Year: 2023

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 28, 2023

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of theologian John Wesley. He was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. He died on March 2nd, 1791. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 107 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 can be used for any of their …


Fitness and Preparedness – Part 1, by N.C.

It was only when I was dealing with the Covid crisis that I understood that fitness is a resource. Far from being a happy insight, I only realized it was a resource because I was rapidly running out of it. It was sort of like realizing your car runs on gasoline because the Low Gas Light came on; somewhat less than an ideal situation. Great time to start working out, yes? Well. Yes and No. Exercise damages your body initially, it’s the recovery that builds you back stronger. Sticking with the analogy, that’s like your gas light coming on while …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: 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. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — “No folding knives will get into Canada”: CBSA New Approach Big Problem. JWR’s Comments:  The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) now has another reason to harass travelers.  This nonsensical one-handed folding knife ban law parallels Germany’s Einhandmesser restrictions. (Fast forward to the 9:15-mark, for the English version of Joerg Sprave’s explanatory video.) …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — June 27, 2023

Today is the birthday of Paul Mauser, (June 27, 1838 – May 29, 1914). He was a German weapon designer and manufacturer. His strong and reliable bolt-action design was used by many nations. The U.S. Springfield Model 1903 is based on the Mauser Model 1898, and in fact, the U.S. government famously lost a patent infringement lawsuit to Mauser. Ironically, the U.S. government continued to pay the Mauser company royalties on each M1903 Springfield produced, even during and after World War I. Today is also the birthday Leroy James Sullivan (born June 27, 1933) is an American firearms inventor. Going …


A Woman’s Role in Church Security, by Hollyberry

My husband was approached by our pastor about 4 or 5 years ago to start up a security team for our church. My husband is ex-military and due to various career experience, he is well suited for this role. I was surprised but glad that our pastor thought of a security team. In today’s world. there is no guarantee of safety anywhere. The security team was loosely assembled and consisted of all men. Discussions were held about areas of coverage and although I am not a security team member, I gave my husband my opinions and suggestions. He really had …


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 focus on a new wind power and transmission line project in Wyoming. (See the Wyoming section.) Idaho Gag order revised in University of Idaho murder cases. And: University of Idaho murders: State seeks death penalty against Bryan Kohberger. o  o  o Boise man files …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Pride is a person having too high an opinion of himself. Pride is the first sin that ever entered into the universe, and the last sin that is rooted out. Pride is the worst sin. It is the most secret of all sins. There is no other matter in which the heart is more deceitful and unsearchable. Alas, how much pride the best have in their hearts! Pride is God’s most stubborn enemy! There is no sin so much like the devil as pride. It is a secret and subtle sin and appears in a great many shapes which are …


Preparedness Notes for Monday — June 26, 2023

On June 26, 1483, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, began his reign as Richard III after usurping power from his nephew, Edward V. — June 26th is also the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what I call the Even Greater Generation. — My #1 Son mentioned this new listing for some retreat-worthy improved land, north of Coeur d’Alene: Private North Idaho Retreat. — Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — We are in need of articles …


Invicta 29178 Automatic Watch, by Thomas Christianson

I have previously written about the value of being able to tell time in a grid-down situation. Although there are many practical benefits to being able to tell time, the ones I most value are the less tangable emotional and psychological benefits. In the midst of a chaotic situation, timekeeping contributes to emotional well-being by helping to maintain orientation. This emotional benefit is so significant that interrogators often try to deprive their subjects of this support by restricting their access to timekeeping devices and cues. I recently purchased an Invicta 29178 Automatic Watch. I like automatic watches because they don’t …


Recipe of the Week: Fruit Shrub

The following recipe for Fruit Shrub is from SurvivalBlog reader Mr. Alaska.  She writes: “A ‘shrub’ is an old-fashioned drink that made great sense before water was reliably potable. This was safer and refreshing because it incorporated vinegar.  You might find the idea odd — drink vinegar? But in the right proportions, with fruit and sweetener, the vinegar adds the kind of tang that people like from quinine or tonic water – without the bitterness, and with some salubrious gastrointestinal tract benefits, too. You can drink this straight or add a bit to water or a clear alcohol or wine, …


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. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, some more coverage of Blackrock. Precious Metals: The spot price of silver dropped to $22.70 per Troy ounce on Friday evening (June 23, 2023.) This brings the silver-to-gold ratio back above 85.1-to-1. Ratio traders should take heed. o  o  o At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Forecast – This Could Be the Last Opportunity to Buy Gold Below …


Avalanche Lily’s Quote of the Day:

AVL’s Note: This week, I re-read Farmer Boy to remind myself of the natural wild edible plants that they ate in the late 1800s.  I read the last two pages of the story and they hit me like a ton of bricks and brought me to tears, for so many reasons.  For background, Almanzo’s father has just been asked by Mr. Paddock the Wheelwright if Mr. Wilder would apprentice his son, Almanzo, to him to be a wheelwright. Here is the conversation between Mother, Father, and nine-year-old Almanzo that evening at their dinner table: “Paddock makes good money,” said Father. …


Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 25, 2023

June 25, 1530, the Augsburg Confession, 28 articles that constitute the basic confession of the Lutheran churches, was presented at the Diet of Augsburg to the emperor Charles V. — And on June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn – also called Custer’s Last Stand – marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, …


Bardin & Marsee Waterproof Bible, by Thomas Christianson

Field gear is often subject to a wide variety of weather conditions. Like the Persian mounted couriers made famous by Herodotus, field gear may face snow, rain, heat, and gloom of night among other challenges. Wildly varying weather conditions can be a special challenge to books in general, and Bibles in particular. That is what makes the Bardin & Marsee Waterproof Bible so interesting for outdoors-folk who carry a Bible as a part of their gear. The Waterproof Bible is printed on a synthetic paper made from plastic resins and inorganic fillers. You can read it in a rainstorm or …