Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 12, 2022

January 12 1879, the British-Zulu War began. British troops, under Lieutenant General Frederic Augustus, invaded Zululand from the southern African Republic of Natal.

On this day in 1737: John Hancock was born. He was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence.

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A USB Stick Update: The first batch of 1,000 waterproof/EMP-resistant 2005–2021 SurvivalBlog Archive USB sticks sold out in just four days! We are now taking backorders on a second batch of 500 sticks. Deliveries of the first batch will begin in mid-February. Deliveries of the second batch will begin on or around March 1st.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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 Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. 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,
  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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 ends on January 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.

Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.)

There are clear advantages with the addition of electronics, and a battery-based pump system.  However reliable they may, or may not be, both of these options can fail at a future date.  As it is, if there are not the microchips to produce it today, so I would not expect it to be available during or after TEOTWAWKI. If we know how to work around a complex device normally used to run solar pumps, then we can also avoid the expense of either the pump controller or perhaps even a PV system altogether. Simplicity is better than complexity in any plan.
Three PV Power Supply Methods for Long Term Off-Grid Irrigation
Before jumping into the power supply options, the mechanical and electrical requirements and design limits of the Dankoff slow pump should be understood.  Thereby we can better appreciate the Pros and Cons of each option, and make more wise decisions as to how the pump should be deployed, and powered in various situations.  With such examination, we will also come to appreciate the risks, and take measures to avoid damaging a critical asset.
Pump Head, Mechanical Limitations
If the Dankoff slow pump is driven faster than 1,725 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM), the pump head can be damaged. Above 1,725 RPM, the pump does not produce significantly more water, as would normally be correlated with voltage, current, and head. At that RPM, we are at the point of diminishing mechanical return, and increased wear of tight tolerance parts occurs. The pump head is the heart of the system and is vulnerable, so it is a wise investment of time to understand it, and to have a spare pump head or two, especially if one wishes to operate the system for period of 15 to 20 years.

Continue reading“Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit”

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.

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I read a piece that mentioned the 1973 movie Soylent Green was set in the year 2022. So, perhaps it is time to re-watch that film. I remember that seeing the bicycle-powered generator for the apartment occupied by Detective Frank Thorn (played by Charlton Heston) and that impressed me, as a budding survivalist. It makes me feel really old to realize that this movie — which was released when I was 13 years old — envisioned the world five decades in the future. And here we are, in 2022. So… what will America be like in another five decades?

o  o  o

A recent video essay from Matt Christiansen: ‘Shock Poll’: A Third of Americans Say Violence Against Gov Can Be Justified | Declaration Revisited.

o  o  o

Peter wrote us this bit of wisdom on the current supply chain issues:

“I was speaking with my daughter yesterday. She is younger, wanted management experience, and so is running all aspects of an auto-glass business.

She commented she would no longer consider a new vehicle unless it was a ‘common’ model (ie., manufactured in volume). She is seeing situations where customers are coming in with even say a 2014 vehicle and there is no replacement glass. This was for a GM vehicle. The manufacturers simply don’t care. The vehicles aren’t common such that there isn’t much (or any) of aftermarket parts either.
 
This is only for the glass, never mind other parts. I experienced this in 2020 with a 2007 Honda. The Gauge Control Unit was failing, they put in a new one, the new one was better but failing on the gas-tank sensor, and no others available from Honda. I declined trying to find one at an auto wrecker and now monitor approximate fuel by the trip odometer (e.g. assume 1/2 tank at 180 miles, fill up).
 
So, this is a FYI if you are vehicle shopping…“

o  o  o

I found this linked at the conservative Whatfinger news aggregation site: Why Gun Sales Boomed in 2021 (And Will Keep Booming)

o  o  o

Also by way of Whatfinger was this troubling news: Biden’s Infrastructure Bill Includes Mandatory Kill Switch For All Vehicles. My friend Commander Zero had some commentary on this news.

o  o  o

Bob recommended this powerful presentation: Alex Newman: Get Your Kids Out of Government Schools.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 11, 2022

Today is the birthday of big-game hunter and writer Peter Hathaway Capstick.

January 11th is also the birthday of Alexander Hamilton. (Pictured.)

And today is the natal day of the late Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby, who was born in 1918. He was the most decorated hero of the Norwegian resistance under the German occupation. He died May 10, 2012.

