The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 4, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 3.)

WEAPON

It’s important to always maintain situational awareness wherever we are, and even more so when hitchhiking.

There was only one time in all my hitchhiking travels where I had a negative experience during a ride. It got to the point where I thought it might be necessary to calmly let the driver know I was armed.

A well-dressed guy in a Lincoln Continental gave me a ride. He looked like he was on his way to an important business meeting. We chitchatted for a while and then he made a homosexual proposition. It was out of the blue and totally out of the realm of my everyday conversations. I was still in my naive youth and was so taken by surprise, and shocked, I slowly moved my hand back toward my right kidney where my military tactical knife was in its sheath hanging from my belt. I was so taken aback that I blurted out a reply without stopping to think about how Emily Post might have worded it, “I’m sorry, but I’m not into that s**t.” As soon as I said it, I knew I had said the wrong thing. A few minutes later, he took the first exit and dumped me off in a place so remote that Rand McNally hadn’t even discovered it yet.

In hindsight, the guy wasn’t a threat to my personal safety. Just the shock of it made me reach for the protection of my knife in case I needed to pull it in self-defense. Simply knowing I was armed took away most of the worry I’d have had otherwise. Anyone bugging out should naturally have some sort of defense weapon, no matter what their form of transportation is. They should also think out in advance how far they’d be willing to go to use it. Any type of weapon should be kept out of sight where a driver can’t see it as they’re coming toward us.Continue reading“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 4, by St. Funogas”

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 ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

We were recently without grid power for six days. That provided the opportunity to practice and fine-tune a few of our preps.

During a break in the weather on Monday,  Lily and I mucked out part of one of the sheep pens and all of its attached sheep shed.  That was about 30 wheelbarrow loads.

While one of our sons is traveling, we’ve been dog-sitting for him. Lily will tell you about how we’ve been getting our visiting “Grand-Dog” settled in, here at the ranch.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.

Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.” – Psalm 38 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 26, 2025

On December 26th, 1776, after crossing the Delaware River, Washington led his men against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans, significantly boosting their flagging morale.

—

December 26, 2004: The Indian Ocean region Tsunami took more than 250,000 lives.

—

And on December 26, 1848, the first gold seekers arrived in Panama en route to San Francisco.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2.)

TRAVEL LIGHT

The more belongings you have, the less the chances are that you’ll catch a ride in a timely manner. A single backpack will be more appealing than a bunch of gear.

One important thing to keep in mind when you get picked up is to never put your gear in the trunk of a car, if at all possible. The chance of anyone driving off with your gear is minimal but as with all things, probabilities have to be weighed against consequences. Bugging out after losing all your gear would be a huge challenge, not only during your trip, but also when you get to your bug-out location without some of the things you considered essential for survival. A driver picking you up who already knows the feces have hit the fan, will perhaps have no supplies of his own and will be tempted to take what you have.Continue reading“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers.

Economics & Investing Links of Interest
  • Spot silver closed at $72.12 per Troy ounce on Wednesday. Gold, platinum, and palladium were also up, similarly. And also on Wednesday, we saw $77.12 in Shanghai trading! (A huge opportunity for the arb traders.)  Silver in Hong Kong briefly touched $75.62 this morning. For anyone who established their silver stack at below $35 per ounce, this is a logical time to liquidate 5% of your silver holdings, and put the proceeds into a different tangible, such as paying down a home mortgage or HELOC, or stacking some full ammo cans or spare un-papered guns.  There is almost always an advantage to diversification. For some details on how to gradually divest, see my recent article: Planning Your Silver Bull Market Exit Strategy. – JWR
  • The conspiracy to suppress the spot silver price is doomed to fail. There is a massive short squeeze in progress. The buying in Asia is relentless, so the trading rules changes at the LBMA and Comex will at most only slow the bull market. Watch for higher margin requirements. The Comex may also restrict physical deliveries to just industrial silver users and ETFs.  All other contract holders might only be handed cash, upon settlement. There will surely be some spectacular fireworks in silver trading in the next four weeks.
  • With the silver bull on a rampage, this is a particularly advantageous time for SurvivalBlog readers to trade silver for guns, at Elk Creek Company. With federally-exempt “antiques” there is no FFL paperwork required. But please check your state and local laws before ordering. Just let me know when you pick out one or more pre-1899 antique guns, or other items from my Elk Creek Company catalog, and what you have to trade.  (You may ignore the Ordering Hiatus notice on my main web page, when making trades.) – JWR
  • From The Economic Times (of India): Why is silver price rising and how long will it rise as silver price hits a new record high of $66.5 per ounce, up 130% this year.
  • Reuters: Dollar set for worst year since 2017, yen still in focus.

