Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 17, 2022

On this day in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were submitted to the states for ratification. They differed from the Constitution in that they emphasized the primacy of the states. This brings to mind the dangers of convening a Constitutional Convention, because the last time this happened the Articles of Confederation were thrown out and totally replaced by the Constitution. Do you honestly believe that our politicians today could craft a document that so thoroughly protects the rights of the individual, as they did then? — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— 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. Today, we look at smartphone vulnerability. “Emergency” Satellite Location of iPhones First up, reader F.J. sent this: Emergency SOS via Satellite for the iPhone 14 Is Almost Ready. And here is another report in …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 16, 2022

November 16th was the birthday of Michael D. Echanis (born 1950, died September 1978), a former United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted man. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with “V” device as a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was born and raised in eastern Oregon. Echanis was killed while working for the CIA in Nicaragua in 1978 in a plane crash along with his colleague Charles Sanders and members of the Nicaraguan armed forces. There was conjecture that the plane was destroyed in flight by a saboteur’s bomb. My novel Survivors …


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. — Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this: Germans Attend ‘Blackout Courses’ as Energy Crisis Worsens Ahead of Christmas. Mike’s Comments:  “I find it amusing they need courses for what we’ve known for decades.  When our house furnace failed in 2017, we used the cooking range and fireplace for three days, closed off the …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 15, 2022

Today is the birthday of David Stirling. (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990.) He was a Scottish officer in the British Army, mountaineer, and the founder of the Special Air Service (SAS). He saw active service during the Second World War. — We are pleased to welcome our latest banner advertiser, Collider Tactical.  They sell all sorts of gear, including knives, flashlights, weapons lights, scopes, thermal weapons sights, and thermal monoculars from a number of makers. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round …


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’ll cover some unseasonably early snowfalls. Region-Wide This well-written article describes the legislative process required to make this happen:  Two more Oregon counties say ‘yes’ to Greater Idaho, but ballot wins far from moving borders. o  o  o KREM-2: Chief Meteorologist Jeremy LaGoo’s long-range winter …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 14, 2022

On November 14th, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted in Colombia, killing over 20,000 as nearby towns are buried in mud, ice, and lava. Scientists studying the volcano believed an eruption was imminent and had recommended an evacuation of the area which was largely ignored, resulting in the high number of casualties. — To help make up for the loss of so many subscriptions when folks quit PayPal, we have greatly expanded our list of affiliate advertisers. (See the full list of more than 130 links, below the square graphic ads.) Please shop with our paid banner advertisers first.  …


Recipe of the Week: Yogurt from Dry Milk

Mrs. Alaska provided directions for an easy-to-make yogurt with dry (or fresh) milk and a few tablespoons of store-bought yogurt (with live cultures) per quart of milk. “I have successfully done so with dried, non-fat milk and even from store-bought yogurt that had frozen. Motivations: I do not raise milk-producing animals. It is challenging for us to transport dairy products to our home. With yogurt, I can replace sour cream in any dip, sauce, gravy, baked goods (like pancakes and quick breads) as well as using it for a topping for fruit or granola. Directions: Heat 1 quart of milk …


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 again look at a potential derivatives crisis. (See the Derivatives section.) Precious Metals: Silver price predictions to 2030. o  o  o Gold/Silver: Two charts you must watch. Economy & Finance: o  o  o Jeffrey Snider had this lengthy but insightful analysis of yield curves and foreign reserve flows, in this video: …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 13, 2022

Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was born in Scotland on November 13th, 1850. — Continental Army Brigadier General Richard Montgomery took Montreal, Canada without opposition on this day in 1775. Ironically, shortly after this Montgomery was killed while fighting the British in Quebec, and the British retook the territory. — Please pray for the victims of this tragic accident: Two Planes, Including A World War II-Era Heavy Bomber, Collide At Dallas Air Show. — In honor of Veteran’s Day, Next Level Training (one of our long-time advertisers and writing contest prize …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Graphic of Tesla being charged by a generator. Charging a Tesla During a Blackout: The irony, it burns. The Generator, It Burns Too: Gasoline. News Links: Did Californians charge their $120,000 electric Tesla Supercars with gas generators because the grid was overloaded?