A Few Hard-Learned Lessons- Part 1, by Grey Woman

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I assure you that all of the following lessons are ones I have learned the hard way. I am sure that for those of you who grew up with a self-sufficient lifestyle or have been doing this for a while or even just possess a tiny bit more common sense than I do, this will be a good laugh. These are embarrassing but all 100% true.

Feel free to chuckle, guffaw, head slap, ridicule, or otherwise enjoy my complete and utter loss of pride. I can take it, and I certainly deserve it. Sometimes even I wonder how I have lived this long.

For the rest of you, particularly women, who may be just starting out prepping in the country on your own and trying to shed your urban or suburban shell, read on. My story and lessons that follow, provided in no particular order, might save you money, time, injury, and humiliation as you make this journey towards self-sufficiency and preparedness.

Chainsaws – A Lesson-Rich Piece of Equipment!

A few years ago, before I even really started prepping seriously, my father suffered a decline in health; when I was helping him move some heavier things out of his garage, he offered me his old chainsaw. For free, I received a quality 24” chainsaw, and, knowing my dad, one that was meticulously maintained.

I knew just what I was going to use it for right away. I had a mid-sized tree that was close to my house and not in good shape. I had been somewhat concerned that it would fall on the house in heavy winds, and I knew it needed to come down. Now I could take care of it all by myself and without hiring someone or going out and buying a chainsaw!

Lesson #1 : A 24” Chainsaw is Really Heavy

It’s so heavy that, frankly, I am lucky I did not lose a leg trying to wield it. There is nothing wrong with stepping down to a 14” or 16” chainsaw if you are not a large, strong person (or even if you are). It is also very worth spending the money to buy a tool you can physically handle. It does not make you a wimp to admit it. You may have to be a bit more creative with a smaller chain saw, but you will be infinitely more productive and have a much better chance of keeping your extremities.

Continue reading“A Few Hard-Learned Lessons- Part 1, by Grey Woman”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready! This week’s emphasis is on the arrival of Spring

JWR

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers,
Spring has arrived! This past week saw milder temperatures here at the Rawles Ranch. It is good to see the snow receding! But there is a bit of snow in the forecast for this weekend. Thankfully, it is not expected to stick.

For the last few days we’ve been in manure hauling mode. This has been our first chance this year to be able to get the manure out of the barnyard and have a place to haul it.  This is also the first chance we’ve had to get our bicycles out and have enough gravel on which to ride them.

To hedge against a possible near-term decline in the cryptocurrency market I have substantially pared down our Bitcoin holdings over the past couple of weeks. With direct Bitcoin transfers, I bought a few more 80% AR-15 and AR-10 billet receiver blanks from Defense Distributed. I also bought some full capacity magazines and some 1-ounce silver rounds from two of my favorite mailorder firms.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Our garden preps are continuing well. Many of our sprouts will soon be ready to be moved to the greenhouse or transplanting.

Please continue to post comments about your own preps.

Thanks, – Jim Rawles and Avalanche Lily, Rawles

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

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”. Once again, the American people are betrayed by their congressmen and more gun control is implemented.

Republicans Pass Gun Control

The ridiculously expensive omnibus bill just passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by President Trump includes the controversial “Fix NICS” background check enhancements. It also contains provisions to strip the Second Amendment rights from Social Security recipients if they have financial problems. This despite no “old timers with dementia” having committed any mass murders or drug-related killings. Both political parties stink. The Republicans are well on their way to alienating the very wave of voters that put them in power last election. The Democrats want to turn the U.S. into a socialist/communist regime. Both parties can’t balance a checkbook. Thanks to Reader B.L. for the link.

