Simple Photovoltaic Power, by A. DoItYourselfer

This article presents my photovoltaic power experiences to give fellow do-it-yourselfers an understanding of what it takes to use the sun for energy.

I am a 69-year-old carpenter with experience in residential, commercial and industrial construction. I abhor relying on others for needs. So that is what drove me in the area of energy, especially stored energy. By “stored energy, I mean propane, solar battery systems, stored food, and so forth.

I live in Arkansas which is considered a subtropical climate in late spring to early fall. The heat in summer coupled with humidity from the Gulf of Mexico is terribly oppressive, even to us natives. And for this reason you need to at least move the air in summer to help with these conditions. I set out on my solar journey about three years ago. I decided that my goal would be to have a system that would run lights (LED), operate fans, and charge Dewalt 20 VDC tool batteries. I ended up with 3 systems and wasted a lot of money. But the “good thing” that I achieved is redundancy (i.e. having backup systems).

My First System

A Zamp 200P (P means Portable) system. I wanted to stay in the 12 volt arena versus the 24V, 36V or 48V systems because I better understand 12V systems because that is what automobiles, boats, etc. use. I also wanted to stay in the Recreational Vehicle arena because of portability as well as the simplicity (plug and play). The Zamp 200P system included:

  • 2 – Zamp brand 100 watt solar panels (for a total of 200 watts of input on a clear day)
  • 1 –  Z15AW (Z means Zamp, A means Amps, W means weatherproof) charge controller

I added the following to the system from separate vendors:

  • 1 – Xantrex ProWatt 2000 inverter (an 1,800 Watt invertor which takes DC battery power and converts it to 120VAC (household) power.
  • 2 – 6-1 volt golf cart batteries connected in series (instead of parallel connection) which make it a single 12 volt battery. These are lead acid batteries similar to a 12V trolling motor battery.

Various wires, cables, connectors, fuses etc.. The Zamp instruction manual explains diagrams to connect all this and is simple to follow).

This system cost around $1,900.. This system would run lights, fans, and charge tool batteries. But it is just enough power to make you wish you had some serious power. This system might be good for emergency storm backup power for 24 to 36 hours of cloudy weather. However, it whetted my appetite for more, so I continued my journey.Continue reading“Simple Photovoltaic Power, by A. DoItYourselfer”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’ve been spending some quality time with my chainsaws. The main woodshed is about half full. I should have that topped off in about 12 days, if the weather cooperates, and my back stays in good shape.  But I will probably carry on for at least another week and cut even more, as is my habit.  As long as I rotate and consistently burn from the various piles each winter, none of my stored firewood will ever go to waste.

Our #2 Son has returned home for a visit, from out-of-state. He plans to help me with some of the felling, hauling, and splitting.  My daughters will probably handle nearly all of the wood stacking, as usual.

I had to do another fence repair, where some of our Bovine Delinquents had decided The Grass is Greener on The Other Side. Grumble, grumble.

I also went into the nearest good-sized town (more than a one-hour drive). At the farm and ranch store, I bought some supplies for a cross-fencing project, and a corral upgrade. I bought just one tube gate, two heavy-duty cattle panels, a roll of 9-gauge smooth wire for the H-braces, and a 330-foot roll of woven Field Fencing.  I nearly had a heart attack when they told me that my bill was around $1,800!  The bill would have been even higher because my original plan was to also buy 20 heavy-duty T-posts. But the store was sold out, and they told me that the other store in town was also sold out of T-posts.  Oh, and I noticed that their supply of cattle panels was very badly depleted–less than 20% of what they normally keep on hand. The supply chain is fraying and perhaps broken, folks!

Our Jeff Cooper’s Birthday Sale at Elk Creek Company will begin on Monday, May 10th, and end on May 21st. Prices will be reduced on more than half of our pre-1899 gun and percussion replica gun inventory. This could be your last chance to grab some federally exempt guns before prices get out of reach. I fully expect pre-1899s to double or more in price once the Feds enact their “Universal Background Checks” scheme. That is actually a ban on private party sales of post-1899 guns. Once that becomes the law of the land, folks will wake up to the unique private transfer status of pre-1899 guns.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.

Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.” – Psalm 25 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 7, 2021

On May 7, 1867 Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel patented dynamite in England. This was the first of three patents he would receive for the explosive.
—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 94 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. 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.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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!

Round 94 ends on May 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.

