SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

Avalanche Lily insisted that I post this: Colorado’s Democrat Governor Signs Executive Order To Turn Away UNVACCINATED From Hospitals.

o  o  o

I heard from the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) that the Preventing Gun Violence Through Financial Intelligence Act (House Bill 5764/Senate Bill 3117) was introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. It “aims to would require financial institutions to turn over information on firearms and accessory purchases to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for developing an advisory about the identification and reporting of suspicious activity.” This is bad legislation. Please contact your senators and congressman, to oppose it.

o  o  o

Reader Melissa B. sent this observation and conjecture:

“Bullets, Band-Aids, and Beans: It has happened, the end of the world as you know it.  It wasn’t what you thought it would be, but nonetheless here you are.  You’ve worked hard to put up food and know that your family will not go hungry.  You were going to work on securing your perimeter fence and work on a defensible space but ran out of time.  As you kneel, watching the group of men loading your food that you had worked so hard to put away, you keep thinking of the things you should have done.  Your blood boils as several of the men make lewd comments towards your daughters.  You see your sons set their jaws and know that they are ready to fight.  If only you had trained for this situation.  If only you had built a proper fence.  If only you had had more time.  If only…..

It has happened, the end of the world as you know it.  It wasn’t what you thought it would be, but nonetheless here you are.  You’ve worked hard to put up food and know that your family will not go hungry.  You have secured your property and have slept well knowing your family is safe.  You leave the bedroom where your son is writhing in pain.  Last week, as he was splitting firewood, the ax slipped and hit his leg.  You were able to get the bleeding to stop and thought how thankful you were that it had not been worse.  But it is worse.  The cut has become infected.  You know that just a short time ago, you could have gotten antibiotics and he would be fine.  Now you stand, looking into the forest surrounding your home and realize that you should have prepared for this.  If only you would have stored medicines.  If only you have learned about the medicinal plants that are all around you.  If only you had had more time.  If only…..

It has happened, the end of the world as you know it.  It wasn’t what you thought it would be, but nonetheless here you are.  You have secured your property and have slept well knowing your family is safe.  You have stocked what you figured was sufficient.  You figured that you would have time to purchase more food later.  You figured that someday you would have a large garden and animals to sustain your family.  Last night, your family ate the last little bit of canned goods you had.  You decide to try once again to go hunting.  It has been a month since “the event” and the people of the small town near you have decimated all the animals within walking distance.  But you must try.  So, you wake up before dawn, set traps, and look for any sign of life.  Thankfully, you can bring home one small rabbit.  The next day a rat is in one of your traps.  You know that is not enough, but it is all you have to offer.  The third day, you shoot your 22 at what you think is a deer.  It is only the leaves rustling in the trees.  You know that your family will have heard your shot.  You stay out until dark, yet they all come running to see what you have brought them to eat.  You know that you will need to take your family and leave the home you’ve built.  If only you had stocked more food.  If only you have learned about foraging.  If only you had had more time.  If only….”


o  o  o

Reader C.B. spotted this useful YouTube video: Early American Fabric Dye.

o  o  o

Mark. H. wrote:

“The recent article on ‘nobody wants to be that guy’ suggests that ‘nobody wants to be that guy’ I would disagree.

Bill Gates, George Soros, Klaus Schwab, and the rest of the deep state are striving for such as that.

Why the division created by the world governments on race, finances, religion, vaccination status?  Why start a plandemic and then force poison shot and hide true remedies?  It is for world depopulation for many and, rumor has it, the rest will be debilitated transhumans after the ingredients of all the forced shots get cookin’. “Eggcept” of course for the rich and few.”

o  o  o

Marcus A. sent this:

“Some of your readers who found the recent article about homemade insulin may also be interested to learn of this group: Open Insulin Foundation.