Citigroup Enforces Gun Control

Dick’s Sporting goods has doubled down on their refusal to sell firearms to anyone under 21 years old despite admitting that they are seeing a deeper dip in sales across the board since their decision. Reader H.L. sent in this article on how Citigroup has now decided to enforce these kinds of restrictions on customers. If a business uses Citigroup to process credit cards, then they are not allowed to sale to individuals under 21 either. If the business balks at these restrictions, Citigroup says they can go somewhere else. We hope that every American who believes in the Second Amendment, whether or not they own a firearm, cancels their Citibank credit card and/or account and finds another bank and/or credit card.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“Thus saith the Lord,
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might,
let not the rich man glory in his riches:
but let him that glorieth glory in this,
that he understandeth and knoweth me,
that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness, in the earth:
for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”
– Jeremiah 9:23-24 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – March 23, 2018

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This is the birthday of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He directed 30 films. His samurai films (many starring Toshiro Mifune) such as Yojimbo, Sanjuro, The Hidden Fortress, Rashomon, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, and Ran are considered legendary in the cinema world. In honor of his birthday, I’m pulling out one of his movies on DVD tonight.

o o o

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives managed to sneak in the dastardly “Fix NICS” bill into an omnibus spending bill. This can still be stopped in the Senate, so please contact your Senators, today! – JWR

—

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.

Cipher Security- Part 2, by East Sierra Sage

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I’m talking about cipher security. In review, I am a Retired Marine Infantry Staff Non-Commissioned Officer who has served multiple combat tours in Iraq, as well as most of the “skirmishes” the U.S. got involved in leading up to the global war on terror. I have taught “Survival in the Mountains” and have trained combat staff members in command post operations. I have taught Navy SEALS, Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, and Air Force Para-rescue operators, as well as many numerous foreign military personnel. During my career I was “voluntold” to write ground-up Intelligence reporting to higher headquarters. These tasks taught me many ways to deliver “secure” messages via plain text or open source communications formats and more.

I live in the East Sierra mountains where the population is sparse, yet in Orange and San Diego counties of California, I have family and friends who comprise my “network”. In part 1, I shared about the value of brevity in communications as well as the my network’s use of cipher sheets for secure communications. As part of the information already detailed about how my network and I use cipher sheets, I disclosed our rollover cycle system under both normal circumstances as well as emergencies. Names have been addressed as well.

My Network Getting Out of Densely Packed Region

My network would have a very difficult time getting out of that densely packed region, should there ever be civil unrest, a collapse of the economy, or, as all Californians fear, the “big one” shakes us beyond immediate repair. Given the population density and the nebulous highway system of Southern California, I am almost sure of the fact that my network would face many challenges getting out of the Southern California region. My mountain home is the place that they will all come to if necessary.

Continue reading“Cipher Security- Part 2, by East Sierra Sage”

Letter: Exceptional Individuals

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Hi Hugh,

I have a good friend. His name is J.P. We met at the base gun club. He was there firing his WW2 Era carbine, and I had my “Modern Sporting Rifle” He shot tighter groups than me at 200 yards that day with his iron sights, I had my big fancy rifle with a big fancy scope. It had not been my first day at the range, but it felt like it that day. We kind of hit it off from there.

One day J.P invited me and my son on a fishing trip. My son was three years old at the time. J.P had small boat with a modest motor, pulled by a small car with a trailer hitch attached, to get us to the lake. When we got to lake, J.P chuckled at the huge trucks there, pulling massive speedboats. “City folk”, he called them.

We took his boat into the middle of the lake. My son caught three fish in less than 10 minutes, with J.P’s careful guidance of course.

Afterwards, J.P invited us back to his home for some refreshments. He has a fair sized property. He showed me his treehouse/lookout post he built on one of the mature trees on his land.It must of been 20 feet in the air. He told me sometimes he will sometimes spend all night up there, taking care of varmints with his trusty 22.

Inside his house, it was real clean. I could hear a Christian TV program playing in the background. J.P introduced me to his wife. A pretty lady, from some far away Scandinavian country. She was especially kind to my Son.

