Year: 2021

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 investing in farmland. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Chair Powell Re-nominated, gold takes a dive. o  o  o Video: Gold’s advantage over bitcoin. Economy & Finance: SurvivalBlog reader H.L. sent this news item: Nebraska’s 1.9% unemployment rate the lowest on record in US. JWR’s Comment: This is …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 25, 2021

We wish you a happy Thanksgiving.  Give glory to God for his blessings on our families, and on our nation! — November 25th was the birthday of economist and comedian Ben Stein. His unscripted monologue on economics from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the most memorable scenes in American cinema. By the way, Stein spends part of each year at his second home in Sandpoint, Idaho, so he is an honorary Redoubter. I’ve heard that he plans to retire in Sandpoint. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 97 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …


Internet Privacy Basics, by Petr

Editor’s Introductory Notes: This article was authored by the teenage son of a long-time SurvivalBlog reader. It is humbling to see that a second-generation of SurvivalBlog readers is now reaching adulthood.  (SurvivalBlog was launched in August of 2005.) Properly, the term internet (with a lower case “I”) generally refers to all interconnected computer networks, whereas Internet (with a upper case “I”) refers to the global network associated with the world wide web (WWW). The dark web refers to dead or abandoned web sites. (That is, sites that have “gone dark.”) The deep web refers to sites that are invisible to …


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 killer asteroid defense. Killer Asteroids Abound: NASA’s Response Bloomberg reports: Killer Asteroids Abound. NASA Is Ready to Do Something About It. Here is an excerpt: “On a winter morning in …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 24, 2021

November 24th marks the day that John Knox died, in 1572. (He was born in 1514.) AtheistAgendaPedia says: “Born near Haddington, Scotland. He was influenced by George Wishart, who was burned for heresy in 1546, and the following year Knox became the spokesman for the Reformation in Scotland. After imprisonment and exile in England and the European continent, in 1559 he returned to Scotland, where he supervised the preparation of the constitution and liturgy of the Reformed Church.” — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 97 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this …


Progressive Reloading for Beginners, by Anthony B.

There is nothing in this article about raising chickens, goats, or vegetables. I have done all the above, but there are experts with more knowledge to share. I do, however, have some knowledge to share on loading ammunition, and believe in the importance of having control over personal ammunition supplies given the current political and social situation. How many have tried to buy ammunition in the last year and a half, only to find the shelves bare? Reloading offers a solution to market shortages but requires specialized equipment and knowledge. New loaders typically turn to those with experience for information …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: responses to posted articles, 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. — Like most Americans, last week I was relieved to hear that Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty, on all charges. His troubles may not yet be behind him. I am quite troubled to see the incredibly biased mass media still referring to the men he shot as “victims.”  After much deliberation, the jury conclusively found …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 23, 2021

On November 23rd, 1980, a 7.2-magnitude quake struck southern Italy killing more than 3,000 people. The casualty toll was probably so high because the tremor struck during Sunday night mass, as many residents sat in churches that crumbled in the quake. The quake was centered in Eboli, south of Naples. In nearby Balvano, children were preparing to receive their first communion at the 1,000-year-old Conza Della Comapgna church. The church was demolished and killed dozens of people, including 26 children. — We are seeking one or two more prize donors for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. It is a great …


Range Report: Mossberg Patriot Predator .243, by The Novice

The Mossberg Patriot Predator chambered in .243 Winchester is an attractive, easily carried, and smoothly operating firearm. It would be an excellent choice as an entry-level deer rifle. The Backstory Last year I did a range report on the Browning BAR Mk3 in .243 Winchester. The BAR is a great gun, but with a manufacturer suggested retail price of $1,339.99 it is a bit pricey for many of us. As a result, I wanted to review a more moderately priced alternative. The Mossberg Patriot Predator in .243 seemed like a good choice. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $484 the …


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 small-town vagrants. (See the Central & Eastern Oregon section.) Idaho All Idaho residents need to see this. You will lose your water. o  o  o Idaho moves ahead on plan to appraise federal land for taxes. o  o  o Small hydropower proves to …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 22, 2021

Today is the birthday of Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington, a well-known designer of military gun parts and accessories. He is best known as the designer of the M1888 Trapdoor Springfield Rod Bayonet and the Buffington Rear Sight. Today is also remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, the Stoner 63, and several other firearms. (The AR-10 was the basis of the AR-15 which in turn spawned the very widely used M16 and all of its variants including the M4 Carbine.) It has …