Year: 2020

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 4, 2020

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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

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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:

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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 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:

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“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

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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

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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

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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 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

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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.


Six Wristwatches for Survivalists, by Pat Cascio

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I’ve always been a real stickler for being on-time, for everything – and I’ve been wearing a watch since I was a child. I believe I can count on one hand, the number of times I’ve ever been late for work, and at that, there was usually a good reason for being late. At that, my tardiness was only a few minutes being late from my scheduled starting time, with one exception. Back in 1976, I was briefly driving a dump truck for a living. The prior evening, some buddies and I went out drinking – I stopped drinking shortly …


Recipe of the Week: Broiled Venison Steak

The following recipe for Broiled Venison Steak 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 Venison steak Salt …


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 presidential election’s effects on the markets. Precious Metals: Central Banks Sell Gold for First Time in a Decade o  o  o Gold Price Forecast: Next Surge To Follow US Election Budgets & Public Debt: Reader H.L. sent us this: The Fed’s Balance Sheet May Be Headed to $40–$50 …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 1, 2020

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Today is the 101st birthday of Canadian test pilot Russell Bannock. (Pictured at left.) After entering the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Bannock received his pilot’s wings in 1940 and was appointed as an instructor at Trenton, Ontario. Later he was posted to Royal Air Force Ferry Command from June to August 1942. In September 1942, Bannock became chief instructor with the Flying Instructor School at Arnprior in Ontario. Bannock’s request for overseas service was granted in 1944 and he joined 60 OTU based in RAF High Ercall, England. In June 1944, Bannock was then transferred to No. 418 Squadron …


October 2020 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

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Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance, and the factors that affected gold prices. What Did Gold Do in October? Gold was range-bound between $1,890 and $1,930 in October, until it suffered big COVID-related losses the last three days of the month. Spot gold fell from an October 27 close of $1,907 to an $1,867 close on the 29th. Even this $40 drop did not move the average spot gold price in October more than a dollar, from $1,902 to …