Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 5, 2020

On November 5th, 2009 Army Major Nidal Hassan killed 13 people at Fort Hood. He shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he opened fire. But predictably, the mainstream media cited “no known motive” for the terror attack. In 2013, Hassan was sentenced to death. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 91 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 more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day …







Kitting Out The Kalashnikov – Part 1, by A.D.C.

Introduction With over seventy years of service and more than 100 million examples in circulation worldwide today, the AK-47 and its descendants are a venerable breed of fighting rifle. The AR-15 may be America’s rifle, but the Kalashnikov is unquestionably The World’s rifle. Even in the current golden age of affordable and high-quality ARs, the AK still has much to offer: legendary durability, terrific folding stock options, a bullet that punches through barriers, and the idiosyncratic appeal of “the bad guy’s gun.” It behooves every American to have at least a passing familiarity with the AK, and it especially behooves …




A Special Request From JWR: Looking for Old Revolver Boxes

Life is full of little moments of sadness. For me, one comes every time that I fold laundry and come across a sock without a partner. Balance is not restored to the universe until I find that missing sock. Here is my situation: After a 15+ year hiatus, I re-launched my antique gun business. That was back in February. My biz is now called Elk Creek Company. I sell a lot of antique guns, and more than half of those are pre-1899 revolvers. Only a few of those guns are still paired with original boxes. I realize that most of …




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 look at the much-debated results of the 2020 Presidential Election. Solar Activity Rising First up: Reader C.B. spotted this over at Phys.Org: Solar cycle 25: The sun wakes up It All Comes Down …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man who knows what the law is today can guess what it will be tomorrow.” – James Madison




Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 4, 2020

November 4th is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone. He was born in 1916 in Buffalo, New York. — The queue of articles for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is now very short. So this is a great opportunity to see your article up on the blog within just a few days. Please share your knowledge with others! — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 91 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% …




From Bullied to Blackbelt, by Anna Erishkigal

This is the tale of a suburban mom’s journey to self-defense readiness. In the photo above, I’m sparring with my instructor. (I’m the one on the left.) Don’t let my karate instructor’s size fool you. This petite blonde woman can kick my @$$. My father was an abusive man, the kind who would hit you – again – when you came home crying after the neighborhood bully shoved your face into the dirt and stole your lunch money. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he had taught us how to defend ourselves, but his “lessons” on self-defense consisted entirely …




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 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 cordless tools and chargers. (See the Gear & Grub …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If we look back to the riots and tumults, which at various times have happened in England, we shall find, that they did not proceed from the want of a government, but that government was itself the generating cause; instead of consolidating society it divided it; it deprived it of its natural cohesion, and engendered discontents and disorders, which otherwise would not have existed.” – Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man




Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 3, 2020

On November 3, 1903, Walker Evans, the American photographer best known for his portrayal of America during the Great Depression, was born. — If you haven’t done so already, I urge you to get out and vote. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 91 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 more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be …




OPSEC Problems for Preppers, by The Lone Canadian

The Problem The biggest problem that I see for preppers is that we talk a good game, and we know what needs to be done, but it goes against our basic nature. Now, before you all jump on me, hear me out. I’m not talking about stockpiling “The Three Bs” (Beans, Bullets, and Band-Aids.) We all know that in the event that TEOTWAWKI comes to pass that we will need to band together in groups for survival. The “lone wolf” has been much written about, but we all know that it’s not possible for one person, or even a couple, …




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 a Montana bear attack.   (See the Montana section.) Idaho Idaho now ranked #2: Middle Class Top 10 Magnets o  o  o I heard that Redoubt Surplus & Tactical (in Bonners Ferry, Idaho) has Sopakco MRE cases, 14 meals to a case with …







Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 2, 2020

On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a declaration of intent to establish a Jewish homeland known as the Balfour Declaration. While Arab hostilities and the outbreak of World War II delayed the desired outcome, the Nation of Israel was eventually re-established in 1948. — Today we are featuring a round-up review on wristwatches written by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.