Cutting Your Power Utility Cord, by Dennis Williams – Pt. 2

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Step 4: Equipment

Inverters

When setting up your off-grid power system, don’t buy the cheapest inverter that you can find on Amazon! There are several excellent inverter manufacturers out there. I have some that I love, some of them are okay, and some I will not install. Keep in mind, as a professional installer, my reputation is at stake on every project I put in. There are some cheap ones that may perform well, I can’t go there. Some of the “good stuff” out there can power your retreat, automatically start and stop the generator based on battery status, and be tied into the ‘net. I know, some people don’t like that option, but on my end, I can monitor my projects, and even tweak them without leaving my office.

Whatever you do, make sure it is a pure sine wave inverter. They are more efficient, and your equipment plugged into them will last longer. Be careful of the cheap junk available on the ‘net. I have seen an 8000 watt (rated) 12-volt inverter in person. It said it needed to be fused at 200 amps. Simple math folks, power(W)=current(I) x voltage(E), so W=200 x 12, power = 2400 watts. What kind of alien technology are they selling you for the low cost of just $249, that it can output triple the power input?

My business is totally off-grid, powered by an old-school Outback Power Systems FX series 2000-watt inverter. It powers my air conditioner in the summer, and powers my pellet stove all winter. My house has a Magnum Power Systems PAE4448 that I took in on trade a few years back when a customer upgraded to an Outback GS8048 Radian. It backs up our several deep freezes and refrigerators. It will soon power the fan for my LP furnace, and the wife’s freeze dryer. I also have a twelve-year-old Xantrex Pro Sine 1800 that was in the house for a few years, then was bumped out to my shop for several years. Now it is in one of my service trucks. One of my work trailers has a little Morningstar 300W unit, which is fine for running tool chargers, lights, radios, etc. None of them have ever missed a beat.Continue reading“Cutting Your Power Utility Cord, by Dennis Williams – Pt. 2”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today’s focus is on Demographic Imperatives.

Precious Metals:

Gold Edges Down As Fed Minutes Offer Clues Into January’s Policy Reversal

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Prepare Now For Global Financial Crisis – Jim Willie Interviews Mark O’Byrne

 

Economy & Finance:

Bloomberg: U.S. Student Debt in ‘Serious Delinquency’ Tops $166 Billion

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Payless ShoeSource to shutter all of its remaining 2,100 US stores but plans to still keep its 1,400 in Latin America open

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Worried about Costs & Slowdown? Amazon Scuttles HQ2 Altogether, Plunges NY City Real Estate Industry “Into Despair”

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More Than Half Of Homes Listed In NYC Last Year Never Sold

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“When then, my Lords, are all the generous efforts of our ancestors, are all those glorious contentions, by which they meant to secure themselves, and to transmit to their posterity, a known law, a certain rule of living, reduced to this conclusion, that instead of the arbitrary power of a King, we must submit to the arbitrary power of a House of Commons? If this be true, what benefit do we derive from the exchange? Tyranny, my Lords, is detestable in every shape; but in none is it so formidable as where it is assumed and exercised by a number of tyrants. But, my Lords, this is not the fact, this is not the constitution; we have a law of Parliament, we have a code in which every honest man may find it. We have Magna Charta, we have the Statute-book, and we have the Bill of Rights…It is to your ancestors, my Lords, it is to the English barons that we are indebted for the laws and constitution we possess. Their virtues were rude and uncultivated, but they were great and sincere…I think that history has not done justice to their conduct, when they obtained from their Sovereign that great acknowledgment of national rights contained in Magna Charta: they did not confine it to themselves alone, but delivered it as a common blessing to the whole people…A breach has been made in the constitution—the battlements are dismantled—the citadel is open to the first invader—the walls totter—the place is no longer tenable.—What then remains for us but to stand foremost in the breach, to repair it, or to perish in it?…let us consider which we ought to respect most—the representative or the collective body of the people. My Lords, five hundred gentlemen are not ten millions; and, if we must have a contention, let us take care to have the English nation on our side. If this question be given up, the freeholders of England are reduced to a condition baser than the peasantry of Poland…Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it; and this I know, my Lords, that where law ends, there tyranny begins.” – William Pitt (Elder) Speech in the House of Lords on John Wilkes (9 January 1770), quoted in William Pitt, The Speeches of the Right Honourable the Earl of Chatham in the Houses of Lords and Commons (London: Aylott & Jones, 1848), pp. 90-4.

