Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 7, 2024

October 7, 1571: The Battle of Lepanto. The Holy League of southern European nations formed by Pope Pius V destroyed an Ottoman fleet, off the coast of Western Greece.

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And on October 7, 1765, the Stamp Act Congress (First Congress of the American Colonies) convened in New York City to devise a unified protest against new British taxation.

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We are running a 3-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until October 11th, 2024, all of our blackpowder revolvers, all of our M1891 Argentine Mauser rifles, and all of our sporters have their prices deeply discounted.  Take a look!

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Today’s feature article is a review that was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

Bear Edge 61135 Fixed Blade Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Bear Edge modestly identifies their Model 61135 as a “Cushioned Utility Grip” knife. Although I found it to be highly useful as a utility knife in work around the property, I feel that the 61135 is also almost ideally formed to serve as a hunting knife.

Many hunting knives are a bit too large. Many buyers imagine Jim Bowie at the Alamo. Then they buy a knife more appropriately sized to be a fighting knife than a hunting knife. The problem with such large blades is that they can be awkward for field-dressing game. There is a reason that surgery is done with a scalpel rather than a machete.

In contrast, the approximately 3.7 inch, full-tang, hollow-ground, modified-drop-point blade of the 61135 is an almost ideal size and shape for field dressing game. The 4.5 inch black Kryton handle provides excellent grip, and the jimping on the back of the blade provides an extra measure of control for the delicate cuts. The 0.125 inch thick blade is made of 440 stainless steel, is easily sharpened, and is corrosion resistant. The injection-molded polymer sheath does an excellent job of clipping the knife to a belt or another attachment point without attracting moisture.Continue reading“Bear Edge 61135 Fixed Blade Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Greek-Style Lentil Soup

The following recipe for Greek-Style Lentil Soup is from SurvivalBlog reader H.N.. She says:  “This is a good recipe for using your stored lentils. Because of the beef broth, this isn’t a veggie recipe, but you can just use water, instead.”

Ingredients
  • 2 Cups lentils, dried
  • 4 Cups cold water
  • 1 Cup onion, chopped (or freeze-dried onion bits)
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 4 Cups beef broth
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 Cup celery, chopped (or freeze-dried celery chunks)
  • 2 Cups tomatoes, stewed
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 1 Cup carrots, chopped (or dried carrot slices)
  • 3 Tblsp parsley, Chopped (or freeze-dried parsley)
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons of vinegar
Directions
  1. Wash the lentils and drain them well.
  2. Combine lentils with all ingredients except the vinegar in a large stew pot. Bring the pot to a boil.
  3. Lower heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the lentils are tender
  4. Add vinegar and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
SERVING

Serve it hot.  This recipe feeds 7-to-8 adults.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: 4.5% of U.S. counties contain more than 50% of the population.

As shown, the 142 most populous counties contain 165,858,193 people. The remaining 3,001 counties contain 165,591,088 people. (Source: 2020 U.S. Census)

Note that the mapmaker’s methodology appears to have been simply based on teh ranking of county populations versus the national average.  It was not based on “population per square mile” but rather the population per county. Hence some geographically large counties such as in Arizona and southeastern California appear more heavily populated. – JWR

(Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

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Please send your graphic ideas to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen house, has many reasons to be disingenuous. As the world’s largest debtor, the Federal Government is inflation’s primary beneficiary.” – Peter Schiff

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 6, 2024

On October 6, 1866: The first reported train robbery on a moving train in the United States. Brothers John and Simeon Reno took $13,000. The train was traveling on the Ohio and Mississippi railroad. The train was robbed in Jackson County, Indiana.

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October 6th, 1960: The American adventure film Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas, had its world premiere; it won several Academy Awards, including best supporting actor for Peter Ustinov.

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On this day in 1973, on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel, which suffered heavy casualties, but Israeli forces successfully fought back, and the war eventually ended inconclusively.

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October 6 is the birthday of Thor Heyerdahl. (Born 1914, died April 18, 2002.) Although his east-to-west theory of Pacific Ocean transmigration was later disproved by genetics studies, his many adventures were still remarkable.

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Today is also the birthday of science fiction author David Brin. (born, 1950.) He wrote The Postman, which was very loosely the foundation of a movie by Kevin Costner.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

 

Mentoring: Steps Toward Changing The World – Part 2, by A Grateful Mechanic

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

What I implore you to consider is how can you take direct action to help our younger generation to find an old and better way to spend their time. If you are not physically able to interact with your community, I ask for your prayers. Prayers for our leaders, for our adults, and especially for our young people. Sitting idly by and complaining will not change anything. Becoming demoralized will not change anything. I too am disgusted by the degeneracy that I’ve participated in during my younger years, as well as what is paraded around and held up as “virtue.” Our wealth is not in material baubles, stock portfolios, and trinkets. I do not believe a politician being elected or not elected will change what is in our hearts, which is what truly matters.

Our true wealth is in the relationships we develop and in how we set the next generation up for success. Christianity, enterprise, physical strength, self-improvement, intelligence, reading, righteousness and hard work are the central hallmarks of our program. When we read about Jesus sharing his gospel and the miracle of the fishes and loaves we are reading about the importance of fellowship and God’s blessing of those who are doing his work. And in all our world, it is the hard-earned meal that is shared with our friends and loved ones that tastes best. I attribute this to the presence of the holy spirit.Continue reading“Mentoring: Steps Toward Changing The World – Part 2, by A Grateful Mechanic”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR, based on a suggestion by SurvivalBlog reader R.M.:

Meme Text:

A Movie Redux: Dazed and Confused Meets Idiocracy

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 5, 2024

On October 5, 1877 Chief Joseph and his people surrendered to the US Army, ending the Nez Perce War in the Western United States.

