SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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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F.J. suggested this documentary film review, over at American Thinker: A Story of Jewish Partisan Resistance During World War II.

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Reader Pam B. suggested this news story from Tennessee: Man finds hidden TWRA camera on his property.

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Blog reader L.C. wrote:

“We read your posts daily,. My wife and I, and I have a comment to make about your articles on the Cartels today.  We live in Central Texas and are now old and retired but a few weeks ago we were having dinner with our Christian friends and the lack of labor here came up. They have a dairy and are having an impossible time getting any labor to milk and work around the farm.  Some of their last hires came from Central America and were moved via Cartels.  Not only did they pay to get here, but have to pay a portion of their salary on a continual basis or their family members back home will suffer.  An interesting twist came up, they were told that they were not getting paid enough and that they had to leave their good job at the dairy and get another job that paid more so they could pay the Cartels more.  I thought that you would find this interesting.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — October 25, 2022

Today is the birthday of explorer and pilot Admiral Richard Byrd (1888–1957). His autobiography titled Alone is a must-read.

Margaret Thatcher was born on October 13, 1925. She was the UK’s first female Prime Minister. She died in 2013.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 103 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 $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 103 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.

 

 

Revisiting the Rule of Threes, by J.M.

If you’ve been involved in prepping for any length of time or even just done some research on the subject, you’ve probably come across some variation of the Rule of 3s. I’ve seen it expressed a lot of different ways, but the most common version goes something like this:

  • You can survive 3 minutes without oxygen or with severe bleeding
  • You can survive 3 hours without a stable core body temperature
  • You can survive 3 days without water
  • You can survive 3 weeks without food

The rule makes a great starting point for planning your preparations, but I’ve found that many people tend to take it too literally without really understanding all of the ramifications. I also believe that there are some additional critical elements that should be included, so over the years I’ve expanded it in several areas. The goal of this article is to evaluate what the rule means, some additional realities that apply, and discuss some enhancements that I find useful.

Continue reading“Revisiting the Rule of Threes, by J.M.”

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. The White Bison Big Medicine is mentioned in the Montana section.

Region-Wide

Two counties to vote on pitch to change state lines and add Eastern Oregon to Idaho.

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There are several new properties of interest in the American Redoubt over at our family’s Survival Realty site. These include:

Idaho Homestead, Harpster Idaho,

and

Custom Home w/ Live-Edge Siding. Off-grid. Year Round Access. (Near Three Forks, Montana.)

Idaho

Our upcoming winter pattern could mirror 1974.

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Motion to sever Chad and Lori Vallow-Daybell’s trials moved to Nov. 10.

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Rigby angler sets new Idaho hybrid trout record.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 24, 2022

October 24th is the anniversary of the firing squad execution of Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling, in 1945. His ignominious place in history was to have his surname become a noun. “Quisling” is now a moniker synonymous with treason and alliance with an invading army. Something tells me that the popularity of “Vidkun” as a boys’ natal name in Scandanavia dropped precipitously after about 1942. Ditto for “Adolf”, in Germany, and “Benito”, in Italy, after 1944.

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Today’s feature article was penned by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

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We are still seeking entries for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 103 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.

You’ll Need Air, by Pat Cascio

How many times have you found that a tire on your vehicle was flat or halfway flat, sitting in your driveway or garage? Yeah, me too – too many times over my lifetime. I hate to change a tire, especially on our SUV or pickup truck. On these rigs, the spare tire is stowed underneath the body, and a royal pain-in-the-rump to get out to put it on your vehicle. I have the tire store check the air pressure in my spare tires, every time I go in for a rotation If you neglect to have that done, then you’ll find your spare tire might just be flat – ugh! Plus, I’m just getting too old to crawl under the back of one of our vehicles to check the air pressure. Don’t let anyone tell you that your “Golden Years” are the best to come – its simply not true. In my case, my body is racked with osteoarthritis and laying down on the ground, trying to get a spare tire off your rig isn’t any fun at all.

For as long as I can remember, we have carried cans of “Fix-A-Flat” in our vehicles, and this stuff works pretty well – most of the time. If you drive a big pickup truck like I do, you’ll need to get one of the bigger cans of this stuff, on passenger cars and smaller sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), the regular-sized can will suffice. One thing you have to keep in mind is that if you get a flat tire, once you put this flat repair in a can into your tire, you need to drive immediately. If you don’t, then it won’t be able to spread around the inside of your tire – and it will go flat again. Of course, get to a tire repair shop as soon as possible, to have the tire properly repaired. This might not be as easy as your surmise, since most tire stores are closed on a Sunday.Continue reading“You’ll Need Air, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Improved Canned Soup

The following recipe is from reader S.A..  The intent of this flexible recipe is to improve the taste of a store-bought canned soup.

