Our 36-Hour Test During the Nor’easter Wind Storm, by RR in the Mid-Atlantic

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We knew this storm was a short-term situation, and so we used it as an opportunity to test systems and find holes in our plans. Keep that in mind as you read this article. We just experienced very heavy and sustained winds and no snow/rain/flooding, which would obviously bring a whole new set of challenges.

Generators

Backup generators are critical. Ours is a “portable”, 10K watt starting (8,500 running watts), gasoline-powered Generac. It has a 30 amp plug and cord that is then connected into a cable that connects into a 50-watt sub panel we have integrated to our home main electrical panel. That home panel has a dedicated set of circuits that can run critical components, such as the furnace, kitchen appliances, and outlets, a few rooms with light, and our upstairs MBR and bathroom with power. It also runs our septic and well systems. Lots of comforts were had when 95% of the neighborhood was dark and without water or septic.

Running a Noisy Generator

We ran the generator at three-hour intervals during the day and turned it off as we slept. The unit ran for approximately 12 hours, and it drank around four gallons of gasoline. It is loud, but all the neighbors have acreage around us, and I didn’t find that anyone beyond my closest neighbors who could hear it. I would like to see about some sort of muffler enhancement to make it less noisy. The generator also has a pull string start, which is handy because the battery is quite dead. We would have been more conservative with the hours running the generator, but we knew that this was a short-term situation. It was a good time to run a good test and learn some lessons.

Continue reading“Our 36-Hour Test During the Nor’easter Wind Storm, by RR in the Mid-Atlantic”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest 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 JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on Remington Firearms. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Precious Metals:

How to Buy Gold or Silver With Bitcoin & Other Cryptos

Cryptos:

After dipping to as low as $7,421 USD last week, the value of Bitcoin seems to have bounced back.  I believe that $8,000 is a realistic new floor level. There could be a test of a $6,200 USD price level, but I expect BTC to gradually build a base from around $8,100 USD. Although I hedged out of some of my Bitcoin holdings in to precious metals a while back, I’m still bullish for both BTC and Ether, in the long term.

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Many libertarians were fond of asking “Who is John Galt?”  Now, some have switched to asking:  Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

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 Tactical Walls — a firearms concealment furniture company.

Books:

The Call Of The Wild, by Jack London

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NOLS Winter Camping (NOLS Library)

 

Movies:

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. On DVD, but also now available fro free download for anyone with an Amazon Prime membership.

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Bitcoin Gospel — a 2018 documentary on DVD. It is also now available for free download for Amazon Prime members.

 

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that ‘violence begets violence.’ I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure—and in some cases I have—that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy.” – Col. Jeff Cooper

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – March 20, 2018

March 20th is the birthday of Mel Tappan. (Born 1933, died 1980.) His perennially popular survivalist books Survival Guns and Tappan on Survival have a well-deserved following.

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We are coming on the end of Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. If you would like your article to be considered in this round, get it finished and sent in to the editors soon!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 75 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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. 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 gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, and
  6. 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).

Round 75 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.

The Second Amendment, by D.V.

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There is a lot of talk about the Second Amendment right now. The Bill of Rights is a document that has been enshrined in the annals of America. Ultimately, it is the fundamental rights that is provided to individuals to protect them from an overbearing government. While of the amendments on the Bill of Rights that are under attack, the amendment that takes the greatest beating is Amendment #2– the Right to Bear Arms. (I believe I could make valid arguments on all ten are under attack, yes even Amendment #3– No Quartering of Soldiers, but that is a different article.)

What the Second Amendment Says

In total, if it is not ingrained in your heart or tattooed on your arm, the Second Amendment reads, “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” A plain reading and understanding of this text is that the people are the standing army and therefore should be armed as such. There are multiple documents, court opinions, and articles on this amendment that date from when it was written to now.

Continue reading“The Second Amendment, by D.V.”

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 the American Redoubt’s equestrian culture and colorful rodeos.

Idaho

Idaho’s Rodeo Culture

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Southwest Idaho Endurance Riding

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Homeschooled kids here in the American Redoubt often amaze me. For example, I’ve witnessed their great ability to memorize lengthy passages of scripture and the Declaration of Independence. But Akiane Kramarik, from Sandpoint, Idaho is astoundingly off the scale!  Child Prodigy is a Self-Made Millionaire from Selling Her Incredible Paintings SuperHuman: Geniuses

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

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 “HJL”. Turkey disturbingly calls for an “Army of Islam” to attack Israel this week.

