Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 2, 2022

On December 2nd, 1823, what became known as the Monroe Doctrine was declared by President James Monroe to Congress outlining a foreign policy initiative that forbade European interference in the American hemisphere but also asserted U.S. neutrality in regard to future European conflicts. — Today we present a guest article by Arkadiusz Sieroń, selected by JWR. It was first published by Sunshine Profits, and is reposted with permission. — We are now seeking entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 …


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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the nascent drop in the U.S. real estate market. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Newmont: The Bottom Is In For Gold. o  o  o Ghana plans to buy oil with gold instead of U.S. dollars. o  o  o Report: China Suspected of Stockpiling Gold to ‘Cut Greenback …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“All nature has come to expect from God a sense of orderliness. Whatever God does carries with it His fingerprint. And in the world around us His fingerprint of orderliness is evident to anybody who is honest with the facts. If you look at nature, you will discover a mathematical exactness. Without this precision, the entire world would be in utter confusion. One plus one always equals two no matter what part of the universe you happen to be in. And the laws of nature operate in beautiful harmony, a harmony that is ordered by God Himself.” – Aiden Wilson …


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 1, 2022

This is the birthday of novelist Rex Stout (1886–1975). Rex Stout was the brother of Ruth Stout, the gardener who wrote about no till, year-round mulching, organic gardening in her book Gardening Without Work: For the Aging, the Busy, and the Indolent. — Today we present the first entry for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Round 104 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. — But first, here is …


Writing Contest Winners Announced — Round 103

We’ve completed the judging for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prize winners are: First Prize: First prize is awarded to St. Funogas, for: My Ten-Day Test-My-Preps Adventure Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. which was posted on October 13-17 2022. He will receive the following prizes: 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 2022 Retrospective: America’s Negatrends

In place of our regular Odds ‘n Sods column for this week, we are presenting a late-2022 summary listing of negative societal trends — what I call negatrends — and political machinations, with some apropos links. Please pray daily that our nation collectively repents and returns to a moral and righteous path and that our government is again restrained and respects our rights. – JWR Some Key Negatrends Ongoing urbanization, and its attendant societal ills. Increasing technological dependence of society as a whole and addiction to technology by individuals. Vote-Stealing. Closely tied to this are the Democrat mantras denying positive …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 30, 2022

Satirical novelist Jonathan Swift was born on November 30th, 1667. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present the final entry for Round 103 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 $1,095 value), Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of …


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 today’s column with this from SurvivalBlog reader B.G.: 17-Year-Old Hero Swoops Into Action After Officer Is Shot Right in Front of Her – Unmatched Bravery. o  o  o C.B. was the first of several readers to send this:  Vaccinated Americans a majority of COVID deaths for first time in August: …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 29, 2022

Today is the birthday of writer Clive Staples (“C.S.”) Lewis, who was born in 1898 and died 22 November, 1963. SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 103 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 $1,095 value), Two cases of Mountain House …


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 present a special collection of videos on winter sports and travel. Idaho Coeur d’Alene: Remote Sledding in North Idaho. o  o  o 2021 Solo Backcountry Idaho Mule Deer Hunt Matt Tillotson. o  o  o ‘Crazy cowboys’ and ‘crazy skiers’ team up in skijoring, Idaho’s …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 28, 2022

On November 28th, 1520, Magellan finally reached the Pacific Ocean after navigating the dangerous straits on the southern tip of South America that now bear his name. He became the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic. — Today’s feature article was authored by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio. — This is Cyber Monday — known as a day for deep discounts. Be sure to look for special pricing from our advertisers.  Please patronize our paid banner advertisers first. But if they don’t have what you are looking for, then see our lengthy list of …


Recipe of the Week: Roasted Squash Seeds

The following recipe for Roasted Squash Seeds is from SurvivalBlog reader Mrs. Alaska. She writes: “Why throw out the seeds of winter squash like butternut, acorn, spaghetti, and pumpkin?  You can roast them for a tasty seasonal snack. Or you feed them to poultry or save them to sow, next year. For personal eating, I consider pumpkin seeds too woody a texture to be palatable (but I love pepitas, which are hulled pumpkin seeds). The smaller, thinner seeds of other squash have a better texture and good flavor.  Here is how to roast squash seeds. 1)      Scoop out the seeds. …