Month: December 2021

Wheel Estate For Survival, by Pat Cascio

As a lifetime Prepper, I’m always looking at ways to improve the odds of surviving, whatever may come my way. I readily admit that no one, no matter how rich they may be, can prepare for every circumstance that may come along, that demands survival. I remember back in school, in the early 1960s, when we practiced “duck and cover” as a way of surviving a nuke going off in our city. Even back then, it was silly to believe that by  ducking under your desk while in school would add to your survival chances. Our school was huge – …


Recipe of the Week: Lentil and White Bean Soup

The following recipe lentil and white bean soup is from Nurse Michele. She writes: “Today I made a nice pot of soup.  It occurred to me that the recipe used mostly pantry staples and garden stuff that stores well, and thought it may be enjoyed by your readers.” Ingredients 1 cup lentils,  picked through and rinsed 3 cans chicken broth 3 T olive oil 1 can small white beans 1/2 large onion, diced (I like Vidalia)cup 2/3 cup diced carrots 1 cup chopped celery, inner stalks are best w/leaves 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 1 bay leaf 1 28 Oz …


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 promising cryptos for 2022, and a brief crypto crash. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.) Precious Metals: Reuters: Gold set for third weekly loss as faster tapering talks weigh. o  o  o A Couple Stored IRA Gold at Home. They Owe the IRS More Than $300,000. JWR’s Comment: For …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 5, 2021

On December 5th, 1964, the first Medal of Honor awarded to a serviceman for action in Vietnam was presented to Captain Roger Donlon of Saugerties, New York. Captain Donlon and his Special Forces team were manning Camp Nam Dong, a mountain outpost near the borders of Laos and North Vietnam. Just before two o’clock in the morning on July 6, 1964, hordes of Viet Cong attacked the camp. He was shot in the stomach, but Donlon stuffed a handkerchief into the wound, cinched up his belt, and kept fighting. He was wounded three more times, but he continued fighting–manning a …


Smallpox? – Managing a Serious Possibility, by SwampFox

Author’s Intoductory Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and am not prescribing anything to anyone. Seek out appropriate advice and medical treatment from your own medical professional. — Covid-19 has been unpleasant for many reasons. However, it is not particularly lethal. It is interesting to notice that in the midst of so many restrictions and social changes, the Biden administration has promised us a couple of things: A “Dark Winter” and the “Next Pandemic.” Bill Gates has also called Covid19 the “first pandemic” and has proposed that society should prepare for “Pandemic 2.” How prepared are you for something …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: To share this, you can find it here: https://kapwi.ng/c/pM0Hbd3mVv Meme Text: Why is Team Biden So Surprised That The Inflation Is Not Transitory When 35% of All Dollars in Circulation Were Created in Just the Past 11 Months? Federal Reserve Graph Link:  https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M1 Shadowstats Money Supply Chart: http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/money-supply-charts


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. And he was …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 4, 2021

December 4th is the birthday of Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, (born 1912) an AVG “Flying Tiger” volunteer pilot for the Chinese Nationalist government, WWII Marine Corps aviator, and Medal of Honor recipient. (He died January 11, 1988.) A proto-Redoubter, Pappy Boyington was born in Couer d’Alene, Idaho and was raised in Spokane, Washington. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 98 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 …


Your New Normal, by SaraSue

Once you see the strings on the marionettes, you can never unsee them. In other words, once your eyes are opened to manipulations, you can’t not see them. When you see them, trust, if given, is retracted, taken back, lost. If a thing is found to no longer be genuine, and it is no longer what it was promised to be, you feel tricked. Trust lost is much harder to earn back than trust never given in the first place. I did, at one time, when I was blissfully unaware of politics, “trust the government”. I do not anymore and …


Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 3, 2021

Today is the birthday of actor Brendan Fraser (born, 1968.) He often plays “fish out of water” roles. Preppers of course remember him from Blast From The Past. — A Legislative Action Alert!  Please contact your state’s U.S Senators, immediately, re: Anti-Gunners Attempt Stunt to Pass UBCs Without a Vote. Note that “Universal Background Checks” is just a tricky way of saying: Private Party Intrastate Transfer Ban. Remind your Senators that would be an unconstitutional overreach of the Interstate Commerce Clause.  They can regulate interstate commerce, but not intrastate commerce. Someone selling a used gun to their neighbor is intrastate commerce. …


Boots, Knots, Hand Sanitizer, and a Knife, by The Novice

Thrift store shopping can yield many useful items. This article is a collection of short reviews about some of my finds. These finds include a pair of boots, a book about knots, a gallon jug of hand sanitizer, and a knife. A Pair of Boots When I am harvesting firewood, I like to wear steel-toed boots. My toes just feel happier with a little extra protection when they are in the vicinity of running chainsaws, swinging axes, and rolling logs. About a year ago, I was in one of our local thrift stores and ran across a pair of “Skechers …


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 used vehicle prices. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Barclay’s Bank’s Moser is looking for more upside in gold. o  o  o Gold prices holding gains as U.S. ADP shows 534K jobs gains in November. Economy & Finance: Even the left-leaning NY Post admits: Socialists & Joe-cialists twist …