Text, History, and Tradition

As regular readers know, I am Jewish. As more attentive readers know, Passover begins towards the end of April. As even more observant readers know, Purim was just celebrated in March. What does all this have to do with prepping? In the immortal words of Tevya, Tradition!

There are many types of traditions. In addition to secular holidays and religious events, some families have game night, others have leftover night, and there's always Taco Tuesday. 

Being able to follow traditions, even in harsh conditions, can be of immense benefit to emotional and psychological survival. For example, during the Holocaust, groups of Jewish prisoners in the concentration camps scrounged enough supplies to celebrate the Passover Seder. They did this even knowing if they were caught they would be punished, tortured, and even killed. After the war, some of the survivors credited this type of action with aiding their survival. It gave them hope, reminded them of better times, and helped them remember they weren't alone. Their first Passover after liberation was particularly joyful, for they had survived.

Young Jewish refugees at a Passover Seder, c. 1947

On a lighter note, parents of small children should have a few favorite books, either paper or electronic, for bedtime stories or activities. There are books I re-read when I feel overwhelmed or especially stressed. Having a copy of these to revisit during a survival situation, an environment high in both stress and overwhelming emotions, would likely help me persevere. This turns simple books into respites of immense value.

Children's Travel Books

There are also travel and e-versions of many popular games. These may take up a little space and add a small amount of weight, but they can also create a positive psychological difference out of proportion to these concerns.

Games on the Go

When are are planning your preps, don't forget that psychological and emotional health is just as important as physical health.

What traditions do you think would be of particular benefit during survival situations?

Prepper's Pantry: Yogurt Bread

This is an extremely simple bread with a prep time measured in minutes. Including baking, the entire process took me less than an hour from start to finish. It's perfect for those days where bread is desired, but time is limited.

Yogurt Bread

Ingredients

• 3 Cups self-rising flour or all-purpose flour
• 5 tsp Baking powder
• ¾ - 1 tsp salt
• 1 ¾ Cups lowfat vanilla yogurt 
• (if using Greek yogurt, increase to 2 Cups)

Recipe

1. Combine flour and yogurt in a large bowl. Mix with a spatula until no lumps of flour remain. Hand mixing may be required. When done, the dough should be moist and slightly sticky. Add small amounts of flour or yogurt to get the desired texture.
   
   

   

   Dough mixed and ready
   

   
   
2. Grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper and add the dough. Use the spatula to smooth and level the surface if desired.
   
   

   

   In the parchment paper-lined loaf pan
   

   
   
3. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the surface is lightly browned.
   
   

   

   Fresh out of the oven
   

   
   
4. Cool on a baking rack before slicing.
   
   

   

   Transferring to the cooling rack

This bread has a slightly heavy texture and a rich flavor. It can be eaten as-is, but works wonderfully with a fruit spread or honey for breakfast, or any other time. There's also an alternate version that uses sour cream in place of the yogurt I intend to try as well.

The crumb

Bon appetit.

Guest Post: Disaster Entertainment Options

  by George Groot

George is a member of our Facebook Group and has written for us before. 

Years ago, the tornado warning siren went off in our neighborhood. We took the kids to the basement and brought along a laptop so they could watch some cartoons while we waited for the storm to pass. We’ve since moved away from that area, and now live in a home without a basement, so our tornado room is an internal bathroom where we keep some basic survival kit under the sink. But if we lose power for days (such as after a hurricane) I still want to keep the boys and myself entertained, and that means having battery-powered devices or options that don’t require batteries. 

Streaming services such as Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Amazon, Disney+, etc. all offer complete libraries of drama, romance, adventure, comedy, and horror at the convenience of nearly any screen capable of accessing the internet. This is an incredible bargain for a lot of people who don’t have the means to purchase physical media of every movie, TV show, or program that they find entertaining. However, it also means that entertainment is connected to steady broadband internet access that’s not always available during or after an emergency. In fact, once you get through an emergency there can be a lot of time spent just waiting for normal to return.

