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, a special column with technical specifications, manuals, maps, and assorted how-to resources and references for various prepper gear and prepper-related topics. My advice is to find a waterproof USB stick with at least 16 GB of free space, and then on some quiet 3-day weekend, load it up!

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The Manual for Your Baofeng UV-5R

A user manual for your Baofeng UV-5R.

Instruction Manuals Online

Instruction Manuals Online.  More than 100,000 manuals — all in one place.

Steve’s Pages  — Free Gun Manuals

Steve’s Pages has hundreds of gun manuals (military and civilian) available for free download.

Internet Archive: US Military Manual Collection

The Internet Archive (Archive.org):  US Military Manual Collection.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 29, 2021

September 29th, 1881, was the birthday of economist Ludwig von Mises. (Born 1881, died October 10, 1973.)

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I’ve reactivated our shopping cart system for Elk Creek Company after a month-long hiatus. Please not that with the recent drop in the spot price of silver, it is an advantageous time to order from us, if paying in Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs). That is because we price all of our merchandise in Pre-1965 U.S. silver coinage prices, and we use a multtiplier for those paying in FRNs by cash, check, or USPS Money Order. The multiplier is presently at a low point!

Shipments will resume on Monday, October 4th, 2021. Thanks for your patience.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 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!

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More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 30th, 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.

Get Out of the Cities – Part 2, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

In Part 1, I discussed the primary reason for getting out of the big cities: It is just not safe. The main reasons I have been told that people hesitate on moving to a rural location is not knowing what to do for a living – getting a job. The money thing. Secondarily, the inconvenience of being far away from customary activities. Thirdly, fear of the unknown. There are many reasons why people can’t fathom moving away from the big city.

Making money

If you can’t “take your job with you”, for whatever reasons, get a pencil and paper out. List all your strengths and weaknesses, and those of your family members. Encourage your spouse to go through the same process. If you have children old enough, ask them to join in. Everyone in the family has a different perspective. Something you might think is a weakness, could be a strength from a different perspective. Include things you love to do and things you hate doing. Not to say your new life will be nothing but honey and flowers. It won’t. But, understanding yourself and increasing understanding within your family is key to success. This process might take awhile, so give yourself some space and grace, but don’t dally.

Maybe you have a hobby that you can turn into a business. Something I’ve noticed in the rural areas I’ve lived, is there is a lack of trades people due to the influx of city dwellers. You name it – plumbing, electrical, painting, flooring, general building, etc. There is a lack of all kinds of services: housekeeping, clerical, tax/accounting, tailor/seamstress, hair/nail salon, etc. There aren’t enough little shops: curios, fabric, cinnamon buns, coffee, etc. Look at your current life and think about all the services you avail yourself of. Are you good at any of those things? Everyone in the city is “too busy working” at their professional job, and commuting, to do too much outside of work and family. City dwellers rely on services and generally take that desire for available services with them when they move. If you leave that job, as many have, to move to a rural community, and you have to start over, you’re going to miss that drive through Starbucks every morning. So are all the other tens of thousands of folks who are moving out. Coffee shop anyone?

While you’re mulling around ideas, pick up a couple of good books on how to run a small business if you have no experience. It’s quite different than how a large corporation runs. You wear all the hats: sales/marketing, accounting, reception/clerical/billing, maintenance, and then there’s the actual work to be done. Maybe you will accept the idea of commuting to a nearby city for work until you have all your ducks in a row. There are many, many, options. Whatever you do, don’t get stuck on the money thing. Opportunities abound if you open your mind to them.Continue reading“Get Out of the Cities – Part 2, by SaraSue”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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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Reader Z. wrote to ask:

“We are in the process of selling our home and moving to our retreat full-time next week. (Off-grid retreat in the Appalachian mountains.) Our retreat has no address, which leads to my question(s):
Should we get an address assigned for the retreat from the local government and list this address on our driver’s licenses? Or should we use a local family member’s address? My only concern with not getting an address for the retreat is possible weaknesses in 4th Amendment protections. We want to maintain full OPSEC for the retreat and ourselves, as much as possible.”

JWR’s Reply: If your state law allows it, then I would recommend simply getting a USPS P.O. Box or better yet a private mailbox (at a UPS Store, or similar) in the nearest town. A complete “Township & Range” legal description of your land can be carried in your wallet, if that is ever needed. (The DMV might demand a physical “address”.) Propane deliveries and services like septic tank pumping can be arranged with the P.O. Box address for billing, and providing them driving directions. Most UPS and FedEx parcel deliveries can be directed to your private mailbox address. The only downside is directing sheriff’s deputies, ambulances, and fire engines, should the need arise.  Have those directions printed out and posted next to your kitchen phone and provide another set to your nearest neighbor. With those directions, someone –even a child–can read them aloud when under a stress, in the event of an emergency.

o  o  o

Reader Marc M. directed us to Optima — a gasoline with at least a three-year shelflife. Marc says:

“Expensive, but very high-quality.  Obviously, significantly cheaper to simply stabilize and rotate, but a consideration for a cache, or for chainsaws and other sensitive engines.”

o  o  o

Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this:

“According to one of my larger import contacts:
There are now 88 container ships hanging off the coast of California. California is insisting on COVID checking and social distancing of the unloading crews, etc.
The current timeline for the 88th ship to get unloaded is 704 days.
That’s on top of the horrendous increase in costs for porting (not constructing) each container. That cost $1,500 a couple of years ago, but now is now $20,000.

