Free Targets and Target Tracker Shooting Logs!

…available for users to print for themselves from PDF files provided as direct downloads. Download the Fun Targets and the Target Tracker System (.zip files) The creators of the Target Tracker Systems© are happy to have the TTS© and TTSLE© hosted for download from the popular Survival Blog website and hope that it’s use for Law Enforcement professionals helps save lives and develop sharper skills. We hope that the Hunter version helps users keep better track of their shooting to help make hunting more fruitful, organized and fun. While the TTS© and TTSLE© are free for use and download they are a set of copyrighted products and are for free distribution only, reproduction for a fee, repackaging and resale of TTS© or any of its components is not allowed without written permission from the owner. Web masters wishing to host the TTS© must also gain written permission. You may enjoy…




The Prepper Potential of an Old Cell Phone, by Mr. Zipph

…I deleted them due to low RAM availability; Google Translate Google Play Books Google Drive/Sheets/Docs Google Keep Notes Apps that are useful when Wifi/Internet is accessible: News; Broadcastify app – Online scanner with access to Police/Fire/EMS/NOAA Weather radio Simple Radio app – Online radio app to listen to online and broadcast radio stations that have an Internet feed Web browser – Access to survivalblog.com as well as news websites and everything else you can do on the internet Weather app Communications; Google Voice app – VOIP phone calls and texting Gmail app – Email access Loading the phone Some planning is involved in determining which apps, maps and documents should be stored on the phone. If you already have documents stored on a computer, flash drive or cloud drive, it should be fairly easy to copy them to the phone. In determining which apps you should download to your phone,…




Fade to Gray: Files and Documents – Part 3, by J.M.

…things organized (‘S:\Downloads’ on my system, since I always mount the hidden volume as drive ‘S’). Then download the latest version of the portable installation executable for LibreOffice into the Downloads folder. When the download finishes, go to the S:\Downloads folder in File Explorer and double-click on the downloaded .exe file. The installation process is pretty straightforward, so I’m not going to include screenshots for this part: Select your language Click ‘Next>’ On the ‘Choose Components’ dialog, you can select ‘Remove Extra Languages’ to save some space Click ‘Next>’ In the ‘Choose Install Location’, select a folder on your mounted hidden drive Default will be set to a folder called ‘LibreOfficePortable’ under the folder containing the install .exe file that’s currently running (e.g. ‘S:\Downloads\LibreOfficePortable’ on my system) I changed it to ‘S:\LibreOfficePortable’, but you can install it anywhere on the mounted hidden partition. Click ‘Install’ Once the installation is done…




The Writings of James Wesley, Rawles

…— Now Out of Print (Privately published 2006-2009.) Rawles Gets You Ready preparedness course (co-author.) — Available again, via digital download only. “Pulling Through” — a feature length survivalist action/adventure movie screenplay. The full screenplay text is available for free download. The screenplay has not yet been sold or optioned, so if you know anyone in Hollywood, please let them know that it is an available property! (They can contact my agent, Robert Gottlieb of Trident Media Group in New York.) The Foreword to the book Armageddon Medicine by Dr. Cynthia Koelker. The Foreword to the recent book When Disaster Strikes: A Comprehensive Guide for Emergency Planning and Crisis Survival by Matthew Stein. (Released in 2011.) The Foreword to Suburban Survival: Preparing for Socio-Economic Collapse Numerous Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) articles. These are all available for free download. Other Planned Book Releases: Piece of Resistance (Volume 2 of the Counter-Caliphate…




Remain Anonymous Online and Protect Information- Part 1, by Contributor

…you so far. If you go looking for trouble (malware, backdoors, et cetera), they may or may not protect you. Virtual Machines For Internet Activity All of this was to setup your computer; however we’re not going to use this computer for our Internet activity. We’re going to setup virtual machines for Internet activity. A virtual machine is a software computer that runs on a host, like your computer we just setup. With a virtual machine we can reasonably ensure that it is clean after every use. And, if we need, we can download or setup a new one just to be sure. Downloads Necessary to Create Our Virtual Machines Some downloads are necessary to create our virtual machines. You will need to download Virtual Box, a Windows virtual machine, and Tails, which is a Linux virtual machine. There are other options to Virtual Box; however, it is free and…




