Month: April 2022

Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 8, 2022

April 8th is the birthday of the late Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia. (Born, 1919, died November 20, 2007.) April 8th is also the anniversary of the death of English experimental gunsmith and author Phillip Luty, in 2011. He was hounded by British authorities for many years. He died of cancer before a scheduled criminal trial. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 100 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 …


A Home Perimeter and Defense Model For The Prepared, by P.F.

I will admit it; I’m slightly paranoid, especially these days I’m more suspicious than ever. However, I take comfort in knowing that I’m in good company.  Some degree of paranoia is probably good, like the fight-or-flight survival mechanism, since without it our prehistoric ancestors would have become dinosaur appetizers. So, viewed in a positive light, slight paranoia is a survival and coping mechanism. I am also an Eagle Scout and so I’ve lived the “Be Prepared” mindset since my early teenage years.  My second adult career is as a remodeling contractor, so I am a bit handy with most things in …


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 rapidly-inflating currencies. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.) Precious Metals: A fascinating video: Rafi Farber: Here’s What Happens to Silver When Russia Moves to a Gold Ruble. o  o  o Inverted yield curve, recession, and what it means for gold and silver. Economy & Finance: WSJ: New Vehicles Must …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 7, 2022

April 7th is the birthday of Colonel Bob Denard (born 1929, died October 13, 2007). He had an amazing life as a mercenary, including four attempted coups in the Comoros. — Today we present an article by SurvivlaBlog’s Senior Editor James Wesley, Rawles (JWR). — Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is now underway. More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills …


The Logic of Pre-1965 Silver Coin Pricing in Inflationary Times

We are living in an age of inflation. The recent wave of inflation in the United States will surely continue and may very likely become more severe than what we witnessed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Double-digit and even triple-digit consumer price inflation may be in our near future. Life in a country where 20% or more of the purchasing power of the principal currency unit erodes annually is not pleasant. When this happens, inflation inevitably breeds even more inflation. Producers, wholesalers, and retailers all get in the habit of regularly jacking up their prices, in anticipation of …


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 ponder Dr. Yuval Noah Harari’s predictions. Klaus Schwab’s Computer Science Advisor: Hacking Humans Avalanche Lily spotted this: Listen To Klaus Schwab’s Advisor – We Can Hack Humans. JWR’s Comments: Please note that …



Where to Call “Home”: Prepping Post-Pandemic – Part 2, by Alex Braszko

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Fitting In Good communication is key, if you want to fit in, wherever you decide to live in this world. But fitting in requires more than just learning a language. While I have seen only a few parts of the Middle East and Asia, I have discovered cultural barriers and hostility toward my chosen religion, as well as my citizenship, in some countries. These facts can make it difficult for a western-minded conservative Christian American to feel at home in some places, even when he embraces local customs, language, and traditions. And …


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. — First and foremost is the great news that Georgia will become America’s 25th Constitutional Carry state: Gov. Brian Kemp: Georgians’ ‘Carry Permit Is the 2nd Amendment’. Here is a quote: “Kemp tweeted, “For law-abiding Georgians, their carry permit is the 2nd Amendment.” JWR’s Comments:  I’m glad to hear that Governor Kemp agrees with me. In …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I do not say that democracy has been more pernicious on the whole, and in the long run, than monarchy or aristocracy. Democracy has never been and never can be so durable as aristocracy or monarchy; but while it lasts, it is more bloody than either. … Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to say that democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less ambitious, or less avaricious than aristocracy or monarchy. It is not true, in fact, …


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 6, 2022

Today is the birthday of novelist Vince Flynn. (Born April 6, 1966, died June 19, 2013.) His death at age 47 was a loss to the literary world. This is also the birthday of famous American newsreel and radio journalist/narrator Lowell Thomas. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 99 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 be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day …


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 5, 2022

Today is the birthday of Baron Arisaka Nariakira (April 5, 1852 – January 12, 1915.) He was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. The inventor of the Arisaka Rifle, he is regarded as one of the leading arms designers in Japanese history, alongside Kijiro Nambu. On this day in 1614, Pocahontas married John Rolfe which ensured peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present the first entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power …


Where to Call “Home”: Prepping Post-Pandemic – Part 1, by Alex Braszko

Introductory Notes: Alex Braszko is a retired Military Intelligence and Space Operations Officer with over 22 years of service in the U.S. Army. He is currently a Military Analyst at the Center for Army Lessons Learned. He is in the process of writing a book focused on prepping from a Christian perspective entitled, “Preparing for the Day; an Orthodox Christian Perspective on Prepping”. In this article, he provides a glimpse into the decision-making process he and his wife went through in selecting a final home. Given their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, he reviews the soundness of that decision. 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 present a special round-up of photovoltaic (PV) power companies in the American Redoubt Region. Idaho Backwoods Solar Electric Systems 1589 Rapid Lightning Creek Rd., Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 (208) 263-4290 I started doing business with these folks back in 1992, when they installed a six-panel …