In the spirit of You Always Have Other Options (YAHOO), here are the options as I see them:

1. Physical books. The great thing about the dead tree format is that it doesn’t need to be recharged. However books can be bulky, and it can get expensive to keep expanding on your private library just in case a disaster happens. My wife and I love shopping in thrift stores for used books, and often they have a good selection of DVDs.
2. Physical disks. DVD or Blu-ray disks are “old tech” at this point, but they last indefinitely if they are not all scratched up. These can be used with DVD or Blu-ray players and a screen, or they can be played on a computer, such as a laptop. Not every laptop comes with a built-in DVD drive these days, so we’ll look at that in a bit. We have a habit of shopping for bargains in the $5 bin at Walmart for DVDs or Blu-ray disks.
3. Digital copies of books. A Kindle or e-reader can store lots of ebooks and last quite a bit of time on battery power. These are much more compact than the dead tree format, but are also a single point of failure if the device breaks. Erin wrote an article about her “Survival e-Reader” years ago. 
4. Digital copies of visual media. You just store these as files on your local disk, or on your network attached storage device. If you set up a media server, like Jellyfin or Plex, you can even have the server handle transcoding duties to save battery life on your display device for movies and TV shows. If you don’t want to set up a home server you can use a USB drive of sufficient size to store the digital copies, and plug that external drive into a playback device.
5. Digital music. I know there are audiophiles that would rather listen to the end of the world on vinyl than any other format, but for the rest of us it's very easy to rip our music to digital format and use an old smartphone as a playback device with cheap earbuds kept on hand. 

BCP isn't a tech support blog, so the hardware and software needed to build and deploy a home server that serves as network attached storage and media server is beyond the scope of this article, but a quick search on any search engine will show you many step-by-step guides to doing that particular chore. However, even as a tech guy I don’t recommend putting all your eggs in the digital basket. I realized quite quickly that a home server is a “nice to have”, not a necessity for keeping kids entertained.

Getting Started

My recommendation is to get started with physical disks, physical books, a low power draw/long battery life laptop such as an Ultrabook, and a USB disk player if you need one. This will cover the vast majority of entertainment needs for children of all ages, and most disruptions are measured in hours instead of days.

The next upgrade from there is the external USB storage device, but you’ll want a big one. A normal DVD contains about 4.7 gigabytes of data, so I don’t recommend drives less than 4 terabytes for spinning hard drives, or 2 terabytes for solid state drives (SSD). You will also need some method of recharging batteries, which can be as simple as a 12V plug into a vehicle accessory outlet, or as complex as an off-grid generation system. 

To “rip” media from disk to digital format you’ll want a more powerful computer than a low power draw laptop, but you’ll not need something bleeding edge tech either. You will need some ripping software like HandBrake or MakeMKV, and of the two I prefer MakeMKV (they release a free serial number every month for people using their beta version). Any 4th gen or newer Intel chip (Haswell or newer) with 4 cores should be sufficient for the task. You could get away with older CPUs, but it’ll just take longer per disk.

Chromebooks

A word of caution about Chromebooks: while they have a very low power draw and generally a very long battery life, they will often be unable play DVDs through a USB attached disk drive. The version of Linux that ChromeOS is based on doesn't have the proprietary software enabled, which is why I recommend a good Windows or Apple laptop with long battery life for most people. If you are experienced with Linux, you don't need my advice on how to modify them. 

However, if you decide to go the home media server route, Chromebooks access those digital files through a web browser and work well as a cheap terminal for kids. If you have a machine that can rip those disks to an external disk drive using HandBrake or MakeMKV, then the Chromebook should be just fine as a playback device even through USB. A second word of caution about Chromebooks: if you buy them used you run the risk of getting an “end of life” product without any security update support.

What I Do

In my house we use all of these options:

• If the internet goes down, but not power, we have a home media server.
• If internet and power go down, we have laptops, disks, books, and the ability to use external drives. 
• If we need to recharge, and our vehicles are functional, I have a 1500 watt inverter to recharge devices. 
• My “to be read” pile of sci-fi novels keeps growing....

My wife has collapsed the disk collection we have down to boxes and books, minimizing the size/volume footprint for storing disks (It also means we dispose of the DVD jackets that take up a lot of space). After I rip them to digital format and put them on the Jellyfin server she has access to them as long as the house has power (or the UPS hasn’t died), but we still keep all the disks because it eliminates the server as a single point of failure. 

As Erin as said, “Morale is an important part of survival, and anything that makes your life better and takes your mind off boredom or miserable conditions is worthwhile.” This is especially true if you have children who are too little to be helpful, as keeping them happily entertained can keep you sane. 

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' with a Gear Cart

In a previous post I talked about disabilities and physical limitations. I mentioned that due to my current circumstances, I was focusing on bug in rather than bug out preps. However, since more options are always better, I started considering ways to make bugging out easier.

One of the things our lovely editrix has spoken of in the past is her deer cart for transporting items during a bug out situation. In fact, after I submitted my above-mentioned post, she brought it to my attention again.

http://amzn.to/2wtU9dZ

While this is an excellent choice in many situations, a two-wheeled cart doesn't offer sufficient stability for me given my balance issues. But as it turns out, I had purchased a four-wheeled folding cart from Costco in August of 2022 for under a hundred dollars for a completely unrelated purpose. As is usual with my preps this particular model no longer seems to be on the market, though there are similar items still available.

