Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 5, 2021

This is the birthday of Howard Pyle (1853-1911) an influential American book illustrator, painter, and author. He was the mentor of many great American artists including Thornton Oakley, Frank E. Schoonover, Allen Tupper True, and of course his most famous student: N.C. Wyeth. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 93 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 …




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 looming threat of a Federal Universal Background Checks law. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: The bond worm has turned: Sharp price declines in gold, silver amid firmer USDX, rising bond yields o  o  o Sprott: Historic Washout in Bond Market Clearly Impacts Precious Metals Economy & Finance: …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“After having thus successively taken each member of the community in its powerful grasp and fashioned him at will, the supreme power then extends its arm over the whole community. It covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above the crowd. The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided; men seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained from acting. Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence; …




Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 4, 2021

On March 4, 1628, King Charles I of England granted a royal charter to Massachusetts Bay Colony. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 93 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 one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for …




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 confiscatory expansions to Canada’s black rifle ban. To Arms! Three Universal Background Check Bills The good folks at The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) just warned: “The tyrants just unloaded THREE …







Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 3, 2021

Today is the birthday of Alexander Graham Bell. It is also the birthday of actor James Doohan, in 1920. He played Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek television series and films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He passed away on July 20, 2005. And this is the birthday of bluegrass musician Doc Watson. (He was born in 1923 and passed away in 2012.) His guitar work was phenomenal. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists …




Con Te Partiro: Closing Our Comments Section

It is with regret that we’ve decided to close our Comments sections.  It is Con Te Partiro. The existing comments will still be available in the SurvivalBlog archives, but no new comments can be added. We reached this decision after some prayer and serious deliberation. We concluded that because the spamming and trolling were getting out of hand that the Comments had become a “No-Win Scenario.” It had become a huge time sink and the source of a lot of anxiety. It was very difficult to maintain editorial neutrality, particularly on controversial topics. So, in the absence of Comments, we …




Recommendations of the Week:

Here are our Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers.  Many of these come from our readers. We try to emphasize small companies that make hand-crafted goods, here in the United States and in Canada. In January, 2021 we quit the Amazon Associates program because of Amazon’s censorship. So we are no longer placing any new links to products via Amazon.com. Please shop with our paid (banner) advertisers first. If they don’t have what you need, then take a look at SurvivalBlog’s many Affiliate Advertisers. This week the focus is on the store …










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, some wind turbine news. (See the Idaho and Wyoming sections.) Idaho Lincoln County commissioners receive update on massive wind farm project. The article begins: “The Lincoln County commissioners received an update on the massive wind farm project that could possibly break ground in the summer …







Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 1, 2021

Today is the birthday of the late singer, songwriter, and cowboy poet Allen Wayne Damron. Damron was quite the Texan, through and through. (Born 1939, died August 13, 2005, in Terlingua, Texas.) — Today we present the monthly column that is kindly written by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins Pat Cascio’s weekly product review article will appear tomorrow. (Tuesday, March 2, 2021.)




Recipe of the Week: Snow Ice Cream

The following recipe for Snow Ice Cream comes to us from SurvivalBlog reader Laura E.: During or after every fresh snowfall, I mix up a batch of snow ice cream for my husband’s sweet tooth.  Kids would love to make this fast and simple seasonal treat, too. Ingredients Snow Sweetened condensed milk Flavor(s) of choice (cocoa, vanilla or peppermint extract, fruit, etc) Directions The density of the snow will influence the amount of condensed milk you need to create a creamy consistency (closer to that of ice milk than of ice cream).  So I use two bowls. 1.  Scoop up …