Remain Anonymous Online and Protect Information- Part 2, by Contributor

…will be saved. However, this comes at a cost. TOR is pretty slow, since your traffic is being routed all over the globe. This is also how you access the “dark web”, but that is another post for another article. Latest ISO To stay protected while using Tails, you need to ensure you have the latest ISO. I would check once a month, as a balance between security and the time it takes to download a new ISO. Create New Email Using ProtonMail With these two options, you probably need to do some online correspondence. However, if you use any of your existing accounts, they could associate you with your new setup. So I would recommend you create a new email using ProtonMail. Their servers are in Switzerland, which gives them some pretty good privacy protections. Additionally, the service was created with privacy in mind. Creating New Accounts When creating…




A Digital Library in a Grid-Down World, by J.G.

…200 watt inverter to run my CPAP on camping trips. The advantage of using the external battery/inverter is your device’s built-in charge controller may not be capable of handling a powerful solar panel directly. EMP Protection There are so many methods proposed to defend against EMP, and no one is certain which will be safest. My method is to use Blackout Faraday Shields. Some say their gun cabinet or an old microwave will suffice. I say do your own research and take your own chances. A combination of methods makes sense to me. Software The following steps do not require great computer expertise, and there are probably other solutions. I use the Windows 7 PC operating system on my home computer. I have made folders on the desktop for things of interest to me. These folders are named Guns, Communications, Power Generation, and Survival. Then, do a google search for




Securing Your Data and Online Communications, by A.F.S.

…your messages aren’t really secure. However, some security is better than no security so here are some of the free secure email services you might want to check out: Hushmail.com S-mail.com PrivacyHarbor.com BurnNote.com For much better security, your best bet is to encrypt messages before you send them. This can easily be done using MEO Encryption (mentioned previously for encrypting files) which can be used with your existing e-mail server. To quickly encrypt a simple text file to send, LockNote is a good way to go. For those worried that by simply sending encrypted files or messages will draw unwanted attention, how about encoding short messages into a standard image file? This can be done with 4t HIT Mail Privacy Lite Secure Instant Messaging and Chats While both Yahoo and Google offer an off-the-record or encryption option in their IM clients, I must again remind you that such service providers…




Bitcoins: A Practical Primer, by Yishai

new user accounts for your kids (and spouse?) to compartmentalize any potential damage they may cause while playing around on the computer.  Instructions for setting up user accounts are here (win) and here (mac). (Mac Tip: Encrypt your entire hard drive using the included program FileVault per the instructions here.  It’s an additional security step for when you are logged out, or if your computer physically falls into the wrong hands.  I don’t recommend doing the same thing with a Windows machine due to reliability concerns.) 3) Install Anti-Virus (Windows only).  This shouldn’t be news to you, but if virus scanners are, download Avast (free) here, and install and update it.  Avast has been the best choice in my experience.  The default settings for Avast should be sufficient.  Make sure to stay with the free options during download and install, as they also sell a “pro” version (not necessary).  No…




Two Letters Re: Semi-Anonymous Internet Access

…it, if only to save on the battery drain, and remember to do it at both ends of the link. This is equally true for PC’s, Mobile phones, PDA’s, and if you have a much newer car – its integrated Bluetooth/hands free capabilities too ! On a more general level, there are many PC related problems with achieving anonymity on the Internet, with processor IDs (turn this off in the BIOS), TPMs (Trusted Platform Modules – an embedded secure crypto-processor on the latest models – turn it off), License ID’s – Operating systems, including automatic software updates etc, and a whole host of other “meta data” that gets sent with all of our network traffic. Ask what is your online media player or virus guard/firewall downloading for you in the background whilst you thought you were being anonymous? For the more technically minded and PC savvy, downloading a copy of…




