Jackery Explorer 1500 and Solar Panels, by Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker

This is a review of a battery/inverter/solar panel combination. The Jackery “solar generator” (portable battery pack with charge controller and inverter) and the solar panels were well-packaged. They arrived just after Christmas, so temperature concerns (here in Indiana) have made testing it tricky. The battery pack arrived partially charged, and per instructions, it was plugged in to charge from a 120-volt AC wall jack.

The input options are DC from the solar cells, DC from a car (12 or 24V), or 110/120V AC household current.

Outputs are three 110V outlets (with pure sine wave power, rated for a 1,800-watt load), a 12V automotive socket, two USB A (2.4-Amp and 3-Amp) sockets, and a USB C socket.

The solar generator, a Jackery Explorer 1500, and the accompanying panels are definitely geared toward mobile needs, such as camping. The folding panels are held closed by magnets, and are easily opened. They are rated “IP55” — thus, they can take a splash, but shouldn’t be left in the rain. The “kick-stands” are held flat to the back of each side of the panel by hook-and-loop strips, and assist in orienting them. The panel units fold flat for easy transport, but should not be bent, nor have weight placed on them. Each panel has a 3-port USB direct-charge option, which also connects the cable for connecting to the solar generator.Continue reading“Jackery Explorer 1500 and Solar Panels, by Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at a 2022 resurgence in the preparedness movement.

More Americans Prep for Doomsday

Across the Divide: More Americans prep for Doomsday—while rural residents live it.

Prepping is Not Just for Pandemics

Over at Granite Grok: Preppers – It Isn’t Just For Pandemics Anymore.

Harvest Guard Has Lids Back in Stock!

After a difficult 2021, and nearly a full year of working through a list of backorders lasting many months, Harvest Guard Reusable Canning Lids reports that they have filled all open orders and are returning to 1-3 day shipping status, as of next week. They tell us that they have significant inventory on hand to fulfill all new orders. SurvivalBlog readers, as the first to receive this news, will receive a 15% discount on all orders using the code “survivalblog” at checkout. If you’re considering reusable canning lids, then now is a good time to order!

What You Need to Know About Revolutions

Historian Stephen Mansfield is interviewed by John Lovell of Warrior Poet Society: What you need to Know about Revolutions.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Sometimes God must separate us from the norm or the comfortable or the easy so He can prepare us to serve Him.” – Amir Tsarfati, The Day Approaching: An Israeli’s Message of Warning and Hope for the Last Days

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 9, 2022

February 9th is the birthday of Major George Charles Nonte Jr. (Born 1926, died June 30, 1978.)  After his retirement in 1964, as an Ordnance Corps Major, he became a well-known firearms writer. He also served as an expert witness on firearms for criminal trials.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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. 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. 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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 99 ends on March 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.February 9th is the birthday of Major George Charles Nonte Jr. (Born 1926, died June 30, 1978.)

The Dragon’s Breath: DIY Nonlethal Home Defense, by A.S.

People in their own homes may encounter an intruder who intends to take what they have and do them harm. They might run away if they could. But what if there is no way out? They may have no choice but to stand their ground.

Unfortunately, many people in a situation like this are reluctant to use deadly force even if they stand to lose their possessions and possibly sustain personal bodily harm even death. So what can they do if they have been forced into a confrontation when the time for talking is over? You are in your own home and you must survive the next two minutes and protect family members.

I suggest a home defense shotgun load configuration which may deter intruders, even very nasty ones and even if there are several. Yet it could save you from having to use deadly force — at least at first.

You might consider using the “dragon’s breath” device which you can make yourself as it is not available in stores. I happened upon it while experimenting with shotgun reloads at my local range. As I am old and feeble now I find the noise of a large report and the kick of a full 12 gauge recoil to be increasingly annoying. So, I have been experimenting by reloading full buckshot with lighter loads. I would use the same primer and powder measure but use less mass for the business end. It is interesting but even removing just one of the nine 00-size buckshot .32 caliber pellets actually makes a noticeable difference in recoil. One of the commercial manufacturers sells lighter loads with just that change but you pay more for them because of the extra effort of taking one pellet out I suppose. I have tried those and I think my way is better as I take out one, two, or maybe all of the pellets. I have a choice.

During my experiments, I got all the way down to just three of the nine pellets in the shell casing and still had good pattern results at 25 yards. It should be noted that most deer that are shot with shotguns are at about that distance and three pellets in the chest cavity will do the job. So, it is even a good deer hunting load for flatlanders on small farms.Continue reading“The Dragon’s Breath: DIY Nonlethal Home Defense, by A.S.”

