Radio Communication Methods During Emergencies- Part 2, by R. in NC

Today, we’re continuing to look at communications devices in this communications overview section of the article. So far, we’ve look at Ham radio/licensed devices, but now we’re moving into non-FCC license dependence communication devices to consider. Cell Phones – Using During An Emergency and Improving Reception During an emergency it is very common that the local cell phone towers become saturated. Many people attempt to connect at the same time, resulting in busy signals. In addition, some cell towers have special equipment that restrict public use and dedicate additional bandwidth to emergency services. This section covers how to get a …




Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today, I’m posting an update on investing in binary triggers. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.) Precious Metals: First up, there is this from Peter Hug: Gold Price Fighting Stronger Dollar o o o American Eagle Gold, Silver Coin Demand on Track for 10-Year …




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on Kestrel Elite weather gauges. (See the Instructional Videos section.) Books: The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Series.  (I recommend this entire book series.) o o o Leonardo da Vinci, a newly-released biography by Walter Isaacson o o o A World Ablaze: The Rise of Martin Luther and the Birth of the Reformation   Movies and Television: Random Quest. A clever film about a scientist who visits a parallel universe. Available on DVD or for free download …







Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – October 24, 2017

October 24th is the anniversary of the firing squad execution of Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling, in 1945. His ignominious place in history was to have his surname become a noun. “Quisling” is now a moniker synonymous with treason and alliance with an invading army. Something tells me that the popularity of “Vidkun” as a boys’ natal name in Scandinavia dropped precipitously after about 1942. Ditto for “Adolf”, in Germany, and “Benito”, in Italy, after 1944. o o o I noticed that OpticsPlanet.com is having a 11% off sale for orders over $100. This sale ends at midnight on October 26th. …




Radio Communication Methods During Emergencies- Part 1, by R. in NC

Communications Overview and General Guidelines About This Article A modern two-way radio combines transmit and receive components together and is known as a transceiver. In this article I will use the terms radio and transceiver interchangeably. I’m also trying to write this to the largest audience possible and for that reason I may sacrifice technical accuracy in order to express the concept. Not all emergencies will require advanced communications equipment. Common usage technologies, such as email, voice mail, and SMS texting, should not be ignored. The more options you are able to take advantage of, the better your chances of …




SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on the makers of the GrainMaker home wheat grinder.  See the Montana section of this column.) Idaho First up:  An Idaho congressional candidate is under attack.  Why? For simply pointing out inconsistencies in the official Las Vegas Massacre narrative. See:  Idaho congressional candidate pushes Las Vegas shooting conspiracy theories. JWR’s Comments: The leftward-leaning Idaho Statesman has an unjustified …




The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. Tensions ratchet up a notch this week between North Korea and the U.S. Reason #5045 to Leave Public School Florida teacher accused of giving 17-year-old student STD – Are these incidents becoming more common place or are people just more willing to report them? I think it’s probably a bit of both. Millennials are Ditching Religion I always thought that in a time of emotional upheaval people would return to their roots. …







Preparedness Notes for Monday – October 23, 2017

On October 23rd, 2002, around 50 Chechen rebels stormed a Moscow theater, taking 700 hostages during a popular musical. After 57 hours, during which two hostages were killed, Soviet Special Forces pumped a powerful narcotic gas into the theater knocking the terrorists and hostages unconscious before breaking in through the walls and roof. When the dust settled, most of the rebels and 120 hostages had been killed.




Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

The Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911 is one of the best of the best 1911s available, at any price, and we’ll report our results from testing in this article. Bear With My Sad Story Bear with me, before I give my findings on the TRP Operator 1911 in this article. This is a sad but somewhat humorous story about the start to my testing this outstanding 1911. I received the TRP Operator 1911 from Springfield Armory during the past winter. Before testing this gun, I noticed that the Tritium front sight wasn’t glowing at all. I have had this happen …




Recipe of the Week: Potato Leek Soup, by K.M.

(Approx 2-3 hours prep time) I use our 23-qt. canning pot to make a big batch and fill it to the brim, as everyone in our family enjoys this recipe. It usually only lasts two or three days among our family of five, and almost all of the ingredients can be sourced independently (e.g. from your own garden or farm). You can add/subtract a portion of the water, broth, milk, or potatoes to the recipe to suit your needs. Ingredients: 1 lb. bacon 3 lbs. potatoes (approximately; any variety will do; I prefer fingerlings, as they stay firm in the …




Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on making money buying and selling vacuum tubes. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.) Precious Metals: First on today’s roster:  Lawrie Williams: What now for precious metals? o o o Why Is Silver Really Lagging Behind Gold? Stocks: Shiller P/E – …