They are seeking to develop the techniques and capability to produce community scale insulin…that is to say, cheaper and more local and decentralized than the 2 big pharma giants, but bigger than the scale of one or two people.  They have made amazing progress over the last couple of years I’ve been supporting them, and I can only hope they’ll have the techniques and tools ready for roll out before I need to bring a biochemist/lab tech into my retreat group to extract beef pancreases! “

o  o  o

And Paul K. had this comment in response to The Lone Canadian’s article – ‘Nobody Wants To Be That Guy’:

“First and foremost, I applaud the article.  I have shared it with friends.  It forced me to think.  In fact it forced me to reply which is quite a rarity in itself.
No argument with the fact that ‘Nobody Wants To Be That Guy’ certainly rings true, perhaps a more important thought should center on; ‘What Type of Leader’ or maybe, ‘What type of Culture’ we can expect if no truth teller will face the challenge.
Numerous commentaries I have run across point to our Founding Fathers commenting that for our experiment to survive, it requires an electorate to be both knowledgeable and moral.  A recent example I found today can be viewed at this Newsmax page.
My ‘awakening’ to politics was brought on by the Bill Clinton presidency.  My vague and and not very in depth knowledge of politics held that politicians avoided the ‘third rail’ of politics to be caught in a lie.  A lie of substance spelled doom in my simplistic world – and here was Clinton throwing that unofficial rule out the window.  The following Democrat presidents seem trying to outdo each other in their mendacity.  (Perhaps it is misguided chauvinism to say the Republican presidents tried to obey the rule – but it is what I believe to be true).
The Lone Canadian does a good job of detailing a few of the current batch of lies and even offers some sage advice on how to weigh them.  I hope to respond to a couple a bit later on.
But first, Ancient Rome was a Republic for a while.  Way oversimplifying here, but over time the Republic perverted its originating beliefs and slid into the Emperor stage.  Part of the slide was enabled by the leadership of Rome ‘buying off’ the population via Bread and Circuses.  (any similarity between Old Rome and the current US is purely coincidence – right?)
As an aside, the period that saw Emperor after Emperor, some of whom actually tried to make things better, went on for hundreds of year.  Rome was fortunate that there was no real competition.  If there is a similarity between that period in Rome and where we seem to be headed, it sure appears that given the current world stage, we are not that lucky.
Recall again that the Founders said we require a knowledgeable and moral electorate.  Having a leadership that thrives on lies would fly in the face of their condition for survival.   The interest in prepping and this web site proves that there are a considerable  group of folks that recognize the lies and are investigating a number of responses.  However, given the election history going back years, we are roughly an equally divided country.  This might roughly equate to an iffy chance we survive vs. sliding into some other type of country other than what we are now.
The Lone Canadian did us a favor and homed in to exactly the crux of the problem.  We lack leaders that will tell us the truth.  It is indeed a difficult task.  Which is one reason we have such admiration and respect – as a country – for folks like Lincoln and Reagan (and a slew of others).  One scene out of the Matrix movie Trilogy comes to mind.  The Judas character that betrays his crewmates comments that he is looking forward to being back in the Matrix and hence able to enjoy real steaks and other delicacies the current reality does not allow (his 30 pieces of silver).  If we get enough folks that want to ignore reality we are lost.
Again, I think the Lone Canadian does us a service by advising us to think about the negatives telling the truth might bring.
But as a rule.  If we become like sheep and let a few guard us we are lost (recall again the Founders).
We could spend a long time trying to categorize lies , but to me, the bottom line with Biden/Dems/Progressives is that their lies point to destroying the Republic and ushering in something most of us are rightly scared of.
When it comes to the Pandemic and masks and mandates and politically destroying usage of sound therapeutics – there are NO ‘noble’ lies.  Masks were not a symbol of togetherness.  They fly in the face of reality and science.  Our country went down a false path and look at the damage that was done – and is still occuring.
Our economy in terms of items like inflation and employment and all the rest has driven us to the point that the crash (which is guaranteed to occur – at some point)  will be nation threatening.  But, by lying, the leadership has caused it all to happen.
Our outside threats like Russia and China and Iran and North Korea are all made worse by lying about the threat.  It is further exacerbated by having too many in the Judas class that accept money to sell out their country.
Things are indeed bad.  But lying – even if we end up losing as much as The Lone Canadian points to is better than sitting in the herd waiting for the wolves to pick us all out.  We can’t start to convince others of the threat until that Guy steps up. Trump stepped up and things got better.  We must hope and pray that someone will Be That Guy.

