Year: 2021

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. The first four of today’s Snippets come courtesy of reader Animal House: Heartland Republicans Unite to Defend Meat Against Liberal Attack. GOP rallies around meat industry in response to attack by Colorado’s Jared Polis. o  o  o New Crisis? The Canadian Border May Soon Be Swarming with Illegal Immigrants. “A new spike in the number of families and children crossing …


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, a special edition of this column, with a listing of ammunition and ammo component manufacturing companies in the American Redoubt region. Note that most of these companies have been overwhelmed with orders since February of 2020, and they have built large order backlogs. In addition …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Nothing is more usual, among states which have made some advances in commerce, than to look on the progress of their neighbours with a suspicious eye, to consider all trading states as their rivals, and to suppose that it is impossible for any of them to flourish, but at their expence.  In opposition to this narrow and malignant opinion, I will venture to assert, that the encrease of riches and commerce in any one nation, instead of hurting, commonly promotes the riches and commerce of all its neighbours; and that a state can scarcely carry its trade and industry very …


Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 29, 2021

Today is the 102nd birthday of William “Bill” Summers Anderson. At last report, he was still living. The following is from his biography at the Infogalactic wiki: “He was born March 29, 1919, in Hankow, China. On December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong was also attacked by the Japanese. As a member of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC), Anderson fought the Japanese but after 17 days of heavy fighting, Hong Kong surrendered. On Christmas Day 1941, exactly four years after he had escaped from the Japanese in China, he became a …


Rossi RS22 Semiauto .22 Rifle, by Pat Cascio

I’ve neglected covering .22 Long Rifle (LR) firearms over the years. My apologies. It wasn’t intentional, believe me. I just get so many centerfire firearms to test, that I’ve been concentrating on them. For many years, I recommended that folks who were starting out as Preppers – or Survivalist – make their first purchase as a pump-action 12 Gauge shotgun – as their main firearm, until such time, as finances permitted, to move on to other firearms, if possible. I was wrong! Today, when new preppers ask me what to get as a first firearm, I recommend a .22 LR …


Recipe of the Week: Big Ben’s Texas Goulash

The following recipe for Texas Goulash was kindly by SurvivalBlog reader Big Ben. It was developed with freezer storage in mind. He later adapted it for home freeze-drying. Ingredients 5 lbs Ground Beef 5 lbs Macaroni Noodles 2 lbs Frozen Corn 1 large Onion diced 1 #10 can Tomato Sauce 2 10 oz cans Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chile 2 4 oz cans diced green chile 1 10.75 oz can condensed tomato soup 1 ½ c Italian seasoning spice mix ½ c Chili powder ¼ c granulated onion ¼ c granulated garlic ½ c minced garlic ¼ c …


20 Reasons Why America’s Next Bank Holiday Will Be a Nightmare (Updated)

JWR’s Introductory Note: Today, in lieu of our regular bi-weekly Economics and Investing column, I’m presenting an update to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog, back in June of 2012, titled:  20 Reasons Why America’s Next Bank Holiday Will Be a Nightmare. If anyone compares this with the original edition, you will see that I’m standing by the majority of my 2012 predictions and recommendations. If anything, nine years later, the threats that we’d face in a banking crisis will be even greater, because of increased reliance on electronic payment systems, power grid reliance, Internet reliance, and the larger …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 28, 2021

On this day in 845, a 5,000-man strong fleet of Danish Vikings invaded Frankish lands. They only retreated after besieging Paris and securing a ransom from the Frankish King Charles the Bald. This was part of a series of devastating raids begun by the Vikings in the 790s. The Vikings were led by a man named “Reginherus” or Ragnar, sometimes linked to the legendary saga figure Ragnar Lodbrok. The Vikings easily overcame defenses set in place by Charlemagne and are known to have attacked the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés just outside the city. Although struck by an outbreak of plague, the …


What To Do with Trash?, by Mrs. Alaska

Living remotely means, among other things, that we receive no municipal services for trash and garbage disposal or recycling. Surely anyone with a hunting cabin or a bug out location has had to do some of the following: We have become very intentional about what we haul out to our home because we have to figure out how to dispose of what remains! I have been inspired by Internet sources like “1000 uses for wooden pallets” and whimsical yard art from cans as well as techniques referred to now as “zero waste kitchens,” which I realize, applies to what I …



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 27, 2021

Today is the anniversary of the tragic Tennirife airliner collision disaster, March 27, 1977. — March 27th is also the birthday of the late Robert W. Ford (born 1923, died 20 September 2013). He was an amazing man who had a remarkable life. His book, Wind Between The Worlds (an account of experiences in Tibet, captivity by the communist Chinese, and his fight against brainwashing), is highly recommended. It is available for free download. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: …


The Five “C’s” of Prepping, by Mr. B.

It strikes me that as a prepper, whatever your level of commitment and however you become involved in prepping, that we all go through various feelings and stages. I have pondered recently – in light of unnecessary lockdowns, “mandatory” face masks, and threats of imposing questionable vaccines – that one might interpret that there are five stages of “being”. These are my Five C’s. Let me explain: Challenged The first is being challenged. This is the starting point when you are challenged by a moment or thought, an action or a reaction, to an event that takes you out of your …


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 …