Author Archives: kaylene

How to butcher a chicken

Twin On Tour Posted on by

The pioneers and settlers grew up butchering chickens. The ins and outs of how to do it and what not to do were well known. Not so much today. And it is easy to get very wrong. The best set of instructions on the web for butchering chickens is found at the How to Butcher a Chicken blog. Who would have thought about blogging that!? I’m glad they did. It’s useful information that is long forgotten. Nothing about the process has changed since the days of the pioneers and settlers. Our knives haven’t changed and chickens are still chickens. Even … Continue reading →

Making an electric battery from 1896.

Twin On Tour Posted on by

The DIY instructions from the pioneer and settler handbooks always contain a few surprises. They also give us first glimpses at emerging know-how that will one day become ubiquitous. Hidden within the pages of the 1896 Home Mechanic book are some of the world’s earliest instructions for making your own galvanic or electric battery. We don’t usually associate the late 1800’s with electricity. But scientists had been working with electricity since the late 1700’s and commercial electroplating operations started appearing in the UK in the mid 1850’s. These instructions from the Making chapter of the Home Mechanic book, show how … Continue reading →

How pioneers made laundry soap.

Twin On Tour Posted on by

Washing clothes in the days of the pioneers and settlers was an elaborate ritual.  Multiple tubs of water, scrubbing boards, handmade soaps, blue dyes for the whites, starch – and all done on a Monday. Monday was always washing day. Before the pioneers and settlers could wash their clothes they needed laundry washing soap. What was important was that it had to be a liquid soap that would easily mix in with the clothes. Hard soaps were readily available and reasonably complex to make, so it was always easier to buy hard soap.  But liquid soap wasn’t so easily transported. … Continue reading →

The Best Fire Starter Kits

Twin On Tour Posted on by

Being properly equipped to survive the harshest of terrains requires the proper tools. A Fire Starter Kit is one of the basic tools that is needed in such situations. Fire Starter Kits comes in different types. Storm Proof Match Kit This is a special type of matches, designed to be moisture proof. Some persons doubt if this actually exist, in actual sense, it does and it comes, well packaged in a water proof container. This is a very important type of matches as each match is capable of staying lit for up to 12 seconds even after being submerged in … Continue reading →

Untraceable SHTF Comms

Twin On Tour Posted on by

EchoLink This is a program where Ham repeaters are wired into the internet. This is obviously only going to work if the grid and the internet are working but if you mask your IP, use proxies, VPNs, TOR, etc… you’re location will be fairly secure. This program only works with a valid call sign issued by the FCC. You can also use this on a laptop and (illegal activity warning) jack into the outside phone technician box on a random house to get your access, hell, everyone has high speed internet now a days… OR, use someones free WiFi like … Continue reading →

Video Review: Magpul Dynamic Handgun

Twin On Tour Posted on by

This is a review of the Magpul Dynamics video “The Art of Dynamic Handgun“. To sum it up quickly this video is the bomb! This is a 4 DVD set with the first 2 discs being the main course. The 3rd is a basic concealed carry course and the 4th is a disc on various drills (I’ll list these below). Mixed in among all the training is detailed talk about equipment. Guns, Ammo, Suppressors, Holsters, Belts, Lights, Lasers, etc… along with the outtakes. These are flat hilarious. Unlike just about every other firearms training video from other people I’ve watched … Continue reading →

Holster Review: Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0

Twin On Tour Posted on by

This is my review of the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0 IWB holster. This is their top of the line IWB holster. So, here are my thoughts. Ordering to the door took 9 work days which is commendable as they estimate 12-14. Packaging is nice. There are plenty of video reviews on YouTube about the packaging and the holster so I’ll get into the meat of my review… The holster its self. I messed around with all the different configurations possible with this holster and ended with the slide side all the way up and the grip side all the … Continue reading →

Control the Food. Control the People

Twin On Tour Posted on by

It’s long been known by dictators and tyrants that if you want to control a people you need only starve them out. If you can control the food supply, you have near total control of the nation. I believe whole heartedly that the government and corporations alike are working overtime to tighten their grip on our food supply. Not a week goes by when you don’t hear about crop failures and food shortages. Some of this is legitimate, some is not and I’d dare say most is manufactured. Let me just list a few of the ways I believe they … Continue reading →

Review: 5.11 Tactical Double Duty Belt

Twin On Tour Posted on by

The 5.11 Tactical Double “Duty” belt is a very nice pistol belt for the price but I’m not sure I’d refer to it as a duty belt. A duty belt is typically bigger and beefier and used to carry equipment easily, in a readily-accessible manner, while leaving the hands free to interact. This is more than just a pistol and mags. This is radio, cuffs, taser, etc… I would not consider this belt a “duty” belt. Description from their website: “With a dual-layer reversible design that offers two different color options, the 1.5” Double Duty TDU® Belt offers exceptional versatility … Continue reading →

Rotating through my extra gasoline

Twin On Tour Posted on by

In a previous post I wrote about my extra gasoline stash and how I like to keep my vehicles as close to full as possible just as good practice.  The basic theme of the post was that I always try to keep the prepping mentality somewhere in my mind, because even little things can make a difference.  According to many seasoned survivalists/preppers, it’s not only about having stuff but more importantly having skills.  I would argue that maintaining good situational awareness (even about how much gas I have) falls into the “skills” category, even if it is a bit of … Continue reading →