—

A USB Stick Update: The waterproof/EMP-resistant 2005–2021 SurvivalBlog Archive USB sticks are now orderable. Deliveries will begin in mid-February, 2022. Take note that only 1,000 sticks will be made for this batch. As of Noon, Pacific Time on Tuesday, 980 of those have already pre-sold.  So this batch will probably sell out before noon.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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 Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. 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,
  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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. 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 98 ends on January 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.

Using a Dankoff Solar Powered Water Pump – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

The Mission: To “Survive and Thrive”
In my opinion, the ability to irrigate crops is not covered adequately.  Few have a plan, or the ability pump water for decades without electricity from the grid.  And fewer still have a contingency plan that includes relocating with this critical ability. Not only is our currency at risk, at the same time, so is our food supply and the ability to grow it.  Famine could soon be in the land.
What is occurring in the world today has no equal in modern history books, but has been foretold in the Book of Revelation. Fleeing to the wilderness is Biblical. Regardless of faith, a contingency plan to do so, would be wise, in general. Those who would choose freedom over compliance will face persecution, and might be forced to move. Fleeing to parts unknown, or into the wilderness, might be our only option. This has been my contingency plan since 2008, when I purchased a Dankoff pump.
If possible, we should have several optional destinations in our planning to avoid being thrust into the wilderness, yet wherever we might land, we’ll need the ability to grow food, and lots of it.  Gardens will need to be irrigated. Even those with hundreds of acres of fertile farmland might not be able to irrigate it. And those who do have deep wells powered by PV panels, their ability to move to an unknown location and continue irrigate with PV power is unlikely, due to the limitations of their pumps. And even if we have a solar-powered deep well pump, or a hand pump, we might need a secondary pump to deliver it to the field. It is a pump we could take with us if forced to move to our alternate location, or a contingency location. The Dankoff pumps discussed here fit into this niche better than any other pump for a variety of reasons.
Why Choose the Dankoff Slow Pump?

I should mention that what can be accomplished by this pump, can also be done in part by a deep well, or an all-metal constructed ram pump.  However, I should equip the reader with what I believe is the best choice.  It is a pump designed for the stated mission, one that is better suited than any other pump for this situation.  As there are pros and cons with anything. If one has a well with a static level that is less than 250 feet, then a Sureflow 9300 (or its replacement equivalent), would be a better choice for the least amount of money. I would have two spare ShureFlow 9300 pumps, and if forced to flee, these would go with me. However, these pumps are not as robust, and are only suitable for low lift, and lower volume requirements. A quality-built ram pump from Lehman’s, if one has the correct situation, requires no electricity and can produce as much, or more water, more reliability than any other pump known.  However, a ram pump can only used in certain locations with a head of water available.

Note:  I noticed that Readymade Resources has an outstanding price on the Shurflow 9325 submersible pump. I do not know if these pumps can be run array-direct, but there is a chance that they could be.  It might be possible to do so with a 12vdc panel only as voltages would not exceed the pumps rating.   Regardless, it can be run off a PV system, or via a pump controller.  Perhaps I can one day afford one of these myself should my summertime income permit it.

The choice of the Dankoff Slow Pump has been well thought out over many years. Indeed other pumps have been investigated, and used by this author, and found wanting. Although I am a college drop-out, I use an engineer’s eye, and have considered the various methods to solving a long-term irrigation requirement, as if it were a part of rocketship payload headed for Mars.  I claim to have no qualifications other than messing with this sort of thing starting at age 7.  I am otherwise not qualified to put forth an opinion.  The knowledge and experience acquired over 30 years in the automotive maintenance business, and decades of experience in plumbing and electrical, were easily applied to this project.  Beware of Internet experts, credentialed or not, and salesman.
Fortunately, these pumps have been in the field since 1983, and have a reputation that is second to none.  To see examples in the field, do a web search using the terms ‘Dankoff Slow Pump, Engineer775’.  He has numerous and excellent videos, and praise for this pump. I introduced this pump to him around 2010, and he has successfully installed it at many locations.  I consider him to be an actual ‘expert’ on these and many other pumps when installed in the conventional way.  He is available for consultation.  Thad at humboldsolarwaterpumpl.com sells and operates these pumps at his home.  He is also available for consultation and equally is qualified. Some of the information provided here goes beyond conventional installation advice.

Here is an example of the Dankoff Slow Pump being used as a part of a community garden.

