Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

Paraffin Lamps

Halfway between a candle and an oil lamp are paraffin lamps. They’re similar to oil lamps and burn the same fuel but they come in a small jar with a wick. They’re essentially a small oil lamp that burns more like a candle. I thought it would be interesting to test one but by the time I finished with the candle portion of my tests, there was no doubt in my mind these paraffin lamps with their small wicks and long burn times (one claimed 115 hours) wouldn’t be much better than candles. There’s only X amount of light energy per ounce of paraffin or oil no matter what form it’s in so a 115-hour burn time would have a mighty small flame. Online reviews confirm that the flame is tiny and they don’t burn anywhere near that long.

SECOND OPTION: OIL LAMPS

Kerosene and lamp oil (aka paraffin oil) are related petroleum products with kerosene being less refined. Kerosene also burns brighter than lamp oil.

JWR Adds: Many people who can tolerate the smell of lamp oil cannot tolerate the smell of kerosene.  Check on this with your family members before you stock up on lamp fuel in quantity.

In my trials, I quickly learned that kerosene is not a healthy option for indoor use. I started the kerosene hurricane lamp test in the house. Within a few minutes I decided it was a mistake so I took it outside. It cast a large shadow underneath and produced just enough light to illuminate the pathway. In my shop, there was only enough light for low-light work like sharpening a hoe or sanding a board where feel is as important as sight. The light from a kerosene lamp with an average ¾” wick is too dim with large shadows for any moderately precision work like using a drill press. Kerosene is less expensive than lamp oil so probably makes a good choice for nighttime outdoor activities like checking out that racket coming from the chicken coop, but it is not a good choice for the house or closed shop.Continue reading“Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is 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. In today’s column, a further examination of A.I.’s ramifications.

Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence?

A CalTech Science Exchange article: Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence?  Here is an excerpt:

“When people think about the dangers of AI, they often think of Skynet, the fictional, sentient, humanity-destroying AI in the Terminator movies. In this imagined scenario, an AI system grows beyond human ability to control it and develops new capabilities that were not programmed at the outset. The term “singularity” is sometimes used to describe this situation.

Experts continue to debate when—and whether—this is likely to occur and the scope of resources that should be directed to addressing it. University of Oxford professor Nick Bostrom notably predicts that AI will become superintelligent and overtake humanity. Caltech AI and social sciences researchers are less convinced.”

A Bird Flu Update

An update at the CDC website: H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation. An excerpt:

“Detections in Animals

    • 12,702 wild birds detected as of 3/25/2025 | Full Report
    • 51 jurisdictions with bird flu in wild birds
    • 168,256,678 poultry affected as of 4/7/2025 | Full Report
    • 51 jurisdictions with outbreaks in poultry
    • 998 dairy herds affected as of 4/3/2025 | Full Report
    • 17 states with outbreaks in dairy cows”

China Cuts Off Rare Earth Mineral Exports to U.S.

SurvivalBlog reader H.L. sent this: China Cuts Off Rare Earth Mineral Exports to U.S. in Trade War with Trump.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 9, 2025

On April 9, 1768, John Hancock refused to allow two British customs agents to go below the deck of his ship. This was considered the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies.

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April 9, 1869: The Hudson Bay Company ceded its territory to the Commonwealth of Canada.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 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 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 $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  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 $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 1, by St. Funogas

Author’s Introductory Disclaimer: I have no association with or receive any benefit from any of the companies whose products are mentioned in this article. They’re used for examples only, I haven’t used some of them, I’m not making recommendations, and the reader is advised to do their own research before making any purchases.

This is the first article of a planned series, discussing the various options for lighting our homesteads in a permanent grid-down world.

Some of us have been in a multi-day grid-down situation at least once in our lives. For some, it is an inconvenience, for others an adventure. We get out the flashlights, candles, or oil lamps and we wait anxiously for the power to come back on.

Whatever form of backup lighting we currently have for a temporary blackout is probably good enough for the short term. If not, a quick trip to Walmart this weekend can get us all the preps we need to make it through a four-day ice storm or hurricane.Continue reading“Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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A case analysis from “Armed Scholar” Anthony Miranda: Breaking! Supreme Court Decision Strikes Down Machine Gun Possession Law & Charges! DOJ Responds! JWR’s Comments: I am praying that there is a Circuit Split on this issue, so that the Supreme Court will feel obliged to settle this decisively, in light of the Bruen decision!

o  o  o

Rains add to misery in quake-hit Myanmar as death toll rises to 3,471.

o  o  o

At Townhall: Why National Concealed Carry Reciprocity will make Americans safer.

o  o  o

The State of Texas has announced an Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday, from April 26 to 28, 2025.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 8, 2025

April 8, 217: Roman Emperor Caracalla was assassinated by (and succeeded by) his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.

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On April 8, 1913, the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by Congress, providing for the election of senators by popular vote.

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April 8th was the birthday of the late Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia. (Born, 1919, died November 20, 2007.)

