Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 8, 2023

Today is the 78th anniversary of VE Day, otherwise known as Victory in Europe Day. May 8th is the birthday of missionary and U.S. military intelligence officer John Birch. (Born, 1918, died August 25, 1945.) He is considered by many to be the first American casualty of the Cold War. This is also the birthday of Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek. — Today’s feature article is a product review penned by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.




Utica Cutlery Multimaster Tool, by Thomas Christianson

I generally favor multi-tools for everyday carry (EDC). I use a blade more often than other tools, it is true. There are always packages to open, cordage to cut, wires to strip, and other tasks appropriate for a blade. But it seems like every time that I carry only a knife instead of a multi-tool, I end up needing pliers or a screwdriver as well. So when I ran across the Utica Cutlery Multimaster, I just had to give it a try. I contacted Utica Cutlery, and they were kind enough to provide me with a sample for testing and …




Recipe of the Week:  Sweet Cinnamon Rice

The following recipe for Sweet Cinnamon Rice is from SurvivalBlog reader D.B..  She notes: “This is a great way to use some of your stored rice. I use Basmati Rice, but other white rice varieties work quite well.  I have not tried this with brown rice.” Ingredients 2 cups rice 4 cups water Pinch of salt. Cinnamon (Just enough to suit your taste.) 1/2 cup Brown Sugar. (You may use more or less, to suit your taste) Directions On a hot stovetop, bring water with a pinch of salt to a boil in a pot for which you have a …




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 twilight of dollar dominance. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.) Precious Metals: California readies for treasure hunt as floods wash up ‘Gold Rush 2.0’. o  o  o Gold stuck at $2,000, caught between high inflation and recession fears – Quant Insight. o  o  o At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold, Oil & Global Currencies …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” – C.S. Lewis