Obviously, this is not sustainable.”

o  o  o

MSN reports: Verizon has unveiled THOR, a custom Ford F650 that can deploy a satellite dish, 5G mast, and drones to respond to natural disasters and emergencies.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 28, 2021

On September 28, 1066, William The Conqueror invaded England, landing at Pevensey Bay, Sussex.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 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!

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More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 30th, 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.

Get Out of the Cities – Part 1, by SaraSue

If you’re on the fence, then please get off of it and make your move. I realize how scary that sounds because I’ve done it. I realize how insane it sounds to walk away from a job with really good benefits and a retirement account. Again, because I did it. I did it for health reasons several years ago, but the current situation is no different – there is a need, a demand, a situation at hand (unconstitutional mandates?), that requires finding a spot far away from the madness and its influences. I was scared spitless at the time – leaving that security of a paycheck. Many can take their jobs with them, as the last year or two has proved out for remote workers. Many cannot work remotely, as their jobs require physical attendance. It’s a Catch-22 for millions of families living in urban areas. I get that. This is hard stuff and there’s no glossing it over. But, I urge you to get out of the cities before it’s too late to get out.

My definition of “too late to get out” includes:

  • You can’t sell your house, if you own one, because everyone else who can afford it is leaving too (no buyers);
  • The economy becomes so restricted it actually “crashes” and everything you’ve put into it becomes worthless (house and/or business);
  • Transportation becomes impossible to obtain due to certain passports being required to travel, and/or fuel becomes scarce;
  • Supplies in and out of the city dwindle;
  • Service businesses in and around the city shutter;
  • Civil unrest and/or crime makes living in the city dangerous
  • Crime makes traveling in unfamiliar areas dangerous
    … (it’s a long list, I’m sure you can add to it).

I’m spelling out the “handwriting on the wall”. I’m pointing to the “elephant in the room”. I’m the “town crier”. I’m shouting from the rooftops. No more excuses. No more dragging of the feet. No more allowing yourself to be paralyzed by fear, the unknown, and dread. You know that nagging, sinking feeling you’ve been having? It’s your gut telling you that  It’s Time. You’re being boiled like a frog, and the water is getting hot. Should you need more encouragement, read on. If you don’t want to believe it, read on anyway.

Remember: Noah was considered a conspiracy theorist until it started to rain.Continue reading“Get Out of the Cities – Part 1, by SaraSue”

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 present a roundup of high technology and technology-related companies in the American Redoubt region.

Idaho

In Idaho, Boise is clearly the tech hub. But there are lots of other high tech loci that are spawning startup companies — mostly in and around college and university towns like Moscow.

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Idaho’s best-known high technology company is the chip maker, Micron Technology. They’ve been in business for more than 40 years, and they are considered a world leader in memory and storage chip technologies. They produced huge numbers of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips, flash memory devices, and USB flash drives. They are headquartered in Boise. Their consumer products are marketed under the brands Crucial and Ballistix.

o  o  o

Hewlett-Packard’s highly profitable imaging and printing group is also located in Idaho.

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Chelton Flight Systems, in Boise, has been famous for their FlightLogic display systems, for more than 15 years.

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Clearwater Analytics is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) fintech company that provides automated investment accounting, performance, compliance, and risk reporting for insurance companies, asset managers, corporations, banks, governments, and other institutions

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Also in Boise is the startup company VisitPay.

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ClickBank, in Boise, is an e-commerce platform for physical and digital products as well as digital content creators. They are a global internet retailer and affiliate marketplace, founded in 1998. The company has more than six-million clients worldwide[which secured it in becoming the 87th largest Internet retailer in North America.

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Kodiak Aircraft (formerly Quest Aircraft), in Sandpoint is famous for their state-of-the-art STOL aircraft. Their planes were originally designed to get missionaries and humanitarian aid workers into and out of short and “very austere” undeveloped runways. In 2019, the French industrial conglomerate Daher announced that they had bought the company. Production of their STOL airplanes will continue in Sandpoint.

o  o  o

Encoder Products Company in Westmond (just south of Sandpoint) primarily makes incremental shaft encoders and absolute encoders.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If your country was under attack in a ‘regular war’, there are some things you might expect your enemy to try to do.

For example, you would expect your enemy to try to destroy your cities; making them unsafe places to live and to work.

You would expect your enemy to commandeer your public information system; using it to disseminate their propaganda.

Your enemy would also try to disrupt your private communication systems; censoring ideas which oppose their agenda.

Your enemy would want to cripple your economy and productivity.

And sow discord among your people.

And infiltrate your government, placing traitors and saboteurs in positions of both national and local authority.

Your enemy would close your churches and marginalize the clergy and demoralizing your people.

