Additive Manufacturing – Part 2, by M.

…which is a text document. After uploading the text document to the printer either via a direct USB link or a sd card, you then can select the file in the printer screen and begin printing. It should also be noted that in many cases one will not even have to design anything with CAD, as there are plenty of online repositories of CAD files that are freely shared which can be downloaded now and stored on a hard drive or DVDs for use in the future. The following is a list of some popular hobbyist additive manufacturing websites: Thingiverse – This is the most popular database of stl files for 3D printing. Nearly anything you want can be found here. The issue is that the website is horribly run and has many issues. It is necessary to download the brave internet browser and download the Thingiverse Downloader extension by…




The Case for the Bitcoin Cryptocurrency, by J. McG.

…other worldwide central reserve currencies.  Fiat currencies have no intrinsic value except the value that is forced by the government upon the people.  Sooner or later, all fiat currencies revert to their true value of zero. Now, because of the Internet, there is an alternative currency called Bitcoin.  Bitcoin takes the basic theorem that anything that be done with a trusted authority can be done without a trusted authority and applies the theorem to the combined fields of cryptography and currency, which is now known as cryptocurrency.  Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency that exists today. The best way to start learning about Bitcoin is to download the free application at the following link:   http://bitcoin.org/ A good definition of Bitcoin can be found in the Intro part of the readme file in the download.     Bitcoin is a free open source peer-to-peer electronic cash system that is completely decentralized,…




Letter From Novelist David Crawford Re: “Lights Out” EMP E-Novel: Free Download

Dear Mr. Rawles, Some time ago you mentioned my novel, “Lights Out”, in your blog. It was quite an honor for me to have my humble work discussed on your web site. I wanted to let you and your readers know that “Lights Out” is now finished. It can be read in its entirety at http://www.giltweasel.com/stuff/LightsOut-Current.pdf I plan to edit and improve this first draft and then to pursue publishing. Any constructive criticism and help from anyone will be gladly received at dcrawford@email.com. Thanks again and please keep up the fine work you are doing with your blog. Sincerely, – David Crawford…




Seed Saving Tips – Part 3, by St. Funogas

…Olive is also a example of a good plant that will become invasive. St. Funogas (interesting name, wish I knew the back story, maybe over some coffee) do you do companion planting and Guild Plantings? I find them pretty useful in reducing the plant pests INCLUDING Deer. Now if I could find a non-toxic way to get rid of voles… CORD7 Interesting and awesome. Varying our techniques to yours will benefit our seed saving for years to come. Bless you, LuvYerBro. Krissy Thank you, Saint. CD NorthGA St. Funogus I really enjoyed reading this article and learned several new things, well more than several. I have been looking into crops I can feed my chickens to reduce or eliminate purchased feed. You mentioned the protein value of some seeds, like squash that you could eat, but you can also feed them to chickens. I was really interested in sorghum as…




Recipe of the Week:Β Classic Oatmeal Cookies

…mounds and place them on prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart (roughly 12 cookies per sheet) Bake for about 10 to 13 minutes (short for super soft cookies, longer for more well-done cookies), or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake — cookies will firm up, as they cool. Immediately upon taking the baking sheet out of the oven you can add about 5 additional chocolate chips to the top of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack. SERVING It is best to serve ’em warm, with cold milk! STORAGE Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked…




From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a “List of Lists”

Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living in the Rockies. As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main…




SurvivalBlog’s Quick-Start Guide for Preparedness Newbies

…Read that first. Also be sure to take full advantage of the SurvivalBlog Archives. All of the more than 38,000 articles and letters posted since late 2005 are in a fully searchable database, that can be accessed with the “Search” window at the top of the right-hand bar on the SurvivalBlog main page. You can use “and” as a modifier, to get the right responses. For example, to find out how to use five gallon food grade plastic buckets and mylar liners to store grain at home, you could type in: “Bucket AND Mylar AND Wheat” in the Search box, and it would return this list of SurvivalBlog posts. Because of an unresolved database glitch, you might get an error on the first try, depending on your browser. Just try to run the same search again. That usually works. This information is all in the Archives, and it is all…




Recipe of the Week: Dan’s Salty-Sweet Trail Mix

…salt, and mix again. If you’d like to add more salt, you can do this after the trail mix roasts. Roast the trail mix in the oven for about 15-17 minutes, stirring half-way through to prevent the ingredients from burning. Keep a close eye on it, as baking times may vary, depending on your oven, the baking sheet, and whether or not you double the recipe. The cooking is done once the nuts, pumpkin seeds, and coconut have turned golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let the trail mix to cool while it is still on the sheet. Once fully cool, then add sweet add-ons that might melt. Optional Sweet Add-Ons Dan says: “You can add up to about 1-1/2 cups of any of your personal trail mix sweet favorite fruits (such as raisins chopped dried apricots) or other sweets to this. Personally, I like add three:…