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. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

—

By way of American Partisan, there is this useful video: How To Unlock A New Baofeng UV-5R – Easy Unlock Hack To Transmit On GMRS & Other Frequencies. Note that this hack is not necessary for the older-vintage UV-5Rs that I recommended stockpiling, a couple of years ago. Those are the “open” or “unlocked” type.)

o  o  o

At The New York Post, confirmation of what many of us had assumed: COVID lockdowns had ‘little to no effect’ on mortality rate, study says.

o  o  o

Reader C.B. found this piece in The Wall Street Journal of interest: Two Years Into Pandemic, Shoppers Are Still Hoarding.

o  o  o

SaraSue offered this update:

“Another week of below-freezing temps in Tennessee.  I remembered something I used to have to do in another state where below-freezing temps were not planned for in the home building process.  This might be helpful to people.  Simply run one or two faucets in the house on a very slow stream or dribble on Hot.  The hot water will keep water moving in the pipes.  I read that someone’s septic tank line actually froze.  

In other news, months ago I made it a goal to have basic food supplies stocked up for a 7 year period.  I have enough wheat berries, baking supplies, beans, lentils, rice, peas, etc. now to have met that goal (for 1 person).  Beans are an excellent meat replacement in regards to protein and fiber.  In other food areas, I have a year’s worth.  This has not taken up as much space or cost as much as I thought it would because I bought in bulk, mostly through AzureStandard.  I’ve used food-grade buckets and stacked them, filled an upright freezer with local meat, and used the available pantry for canned goods.  With the chickens, turkeys, goats, rabbits, and hopefully a mini Jersey cow soon + a planned quarter-acre garden, I’m very close to a self-sufficient model.  It feels a bit crazy that this has been accomplished in 6 months, but it has been a priority.  Not bragging, just grateful. Very grateful.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 8, 2022

February 8th, 1828 was the birthday of Jules Verne, the French writer who wrote From the Earth to the Moon. He is considered the father of science fiction.

On February 8th, 1963 the Kennedy administration issued an order prohibiting travel to Cuba and banned financial transactions and commerce with Cuba, by U.S. citizens.

—

I just noticed that we are now down to less than 100 of the second batch of SurvivalBlog 2005-2021 Archive USB sticks.  There were 600 in that batch. There probably won’t be another  batch, this year. Going, going…

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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. 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. 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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 99 ends on March 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.

Raising Chickens From Scratch, by ZChick Lover

To the point: I have accidently discovered a simple action that is of great assistance in raising little chicks – moisten the chick food sometimes. Although I did this in an attempt to save some little distressed chicks who were not eating, this probably is simply called “mash”. Mash is mentioned in this older pamphlet, downloadable free as a pdf from google books. There is a wealth of other information found here in this 1917 book.

Another successful action: have a “hospital” area always ready in the kitchen. And finally, I’d like to relay a story of how simply warming an apparently dead chick can bring him back to life.
Chickens are my favorite meat animal. They go to bed on their own, they stay around their home, they will feed themselves and they are more than willing to provide mowing and pest elimination services free of charge without even being asked. To top it off, they are lovely and make great pets.

There is the drawback that they have less than consistent toilet habits. This can be considered free delivery of fertilizer with free bonus spreading. Most of the other drawbacks can be dealt with by proper husbandry and proper location for raising them. Although a rural area tends to be the best location for chickens, I have heard of perfectly satisfactory apartment hens as pets and egg suppliers.

I have been raising chickens for over 30 years but only recently advanced to incubators and broody hens. Getting chickens to produce more chickens on their own and getting them to consistently feed themselves is quite a task. Trial and error have resulted in some success in things like moving a broody hen, getting a broody back on the nest, adding eggs to a broody, incorporating different age chickens into the general flock and predator prevention.

Getting the chickens to feed themselves requires getting their feed to grow and growing it. They love being on pasture and will gladly consume an entire garden; potatoes, radishes and onions included. Balancing what is grown and how much with how many chickens is a chore in progress.

For many years I worked with New Hampshire chickens. The roosters can be sweet, the hens are good layers. Both are excellent for meat with good meat-to-feed ratio. Over the last couple years, I have moved on to raising various breeds and running some of their eggs through the incubators. The breeds are all cold-hardy and survive well in the Pacific Northwest. Some of the breeds are: Lavender Orpington, Easter Eggers, Australorp, Wyandotte, Welsummer, Barnevelder, Marens, Legbar, Russians and Silkies along with some more well-known breeds like Plymouth Rocks.Continue reading“Raising Chickens From Scratch, by ZChick Lover”

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 the ongoing Coutts – Milk River border crossing anti-vax mandate protest. (See the Montana section.)