S.A. Asks: Are you practicing cooing with storage foods from your survival pantry? Are you serving and teaching your children and grandchildren to eat foods that may become very familiar and repetitive yet vital with essential minerals and vitamins in the coming months —  such as green salads, or rice and beans, or hot soup?Because I store cases of Campbell’s Chunky Chicken and Vegetable soup, I’ve been on a quest to improve the flavor. To me, the chicken cubes taste tinny and mechanized. The addition of some beef marrow bones totally changes the flavor. These bones also add delightful tiny beef bits to the soup.

We make this soup once a week.
Ingredients
  • 1 can of Campbell’s Chunky Soup
  • 1 soup can of water
  • 2 beef marrow bones
  • Leftover chicken piece (optional)
  • A handful of frozen green peas
  • 1/4 c of a starch such as lentils, orzo, leftover rice, leftover pinto beans, barley, or ramen noodles
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Lightly oil-coat or PAM the crockpot. Pour in one can of soup. Add the starch, bones, chicken, and peas. Cover with a can of water. You can also add a small, hard crusty bread or leftover cornbread muffin to not let it go to waste and also to thicken the soup. This adds calories and carbs.
Cook on high until the beef is falling off the bones. You will be surprised how the soup no longer tastes so “canned.” Scoop the marrow out of the bones, cut the beef bits off, and stir in.
Use your creativity to feed the family with soup. This soup is never the same twice. It’s easy, filling, nutritious, hearty, and delicious. It’s not a huge pot of soup.
SERVING

Serve hot.  Thus recipe serves 4. If you need more, then just add water.

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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!

CBDCs: From Blockchains to Tyrant’s Chains

Today, in place of my regular Economics & Investing column, I’m posting my predictions for the nascent sovereign cryptocurrencies — now commonly called Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs.)  The CBDCs will use a variant of the blockchain technology that was first created for Bitcoin. But unlike private cryptos that use a fully distributed semi-anonymous network, control of the CBDC will be centralized and monitored.

My predictions reflect my views on history, trends in governance, recognition of mankind’s sinful nature, certain chaotic variables, and some historical parallels. I may fall short in predicting some of the particulars, but I feel quite confident in predicting general trends.

Instead of attempting to predict dates and specific milestones, I’m going to describe these changes in phases. Each of these phases might take a year or more. But in the event of a world war or a global monetary crisis, the transition between phases might take just a few weeks!Continue reading“CBDCs: From Blockchains to Tyrant’s Chains”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“A tool is but the extension of a man’s hand, and a machine is but a complex tool. And he that invents a machine augments the power of a man and the well-being of mankind.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 23, 2022

Today, we remember the 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy Sailors, and three U.S. Army Soldiers who died on this day in 1983 when terrorists attacked the Beruit Barracks.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 103 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 $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 103 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.

 

Advanced Field Telephone Techniques – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

Remotely Operating Transceivers Via Field Phones

If one could potentially be DFed, then we should operate a transceiver remotely, and should do for this purpose at a distance of no less than 500 meters away from a base station. 500 meters was once the standard for an adequately small enough area that was considered as a good ‘fix’ on a location identified by using radio direction-finding techniques in the 1990s. It was an area size small enough for an effective artillery bombardment.  Drones can be used to pinpoint a location, yet there can be user error.  There are ways to confuse drones, and drone operators using unconventional low-tech electronic warfare techniques.

The EE-8, and the popular TA-312 (pictured), or most any other field phone operated by two D batteries could operate a transceiver from many miles away.  If not 5 miles away, the further away, the better.  And we could use a low-power transmitter on a directional antenna to link to a repeater on a directional or omnidirectional antenna to further reduce the risk.  This demonstration shows us just how easily it can be done using most field phones, and a common, inexpensive transceiver:

FIELD PHONE OPS: Remoting a VOX Radio Using a TA-312

Remote Transmission Using VOX and Voice ‘Receiver’ Interface

Field phones can also be used to operate a radio remotely by using the VOX function of the transceiver without using a plug, or jack. We can also use some commercial phones for this task as well. If the buzzer or commercial phone receiver is placed directly on the surface of the transceiver in front of the microphone, the VOX function can operate and cause the transceiver to transmit, because when the PTT switch on the field phone handset is depressed, the piezoelectric buzzer acts as a tiny speaker. Polarity does not matter, just connect the buzzer to a wire pair.  The transceiver hears the voice signal and transmits if the VOX setting is appropriately set to be sensitive enough to hear the tiny speaker.

Vintage commercial phone handset earpieces can also be used, and these are best as they have a much better audio quality that could greatly improve the quality of the transmission. However, the piezoelectric buzzer, used as a tiny speaker, is the lowest in price.  However, we can not hear the reply over the field phone, but must listen to the reply over a receiver at our location. This is not ideal, yet it can be useful in some situations.Continue reading“Advanced Field Telephone Techniques – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

The Founding Fathers Who Wrote the 2nd Amendment Hadn’t Just Been on a Hunting Trip

They Had Just Trounced a Tyrant’s Army

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” –  Galatians 5: 1-14 (KJV)