Simplicity, Reliability, and Durability Means Sustainability
As a rule in engineering circles, the fewer components in a system, the simpler it is, the more reliable it will be. Fortunately, there is a safe way to operate these pumps without batteries, and directly off of solar panels (Array Direct) in a way that ensures the full service-life of the pump.  Properly operated, the replaceable pump head can last an estimated 5 years of continuous operation and 10 years of seasonal operation under the prescribed conditions.  Brushes can also last just as long, 5 to 10 years.  The motor is said to has a service life of 15 to 20 years, and indeed there are many reports that support the claim. The pump used in an area where there are shorter growing seasons, the pump can last longer.
Avoid consuming the pump, that is, using it for anything other than irrigating crops, when the rain does not, and it will continue to operate longer. As with any precious and finite resource, it should be managed shrewdly.  This is especially the case if we can only afford to have one. I have built my own second slow pump for only $150, but it is not as capable.  It is only adequate for certain applications. I do have a plan to acquire another motor. The proper type, is however a specialty item that is difficult to locate at a price that I can afford, but only as a used, and a relatively rare item.
The price of these pumps have in recent years shot up to close to $1,000, yet given the alternatives, I believe it is a good value. It was good to have purchased it in 2008 at half the current price. It is far better to be way too early than one second too late. Hopefully, the reader can avoid the many years needed to learn how to operate this pump, especially austere situations, that they might face in the future.  The article could save the reader a costly mistake that could be made with this, or some other pump, where there is not adequate information provided by the manufacturer.  With knowledge, we might avoid a costly mistake, wherein from a catastrophic mistake, we could not recover from, and all is lost. If you choose a different pump, please study it thoroughly, and within the context of long-term austere settings.
The Pump Controller, A Victim of 2022 Shortages
According to the current manufacturer of Dankoff pumps, a pump controller could become available sometime in late 2022. The reason given for the delayed introduction is the ongoing shortage of microchips needed for its manufacture. We should note that microchips are in short supply, and susceptible to EMP. And the cost of a spare pump controller might be prohibitive.  Pump controllers for PV-powered water pumps are an expensive component, that could cost nearly as much as the pump itself. It would actually be better to buy two complete pumps than a spare pump controller, and one pump.

There are many reasons to learn how to operate this pump, and other pumps without electronics.  While very desirable, and in high lift situations, necessary, as it protects the pump head and motor from potential damage, this electronic device could can also fail. And if it does, or if we cannot obtain one, then we could also regulate voltage and current, by using a small PV system. For a long service life, a pump controller is good to have, but a PV system is even better at extending the life of this pump. A pump controller is only a necessity if the pump will be operated without batteries at greater than what is considered to be the low-lift situations as defined in the Dankoff-provided chart.  A pump controller, it if were available, can improve output upwards of 40%, because it can convert voltage into amperage. Yet with a full PV system, we can triple the output of the pump by running it during the night, and better protect the motor by using lower voltages.

(To be continued tomorrow, in Part 2.)

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 Stag Arms, now headquartered in Wyoming. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

This article about Moscow, Idaho originated in the UK Guardian, and was later syndicated: ‘Make it a Christian town’: the ultra-conservative church on the rise in Idaho.

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Here is a new blog site, where they also have plans to also launch a podcast: Idaho Preparedness.

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This Is America’s Fastest Growing State.

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Anyone living in the Boise area interested in a classic Jeep pickup should check out this Craigslist ad: 1969 Kaiser M715 – $40,000. (JWR’s Comment: I can’t vouch for the seller. A reader just sent me the ad link.)

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The young men thought it was too hot to sleep inside their kaia, Bwana,” he replied. “Also,” he said, shuffling the dirt with a big toe, “they were a little bit drunk.” He shrugged with typical African fatalism. Most Africans believe it can never happen to them, something like the attitude of front-line troops.” – Peter Hathaway Capstick, Death in the Long Grass: A Big Game Hunter’s Adventures in the African Bush

Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 10, 2022

On January 10, 1976 the song “Convoy” by C.W. McCall was the #1 song on the U.S. pop charts. This song, in part, led to huge interest in Citizen’s Band (C.B.) radio for the next year, in the United States.

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January 10th, 1776 is the day that North Carolina Governor, Josiah Martin issued a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the “rebels”. This ultimately led to Colonel Donald McLeod leading the men on an assault on the Patriots that ended with fifty of his men dead and 880 captured. The Patriots lost only two of their number.

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

But first, some details on the latest edition of the SurvivalBlog archive stick:

Expanded SurvivalBlog Archive USB Sticks Now Available

An Update: The waterproof/EMP-resistant 2005–2021 SurvivalBlog Archive USB sticks are now orderable. Deliveries will begin in mid-February, 2022. Take note that only 1,000 sticks will be made for this batch, and they are selling rapidly.

