Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 28, 2024

On October 28, 1640, English King Charles I signed a peace treaty with the Scottish Covenanters, ending the Second Bishops’ War. — October 28, 1831: Michael Faraday demonstrated his dynamo invention, an electrical generator. — The last day!  We’ve been running a 2-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until midnight PST tonight, October 28th, 2024, all of our pre-1899 shotguns have their prices deeply discounted. Most of these shotguns can fire modern 12 gauge 2-1/2″ or 2-3/4″ shotgun shells. Order soon! — Today’s feature article is a review by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.




Swiza D03 Pocket Knife, by Thomas Christianson

With its locking blade, ergonomic shape, and easily gripped scales, the Swiza D03 is an attempt to update the venerable Swiss Army Knife into a modern everyday carry (EDC) knife. Unfortunately, its lack of ambidextrous one-handed-opening and a pocket-clip leave its performance lacking. For people who prefer a traditional pocket knife to a modern EDC knife, the D03 will be more than adequate. For people like me who prefer the ease of access and deployment provided by a pocket clip and a provision for ambidextrous one-handed opening, the D03 will fail to satisfy. The D03 had a manufacturer-suggested retail price …




Recipe of the Week: Storage Foods Granola

The following recipe for Storage Foods Granola is from SurvivalBlog reader Angie T..  She notes:  “This for making up bulk quantities of granola. The basic recipe makes 14 cups+ of granola, which is more than 5 pounds. But this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, if need be.” Note that this recipe is gluten-free, if you use certified gluten-free rolled oats. (Any oats by themselves are gluten-free, but they must come from a facility that has no cross-contamination.) DRY BASE Ingredients 8 cups rolled oats (I use the gluten-free type) 1 cup chopped almonds 1/2 cup flax seeds 1/2 …










Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 27, 2024

On October 27, 1787, the Federalist Papers started appearing in New York newspapers under the pseudonym “Publius”. They were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. — October 27, 1858 was the birthday of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. (He died January 6, 1919.) — Just One Day Left! We are running a 2-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until October 28th, 2024, all of our pre-1899 shotguns have their prices deeply discounted. Most of these can fire modern 12 gauge 2-1/2″ or 2-3/4″ shotgun shells. No FFL paperwork is required. In most states, we can mail them right …




A Home-Made Water Filter, by Richard T.

I recently made my own water filter, using commonly available parts.  It is essentially a low-cost clone of one of the popular Berkey Water Filters. (Those are pictured above.) The material list and sources for the parts for this water filter are below the description of its construction and use. The base for this water filter construction is a 4-inch (inside diameter) Schedule 40 white PVC DWV pipe, cut  24 inches long. It is capped top and bottom but only the bottom cap is cemented on. Both caps have a ½” hole in the center. The hole in the bottom …




JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

JWR’s latest meme: Meme Text: The U.S. Minimum Wage in 1965 Was $1.25 Per Hour The Silver in Five Pre-1965 Quarters ($1.25 Face Value) is Now Worth $32.95. We Have Been Robbed of Purchasing Power. Make Our Money Silver Again! News Link: Silver Prices Rise: A Look at the Current Market Trends Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.  




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken …




Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 26, 2024

40 years ago today, the action thriller The Terminator was released in the United States. The movie was hugely successful. It made actor Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and established director James Cameron as a bankable filmmaker. On October 26, 1881, a feud between the Earp brothers (Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan) and an outlaw gang led by Ike Clanton escalated into a celebrated gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. And today is the birthday of Henry Deringer (October 26, 1786 – February 28, 1868). He was an American gunsmith, best known for inventing and giving his name to …




Relationships, Communities, and Resources, by 3AD Scout

Multiple relationships equals a community and a community equals resources. This sounds so simplistic but many Preppers do not work on developing relationships which means they do not have a SHTF community. Not having a community means that they are missing out on vital resources they may need during and after a widespread disaster or a societal collapse. I saw this concept in action for myself in the past few weeks. Making a relationship Amish buggies and wagons are a common sight on our road. A keen eye will sometimes allow you to get to know the locals versus those …




Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both 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 the Odds …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord‘s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the …




Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 25, 2024

October 25, 1415: Battle of Agincourt: Henry V‘s forces defeated the larger French army, proving that massed English longbows could defeat armored knights. This is the birthday of explorer and pilot Admiral Richard Byrd (1888–1957). His autobiography titled Alone is a must-read. On October 25, 1983, the U.S. military, under President Ronald Reagan, invaded the tiny island country of Grenada. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 115 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 …




Hurricane Milton After Action Review – Part 3, by Soyez Ferme

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) Aftermath Awake before dawn to survey the damage, we found that two thirds of the barn roof lay in various pastures within a quarter-mile radius. The radio antenna that was attached to the barn was bent in a C-shape. A sheet of roofing must have hit it. A massive live oak tree had toppled over on its side, roots exposed. Many branches had snapped off other oak trees, some as big around as my waist. Leaves were gone from the tops of all the trees. Lower branches seemed to fare much better. …