Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 4, 2022

September 4, 1862 is the fateful day that General Lee invaded the North with 50,000 troops.   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 one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees …


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/6313916893b152004ae25117 Meme Text: Leni Riefenstahl’s Propaganda Films Would Have Been So Much More Effective… If She Was Able To Make Them In Color Links: Leni Riefenstahl on InfoGalactic Wiki Joe Biden speech compared to V for Vendetta scene as ‘satanic Biden’ trends on Twitter.


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 3, 2022

English general and statesman Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658. On September 3, 1752, Great Britain and its colonies, including the future United States of America officially adopted the Gregorian calendar, and it immediately became September the 14th. — 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 …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. And the messengers came …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 2, 2022

September 2, 1969 is the day that the first automatic teller machine (ATM) made its first public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York. While being as indispensable to most people as cell phones and e-mail, they have introduced a whole new set of issues. Consumers are faced with scams, skimmers, and robbers, and even fake ATMs have been discovered. — In place of my usual Friday Economics & Investing column,  I’m posting a guest article about the interplay of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy and the gold markets. — Because Front Sight …


Homemade Yogurt as Survival Food – Part 2, by N.C.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Cooking Tools The pot and metal bowl form a quick double boiler, it’s not strictly necessary, you could just use the pot. Using the double boiler helps keep you from burning or overheating your milk which can lead to a grainy texture. I find it very easy to keep the temperature where I need it and cleanup is easier with the double boiler setup. If you are using a rocket stove or some other live fire source of heat, the boiling water will keep a steadier heat. I use a metal bowl …


Gold Sees Light at the End of the Fed’s Tightening Tunnel, by Arkadiusz Sieroń

Editor’s Note:  This article, selected by JWR, was first published by Sunshine Profits, and is reposted with permission. — The FOMC hiked rates by 75 basis points in July. However, the recession drums are getting louder, and gold likes such music. Another large interest rate hike! The Fed raised the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to 2.25-2.50%. It was the second such big move in a row, making the current tightening cycle the steepest in modern history. So, the Fed must be hawkish now, right?


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 1, 2022

September is Kilted to Kick Cancer Month. September is also National Preparedness Month. And speaking of preparedness, the Paratus Holiday celebration is always the third Friday in September. (That will be September 16th, this year.) — Some Sad News: I belatedly heard about the passing of my old friend, Kurt Wilson, the owner of Survival Enterprises. I was just informed that he died of a heart attack, in December of 2021. His widow and son are carrying on with his family business. The archived podcasts of Kurt’s “The Armchair Survivalist” are still available. Kurt was a great guy, and he …


Homemade Yogurt as Survival Food – Part 1, by N.C.

Yogurt isn’t something most of us think about. I love my classic “Back to Basics” book, it’s chock full of things that I say “oh yeah I should try that”, from carpentry to basket weaving to tinsmithing to blacksmithing. I love that book. But the section on making your own yogurt I looked at and said “yeah…no. Why would I ever do that?” Fast forward 5 years and I’ve lost count of how many batches of yogurt I’ve made. Some advantages of yogurt: Yogurt can get around lactose intolerance for some people, It is a form of milk preservation, It …


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 the increasing risk of a second civil war in the United States. September 17th: Great Lakes Prepping Expo The announcement: “After being unable to hold the show for two years …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 31, 2022

The Harrier jump-jet fighter-bomber had its first flight on August 31, 1966. It was designed to fly from combat areas and aircraft carriers and to support ground forces. It was originally built by Hawker Siddeley Aviation, and also later produced by McDonnell Douglas, in the United States. — Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR. — We are still seeking articles for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail …


WIN: Whip Inflation Nonconformably

In recent months, I’ve had several consulting clients ask me about how they might protect themselves from the ravages of inflation. The official rate of inflation is now at 9.2%, but everyone knows that the real-world rate is somewhere north of 14%. I’m offering some concrete suggestions that I will relate in this essay, but first, let me digress into some history: According to the Wikipedia article about the WIN campaign: “[President Gerald] Ford had taken office in August 1974 amidst one of the worst economic crises in US history, marked by high unemployment and inflation rising to 12.3% that …


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. — First up, over at Redoubt News, there is this pointed and downright poignant essay: Baby Boomers Don’t Recognize America. o  o  o Reader R.D. spotted this: He turned his weed-filled yard into a low-water jungle of fruit trees. o  o  o Mrs. Alaska wrote: “I loved your update to your retreat location suggestions. …