Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 15, 2024

On June 15, 1762, Austria began issuing the first sovereign paper currency, in Vienna. — Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter” on this day in 1215. This document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation’s laws. Although it was more a reactionary than a progressive document, the Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by …


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 …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 14, 2024

Because of a change in direction at Trident Media Group (my partner publisher) my novel Land Of Promise, will only be published in trade paperback by Amazon.com for one more month, at just $11.99 per copy. The last day of the sale (and of Amazon Print on Demand ordering capability) will be July 12, 2024. Thereafter, it may only be available as an e-book. I will try to get it back in print within a few months, but I can’t make any promises.  So order your copy (or copies) soon! — On June 14, 1846, the California (“Bear Flag”) Republic …


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. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, a look at pre-1965 “junk” silver coins. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals: The recent dip in the spot silver price to below $30 USD per Troy ounce signals a good opportunity to do some buying and stacking. I believe that this dip will be brief, so take advantage of it. Buy physical silver and …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — June 13, 2024

On June 13, 1777, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette landed in the fledgling United States. June 13, 1889: Two feet of snow accumulated in Rawlins, Wyoming. On June 13, 1966, the US Supreme Court issued the Miranda v. Arizona decision, mandating that suspects must be informed of their rights. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 …


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, an examination of the rising number of feral pigs. The Wild Hog Invasion Over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Wild Hog Invasion: Threats, Fatalities, and Control Measures in …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 12, 2024

June 12, 1859: The Comstock Silver Lode in Nevada was discovered. This was the first major silver discovery in the US. — On June 12, 1987, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This 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. — We’ll start off with a video showing some Old School toolmaking craftsmanship by Timothy Dyck, in Canada: Why I bought this train rail. o  o  o Giant, Venomous, Flying Spiders Coming to U.S. Northeast. (Thanks to reader C.B., for the link.) o  o  o Reader S.H. wrote: “The recent article about the …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — June 11, 2024

On June 11, 1488, in the Battle of Sauchieburn, in a rebellion against the Scottish crown, King James III was killed. — On June 11, 1742, Benjamin Franklin invents his now famous Franklin stove. — June 11, 1864: The Battle of Trevilian Station, the bloodiest and largest all-cavalry battle of the American Civil War, begins in Louisa County, Virginia. — John Wayne, the iconic American film actor, died on June 11th, 1979. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic …


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 located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, news of a wayward bull at a central Oregon rodeo. (See the Central & Eastern Oregon section.) Idaho Idaho farmers say water curtailment order will dry up land, push them out of business. o  o  o Idaho Bar Explodes In Popularity For Celebrating ‘Straight Pride …