Upgrade Your Bug Out Bag’s Batteries, by Kevin Berg

I recently finished reading another set of doom and gloom novels. I like these stories as they give me ideas of what to do or options to consider if the need arises. After I put the book down, I thought about the equipment that was used and if it was relevant to my needs. I pulled out my go bag and dumped out the contents. What a revelation to see some of my mistakes. There were three major areas of potential catastrophe. The first was that I had the wrong clothing for the season at hand. The second issue was the spoiled and leaking food. The third area involved my selection of batteries for things like a light and small radio. Most of them were dead. This needed to be remedied.

There is no point in having a survival bag if you could not survive on the contents. To remedy this problem, I have made reminders on the wall calendar to review the contents of my bags every three months. That will take care of the clothing and food items. I needed to think about my battery selections. I did not provide any recharging ability without access to 120-volt AC power. I started researching what was available and what would be easily rechargeable on the trail.

Switching to Lithium

The best solution for me was to switch over to Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. At the end of this article, I will include some links to various batteries and chargers that I found on Amazon.com. You may find better sources in your research. I was surprised to find 134a and button batteries available in Li-Ion, and chargers for those were also available. I found the following sizes: 18650, 14500, cr123a, and 2032 button cells, along with C, D, and 9-volt batteries. I did not need the C, D, and 9 volts batteries in my bag, but I have uses for these batteries at home. The C, D, and 9-volt batteries can be connected and charged using a USB cable. They have either a pop-up top or a USB port on the side to allow for the cable to be connected. The charge control circuit was built inside the battery. One note to mention about the 9-volt battery is that it does not charge up to a full 9 volts but a little under. So if your electronic gear is sensitive to reduced voltage, then this may not work for you.Continue reading“Upgrade Your Bug Out Bag’s Batteries, by Kevin Berg”

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, news of the extremely low temperatures expected this week in Wyoming. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

New Surveillance Footage Revealed in the Stabbing of University of Idaho Students.

o  o  o

Made in Idaho: Shopping local for the holidays.

o  o  o

Old construction equipment leaks oil into Lake Coeur d’Alene, again.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 19, 2022

December 19th is the birthday of physicist Albert A. Michelson (born 1852, died May 9, 1931), who was the first American to be awarded a Nobel Prize in science, for measuring the speed of light. I’m related to the Michelson family by marriage, so his name often came up when discussing family history.

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On Dec 19, 1776, Thomas Paine published “American Crisis”. Paine wrote:

“These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

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We’ve had several readers write us to ask us about the ordering availability of our waterproof USB archive thumbdrive sticks. Rest assured that we create a new edition every January, with another year of archives and even more bonus content. These USB sticks never omit anything from previous years. They only get larger. Starting with the upcoming 2005-2022 Archive, this will have to be on a 24 GB stick. That will leave you lots of room available to store your important documents and family photos, to have available in your bugout bag. Please mark your calendar to check our ordering page on January 28th, 2023. As usual, supplies will be limited, so be sure to get your order in by February 15th.

The additional bonus books planned for the new edition of the archive USB stick will include:

  • Construction and Repair Work for the Farm, by F. Theodore Struck
  • Great Poems of the English Language (1,500 pages!)
  • How to Make Baskets, by Mary White
  • Orcharding, by Victor Ray Gardner
  • Practical Plant Propagation, by Alfred Hottes
  • The Practical Book of American Antiques
  • Beyond Khyber Pass, by Lowell Thomas
  • The Royal Road to Romance, by Richard Halliburton
  • Amateur Gunsmithing, by Townsend Whelen
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Today’s feature article is a review written by Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

We are in need of articles for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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.

Bear OPS Rancor II Pattern 400, by Thomas Christianson

I carry a knife every day. There are always boxes to open, ropes to cut, carpenter’s pencils to sharpen, and a host of similar tasks.

Recently, I had the opportunity to test the Bear OPS Rancor II Pattern 400 as an everyday carry (EDC) knife. I found it sharp, light, easy to open, with a comfortable and nicely textured grip, and a secure locking mechanism. It is made in America by Bear & Son Cutlery of Jacksonville, Alabama. With a manufacturer suggested retail price of $104.99 and availability from various online vendors for around $70, it is an attractive and reasonably priced option. I like it a lot.

Initial Impressions

The knife arrived from Bear & Sons via FedEx Ground in a USPS First-Class package. Inside the shipping box, wrapped in bubble paper, was a nice Bear OPS product box.

The product box informed me that the knife is “Made in USA”. It also advised me to “Handle with care! Products are sharp!” It is sad to live in a society that is so litigious that a knife manufacturer feels compelled to warn customers that their products are sharp.

Inside the product box, the knife was in a black satin bag with red drawstrings. The overall effect was very nice, but it revealed that I am a grumpy old man. I like product boxes to be sturdy enough to safely contain the product while being inexpensive enough to avoid diverting resources that should be focused on making the product better. To my curmudgeonly eyes, the satin drawstring bag represented a victory of style over substance.