All great historical figures were That Guy.
To get That Guy it is incumbent upon us to demand that type of guy by demanding truth.”

o  o  o

Reader Mike in Alaska had this response to Noah’s recent statement: “There is a part of me would love to live in the Alaskan wilderness in a homestead, how else would I have found you guys?” 

“Well Noah, the fact is you’d be too busy just living to have time or the ability to find this blog much less access it. Nine months out of the year up here where I live is spent in dark days and freezing temperatures’ so a lot of the other three months (actually 2 1/2 plus a few days of warm meaning above zero) would be devoted to a garden (usually above ground and in a greenhouse or some form of shelter) and gathering your firewood. I recommend birch cut, split and stacked for minimum of 2 years before burning. Spruce is ok but not as efficient as birch is; that’s the primary wood this far north. So having internet in a wilderness homestead would be dependent on your power situation and most likely some form of satellite internet. The problem with satellites up here is that the are for the most part about one or two finger widths above the horizon so any mountains, trees, glaciers, etc would not allow you to get a reliable signal. I live in the outskirts of a city and its not as easy for us either since gardening this far north is a crapshoot, the power goes out on a regular basis and internet is not the best compared to what is considered normal in the outside(lower 48). Even living in a city up here can be quite a challenge. We keep a good supply of birch on hand, usually burning 4 to 5 cords a year during the heating season which spans from late August and through to mid April depending on snow pack. We did install a new oil burning furnace two years ago when oil was cheap, and it is incredibly efficient, but for the price of the 1500 gallons I’d burn in winter (and that’s just for my house furnace and doesn’t include the 300 gallons for my garage heater) I could have well over 25 cords of good birch logs hauled in and cut & split them myself. But that’s a lot of work for a 73 year old old fart… so oil it is with wood now being our back up heat instead of our primary heat as it was for many years. Did I mention that the green nazis have all but banned any form of wood burning us here though we just tell them to go to hell when we need to heat with wood; I’d just as soon shoot them as to put with their crap and fortunately the bulk majority of us Alaskans all feel the same way.
Just living up here is a challenge and we live prepared for it because we are at the very end of the supply line and all it takes is for the barge not to make it to the docks in Los Anchorage on Monday and by Wednesday our grocery shelves are getting bare. There is a wonderful quality of life up here … but you have to work hard for it. Alaska is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, the seasons are four: June , July, August, and winter so plan accordingly. I can carry open or concealed without any form of permit and most often do, not because I fear some bad yoyo … but because up here we’re at the bottom of the food chain and most of the things i fear have four feet and consider me dinner. The big game calls for the 45 caliber & up … the smaller game calls for a 45 caliber and up …
I would love to move out a bit further and up higher where the temperatures are a bit milder, at least not the -45 to -74 we’ve seen in the past down low where I am now. It always amazes me how the difference f even a thousand feet in elevation can affect the ground temperatures … but using my truck as a toboggan doesn’t appeal to me much.
I should qualify the term wilderness as we see it up here; it means more than 25 miles north of Fairbanks, more than 20 miles east, or south … and usually accessible only by air, or dogsled, or snowgo (snowmobile) … there’s no grid, and it would more often be an unincorporated Borough which means there is no borough government. We don’t have counties, and there are no sheriffs up here … just a lot of friendly well armed folks who mind our own business.
Your post is a good one, thank you for the read sir.”

o  o  o

Reader RSR sent this, in response to the recent article “Hardening Your Stick-Built Home”:

“I have major concerns regarding removing insulation from walls and pouring in wet concrete as recommended — if initial concrete water itself doesn’t cause an issue with mold/rot/decay due to vapor barriers, etc, the fact that improper weather sealing around doors, windows, and other wall penetrations is a common cause of mold/rot/decay as well as the inevitable condensation and moisture absorption of uninsulated concrete are both very likely to cause major structural issues within a decade or two as mold/rot/decay evolves from this project.