Letter Re: Thoughts on Upcoming Quantitative Easing

Mister Rawles: As many of the SurvivalBlog readers and individuals who are on the inflation/deflation watch have noticed over the weekend is the rumor that the Federal Reserve will begin what is commonly referred to at this point as Quantitative Easing, Round 2 (or “QE2”) , Fed Will Boost Balance Sheet by $500 Billion . Why is this important for the average American? The opening of the novel “Patriots” lays out a scenario where the Federal Reserve begins to buy U.S. Treasury debt which spirals out of control leading to the implosion of the government. There should be warning lights going off over this very scenario. There is a very real gambit being played by the Fed in which they assume they can increase the size of their assets and eventually exit their position prior to a hyperinflationary situation presenting itself. We can see a great example of this with…




Getting it All Together, Or, The Worst Pencil is Better than the Best Memory, by Sled238

If you are even moderately past the first stage of becoming prepared, you have (or will have) the experience of finding things you had forgotten you had bought. Yeah, Christmas! I thought, until it occurred to me that if I had needed that item really, really badly, I would have just screwed up, big time. Cancel Christmas. After the third – or was it sixth? – time reading “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”, it occurred to me there was one thing I wish had made it into the book: the Gray’s notebook. Their preps notebook, to be more specific. Only thing I remember is the lists on the chipboard Jim has been kind enough to share an abundance of gifts. In my opinion, one of the greatest of these gifts is the List of Lists. What I had, was a pile of papers, which is not really useful at all….




How to Build an Inexpensive Forced Air Wood Burning Heater, by Marc S.

…more easily cut metallic wrap available from Menards or Home Depot, for example, that would be far more convenient to use than sheet metal. At the present time I don’t use a thermostat. If I did I would try to find one that could also turn the blower off should inside air temperature fall below a certain level due to fuel exhaustion which unfortunately turns the heater into an air chiller. If anyone can suggest how to do that, then please e-mail the details to the SurvivalBlog Editor. The parts list is as follows: Two clean 55 gallon steel drums One small electric (“hamster wheel”) blower One Vogelzang Standard Airtite Barrel Stove Kit # BK100E. [Barrel stove kits are available from Lehman’s. Search for Item # 17120106 ] Three 4′ sections of 4″ diameter steel stove pipe. One section will need to be cut to length. Avoid using aluminum chimney…




Start With a “List of Lists”

Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living in the Rockies. As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main…




Letter Re: A Federal Reserve Balance Sheet Disaster

Dear Jim, I just read on a[nother] blog about an imminent Federal Reserve disaster. There’s no [mainstream] news coverage on it yet so this qualifies as a serious heads up. Note the second numeric column. $40 Billion, has been since 1913, by law. Then notice it suddenly drops to $198 million and then two days ago the report lists the banks as minus $8.7 Billion, something which has never happened before. How bad is it? Think Weimar Republic. The Fed can no longer stop inflation because the banks can’t secure new money with debt. People aren’t buying debt anymore. Ergo, hyperinflation is the natural consequence. Mark this day on your calendar. Best, – InyoKern JWR Replies: In case you missed it, I mentioned the following in Friday’s Odds ‘n Sods: Hawaiian K. pointed out this Federal Reserve chart, showing that the Net Free or Borrowed Reserves (NFORBRES) of Depository Institutions…




Beginning Bee Keeping, by A.B.

…boxes you will usually have 10 rectangular shaped wooden frames that contain foundation sheets stamped with a honey comb pattern to guide bees in building regular combs with uniform cells.  There are many types of foundation including:  pure beeswax, plastic with beeswax overlay, and plain plastic.  The foundation can be bought separately or already in the frames.  An outer cover rests on the top to protect the hive from rain, hailstones, and snow.  There are many other parts that can be added to a hive but these are the basics. WHAT EQUIPTMENT DO I NEED TO START A HIVE AFTER TEOTWAWKI? You will need to fashion from a net like material a hood that will keep your head and neck covered to prevent being stung.  Light colored gloves are preferable but any gloves will work.  Many beekeepers do not wear gloves because a stinger left in the glove will put…




How To Obtain Protein From Alternative Sources Without A Firearm, by Rockvault

…of family fun. I know that this coming summer I’ll be making an effort to try frog legs again. My hunch is that frog tastes like the water body it lives in, and since the little creek I tried frogs from before included the effluent from more than one broken septic field, I might like it better this time. If you have to start from scratch and purchase (new) two box traps and locks, a fly rod, or spinning rod and reel, basic tackle, a leg hold trap, and a slingshot, the total on the “budget plan” should come to no more than $300. Chances are you already have some of these items or can acquire them used for less. With a little preparation and reasonable cost, you can be well prepared for making sure that your loved ones have access to protein sources in case of a TEOTWAWKI event….