Providing Pictorial Gear Manuals for Your Group, by R.H.

Introduction

The generator sputtered one more time, the noise only slightly louder than the un-Christian commentary coming from my mouth. The quarterly test-run for my generator checkout was not going well.

I have a Robin 11 HP generator that provides electrical backup for critical circuits in my house through a transfer switch and separate Circuit Breaker box. I can place the generator outside my garage, connect the cable from the generator to the junction box in the garage, start the generator, change the source isolation transfer switch in the basement circuit breaker box and start turning on the breakers to the circuits I need to power, such as the freezer, well, refrigerator, etc.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When installing a similar system, you must include a transfer switch. If you hook your generator into your house system without cutting the home wiring off of the power service, then with a back-feed, YOU CAN KILL SOMEONE WHO IS WORKING ON FIXING THE LOCAL POWER GRID. I used the services of a licensed electrical contractor for that part of the project. You should, as well.

I had put the system together after a long string of frequent blackouts in my neighborhood culminated in a 4-day shutdown. It was a great success! The local electrical company soon after fixed the overhead lines and local transformer yard. We have had two blackouts in the 15 years since. (I make sure to remind my neighbors that they owe me.) Seriously, it is a great system. It makes getting power where we need it much easier, and much safer.

I usually check it over and run the generator for 15 minutes or so once a quarter to ensure that it is ready for use. My problem during the test run stemmed from the fact that the generator is no longer in its original “stock” configuration. With a variation on “two is one and one is none”, it has been altered with the addition of a bi-fuel system that allows running on gasoline or propane. Propane is my usual fuel. This avoids problems with old gasoline and gives me a dual source of fuel with my gas cooking grill. In addition, propane fuel may be easier to buy in a grid-down situation where the gasoline stations don’t have power.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of more steps required to start with propane than with gasoline. I had forgotten one crucial one since my last test, and it resulted in a sore arm from pulling the starter rope and the blue language. After walking away and thinking for a while, it came to me, that I had not purged the system. Five seconds of pushing a non-obvious button, one pull of the starter rope, and the trusty generator roared into life and the quarterly test and check was on its way to successful completion.Continue reading“Providing Pictorial Gear Manuals for Your Group, by R.H.”

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, we focus on some more grizzly bear problems. (See the Idaho and Montana sections.)

Idaho

44-year-old man drowns in Elmore County after trying to save dog.

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Bear breaks into car near Schweitzer Mountain.

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Grizzly bear attacks a pig north of Sandpoint.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“No Christian can avoid theology. Every Christian has a theology. The issue, then, is not, do we want to have a theology? That’s a given. The real issue is, do we have a sound theology? Do we embrace true or false doctrine? – R.C. Sproul

Preparedness Notes for Monday — July 11, 2022

July 11th is the birthday of John Quincy Adams. He was born in 1767 and died in 1848. Not to be confused with his father – John Adams – the younger Adams also served as a diplomat, congressman, and as president.

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A new property listing at SurvivalRealty in Athol, Idaho: Homestead in North Idaho.

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Today we present a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

SIG M17 9mm Pistol, by Pat Cascio

Several years back, I reviewed several of the SIG-Sauer P320 handguns, and loved them all. To be sure, SIG -Sauer produces some of the finest handguns around. My one and only complaint is the price of magazines – seems to me that at times, SIG might be in the business of selling magazines as their main product, instead of firearms – they are expensive!

Today we’re looking at the official full-size handgun of the US military forces. It is designated the M17. That replaced the Beretta M9, in service. SIG also produces the more compact M18. However, today we’re looking at a M17 produced for the civilian market, by SIG USA. It differs in a few ways from the still-produced civilian SIG P320. One of the main differences between the M17 and earlier P320 is the ambidextrous manual thumb safety. This was a requirement for the final product when military testing was conducted. At first glance, the thumb safety looks a little difficult to apply, but that is not the case.

The M17 is a full-size duty 9mm Parabellum (Luger) handgun, with a 4.5-inch barrel. This M17 came into my hands in a gun trade. Although it is used, the gun’s finish is 99.5% as-new. It came with two 21-round magazines – it should have also included one 17-round magazine, but such is life. The front sight is a night sight, and on mine, there is no rear sight – instead it has a Trijicon red dot sight on it. I will, at some point, get a rear sight for this pistol – they are only $68.99.