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 21, 2019

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February 21st is the birthday of Group Captain Douglas Bader (born 1910, died 5 September 1982). He was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War. He lost his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him from re-entering the RAF when war broke out. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable, and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader was eventually shot down and became a POW in Germany. Bader’s autobiography Reach for the Sky is a must for those studying aviation in World War II.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. 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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 81 ends on March 28th, 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.

 

 

Cutting Your Power Utility Cord, by Dennis Williams – Pt. 1.

A Short Primer on Making Your Own Electricity

Most of us have thought of the dream: A secluded retreat nestled in the woods, off the beaten path, no mortgage, no utility bills, raising our own food, homeschooling our children, spending time with our family, etc. Then we pop back to reality, and try to plan out and prioritize how we make it happen. How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?

Ten seconds of background on me: I have been playing with solar energy for 40 years. I am an Army combat veteran, and have had solar on my own house since 1999. (Anyone remember the Y2K scare?) I have been a professional solar contractor for the last decade. My amazing wife puts up with most of my prepping habits.  I bribe her with a new Glock every now and then, let her go to training classes, and equip her with cool toys, like the Harvest Right freeze dryer last Mother’s Day. We raise a lot of our own food, both in the garden and on our acreage, and process all of it at home. My awesome wife can outshoot me with a handgun, take care of our acreage when I am overseas, and still homeschools most of our children. As full disclosure, we still are connected to the electrical utility, but are slowly weaning ourselves off it. We have several battery-based solar systems on our property and add more to it every year.

Okay, let’s get to the meat of our subject. I will not go out of my way to candy coat things here. I will try to be brutally honest. As Americans, we tend to be wasteful of energy. I do a fair amount of work in Third World countries around the world, living and working with people who could survive on just what we waste.

Step 1: Load Analysis

The biggest issue is in figuring out what we actually need for energy. If you live in the Redoubt, or the northern Midwest as I do, you’ll need to heat your living space to be comfortable. Remember the line above about the better half being a better shot? Yes, Ma’am, I will keep the house warm for you and the little ones. The biggest issue with solar energy in northern climates is that we tend to use more energy when we have the least available resource. My particular area gives me close to seven hours of generating sunlight in the summer, but only two in December-January. Obviously, electric heat is not an option (more on that later). It is great for air conditioning in the summer, but when we start needing heat, we do not want to rely on solar PV alone, due to shorter days.

Continue reading“Cutting Your Power Utility Cord, by Dennis Williams – Pt. 1.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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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”.  Today, we focus on the new .308 PMAG drums. (See the last item in this column.)

Kentucky Sheriff Warns Residents To ‘Load Guns’

Gregg sent us this: Kentucky Sheriff Warns Residents To ‘Load Guns’

Mapped: The Median Age of the Population

A hat tip to H.L. for sending us this: Mapped: The Median Age of the Population on Every Continent

Chinese Dam Disaster Hushed Up

Also from H.L. came this note: “I thought you would be interested in this story I found on MSN: 230,000 Died in a Dam Collapse That China Kept Secret for Years. A nation 87,000 reservoirs! That is mind boggling.”

Washington Attorney General Threatens County Sheriffs

At TownHall.com: Washington State AG to Sheriffs: Put Your Political Views Aside And Enforce Our Gun Control Law…Or Else. JWR’s Comment:  The political divide that follows the crestline of the Cascades just gets wider and wider…

Rebinding Bibles

It’s been a while since SurvivalBlog readers have heard from me. Yes, I’m still around, though I have stepped down from the Managing Editor position. Instead, my family is working on our family blog as well as reactivating our Bible rebinding business. If you have a Bible or another book that is in need of a new cover or some repairs, contact us. We have a new ad running in the SurvivalBlog ad stack. You can also see some of our work on our new web page at The Treasured Book. We are still building the web site, but the shop is up and running and we’re accepting jobs. – HJL

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“This is a nation of inconsistencies. The Puritans fleeing from oppression became oppressors. We fought England for our liberty and put chains on four million of blacks. We wiped out slavery and our tariff laws and national banks began a system of white wage slavery worse than the first.

Wall Street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, by Wall Street, and for Wall Street.

The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master. The West and South are bound and prostrate before the manufacturing East.

Money rules, and our Vice-President is a London banker. Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us. We were told two years ago to go to work and raise a big crop, that was all we needed. We went to work and plowed and planted; the rains fell, the sun shone, nature smiled, and we raised the big crop that they told us to; and what came of it? Eight-cent corn, ten-cent oats, two-cent beef and no price at all for butter and eggs-that’s what came of it.