SHTF shopping on the cheap at the dollar store

Twin On Tour Posted on by

These days most items found at dollar stores cost more than one dollar, strange but true.  Retail outlets like Deals, Dollar General and others might have a few bargains in the store but they have strayed away from the true essence of what a dollar store should be.  Prices of just about everything have gone up exponentially over the past decade making true dollar stores hard to find, that is until today.  A tip lead me to a dollar store 20 minutes from my house, and I was shocked to find that truly everything in the store was $1.00 or less.  Sure … Continue reading →

2 way radios are now in my SHTF inventory

Twin On Tour Posted on by

Communication is a vital part of our everyday life.  In a SHTF situation typical means of communication might not be working (eg cell phones, land line).  Therefore I decided to purchase some 2 way radios as a backup method of communication that my family could utilize if times got hard and other systems were down.  I’m thinking we could use them if we had to conduct movements in separate vehicles, or if I had to make runs for water or other life sustaining items (leaving someone at home). As with any purchase I did my research online prior to getting the Motorola … Continue reading →

Maintaining proficiency with weapons

Twin On Tour Posted on by

Proficiency when using weapons is important, because no matter how well trained we are rust can form on our shooting skills as well as our weapons cache.  When I talk about being proficient I realize there are different levels of proficiency, surely what I consider to be proficient is a far cry what a military special operator or civilian swat member (someone who shoots thousands of rounds a week) would consider proficient.  You have to put things into perspective I guess, I can’t afford to shoot thousands of rounds a week but I’m also not being dropped off by a … Continue reading →

Pumping water by hand is my solution

Twin On Tour Posted on by

In previous blog posts I identified what I thought to be a huge problem in my SHTF “hunker down” strategy. We are prepared to bug out in an event where it becomes impossible to stay in the local area, but a best case scenario would see my family and I remaining in our house and holding out as long as possible. The problem which I thought I had identified was my basement, and the high probability of it filling up with water if the SHTF and there was no available and reliable power. Of course a basement full of stagnant … Continue reading →

5 Survival Myths

Twin On Tour Posted on by

1.  The myth that weapons are the most important thing Firearms should be treated just like catastrophic health insurance.  You should own them hoping that you never need them, but just like insurance, if you need them, you need them badly.   And, just like with hypochondriacs, there is a certain segment of society that can’t seem to look beyond the terrible events that would necessitate using a firearm in self-defense at more likely occurrences.  To make matters even worse, popular culture and the media both suggest that violence during survival situations is normal, and that hardship always brings out the … Continue reading →

Thoughts on a real SHTF scenario

Twin On Tour Posted on by

There is a forum thread floating around the internet composed by Mac Slavo, a survivor of the war in Bosnia in the mid 1990′s.  In this thread Mac describes the conditions that he and his family endured during these extremely troubling times, a real SHTF scenario which he (but not all of his family) was thankful to make it out of alive.  Mac lays the background in his writings and then fields questions from people who replied to him on an internet forum.  I found the question and answer section to be most enlightening, and I have read it many times over.  After my … Continue reading →

How Much Food & How Long to Store

Twin On Tour Posted on by

Some of the most common questions regarding food storage are how much should I store, and how long can I store it for? This blog post should help in answering these questions. Here are some suggestions for items within each of these categories that you can use. You can divide up the yearly amount for each major category among the different types of foods within that category according to what fits your family. It’s important to store your food at a room temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or less, with as little humidity as possible if you can. The following … Continue reading →

5 Survival Knots Worth Learning

Twin On Tour Posted on by

Basic knot tying is something that everyone should know.  In a survival situation, being able to quickly tie a knot to secure a shelter or rescue someone could mean the difference between life and death. Take a few minutes to learn these 5 critical survival knots and you will be well equipped to handle most situations! Before beginning, I recommend using paracord while learning to tie knots.  It is lightweight, cheap, and has about a million different survival uses.  Make sure to buy type III paracord with 7 internal strands like this Rothco 550lb. Type III Nylon Paracord. NOTE: Click the name … Continue reading →

Lock Picking: A SHTF Skill You Should Know

Twin On Tour Posted on by

There is a mountain of information about lock picking on the internet, but most of it makes lock picking seem intimidating or difficult to learn. My experience was exactly the opposite so I was inspired to share what I learned. Why Lock Picking is Worth Learning Makes you more valuable Post-SHTF There have been many posts about the value of skills that can be applied when SHTF. Lock picking is one of them. If you can pick locks, you can help people who lost their keys, teach others to pick locks (likely a desirable skill in a SHTF group), and … Continue reading →

Post-SHTF OPSEC

Twin On Tour Posted on by

OPSEC, or Operational Security, refers to keeping your everyday movements and actions discreet to prevent malicious parties from being able to piece together important information such as your schedule or the status of your preps. Many preppers and non-preppers alike are familiar with obvious day to day OPSEC procedures (i.e. not putting a key under your door mat when someone might be able to see you).  But what happens in a SHTF scenario?  As people start to get hungry and potentially violent, the rules change and a stricter set of OPSEC standards needs to be applied. I have come up … Continue reading →