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 a great David Lean film, starring Alec Guinness. It is no wonder that an anagram of …







Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — October 13, 2020

Today is the 79th birthday of songwriter and singer Paul Simon. (Born, 1941.) — Today we present Part 1 of a guest article written by our friends and fellow bloggers, Don and Patrice Lewis. Patrice is the North Idaho-based Editrix of the excellent Rural Revolution homesteading blog. I strongly recommend bookmarking it. She is a regular columnist for WorldNet Daily. Patrice is also the author of a large series of “how-to” homesteading mini books, the nonfiction book The Simplicity Primer, and the co-author of How to Start a Home-based Craft Business. Most recently, Patrice branched out into writing Amish-themed Christian …




Lessons from the Pandemic – Part 1, by Don and Patrice Lewis

The year 2020 has been wacky, hasn’t it? When we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2019, few of us anticipated what lay in store for the future. But that’s the nature of crises – they’re unexpected. Despite being immersed in the preparedness movement for many years, the coronavirus pandemic was something we didn’t see coming. Now everyone is coping with the fiscal aftermath of what might turn into another Great Depression. To paraphrase Thomas Paine, these are the days to try men’s souls. From a personal standpoint, our situation is additionally complicated because we’re in the process of selling our …




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, some good news for wolverines. (See the Montana section.) Idaho Write-in candidate faces off against incumbent in Custer County prosecutor race. JWR’s Comment:  You just have to love Idaho political races. Often you see “a real character” pitted against “a real character”. o  o  o …







Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 12, 2020

Today, in 1492, after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sighted a Bahamian island, believing he had reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. Despite the liberal hive mind’s attempt to twist this into “Indigenous People’s Day”, it is still Columbus Day. — Our big Pre-Election Sale at Elk Creek Company is underway. I’ve reduced the prices on every gun in my …




Glock 43X Pistol, by Pat Cascio

To start out this review of the Glock 43X, let me first mention another Glock pistol: I love my Glock 26, and it is my usual everyday carry piece, with a spare magazine on the opposite hip. About the only time I’m not carrying my Glock 26, is when I’m testing other handguns for articles. However, I always switch back to my 26, at the end of my testing period – it just seems to fit me perfectly. The 26 came with several 10-round magazines, and they have a flat base on them. I don’t care for that, because it …




Recipe of the Week: Tim J.’s Thermal Steel Cut Oats

This recipe for “no fuss” Thermal Steel Cut Oats comes to us courtesy of blog reader and frequent content contributor Tim J. You will need an 18-ounce Thermos-style vacuum jar. (Weighs 1 pound.) Ingredients: Slightly less than 1/2 cup (minus 1 tablespoon) of steel cut oats.  Note: Do not use the quick (3-minute) variety of oats. 1 & 3/4 cups boiling water 1/2 cup of your favorite dried fruit Directions: Combine the oats and boiling hot water in a thermal jar. Seal it tightly. Shake the jar. Let sit on its side for 8 hours (overnight.) Chef’s Notes: Preparation time …




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 galloping gun and ammunition sales. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Weaker U.S. dollar, stimulus hopes drive gold price up 2% o  o  o Arkadiusz Sieroń: Is Gold Market Going Back Into The 1970s? Economy & Finance: Trump Raises Stimulus Offer to $1.8 Trillion Days After Halting Negotiations …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Despite a largely rural population and relatively little international travel, the bubonic plague wiped out about a third of Europe’s population in the mid-14th century. Today, over half of the world’s seven billion people live in cities visited daily by international travelers. We are more urbanized and densely packed, sustained by food and water that arrives from distant locations, relying on delivery systems and economic operations that may shut down if there is a lethal contagious virus spreading and people understandably do not report to work. Even those with the courage to face the risk may change their mind when …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 11, 2020

Today is the 70th birthday of novelist William R. Forstchen. (He was born 1950.) Forstchen is best known for his survivalist novel One Second After. — 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 used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), …




Hardening Your House, by R.R.

Preparedness has gained a lot of attention and a whole new meaning in 2020. First, everyone got hit with the threat of infection. Next, a lot of supplies which some households stock regularly, while others buy as needed, went out of stock in the stores causing further panic. Next came civil unrest because folks could not seem to obey simple instructions and suddenly the bad guys became saints and poor victims, but I digress. Altogether, I have to be honest – I’m waiting now for a threat of a meteorite strike or an alien invasion! It seems that in 2020 …







The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of …