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On October 5, 1892, the Dalton Gang was finished in a shoot-out with the residents of Coffeyville, Kansas following a bank holdup. Four members of the gang were killed, and a fifth member was captured.

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October 5, 1703 was the birthday of Jonathan Edwards. He was a prolific Calvinist theological writer. Many of his writings were later collected in the multi-volume book The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards, edited by John Gerstner. Edwards died on March 22, 1758.

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Prepared Property Buyer Course: 15% Off Flash Sale This Weekend. If you’ve been waiting, now is the time. Get equipped to find your ideal rural property at https://PreparedPropertyBuyer.com. The sale ends at midnight PDT on Monday.

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Updates on Hurricane Helene relief efforts:

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Mentoring: Steps Toward Changing The World – Part 1, by A Grateful Mechanic

“Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.” – George Mueller

I am grateful for SurvivalBlog and this community. There is a great wealth of knowledge and inspiration that comes from this project.

In the last ten years I have experienced and pursued the development of a survival-focused lifestyle. I do not “do it right.” I have weakness at many points and I do not live in an ideal situation. Regardless I take active steps to improve my survival ability and to improve the resilience of my community. As I work to improve, I have found that taking active steps to improve my community is the most important role I can fit in to help us all increase our survivability.

When we review news and social media there are often stories about the dire straits the country is seen as entering. From both the conservative and liberal perspective there are earth shattering changes on the horizon and our world will “end soon.” I don’t discount these predictions, but I challenge the readers of this blog to ask themselves, so what?

If the world is rendered less suitable for human habitation and the sea levels rise, there will be change we need to adapt to. If we continue to see the prolonged venture into the depths of sin that is (to me and many others) so obvious, should we wring our hands and hide? Did Noah hide from God’s direction? Or did he move towards the goal God set out for him?Continue reading“Mentoring: Steps Toward Changing The World – Part 1, by A Grateful Mechanic”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

Last weekend, I helped one of our adult sons and his bride move from a condo into their first house.  As “the guy with the big horse trailer”, I often get calls for help from relatives who are moving. I’m happy to oblige.  I just don’t know how many years my back will be able to handle doing this. Perhaps by the mid-2030s, I’ll still be “the guy with the big horse trailer”, but just as a driver, not as a stevadore.

Even though we are still enjoying a bit of Indian Summer, I busied myself this week with some pre-winter preparations.  I drained and used a compressor walk-around tank to blow out the water line to our orchard.  Then I drained, coiled, and stowed most of our garden hoses.  And I moved our yard furniture indoors, for winter storage. And, with our hay and firewood stacked, I’m now feeling ready for winter.

Now, Lily’s report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.

O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.

I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.” – Jeremiah 5:1-6 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 4, 2024

Important Solar Flare Alert: A CME Double Whammy: An X7 on Wednesday and now a X9.1. Keep your electronics Faraday-protected for at least a few more days. And watch for auroras on Friday night and Saturday night. SpaceWeather.com posted this on Thursday:

THE STRONGEST FLARE YET: Sunspot AR3842 exploded again today, producing the strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25 so far. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the X9.1-category blast:

Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth’s atmosphere and caused a deep shortwave blackout over Africa and the South Atlantic. Ham radio operators in the area may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as a half an hour after 12:18 UTC.

Of greater interest is the CME. Preliminary SOHO coronagraph images show a halo CME emerging from the blast site. This CME will probably strike Earth on Oct. 6th, adding its effect to that of an earlier CME expected to arrive on Oct. 4th. Auroras are therefore likely this weekend.  [Emphasis added.]

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On October 4, 1675, Dutch mathematician, astronomer, scientist, and inventor Christiaan Huygens patented the pocket watch.

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October 4, 1895 was the birthday of American film comedian and director Buster Keaton, who was known for his deadpan expression and his imaginative and often elaborate visual comedy.

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October 4th is also the anniversary of the Tongo Tongo, Niger Ambush, in 2017. The American KIAs were  Staff Sgt. Bryan C Black, Sgt. First Class Jeremiah W Johnson, Sgt. La David T. Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Dustin M Wright.

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And October 4, 1923 was the birthday of the late Charlton Heston, who was born John Charles Carter. He died April 5, 2008. He is often remembered for movies like Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Soylent Green, The Planet of the Apes, and the survivalist classic The Omega Man.

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We are running a 3-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until October 11th, 2024, all of our blackpowder revolvers, all of our M1891 Argentine Mauser rifles, and all of our sporter rifles are deeply discounted.  Take a look!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Tools For The Next Generation

In this article, I’d like to emphasize the importance of tools that will be needed by our descendants. To begin, I’d like to stress the importance of buying quality tools. Don’t buy junk tools from Mainland China, often sold at places like Wal-Mart and Harbor Freight. I prefer tools made by companies like Snap-On, MAC, Matco, Irwin, Stahlwille (of Germany), Proto (called Plomb in the company’s early days), SK, Klein, Husky (pre-Taiwan), Cornwell, Kobalt (pre-China), Facom (of France), Worx, Fiskars (of Finland), Knipex, Ridgid, and Craftsman (pre-China). Sadly, many tool companies like Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, and Stanley have moved part or all of their production to mainland China, and their quality has dropped. So look for older hand tools from those brands that are marked “Made In USA”.

Next, it is important to avoid misusing or abusing tools. Use tools only for their intended purpose. Do not over-stress them. Buy a larger tool rather than over-stressing a smaller tool. And, of course, always put away tools clean, dry, well-oiled, and in their proper places.Continue reading“Tools For The Next Generation”