You would expect your enemy to murder as many of your children as they can, training the rest to disrespect and despise their own history and heritage.

Your enemy would conduct surveillance on your people and impose restrictions on their movement and their assembly.

Ultimately, you would expect your enemy to ‘fundamentally change’ your culture, language, and core beliefs to accommodate and reflect theirs.

But what you might not expect is for your enemy to get you to wreak all this chaos, all of this destruction, all this misery, all this slavery, on yourself.

This is a war.

An ‘irregular war’.

This is not a drill.” – Attorney Michael Peroutka, Founder, Institute on the Constitution

Kershaw Innuendo, by Pat Cascio

In my 29 years of testing and writing about knives (and firearms) I have always been on the lookout for the next “big” thing in these products. And, let’s be honest here. It is really hard to find something new and unique to write about, especially when it comes to cutlery. All knives have one major function, and that is to cut something – pure and simple.

I used to design knives, and still do, to a certain extent – and it is difficult to find a new style or design to come up with. Once again, all cutlery has one major purpose, and that is to cut something. Of course, I know more than a few people, who still tend to use a knife blade as a pry bar, and then when the tip of the blade breaks off, they don’t know why!

There’s a lot to be said about “style” when it comes to knives, if the design of the knife isn’t appealing to the buyer, they will just pass it up. So, when a knife company decides to come out with a new design, it takes a lot of thought. In this case, the Kershaw Knives Innuendo folder was a collaboration between custom knife designer and maker Les George, and Kershaw. And, just because something looks a little different doesn’t mean it will be a hot seller as many believe. One more thing to take into consideration is the price point. A good knife doesn’t have to cost a lot of money – and “good” is the key word.

The Innuendo folder was designed in the USA, and manufactured in Mainland China. So if that bothers you, then you can skip reading the rest of this review article. Sadly, this shows us consumer market forces at work.  Most buyers are not willing to pay for American-made knives, even if they are mass-produced. The production costs are simply too high. So a good portion of the knives sold by American companies are designed in the U.S., but produced overseas.Continue reading“Kershaw Innuendo, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Fry Pan Ham & Rice

The following recipe for Fry Pan Ham & Rice is from SurvivalBlog reader Lisa in Ohio. You will need a large fry pan with a lid, or a skillet with a lid.

Note that cooked turkey may be substituted for the cooked ham.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium-size onion, chopped
• 1 cup pre-cooked ham or turkey, cubed
• Ground pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cup water (omit if using cooked rice instead of instant rice)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or turkey broth
• 1 cup cooked rice or 3/4 cup uncooked instant rice
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
  1. In a large fry pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat
  2. Saute onion and mushrooms until tender.
  3. Stir in ham, pepper, water (if used), and broth
  4. Bring to a boil.
  5. Stir in the rice.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer the covered pan for about 5 minutes.
  7. Fluff it with a fork.
  8. Top with cheese and chopped green onion.
SERVING

Serve immediately, or before it cools.

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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!

These Dangers Loom Over the Fragile U.S. Economy, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note: Today, in lieu of our usual Economics & Investing For Preppers column, we are posting a guest article. This article was authored by Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.us. It was originally published at Birch Gold Group, and is reposted with permission. I recommend bookmarking Alt-Market.us and subscribing to Smith’s The Wild Bunch Dispatch newsletter. His writings have shown great prescience. – JWR

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The U.S. and most of the world is at the threshold of what I would call a nexus point in history. There are establishment forces at play that seek to impose a permanent authoritarian presence within our nation in the name of Covid “safety.” This includes lockdown mandates and restrictions on economic participation for the unvaccinated (including being unable to keep a job).

At the same time, only 53% of the public has been fully vaccinated against Covid. A significant number of the unvaccinated seem likely to dig in their heels and will refuse to comply.

We are at an impasse. With incessant fear mongering over the latest covid variants and the government obsession with 100% vaccination, the pro- and anti-vaccine groups are squaring off . It is a conflict between those who see their submission to the vaccination as a badge of personal responsibility and civic-mindedness versus those who see it as merely an excuse for authoritarianism. Unless pro-vax people choose to stand down and walk away from the fight, our economic future will grow increasingly unstable.

This is the foreboding backdrop of our economic tale, and it is important to keep in mind that the technocratic exploitation of the covid non-crisis as a push for supremacy is going to color everything that happens in our financial system from now on. You cannot talk about our economic condition without including the effects of the pandemic theater.

I believe that the next year in particular is going to be adrenalized and chaotic beyond what we have already seen in 2020-2021. Like I said, there are two sides of America that are now completely opposed in almost every way. Something is going to snap, and I suspect this will happen in 12 months or less.

The U.S. economy is itself an underlying disaster in the making and in many ways the Covid issue is a convenient distraction away from a much larger threat.Continue reading“These Dangers Loom Over the Fragile U.S. Economy, by Brandon Smith”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The tragic history of civilian disarmament cries a warning against any systematic attempts to render innocent citizens ill-equipped to defend themselves from tyrant terrorists, despots or oppressive majorities.” – Attorney Daniel L. Schmutter