Year: 2024

Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 5, 2024

American actor Robert Duvall, who was known for his convincing portrayals of a diverse range of characters, was born in San Diego on January 5, 1931. His portrayals in Open Range and Apocalypse Now are unforgettable. — This new listing in Sheridan, Montana at SurvivalRealty checks off a lot of boxes: Self-sufficiency! Earth-sheltered Home on 40 Acres. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 110 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 …


Readying For Spring, by Hollyberry

As the saying goes, “spring is just around the corner” but it’s going to be a real, long corner. Winter in Maine can be really long and dark. So far this year the temperatures have been above normal and it’s one week before Christmas and there is hardly any snow on the ground. We had two days of heavy rain and wind which caused great damage to the state. Our bridge partially washed out and we live on a road that ends on a snowmobile trail that was also underwater. Days are short and it can be cloudy for two …


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, we look at estate planning for firearms collectors.  (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Will 2024 be the year for precious metals? o  o  o At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold: We Conservatively Forecast $2,375 for 2024’s High. Economy & Finance: I found his piece at Wolf Street linked over at theWhatfinger.com news aggregation site: Stock Markets Years …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 4, 2024

On January 4, 2010 Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, officially opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The view (pictured) from the upper stories of the Burj Khalifa is stunning. — On January 4, 1896 Utah became the 45th state of the U.S.A.. — January 4th is the birthday of George Hyde, who was born “Heide” in 1888, in Arpfingen, Germany. He was the chief gun designer for the Inland Division of General Motors (GM) in Dayton, Ohio during World War II. Hyde was best-known as the co-designer of the M3 “Grease gun” SMG and the Liberator pistol, but he …


What To Do in 2024?, by SaraSue

There has been a tremendous amount of change in our country, just in the past three years, not to mention the years and decades before.  It’s as if, the worst of the worst scenarios have accelerated, and many of us feel it in our bones that things are going to get worse in our country (America).  I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, and it was a wonderful childhood. But, as I look back, I can see how the gross inflation and economic problems of the 1970s affected my father, while he insulated us children from most of it.  …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is 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. In today’s column, an update on crime statistics. Murder Rates – By County The map above, shows U.S. Murder Rates in 2022, (by County) is courtesy of a Reddit Maps Group. …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Son, we’re on the brink of the next world war And I don’t think nobody’s prayin’ no more And I ain’t sayin I know it for sure I’m just down on my knees Beggin’, Lord, take me home I just wanna go home I don’t know which road to go It’s been so long I just know I didn’t used to wake up feelin’ this way Cussin’ myself every d**n day People have really gone and lost their way They all just do what the TVs say And I wanna go home…” – Oliver Anthony, From the lyrics to his …


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 3, 2024

On January 3rd, 1959, the territory of Alaska became the 49th U.S. state. On January 3, 1892, English author and scholar J.R.R. Tolkien, who was perhaps best known for his richly inventive epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings, was born in South Africa. — Seed for Security is running a 20%-off sale on their Colossal Security Pack and their Super Survival Security pack. Their Colossal Security Pack features approximately 76,895 heirloom vegetable, herb, and grain seeds. Their Super Survival Pack contains approximately 5,500 heirloom vegetable and grain seeds. All of their seeds are open-pollinated and non-GMO. This sale is …


Overcoming Starvation — Food for Thought, by M.M.

Introductory Disclaimer: What follows are my personal experiences and observations.  This information is for educational purposes only.  Although I am a physician, I am not your physician.  I am not providing you medical advice.  I am not a dietitian or nutritionist.  Before you consider taking any course of action similar to mine, consult with your physician. — Recently I completed a fast lasting 11 days, during which time I consumed zero calories.  I drank water and black coffee but took in no nourishment.  Notably, I never experienced hunger or a significant decline in function.  I lost approximately 25 pounds during …


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. — The Trifectacation of American Politics.  JWR’s Comments:  The process of “The Great Sort” is continuing, as Americans vote with their feet.  This political migration is making “Red” states darker red and “Blue” states darker blue. The illustration at the top of this column shows the 2016 presidential election tally.  More and more …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 2, 2024

On January 2nd, 1492, Granada, home of the Alhambra palace and the seat and final stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain, was surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II and Isabella I, ending the Reconquest. — On January 2, 1999, a major snowstorm struck the Midwest, leaving 14 inches of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches in Chicago, Illinois, where temperatures plunged to -13 °F (-25 °C); 68 deaths were reported. — January 2nd, 1776 is the anniversary of the first revolutionary flag to be displayed. — Also on this date in 1936, the first night vision electron …


2024 Annual Appeal: The Ten Cent Challenge

I hope that you get at least 10 cents worth of knowledge, entertainment, and motivation each day from SurvivalBlog. It has been posted with fresh content daily, since 2005. In all these years I’ve only missed posting on a few days — most notably in the week after my first wife passed away. I do my best to mention the Ten Cent Challenge editorially only once each year — and this post is it, for 2024. Unlike PBS, we don’t run agonizingly endless pledge drives. But we do depend on voluntary subscriptions to pay the blog’s bills. These expenses include: …


SAR Lessons for Preppers, by H.F.K.

In this article, I will relate some key lessons for preppers that I have learned as a Search And Rescue (SAR) worker and volunteer.  I tell people that we live in a wonderful and fun place, as long as you never forget that the wilderness is always trying to kill you. They think I’m being funny. But s a member of both a county sheriff’s SAR Team and a Mountain Rescue Association-affiliated team, I can tell you that I am being completely serious. Any prepper should approach life very similarly to how they would approach a backcountry hiking trip. The …