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April 8th is also the anniversary of the death of English experimental gunsmith and author Phillip Luty, in 2011. He was hounded by British authorities for many years. He died of cancer before a scheduled criminal trial.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 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 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 $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

 

For Preppers With Adolescent Chidren, by D.M.C.

Parents who decide to pursue the survivalist lifestyle do so for many reasons. Some are convinced of a need for self-sufficiency. Others are uncomfortable with the direction in which they see society headed, and may even see a more deliberate lifestyle as beneficial for their children. And, yes, some are on a fantasy trip after watching the latest Mad Max movie. Regardless of the motivation, parents need to remember that they are carrying some other souls along with them…their children. Even the more mature adolescents may not understand the motivation to step out of the old, comfortable life to move into a new, more rural, life in which the new calf is always born at 3:00 AM, the cars don’t start in the morning and the rain washes out the culvert…again.

The children of preppers can become embittered as they watch these recurrent, minor disasters and realize they have given up their friends, their music, their athletic teams, or maybe just their time, to what they often see as their parents’ obsession with prepping. The kids can become recalcitrant.Continue reading“For Preppers With Adolescent Chidren, by D.M.C.”

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 located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, news of the death of a Wyoming Bull Rider. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

Idaho House and Senate wrap up 2025 legislative session.

o  o  o

Pocatello: Zoo Idaho opens April 5th.  From the press release:

“Zoo Idaho is back for the 2025 season, showcasing our amazing native species. The zoo will be open weekends in April and weekdays starting May 1.

Zoo Idaho is an indigenous zoo exhibiting only native species found within the Intermountain West. The majority of animals at the zoo were brought in through the help of Idaho Fish and Game and various agencies and organizations. These animals can no longer thrive in the wild and the zoo has given them a forever home. When you visit Zoo Idaho you can know you are supporting animal conservation and wildlife conservation.”

o  o  o

New evidence in Bryan Kohberger trial reveals defense strategies.

o  o  o

Idaho’s ‘home hardening’ initiative aims to secure insurance.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 7, 2025

Gerrit Dou (April 7, 1613 – February 9, 1675) — also known as Gerard Douw or Dow — was a Dutch Golden Age painter.  From the InfoGalactic Wiki: “…[his] small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders. He specialized in genre scenes and is noted for his trompe-l’œil “niche” paintings and candlelit night scenes with strong chiaroscuro. He was a student of Rembrandt.

Dou was born in Leiden, where his father was a manufacturer of stained-glass. He studied drawing under Bartholomeus Dolendo, and then trained in the stained-glass workshop of Pieter Couwenhorn. In February 1628, at the age of fourteen, his father sent him to study painting in the studio of Rembrandt (then aged about 21) who lived nearby. From Rembrandt, with whom he remained for about three years, he acquired his skill in coloring and in the more subtle effects of chiaroscuro, and his master’s style is reflected in several of his earlier pictures.”

His painting “Dog At Rest” (above) is in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

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April 7th is also the birthday of Colonel Bob Denard (born 1929, died October 13, 2007). He had an amazing life as a mercenary, including four attempted coups in the Comoros.

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Today’s feature piece is a review written by our own Tom Christianson.

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We are seeking entries for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Silver Stag WTS2.5C Trapper, by Thomas Christianson

  1. Good things come in small packages: A fine watch, a Faberge egg, or a new baby are all precious gifts.

The Silver Stag WTS2.5C Trapper is another good thing that comes in a small package. With a 2.5 inch, full-tang, hollow-ground D2 blade, and a cocobolo handle, the knife is an ideal size and shape for skinning, caping and game processing. With the textured mill scale which is left on the flat of the blade, the mirror polish of the bevel, the rich glow of the cocobolo handle, and the accent of the brass pins, the knife is also a work of art.

Silver Stag has a way of producing knives that are almost too beautiful to use. But I sure used this one a lot. I carried it long enough to stain the included high-quality-leather sheath dark with sweat on the side facing my body and to blacken that sheath with ground-in dirt on the side facing away from my body.Continue reading“Silver Stag WTS2.5C Trapper, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Swiss Chard and Walnut Pesto

The following recipe for a Swiss Chard and Walnut Pesto is from SurvivalBlog reader Joanna E..

Ingredients
  • Swiss chard leaves from one large bunch. Remove the stems and set aside. Roughly chop the chard leaves.
  • 1 cup of basil, roughly chopped
  • ½ to ¾ cup olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Add chard, stirring until leaves are just wilted. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
  3. Using a food processor or immersion blender, add the chard, basil, garlic, walnuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cheese. Add only enough olive oil to moisten and help the mixture break down and come together — about half a cup.
  4. Pulse the processor until all ingredients are incorporated and pureed.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
SERVING

Joanna writes: “This pesto is great over pasta or on toast. You can mix a teaspoon of it into scrambled eggs or spread it on focaccia.”

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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:  U.S. Places With Similar Climates. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit and u/Aofen)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

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