The Six “No’s” You Need to Know

Dale Carson Law, in Florida, has posted a YouTube video outlining six common things that you can say “no” to when dealing with police. What is good about this is that the lawyer outlines that while you can say “no”, you may not want to. For instance, if you are a passenger in a vehicle, you do not have to show ID to a police officer. However, if the officer declares the scene unsafe because he doesn’t know that you may belong there, he might arrest you. While the arrest would probably be removed, your fingerprints will now be in the law enforcement database forever. The record of that arrest will never be totally removed and it may affect your ability to gain or retain employment. If you have an attitude with the cop over a refusal to show ID, the likelihood of the conflict moving in that direction is much greater.

Army of Islam

Reader G.P. sent in this link responding to Turkey’s call (through their semi-official newspaper) for a 57 nation “Army of Islam” where all of the nations ruled by Islam would form a coalition to besiege and attack Israel. This move of combining military might would create the largest military force on the planet. Given Islam’s hatred of Israel and America, that is certainly a terrifying thought. Probably the only saving grace is that Islam seems just as adept at killing each other as they do at killing non-Islamist. The article does show that Turkey, while still a member of NATO, really doesn’t share any attributes with their western neighbors.

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

SOG Knives Kiku Folder by Pat Cascio

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If your tastes run along the lines of the great Japanese knife designers, then you’ll really enjoy the SOG Knives Kiku folder. It’s under review today.

Talented American Knife Designers

I know many American knife designers, and they are some pretty talented folks. I got to know quite a few of them when I was the West Coast Field Editor for Knives Illustrated magazine, for which I wrote for more years than any other writer. So I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of custom knife makers/designers over the years. However, many folks believe that when it comes to Japanese knife makers/designers, they have the rest of ‘em beat hands down!

Marriage of SOG Opening Device and Design by Japanese Knife Designer Kiku Matsuda

SOG Knives partnered with Kiku Matsuda, a well-known Japanese knife maker/designer, to come out with several of his world famous designs. Under review this time around is the Kiku SOG spring-assisted opening folding knife. The knife design itself belongs to Matsuda, but the SOG spring-assisted opening device is owned by SOG. The marriage of the two is really quite something to behold.

Continue reading“SOG Knives Kiku Folder by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Easy Mayonnaise by Grey Woman

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Now that my tomato plants have broken through the earth in their snug little pots (barely) and the smell of fresh baked bread is floating through the house, my thoughts are turning to my absolute favorite summer snack: Fresh tomato sandwiches with homemade mayonnaise.

When grocery store mayo just won’t do, this is the easiest recipe I have!

Ingredients:

I large egg (fresh from the coop is best)

  • 1+tbs Dijon mustard
  • 1+tbs White vinegar
  • ¼ +tsp sea salt (or kosher)
  • 1 cup mild flavored oil (I use avocado oil, but any mild oil will work)
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Note: I include the “+” because I prefer a tangier taste, if you do not, then just stick to the basic measurements.

Directions:

  1. Combine egg (not cold!), mustard, Vinegar and some of the salt in a bowl and whip briskly with a whisk (you can use a food processor or submersion blender but I like to keep it “old school” even though it is a bit of work).
  2. As you whisk, start to drip the oil in one drop at a time until you are about 1/3 done. It is really important not to add the oil too fast or it will just never get to be the right texture.
  3. Once it has started to thicken up, you can start adding the remaining oil a bit faster, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically.
  4. Once all of the oil is incorporated, keep whisking for another few minutes and then add in the other ingredients (taste for flavor as you go) and mix in thoroughly.

It will keep in the fridge for about as long as you would keep the eggs. Enjoy!

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest 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 JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on investing in classic bolt action rifles. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Precious Metals:

To start us off, here is a good piece at Silver Doctors: The Gold Standard 101: Measuring Gold And The Dollar Now Versus Then

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Gold/Silver Ratio Signals Massive Silver Rally

 

Cryptos:

At MarketSlant: Has Bitcoin Bought It?
Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But as no two (theoreticians) agree on this (skin friction) or any other subject, some not agreeing today with what they wrote a year ago, I think we might put down all their results, add them together, and then divide by the number of mathematicians, and thus find the average coefficient of error. (1908)” – Sir Hiram Maxim

 

Preparedness Notes for Sunday – March 18, 2018

March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.)

It is also the birthday of Luc Besson, director and producer of films such as Nikita and The Fifth Element.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 75 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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. 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 gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, and
  6. 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).

Round 75 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.