Practical Homestead Irrigation – Part 1, by A.F.

Although neither of our extended families still had full-time farmers in them as my wife and I came of age, our parents, grandparents and most of our aunts and uncles raised gardens or livestock then froze or canned the meats and vegetables grown. Living what I now know was a relatively sheltered childhood, I thought everyone did the same things we did. Raising bottle calves, staining tee shirts while picking blackberries, stringing and breaking beans all summer long, refilling the under-sink potato bin from the storage crib every week, and hearing your elders discuss the need for rain on the gardens and pastures.

When I was around age 8, my family installed a system for garden irrigation. Although I have no clue what precipitated the decision, I do recall the approximate setup. A small creek separated my father’s land from my grandfather’s place. A portion of the stream bank was excavated and a one-piece concrete tank was installed such that a few ten-foot sections of three-inch PVC pipe could be run upstream and deliver water into the tank inlet. The holding tank was approximately 4x6x8 so it should have held somewhere around 1,500 gallons. From the tank, a two-inch black poly pipe ran up the mountain to the uppermost gardens, a bean field, and the potato patch. A tee installed near the one-third point allowed a second two-inch line to carry water out the valley to my grandparent’s garden and the sweet corn patch. The two-inch lines were branched further by running a pair of ¾ inch poly lines into each garden. These ¾ inch lines were each terminated with an impact sprinkler mounted on poles in the gardens. A Briggs and Stratton-powered suction pump was set atop the concrete tank to deliver the water. The system consisted of 1,000 feet of two-inch supply pipe, around 300 feet of ¾ inch distribution pipe, eight impact sprinklers, the pump, and tank.Continue reading“Practical Homestead Irrigation – Part 1, by A.F.”

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 demographic statistics and trends.

Region-Wide

Snake River dam agreement challenged in court over electric rates, reliability worries. (Our thanks to reader A.K. for the link.)

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Greater Idaho on the Ballot in Crook County.

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Wikipedia: Inland Northwest Geography and Demographics.

Idaho

The Idaho Anti-Swatting Bill (SB1343) was scheduled to be heard on February 26th in the Senate Judiciary Rules Committee. I believe it deserves support from Idaho constituents so that it will reach the Idaho State Senate floor, for a full vote.

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‘Reimagining’ Old Idaho Penitentiary puts historic gun collection in limbo.  JWR’s Comments: The length of this article and its tone are surprising, coming from a journalist who is a transplanted liberal Easterner. I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, and I have fond memories of seeing J. Curtis Earl machinegun advertisements in the back of The American Rifleman magazine. The amazing collection from Earl’s estate does indeed deserve to be on public display more prominently.

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2024 Idaho Real Estate Market Predictions.

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Idaho population could hit 2 million any day now, passing Nebraska. Thanks, California! JWR’s Comments:  Thankfully, the newcomers on average are actually more conservative than Idaho natives.  The same trend can be seen throughout the Redoubt region.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“This may be considered as the true palladium of liberty…. The right of self-defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.” – St. George Tucker (A Bermudian-born American lawyer, military officer, and professor who taught law at the College of William & Mary.)

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 26, 2024

Forced to abdicate as French emperor in 1814, Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba on this day in 1815 and, gathering support en route, retook power on his return to Paris on March 20, ushering in the Hundred Days.

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February 26, 1993: A truck bomb built by Islamic extremists explodes in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

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February 26th is also the birthday of Major-General Orde Charles Wingate (born, 1903, died 24 March 1944), an eccentric British Army officer who organized special military units in Palestine in the 1930s, and in Abyssinia, Sudan, and Burma during World War II. He is most famous for his creation of the Chindits, airborne deep-penetration troops trained to work behind enemy lines in the Far East campaigns against the Japanese during World War II.

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We are seeking entries for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 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.