Why You Need It: The archive sticks emulate most of the behavior of the online edition. With this stick, you can access everything that was ever posted in SurvivalBlog up to December 31, 2021, almost as if you were online — even if you are in a remote area in a grid-down situation or otherwise don’t have access to the Internet. And you never know when censorious internet providers, governments, or malicious hackers might want to make SurvivalBlog disappear. With this USB stick, you will always have all of this valuable, life-saving information.

If you already own a previous edition of the stick, then we recommend that you use it as a gift for a like-minded friend. Give the gift of knowledge! You can also over-write the contents of any older edition sticks and use them for waterproof storage of copies of your family photos and important documents.

These sticks sell out quickly each year, so be sure to order your sticks soon!

This updated edition of the SurvivalBlog Archive stick has even more bonus content than last year’s. In fact, this stick is so packed that the contents just barely fit on a 16 Gigabyte (GB) stick, with only about 86MB left over. As a comparison: The Kindle edition of the 1,500-page novel War and Peace is 2.092 Megabytes (just 0.002092 of one Gigabyte).

What Is Included

I had a reader ask me for a full list of what is included in the sticks. Here it is:

The entire SurvivalBlog Archives from 2005-2021: By Date, and By Category. (All articles have an icon that you can click for a printable version.) Just as examples, this includes 35,300+ articles and columns, 513 Recipes of the Week, and 5,985 Quotes Of The Day.

All of the SurvivalBlog static pages (See details, below.)

Voluminous Useful Bonus Content

Hundreds of bonus books with tens of thousands of pages, including:

King James Bible
English World Messianic Bible

New BonUs Books for 2021:
  • 10,000 Mispronounced Words
  • Boston Cooking-School Cookbook
  • Famous Paintings of the American Revolution
  • Milk and its Place in Good Cookery
  • Nocturne Militaire
  • The Complete Works of Thomas Dick (A useful formulary)
Other Bonus Books

Epidemics – How to Meet Them
Fairs and Fetes
How to Feed the Dairy Cow
Hoyle’s Games
Sun Tzu on The Art of War
The Book of the Sailboat – How to Rig Sail and Handle Small boats
The New Butterick Cook Book
Uncooked Foods and How to Use Them, by Eugene Christian
Wilderness Survival Guide – Military. Abridged Edition
Preserving Game Meats
Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods and Pickled Vegetables
Food Storage: Use It or Lose It
Canning Principles
Culinary Herbs – Their Cultivation, Harvesting, Curing and Uses
Backyard Composting
Basic Knots
Concrete and Masonry
Carpentry
The Practical Poultry Keeper
Farm Knowledge – Volume 1 (Farm Animals)
Farm Knowledge – Volume 2 (Soils)
Farm Knowledge – Volume 3 (Implements)
Nut Growing, by Robert T Morris
Where There is No Dentist
Wound Closure Manual
Terrain Analysis
Soldier’s Handbook for Individual Operations and Survival in Cold-Weather Areas (1986)
Nuclear War Survival Skills (1987)
The Individual’s Guide for Understanding and Surviving Terrorism
How to Start and Train a Militia Unit
The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1957)
CIA Lock Picking Field Manual
Basement Fallout Shelter
The Nameless Island A Story of Some Modern Robinson Crusoes
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
Western Europe in the Eighth Century and Onward
Pioneering Knots & Lashings
History of the Fall of the Roman Empire Vol 1
History of the Fall of the Roman Empire Vol 2
Forensic Spoorology
Counter Insurgency Lessons
Winter Survival Course Handbook
Civilization During the Middle Ages, by George Burton Adams
Games, Contests, and Relays, by Seward Charle Staley
Seven Thousand Words Often Mispronounced, by William Henry P Phyfe
Sports and Pastimes, Young and Old, by Mrs. Grace Townsend
The Guardians of the Columbia, by John H Williams
The Science of Everyday Life, by Edgar F Van Buskirk
Nine Hundred Successful Recipes, by Lulu Thompson SilvernailContinue reading“Expanded SurvivalBlog Archive USB Sticks Now Available”

G Force P3 Shotgun, by Pat Cascio

In another life, people used to ask my recommendations on survival gear, especially firearms. Of course, there is no one simple answer to these types of questions. The first thing I’d ask folks, is was what kind of a budget they were on. Needless to say, we all have budgets, like it or not. If a person didn’t have a lot of money to spend on a firearm, I’d recommend they go with some kind of 12 Gauge shotgun, and preferably a short-barrel model. This way it could be used for home defense, and short-range hunting purposes. Of course, a lot depended on where a person lived – in a big city, you probably wouldn’t do much hunting when things got really bad. Then I’d tell these folks to stock up on a variety of different types of ammo, with 00 buckshot being at the top of the list.