The cart in open configuration

The cart is somewhat bulky to store, but it folds and unfolds readily with no tools required. The pull handle can be locked in both the collapsed and extended positions, and can also be latched to the frame of the cart.

The cart in folded configuration

With a 300 lbs maximum load its carrying capacity is lower than Erin's deer cart, but it's likely more than sufficient for our needs. I've filled it with firearms and cans of ammo and pulled across the gravel parking lot and ramps at a local shooting range, as well as packed it with boxes of books maneuvering through a parking garage and convention center, and its performance was stellar in both situations.

The cart can fit up to four large orange cats.

In conclusion, while bugging in may still be a better option for me under current circumstances, I now have a viable option in case bugging out on foot is required.

Guest Post: End of Life for Windows 10

 by George Groot

George is a member of our Facebook Group and has written for us before. 

For those who aren’t in the know, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on October 15, 2025. This is not something to be afraid of; operating systems and other software generally have a limited shelf life, and Windows 10 will join Windows 8, 7, XP, 2000, Millennium Edition, 98, various NTs, 95, and 3.1 and earlier as unsupported.  

But first, let me ask the rhetorical question Why do we need a modern operating system that's as secure as possible? Answer: Because the internet is a horrible place. For all the good that a great global network of constantly-on communications devices and computers has done for economic uplift, it has also created new risks to people’s livelihoods, life savings, and mental health.

The good news in all this is that Microsoft isn’t requiring too much in the way of expensive hardware to get a machine certified to run Windows 11. Basically, any Intel Core series with an 8000 or higher number, or an AMD Ryzen with a 2000 or higher number will do. However, if you're using a computer older than 2nd Gen Ryzen or 8th Gen Intel, you should know that while there are plenty of people out there who have managed to load Windows 11 on hardware well into the “Core 2Duo” era, they have really only done so to see if they could. If you're absolutely married to your current hardware and you have the tech chops to be your own IT department, this is an option, albeit one that I don’t recommend. 

 

A better option is purchasing newer hardware on the Microsoft approved list. If you aren't a tech person, there are companies that purchase “off warranty” corporate IT gear and refurbish it for the market. My normal place to purchase a refurbished computer is Newegg.com, and so what follows is current as of the time of this article's publication:

Desktops

An Intel Core i5-8500T refurbished business desktop already loaded with Win 11 Pro can be had for under $200 US at Newegg. If that’s your budget and you're fine with a basic web browsing and productivity software suite box, that’s probably the best option for people who are not very tech oriented. 

Laptops

Unfortunately for mobile users, Windows 11 laptops that are affordable (under the $200 mark) are on the underpowered side, using Celeron and Pentium processors with a small amount of RAM. These budget laptops will work for basic email, web browsing, and streaming media, but they lack significant onboard storage. 

TPM 2.0

Another option is if you're running hardware on the approved list, but somehow your system fails the Microsoft Windows 11 upgrade health check. Generally this is due to a lack of a TPM 2.0, or Trusted Platform Module, on the motherboard. Depending on your motherboard you may be able to purchase a TPM 2.0 module and plug it in, but buyer beware! Some manufacturers use a 12 pin, some 14, and some 20 pin modules, so be sure of what you need before you purchase. Once the TPM is installed, Windows 11 can make use of that hardware to perform whole drive encryption to help secure your system and data.

Linux

The desktop-oriented Linux distributions of today are much easier to use than they were when I first started playing around with Slackware Linux in the late 1990s. If you know nothing about Linux, an easy choice is Linux Mint, which is a derivative of Ubuntu which is downstream from Debian. Debian is a free operating system that is community-supported, whereas Ubuntu is a “corporate Linux distribution” supported by Canonical. This means Mint benefits from both crowdsourced bug fixes and improvements from Debian, as well as corporate security updates and “polish” from Canonical.

While Linux is much more user-friendly than it used to be, it’s still rather picky about who it's friends with. If you have a basic computer with integrated graphics from AMD or Intel, there should be no issues with graphics drivers, but if you have an Nvidia graphics card then Linux can be dicey right now. If all you need is a machine to surf the web, send/receive email, maybe play a few retro-games on an emulator, Linux is great. 

Notice I didn’t mention “streaming” there, as most streaming platforms aren't Linux friendly due to proprietary Digital Rights Management (DRM) software. If nothing else, you can load Linux on a legacy PC and set it up as a Network Attached Storage (NAS) file server to make your own network-attached storage appliance.