Review: Cambridge University Press KJV Large Print Bible, by The Novice

I have heard it said that preppers should stockpile beans, bullets, band-aids, and Bibles. Beans, bullets and band-aids are easy to understand: in a disaster, we may need something to eat, something to defend ourselves with, and something to provide for our own medical care. But why Bibles?

In Mark 8:36, Jesus said, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The best stockpile of tools and supplies, even when well utilized in the most effective possible manner, cannot prevent someone from being eternally lost.

In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul said of Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” It is the scriptures which bring understanding of the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

With that in mind, the prep that gives the most long-lasting benefit is the Bible.

Bibles

God has blessed me with such an abundance of spiritual resources that I do not even know how many Bibles I own. I have English Bibles, Norwegian Bibles, Swedish Bibles, Greek Bibles, Hebrew Bibles and Latin Bibles. I have interlinear Bibles, parallel Bibles, chronological Bibles, reference Bibles, and study Bibles. I have paperback Bibles, hardback Bibles, leather bound Bibles and electronic Bibles. The Lord has certainly filled my mouth with good things.

My Favorite Bible

What if times got hard, and I had to flee with just one Bible? What if I knew that it would probably be the only Bible that I would have access to for the rest of my life? What if it would be the only Bible that I would be able to hand down to my children and grandchildren? If that happened, then the Bible that I would pick would be the Cambridge University Press KJV Large Print Text Bible in black French Moroccan leather. One of the reasons I would chose this Bible is because it is trustworthy. The translators of the King James Version did an outstanding job of faithfully rendering God’s inspired word from the original languages into English. And then Cambridge University Press did an outstanding job of accurately printing that faithful translation. I have read this particular edition from cover to cover many times, and have never found a single error of translation or typography.

A second reason that I would chose this particular Bible is because it is legible. My eyes are not as young as they once were. There are many editions of the Bible that I find difficult or impossible to read without my bifocals. I have other Bibles that advertise themselves as large print, giant print or super giant print. None of them combine the easily legible text and convenient size of this Cambridge edition. I can read it without my bifocals without any eye strain whatsoever.

A third reason I would chose this particular Bible is because it is durable. I have subjected it to 20 years of heavy use. It looks broken in, but it is not even beginning to look worn out. I have had other Bibles with lifetime warrantees that I have needed to replace in that same 20 year period. Even some of the warrantee replacements look more worn than my more heavily used Cambridge Bible.

 

 

A final reason that I would chose this particular Bible is because it is beautiful. A really nice, leather-bound Bible is a work of art as well as a guide to eternal life and a useful tool. I love the way it looks as I take it out of its case. I love the way the leather cover feels in my hands. I love the way the pages turn. I love the way it smells. God’s word is a priceless treasure even on the roughest paper in the ugliest binding. On quality paper in a beautiful binding it is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Reading the Bible

Like any other prep, the Bible is most effective if regularly used. If you buy a ferrocerium rod, for example, and stick it in a drawer and never use it, you may find it difficult to start a fire when you are cold. If you buy a rifle and stick it in a gun safe and never use it, you may find it difficult to shoot game when you are hungry. If you buy a Bible and stick it on the shelf and never use it, you may find it difficult to find guidance and comfort in a time of spiritual need.

I recommend a consistent pattern of daily Bible reading and prayer as the single most important preparation for difficult times.Continue reading“Review: Cambridge University Press KJV Large Print Bible, by The Novice”

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 prospects for physical silver. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

Arkansas Ends Sales Taxes On Gold and Silver; Additional States May Soon Follow

o  o  o

The silver price is breaking out and could drag a reluctant gold market with it – Saxo Bank. A brief excerpt:

“Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, noted in a report Tuesday that the silver market started the week with its best day since early February as prices pushed to a two-month high above $27 an ounce.

Hansen added that Monday’s price action in silver was a critical technical breakout for the precious metal. While silver is down from Monday’s high, Hansen said that it is still holding above crucial support following its breakout. July silver futures last traded at $26.97 an ounce, relatively unchanged on the day.