Over the years, and with much training in military, hunting, and survival topics, I’ve come to a different point of view: If a person can only afford one firearm for survival. Today, I’d recommend a good .22 LR rifle of some sort – and I mean a “good” rifle in this caliber. If a person could afford it, a handgun in .22 LR would be a great choice as well. With a good .22 LR-chambered firearm, you can not only defend yourself, but you could do some hunting as well. Save the nasty e-mails, I’m not saying a .22 LR firearm of any type is the best choice for this purpose. However, you can still find some great .22LR firearms at reasonable prices – even today, with elevated gun and ammo prices.Continue reading“G Force P3 Shotgun, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Layered Taco Dip

The following recipe for Layered Taco Dip variants is from reader S.A.

S.A.’s Introduction:

We know the phrase “Beans, Bandaids, and Bullets.” While I love beans, in fact, almost any bean except for kidney beans, and can eat them everyday, some people can’t or don’t want to.  A nice alternative to a bowl of beans is Layered Taco Dip. This easy recipe has many, many variations, and is well-loved in Texas and perhaps other places, as well. It can be served as an appetizer, main dish (if you include plenty of protein), or a side dish.

I prefer Frito Lay Bean Dip with its flavor. Beans plus shredded cheddar = complete protein. But canned frijoles are much cheaper and really, in a pinch can make an acceptable dip. Just add more salsa and perhaps canned jalapeño slices to ramp up the flavor. Canned frijoles are boring compared to Frito-Lay Bean Dip. You can also mix in a can of yellow corn or tasty little shoepeg corn as a layer for even more protein.

Serve with tortilla corn chips or fried flour tortilla triangles. Enjoy!

BASIC Ingredients
  • Can of Bean Dip
  • 8 oz Guacamole Dip
  • 8 oz Sour Cream
  • 1/2 Jar or more of medium  Salsa — any brand you prefer
  • 8 oz Shredded Cheese
Additional Optional Ingredients

Any of the following may be added, to suit your taste:

  • Can of refried beans or store brand of bean dip in place of Frito-Lay Bean Dip
  • 16oz sour cream with a packet of taco mix stirred in
  • Ground beef cooked with a taco mix packet
  • Sliced avocado
  • Lime juice (squeezed over guacamole)
  • Storebought or homemade guacamole
  • Jalapeño slices from a jar
  • Diced yellow onions
  • Fresh cilantro, as a topping
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Chopped green onions
  • Chopped chives
  • Sliced black olives
  • Shredded lettuce
Optional Ingredients FROM YOUR GARDEN
  • Lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Yellow or White Onions
  • Corn
  • Green onions
Optional Ingredients From Your DEEP PANTRY
  • Stored, dried pinto beans in Mylar bags
  • Dried reconstituted sour cream
  • Dehydrated ground beef rocks
  • Dehydrated or freeze-dried vegetables
Directions

My basic recipe calls for a large, shallow, pretty dish with sides. Spread and layer the ingredients starting first with bean dip, finishing by topping with shredded cheese, then everything else in between.

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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 strong U.S. Mint gold sales. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

U.S. Mint sees strongest gold coin sales in 12 years, sells 1.25 million ounces in 2021.

o  o o

What To Expect In 2022 From The Precious Metals Sector.

Economy & Finance:

Ford Posts 7 Percent Fall in 2021 US Auto Sales.

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At Zero Hedge: FOMC Minutes Preview: Look For Rate Hike Clues.

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Not enough U-Haul trucks for fleeing Californians in 2021 amid ongoing blue-to-red flight: report.

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“Year Of The Super Billionaire” – World’s Richest Earned More Than $1 Trillion In 2021.

o  o  o

Reader C.B. sent this news item:  Inefficient California ports cost farmers billions.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 9, 2022

January 9, 1943 was the birthday of gunsmith Paris Theodore, developer of the ASP modifications to the S&W M39 pistol.

January 9, 1890 birthday of Karel Capek, a Czech writer who wrote the play “R.U.R.” and coined the word “robot”.

On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Although little used today, pamphlets were an important medium for the spread of ideas in the 16th through 19th centuries.

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Today we present a guest article by author Joe Dolio.