Idaho

Ada County deputies rescue woman from icy pond.

o  o  o

Idaho National Guard activated again for COVID repsonse.

o  o  o

Police release name of man shot and killed in officer-involved shooting.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 7, 2022

On this day in 1775 in London, Benjamin Franklin published “An Imaginary Speech” in defense of American courage. The speech was intended to counter an unnamed officer’s comments to Parliament that the British need not fear the colonial rebels, because “Americans are unequal to the People of this Country [Britain] in Devotion to Women, and in courage and worse than all, they are religious.” Franklin’s response included his usual wit and acuity.

February 7th, 1867, is also the birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder (died February 10, 1957). SurvivalBlog highly recommends the Laura Ingalls Wilder books as well as her biography.

—

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

Springfield Armory XDm Elite 9mm, by Pat Cascio

META: Another new acronym. It drives me crazy with acronyms for so many things. Acronyms help save time when communicating with someone. That is, if they are schooled in the terminology with certain things. The military and police find that important. However, META is a new one to me. It doesn’t refer to the new name for the Facebook company or The Metaverse. Rather, it stands for Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly, and it refers to the trigger on the Springfield Armory XDm Elite 9mm pistol. The acronym from Springfield pretty much explains it all. They claim that this trigger is the best trigger pull on any production polymer handgun. And after all my testing, I’m not about to refute this claim!

I believe that I’ve owned and/or tested just about every polymer-framed handgun that Springfield Armory has produced over the years. And, many readers will likely agree with me, when I talk about the “mushy” feel to the triggers on many polymer-framed handguns. Some polymer-framed handguns have a short and very distinct pull, however, I’ve found that some of those triggers tend to make you “jerk” the gun off target – not a good thing.

I’m not privy to how Springfield Armory pulled this off on the XDm Elite model, but they sure did their homework. Without going into great detail, there is just a little bit of “slack” as you pull the trigger reward to fire the pistol, and then a little bit of resistance is felt as you pull the trigger more to the rear, and then “bang” the gun goes off – all the while your sights are on the target. Sweet! And the trigger reset distance is extremely short.Continue reading“Springfield Armory XDm Elite 9mm, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week:  Winter Trail Mix

The following recipe for a winter trail mix is from reader McKenzie:

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Dried Cranberries or Raisins
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (regular Toll House or white)
  • 1 cup Pistachios, dry roasted (Don’t get salted ones, if on a low-salt diet.)
  • 1 cup (or more) Granola, store-bought or homemade
  • 1-1/2 cups almonds (candied, roasted, or raw — to suit your taste)
  • 2 cups M&Ms (Optional, for you chocaholics)
Directions

Just mix it and bag it.

This is a great high-calorie mix for X-C skiing, or snoeshoeing.  If you find you like this and do a lot of winter sports, then this recipe can be doubled or tripled.

STORAGE

Keep the bags of this mix cool. Refrigerate or freeze them, if not using immediately. If making this for a warmer season, then omit the chocolate chips or it will become a mess.

—

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 the potential impact of a Russia-Ukraine war on precious metals and commodities.

Precious Metals:

How will the U.S. respond if Russia invades Ukraine? Implications for gold, oil, and stocks. JWR’s Comment: Retired USMC Colonel Harold Kempfer has a good grasp of both strategy and tactics. His assessment is correct. But I suspect that Russia has not yet mobilized and forward-deployed a sufficient field artillery and rocket force to support a full-scale invasion. (RAGs and DAGs.) And an early spring thaw could delay their invasion plans until mid-June or even early July.

o  o  o

Despite Being Heavily Out of Favor with Fund Managers, India and China Have Quietly Buying Lots of Gold.

o  o  o

Gold price holds $1,800, but can Fed’s 50-point hike trigger selloff?

Economy & Finance:

Charles Hugh Smith: The Bear Awakens.

o  o  o

At MarketWatch: Ford sales stumble on ‘persistent’ supply problems.

o  o  o

Bidenflation: Factory Orders Plunge Twice as Much as Expected.

o  o  o

The Fed Is About To Drain Trillions In Liquidity: Here’s How It Will Do It.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”