Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 10, 2022

On March 10, 1910, China officially ended slavery. But unofficially, China now has one of the world’s largest slave populations. These are mostly political prisoners, working in prison factories. Sadly, there is no way of reliably knowing whether or not most of the “Made In China” merchandise that you buy might originate from these prisons. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 99 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 …


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, an update on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Zelensky Ready To ‘Discuss & Find Compromise’ On Crimea, Donbas Status Over at Zero Hedge: Zelensky Ready To ‘Discuss & Find Compromise’ On Crimea, Donbas Status …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 9, 2022

Today is the birthday of writer John McPhee (b. 1931), a master of creative nonfiction. One of McPhee’s most widely read books is Coming into the Country, which eloquently describes the Alaskan wilderness. SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 99 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 …


Plant-Based Diets For Preppers, by H.E.S.

Intro: I’m 73 years old, pragmatic, conservative on most issues, Purple Heart Vietnam veteran, and a prepper for ten years. That’s me. — After retiring from flying a news helicopter eight years ago, I decided to move to a rural, more prepper-friendly area and subsequently bought an off-grid log home in a very remote area. There is no mail or package delivery, trash pickup, or even cell service up here. Two sides of my property adjoin National Forest. You do get beaucoup more property for your money when you move out of the big city. I’ll admit that I’m a …


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. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — The latest update from Reader SaraSue: “About two weeks ago, I took delivery of a beautiful bred Jersey heifer (A2/A2 genetics) from a wonderful farmer and his wife. The first week was about her settling in and feeling comfortable. The second week has been about establishing trust with her – she eats cut-up apples out …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 8, 2022

March 8th is the birthday of famed revolver shooter, big game hunter, and gun writer Elmer Keith, who co-designed the S&W .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges. He authored the book Sixguns, which is still considered a standard reference. His fascinating life story is told in his last book, Hell, I was there! A Proto – Redoubter, Keith spent the second half of his life on a ranch near Salmon, Idaho. (Keith was born in 1899 and died February 12, 1984.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 99 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …


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 Washington’s pending magazine ban and conflicting drought forecasts. Region-Wide: Atmospheric river causes waterways across the Inland Northwest to rise.  An excerpt: “Some of the heaviest rain in Spokane in years is one sign of the tremendous amount of water that’s been dumped …




Recipe of the Week: Traditional Welsh Mutton Stew

The following recipe for Traditional Welsh Mutton Stew is from reader E.J.: Ingredients 2-1⁄2 lbs of boned mutton or lamb. 4 large potatoes 2 large onions 4 medium carrots 1 sprig of fresh parsley 2 cups water salt (to taste) pepper  to taste) Directions Cut the meat into large chunks. Peel the vegetables and cut into thick slices. Chop the parsley. Choose a pot with a well-fitting lid and place the ingredients in layers, starting and finishing with potatoes. Pour in the water and season to taste. Cover and put on a very low heat for about 2 1/2 hours …


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 look at the cascade of events for ag commodities. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: As the Ukraine invasion crisis deepens, I anticipate that the upward stair-stepping in silver, gold, and platinum prices will continue. In my estimation, of the three, it is spot and futures silver prices that have the …