The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The thing is, I know a lot of actors, and, just look in their eyes. They try to be happy but you can see that they’re not. And you see them out partying, trying to fill that void. I did it, I was partying myself to death, trying to fill that void that I had. You see it in all the actors out there trying to fill that void by drugs, alcohol, all the things that are not going to cure that void that they have in them, until they really find their faith. The actors I meet that have …




Preparedness Notes for Thursday – August 16, 2018

On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to re-establish the Bank of the United States. In response, angry supporters of the bank gathered outside the White House and burned an effigy of Tyler. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest This has been another entry for Round 78 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 …




The Gunfighter’s Guide: Lessons Learned the Hard Way- Part 1, by The Grumpy Gunfighter

For me shooting has been away of life. I can vividly remember the first time my father handed me a .22 rifle and the awe it inspired in me. Its wood stock had been worn smooth by generations of men in my family who had owned it before me. Its presence had felt like a warm handshake in my grip that welcomed me into a skill that has served me well over the years. That old .22 must have made quite an impression on me because after two police departments, some time in the military, and several shooting competitions later, …




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”. You might be surprised at who is behind your Real ID. Strategic Relocation Kit Perez has started a new series on relocation, over at the American Partisan blog. It is titled: Strategic Relocation: Are You Missing Out? Venezuela The latest numbers of Venezuelans fleeing because of lack of food and shortages of medicine are placed around 2.3 million according to the U.N. Of those interviewed, lack of food seems to be the …







Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – August 15, 2018

On August 15, 1961, two days after sealing off free passage between East and West Berlin with barbed wire, East German authorities began building a wall–the Berlin Wall–to permanently close off access to the West. For the next 28 years, the heavily fortified Berlin Wall stood as the most tangible symbol of the Cold War–a literal “iron curtain” dividing Europe. The wall has now been torn down for longer than it stood, but the scars in memory are still there. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 78 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …




Utilizing a Self-Directed IRA: A Case Study in Investing Outside of Wall Street- Part 2, by J.J.

In a conversation with a successful and well off friend, I discovered that it was possible to invest outside of Wall Street. I had experienced the extreme fluctuations of economic bubbles and wanted something more secure as I planned for retirement. After learning more about his approach, I took baby steps to reevaluate my own investment approach to move toward a self-directed IRA. In part 1, I shared the first step toward a self-directed IRA for investing outside of Wall Street to achieve greater safety and diversification and now let’s move forward. Following the Wisdom of a King 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 the economic crisis in Turkey.  (See the Economy & Finance section and the Forex section.)   Precious Metals: Gold price logs first gain in 4 sessions, but still near 1½-year low as Turkey turmoil fades o o o Jim Wykcoff: Good Sign For Gold Bulls: …




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 White Ox Work Gloves. (See the Gear section.)   Books: Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values o  o  o Fall and Winter Gardening: 25 Organic Vegetables to Plant and Grow for Late Season Food o  o  o To Kill a Mockingbird. It is amazing that a novel that has been in print for so many years is presently ranked #21 at Amazon.com!  This book gives new meaning to the term “perennial classic.”   Movies: …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For those of us fighting for our traditional rights, the USA’s ‘2nd Amendment’ is a rare light in an ever darkening room. Governments will use the excuse of trying to protect the people from maniacs and crime, but are in reality, it is the bureaucrats protecting their power and position. In all cases where guns are banned, gun crime continues and often increases. As for maniacs, be it nuts with cars (NYC, Chapel Hill NC), swords (Japan), knives (China) or home made bombs (everywhere), insane people strike. They throw acid (Pakistan, UK), they throw fire bombs (France), they attack. What …




Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – August 14, 2018

August 14th, 1945 was Victory In Japan (“V-J”) Day. There are several days used for this celebration though. The actual announcement was on August 15th, but due to the time difference, August 14th is often used. Some also celebrate the day when the actual accord was signed on September 2nd. o o o Seed for Security, LLCis having an exceptional sale. Their Colossal Security Pack is now 15% off. This pack is a total of 7 pounds of vegetable, herb, and grain seed. All are open pollinated and non GMO. Included are their most popular collections: The Super Security Pack, …




Utilizing a Self-Directed IRA: A Case Study in Investing Outside of Wall Street- Part 1, by J.J.

Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 ASV Author’s Note Please note that this is only an example of my utilization of a Self Directed IRA, albeit in a minimal manner, to diversify investments into hard assets. This is not meant to give investment advice to anyone, and your decision to pursue this option should be done with careful scrutiny of the IRS rules governing this type of IRA. Very careful consideration …




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 Eastern Oregon Data Centers. (See the Eastern Oregon section.)   Idaho I heard that Seekins Precision (in Lewiston, Idaho) has just added some great .224 Valkyrie uppers and complete rifles to their product line. Note: When I last checked, their web site had not yet been updated to show their new .224 Valkyrie products. So call them …




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”. Gun Owners and the Deep State Gun owners are increasingly violating firearms laws and their numbers are expanding, but not for the reason that the media wants you to think. They are both willfully and/or unwillfully violating these laws because the number of laws outlawing certain firearms or accessories are increasing. This isn’t the result of a violent crime wave, but because they continue to possess things that the government has deemed …