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

Please send your economics and investing links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 25, 2025

To those who are celebrating the Advent of our Lord and Savior, the team at SurvivalBlog wishes you a peaceful and meaningful Christmas. For those who choose to celebrate our Lord through the Biblical feasts, stay safe and warm. Our prayer is that each and every one of you enjoy the family time and stay safe on the roads.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

THE BASICS OF TRAVELING BY THUMB

To be successful, a hitchhiker must consider several things:

1. Appearance

2. Destination sign

3. Traveling light

4. Gender and group size

5. Having a map

6. Weapon

7. Food and water

8. Money

9. Just can’t get a ride

10. Shelter

APPEARANCE

Appearance is the single-most important qualification if you want to catch a ride in a timely manner.Continue reading“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

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, satellite ‘dogfighting’.

U.S. and Chinese Satellites are ‘Dogfighting’ in Orbit

Blog staff member Tom Christianson suggested this Washington Post article: Why U.S. and Chinese satellites are ‘dogfighting’ in orbit.  Here is a Fair Use pericope:

“Satellites whizzing by each other at close range, maneuvering to gain strategic advantage, is a new development in the militarization of space — and increasingly important. Satellites are vital for maintaining military supremacy, and tensions are rising amid growing technological competition between major powers.

Much of the “dogfighting” activity in space is simply for spying, defense analysts say, with specifics largely classified — snapping photos of each others’ satellites to learn what kind of systems are on board and their capabilities.
They monitor the signals and data emitted by satellites, listening to communications between space and the ground. Many can even jam those signals or interfere with orbiting craft that provide missile warnings, spy or relay critical information to troops.”:

The ATF eForms Shutdown

An important update for anyone planning to register suppressors:  ATF to Take eForms Offline After Christmas to Implement $0 NFA Tax.  The ATF has announced that the eForms website will be shut down for Form 1 and Form 4 submissions between December 26th and December 31st, 2025, and that all draft forms will be deleted. So much for your hard work in prepping for that great plan…

Australia to Bar ISIS Members from Owning Some Rifles

Daniel Greenfield, at Front Page: Australia to Pass Gun Control Laws Barring ISIS Members from Owning 6 Rifles.
Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“After defeating the armies of Antiochus, the Maccabees said, ‘Let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.’  They “…sang hymns and praises to Heaven, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” – From the apocryphal 1 Maccabees. 4:59, 24

 

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 24, 2025

On December 24, 1651, Jan van Riebeeck departed for the Cape of Good Hope to˜found the first permanent European settlement in southern Africa.

—

And on December 24, 1818, the Christmas carol “Silent Night” composed by Franz Xaver Gruber was first sung at St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by St. Funogas

In case the Powers That Be ask our opinions about how the world as we know it should end, I’m going to recommend the slow-motion kind that takes a few weeks, rather than an instantaneous welcome-to-Teotwawkiville atomic explosion or EMP. That will give die-hard preppers time to top off their supplies and buy that extra pallet of Thin Mints, but more importantly, give those with a bug-out retreat time to get there before the final SHTF events usher us into TEOTWAWKI.

For those who find themselves up Schumer Creek with no reliable means of travel to their bug-out location; for those college kids who don’t own a vehicle and need to get home as the Schumer is beginning to fly; for those who are standing in the driveway cussing the old jalopy because the starter just couldn’t handle one more start; for those broken down on the side of the road because microchip #27 of the 166 chips in your vehicle gave up the ghost; for those who find the battery in your EV ran out of power during the most critical voyage of its life; and for all the rest whose transportation for a million other reasons won’t be taking them to their retreat, hitchhiking can a viable means of travel.Continue reading“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our 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.

—

Reader F.J. suggested this food for thought, over at Big Think: America’s post-apocalyptic maps reveal eerily familiar fault lines.  (Image Credit: ThaDrummer at DeviantArt.)

o  o  o

Reader J.L.S. wrote:

“Good evening Mr. Rawles I want to make a recommendation for you to add to your list of books on your Bookshelf page:  Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien.”

o  o  o

Reader C.B. suggested this piece at Bayou Renaissance Man that references SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large, Mike Williamson: Need meat for long-term storage? Here’s a very useful option.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”  – H.G. Wells