Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 29, 2024

On March  24, 1974, farmers drilling a well near Xi’an, China, penetrated a subterranean chamber that led to the discovery of the terra-cotta army: 8,000 life-size terra-cotta soldiers and horses in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Today is the birthday of the gifted electronic and orchestral musician Vangelis. (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou.)

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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 $2,000.
  2. 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),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

 



Coping With a Spring Snowstorm, by Hollyberry

Here in Maine we had been experiencing a mild winter and heading into spring warmer temperatures than normal. The ground was bare, little plants were poking their heads up and the birds were singing. Most people took the plows off of their truck and dreams of gardening early were running through our heads.
Well, there is an old saying: Man plans and God laughs.  That came true.

On March 20th into the 21st, we received about 9-10 inches of heavy, wet snow. Then the temperatures plummeted to teens with below-zero wind chills. Okay, this is spring in Maine and these little setbacks occur. Then the rumors started ……..BIG spring storm coming for the weekend. We kept an eye on the weather reports, hoping they would be wrong, and went about preparing just in case. We spent Friday going grocery shopping and bought in extra firewood and kindling. This is one additional chore you don’t want to be spending time on in addition to snow shoveling. My husband hooked up the plow again. The 6-10 inches of snow was now 12-18. Okay, we have been through this before, no big deal.

It was forecast to start snowing between 6-7 am on Saturday, March 23rrd. Right on schedule, 6:45 am, the first flakes started. Our dear friends, John and Denise, were supposed to come for breakfast that morning and that got rescheduled so I set about doing what I always do when it snows, baking cookies.Continue reading“Coping With a Spring Snowstorm, by Hollyberry”



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 some new taxes and proposed taxes. (See the Taxes section.)

Precious Metals:

The spot and futures prices of gold and silver kept up great strength this week. As of Thursday evening (March 28, 2024), here is a snapshot of the spot market:

  • Gold: $2,247.30 USD per Troy ounce — up $42.00 (1.88%) for the day.  That is another “all-time high.”
  • Silver: $25.18 per Troy ounce — up $0.34 (1.37%) for the day.
  • Platinum: $927.90 per Troy ounce — up $13.20 (1.44%) for the day.
  • Palladium: $1,051.50 per Troy ounce — up $31.50  (3.17%) for the day.

Clearly, platinum and silver are both presently undervalued.  Methinks the price of platinum will be playing catch-up, in the next few weeks. And silver could see a big breakout to $40 per ounce, or higher. Think about that! Presently, the spot market is at a crazy-high silver-to-gold ratio of 89.24-to-1. If gold holds steady, just a modest reversion to a bit more realistic 75-to-1 ratio would bring silver up to $29.96 per ounce. And a really exuberant “Silver Bull” push to a 40-to-1 ratio versus gold would equate to $56.18 per Troy ounce silver.

I should also mention that if the platinum-to-gold ratio reverts to 2-to-1, that would bring platinum to $1,123.65 per Troy ounce. That is quite possible. And mark my words: In a wartime economy, the platinum-to-gold ratio will likely flip-flop to 1-to-2. (Read: $4,400+ platinum!)  Once the cruise missiles start flying, it will be too late. Get your platinum now.

There is definitely a distinct bull market scent in the air! – JWR

o  o  o

Here is a piece by Jesse Columbo that ran in Forbes: Here’s What You Need To Know About Gold’s Long-Term Bull Market.  (Full Disclosure:  Jesse Columbo is contractually tied to BullionStar, and they are one of SurvivalBlog’s affiliate advertisers.)

o  o  o

Reader K. wrote:

“There is an excellent Andy Schectman interview to watch from beginning to end. It is long, but worth every second. We sped it up in the YouTube settings — as we often do — to get through the entire thing.

It offers an excellent geo-political view into silver and gold price suppression in and by the USA plus the massive acquisition of it by the BRICS countries and other nations. Lastly, what he believes is coming for gold and silver when the US loses control of the dollar and metals market suppression. This mirrors what Adapt 2030 is telling us is happening while on their European-Asian trip.”

o  o  o

Metal detectorist unearths largest gold nugget ever found in England.