The slide is stainless steel, however it is PVD-coated. PVD is a finish similar to Cerakote. It has a “Coyote” brown desert tannish look. This is tough stuff – it helps protect the gun from the elements. The barrel is coated black. This is a striker-fired pistol, and it has a really sweet trigger pull. The trigger pull is very short, as is the reset.

The slide stop/release is also ambidextrous – nice touch. There is a Picatinny rail on the dust cover for attaching lights and/or lasers, and it is a three-position rail. Needless to say, the 21-round magazines extend beyond the bottom of the grip itself.Continue reading“SIG M17 9mm Pistol, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Berries Du Jour Cobbler

The following Berries Du Jour Cobbler recipe is from reader D.R.. This recipe can be made with any sort of berries that are seasonally available — alone, or in combination:

Ingredients
  • 6 to 8 cups of berries (fresh, frozen, or rehydrated.)
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 Cup plus 4 tablespoons of sugar, divided
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose baking flour
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 Tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into slices
  • 3/4 Cup of heavy whipping cream
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
  2. Combine your choice of berries and lemon juice in a medium bowl.  Set this mixture aside.
  3. Mix the cornstarch with 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl.
  4. Pour the cornstarch mixture over the berry mixture.
  5. Stir the combined mixture gently until the ingredients are blended.
  6. Pour berry mixture into a 9 x 9-inch (2-quart) Pyrex glass or metal baking pan.
  7. Set this aside.
  8. Pour flour into a large mixing bowl.
  9. Add 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside the rest.
  10. Add baking powder.
  11. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a pair of table knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  12. Stir in the cream to make a soft dough. Do not over-mix it.
  13. Drop spoonfuls of dough over the berry mixture.
  14. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over the top of the dough.
  15. Bake at 350 F for about 50 minutes or until the top is well browned and juices are bubbly.
SERVING

Serve warm, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

STORAGE

Cobbler stores well in your refrigerator overnight, but leftovers are unlikely!

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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 Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at regulation, and its costs.

Precious Metals:

Zimbabwe to sell gold coins amid inflation.

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Saudi Arabia Considers Joining ‘BRICS’ Coalition as They Mull Return to Gold Standard.

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Gold is ‘undeservedly’ cheap relative to equities as inflation sticks around – Felder Report.

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U.S. Mint gold bullion sales drop 76% in June year-over-year; silver bullion demand down 69%.

Economy & Finance:

Yield Curve Inverts: Bonds Flash Recession Warning.

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At Mises Wire: Rising Interest Rates May Blow Up the Federal Budget.

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Ray Dalio’s shrewd $10bn bet on the collapse of European stocks.

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This Could Be A Grinding, Multi-Year Bear Market Like Japan: Mark Spiegel.

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Greyerz: More Inflation & QE To Be Launched By Bankrupt West.

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At Zero Hedge: 2s5s Inverts For First Time Since COVID Lockdowns As Fed-Rate-Trajectory Tumbles.
Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — July 10, 2022

July 10th is the birthday of British novelist John Wyndham. (His full name was John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, but Harris shortened that to just John Wyndham for his pen name.) He was born in 1903 and died March 11, 1969. Harris was a good friend of fellow novelist Samuel Youd (1922-2012), who wrote under several pen names, including John Christopher. Both men were famous for writing what are often called “cozy catastrophies”. Several of Wyndham’s novels and short stories have been adapted to film, with varying degrees of success. One of the best of these was a parallel universe story titled Random Quest. As a movie, it was titled Quest For Love.

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Today, I’m posting a brief essay that I wrote about the manipulated silver market.

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We are still seeking entries for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends on July 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.

The Bidenized Silver Market

In this brief essay, I will outline what has happened to the U.S, silver market, since the Bidenistas came to power:

A Wacky World, a Wacky Ratio

President Joe Biden and his co-conspirators in the U.S. Treasury and in the Federal Reserve banking cartel have embarked on a path of destruction for the U.S. Dollar. By extending artificially-low interest rates, they have propped up equities markets. But currency inflation is now on the march. The markets and general economy have entered a twilight zone of gross monetary and market manipulation and speculative excess. These excesses have also extended into the commodities and precious metals markets.

