Month: April 2022

Garden Architecture, by R.B.

It’s always surprising how much “stuff” gardeners need and can use in order to grow the simplest crops. My son always shakes his head at the number of T-posts, sticks, concrete blocks, strings, wires, fences, plastic sheets, bedsheets, etc. that appear in and around my gardens from time to time. Here are some of the “architectural ideas” that help me produce a widely varied harvest. Plastic Jugs Ya ha ha! You an’ me, Little Plastic Jug, How I Love Thee! Farmers and gardeners have always had to rely on their own ingenuity when confronted by surprise conditions that threatened their …


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 comes news of a coyote hunting controversy in Wyoming. (See the Wyoming section.) Idaho Highly contagious bird flu found in two Idaho chicken flocks. o  o  o Grizzly bear suspected to have killed livestock in North Idaho. o  o  o Alleged ‘cult mom’ Lori Vallow …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 18, 2022

Reader Chris C. sent me this doctored photo of the Russian cruiser Moscow (Moskva), which recently sank after being struck by two Ukrainian Neptune missiles. Chris’s comment and query: “I saw this picture of the Moskva and it kind of sums it up quite nicely. How do you say ‘You sank my battleship!’ in Russian?” To answer his question is: Ты потопил мой линкор!  Or, transliterated: Ty potopil moy linkor! — On April 18th, 1906, the San Francisco Earthquake struck northern California, killing hundreds of people as it toppled numerous buildings and started fires that engulfed whole neighborhoods. The quake …


Blackhawk Serpa Versus Blackhawk T-Series, by Pat Cascio

I’ve been around firearms and firearm accessories, for more than 50 years, and I’m still amazed at a gun buyer who will purchase an expensive firearm, and then ask the dealer if they have any “cheap” holsters. It boggles my mind, that someone must have thought long and hard about their gun purchase, but no thought at all, was given to a holster for carrying their gun. I’ve been an advocate for good leather for as long as I can remember, and that includes ballistic Nylon and molded polymer holsters. Blackhawk Products produces some fine tactical products, and I’ve been …


Recipe of the Week: Hot Pepper Sauce Recipes

The following pair of hot pepper sauce recipes are from SurvivalBlog reader Mrs. Alaska: Anyone who has ever eaten MREs appreciates the value of those little containers of Tabasco sauce.  Why not make your own, with shelf stable ingredients? Packages of dry peppers weigh next to nothing and last a long time. The following are two recipes, one for a Tabasco like sauce and another for a Sriracha-like sauce with the peppers I used, but you can personalize your heat preference with different peppers.  Some examples are: Puya and Arbol are hot.  Guajillo and Anaheim are mild.  New Mexican peppers …


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, more about rising inflation, globally. (See the Inflation Watch section.) Precious Metals: Matterhorn’s Ronni Stoeferle: Why Gold Will Benefit from the Inevitable Reshaping of the International Monetary System. o  o  o Virginia Ends All Taxes on Purchases of Gold and Silver. Economy & Finance: At The Sounding Line: Most Accommodative Fed Ever. …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 17, 2022

Have a restful and meaningful Ressurection Day! — On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Above all, the invasion was an OPSEC failure. Due to the Cuba/Soviet intelligence network as well as loose talk by members of the brigade, which was repeated in US and foreign newspaper reports, the Cuban government knew, in advance, of the planned invasion. The Washington Post also reported that the Soviets knew the exact date of the attack, that the CIA was aware …


Communications: Bringing People Together – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) Without suitable commo, an extended and layered defense is less possible, or less effective. Lacking the ability to coordinate with a small community diminishes the ability to perform job number one: security. While Ham radio is a good thing when we need to talk far and wide, it is commo with our neighbors will be more important to us. At the very least, buy a Slim Jim (not a j-pole) from KB9VBR, or any omnidirectional antenna that is tuned for GMRS, or 464.500 Mhz. With that, you can for sure talk to …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: To share this, you can find it here:  https://www.kapwing.com/videos/62576ba648c43a00cfb1d36b Meme Text: Hey, Sniffy Joe! You Need to Consult Jimmy Carter On How to Get Re-Elected When The Price of Gas Doubles, Mortgage Rates Triple, and Dollar Inflation Hits 14%. How Did That Work Out for Him, Running Against Reagan?


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 16, 2022

At Passover, we wish all who are celebrating, Chag Sameach! — April 16th is the birthday of two notable novelists– the late J. Neil Schulman (pictured) and Samuel Youd. Agorist-Libertarian activist J. Neil Schulman (born April 16, 1953, died 2019) was best known as author of the novel Alongside Night. The late Samuel Youd (born 1922, died February 3, 2012) was the British novelist who was best known for his science fiction writings under the pseudonym John Christopher, including the survivalist novel Death of Grass (titled No Blade of Grass, in the American edition) as well as the Tripods Series …


Communications: Bringing People Together – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) Broad-banded antennas are very useful. However, if forced to fabricate an expedient antenna, and we only had an antenna capable of 462 to 463 Mhz, we would be in business as the channels that come in the commercial radios are 1-7, and 15 to 22, are GMRS and are within the 462 Mhz to 463 Mhz range. FRS channels are 8 thru 14 and are between 467 and 468 Mhz. Material requirements are much less for a J-pole, and these antennas can be made to be nearly indestructible. A larger-in-diameter radiator will typically have broader bandwidths. …


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 …