Guest Article: Federal Reserve’s “Net Worth” Collapses 33% in Two Weeks, by Simon Black (Sovereignman)

…can and do go bankrupt. It happened most notably in Iceland back in 2008, causing an epic currency crisis in that country. So running the Fed’s balance sheet down to the nub like this is not exactly a consequence-free course of action. But what’s really astonishing about all of this is how quickly the Fed’s balance sheet deteriorated. And why. Just two weeks ago, the Fed’s total capital was nearly $59 billion. And even that wasn’t very much given the size of its balance sheet. Today it’s $39.5. This is an incredible 33% drop in just two weeks! Imagine your net worth collapsing by 33% in two weeks; it would probably be a huge personal crisis. Yet the Fed seems completely cool about it. I did some digging and found out why this happened. It turns out that Congress and the President passed a law last month called the Fixing…




From Piglets to Bacon- Part 5, by Animal House

…log set. I set the log on top of the second rack, which comes with the pressure canner, to hold the quart jars down.) Instructions Tear two sheets of parchment paper long enough for your thick bacon slices, allowing a couple of inches extra on one side. Place the bacon strips side by side but not over lapping on one of the parchment sheets. Place a second sheet on top of the bacon; press and slowly rub with your hand to remove air bubbles and to ensure the parchment paper is snug against the bacon. Fold the parchment paper in half. (The fold should be sized to fit the sheet inside the quart jar.) Begin on the one side and carefully roll the parchment paper, making sure the bacon stays in place without wrinkles. Slide the rolled parchment paper with the non-folded side down into the quart jar. Having the…




Recipe of the Week: Mediterranean Chicken & Potatoes

…together potatoes, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl. Transfer to a large baking sheet with a lip. Roast until just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss together the broccoli and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl. Transfer to baking sheet with potatoes and toss to combine. With a fork or tongs, arrange the chicken mixture on a baking sheet in a single layer. (Just discard the marinade.) Season with pepper and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Bake until chicken is cooked through and Broccolini is browned, about 30 minutes. SERVING This recipe serves six adults. Serve with a vegetable side dish. STORAGE Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 36 hours. — Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes…




Prepper Primer for Your Non-prepper Loved Ones, by T.S. – Part 2

…so the water does not freeze. For summer: To stay cool tie wet cloth around your head and neck. When walking through thick foliage: some plants are toxic to humans and open cuts can also become infected. These problems can be avoided if you are protected with long pants and sleeves. So it is kind of a catch 22 when it comes to staying off the beaten path, staying cool, and staying free of cuts and scrapes. Use your best judgment when it comes to shelter; be proud of yourself if you can find a nice dry place to lay low and rest! Socks and Shoes Socks are probably the most important piece of clothing to keep dry; underwear is second. It is important to keep socks dry because they are at the interface of a lot of pressure between your feet and your boots. Their job is to cushion…




Medical Emergency Sheets – Part 4, by K.B., M.D.

…MOVE TOES, ANKLES, AND PERFORM UPWARD CONTRACTION OF MUSCLES. TAKE SLOW DEEP BREATHS HOURLY. WALK EVERY TWO HOURS OR MOVE TO SIT IN A CHAIR IF PERMITTED. ASK YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU SHOULD USE COMPRESSION STOCKINGS OR ASPIRIN.   SYMPTOMS OF DVT- EXAMINE TWICE DAILY FOR CALF REDNESS, SWELLING, CRAMPS, SORENESS. GET MEDICAL HELP ASAP UPON SEEING THE ABOVE. DO NOT MASSAGE CALVES   SYMPTOMS OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM (LUNG CLOT)- CALL 911 FOR SHORTNESS OF BREATH, SUDDEN DIZZINESS, CHEST PAIN, OR COUGHING UP BLOOD Choking Choking is the fourth most common cause of accidental death, especially in the over 65 age group. Just a few months ago, when I was recovering from eye surgery, I aspirated food at lunch and suddenly could not breath. My airway was *completely* occluded and it was a very scary next few minutes until the stubborn obstruction was expelled. I knew that an ambulance could…