Meanwhile, gold prices have fallen from Monday’s nine-week high. June gold futures last traded at $1,787.90 an ounce, down 0.22% on the day.”

o  o  o

Daan Joubert: Long-Term View Of Gold And Silver

Economy & Finance:

When “The Oracle Of Omaha” talks, people listen: Buffett Warns ‘Very Substantial Inflation’…

o  o  o

Credit Bubble Bulletin‘s Weekly Commentary: Fed Guessing

o  o  o

They call it “Shrinkflation”:  Costco paper towels: Now with 20 fewer sheets per roll

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Reusing Can Canning Jar Lids, by St. Funogas

One of the entertaining but frustrating things about the internet is how much incorrect info is out there, and how often that same wrong information gets recycled on hundreds of web sites, often verbatim.
So, let’s put one of them to rest once and for all: reusing canning lids.

It would never cross your mind to do an internet search, “Do peaches taste better when they’re hard or after they soften up?” Obviously, it’s very simple to test it yourself by trying one of each and drawing your own conclusions instead of relying on the opinions of others. The same is true of reusing canning lids.

POPULAR NOTIONS ABOUT REUSING CANNING LIDS

When it comes to reusing canning jar lids, I’ve read everything from “absolutely, in a million years, not,” to “I’ve tried reusing them but only half of them sealed.”

Here are some of the more common reasons people give for not reusing canning lids:
• The Ball website and many ag extension offices say they should never be reused.
• They may not seal and the batch will be ruined after all my hard work.
• I reuse them but only one per batch in case it doesn’t seal.
• I’m afraid to use them because someone told me not to.
• Are you kidding? You’ll get botulism.

Needless to say, there are many opinions on the subject. So, I’m going to share my personal experience with you but please, don’t take my word for it! You can easily test it for yourself and then speak authoritatively the next time you hear the question asked.

The COVID conundrum has caused a shortage of canning supplies, the likes of which most of us have never seen, and prices have skyrocketed. Canning lids used to be in the neighborhood of $2.00. I’ve checked weekly over the past year just out of curiosity and the only lids I’ve seen since March of 2020 were in April of 2021 at $3.99/dozen. Many folks are wondering how they’re going to get their canning accomplished this year if lids are unavailable. More than ever, people are asking if canning lids can be reused.

An even crazier question is whether jars and lids from things like store-bought salsa, pickle, and pasta sauce can be cleaned up and reused for canning.

To both of these questions, I say without reservation, yes! Both canning lids and one-piece lids from various products can be reused time and time again.Continue reading“Reusing Can Canning Jar Lids, by St. Funogas”

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 focus on a couple of news stories from Canada.

China’s Social Credit Scoring in Canada

First up is this, over at The Sunday Guardian: China’s social credit program creeps into Canada. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)

Canadian Court Orders Church Disruption

Canadian Court Empowers Police to ‘Do Anything Necessary’ to Disrupt Church, Find Pastor. Here is a quote:

“On April 3, Pawlowski demanded government officials leave the sanctuary of his church “immediately” unless they “come back with a warrant.” He condemned them as “Nazis” and “Gestapo.”

They came back this past Sunday with a warrant, but he denied them entry again, telling health officials they needed to contact his lawyer first.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, he argued government officials and police “could come any day of the week” but choose to interrupt worship services “because they have a purpose, they have an agenda.”

“If you’re not seeing it, then you’re plain either stupid, blind, and deaf,” Pawlowski said. “Either you’re going to keep pushing as hard as you can, or you’ll be swallowed by those people. They’re going to keep coming, keep taking your rights, one after another, destroying you by thousands of cuts, one cut at a time.””

Census Result: Texas and Florida to Gain House Seats

Jim L. sent this article that relates to the 2020 U.S. Census: Texas and Florida to get new House seats, boosting GOP 2022 chances for majority.  Here is a quote:

“Going into the 2022 cycle, Republicans will get to draw far more districts than Democrats because they control the process in more states… And reapportionment between states has ramifications for the presidential contests in 2024 and 2028. Texas will now have 40 Electoral College votes and Florida 30, making them second and third behind California. That may force the Democratic ticket in 2024 to give a harder look at playing in Texas, where demographics are shifting the party’s way. And it could force Democrats to think twice about competing in Florida because the longtime swing state now has a distinctive GOP lean.” – David Mark, Washington Examiner

Black Bear Kills, Eats Colorado Woman

Bear kills woman while she walks her dogs, Colorado officials say. ‘Sad and tragic’.  JWR’s Comment: The threat of bears is real. And it is not just in Alaska and Montana. Oh, and it is those “little” black bears, too.

Bill Gates Made A Grand Solar Minimum Hedge?