The politicians said we suffered from overproduction. Overproduction, when 10,000 little children, so statistics tell us, starve to death every year in the United States, and over 100,000 shopgirls in New York are forced to sell their virtue for the bread their niggardly wages deny them.

We want money, land and transportation. We want the abolition of the National Banks, and we want the power to make loans direct from the government. We want the foreclosure system wiped out.

We will stand by our homes and stay by our fireside by force if necessary, and we will not pay our debts to the loan-shark companies until the government pays its debts to us. The people are at bay; let the bloodhounds of money who dogged us thus far beware.” – Populist movement leader Mary Elizabeth Lease. (Excerpts from a speech that she delivered circa 1890.)

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 20, 2019

This is the birthday of novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson (1926–2013). He wrote many sci-fi television scripts. His novella I Am Legend later was adapted into three different movies over the course of five decades, and his story Bid Time Return became the charming movie Somewhere In Time.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. 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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 81 ends on March 28th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-

Age-Adjusted Prepping, by Wandering Will

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It is said that prepping is not a movement or a philosophy. It is a way of life, and a way of life must accommodate changes in life. Having squarely arrived into my “Golden Years,” I was reluctantly forced to take a fresh look at my prepping agenda. Not exactly a newbie to the game. I’m still eating Year 2000 Problem (Y2K) food, I have accumulated food, gear, and training over the years and have reached a somewhat reasonable level of comfort. However, we all know what happens when we start feeling confident. After a few recent practice drills and equipment purchases, clearly it was time to make some adjustments. What I would like to do is offer a somewhat tongue-in-cheek (with some exaggeration) summation of some key areas of Age-Adjusted Prepping and then illustrate the changes required.

Note: Throughout this article I’ll be using a new acronym:  What the Experts Say (WTES).

Bug Out Bags

What the Experts Say (WTES): Should weigh between x and xx pounds and should only contain essential items, which are different depending on which “expert” you consult. Forget the camouflage or olive drab (OD) green. The bag should not look too military. You want to blend in, you know, the “Grey Man” concept. Not to worry, I have this grey man thing down pat. Every morning, I look in the mirror and see the grey hair and beard. Now, for the age-adjusted, bug out bag, mine is not military, did not cost $350, and is stuffed with way more than essentials. Yes, it is too heavy, but at my age I will not be trekking 20 miles a day; and when I hit my limit, the contents of my bag will insure that I will be warm, dry, and well fed.

Storage Food

WTES: A combination of dehydrated, home, and commercially-canned goods, and round out your supply with freeze-dried products with a shelf life of 25 years. Alright, good plan, we went that route including food preserved from our garden. Also, over the years, we have gradually (because of the cost involved) acquired a reasonable supply of freeze-dried storage food. The age-adjusted problem, we have limited space for storage for our food so future purchases will concentrate on bulk products such as rice and beans. The freeze-dried stuff is nice but expensive and at our age the 25 year shelf life is probably irrelevant.

Continue reading“Age-Adjusted Prepping, by Wandering Will”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on the documentary film Thud Pilots.   (See the Movies section.)

Books:

Phil Robertson’s latest book: The Theft of America’s Soul: Blowing the Lid Off the Lies That Are Destroying Our Country

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Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss, with 100+ Easy Low-Carb Recipes

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Deer Hunting Secrets Exposed – Take The Best Buck Of Your Life

 

Movies:

I recently watched a fascinating documentary about F-105 pilots in the Vietnam war, on Amazon Prime:  Thud Pilots. Very few of these guys got through a 100-mission tour unscathed. They really had guts.

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Planet Earth I & II

 

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today’s focus is on Silver Price Manipulation.

Precious Metals (Silver Price Manipulation):

Ted Butler: A New Silver Issue For The Justice Department. Here is a pointed quote from Ted:

“As of the close of business on Jan 15, the 8 largest traders on the short side of COMEX silver futures held a net (pure) short position of 95,577 contracts, the equivalent of nearly 478 million ounces of silver, or roughly 60% of annual total mine production. The four largest traders held a net short position of 70,627 contracts, the equivalent of more than 350 million ounces or roughly 40% of total annual world mine production. In terms of the average short holdings of each trader; the 4 largest traders average more than 87 million ounces per trader, while the 8 largest traders hold short nearly 60 million ounces per trader.

