Year: 2021

Bettering Your Post-SHTF Barter Preps, by 3AD Scout

Many Prepper YouTube channels and Prepper websites advocate the stocking up of barter items from the dollar store.  Let us examine this line of thinking and explore other options for barter goods.  I don’t doubt that the un-prepared might have a need for dollar store quality trinkets but there are four questions to ask yourself before stocking up on barter goods from a dollar store. One, will those, who are prepared with barter goods need your dollar store barter goods? Two, what exactly will those, so unprepared as to need something from the dollar store, have of value to trade with you? …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: To share this, you can find it here: https://kapwi.ng/c/DLX3AQwE Meme Text: As of August 1st, the COVID Jab Will Be Mandatory in France for Public Transit and All Shopping. Macron of The Beast? Related News Links: French President Sets Stricter Health Rules; Cannes Festival Unaffected by New Orders “The key measure announced by Macron will make the EU Digital Covid Certificate — commonly called “health pass” — mandatory in all cultural venues, including cinemas, theaters and concert halls starting on July 21. Starting in August, the health pass will be mandatory in cafes, shops, …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — July 17, 2021

July 17th, 1889 was the birthdate of Erle Stanley Gardner. He was an American lawyer and author. Though best known for the Perry Mason series of detective stories, he wrote numerous other novels and shorter pieces, as well as a series of nonfiction books, mostly narrations of his travels through Baja California and other regions in Mexico. The best-selling American author of the 20th century at the time of his death, Gardner also published under numerous pseudonyms, including A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray, and Robert Parr. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today …


Our First Camper, by The Novice

Many people include a recreational vehicle in their preparedness planning. For some, it is a part of their “Get out of Dodge” plan. For others, it offers temporary accommodation at their retreat location. Neither of these scenarios is an element in the planning that my wife and I have done. But perhaps our experiences with our first camper will be informative to some SurvivalBlog readers in their planning, and entertaining to others. Camping in Norway A little more than 30 years ago, my family and I moved to Norway. Norway is a land of rugged natural beauty as well as …


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:

“Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — July 16, 2021

July 16th is the anniversary of the first successful atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945. This portentous event heralded the advent of the age of nuclear weapons. Plans for the creation of a uranium bomb by the Allies were established as early as 1939. In 1940 the federal government granted a total of $6,000 for research, but in early 1942, with the United States at war, the limits on spending were removed. The total cost was in excess of $2 billion. Germany was also feared to be working on a bomb as was Japan, though neither of …


One Little Slip, by Kevin R. Berg

All it took was one little slip while hiking to change my plans. (This article describes how a simple accident has changed my prep plans) I have amassed plenty of supplies to cover “B., B, & B.” and was in the phase to bring the family up to speed with the knowledge they will need for possible future events. Because of my slip I will have to rethink many options and outright cancel some. First, the accident: It was hot in Reno the first part of June, we were visiting my brother and we decided to take our recreational vehicle …


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 continuing inflation. (See the Inflation Watch section.) Precious Metals: Forecast: What’s Next For Gold Is Always About The US Dollar. o  o  o Sharp declines in treasury yields equal higher gold pricing. Economy & Finance: Forbes reports: Senate Democrats Unveil $3.5 Trillion Spending Deal. JWR’s Comment:  If they ramrod …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 15, 2021

On July 15th, 1888, the Bandai Volcano erupted on the Japanese island of Honshu killing hundreds and burying many nearby villages in ash. While Honshu is in an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, this eruption was surprising. The volcano had erupted only four times in the 1,000 years prior and none had been particularly deadly. However, this eruption was different. The rumblings started just after 7 a.m. Within 30 minutes there was an explosion on the north side of the mountain and over the next two hours there were dozens of explosions giving villagers very little time 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 the latest from the irrepressible Engish inventor and YouTube star, Colin Furze. Digging a Secret Tunnel Over at my friend Commander Zero’s Notes From The Bunker blog, his commentary and …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 14, 2021

July 14th is the birthday of Colonel Einar A. Malmstrom. He was born in 1907 and died August 21, 1954 near Great Falls, Montana, in the crash of a T-33 jet. He was a decorated Air Force pilot, a Luft Stalag POW survivor, and test pilot. Malmstrom AFB was one of the settings for my novel Founders. (The base was named in his honor.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest We recently heard from one of the prize donor sponsors of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest that because of a change in ownership, they will discontinue providing a prize, starting August 1st.  …