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:

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 2, 2021

Today is the birthday of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (Apr 2, 1849 – February 8, 1902) was a Russian military officer, engineer, and a designer of the Mosin–Nagant rifle. This is the birthday of Émile François Zola, a novelist and essayist. He is most often remembered as the author of “J’accuse” (I Accuse!), his lengthy open letter to president Félix Faure, which accused the French government of anti-semitism. — 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 Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest …


Economics & Investing For Preppers: The Biden-Harris Years

Introductory Notes: Today’s column is a special edition. In lieu of our usual economics and investing news items and commentary, today I’m posting my analysis of the Biden-Harris administration’s policies and plans. In particular, I’ll be covering their planned economic, domestic surveillance, Second Amendment, and environmental policies, and their impact on commerce, interest rates, currencies, and economic liberty in the United States. The following analysis reflects my personal views. Your views may differ. If you dislike rants, then skip reading this. To begin, I should clarify that I’ll be referring to the Biden-Harris administration with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Missing a train is only painful if you run after it! Likewise, not matching the idea of success others expect from you is only painful if that’s what you are seeking… People need to be blinded by knowledge—we are made to follow leaders who can gather people together because the advantages of being in groups trump the disadvantages of being alone. It has been more profitable for us to bind together in the wrong direction than to be alone in the right one. Those who have followed the assertive idiot rather than the introspective wise person have passed us some …


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 1, 2021

I was saddened to hear of the death of G. Gordon Liddy. (Pictured, circa 1964 sans his trademark moustache, of his later years.) He passed away on March 30th, at age 90.  When he interviewed me on his radio show, it was obvious that he’d read my novel Patriots. He had a sharp mind and a keen wit. He will be missed. Yesterday, I happened to catch a National Pravda Radio (NPR) news item about his death. It was written in a critical and trivializing tone.  For example, the commentator mentioned Liddy’s syndicated radio show (but not its tremendous popularity), …


Writing Contest Winners Announced: Round 93

We’ve completed the judging for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prize winners are: First Prize: First prize is awarded to J.T. for Volume Vegetable Gardening. (Links: Part 1 and Part 2.) It was posted on March 16th and 17th.  He will receive: 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), A course certificate from …


Springing Into More Prepping — An Update, by 3AD Scout

The snow has melted and temperatures are more often than not above freezing. Spring is right around the corner. We have been preparing for or have started several projects here at the homestead. It was great to see our contractor show up this past week to start to finish our screened-in porch that was started last Fall. This space can be used as a summer kitchen if need be. But more importantly we have started putting fence posts into the ground for our pasture. We designed a stainless steel “box” that will be used for our outdoor pizza/bread oven. The …


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 a recent appeals court decision on open carry. 9th Circuit Court Says: No Right To Open Carry Several readers mentioned this news: 9th Circuit Court Rules Second Amendment Doesn’t Guarantee …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The mainstream of Western civilization is thus apparent, the desire to control and change others as the essence of true power. This lust for power, the pathology of all fallen men, is common to cultures all over the world. It is an expression of man’s original sin, his desire to be as God, knowing or determining for himself what constitutes good and evil.” – Rousas John “R.J.” Rushdoony, in The Death of Meaning, p. 92


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 31, 2021

March 31 is the birthday of the late economist Dr. Walter E. Williams, PhD., who was born in 1936. His book American Contempt for Liberty is highly recommended. — Just as I expected, orders have been brisk since I reactivated our “shopping cart” yesterday. at Elk Creek Company.  We received eight orders for a total of 12 guns by 3 PM on March 30th. This is your chance to add a few pre-1899 guns or replica percussion revolvers to your collection before the Senate votes on the “Universal Background Checks” bill. That draft law would criminalize transferring a modern (post-1898) …


Movie Reviews: Two for the Price of One, by Large Marge

I visit elderly shut-ins around Eugene, Oregon. Yesterday, one of our regulars got on her trailer-court facebook dealy-bobber to invite a bunch of geezers to her trailer for spectating at televisionprogramming on her new big-screen television set. We watched a couple ‘presentations’: a) RICHARD JEWELL directed by Mister Clint Eastwood hisownself, and b) SEASPIRACY financed by hollywood darling Leonardo DiCaprio. This semi-review is in two parts: a) is for the flicks, and b) is for the audience ‘participation’. And here we go… a) Anybody over the age of twenty-five probably remembers the terrorist attack at the 1996 Olympic Games in …


Avoiding Water Damage To Engines, by Michael Z. Williamson

I just blew up a car engine by driving through a puddle. Many of us remember our older vehicles tackling flood conditions.  My old 1983 station wagon and my full-size 1996 van drove through three feet of water, more than once. On many new vehicles, including the Chrysler minivans, Dodge Challenger, and the Minis, the intake tube for the air cleaner is actually down behind the fog lamp near the bottom of the air dam.  I drove through a puddle no more than 8″ deep, which threw up a bow wave, and the engine inhaled it.  Water doesn’t compress.  The block …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 30, 2021

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously injured outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John W. Hinckley Jr..  Also wounded were White House news secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent, and District of Columbia police officer Thomas K. Delahanty. Known for his quips and unaware of the injury to others at the scene, President Reagan walked into the hospital, despite his wound, and was heard telling his wife, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” — I’m in transit back to the Rawles Ranch today, so I’ve reactivated the Elk Creek Company shopping cart. The hiatus is …