JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on green Pelican cases. (See the Gear & Grub section.) Books: Unfreedom of the Press, by Mark Levin. This much-anticipated book was just released yesterday (May 21st), and it is solidly ranked #1, overall on Amazon.com! (But don’t expect to see that news mentioned in the mainstream press…) o  o  o Reader Monica X. suggested the book No Mercy: True Stories of Disaster, Survival and Brutality, by Eleanor Learmonth. 50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to …




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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at investing in Valmet rifles. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Allen Sykora: Sentiment Upbeat On Palladium, Less Dubious Of Platinum: UBS o  o  o “I’m Not a Gold Bug – You’re a Dollar Bug!” Economy & Finance: At Zero Hedge: Is It Time …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“It is interesting to hear certain kinds of people insist that the citizen cannot fight the government. This would have been news to the men of Lexington and Concord, as well as the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan. The citizen most certainly can fight the government, and usually wins when he tries. Organized national armies are useful primarily for fighting against other organized national armies. When they try to fight against the people, they find themselves at a very serious disadvantage. If you will just look around at the state of the world today, you will see that the guerillero has the …




Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — May 21, 2019

May 21st is the birthday of weapons designer John Douglas Pedersen. (Born 1881, died 1951.) His name is almost synonymous with the short-lived Pedersen Device (pictured) — a conversion kit that turned a Model 1903 Springfield bolt action rifle into a semi-automatic “trench broom.” — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the …




SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. Today, we focus on William Shatner’s recent appearance in Spokane. (See the Washington section.) Idaho Is the Idaho state government at war with Idaho County?  The following is from an Idaho County press release: “The Idaho County Board of Commissioners will be adding an agenda item to a future regular meeting to publicly discuss a letter received by the Board from the State …




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”.  Today, we look at Tiny House kits and pre-built Tiny Houses. Lessons From The Battle of Marawi Reader T.Z. recommended this article from an Australian author as an insight about what urban life might be like, post collapse: The Battle of Marawi: Small Team Lessons Learned For the Close Fight Upcoming Tiny House Events The Tiny House Talk web site has put together a links page with Upcoming Tiny House Workshops, Festivals, …







Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 20, 2019

May 20th, 1942 was the birthday of Carlos Hathcock (died February 23, 1999.)  He was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for …




Recipe of the Week: A.V.’s South African Melktert

Reader A.V. kindly sent us one of her favorite dessert recipes for a delicious South African Melktert (Milk Tart). It makes 8 servings.  This recipe is broken into two sections: one for the filling, and one for the pastry crust.  This recipe requires the use of a set of ceramic pie weights. Melktert Filling: Ingredients 1 quart milk ½ cup sugar 1 Tablespoon butter 2 large eggs (or 3 small eggs) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract A pinch of salt 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon Directions for Making the Melktert Filling In a heat proof …




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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we turn our attention to collectible cars. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Gold Stays Cold; Silver Gets Sold; Their Ratio Behold! o  o  o What Does The New Fed’s Regime Imply For The Gold Price? Economy & Finance: The poseurs running the Federal Reserve banking …







Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 19, 2019

On May 19, 1796, the first game law was approved in the United States. The law created penalties for hunting or destroying game within Indian Territory.  Modern American fish and game laws make “living off the land” nearly impossible, outside of Alaska. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A …




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”.  Today, we look at Shortwave Broadcasting. The Transmitters of Freedom (Shortwave Broadcasting) Over at Off Grid Ham: The Transmitters of Freedom Should Be Turned Back On! Here is a quote: “The internet affords little privacy, anonymity, or security. IP addresses can be tracked. It’s fairly easy to know who is accessing what content. Plus, the internet depends on a complex system of routers, servers, and data circuits to connect them. Oppressive governments …




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with …




Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 18, 2019

I just heard that novelist Herman Wouk passed away on May17th, at age 103. His novels–some still in print–will certainly outlive him.  From his obituary:  “In 1951, Wouk released his most celebrated novel, The Caine Mutiny. It sold slowly at first but eventually topped best-seller lists and won a Pulitzer.” — On May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted, causing a massive avalanche and killing 57 people. Ash from the volcanic eruption fell as far away as Minnesota. Seismic activity at Mount St. Helens, which is 96 miles south of Seattle, began on March 16. A 4.2-magnitude tremor …