Month: April 2018

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – April 11, 2018

April 12th is the birthday of the late novelist Tom Clancy. (Born 1947, died October 1, 2013). It was Clancy who almost single-handedly created the modern techno-thriller genre. Coincidentally, Tom Clancy’s first literary agent was my agent, Robert Gottlieb. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 76 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three …


How to Prepare When You’re The Only One- Part 2, by Patriotman

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I’m a man in his mid 20s trying to prepare for when SHTF to care for 21 family members, none of which are really contributing in any significant way. I’m also part of a fireteam group, but they are not walking the walk on preparations either. My girlfriend is supportive, but I feel generally alone in my preparations. I’ve outlined the problems I have in each group– family and fireteam– in Part 1 of this article series. How Do You Overcome These Barriers to Success? Now that I have laid out my problems, which are substantial, I want to talk …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 investing in Pre-1965 Silver Coins. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.) Precious Metals: Clive Maund: ‘The Most Bullish Set Up for Silver that I Have Ever Seen’ (Thanks to H.L. for the link.) o  o  o Precious Metals Weekly Report – April …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on the new generation of rechargeable batteries. Books: Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen o  o  o How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere, by Bradford Angier Movies: A Wing and A Prayer (2017). This great documentary about Al Schwimmer and the founding of the Israeli Air Force is available for free download to Amazon Prime members. Also available on DVD. o o o They Live (1988). Now available …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“They treat me like a fox, a cunning fellow (Schlaukopf) of the first rank. But the truth is that with a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half, and when I have to deal with a pirate, I try to be a pirate and a half.” – Otto Furst von Bismark, speaking with Gyula Andrássy in Salzburg on September 18, 1877. As quoted in Disraeli, Gladstone, and the Eastern Question. A Study in Diplomacy and Party Politics (1935) by Robert William Seton-Watson, p. 224


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – April 10, 2018

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April 11th is the birthday of John Milius, who was born in 1944. He both wrote the screenplays and directed the films Dillinger, The Wind and the Lion, Big Wednesday, Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, Farewell to the King, and Flight of the Intruder. He also wrote the screenplays of the first two Dirty Harry movies as well as the first draft of the screenplay for Patton (before Francis Ford Coppola turned it into a vaguely anti-war commentary laced with references to reincarnation). Milius is JWR’s favorite Hollywood writer and director, in part because he stands for everything that Hollywood …


How to Prepare When You’re The Only One- Part 1, by Patriotman

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I think this article will resonate with many of the SurvivalBlog readership, because I suspect that many of us are in a similar situation of being the only one preparing. While some of you may be lucky to have complete buy-in and participation with prepping from your family or survival group, many others, like myself, may find that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. Before I speak about my experience with this issue and the steps I have taken to attempt to mitigate this, let me provide some background on myself as well as what the composition …


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 upcoming Oregon gun restrictions ballot initiative. (See the Oregon section.) Idaho Over at Redoubt News there is this piece from an Idaho legislator: End of Session Review, by Representative Christy Zito o o o The 25th North Idaho Veterans Stand Down is scheduled for May 12, 2018, at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, in Coeur d’ Alene. …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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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”. You need to read the article today on pests and crops. The practice of monoculture crops is standard in the agriculture industry and it is hazardous. Nightmare Bugs According to this article sent in by reader G.P., the CDC has collected almost 6,000 different varieties of microbes that are highly resistant to antibiotics from all 50 states. Of those that they collected, over 200 had evolved to carry a rare and formidable …




CRKT Septimo Folder, by Pat Cascio

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Under review today is the very unique Septimo folder by Green Beret, Jeremy Valdez. This one is more than a little unique in design and intended purpose! My First Knife I’m not exactly sure when I was given my first knife, but it would have been when I was about five or six years old. It was a two part set containing a Bowie-type fixed blade knife and a small hatchet. I longed for this set. And when my grandmother and grandfather who raised me had enough S&H green stamps (anyone remember those?), my grandfather went to the redemption center …


Recipe of the Week: Barbecued Spareribs, by F.B.

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Ingredients: 4 to 5 lbs spareribs, cut into two-rib pieces 1/2 cups ketchup 2 tbs brown sugar 1/2 cup bottled steak sauce 2 tbs vinegar 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp hickory smoke salt 1 tsp instant minced onion Directions: Place spareribs on a rack in a baking pan. Brown in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side for 10 or 15 minutes. Drain the fat and put ribs in a pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the rigs. Cover and cook on low until done. o o o Do you have 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’s focus is on investing in High Standard pistols. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.) Stocks: Last Friday’s 572-point sell-off in the Dow made headlines. With higher interest rates ahead, this is probably not anywhere near the bottom. Economy & Finance: Reading a headline like …