Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 31, 2020

December 31st is the birthday of Alexander Solzhenitsyn (pictured) and of Frederick Selous. (He died on January 4th, 1917.) — We’ve just heard of the passing of actress Dawn Wells (of Gilligan’s Island fame).  In her later years, she settled in Driggs, Idaho, a town famous for its view of the “back side” of the Grand Tetons. There, Wells did a stint as the town’s Mayor. So she was an honorary Redoubter. SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 92 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists …




Surviving Unemployment – Part 2, by SwampFox

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Searching for jobs can be done in multiple ways. If you’ve filed for state benefits, you’ve likely been enrolled in a state employer search database. Make use of this, as the employers linked to the state are likely to be hiring constantly and not too picky. If you just need some money coming in, you’ll be hired soon. If you want to wait for a higher quality job, begin searching online. Local listings on Craigslist, Indeed, Monster, and other search engines are a reasonable starting point. I’ve discovered, however, that the oldest …




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 “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we celebrate the ATF’s reversal on their plan to ban or heavily tax most pistols with arm braces as Short-Barreled Riles (SBRs). FPC: The ATF Withdraws “Guidance” for “Stabilizing Braces” To start today’s …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But how else will 2020 be remembered decades from today? Will we talk about this being the year where “social distancing” became the norm and online education really took off? Or will we remember 2020 as the year that several social constructs broke down once and for all and set the ball rolling on the path to revolution across many nations? Will 2020 be the year where we reset everything altogether, everything becomes “Before Pandemic” (BP) and “After Pandemic” (AP)? We will have to wait and watch but make no mistake, 2020 will be the most memorable year of our …




Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 30, 2020

December 30, 1865 was the birthday of Rudyard Kipling. — Our big rifle sale at Elk Creek Company ends at 5 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, January 6th, 2021. We’ve already had more than $15,000 in orders since ordering resumed on December 26th, depleting our inventory.  Get your order in soon! SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 92 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: 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 …




Surviving Unemployment – Part 1, by SwampFox

Introduction There’s an old saying, “When your neighbor loses his job, you call it a recession. When you lose yours, it becomes a depression!” Dealing with unemployment is something we all face at one time or another in life. For many in the USA and around the world, 2020 has given us a refresher course. Unfortunately, COVID-19 not over yet. The incoming Biden administration is not likely to be friendly to liberty – economic and otherwise. Some state governments have become emboldened by their success at implementing draconian regulations. The risk to our economic security is quite real as we …




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, tools, books, and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how-to” self-sufficiency videos. There is also an emphasis on links to sources for storage food and a variety of storage and caching containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the focus is on books, instructional videos, shelving, and lights for indoor …







Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 29, 2020

130 years ago today, the tragic Wounded Knee massacre took place. — This is also the birthday of inventor Charles Goodyear (1800–1860.) — And today is the birthday of actor Jude Law (born 1972.) You will probably remember him from Enemy at The Gates and Sky Captain. — I recently reactivated the order-taking system at Elk Creek Company  — my sideline antique gun business. Please note that I’ve set special sale prices on nearly all of the full-length rifles in our inventory. With the Biden Administration soon to take over the White House, is strongly recommend that you buy a …




Living In The Age Of Deception And Betrayal

For the past 12 years, I’ve been telling my readers that we are living in an age of deception and betrayal. My first use of that phrase in SurvivalBlog was In 2008. Here is a brief excerpt from that essay: “I urge all SurvivalBlog readers to redouble their efforts to keep a low profile in their communities and their presence on the Internet. If the Cold War reemerges with the same intensity as the Cuban Missile Crisis, we may very well soon enter an age of deception and betrayal that could sweep up innocents as well as malefactors. It is …




SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on scenic locales in the American Redoubt. with most of them accessible by car or bicycle. Take a look at these web pages and video tours and you’ll see why the American Redoubt has a well-deserved reputation for outdoor recreation. Region-Wide Connecting Seven …







Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 28, 2020

December 28, 1793 is the day that Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the guillotine. — I just heard of the passing of bluegrass guitar legend Tony Rice.  He will be missed! — Today, another product …




Springfield Armory Ronin Compact M1911, by Pat Cascio

Having spent 35-years in the martial arts, I knew what the word “Ronin” meant, but many people don’t. The short story is that a Ronin is an out of work Samurai – one who has no master to serve. I can understand Springfield Armory selecting this term for their newest 1911, and I’m only going to cover their newest model, and it is a lightweight model, with a 4.25-inch barrel.  (Commonly called “Commander” size.) To put it bluntly, the Springfield Ronin, is in search of a brave person, a man (or woman) of honor, and this Ronin wants to serve …




Recipe of the Week: Potato Turkey Stuffing

The following recipe for Potato Turkey Stuffing is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book will be one of the many bonus items included in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This special 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021. The 14th Edition sold out quickly, so place a reminder in your calendar, if you want one. Ingredients 2 cups hot …