Month: July 2020

Preparedness Notes for Friday — July 31, 2020

I just heard that former presidential candidate Herman Cain dies from Coronavirus at age 74. My condolences to his family.  He was a great patriotic conservative American! — July 31st, 1921, was the birthday of Army Air Corps veteran David Thatcher (pictured), one of the Doolittle Raiders. Thatcher was the tail gunner of the Mitchell B-25 medium bomber christened the Ruptured Duck, the seventh of 16 planes. Returning from the raid, the bomber crashed into the sea from low fuel and the crewmen survived, in no small part to Thatcher’s heroic efforts. The five airmen washed ashore and were given aid …


To Keep and Bear, by Joshua G.

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“To conquer a nation, you must first disarm its citizens.” That was spoken by Adolf Hitler, one of the twentieth century’s most hideous leaders. These words serve as a dire warning to all freedom-loving Americans. As active shootings have become more and more publicized so has a rising clamor for stringent government action. Screeching fabricated mendacities from between their parched lips, liberal politicians, some openly communist, encourage people to support new Red Flag gun laws. They vigorously insist that these laws will keep Americans “safer”. This is false. Many have been deceived. The danger is real. Common sense refutes their …


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. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the rocketing rise in precious metals prices, and the corresponding decline of the Doillar on the Forex. (See the Precious Metals section and the Forex section.) Precious Metals: Back in January, I had surmised that the year 2020 was going to be a year of 20/20 hindsight. Well, now …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary to the public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute or common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back.”  – Robert …


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 30, 2020

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Today we remember the birthday of author Reginald Bretnor. He was born Alfred Reginald Kahn on July 30, 1911, in Vladivostok. He died on July 22, 1992 in Medford, Oregon. In addition to penning many witty science fiction novels and short stories in his characteristic style, he also wrote nonfiction articles for Mel Tappan’s P.S. Letter — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 89 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 …


Body Armor Basics, by Raskolnikov

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It’s always struck me as odd that we often think of defensive preps almost exclusively as involving firearms. Don’t get me wrong, I love guns. I’ve taken courses and train regularly so I can use them effectively if the need should ever arise. But in a gunfight, the bullets don’t just go in one direction. Often, they come back at you as well. Today, we’re going to talk about how we can protect ourselves with various types of body armor or ballistic protection. We’ll talk about some of the basics of body armor, how it works, what options are available, …


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”. 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 look at a suggestion for Mandatory Vaccinations for COVID-19. Rioters Draw Guns on Drivers in Eugene, Oregon Reader H.L. sent this portentous news: Crowds launch fireworks at brewery, draw guns on drivers …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Literature and drama is how abstract ideas are made real in people’s minds and attach themselves to the soul and heart. Because a storyteller needs to make the storytelling convincing storytelling works best when it finds realities people can relate to, and that puts a discipline on the storyteller to ground abstract ideas in human experience. Ideology that can’t find its common humanity makes for dull stories and unconvincing plots, and this acts both as a filter to keep out dogmas that don’t work well in the real world and makes popular ideas that strike universal chords.” – J. Neil …


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 29, 2020

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29 July 1805 was the birthday of Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville. He died 16 April 1859. He is best known for his lengthy treatise: Democracy In America. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 89 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 …


Springfield Hellcat Review, by G.L.W.

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I am an amateur shooter at best and three years new to concealed carry. My goal is to give you my impressions of this newly-introduced gun and hopefully assist anyone considering one of these “micro-compact” handguns. I am in no way affiliated with Springfield Armory. After beginning our family in 2015, it was clear that the best, most responsible way for us to protect ourselves was to relocate us into the beautiful American Redoubt. You can be protected by the biggest arsenal, but in my mind, if your own local government is against you, you are at a disadvantage. Following …


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. 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 Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. (See the Gear & Grub section.) Books: The latest book by Dinesh …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 28, 2020

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I just heard that actress Olivia de Havilland–famous for her role as Melanie Hamilton in the film Gone With The Wind, has died at the age of 104. — On July 28, 1932, U.S. Army troops, using tanks, cavalry, and tear gas demolished and burned the shanty town set up near the U.S. Capitol by unemployed Bonus Army protestors. — July 28th is also the anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, in 1914. This war irreparably changed geopolitics. Officially, the war lasted until November 11, 1918, as did our involvement. But American troops were still running around shooting …


Finding The Right German Shepherd, by John Adrain

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I don’t profess to be a writer or the authority on German Shepherd dogs. But I can share almost four decades of experience with my German Shepherds. Growing up in Ohio, one of my first experiences with dogs was with Golden Retrievers. They are fantastic loving dogs, and you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than bit by a Golden Retriever. However, if you want a dog to protect your family, they are pretty much worthless. They are more likely to roll over and piddle than protect you. We had a female, which is generally more protective than males, …


SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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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 Greater Idaho project.   (See the Eastern Oregon section.) Idaho Reminder: ITD to open Highway 95 near Riggins on Monday after lengthy rock slide closure o  o  o From humble beginnings, north Idaho company is now a food industry leader The piece …