No silver mining company produces 60 million ounces per year. Moreover, silver prices traded flat to lower over the reporting week, finishing at $15.62. That represents a price barely at or even below the cost of production for a primary silver miner, so the thought that silver miners were rushing to sell short and hedge production is absurd.”

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You may have noticed that Spot Silver jumped 25 cents (USD) per Troy ounce on Tuesday, to $15.95.  (Feb. 19, 2019.)  A run up to $17+ per ounce may be really happening…

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Palladium soars to record high on supply deficit; gold gains

 

Economy & Finance:

Housing Market Crash 2019 or 2020?

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Stacking The Next QE On Top Of A $4 Trillion Fed Floor

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Greatest Bubbles of All Time

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 19, 2019

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Today is the birthday of Lee Marvin (1924–1987), starring actor in The Professionals and The Big Red One.

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The first batch of 1,000 of the SurvivalBlog 2005-2018 Archive Waterproof 16 GB USB sticks sold out in just  five weeks. After a brief delay, the second batch of just 550 is now in hand, tested, and available for shipment. This may be our final batch of this year’s edition, so order yours, soon. Many folks place order for two or three of them at a time.

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Ready Made Resources — one of our original advertisers — is running a short-term special: With the purchase of any night vision unit, they are including the bonus of a $149 Multicam bump helmet, at no extra charge.

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Today we are presenting a tragi-comic guest article by one of our long-time readers and former advertisers. (Their company, Nature’s Complement was formerly called Tober’s Traditions.) As we will learn, a cross-country move requires considerable planning, due diligence, and sometimes infinite patience.

Misadventures in Moving, by Tober

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Editor’s Introductory Note:  I generally avoid posting rants, but this one about a Budget rental truck was genuinely epic and tragi-comic.  If you don’t enjoy rants, then only read the first section. – JWR

I think sharing this story will help me a bit, as this was quite an adventure that was mentally and physically exhausting. This article is long, so I decided to put the tips at the beginning. If you want to read the story of why I thought these tips were important, continue below.

Here are my mental health tips for you if you’re planning on making any type of move cross country with all your stuff:

  1. Check the rental truck over carefully, including the oil, other fluids, and belts. Don’t assume the rental place did it. Pretend the last person that had the truck treated it in the worst possible way, and the rental employees are too lazy to do anything about it.
  2. Get at least the basic insurance. It saved our butts in this case. Your regular insurance might not cover vehicles over a certain weight, so at least call and find out.
  3. Allow extra time. If there are no trucks available the day you need them, change the date, or go with a different rental company. Don’t accept the last truck. And most importantly, always expect things to go wrong.
  4. Pack your belongings as if you expect them to get flipped and turned sideways. You never know what will happen. We were fortunate nothing broke.
  5. Don’t buy used trucks from these rental places. Clearly they don’t service them properly. Our truck only had 56,000 miles on it when we picked it up. 56,750 when it left us stranded on the side of the road. As we stared at the back of the broken truck with the sign “We have used trucks for sale”. I bet you do, this one will be next on that list.
  6. Pack plenty of food, water, warm clothes/blankets, and even a bucket in case you need a toilet. No need to pee on the side of the road (yeah, easy for a guy, not a gal). This Self-Contained Toilet has good reviews on amazon (haven’t used it myself). And if you like privacy, might not hurt to have one of these privacy pop-up tents tucked away behind a seat somewhere. And don’t forget the hand sanitizer or soap and water with paper towels. You may be washing your hands on the side of the road as well.

Continue reading“Misadventures in Moving, by Tober”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on tent makers and tent sellers in the American Redoubt. Some folks take the Apostle Paul literally–about being tent makers, that is… Because wall tents and especially their poles are bulky and expensive to ship, it is often best to order one in advance and then pick it up in person. The photo above is historical — it is of a tent used by Idaho gold prospectors, back in the 19th Century. It is not a tent made by any of the listed makers.

Idaho (Tentmakers)

Elk Mountain Tents makes some fine quality wall tents. They are located in Nampa, Idaho.

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Idaho Canvas Products makes some great wall tents.  Contact: email@idahocanvas.com

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Thunder Mountain Tent And Canvas has been family owned and pperated since 1984. They are located in Nampa, Idaho.

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Reader T.Z, sent this news link: Tanzanian Refugees Arrested for Gang Rape of 18-Year-Old Idaho Woman

 

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