Buck 286 Bantam BHW Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Bottom Line, Up Front

The Buck 286 Bantam BHW Folder is a robust, 3.38 inch, drop-point-blade knife. It comes out of the box razor sharp. The thick, nicely-textured, fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle is just a little on the chunky side for everyday carry (EDC), but is unusually comfortable under heavy use. It has dual thumb studs for ambidextrous one-handed opening. The stonewashed finish on the 420 HC blade is attractive. The lockback holds the blade securely open. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $33.99 at the time of this writing, and widely available online for less, the Bantam represents excellent value for the money, especially for an American-made knife.

First Impressions

The knife arrived appropriately packaged in a paperboard box. The box effectively protected the knife and provided helpful information printed on the outside without wasting excessive resources on packaging.

The most beautiful words on the box were “Knife Made in the USA”. I am extremely impressed that Buck Knives is able to make such high quality knives in the United States at prices that are competitive with knives produced overseas using slave labor. Most Buck brand knives are now made in Idaho.
Continue reading“Buck 286 Bantam BHW Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Italian Eggs

The following simple recipe for Italian Eggs is from Good HouseKeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (253 pages, copyright 1925, now in public domain). That is one of the 11 new bonus books included in the new 2005-2023 edition of the SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick.

Ingredients
  • Asparagus tips
  • 2 cupfuls Hollantlaise Sauoe
  • 6 eggs
Directions

Butter a rather shallow glass dish and cover with hot, canned or freshly-cooked asparagus tips laid flat and evenly, allowing four to six tips for each serving. Meanwhile, poach the eggs in the usual manner and arrange them on the asparagus tips.

SERVING

At the last minute, pour the hot Hollandaise sauce over all, and serve

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Do you have a well-tested 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 recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: United States Tree Canopy – 2016.  (A public domain graphic, courtesy of the USDA and your tax dollars.)

 

 

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Please send your graphic ideas to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If you are unwilling to fight for a particular right, you will sooner or later lose it, and probably sooner than later. Even in a free country, each generation must be prepared to fight for its rights all over again, if they hope to pass them on to their children.” – Joseph P. Martino, Resistance to Tyranny: A Primer

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 25, 2024

February 25th is the birthday of the late bluegrass music legend Ralph Stanley (1927 – 2016). His harmonizing and high tenor solos had an almost haunting sound to them.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 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 $2,000.
  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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  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. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. 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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 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.

 

 

 

State Defense Forces: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, by S. Actual

On December 13th, 1636, in Salem Massachusetts, the tradition of the American militia was born. Since that time, the brave men and women of the various State militias have continued to serve and protect this great nation throughout the centuries.

One of the greatest historical battles of this Republic, known as the Battle of Bennington in 1777, was a pivotal engagement in the revolutionary war that it led to the defeat of the British military forces, including their hired Hessian and Indigenous native tribal factions. It is also the primary basis for the establishment of benefits for veterans of American battles and is the basis of the modern Veterans Administration compensation. and it was fought by volunteer militia groups.(1)

The battle was a major strategic success for the American militia fighting units that were not part of the Continental Army, and is considered part of the turning point of the Revolutionary War; it reduced Burgoyne’s army in size by almost 1,000 men, led his Native American supporters to largely abandon him, and deprived him of much-needed supplies, such as mounts for his cavalry regiments, draft animals and provisions, all factors that contributed to Burgoyne’s eventual defeat at Saratoga. The victory galvanized colonial support for the independence movement and played a key role in bringing France into the war on the rebel side. The battle’s anniversary is celebrated in the state of Vermont as Bennington Battle Day.(2)Continue reading“State Defense Forces: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, by S. Actual”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Elmer T. Fudd Says: Just Because I Am Vewwy, Vewwy Opinionated
Doesn’t Mean I’m Authoritative Nor Does it Make Me Wrong

News Link:

Wilson Combat Hackathorn poos the bed & Garand Thumb Responds

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:


“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.” – Hebrews 7:1-19 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 24, 2024

On this day in 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 126–47 to impeach President Andrew Johnson, whose lenient Reconstruction policies regarding the South after the Civil War angered Republicans in Congress. Most notably, Johnson had vetoed legislation that had been passed to protect the rights of those who had been freed from slavery. When the trial concluded on May 16, Johnson had won acquittal, not because a majority of senators supported his policies but rather because a fairly large minority wanted to preserve the balance of powers and protect the office of the presidency.

