Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 20, 2021

On April 20th, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, killed 11 workers and began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months, creating the worst known offshore oil spill. April 20th is also the day that we remember the victims of the Columbine High School tragedy, where two students stormed into a suburban high school in Littleton, Colorado in 1999, at lunchtime with guns and explosives, killing 13 and wounding dozens more in what was, at the time, the nation’s deadliest school shooting. — It …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — First, and foremost, here is a very useful piece from my friend Commander Zero’s excellent Notes From The Bunker blog: Canned beef back at Costco. o  o  o Americans will likely have to navigate a maze of vaccine “passports” o  o  o Duane had this comment: “Tunnel Rabbit’s informative article on solar power is helpful for someone just starting …


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 focus on the renewed push for a Greater Idaho border realignment. (See the Idaho section.) Idaho Idaho Legislature Considers Absorbing Part Of Oregon. The article begins: “A group of Oregon residents want their rural counties to be absorbed by Idaho, to throw off the …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 19, 2021

April 19th is the original Patriot Day which marks the multiple anniversaries of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”. This first battle, leading to our nation’s independence, was the then-dictator’s (United Kingdom King George III’s) failed attempt at “gun control”– an act being carried out in too many parts of our USA right now. This first gun control of the colonies was a failure, because of the will and determination of a small part of the population (about 3% actually fought for our independence actively, with many others supporting) to stand up …


Recipe of the Week: Big Ben’s Hopping John Black-Eyed Peas

The following black-eyed pea recipe is courtesy of SurvialBlog reader Ben P. He calls it Big Ben’s Hopping John. Ben notes: “Some folks think the rice should be cooked separately, but that isn’t how Grandma ever remembers it being served up. The ham hocks are the best way to go by far.” Ingredients 1/2 lb dried black eyed peas 1 smoked ham hock, or 1 lb diced ham, or 12 oz diced bacon 1 medium onion, diced 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 jalapeno, diced with seeds and veins removed 2 tablespoons Chipotle sauce 1 cup long …


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 the nationwide ammunition shortage. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: We’ll start out with a link to this interesting video interview: Gold and silver prices spike, but can the rally last? Jim Wyckoff on the long-awaited bull market o  o  o Singapore Dealer Prepares Vault for 15,000 …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The key fallacy of so-called gun control laws is that such laws do not in fact control guns. They simply disarm law-abiding citizens, while people bent on violence find firearms readily available. If gun control zealots had any respect for facts, they would have discovered this long ago, because there have been too many factual studies over the years to leave any serious doubt about gun control laws being not merely futile but counterproductive. Places and times with the strongest gun control laws have often been places and times with high murder rates. Washington, DC, is a classic example, but …


Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 18, 2021

America Strikes Back: The Doolittle Tokyo Raid took place on April 18, 1942. April 18th is the birthday of former Washington Representative and Pastor, Matt Shea. (Born 1974). On April 18th, 1906, the San Francisco earthquake struck northern California, killing hundreds of people as it toppled numerous buildings and started fires that engulfed whole neighborhoods. The quake was so powerful that it knocked down chimneys in the Anderson Valley, 120 miles north of the city. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First …



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 17, 2021

On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Due to the Cuba/Soviet intelligence network as well as loose talk by members of the brigade, which was repeated in US and foreign newspaper reports, the Cuban government knew, in advance, of the planned invasion. The Washington Post also reported that the Soviets knew the exact date of the attack, that the CIA was aware that they knew, and that the CIA did not inform president Kennedy. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest …


Medical Emergency Sheets – Part 4, by K.B., M.D.

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS, PULMONARY EMBOLISM, CHOKING, AND NOSE BLEEDS Today is the last of this four-part series. I hope that the previous three parts have been informative and helpful. Our topics for today are deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, choking, and nose bleeds (epistaxis). There are also a few suggestions regarding how to make an effective emergency notebook. Before we begin, please remember to see a medical professional ASAP in an emergency! Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk for use when no timely medical professional help …


Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make 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 this column, in …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, …