So I’d strongly recommend the following for an upgrade — to be clear, this was inspired by the initial concept of the article and some informed knowledge of home construction and performance of such materials:
1) Remove drywall wherever you’re wanting to reinforce

2) Caulk all seams (between studs and plates, studs/plates and siding, etc) and any penetrations to the cavity you’re up-armoring be they electrical, plumbing, etc, and consider spraying studs and sheathing with BoraCare w/ Mold Care (if spraying this waterborne termite and mold preventative, allow time to dry)
3) Metal lath attached to studs and/or house sheeting (if sufficient thickness/use screws/staples that stay w/in sheeting thickness) along the back/exterior edge of the cavity and install cheap ceramic wall tile there (think like how level 3+ or 4 body armor performs) — might be able to get by w/ floor tile, but don’t know that tile thickness is that critical to causing anything but non-armor piercing bullets to tumble, and lath probably isn’t critical if foaming in next step, especially if using standard wall tiles, but should give additional rigidity/strength for multi-shot performance
4) Closed cell foam will in between tile and next layer (would recommend installing after following layer) OR mineral wool insulation that hydrophobic and does not rot, mold, decay, and is pest resistant — closed cell foam should result in a vapor barrier and have more R value than compacted mineral wool (unsure which would provide better ballistic performance but leaning towards closed cell if I had to guess) — and this layer will be where any electrical, plumbing, etc, runs can remain unimpeded
5) Install cinder block cap blocks on their edge with mortar along the interior edge of your bottom plate — leave a gap near top if applying foam for expansion or use low-expansion foam, just ensure entire cavity is filled w/ closed cell foam in manner that won’t destruct or warp anything BEFORE completing blocking/sealing cavity; and gap near sill plate below window would also serve to allow ventilation if going the mineral wool route that might be better in south where vapor barriers are generally on exterior (mineral wool, the thinner mineral wool soundproofing padding might be more appropriate given space constrictions)
5a) If 2×6 or 8 wall rather than 2×4 — can do more than one layer of block for additional protection, would recommend staggering seams between layers
6) Allow ample time for everything to dry once installation is final — a week or two and if multiple layers allow time for each layer to cure before next
7) (Re)install interior vapor barrier if in northern climates
8) If south consider installing greenboard (bathroom drywall) to mitigate any potential mold issues for any drywall reinstallation abutting concrete block that can absorb and hold moisture — in north with vapor barrier same applies, but might be able to get away with standard drywall
Finally, adding exterior stone or brick veneer around any defensible windows and doors would further increase ballistic protection and is a common architectural feature. Same also applies to stone and brick veneer knee to half-walls combined with full wall veneers around architecturally highlighted doors and windows.

Welcome any thoughts/suggestions for improving, but this should cover most bases and result in a “cure that isn’t worse than the disease” — a true fear of the OP article’s “pour concrete into wall cavities” recommendation…

And also a convenient time to remind folks that if you’re fighting out of your home/castle against a superior enemy force, then you’ve likely already lost as they’re likely to torch your place if they fail to displace you — especially if you inflict any casualties on them.  So always plan a secure or secret exit/withdrawal with as much or more seriousnees than your home defense preparations for such enemy-on-your-doorstep contingencies — and potentially plan hidden storage for the bulk of your valuables and preps so that you can return to them once your enemies ransack and leave.”

Please Send Us Your Snippets!

Please send your snippet items for potential posting to JWR. or AVL. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.