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On February 24, 1803, in Marbury v. Madison, the U.S. Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional, thus establishing the doctrine of judicial review. In Marbury, Chief Justice Marshall famously wrote: “A Law repugnant to the Constitution is void.”

On February 24, 1970 an avalanche took the lives of 29 Swiss Army officers in Reckingen, Switzerland.

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Ready Made Resouces is running a sale on Photonis White Phosphor PVS-14 night vision monocular/weapon sights with 1900+ FOM for $3,199. These have a 10-year warranty!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 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 $2,000.
  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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  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. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. 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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 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.

Persistence: Thoughts From An Old Prepper, by Bulldog

After a lifetime of living the prepping lifestyle, and as I reflect upon it, I would describe my prepping journey as an evolution of sorts. Such evolution appears present not only with my life but also within the entire movement. When I look back at my upbringing and early experiences of the mid 70’s and early 80’s I cannot even remember the term “prepping”. Certainly, however, I remember the term “survivalism”, particularly as I considered myself a student of the late Mel Tappan. I think it is safe to say that in those days and to a great extent, Joe Public looked down upon…and, I think, sometimes feared the latter [the result of media bias, even then]. Certainly, it could be said that they viewed them with suspicion.

Although we might categorize these two terms as relatively similar, traditionally I have found that people typically identified themselves as either one or the other, and similarly they seemed to likewise embrace slightly different ideologies. Into this mix, we could then throw in the term “homesteader”. Although a generalization, I think it might be said that Joe Public typically groups persons within the prepping and homesteader groups together, there would likely be a tendency to see the survivalist as a bit more militant.
We would likely all agree that the events of each of our lives, sometimes even the seemingly small ones, shape and mold us. They make us who we are. They make us unique! Again, reflecting upon my life…certainly my upbringing, the basic person I became was shaped by my parents. Looking back, I can see that they always strived to be prepared and the pantry — a 16′ x 20′ reinforced concrete cellar — was always full. This was, for the most part, food we had grown there on the farm which was then canned or dry canned. I bring this up only because my parents never seemed to adhere to or embrace any of the aforementioned labels. It was simply how they lived. We must remember that they were shaped by their childhood memories of World War II and the Cold War era.Continue reading“Persistence: Thoughts From An Old Prepper, by Bulldog”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both 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 the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

We had a busy week with slaughtering and butchering an 18-month-old steer.  Lily will fill you in with the details on that.  The photo above was taken in Cornwall – an ancestral home of the Rawles family.  Howdy, cousins!

I did some more bidding on online gun auctions, in my quest to add pre-1899 gun inventory at Elk Creek Company.  I was outbid on 95% of the lots where I put in bids. It appears that Bideniflaton is still in full force. Three years ago, I could regularly find unaltered Loewe Chilean contract Model 1895 Mausers for $275 to $425 each.  Now, they are priced at $500 to $850 each!  Similarly, I used to be able to find Ruger Old Army percussion revolvers for $475 to $725 each.  Now, they are selling at auction for $850 to $1,200 each!  This is discouraging. So I’ve had to redouble my efforts at bargain hunting. This takes a lot more of my time, but I still manage to find a few bargains.

Most recently, I’ve bought:

  • An unaltered Swiss Vetterli 1871 .41 Swiss rifle.
  • A brass frame Connecticut Valley Arms 1858 Remington .44 Army replica percussion revolver. (Made for CVA by Pietta of Italy.)
  • Two Ludwig Loewe Chilean contract Model 1895 7×57 Mausers. (I had to bid on nearly 20 rifles, to get just these two.)
  • A scarce Italian Torre M1891 Carcano 6.5mm Short rifle, dated 1897 on the receiver.
  • A Trapdoor Springfield M1884 .45-70 rifle with original Buffington rear sight.

The quest goes on…

Now, Llly’s part of the report:

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”