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 further examine the economic impact of the Wuhan Flu pandemic. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: How silver’s 50% rally in 2020 has transformed the industry o  o  o Another rush to cash? Analysts are cautiously watching stocks, gold price Economy & Finance: Coronavirus: Hit to global economy ‘will be …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put …




Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 24, 2020

On September t1775, Ethan Allen was captured by the British. In 1493, Columbus set sail with 17 ships on his second voyage to the Americas. — Today we present three short articles that are not eligible for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. One of them is a well-writen rant, one of them is less than 1,500 words, and one of them is a guest article. Note that Round 90 of the contest ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical …




Testing 20-Year-Old Mountain House Lasagna, by S.H. in Texas

This article describes my experience with some Mountain House brand freeze-dried lasagna that I taste-tested 13 years beyond it’s “Best By” date. Since I have become a bit of a “prepper”, I have noticed that the years seem to fly by much faster than before! Perhaps it’s just the usual momentum of age, but it seems every time I check on something from my “deep storage”, I find that it has been at least 10 years since it was purchased! Very disturbing. So…the question that plagues us is this: “would this be better-‘n-nothing when the SHTF, or should I just …




Our Daily Passive Battle, by H.G.

I’m firmly in the “meek” category along with most of the attributes you would assume go with it: introverted, passive-aggressive, quiet, content, peace-loving, hard to anger, patient, etc.  I can put up with a lot, get along with anybody.  I have strong opinions but I know that nobody wants to hear them. My daily intake of news consists of scanning the mostly-local headlines of one of the city television stations, reading a couple stories of interest to get a deeper picture, and relying mostly on headlines for the gist of the national happenings.  I’m not completely head-in-the-sand but I know …




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 some more saber-rattling by China, with Taiwan. Nashville Officials Conspire to Conceal Low COVID Numbers Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson forwarded this: COVID-19 emails from Nashville mayor’s office show disturbing …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“As much as the left fashions themselves as being progressive, they’re not. In reality, today’s leftist movement is made in much the same way as a sausage—it’s a blend of fascist, communist, and socialist ideologies from twentieth-century Europe, with a pinch of Nazism, all ground together, yet retaining the flavor of its various parts.” – Dr. Michael Savage, in his book Liberalism Is A Mental Disorder




Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 23, 2020

September 23, 1800 was the birthday of William McGuffey, a college president who is best known for writing the McGuffey Readers, the first widely-used series of textbooks. It is estimated that at least 122 million copies of McGuffey Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster’s Dictionary. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of …




JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books, and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how-to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the focus is on books on homeschooling. (See the Books section.) Books: Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second …







Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 22, 2020

September 22nd is the birthday of the late Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Reid-Daly, who founded and commanded the Rhodesian Selous Scouts. He was born 1928, and he died August 9, 2010. His history of the Selous Scouts, titled Pamwe Chete is fascinating to read, but it is a very hard-to-find book. And today is also the birthday of survivalist writer Joel Skousen. (Born, 1946.) Skousen authored the excellent books Strategic Relocation and The High Security Shelter – How to Implement a Multi-Purpose Safe Room in the Home. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 90 of 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, a link to a CBS News piece about a young Montana CH-47 helicopter pilot. (See the Montana section.) Idaho Idaho death by suicide rate lower than 2018 despite COVID-19 o  o  o Gas prices slipping across Idaho o  o  o Passenger goes missing after rollover …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Europe is not free, because freedom begins with speaking the truth. In Europe today it is forbidden to speak the truth. A muzzle is a muzzle – even if it is made of silk. It is forbidden to say that today we are not witnessing the arrival of refugees, but a Europe being threatened by mass migration. It is forbidden to say that tens of millions are ready to set out in our direction. It is forbidden to say that immigration brings crime and terrorism to our countries. It is forbidden to say that the masses of people coming from …




Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 21, 2020

On this day in 1780, during the American Revolution, American General Benedict Arnold met with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British in return for the promise of a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. The plot was foiled and Arnold, a former American hero, became synonymous with the word “traitor”. — Today we have another product review by our stalwart Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio. — Be advised that there are just nine days left in Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. There will be …




Recipe of the Week: Quick Orange Marmalade, by St. Funogas

The following recipe for a very Quick Orange Marmalade is from SurvivalBlog reader St. Funogas. Chef’s Notes: If you’re a marmalade fan, you’ll love how quick and easy this recipe is and the fact that there are only three ingredients and no added pectin. Noe, however, that it’s not going to have that nice clear look like Smuckers, but theirs can’t be made in 20 minutes either. This recipe should probably be called Candied Orange Peel Jam, and it’s one of my favorites. After you’ve made it once, you’ll know how to adjust it better to suit your taste as …