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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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.)

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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.

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

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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.

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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…

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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.

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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.

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Idaho National Guard activated again for COVID repsonse.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.

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

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

Economy & Finance:

Charles Hugh Smith: The Bear Awakens.

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

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Bidenflation: Factory Orders Plunge Twice as Much as Expected.

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

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Whatever it is that you decide to do, we’re not anti-vax, we’re not anti-anything other than anti-mandate… The message is freedom for every Canadian.” – Trucker Mat, Parked directly outside the Canadian Parliament building.

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 6, 2022

President Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6th, 1911.

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Today we present a guest article by Brandon Smith of the Alt-Market.us blog. We highly recommend all of his writings.

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We are in great need of articles for Round 99 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing 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.

How and Why Leftists Use Mass Censorship, by Brandon Smith

Why is censorship the go-to tactic for leftists? Well, if you ask them they won’t deny their love affair with the memory hole. In fact, most leftists will vehemently defend censorship as absolutely moral and for the “greater good.” Their position is basically this: We live in a “society”, and some ideas, thoughts and words are “dangerous” and destructive to that society. Therefore, those ideas and words must be eliminated from open discussion so they can protect society from itself.

But who gets to decide which ideas are dangerous and destructive? It’s rather convenient that the political left has anointed themselves the pure and objective arbiters of our culture. Purity within leftist groups is measured by expressions of “empathy” (virtue signaling). They are the thought police because, somehow, they believe they are the most empathetic.

True empathy is of course impossible to measure in another human being. You could very well be dealing with a narcissist or psychopath that is very good at pretending they care and have a conscience. They might say all the right things and have all the right opinions in public, but in their private lives they are malicious and take pleasure in causing pain in others. Humans are utterly fallible, which is why all systems of freedom seek to decentralize power through checks and balances and avoid mass censorship. All systems that value freedom and peace seek to eliminate the existence of thought police.

Leftists (and globalists) have sought to circumvent checks and balances as well as free speech protections through a number of tactics. In much of the western world they pay lip service to free speech rights when it is convenient for them, but most European nations and countries like Australia have NO legitimate constitutional measures that restrict governments from easily initiating speech suppression laws whenever they want. The draconian restrictions put in place over covid have proven this beyond a doubt.

This is what makes the US so unique as a culture, and it is the reason why leftists have pursued other methods to silence dissent.Continue reading“How and Why Leftists Use Mass Censorship, by Brandon Smith”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” – Galatians 4 (KJV)