Day: April 24, 2023

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 24, 2023

On April 24, 1898, Spain declared war on the United States. — Today we present a feature review article by Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — We are still seeking entries for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 106 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and …


TOPS Mini Scandi Folder 4.0, by Thomas Christianson

The Bottom Line, Up Front Simply put, the TOPS Mini Scandi Folder 4.0 is a great knife for everyday carry (EDC). It is compact, sharp, easy to open, easy to grip, and durable. For the more technically inclined, the TOPS Mini Scandi Folder is a flipper-style folding knife with a 3.25 inch full Scandi grind blade made of N690Co steel. It has a stainless steel liner-lock frame with a 4.25 inch tan canvas Micarta handle. It uses ball bearing washers on the pivot point for smooth opening, and features a reversible pocket clip. I would like to zoom in on …


Recipe of the Week: Italian-Style Lentil Patties with Cheese

The following recipe for Italian-Style Lentil Patties with Cheese is from Reader Susan in Oregon. These are topped with either mozzarella or provolone cheese. Susan says:  “I got this recipe from a friend who is on a vegan diet that cooks these at last once a week.” Ingredients 3 cups dried lentils (brown, red, or green) 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon dried minced onion 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 cups uncooked instant oatmeal 2 tablespoons canola oil 10 slices mozzarella cheese or provolone …


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. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the rising price of platinum, in U.S. Dollar terms. Precious Metals: On Thursday: Platinum price hits $1,100 as it outperforms gold and silver, driven by improving fundamentals. Then, on Friday, platinum jumped to $1,147.40 USD per Troy ounce! With a jump that big, I expect to see some profit-taking today. (Monday, April …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“No kingdom can be secured otherwise than by arming the people. The possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave. He, who has nothing, and who himself belongs to another, must be defended by him, whose property he is, and needs no arms. But he, who thinks he is his own master, and has what he can call his own, ought to have arms to defend himself, and what he possesses; else he lives precariously, and at discretion.” – James Burgh, from: “Political Disquisitions: Or, an Enquiry into Public Errors, Defects, and Abuses”, London, 1774