Month: March 2019

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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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 railroads, rail bikes, and rails-to-trails in the American Redoubt.  The region has a rich history of railroads.  Many  “branch ” (Class III) railroads were and still are used to haul grain, ore, logs, and lumber. (A hat tip to reader JML, who sent me the initial link that piqued my interest in rail biking and rails to …


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 “JWR”.  Today, we focus on U.S. Population Density.  The featured image is a composite photo of the lights of North America at night.  Some pictures truly are worth a thousand words. Insured Against Cataclysm? First up, over at Wired: Post-Apocalyptic Insurers Try Out a New ‘Make it Rain’ Strategy.  Here is a quote: “Typical insurance, the kind you probably have on your car or home, helps with this, but it is slooooow. It …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 4, 2019

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Today is the birthday of James Ellroy (b. 1948), an American noir novelist. He authored L.A. Confidential, which later became a popular film. — I was just told that the family that is handing fulfillment of orders for our latest 16GB waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB sticks has fully caught up on mailing out orders. So if you order soon, your package should be mailed out within the next two to three working days. Note that there is up to a 2-week delay for orders paid by check. We started out with 1,500 sticks in mid-January. We now have less than …


Savage Axis .30-06 and Trigger Kit, by Pat Cascio

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I’m a sucker for a great deal on firearms, and my local gun shop knows this. They are always putting guns in my hands. One really caught my attention: the Savage Arms Axis chambered in 30-06. That is one of my favorite big game cartridges. I don’t get out and do a lot of hunting these days, however when I do, its usually for deer, or black bear, and my all-time favorite caliber is .30-06. It’ll get the job done – every single time – with the right bullet placement, and the right bullet. I completely missed hunting this past …


Recipe of the Week: Avalanche Lily’s Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes

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Avalanche Lily’s Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients: 8 medium sized potatoes peeled and thinly sliced 2 large onions peeled and thinly sliced 1 Organic Prairie Summer Beef Sausage (12 ounce), thinly sliced 1 can 13 ounce Organic Coconut Cream and milk–first stirred up. (We use Native Tree brand) 1 Tablespoon minced Garlic Himalayan salt, to taste Directions: In a nine by thirteen inch rectangular Pyrex/glass dish, pour a little of the mixed milk and cream on the bottom of the pan. Alternate layers of sliced potatoes, onions and sausage.  After laying down the first set of potatoes, onions and sausage, …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news 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 SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today’s focus is on some observations by economist John Mauldin. (See the the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: U.S. Mint Suspends Silver Bullion Coin Sales After Sales Double In February o o o Why the Barrick deal could mean the mega melt up is here for gold. …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 3, 2019

Today is the birthday of bluegrass musician Doc Watson. (He was born in 1923 and passed away in 2012.) His guitar work was phenomenal. This is also the birthday of James Doohan, in 1920. He played Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek television series and films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He passed away on July 20, 2005. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 81 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 …


How NOT to Build a Retreat, by The Jewish Prepper, Pt. 4

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(Continued from Part 3. This part concludes the series.) Final Electric Up until this point, we had been working off generator power. Flashlights and battery powered LED lights were our only light source, and a kerosene heater and an old window AC unit were our only climate control. Once I had the drywall up, the inspector signed off on permanent power. This meant I was legally allowed to have the power company hook up a line to the house. There was only one problem: they needed to be able to get a truck in to set a pole. To get …


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 “JWR”.  Today, we focus on how Seattle’s slow slide continues. The featured photo is of vagrants in Paris, circa 1930. Some things don’t change. Seattle’s Slow Slide Continues Reader D.S. sent us this link: Seattle’s homeless, ‘prolific offenders’ responsible for thousands of criminal cases. Here is how the article starts off: “A report commissioned by Seattle business leaders and written by a member of the previous Mayoral administration concludes that a small number …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 2, 2019

This is the birthday of libertarian economist Murray Rothbard (born 1926, died 1995) His book For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto is highly recommended. Today is also the birthday of Moe Berg, American baseball player and clandestine agent. (He died in 1972). His biography The Catcher Was a Spy is fascinating reading. And on March 2nd, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Today is coincidentally also the birthday of Sam Houston. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round …


How NOT to Build a Retreat, by The Jewish Prepper, Pt. 3

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(Continued from Part 2) Windows and Siding You will often see people recommending salvaged windows for construction projects. Ignore those recommendations! You want new windows, and the ones with a complete rectangle of vinyl trim that snaps into place on the front. I got a good deal on windows that had no interior frame and no exterior vinyl fins, which meant I had to cobble those parts together myself. Every time I drive by a house with beautiful vinyl-framed windows, I feel a pang of jealousy, because mine not only took far longer to install, and they will always look …


Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready! …