The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“We did not vote on the “shelter-in-place” dictum.  We did not vote on the shut down of all “non-essential” businesses. Hysteria leads to a dismissal of the factual. And the factual analysis of this current “Wuhan flu” is that many of the policies enacted here in Montana are irrational and insulting.  Does anyone believe that the “vulnerable”  (such as this mid-seventies old man) are incapable of taking appropriate precautions on their own without the Governor destroying the livelihoods of all our fellow Montanans? Does anyone really expect now that a Governor has assumed the power to decide who is essential …




Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 8, 2020

April 8th is the birthday of the late Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia. (Born, 1919, died November 20, 2007.) April 8th is also the anniversary of the death of English experimental gunsmith and author Phillip Luty, in 2011. He was hounded by British authorities for many years. He died of cancer before a scheduled criminal trial. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 88 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of …




The Coast HX4 Light, by The Novice

Last summer, I went to a garage sale. There, I found a brand new clip light for sale for two dollars. That was too good a deal to pass up, so I bought the light and put it on a shelf in my workshop. It sat there for several months. Then, one autumn evening, I needed to move some firewood after darkness fell. I looked at the various headlamps on my shelf, and decided to give the new one a try. I was very impressed. The little light cast a bright white flood of light wherever I turned my head. …




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, books and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage 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 the FGC-9 3D-printed pistol. (See the Gear & Grub section.) Books: I just noticed that …










Pandemic Policies are Destroying the Economy and our Liberty

I am deeply troubled by the cascade of events that we have seen in these United States since February of 2020.  The rapid spread of the Wuhan coronavirus has caused politicians to veer off into panic mode policies.  They’re acting like a herd of anxious Soccer Moms at Costco.  They see the threat, and they instantly decide: “I’ve got to do something!” But instead of just holding a credit card to buying toilet paper rolls, they can write extra-constitutional policies “for the public good.”  The end results are absurdities like having police breaking up funeral services or arresting lone surfers. …




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 the variety of reactions to the coronavirus pandemic in the American Redoubt, most notably that of Idaho Representative Heather Scott (pictured.) Idaho Bonner County: Sheriff opposes stay-at-home order o o o North Idaho Legislator Urges Constituents To ‘Push Back’ Against Governor’s Stay-Home …







Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 6, 2020

This is the birthday of famous American newsreel and radio journalist/narrator Lowell Thomas. — JWR Observes: SurvivalBlog readers were wearing masks out in public, for weeks before it was cool. — Do you want to really get away from it all?  Then check out this new listing at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealkty.com: Cabin on 100 acres in Chile. — Today, we present another product review from the indefatigable Pat Cascio.  




Work Sharp Sharpeners, by Pat Cascio

Two questions, that I receive all the time from readers are: 1.) What is your favorite gun? And, 2.) How do I re-sharpen my knife back to factory sharpness? Of course, the first question is impossible to answer, because there is no single gun that can take care of all my needs. The second question is a bit hard to answer, as well. You have to remember that there are folks in the knife factories who spend their entire day sharpening knives, on a power belt machine, and they sharpen hundreds of knives each day, they have a special talent …




Recipe of the Week: Claire’s Four Cheese Spaghetti Bake

Reader Claire kindly sent us her Four Cheese Spaghetti Bake recipe. She says that her family often requests it. I suppose this qualifies as a “comfort food”, for hunkering down in the pandemic. Ingredients 1-1/2 pounds of cooked spaghetti 1/2 pound Fontina cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups) 1/2 pound Gruyère Cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups) 1/4 pound Gorgonzola dolce cheese, crumbled (1 cup) 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups) Ground pepper, to taste Salt, to taste Directions Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 13″-by-9″-inch baking dish. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water …




Economics & Investing For Preppers

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. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at both the supply and demand sides of the silver market. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals: The demand side for physical silver is off the charts. But meanwhile, the supply side of the silver market equation is downright grim. Consider these factors and some recent news: In the …







Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 5, 2020

On this day in 1614, Pocahontas married John Rolfe which ensured peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 88 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three …