Preparedness | Strategic Living

The Relevance of Non-Electric Lighting: Interview with Ron Brown + Book Giveaway

I have always had a hate relationship with the dark. It started when I was a child and has continued throughout adulthood. To this day, I rarely close the blinds and even when I do, my window coverings still let in a lot of light.

It is for this reason that ten years ago I started collecting (hoarding?) flashlights and lanterns. It was not long after that when a fellow named Ron Brown reached out to me with an advertising inquiry and the rest, as they say, is history.

Remember the 2000 hour flashlight? Yep, it was Ron who shared that technique with us in one of his books. He then went on to publish a series of books on non-electric lighting, each one addressing different methods of producing light without the benefit of electricity.

This brings me to last summer when, on a camping trip, I decided to brush up on my non-electric lighting knowledge and pulled Ron’s books from the archives of my Kindle. Of all of them, it became apparent that one stood out in its simplicity, availability, and usefulness. That was Book 2: Olive Oil Lames &c.

Why this book and not one of the others? Cooking oil, including lard and shortening, is commonly available, inexpensive, and non-toxic to pets and children. Even if cooking oil is old, it can still be used to create light when coupled with strands of a dollar store string mop used as a wick.

Brilliant!

So why is this relevant?

In an emergency situation when it appears that mother nature or human nature is out to get you, having light can be comforting. It also affords you an opportunity to cook, read, play cards, interact with others and basically keep your mind occupied during a SHTF situation.

Let me be clear: at some time, the power WILL go out for an extended period of hours, days, or even weeks. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN.

I recently reached out to Ron with some interview questions. He graciously responded and has also ponied up a print copy of his book to use as a giveaway. He also offered this nugget suggesting what could happen if we were faced with a global pandemic:

“Not to editorialize BUT when the Wuhan coronavirus spreads and the lights go out because the power-company workers are all quarantined along with the rest of us, this book will come in handy. That’s supposed to be a joke but somehow it doesn’t sound very funny at the moment.”

Enjoy the interview and be sure to enter the giveaway!

Encore: Why Food Storage is Not Dead

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Encore in case you missed it! Please help spread the word so everyone can get my e-book on food storage for free!

There was a time in early 2017 that preparedness bloggers were asking: is prepping dead? Shortly thereafter, a lot of sites went dark and emergency food and other supplies started showing up at deep discounts on eBay, Craigslist, and other outlets. That was a shame, really, because the reasons we prepare have never gone away.

Mother Nature continues to wreak havoc, unexpected repairs or medical bills can decimate the family budget, people change careers and must start over, and, perhaps most insidious, governments, large corporations, and even the mainstream media attempt to instill influence and control over our daily lives.

For these reasons and more, I continue to champion preparedness to anyone that will listen. And while it is nice to have the latest and greatest survival doo-dad in our prepping arsenal, the fact remains that food typically takes a prominent place in our preparedness efforts.

So, as I do from time to time, I am offering my eBook, The Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage, for free for a limited time starting January 29 and running through February 2nd. But first, a few things need to be said that reflect my current thoughts on the importance of food storage.

Who Is Samantha Biggers and Why Should You Care?

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For those of you that don’t know, Samantha Biggers is the editor in chief at Backdoor Survival. We became friendly shortly after new ownership took over and did my best to mentor her relative to the ins and outs of full-time blogging. Since then, I have grown to respect her opinions and her lifestyle which are both pretty remarkable given that she is a millennial. You know, a member of the younger generation that is not known for independence, belief in free speech, and the other rights us “grays” hold near and dear to our hearts.

A few months back I asked Samantha if she would be willing to subject herself to an interview and she agreed. It has taken me a while to post this, not through any fault of Samantha, but because of the personal funk I have experienced as I watch the degradation of what I perceive as the erosion of our freedom. You may recall I recently wrote about that in Is American Freedom Under Siege?. A must-read if I do say so myself.

More to the point, you should care about Samantha Biggers because she represents forward-thinking while at the same time embracing a traditional lifestyle of homesteading and preparedness. While I do not always agree with her, she represents our future and that gives me optimism.

Encore: Get the Updated Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage for Free Oct 31 to Nov 4

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It is once again time to grab a copy of The Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage for free. The dates are Oct 31 to Nov 4.

Those of you familiar with my book will notice that I have recently changed the cover in order to reflect that the book is no longer a part of or associated with the Backdoor Survival website. You will also find that I have updated the “About the Author” section to reflect my current life situation which is retired and living in Arizona. There are a few other small changes, but nothing major.

It is hard to believe that The Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage was first published in December 2013.

Although not a lot has changed relative to food storage methods and techniques, there are some pieces missing in the book, such as dealing with food storage when there are special health or diet concerns. In addition, moving from Washington State to Arizona has greatly influenced my thoughts relative to the stability of canned and packaged goods when maintaining a steady 70 degree or less environment is either cost-prohibitive or impossible. I will be addressing those issues in upcoming articles here on Strategic Living.

Strategic Living Book Festival: Be Ready For Anything by Daisy Luther

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Today I am pleased to announce the launch of the Strategic Living Book Festival. This is something I have done in the past as a way to introduce you to the best new books in the prepping, homestead, and survival niches. Going forward, I also plan to share books about life, hobbies, and just about anything else that will contribute to your overall well being. As I have done before, with each book I will include a brief book review, an author interview, and a book giveaway.

It only seems appropriate that I start things off with one of the most credible and prolific preparedness authors I know, Daisy Luther. Her new book, “Be Ready For Anything”, is a one-stop shop for all things preparedness. I do not say this lightly because even with all of the great preparedness books out there, you would be well served with just this one.

Here is a brief introduction to the book itself, an interview with Daisy, and of course, details of the book giveaway.