With all the talk about Bill & Melinda Gates splitting the sheets billions, this map was circulated: The Bill Gates U.S. Farmland Holdings. Now, wait a cotton-pickin’ minute!  Isn’t this the Globalist Eco-Warrior Bill Gates who has been warning us about Global Warming and coastal region flooding, for more than a decade?  So, then why are the vast majority of Bill’s farmland holdings in southern and coastal states? To me, this map looks to be some strategic hedging by someone who anticipates a Grand Solar Minimum, and colder winters.  – JWR

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — May 5, 2021

May 5th is the birthday of Adrian Carton de Wiart, known as Britain’s “Unstoppable Soldier.”  This eccentric Belgian-born soldier served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived two plane crashes; tunneled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them.

This is also the birthday of Pat Frank (1908-1964). This was the pen name of newspaper journalist Harry Hart Frank. His novel (Alas, Babylon is a survivalist classic. His personal life was marred by alcoholism, but his writing is admired and still surprisingly popular, today. (Alas, Babylon is still in print, after more than 50 years!) As an homage to Pat Frank, one of the settings in my novel Expatriates is Mt. Dora, Florida, which was fictionalized by Pat Frank as Fort Repose in Alas, Babylon.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 94 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. 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.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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!

Round 94 ends on May 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.

Cash and Your Credit Score: Often Forgotten Preps, by Dave S.

In this article, I’m going to extol and often forgotten, but top-tier prep.

I like to read a lot of self-reliant and prepping blogs and articles, as we all likely do. Toward the beginning of my self-reliant venture, these articles and blogs were critical in my education. I am in no way an expert in this field, but I am comfortable enough that a lot of this information for me now is review, and it is always good to review the basics.

I love reading articles and blogs simply for the fact that there is usually more than one way to skin the proverbial cat, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my knowledge base or tweak existing techniques. This self-reliant community is often very willing to share their experiences, both positive and negative, so that others may learn from their successes as well as their failures. To say this community is rich in comradery would be an understatement, to say the least.

I have never written for another blog other than my own, so this is a new venture for me. I hope I will be able to give something back to someone here and return the favor that you have all given me over the last several years.

As I continue to read and search the self-reliant and prepper communities, I run across multiple hits regarding making fire, storing and gathering water, weapons and ammunition, just to name a few. It’s not that these things aren’t important, they should be the staple of anyone’s self-reliant plan, however there is one particular aspect that I rarely see mentioned, and yet it is likely one of the most common and overlooked ways to prepare for bad times ahead.

I’m not talking about having 10,000 rounds for each weapon you possess, or the most fail-safe knife ever (or two or three of them actually, remember two is one, and one is none).

If we could all just take a step back and forget about all the stuff we have and all the stuff we think we still need, and take an honest look at where we are, I think you may agree. Considering all the possible adverse scenarios that can seriously impact our future, what seems the most likely?

EMP? Absolutely, but for most of us this may never happen. Solar flares are possible, but highly improbable. With a little investigation, you may feel as I do that a significant terror event in the US could likely come from crippling our power structure as opposed to a dirty bomb. EMP’s are not that difficult to make with the right resources, and are a lot easier to conceal than a nuclear or biological weapon. Again, possible, but not probable.

Natural Disaster? Absolutely, as some of our coastal friends have already lived through. Hurricanes, tornadoes, long power outages are facts of life for these folks. If I lived in these areas, you better believe this is a priority for me. Living in rural Pennsylvania, there is some minor threat of tornado, or catching the tail of a hurricane, but very unlikely. I’m in the kill zone for a little place called Three Mile Island, you may have heard of it. It made the news a few years ago.

Foreign invasion? Another Civil War? I guess these are possible, but not likely probable. It doesn’t matter what adversity is handed to you, it is never good nor is it convenient. The only defense we have is to be reasonably prepared for multiple scenarios, prioritizing them accordingly to likelihood, and be willing to be flexible with our solution.

The Inevitable Bump In the Road

What I want to talk about today is something that is far more likely to cause a devastating event in our lives, and if it hasn’t already, it will, it’s just a matter of time. I think it is interesting that what I’m about to discuss is rarely, if ever talked about in this community, but when it happens, and if you are not prepared for it, can significantly impact your life forever.Continue reading“Cash and Your Credit Score: Often Forgotten Preps, by Dave S.”

