ETA: And I just noticed that ,Rawles posted on his SurvivalBlog that “Today, April 15, 2026, is the 23rd Blogiversary of my buddy Commander Zero’s Notes From The Bunker blog. Congratulations!”) Glad he, and a few other folks, remembered because…I didn’t. Too much Beta Site on my brain.
I was reminded by someone in the comments that today is the 23’rd anniversary of the blog. Thats a long time to be rehashing the same subjects over and over…yet here we are.
It would not be a blog anniversary post without me gently needling Friend Of The Blog ™ ,Rawles over at SurvivalBlog that I predate him by about three years. But, giving credit where its due, he posts far more frequently than I do so while I’ve got him in terms of years, he’s got me in terms of quantity (and views).
A lot has changed in those years. Notably me. Those grey hairs come fast, man. But I’m still in reasonably good health and temper. Among other things, the hand-to-mouth nature of those early days has changed. I’ve a lot more money to do what I want with than when I started this adventure.
If you roll back far enough in the blog, you can see the first mentions of the Beta Site. Took a bit of time to finally acquire it, but acquire it I did. Hopefully it won’t take another twenty years to get the place appointed the way I’d like.
It’s tough to rechew the same topics over and over for twenty years. One of the things I’m going to enjoy about the Beta Site is that it’ll give me some new adventures to document and ideas to expand upon.
So there you go, kids. Twentythree years of brain droppings. If you’ve enjoyed any of it, feel free to swing by Patreon and put a few bucks into the Beta Site Development Fund…the barbed wire and sentry guns ain’t gonna pay for themselves.
Congratulations CZ! That’s a longtime in blogland, especially with your quality postings. Here’s to anohter 23 years if you so wish!
I’ll gladly drop a few bucks in tomorrow. Also I’ve been thinking about that switchback. If it was me I’d be planting some sapling along the outside bank for future safety.
That is a looong time to be blogging. I would run out of original material within 3 weeks. You and your blog have aged well. Congratulations !
Congratulations on the blogaversary. It’ll be fun reading how rubber meets the road from informed musings to practical reality. As said before good luck and Godspeed.
Congrats again…but remember, Rawles was big on USENET back in the day
What about the hot tub and the hot and cool running blondes? Priorities!
Happy blogiversary!
Mustn’t forget the research buildings for the lingerie proving ground!
Buildings? Necessary in cold weather, I suppose, but I envision those lightly clad nubile lingerie models flitting through the woods and creeks like faeries or naiads.
Congratulations on the blogaversary, CZ. I enjoy and benefit from your musings, ideas and commentary. Carry on!
Congrats, Commander!
Tom762
Congrats CZ! Glad you are still going strong!
Wow, there’s a lot more to read than I thought! Congratulations!
Congratulations. I enjoy you stories and comments.
Rawles has just about all the “bloggers” by a long long shot if you include his early dayz before the internet >>> he had a subscription newsletter back in the 1980s – he wasn’t out of the military many years at that point …….
Someday he’ll have to post an introspective timeline for the curious.
Happy Blogiversary!
You’ve been kicking butt at life the last few years an it shows!
23 years? As my Granddad use to say about any nd every Wedding Anniversary over ten “You don’t get that for murder!”
Add to that before this was a blog you had it as a site where you posted about Hi-Powers etc.
Dont forget claymores
If you only count owner generated content, I think you just may have more than Rawles. I quit going there years ago when he went to all ‘guest’ articles where people were ‘competing’ for prizes. Some really stupid stuff on there because of that.
And for content, you have it by a mile.
Really enjoy your adventures.
I think many folks left the blog when they eliminated all of the valuable commentary from their viewers. In many instances, the comments were better than the articles.
Are you not enjoying the current 7 part article on grooming your daughter to be a breeder and not a spinster. Understanding why they cut the viewers commentary.
The archives do offer some gems however.
Saw this thought maybe it could be an option for you in the short term…
https://yuma.craigslist.org/tro/d/quartzsite-off-grid-living-trailer/7923496562.html
I travel that way sometimes so could haul it up if you wanted it…
Thats actually not a bad price for that……..
No I didn’t think so and you could probably get it for 60 65 hundred…I asked him if it was insulated but he hasn’t got back to me yet…
Lineman is good shit.
CZ,
Coming up with a shelter/trailer until you build the Beta Site/Taj, is not impossible.
Over the years, I have built several trailers as temporary housing. When I worked as a contractor in Mississippi after Katrina (2005) I built my first “trailer house” and parked it in the backyards of houses I was working on, since housing stock was unavailable and trailer parks were full up.
The second trailer house was an improvement over the first when I worked as a contractor in Georgia for 9 months at a plant site I was assigned.
The third trailer was a “get on down the road” with your house on your back set up that I built for just in case I had to hit the road.
To do any of these, you need: A tandem axle, flat bed utility trailer built for hauling some weight. While the trailer does not need to be as heavy as a car hauler, it does need to be heavier than a tandem axle trailer that you buy at TSC.
Next, the layout: Across the front, up high is a window which is between two cabinets. Below the cabinets and the window is fold open/down bunk. The cabinets are for storage of personal items if you are sleeping/sitting on the bunk.
On the left (drivers side, up high, is a small electrical panel (if you wire the trailer) for outside power. Below the panel can be cabinets and a counter top and kitchen sink to work in.
Further down on the driver’s side can be: a small shower stall and a commode. The shower can spray both you and the commode, which lead to a small holding tank below the deck of the trailer. You could separate gray water and sewer water into two tanks if desired. The point is: all the plumbing is on the driver’s side and goes into a holding tank for storage/emptying.
On the right side (passenger side) is the main entry “man” door. A kitchen table can be placed aft of the man door, with seating. Towards the rear of the trailer on the man door side could be an open space to accommodate a pedal bikes, a dirt bike, small 4X4 etc.
Across the back of the trailer is a fold down door to load the cargo/bikes etc. (You can use a standard off the lot, drop door utility trailer for this set-up)
Over the years, I have built several versions of these trailers and have them at my Beta site, as auxiliary housing, just in case…some friends show up.
Hope this helps.