The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — January 6, 2024

On January 6, 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, where Congress was meeting to certify Joe Biden‘s win in the 2020 election; Trump and his backers alleged widespread voter fraud. Today, three years later, after more than 950 arrests, there are still some defendants awaiting trial. And arrests are still continuing. — Today is the birthday of musician Earl Scruggs (1924-2012). — Today we present a feature article that was too short to be considered as an entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 5, 2024

American actor Robert Duvall, who was known for his convincing portrayals of a diverse range of characters, was born in San Diego on January 5, 1931. His portrayals in Open Range and Apocalypse Now are unforgettable. — This new listing in Sheridan, Montana at SurvivalRealty checks off a lot of boxes: Self-sufficiency! Earth-sheltered Home on 40 Acres. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 110 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 …


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. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at estate planning for firearms collectors.  (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Will 2024 be the year for precious metals? o  o  o At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold: We Conservatively Forecast $2,375 for 2024’s High. Economy & Finance: I found his piece at Wolf Street linked over at theWhatfinger.com news aggregation site: Stock Markets Years …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 4, 2024

On January 4, 2010 Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, officially opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The view (pictured) from the upper stories of the Burj Khalifa is stunning. — On January 4, 1896 Utah became the 45th state of the U.S.A.. — January 4th is the birthday of George Hyde, who was born “Heide” in 1888, in Arpfingen, Germany. He was the chief gun designer for the Inland Division of General Motors (GM) in Dayton, Ohio during World War II. Hyde was best-known as the co-designer of the M3 “Grease gun” SMG and the Liberator pistol, but he …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is 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. In today’s column, an update on crime statistics. Murder Rates – By County The map above, shows U.S. Murder Rates in 2022, (by County) is courtesy of a Reddit Maps Group. …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Son, we’re on the brink of the next world war And I don’t think nobody’s prayin’ no more And I ain’t sayin I know it for sure I’m just down on my knees Beggin’, Lord, take me home I just wanna go home I don’t know which road to go It’s been so long I just know I didn’t used to wake up feelin’ this way Cussin’ myself every d**n day People have really gone and lost their way They all just do what the TVs say And I wanna go home…” – Oliver Anthony, From the lyrics to his …


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 3, 2024

On January 3rd, 1959, the territory of Alaska became the 49th U.S. state. On January 3, 1892, English author and scholar J.R.R. Tolkien, who was perhaps best known for his richly inventive epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings, was born in South Africa. — Seed for Security is running a 20%-off sale on their Colossal Security Pack and their Super Survival Security pack. Their Colossal Security Pack features approximately 76,895 heirloom vegetable, herb, and grain seeds. Their Super Survival Pack contains approximately 5,500 heirloom vegetable and grain seeds. All of their seeds are open-pollinated and non-GMO. This sale is …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: 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. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — The Trifectacation of American Politics.  JWR’s Comments:  The process of “The Great Sort” is continuing, as Americans vote with their feet.  This political migration is making “Red” states darker red and “Blue” states darker blue. The illustration at the top of this column shows the 2016 presidential election tally.  More and more …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 2, 2024

On January 2nd, 1492, Granada, home of the Alhambra palace and the seat and final stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain, was surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II and Isabella I, ending the Reconquest. — On January 2, 1999, a major snowstorm struck the Midwest, leaving 14 inches of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches in Chicago, Illinois, where temperatures plunged to -13 °F (-25 °C); 68 deaths were reported. — January 2nd, 1776 is the anniversary of the first revolutionary flag to be displayed. — Also on this date in 1936, the first night vision electron …


2024 Annual Appeal: The Ten Cent Challenge

I hope that you get at least 10 cents worth of knowledge, entertainment, and motivation each day from SurvivalBlog. It has been posted with fresh content daily, since 2005. In all these years I’ve only missed posting on a few days — most notably in the week after my first wife passed away. I do my best to mention the Ten Cent Challenge editorially only once each year — and this post is it, for 2024. Unlike PBS, we don’t run agonizingly endless pledge drives. But we do depend on voluntary subscriptions to pay the blog’s bills. These expenses include: …


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 the North Idaho Republicans group. (See the Idaho section.) Idaho The Idaho GOP’s recent changes, as reported by the liberal Idaho Statesman newspaper: Former GOP heads say party needs ‘course correction’ after divisive changes. JWR’s Comments: The truth is that a few …