The Rancor II’s black G-10 handle was a very comfortable size and shape. Over the course of the testing period, I found the texturing on the handle to provide excellent grip characteristics under a variety of weather conditions.Continue reading“Bear OPS Rancor II Pattern 400, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Sweet and Sour Lentils Over Rice

The following flexible recipe is from SurvivalBlog reader D.G.

D.G. writes: “This Sweet and Sour Lentils Over Rice recipe is a variation on something that my wife found online, back in the early AOL days of the Internet.  This is one way that we use up some of our storage food stocks. When you combine legumes and rice, you get a complete protein that your body can digest and use just as well as it does meat.

Note: This recipe can be scaled up or down, depending on how many people you are serving.  Plan on 3/4 cup of lentils and 1 cup of rice for each adult.

This recipe takes just 40 minutes to prepare and cook. Your supper is ready once the rice has cooked through to softness.”

Seasoning Ingredients
  • 1 onion, diced and sautéed
  • ¼ cup of pineapple juice, or you may substitute apple juice
  • ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. honey OR ¼ c. sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

(The seasonings can be doubled if serving a large group.)

Directions

Rinse the rice. Put it in a saucepan or in an electric rice cooker. The ratio to use is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water.  Add salt, to taste. Begin cooking rice for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety.  Set the rice aside, hot, with the lld on.

To cook the lentils: Add 1 cup of lentils to 3 cups of water. Let them simmer for 20 to 22 minutes.

While that is simmering, sauté the onion. Once that is done, combine the onion with the juice, vinegar, honey or sugar), and garlic.

Heat the seasonings mixture together with the lentils until they are bubbling.

SERVING

Serve the seasoned lentils on a bed of rice.

An Asian-style salad or some raw vegetables and a tasty dip will make it a complete meal.

STORAGE

Leftovers can be stored refrigerated for up to three days.

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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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the likely recession in 2023. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Michael Pento: Fiscal and Monetary Policy Shocks.

o  o  o

Video interview: Gold is ready to ‘explode’, 2023 will be a ‘commodities boom’ – Todd Bubba Horwitz.

Economy & Finance:

China’s retail sales shrink far more than expected, while industrial production disappoints. JWR’s Comment: This looks like the harbinger of a global recession, folks.

o  o  o

Recession drumbeat gets louder as more U.S. CEOs strike mellow note for 2023.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Retail Sales Hit by Price Drops in Durable Goods, Gasoline. But Sales Rose where Prices Rose: Restaurants, Grocery & General Merchandise Stores.

o  o  o

MarketWatch: Stock-market investors now fear recession more than inflation. Here’s why.

o  o  o

Deutsche Bank: World Outlook 2023: Is recession looming?

o  o  o

The Economist: Why a global recession is inevitable in 2023.

o  o  o

The Two Largest Foreign Holders Dumped US Treasuries In October, Record Annual Equity Outflows.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“In The Federalist, James Madison called the rage for equality ‘a wicked project.’ People differ and rewards differ-that’s the essence of both liberty and justice. No nation that rewards effort, talent, inventiveness and luck can even pretend to cherish equal outcomes. In an inventive and dynamic society, equal (even relatively equal) incomes can be achieved only by abandoning liberty for tyranny.” – The late Michael Novak (1933 – 2017)

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 18, 2022

Today is the birthday of Jørgen Haagen Schmith (born December 18, 1910, died October 15, 1944). He was better known under the codename Citron and was a famous Danish resistance fighter in occupied Denmark. His biographical sketch at the Infogalactic Wiki describes his death, after he was tracked down by the Nazis: “German soldiers arrived at the house to arrest or kill Schmith. He fought for hours against an overwhelming force of enemy troops killing 11 and wounded scores of others before the house was set on fire and he was shot attempting to escape the flames.” His exploits were dramatized in the movie Flame and Citron.

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December 18th is also the birthday of Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788). He wrote more than 1,700 hymns.

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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.

A Young Man’s Preps – Part 3, by St. Leibowitz

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

Assembling Your Kits

You should have or be in the process of getting some kind of long-range weapon and one or two blades for various tasks. These are going to be integrated into your preparedness primarily as hunting and survival tools, though defensive use is of course on your mind. I like to think of my supplies in terms of “kits.” In my teens, my Crosman 1377 air gun, slingshot, and some snare wire were my “small game kit,” which lived in an old Polish gas mask bag. In the same bag was an Altoids tin with a magnesium fire starter and charcloth, which was my “fire kit.” I now know that there is not much sense in carrying a slingshot AND an air gun, but hey, I was fourteen and wanted to have stuff. I had three things to kill food with, but no actual food in the bag or on my person. I liked to think that I could’ve survived The Walking Dead-style with that kit, but I would not have, because both the kit and my skill set were not realistic.

