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. — A useful 22-minute instructional video: Basic Radio Comms Setup for SHTF — Featuring UV5R. o  o  o Reader Tim J. recommended this video from Grunt Proof: Why do all YouTube Preppers get Political? “Bury your head in the sand all you want, but politics do have an affect on your life. Just ask …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 9, 2022

August 9th, 1831 was the birthday of James Paris Lee (August 9, 1831 – February 24, 1904). He was a Scottish-Canadian and later American inventor and arms designer, best known for inventing the bolt action that led to the Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield series of rifles. — Some sad news:  ‘Magnum P.I.’ Actor Roger E. Mosley Dies At 83. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 102 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 …


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’s focus is on wildfires, throughout the American Redoubt region. Idaho Coming up on August 27th, in Stanley, Idaho (pictured above, in a photo recently snapped by Avalanche Lily): Sawtooth Salmon Festival. o  o  o Wildlife officials euthanize grizzly responsible for livestock attacks around Boundary County. …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — August 8, 2022

August 8th is the birthday of Terry Nation (August 8th, 1930 – March 9th, 1997), who was a Welsh television writer and novelist. Nation wrote two series, Survivors and Blake’s 7, in the 1970s. Survivors was re-made a few years ago. — The new SurvivalRealty listing in North Carolina caught my eye: Heritage farm with operating winery. “This heritage farm rests gently in the valley on the footsteps of the Blue Ridge just 30 minutes east of the iconic town of Black Mountain (setting of the “One Second After” series by Bill Forstchen and a few minutes to the sprawling …


Recipe of the Week: Arden’s Dutch Oven Spaghetti With Beef 

The following recipe for Dutch oven spaghetti with beef is from reader Arden K. It uses dried spaghetti, and there is no need to boil it, in advance. Ingredients 1 pound of lean or extra-lean ground beef 1 small onion, chopped 1 medium green pepper, chopped 2 cloves of garlic (or less, to taste), minced 1-1/2 cups water 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 tablespoon chili powder (or less, to taste) 1 tablespoon grape jelly (optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less, to taste, and to suit your diet) 6 ounces uncooked thin …


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 declining oil prices. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: Gold-To-Silver Ratio Rises To Highest Level Since 1990. o  o  o Gold Bull Peter Schiff Warns That This Recession Is Just Getting Started. Economy & Finance: Some creative tap dancing, by the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank: U.S. Likely Didn’t Slip …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — August 7, 2022

August 7th, 1933 was the birthday of Jerry Pournelle. He, along with Larry Niven authored the survivalist classic Lucifer’s Hammer. Jerry passed away on September 8, 2017, at 84 years of age. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 102 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 …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: To share this, you can find it here: https://www.kapwing.com/videos/62eadab5ba842000814b0fdf Meme Text: At First, It Was Pride Day, Then Pride Week, and Then Pride Month If You Do Not Display Sufficient Enthusiasm, Then There Will Be Consequences! News and Commentary: Video from Matt Christiansen: UK Man Arrested for the Crime of Sharing a Pride Flag Sw4st1k4 Meme | ‘Causing Anxiety’. A feminist’s complaint: Pride month is no longer a joyful celebration, but a symbol of something dark.


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — August 6, 2022

On 6 August 2011, a U.S. CH-47D Chinook military helicopter operating with the call sign Extortion 17 (spoken “one-seven”) was shot down while transporting an Immediate Reaction Force attempting to reinforce a Joint Special Operations Command unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the Tangi Valley in Maidan Wardak province, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan. The resulting crash killed all 38 people on board – 25 US Navy SEALs, one pilot and two crewmen of the United States Army Reserve, one pilot and one crewman of the United States Army National Guard, seven members of the Afghan National Security Forces, and …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 5, 2022

On 5 August, 1923, Hinderikus (“Henk”) Lucas Visser was born in Groningen, Holland. A veteran of the Dutch resistance during World War II, he was later involved in the CETME rifle project, the HK G3 rifle program, and several of Eugene Stoner’s projects, most notably the Stoner 63A1. He also did weapons design and tooling development for Mauser and Oerlikon. He was an ardent gun collector, whose collection formed the core of what became the Rijksmuseum gun collection in The Netherlands. (Pictured.) August 5th is also the sad anniversary of the Mann Gulch Fire in Montana that took the lives …