Welcome to this week’s Sunday Survival Buzz – a roundup of preparedness news, tips, articles and recommendations from around the web. But first, an update on my own preps.
My big project this week was to try out my new (cheap) battery tester on a box of supposedly dead batteries that were headed to recycling.
Much to my surprise, there were a number of batteries that tested “fully charged”. It is interesting to note that many were 9 Volt batteries that came out of one of my carbon monoxide detectors. This leads me to believe that the detector is bad and not the batteries.
Batteries to recycle – or so I thought.
These were good!
And I thought these batteries were dead.
The tester pretty much paid for itself. I am a happy camper.
I tested the double AAs in my Mini Maglite and as you can see, the batteries were indeed good and, as a matter of fact, better than the ones I removed for the test.
My next step is to try recharging the leftover batteries that did not test at least to the 90% mark. When that happens, I will compile my results in a regular article. (Hat tip to Dennis Evers for motivating me to do this.)
I spent more time this week loving my Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds and rather than tease you with more DIY talk, I will write up m thoughts for an article on Tuesday or Thursday along with a checklist of items that you should have on hand in your cleaning pantry.
Okay, enough about me. Let’s get on to the Sunday Survival Buzz.
Survival News & Articles from Around the Web
Successful hacker attack could cripple U.S. infrastructure, experts say: Cyber-terrorism is real and is something we need to keep in mind as we try to wean our reliance upon the internet. Just saying . . .
Money Is A Form Of Social Control And Most Americans Are Debt Slaves: I had never thought of money as a form of control but yes, of course it is. The elites have money and the rest of us do not. Do we control the elites? No, but we will sure put up a huge fight as they attempt to control us.
Powerful Lies: The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster And The Radioactive Effects On Human Health: A very timely piece given the recent news of radiation links in old storage tanks at Hanford here in Washington State. (A few days ago, it was one tank. Now the report is that at least six underground-storage tanks – each holding tens of thousands of gallons of nuclear and chemical waste – are leaking at the Hanford nuclear reservation, the nation’s most contaminated Cold War weapons-production facility.)
Warning: Do Not Store Your Glock And Ammo In The Oven: I know this is a serious matter but I did laugh at the stupidity of this.
To Flush Or Not To Flush That Is The Question: An interesting discussion of how to prevent the sewer from backing up into you home if the wastewater facilities are INOP and the sewer lines are full. Something to think about, anyway.
Underground world hints at China’s coming crisis: This was not pleasant to read but to be blind to the reality of such living conditions is worse. A hat tip to reader Evelyn for sending this my way.
When the SHTF and Oatmeal Cookies
Okay, you are probably wondering how this can be relevant. In this YouTube video, Dennis talks about the need to practice our skills now. And what about those oatmeal cookies? Guess you are just going to have to watch!
You can find more good stuff at Dennis’s website, Preparedness is Fundamental.
From the Backdoor Survival Mailbox
Reader “Billy” asked if kitty litter could be used as a desiccant. I do not have personal experience with kitty litter but I found this on Wikipedia:
Silica gel is also used as cat litter] by itself or in combination with more traditional materials, such as clays including bentonite. It is trackless and virtually odorless.
Purchasing silica in the form of cat litter can be an easy and cost effective way for retail consumers to purchase silica gel for use in other applications, such as maintaining the desired relative humidity in humidors, keeping tools or other materials rust-free in damp environments or long-term storage, and preserving dried food.
Another reader asked me a question that I was unable to answer. Perhaps you can help. Does anyone know how to make a DIY denture cleaner? If so, please drop me an email or leave a comment below.
News From our Sponsor
Tom over at Camping Survival let me know that they are having a two week sale on Mountain House products. They are offering 25% off Mountain House #10 cans and kits and 15% off of Mountain House Pouches. This would be a good time to stock up! 
As with all of my sponsors, please pay them a visit and let them know you saw them on Backdoor Survival. Speaking of which, check out the Backdoor Survival Sponsors page and support the fine companies that allow me to keep Backdoor Survival free for everyone.
Other Announcements
An amazing 2,349 copies of 11 Steps to Living a Strategic Life (the e-book I co-authored with George Ure) were downloaded during the three day promotion where we offered our book as a free download. Downloads were worldwide, including 60 from the United Kingdom.
Thank you to everyone who has download and read our book. If you liked it, I hope you will post a nice little review on the Amazon site.
The Survivalist Blog
MD Creekmore has extended a special invitation to Backdoor Survival readers to visit his website at The Survivalist Blog. MD was very kind to me when I was first getting started and we still keep in touch He has a fabulous website that not only includes his own articles, but extremely high caliber articles from his readers whom he calls the “Wolf Pack”.
One article in particular that I think you will like is Bug Out Bag Guns (What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You).
The Final Word
With March right around the corner, my thoughts are turning to my garden and starting some lettuce seeds. In my case, the seeds will be started inside and kept in the bathtub, of all places. It just goes to show you, though, that if you have the will, you will find the space.
Until, next time, remember to make every day a Prep Day!
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Spotlight Item: I found the $7 e-book, How to Hide Your Guns full of ideas for keeping your firearms hidden in plain sight. The suggestions are practical and with a few tools and materials available from your local hardware store, you will be on your way to hiding your guns in fully accessible manner with no one being the wiser.
One thing for sure, these ideas did not include storing your guns in the oven! Jeesh. I am still shaking my head over that one.
Bargain Bin: Below you will find the items mentioned in today’s article.
MAGLITE AA Mini Flashlight & Holster Combo Pack: You might say that I have a flashlight fetish. I love the little Nano light that I keep on my keychain. In addition, I have cheap little $2 LED flashlights in every room in the house. Ultimately though, the MAGLITE reigns. I keep the mini version in my desk drawer and the full size version handy near my tool box.
Streamlight Nano Light Keychain LED Flashlight: extremely small and light weight yet it will throw off a decent amount of super-bright light. At just .36 ounces and 1.47 inches long, the Streamlight Nano Light Keychain Flashlight will take up a minimum of space in your pocket or bag.
Amprobe BAT-200 Battery Tester
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Liquid Cleanser: I am in love with this stuff. Of course the true test is whether I will like Sal Suds better than my own Peppermint Juice (which is vinegar, water and peppermint essential oil). So far, the answer is yes. Here is the dilution I used: 1 tablespoon of Sal Suds and 1 quart of Berkey (filtered) water. That’s it. Easy peasy. This stuff cleans everything – even my veggies!
Conair Flat Iron 2″ Ceramic Straightener
Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials: The monthly specials at Emergency Essentials feature discounts of up to 35% off sometimes a bit more.
I have wanted to let you know about their Do it Yourself Super Pail Combo all month but it has been on backorder. The combo kit now appears to be in stock and is great deal at $69.99. It includes 8 x 6-Gallon Buckets with Lids, 8 x Metallized Storage Bags and a 10-Pack of Large Oxygen Absorbers.
Don’t forget that you do not need fancy equipment to seal the metalized bag. A cheap hair iron will do the job.
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The Sunday Survival Buzz – Volume 53 is the latest article from the Survival Woman at Backdoor Survival.