinating blog at: Off-road, Off-grid in Alaska.

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Do you have a favorite 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 and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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 the current chicken egg shortage, and food price inflation.

Precious Metals:

The spot and futures prices of silver and gold broke out late Friday (January 13, 2023.) Though there will probably be a bit of profit-taking in the short term, I expect to see some solid gains for precious metals in coming weeks, as the US Dollar Index continues its retreat from its top. When I last checked, spot silver was at $24.56 per Troy ounce, and gold was at $1,931 per Troy ounce. I expect to see silver approaching $30, by April.

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Gold climbs eight-month high in run-up to US inflation test.

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Clint Siegner, at Gold-Eagle.com: As the Dollar Falls, Metals Will Rise.

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A Silver Price Forecast For 2023. “The price of silver will move to our first bullish target of $34.70 USD in 2023. We expect $48 USD soon after, not later than in 2024.”

Economy & Finance:

Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson warns U.S. stocks could slump another 22% if recession arrives in 2023.

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At Zero Hedge: Massive Hedge Fund, Also Known As Swiss National Bank, Suffers Colossal $143 Billion Loss In 2022.

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Video: Soft landing? The global economy in 2023.

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UK FTSE 100 hits highest level since 2018; cost of living crisis and climate change top global risks – business live.

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S&P 500 Likely to Trade in Tighter Range in 2023.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 15, 2023

Today is the anniversary of the 2009 “Miracle On The Hudson” engines-out emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549.  That pilot was cool, calm, and collected, under pressure.  God Bless You, Sully, wherever you are.

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Today is also the birthday of Dr. Edward Teller, who worked on the Manhattan Project, and later co-invented the hydrogen bomb

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

Beginning Bees on a Budget, by St. Funogas

“Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don’t they should, for their feet are dusted with the spices of a million flowers.” Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine

It’s January and getting close to time to get your bees ordered for anyone wanting to try their hand at beekeeping this year. Most bee suppliers have begun taking orders for bees and they typically sell out by late March so now is the time to start looking more seriously into whether or not you want to want to give beekeeping a shot.

Many people want to get into beekeeping until they see how expensive the startup costs are. This article shows you how to get started as frugally as possible instead of spending the $500+ which books and catalog companies suggest you to spend. If you have DIY skills, or if you know someone with DIY skills, you can get started for around $150. And if you’re good at scrounging lumber, or have enough of the right stuff laying around already, then you can keep it under $100. Even if you do have to purchase everything to get started, this article will provide some insights on how to do so while keeping costs to a minimum.Continue reading“Beginning Bees on a Budget, by St. Funogas”