My Plan

I plan to go Windows 11 for my wife and two sons' desktops if I can get TPM modules that work for their motherboards, and also purchase my wife a Windows 11 laptop. My wife’s old desktop and laptop will have their files backed up to our NAS and migrated to the new machine. My “beater laptops” (refurbished government computers with built-in CAC smart card readers) will likely end up running Ubuntu since that is the desktop distribution most common where I work.

Erin had to ask me to clarify a lot of this, so if you need things explained please leave a comment and I'll help as best I can. 

Able, Differently Abled, Disabled

Many of the posts on Blue Collar Prepping over the years have addressed things such as Bug Out Bags (BOB), Get Home Bags (GHB), and the like. Several of us have also addressed physical limitations and pain management. However, one thing that hasn't gotten a lot of attention lately is actual disabilities and self-perception.

This was driven home to me recently when my doctor advised me to file for disability. I'm only in my mid-50s, and while I have health issues, I don't think of myself as disabled. One of the consequences of this image of myself is thinking I can manage more than I really can, frequently to the dismay of My Wife. One of the benefits of my doctor's recommendation is that I've started to take a harder, colder, and (I hope) more honest look at myself and my abilities: I'm not young, I'm not in very good physical condition, and my health limitations need to be taken into consideration when planning for disasters or emergencies.

I approached this self-assessment as if I was considering another person for a variety of jobs, mostly physical at different levels of exertion.

• Can they regularly lift twenty or more pounds multiple times a day? Yes, I can still do that.
• What about fifty? Probably not, or at least not as frequently.
• Are they able to carry a fifty pound pack for several hours? No, I'm no longer able to do that due to medical issues.
• What about a twenty pound pack? Possibly, though I'd likely be in considerable pain at the end of that time.
• Can they walk five miles? Maybe, but depending on the pace there would be a certain amount of health risk.
• Can they cover broken ground at a reasonable pace? No, I can't do that.
• Could they carry another person a short distance? As long as the person wasn't too big and the distance wasn't too far, probably. But there's a good chance I'd require medical assistance after.
• And so on.

Based on this assessment, at this time bugging out is pretty much off the table for me, especially on foot. I can no longer carry a significant quantity of gear, and I can't carry it very far. While physical conditioning may improve this to some degree, that's countered by my deteriorating health. I'm not planning on dying any time soon, but part of aging is accepting that I need to live within my limitations.

Moving forward, more of my preps will focus on bugging in and making sure our home can be maintained in adverse conditions. This is never a bad plan, but it's even more important now. 

I also plan on seeing what physical therapy can do with regards to some of my medical limitations. Of course, that will also be limited by my finances. 

I strongly recommend that all of our readers take a dispassionate assessment of their own health and abilities, then work at tailoring their disaster plans and supplies to that reality. No matter how mentally uncomfortable it is, it needs to be done to ensure optimum survivability.

Stay safe and good prepping.

Organizer Boxes

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

I'm in the process of moving to a new bedroom in my house, and one thing which has been made startlingly clear to me is that if your preps aren't organized then not only can they be hard to find when you need them, but they also take up more space when they're arrayed all loosey-goosey. In this article I'll discuss some of my favorite methods of organizing and storing my preps. 

USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes

These sturdy carboard boxes come in four sizes (small, medium, medium long, and large) and are very stackable. Moreover, because they're white you only need a Sharpie or similar marker to label them. Best of all, they're completely free! Not only can you pick them up by the handful at any Post Office in the country, you can also order them in packs of 10 or 25 from the USPS website and have them delivered to your door, also for free. 

Car Seat Organizer

https://amzn.to/3IR7r8B

This versatile $20 PVC and cloth box can hold snacks, tools, baby supplies, or anything else you might need to store in a vehicle. I keep mine in my trunk and it stores my "oh crap" tools like a jump starter, electronic road flares, an air compressor for inflating tires, a high-visibility safety vest, a bottle of tire slime, and a basic toolkit. 

Travel Pill Case

https://amzn.to/4a9c0ak

I suffer from allergies and frequent headaches, and as I get older I've started to collect maladies like aching knees and a stiff back. In addition, I live with an elderly mother who has all that plus several prescriptions. This handy clamshell box allows me to carry many different types of pills without rattling like a pharmacy. It's a steal at 2 for $5.50, and it can hold a variety of items like screws, vehicle fuses, fishing lures, etc. 

https://amzn.to/4a9c0ak

What are your favorite organizers?