Over the past 18 months, the manipulation by silver short sellers on the Comex has reached absurd proportions. They’ve pushed the forward contracts on silver down to below $19.45 per Troy ounce. Naturally, the spot prices for precious metals usually mirror the forward-selling prices. As of June 28th, 2022, the commercial traders held 52,288 short contracts for a whopping 261 million Troy ounces. Do the math on the total dollar value of those contracts! The short sellers have contracted commitments to provide many, many tons of silver, at an artificially low price. They are in effect placing a huge bet on further silver price declines. Logic tells me that they are wrong. But we must understand the way that markets move: Based on sentiment and trends rather than facts and logic. Whether they are bulls or bears, history has shown that speculators follow trends long after they really should. Today’s crazy-low futures trading has pushed the spot market silver-to-gold price ratio to more than 90-to-1.Continue reading“The Bidenized Silver Market”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

For the body is not one member, but many.

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

And if they were all one member, where were the body?

But now are they many members, yet but one body.

And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” – 1 Corinthians 12 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — July 9, 2022

On July 9th, 1755: Battle of the Wilderness (also known as the Battle of The Monongahela).

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We are in great need of entries for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends on July 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.

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Here is a link to one of my most recent podcast interviews, on Radio Contra — the podcast arm of American Partisan: James Wesley Rawles on Davos, BRICS, and Guerrilla Lessons from Ukraine.

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Today we present a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

Springfield Armory Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

Like most folks who are really into firearms, I always want the best for the least amount of money. Needless to say, that rarely works out, and I have to settle for less – it is frustrating, as most “gunnies” will certainly agree with me. We aren’t rich, and we live paycheck-to-paycheck most months. And it is only through frugal living and planning, we can get the things we want. At times, when I do settle for less than I want, I end up selling or trading the gun that I didn’t really want in the first place. This is frustrating!

I’ve been a 1911 fan ever since I was a teenager, and still believe that it might well be the finest handgun ever designed – they are that good! For a lot of years, I settled for a lesser 1911, and using my armorer and gunsmithing skills, I had fairly good success at customizing many 1911s. I’m still not 100% satisfied with my end results. However, I did customize quite a few plain-Jane 1911s. Unfortunately, I don’t own any of them any longer. I wish that I had held back one or two.

Over the years, I’ve owned almost every 1911 variant that Springfield Armory has manufactured. Short of a few very expensive models, most of the others found their way into my hands, and they’ve all been outstanding shooters. With the exception of an early mil-spec model, that wouldn’t even feed hardball ammo, I’ve never had any real problems. And, that one gun, only needed a little tweaking to get it running perfectly.Continue reading“Springfield Armory Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio”

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:

Our dog got skunked again. She is now nearly a year old, so she should have known better. We had to immediately give her the Dog Bath of Shame.  For the first scrub, we used three one-quart mason jars of Lily’s home-canned tomato sauce. Thankfully, it was a warm day, for her bath. As I’m writing this, five days later, she still smells just a little bit skunky, up close.

For Independence Day, we drove down to Hope, Idaho, to see the fireworks display. That was the first time that we’d ever seen the one down there, and it was quite a good show, lasting for at least 15 minutes. The fireworks didn’t upset our pup at all, which surprised me.

I did some more wood splitting and stacking this week. I also helped Lily haul compost to the new wood shed garden plot. Good exercise!

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Dear Readers,
This week Jim helped me finish laying down composted manure in the woodshed garden and I then planted the Leek seedlings and celery seedlings that had been growing in the greenhouse.  Now that garden is fully planted.

I rototilled in between the rows in the Extension garden to control the weeds.

I am working on the Perennial garden.

I weed-whacked more of our meadow.

I am studying my large collection of edible wild plant books to understand wild plants as foods, and their medicinal and other uses.

Miss Violet and I have been riding our bikes and swimming in our local swimming hole several times this week.

Recently, I’ve been spending hours in deep prayer/intercession for one of our adult children. I’ve been reading Stormie OMartian’s book,  “The Power of Praying For Your Adult Children”.  It is an amazing book that has confirmed many of the prayers that God has already placed on my heart to pray.

Please pray for Miss Eloise.  She is in deep need of miracles and restoration.

Sons of Liberty presents a very important interview with Dr. Lee Merritt.

May you all have a very blessed and safe week.

– Avalanche Lily, Rawles

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As always,  please share and send e-mails of your own successes and hard-earned wisdom and we will post them in the “Snippets” column this coming week.  We want to hear from you.