Year: 2023

Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 13, 2023

On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia, a cruise ship carrying some 4,200 people, ran aground and capsized off Giglio Island, Italy; 32 passengers were killed. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 one, two, or three-day course (a …


Challenges of Living in a Small Home, by Hollyberry

I have always lived in a small space (apartment/mobile home/cabin) since leaving mom and dad’s nest many years ago. Small living is not for everyone. Being in a small living area, with pets and personal belongings, it can get crowded quickly. My husband jokingly says that we live homicidally close! I find that organization is important, as is letting stuff go when no longer needed or used. If you save everything because you may need it one day, then you can quickly run out of space. Clutter can take over quickly if not kept in check. We try to keep …


Economics & Investing: JWR’s Predictions for 2023

Today, in a special edition of this column are JWR‘s economic, finance, and market predictions for 2023 and beyond. — Bottom line up front (BLUF), I believe that  2023 will be seen as a year of recession, layoffs, and stagflation. Consumer inflation will be rampant, but some assets will deflate, as the economy contracts. In the longer term, the recession starting in 2023 may develop into a general economic depression. Perhaps the era will someday be characterized as “The Depression of the late 2020s and early 2030s.”  Now, for the details: Precious Metals: With inflation continuing at a rapid clip, …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 12, 2023

On January 12, 1528 – Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family was crowned king of Sweden (Gustav I.) On January 12, 1737,  John Hancock was born. He was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. January 12, 1879: The British-Zulu War begins. British troops, under Lieutenant General Frederic Augustus, invade Zululand from the southern African Republic of Natal. January 12,1908: A wireless message is sent long-distance for the first time from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this …


My Approach to a Semi-Auto Scout Rifle – Part 2, by Swampfox

(Continued from Part 1.  This concludes the article.) Before the Test – Make Your Own Ballistics Gel For ballistics testing at home, there are several options. At the time of my Mini-14 tests, I did not have any ClearBallistics gel or other commercial choices. If you want to do this a lot, perhaps buying a kit would be a good investment. I was short of time, so I whipped up some Knox gelatin. It is easy to do, but it takes a little time and patience. If you are going to be doing a lot of testing, you will need …


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 look at some new compact off-grid power system options. Off-Grid Solar Generators on Display at CES Trade Show Over at PV Magazine: Off-grid solar generators on display at US trade show.  A …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 11, 2023

Today is the birthday of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne. (11 January 1915 – 14 December 1955.) He was a British Army officer from Newtownards, lawyer, amateur boxer, and a founding member of the Special Air Service (SAS). He was awarded the DSO and Three Bars. Many of his contemporaries and historians believe that he should have been awarded the Victoria Cross. This is the birthday of big game hunter and writer Peter Hathaway Capstick. January 11th is also the birthday of Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804.) And today is the natal day of the late Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby, who …


My Approach to a Semi-Auto Scout Rifle – Part 1, by Swampfox

This article describes my personal approach to setting up and testing a semi-auto scout rifle. The “scout rifle” is a concept that has been around since the 1980s. First proposed by Colonel Jeff Cooper, it has become popular among outdoorsmen and survival-oriented folks as a “do-it-all” kind of rifle. Each person’s idea of a scout rifle can vary, with the purposes of self-defense and being able to take wild game common to your living area. The original scout rifle concept has a very specific set of features. Cooper’s favorite caliber was, of course, the 308 Winchester / 7.62×51. He allowed …


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. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — We’ll start off with this: United Van Lines 46thAnnual National Movers Study Reveals Where and Why Americans Moved in 2022.  JWR’s Comments:  I must mention that one glaring error can be found in this report’s discussion of Oregon. It states:  “We’re also seeing younger Millennials migrating to vibrant, metropolitan economies, like Washington, D.C. …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The basic issue in the world today is between two principles: Individualism and Collectivism. Individualism holds that man has inalienable rights which cannot be taken away from him by any other man, nor by any number, group or collective of other men. Therefore, each man exists by his own right and for his own sake, not for the sake of the group. Collectivism holds that man has no rights; that his work, his body and his personality belong to the group; that the group can do with him as it pleases, in any manner it pleases, for the sake of …


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 10, 2023

On January 10th, 1929, the first Adventures of Tintin comic book was published. Hergé’s books became hugely popular in Europe and around the world. — January 10th, 1776 is the day that North Carolina Governor Josiah Martin issued a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the “rebels”. This ultimately led to Colonel Donald McLeod leading the men on an assault on the Patriots that ended with fifty of his men dead and 880 captured. The Patriots lost only two of their number. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for …


A DIY Masonry Outdoor Cook Stove, by K.R.

During our harsh winter weather, I look for projects that increase our preparedness, but that can be accomplished in the warmth of my garage; preferably with a minimum of cost. This winter, my wife and I were reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of our preparations. We were inspired by the SurvivalBlog articles that have implored us all to examine and test our preps. We considered how we would do our cooking in a grid-down situation during summer, when cooking on our inside wood stove would be impractical. We already have (a few) gas-fueled camp stoves; but what about that day …


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 Wallowa County Oregon’s bid to join the Greater Idaho movement. (See the Region-Wide section.) Region-Wide Wallowa becomes 12th Oregon county to seek secession to Idaho.  This article begins: “Wallowa County in eastern Oregon submitted a petition aimed at forcing a ballot initiative …