Year: 2022

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The sharp division between gun culture and gun control culture is the border of an affected distancing from life’s realities. Gun controllers aren’t necessarily physical cowards, but they are moral cowards. The same sorts of people who think guns are ‘icky’ also don’t want to know where their meat comes from or to see the soldiers who come back from the wars. These are things that they pay other people to do because it preserves their illusions about the world and about themselves. America is becoming a nation split between those hard workers who take responsibility for dealing with life’s …


Preparedness Notes for Monday — June 13, 2022

On June 13, 1777, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette landed in the fledgling United States. — Here comes the back-stabbing RINO “compromise” that I warned you about!  Senate Group Reaches Bipartisan Compromise on Gun Control Bill. Please contact both of your state’s U.S. Senators and ask them to vote against this legislation package. We should remind them that RedFlag/ERPO laws are unconstitutional and unacceptable. The Federal government should not be funding them! The self-identified (“willing to negotiate”) backstabbers are: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) …


Generac GP 6500 Portable Generator, by Thomas Christianson

When high winds sweep through our area, it is not unusual for electrical service to be interrupted, sometimes for days at a time. For more than eight years now, a Generac GP 6500 gas-powered portable generator has provided my family with a reliable and effective way of dealing with the challenges of occasional, short-term power outages. The Backstory Nine years ago, my wife and I fled suburbia for a log home in the woods. There we provide most of our own utilities. We provide our own water with a well, our own sewage treatment with a septic tank, and our …


Recipe of the Week:  Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings

The following traditional recipe for Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings is from reader S.T.. Ingredients 1 broiler or fryer chicken (2-1/2 to 3 pounds), shredded or chunked 3 cups water 1 cup chopped onion 4 celery stalks, sliced 3 medium carrots, sliced 1 teaspoon celery seed 2 teaspoons rubbed sage divided 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 cups of commercial biscuit mix 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley Directions (Chicken) Place chicken and water in a Dutch Oven. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until chicken is tender, about …


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 higher crude oil and fuel prices. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: Silver hits a strong support zone. o  o  o India’s May gold imports surge 677% to $5.83 billion. Economy & Finance: Hedge fund redemptions accelerated in March. JWR’s Comments: This is just the beginning of a trend. …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 12, 2022

On June 12, 1987, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to: “Tear down this wall.” The wall began to come down in November of 1989. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 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 Course Certificate. This …


Homemade Household Products Using Bulk Ingredients, by Mrs. Alaska

When people jokingly refer to Whole Foods as “Whole Paycheck” to indicate the price points, I wonder if they conclude that all organic products and foods have to be expensive. It is indeed more expensive to raise meat on a small homestead than to buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco. But so many pricey organic foods and value – add products are quickly and cheaply made at home. A frugal person can save thousands of dollars per year by combining ingredients for tasty or useful products. Put that cash to other purposes less easily accomplished. In addition, making products from …



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 11, 2022

John Wayne, the iconic American film actor, died on June 11th, 1979. While John Wayne is probably best known for his westerns like True Grit, The Shootist, and Fort Apache, we remember him best for his roles in The Alamo and The Green Berets, both of which reflected his patriotic and conservative leanings. — Just as I feared, On Friday (June 10, 2022) the U.S House passed H.R.2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2021. This ERPO bill (a.k.a. Red Flag bill), is now heading to the U.S. Senate. Please contact your State’s two U.S. Senators, and insist …


Gardening in a Post-Nuclear Fallout Environment, by Don Shift

Several weeks ago, Reader L.E. asked how seeds would fare after a nuclear war. That got me researching about growing food after the nukes fly would be complicated. It turns out, not much. After a nuclear war, fallout and higher radiation counts worldwide will be a fact of life. The remnants of the fallout will remain acutely in our food chain for a century. Consuming radionuclides (radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes) will be unavoidable, but not as catastrophic as some think, and it can be mitigated. Fallout will not be a massive, universal phenomenon as some of the outdated fallout pattern …


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:

“Make haste, o God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 10, 2022

On June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War ended as Israel and Syria agreed to observe a United Nations-mediated cease-fire. — On Wednesday (June 8, 2022), the U.S. House passed H.R. 7910 — a package of anti-gun laws that includes a ban on the manufacture, import, or sale of any 11+ round magazines or belts, and raises the minimum age for detachable magazine centerfire semi-auto rifles. The package also includes a safe storage law, bans unserialized homemade guns, and codifies Trump’s bump stock ban. (Details, here.) Five turncoat Republicans from eastern states voted for the bill: Fitzpatrick – Pennsylvania Gonzalez – …