Continue reading“Letter: Exceptional Individuals”

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 S&W Firearms. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Pushes To Daily High On Positioning Ahead Of FOMC

Cryptos:

Jim Wyckoff: Bitcoin Daily Chart Alert – Bulls Showing Strength This Week – March 21

o  o  o

“This Court Case Will Make Bitcoin Use A Crime” – Trader Faces Charges Of “Money Laundering” And “Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business”
Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Men Wanted for Dangerous Expedition: Low Wages for Long Hours of Arduous Labour under Brutal Conditions; Months of Continual Darkness and Extreme Cold; Great Risk to Life and Limb from Disease, Accidents and Other Hazards; Small Chance of Fame in Case of Success.” – Ernest Shackleton

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – March 22, 2018

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This is the birthday of Louis L’Amour. Some of his novels have survival themes. One of the most notable ones was Last of the Breed. On a side note, I recently found that the hardbound, leatherette special edition of his books has been discontinued, but you can find complete sets of them on eBay at reasonable prices.

o o o

Take note that the recent re-order of SurvivalBlog 2005-2017 Archive USB sticks is already 50% gone. If you want one of these, you should make your order now before it’s too late.

o o o

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.

Cipher Security- Part 1, by East Sierra Sage

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[Editor’s Note: This is good information, but readers should note that simple transposition ciphers of any type can be easily broken. Only One Time Pads and book codes offer any reasonable level of cipher security.]

My Nom de Plume is “East Sierra Sage”, and I’m writing about cipher security. I am a Retired Marine Infantry Staff Non-Commissioned Officer. I served multiple combat tours in Iraq, as well as most of the “skirmishes” the U.S. got involved in leading up to the global war on terror. Two tours were served as an instructor of Mountain Warfare training for the Marine Corps. I have taught “Survival in the Mountains” and have trained combat staff members in command post operations. I have taught Navy SEALS, Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, and Air Force Para-rescue operators, as well as many numerous foreign military personnel.

My Life, Career, and Lessons Learned in Intelligence Reporting

During my career I was “voluntold” to write ground-up Intelligence reporting to higher headquarters. These tasks, though uninspiring at first, would eventually teach me many ways to deliver “secure” messages via plain text or open source communications formats, as well as teach me the way Intelligence personnel conduct predictive analysis in order to synchronize Infantry operations to anticipate enemy actions and get personnel “left of bang”.

Continue reading“Cipher Security- Part 1, by East Sierra Sage”

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”. Firearms on YouTube are in trouble with the recent changes in policy.

NRA Buckles yet Again

The NRA has buckled yet again. Shadows of the 1968 spineless collapse just won’t go away. This time, the NRA has come out in favor of Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs). As promoted by the NRA, the family of the victim will bypass any sort of police involvement, going straight to court with their evidence. A judge will then rule on the restraining order and the police will then be bound to enforce it. Supposedly, the victim has the right to contest the claims against him, but it would appear that this is yet another “guilty until proven innocent” situation. Note that the article is obviously biased for the GVROs. Thanks to H.L. for the link.

One Bill to Rule Them All

Congress has a habit of fiddling around all year long, spending time on trivial things rather than dealing with actual business. Then the deadline for their stated purpose of spending bills looms close and they lump everything together into an omnibus bill. The problem with this method is that your congressman may be for the majority of line items in the bill, but it is guaranteed to contain things that he/she is against. If he votes “no” because of those things, he/she is considered an obstructionist. This time around, there are a number of issues including one that blocks penalties for illegal-immigrant sanctuary cities. This years bill specifically denies the administration the ability to withhold federal grant money to those cities who defy federal law on immigration. Thanks to D.S. for the link.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“As a rule, there is no surer way to the dislike of men than to behave well where they have behaved badly.” – Lew Wallace, New Mexico Territorial Governor, and author of the novel Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. (Wallace wrote the manuscript for Ben Hur during his spare time before and while serving as Territorial Governor.)

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – March 21, 2018

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Just three days after Hessian mercenary forces assaulted the local New Jersey militia at Quinton’s Bridge, the same contingent surprised the colonial militia at Hancock’s Bridge five miles from Salem. In what became known as the Massacre at Hancock’s Bridge, at least 20 members of the militia lost their lives, some after attempting to surrender. The Loyalists reputedly exclaimed “Spare no one! Give no quarter!” as they stormed the occupied house. Judge Hancock and his brother (both Loyalists) were bayoneted in the melee by the attackers even though they were both staunch supporters of the crown and were themselves non-violent Quakers.

o o o

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.

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”