I think of my kits now in terms of functions. The kit itself is a tool, made up of many other smaller tools. So here is a much more realistic, updated “preparedness tool kit” assembled using some of the things I talk about in this article. This is not a “everything you need to go hunting or live in the woods” kit. This is a “spend one day in the woods poaching to get around the Duke of Joe’s meat rationing” kind of kit. It is a survival small game hunting kit, though it could be upgraded into a camping kit very easily.  The bag contents:

  • One .22 air rifle (XS-25 from Flying Dragon) with pellets and speedloader. This is the Basic Tune version. I have successfully hunted dove with this model, and it has performed very satisfactorily for its price point.
  • One Pietta .44 Remington New Army percussion revolver, with accessories.
  • A slingshot and ammo
  • One Ka-Bar fighting knife
  • One Mora Companion knife
  • One Victorinox Fieldmaster pocket knife
  • One fire kit (a large tin containing a Bic lighter, matches, and tinder)
  • One German surplus sewing kit, to which I have added beeswax and a candle stub.
  • A compass
  • A lifestraw water filter
  • Paracord

Except for the guns, this will all fit in my trusty old gas mask bag, which I dug out to build the example kit. Important outdoor kit parts not shown are my first aid kit and water supply. Other things missing include maps and rations.Continue reading“A Young Man’s Preps – Part 3, by St. Leibowitz”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” – Colossians 1:1-18 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 17, 2022

The movie Capricorn One premiered on December 17, 1978. Written and directed by Peter Hyams, it had a great cast, featuring Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, Sam Waterston, O.J. Simpson, Hal Holbrook, Karen Black, Telly Savalas, David Huddleston, and David Doyle.

SurvivalBlog reader E.S. sent this note about the film’s interesting premise: “A fake Mars mission, government overreach, and a major cover-up when things go sour. It all sounds familiar. You only have to change the details — WMD, the Wuhan Flu, et cetera.”

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December 17th, 1905, was the birthday of Simo Häyhä, who was the world’s most successful sniper. Using an iron-sighted Mosin–Nagant in Finland’s Winter War, he had an astounding 505 confirmed sniper kills. He died April 1, 2002.

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.

A Young Man’s Preps – Part 2, by St. Leibowitz

(Continued from Part 1.)

Blades

Knives are next. Knife laws vary wildly even between the states. We got most knives legalized here in Texas a while back, but there are still some that are prohibited in certain locations. In most places you can at least have a pocket knife without too much trouble. Victorinox’s Swiss Army knives are quite good, and look a little less scary than, say, a Spyderco tactical folder. Assess what you want and need, and get one. Or two. Or several. Just don’t go crazy buying any old knife that looks cool. You need to save your money for other things. Generally, the more tools a “knife” has on it, the less dangerous it is perceived to be. 4” blade on a Leatherman? “Oh, aren’t you prepared? ;)” A 4” blade on a Benchmade out-the front (OTF) automatic opener? “OMG we’re all gonna die! Help, terrorism!” Your mileage may vary. Knives do not have to be expensive. The more common Swiss Army knives are quite reasonable, and they last forever if not abused. I still use my Victorinox Cadet after fourteen years, and I expect my new Fieldmaster to last thirty. Everyone should have a pocketknife. If an otherwise normal boy seven or older can’t be trusted with a pocketknife, then he was not parented well.

Moving on, let me discuss sheath knives. Let’s begin with the more tool-ish ones, for outdoor, utility, and skinning use. These also do not have to be expensive, but there is a very strict dichotomy between inexpensive and cheap. Inexpensive means it does not cost very much. Cheap means that it’s a piece of garbage and you should throw it into the nearest convenient dumpster. There are $15 knives that are awesome. There are a great many more that aren’t worthy to spread butter. The best quality sheath knives in terms of bang for your buck are the Swedish Mora knives. They are awesome. On sale, they can be found for around $12. They are very sharp, very easy to sharpen, and very durable. They come in carbon or stainless steel. If you’re new to knives, then get stainless. I use a carbon steel Mora Companion for my work. (I do feral honeybee removals) and it’s held up under fairly rough use for about three years now. I have resharpened it enough that the blade is visually less wide than a new one, and unless I lose it I expect to use it for another couple of years. And if I do, then $12 gets me another one.Continue reading“A Young Man’s Preps – Part 2, by St. Leibowitz”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make 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 this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week was fairly quiet at the ranch. Just a dusting of snow, so I didn’t need to plow.  We spruced up our snow paths to the greenhouse and henhouse so that we have them smooth before any thawing and re-freezing. It is a pain to adjust trails and pathways through the snow after a re-freeze. So Lily and I have been getting a lot of exercise, snow-shovelling!

I had to make two trips to town, to ship out Elk Creek Company orders. December is always a busy month for our sales of antique guns.

Now, in addition to being de-banked early in the year, we were just unceremoniously dumped by our mid-sized tax accounting firm. They canceled our annual engagement contract in a letter that vaguely blamed “the economy.” Such are the perils of being politically incorrect, in the early 21st Century. So, now I need to find a new CPA who handles income taxes and who isn’t fazed by delayed filings. My taxes are complicated, so my filings are delayed nearly every year.

We are looking forward to another family gathering this weekend.  Lily will fill you in on that…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”