Month: September 2021

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 8, 2021

On September 8, 1565, the first permanent settlement in what would become the United States of America was formed. (St. Augustine, Florida) — A reminder about a northeastern listing on SurvivalRealty: It is a secluded 53.4-acre property in North Central Pennsylvania’s Tioga area. It has a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with a basement. The nearest town is Mansfield. It has great hunting and an established garden, fruit trees, nut trees, and berries. SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic …


Radios for Emergency and SHTF Use – Part 2, by Rufus King

(Continued from Part 1.) Back to the matter of radio spectrum: It is regulated by the government, and it pretty much has to be. No matter how libertarian you lean and no matter how dim your view of government power, somebody has to regulate the spectrum, or it would be completely useless, with would-be users interfering with each other left and right. Every developed nation has a government agency that allocates radio spectrum to different uses, and in turn countries cooperate internationally via various treaties and agreements. In the United States, this responsibility has been delegated by Congress to the …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. First, and foremost, from Patriot Nurse: There’s No One Coming: It’s Up to Us to Check the Feds. I now concur that the benefits of a Constitutional Convention now outweigh the risks. o  o  o Tim. J. sent these three solar project links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AQFUYMgZe8 https://4patriots.com/products/sun-kettle-solar-cooker  [16.9 Fluid Ounces] https://4patriots.com/products/sun-kettle-xl  [33.8 ounces] o  o  o Pfizer To ‘Require’ Twice-Per-Day COVID Pill …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 7, 2021

Today is the birthday of novelist Taylor Caldwell (born 1900 – August 30, 1985). Today is also the birthday of Dr. Ludwig Vorgrimler (born 1912 in Freiburg, Germany; died 1983). Vorgrimler was the designer of the Spanish CETME rifle, from which sprang a plethora of roller-lock descendants from HK, including the G3, HK21, and MP5. His bolt design was also copied by the Swiss for their excellent PE57 and SIG 510 rifles. (Although the Swiss felt obliged to mount a “beer keg” charging handle on the right side of the receiver, for the sake of familiarity to Schmidt-Rubin shooters.) — …


Radios for Emergency and SHTF Use – Part 1, by Rufus King

I have been interested in radios since I was about 12 years old. Long before cell phones were ubiquitous, the adult leaders in my Boy Scout Troop all had CB radios installed in their vehicles on road trips, and I witnessed them being used to good effect for communication between vehicles. I know now that the 11 meter band and the AM operating mode of those radios is a suboptimal choice for that kind of short-range voice communication, but it was the practical choice when CB was about the only unlicensed radio service available. A couple of the scout leaders …


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 highlight the death of former Colfax, Washington fire chief Jim Krouse. (See the Central & Eastern Washington section.) Region-Wide Forecasters see “above average fire danger for the Northern Rockies through September. o  o  o B.K. mentioned this essay, over at Surakblog: Please respect my borders. o  …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 6, 2021

September 6th, 1757 was the birthday of the Marquis de Lafayette (often known simply as Lafayette), a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was a close friend of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson. George Washington met him through his connections in the Free Masons and was impressed with him. After he offered to serve without pay, Congress commissioned him as a Major General and he was an integral part of the battle at Brandywine. — An Important Reminder: There are just two days left to comment on the ATF’s proposed “pistol …


Zero Tolerance 0707, by Pat Cascio

I’m continually amazed at the innovations in folding knives. Just when I think there isn’t anything new that can be done to a folder, someone does it! I’ll confess, this latest innovation for Zero Tolerance Knives,is something I’d never thought of before. Before we get into the meat of the 0707, I wanted to mention how lightweight this American-made folder is. At first, I thought that there wasn’t anything in the box. The 0707 only weighs in at 2.3-ounces, and for a full-sized folder, with a 3.5-inch blade, that’s pretty lightweight. However this folder isn’t light when it comes to …


Recipe of the Week: Sweet Zucchini Relish

The following recipe for Sweet Zucchini Relish is from SurvivalBlog Reader “Sis.”  (Note: This is not an inadvertent repeat. Last week, Sis sent us a recipe for her Dill Zucchini Relish. This alternate recipe has a quite different taste.) Ingredients 20 cups zucchini  (I grate it then chop it to make small pieces)  5 cups onion, diced 7 cups vinegar (I use half cider and half white) 6 cups sugar (I use half turbino and half white) 3 tsp. Celery seed.  3 tsp. Tumeric. 1 tsp. Clove powder 1 tsp. Cinnamon. 4 tsp. Allspice powder 2 Tbl. Mustard seed. Directions …


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 the adoption of Bitcoin as a currency in El Salvador. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.) Precious Metals: I checked over at Kitco, and there were some big moves in the metals markets on Friday. Most notably, silver was up 81 cents per Troy ounce (3.37%.)  And there were …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 5, 2021

On September 5, 1774, fed up with the meddling of the crown and being mostly independant-minded, our nation’s founding fathers met together in the First Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, laying the foundation of what would become the world’s greatest nation. — I just heard that L. Neil Smith passed away on August 27th, at age 75, in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was the author of the libertarian novels Pallas and The Probability Broach. He was a great author who will be missed. Lester Neil Smith III was born May 12, 1946. His biography page on Infogalactic notes: “L. Neil Smith …


Fire Prevention and Preparedness, by W.Va. Underground

One of the greatest discoveries humankind ever made is fire. Through the many years, mankind has learned a great many things about this process and its benefits. Without a doubt, fire is one of man’s greatest tools. However, like most tools, when used improperly or by the untrained, it can become one of the most destructive forces imaginable. The same tool that can provide life-saving heat in the middle of a brutal winter storm can also reduce an entire forest to smoldering ash. (At this time we’ll leave out any discussion as to the State of California’s terrible forestry management …