The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 13, 2024

On April 13, 1943, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial was dedicated in East Potomac Park on the south bank of the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C..  Jefferson was born April 13, 1743. (He died on July 4, 1826 just a few hours before the death of John Adams. How patriotic of both of them to pass away on the Fourth of July.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 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% …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. So the children went in and possessed …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 12, 2024

On April 12, 1861, Fort Sumter, one of the few military installations in the South still in Federal hands, came under fire from Confederate guns in Charleston, South Carolina, thus initiating the American Civil War. April 12th is the birthday of the late novelist Tom Clancy. (Born 1947, died October 1, 2013). It was Clancy who almost single-handedly created the modern techno-thriller genre, with his first novel, The Hunt For Red October. Coincidentally, Tom Clancy’s first literary agent is now my agent, Robert Gottlieb. — Joshua at Ready Made Resources wrote to mention:  “For the month of April, anyone placing …


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 California’s $20 minimum wage law. (See the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: Despite some profit-taking, the precious metals bull market is looking more solid with every passing week. At last glance, on Thursday evening, 11 April: Gold: $2,400.40, up 1.76% for the day. Another all-time high. Silver $28.95, up 2.01% for …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 11, 2024

On April 11, 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria confirmed the March Laws, which formed the foundation of the modern state of Hungary. Pictured is Buda Castle, in Hungary. (Creative Commons photo by Costel Slincu.) — Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC (11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was also a designer and inventor of firearms including the famous Webley-Fosbery revolver and the Paradox Gun. — Even …


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, and examination of the advent of government surveillance cameras on private property. Government Cameras Hidden on Private Property Reader Robert W. mentioned this piece at AgWeb: Government Cameras …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 10, 2024

On April 10, 1849, the safety pin was patented by Walter Hunt in the United States; he later sold his rights to the fastener for just $400. On April 10, 1972, the development, production, and stockpiling of biological weapons were outlawed by the Biological Weapons Convention, signed by more than 150 countries. April 10, 1827 was the birthday of General Lew Wallace. He wrote books (author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ), sculpted, practiced law, painted, played the violin — and made them as well. In the “Battle of Monocacy” he fought alongside 8,000 Union troops against 15,000 Confederates. …


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. — UPI reports: At least 9 dead, nearly 1,000 injured in Taiwan earthquake. JWR’s Comment: This was one of the worst earthquakes on the island since the well-publicized earthquake in 2018. (Pictured.)  We will soon see if mainland China attempts to exploit this as a “moment of weakness.” o  o  o Another useful …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I was asked by a journalist if I am a secessionist. My answer was a resounding ‘No!’.  I explained that I’m rather a partitionist.  I believe that rural parts of states that have been disenfranchised by their more populous urban hubs have every right to form new States within the Union. The rural and conservative portions control the larger land areas of many states. There is nothing magical or penultimate about the number 50. It is merely a temporary stopping point that has only stood since 1959. The citizens of regions like Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado, Southern Illinois, …


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 9, 2024

On April 9, 1388, the Battle of Näfels culminated in a major victory for the Swiss Confederation in the first century of its struggle for self-determination against Habsburg overlordship. April 9, 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, sieur (lord) de La Salle, claimed the Mississippi River basin for France, naming it Louisiana. April 9, 1869, the Hudson Bay Company ceded its territory to the Commonwealth of Canada. Amd on April 9, 1768, John Hancock refused to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship. This was considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British …


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, the emphasis is on illustrating the low population density of the American Redoubt Region. Region-Wide Mapped: North America Population Patterns by Density. o  o  o An interesting video about the Idaho-Oregon-Nevada (ION) region: The Least Populated Part of the US. JWR’s Comments:  I am related …