Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 22, 2023

On May 22, 1960, the Valdivia earthquake–one of the largest earthquakes on record–struck the southern coast of Chile, killing about 5,700 people and creating seismic sea waves that caused death and destruction in distant Pacific coastal areas, notably Japan and Hawaii. — Iron Edison (one of our biggest advertisers) has announced a sale on their 5kWH wall-mount batteries. These batteries are normally $3,395 each, but they are offering them at $600 off, for a price of just $2,795.00. The discount code for this deal is SALE2023.  The special pricing end on June 16th, so order yours, soon. Iron Edison offers …


Recipe of the Week: Classic Oatmeal Cookies

The following recipe for Classic Oatmeal Cookies is from SurvivalBlog reader O.H.. These are yummy! Ingredients 1 large egg 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), very soft 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (don’t use instant or quick oats) 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or substitute raisins or walnuts) Directions Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray; set aside. To …


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. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at investing in discontinued P71 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor cars. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Gold/Silver: How to trade a U.S. default. o  o  o At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Price Suppression, Or Unbroken Confidence By The Herd? Economy & Finance: US Deposit Outflows Accelerated Last Week, Led By Small Banks. JWR’s Comments: …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 21, 2023

May 21st is the birthday of weapons designer John Douglas Pedersen. (Born 1881, died 1951.) His name is almost synonymous with the short-lived Pedersen Device (pictured) — a conversion kit that turned a Model 1903 Springfield bolt action rifle into a semi-automatic trench-clearing gun. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 106 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 …



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 20, 2023

May 20th, 1942 was the birthday of Carlos Hathcock. (Died February 23, 1999.) He was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. — I was saddened to hear of the passing of my old friend from ROTC, Roland Pickering. He was the inspiration for the Doug Carlton character, in my first novel, Patriots. Roland was a devoted father, and had a great sense of humor. He gave up a career in aviation so that he could live close to his children (and later his grandchildren), after his divorce. He will be …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 19, 2023

On May 19, 1796, the first game law was approved in the United States. The law created penalties for hunting or destroying game within Indian Territory. Modern American fish and game laws make “living off the land” nearly impossible, outside of Alaska. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 106 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 …


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. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the impact of high hay prices and subsequently smaller cattle herds. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: Gold, silver see price declines at greenback surges. o  o  o Keith Weiner, at Gold-Eagle.com: Did Argentina Just De-Dollarize? Economy & Finance: Our own Tom Christianson mentioned this, published by The Washington Post: Seven doomsday …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — May 18, 2023

May 18th, 1825 was the birthday of Daniel Baird Wesson (of Smith and Wesson fame). On May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted, causing a massive avalanche and killing 57 people. Ash from the volcanic eruption fell as far away as Minnesota. — A couple of new listings at SurvivalRealty.com  — one in Washington, and one in Oregon: Trout Lake, Washington — Rural Living. 17 acres 5-6 acre pasture 10 acres woods 16.09 actual. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: …


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, we look at the imminent rockslide threat to Brienz, Switzerland. Steinschlag: Swiss Village Under Threat of Huge Rockslide ‘It is a question of a few days or a …