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

S.L. in Idaho wrote to mention:

“I have had great success with a coddling moth trap. Use a ½ gallon plastic milk container – on the side opposite the handle cut a “smile” on the upper corner edge to create an entrance for the moths. Mix 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup dark molasses, 1/8 tsp ammonia and 6 cups of water (recipe can be doubled for lots of traps). Fill the milk container about 3” with mixture. Hang traps in tree by handle (I use a zip tie to a branch) when almost done blooming. Replenish mixture when necessary.”

o  o  o

Captain Nemo wrote:

Hi Lily,
I’ve written to SurvivalBog before about the waterproof Bibles by Barden & Marsee Publishing.  As I was placing an order for Bibles, I noticed they had other waterproof items available.  They have waterproof copies of the Ranger Handbook available, both in top and side bound.  These might make a good reference book to pack in the BOB along with the waterproof Bible.”

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Ned C. was the first of several SurvivalBlog readers to mention this site: No Jab For Me.

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3AD Scout sent the following:

What we accomplished in April:

We put 20 more eggs into the incubator and really watched the humidity and heat this time.  This really paid off as we hatched 8 birds this time compared to 2 the last try.  Put the other batch of 7 new birds (6 from tractor supply and 1 that we managed to hatch and keep alive) into the smaller coop outside to make room for the new chicks.

Managed to get a quote for our barn rehab project.  The barn sits on a foundation that is crumbling and tilting out.  To replace it was going to be costly so I asked the Amish contractor if they could convert the barn into a pole barn.  And he said yes.  I also asked him to use rough cut lumber where he could so we can saw a few more dollars.  The barn is made from rough cut lumber anyway.  The project is going to start until June but the supplies arrive in mid-April to avoid the weekly costs increases in materials.  

Tilled the garden including some extra space we are going to use for expanding the number of tomatoes we plant as well as for beans, peas, corn and sun flowers.  Filled front end loader bucket with rocks that I found in our newly tilled soil and add those to the rock pile.

Dug 9 holes for the fence corner post and 4 holes for the post for the pizza oven.  Mixed concrete up and cemented in the corner post.  Poured concrete into the bottom of the holes for the 4×4 to sit on.  Only have a few more “T”-post to pound in one more corner post put in.

Gathered up a bunch of LED flashlights, some GMRS\FRS radios, a spare 2-meter radio, a shortwave receiver, my goal zero solar panel and accessories, battery charger, 2 inverters and some other goodies and put them into faraday cages.  

I attended an auction at the auction house I’ve been going to since I was a kid in my teens.  I was going there to bid on a set of patio furniture.  As I returned home I got my usual interrogation on what I spent and on what “junk”.  I thought I gave the wife a heart attack when I told her I bought 1 thing for $30.  She looked at me to see if I was joking.  I told her it was a very odd auction.  The “junk” (her definition not mine).   Tools and other useful items that were always had for extremely low prices were going sky high while the “do pretties” (items that all they do is look pretty), furniture and stuff the normally fetched a higher dollar went extremely low.  Solid oak, American Made furniture in like new shape being sold for $100 apiece.  The furniture came out of an estate from a local wealthy businessman, and everyone knew it.  How odd was it?  Solid oak high boy dresser in new shape $100, an 8-piece made in China, damaged patio set $400!!  Tools that normally would have gone for $8-10 a box were going for $20 and higher.  I did notice a huge number of newbies (when you attend auctions for a few decades you get to recognizing people)  As I left for my 45 minute drive back home almost empty handed I pondered what  I had just witnessed.  Perhaps the new people were the still laid off folks who were buying tools for side hustles or for the means of production/repair?  Antique dealers were not buying perhaps due to full inventories and less buyers?  Just a very strange auction but I was happy to walk away with a like new PUMA fixed blade knife with leather sheath for my daughter.  

Purchases for the month included 8 bags of Butterscotch hard candy, 20 pounds of elbow macaroni, 8 pounds of whole bean coffee (due to bad harvest and other supply chain issues). I also found 200 round box of 223 for $139.  Even with bad weather and few vendors I was able to score 4 used standard capacity AR mags, a pair of woodland BDU pants and a dozen 1 ½ pint canning jars.  I picked up two boxes of activated carbon for the home chemistry kit.  The big purchase in April was the Lithium Iron Phosphate 42AH Battery that I picked up at one of the local Amish stores.

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