Economy & Finance:

Several  readers mentioned this news: Swamp Wins: Senate Approves $1.2 Trillion Spending Bill, Narrowly Averting Gov’t Shutdown.

o  o  o

Reader H.L. sent this:  Wages in the US are falling at a ‘striking’ pace, Indeed says.

o  o  o

From reader C.B: Texas pulls $8.5B from BlackRock in stunning blow to ESG movement.

o  o  o

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site:

o  o  o

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia glitch lets customers withdraw millions.

o  o  o

Millions of seniors behind on student loans risk losing Social Security, lawmakers warn Biden.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The American middle class used to be envy of the world. It was a byproduct of economic freedom. We had a very dynamic free-market economy and limited government. People were out there pursuing their own self-interest and creating employment opportunities.” – Peter Schiff


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 28, 2024

 

On March 28th, 1942, the British army and navy raided St. Nazaire, in Operation Chariot. An obsolete British destroyer HMS Campbeltown, rigged with explosives and flying German flags, rammed the gates of German-occupied St. Nazaire port in France, and was time-fuse detonated. This killed 360 Germans and disabled the dry dock for the duration of the war.

On March 28th, 845, a 5,000-man-strong fleet of Danish Vikings invaded Frankish lands. They only retreated after besieging Paris and securing a ransom from the Frankish King Charles the Bald. This was part of a series of devastating raids begun by the Vikings in the 790s. The Vikings were led by “Reginherus” or Ragnar, sometimes linked to the legendary saga figure Ragnar Lodbrok. The Vikings easily overcame defenses set in place by Charlemagne and are known to have attacked the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés just outside the city. Although struck by an outbreak of plague, the Vikings overcame this to return home with their ransom of 7,000 French livres of gold and silver.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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 $2,000.
  2. 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),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Barbering at Home, by SwampFox

Stereotypes are not a good thing. You know the “survivalist” or “mountain man” look that you see on television –long beard, unkempt hair, and generally rough clothing. While outdoor work and lack of supplies can lead to this condition, I believe it is possible to weather the hard times with good hygiene and style.

When I was young, haircuts were usually done at home. Occasionally, I would go with my father to a barbershop, but that did not happen very often. Mostly, haircuts were done with a pair of scissors, and my father did a very good job with it. When I moved away from home, I did not have a lot of money and I discovered that a haircut at a barbershop cost nearly three times my hourly janitor’s wage as a poor college student. For a while, I would wait until returning home to get a free haircut from my father. However, waiting for three or sometimes four months for a haircut led to a scruffy appearance, and my attempts at trimming it with scissors alone were not very good. When I got married, I tried convincing my then-wife to learn hair cutting skills. She was unmotivated, and that attempt failed. I figured out quickly that I had to find another solution.Continue reading“Barbering at Home, by SwampFox”



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, another mountain lion attack.

Mountain Lion Attack Kills 21-Year-Old in California

A Fox News article linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Mountain lion attack kills 21-year-old man, injures younger brother in California. And here is a television news segment.

JWR’s Comments:  This incident was essentially a case of “death-by-carry-ban.”  If those young men had been able to carry holstered pistols, then the outcome might have been quite different. But California effectively has a concealed carry ban, a vehicular carry ban, an open carry ban, and an under-age-21 pistol carry ban. Granted, open carry is officially legal for those 21 and older in California’s rural areas outside of city limits, but that right is rarely exercised, for several reasons. These include: Social(ist) stigma, the fear of being reported to the police, and the state’s vehicular carry ban that makes it very difficult to legally transport a handgun to get to an outdoor recreational activity. Prayers, please, for the family of the victims.

US Warns of Cyberattacks Against Water Systems

From SurvivalBlog staff writer Tom Christianson: US Warns of Cyberattacks Against Water Systems Throughout Nation.

The Ultra-Rich and Their Bunkers

From CBC News: From luxury bunkers to tactical vehicles, the ultra-rich are preparing for the Big One. The article begins:

“In December, Wired magazine revealed that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta and one of the richest individuals on the planet, was building a $100-million US compound in Hawaii.

The fact that Zuckerberg is undertaking a nine-figure renovation is hardly revelatory. The more telling detail is that the compound includes a bunker — 5,000 square feet, to be specific, with concrete walls and an escape hatch.

What does this tell us? It’s a sign that at least some of the ultra-rich are anxious about global events and are making contingency plans for the Big One — whatever form that may take.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”





Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 27, 2024

On Good Friday, March 27th, 1964, south-central Alaska was struck by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake that was the strongest quake ever registered in the United States.

Today’s feature article was too short for consideration in the judging in Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



What Would Robinson Crusoe Get at WalMart?, by A.B.B.

Let’s suppose that you are Robinson Crusoe at TEOTWAWKI. If you have one last opportunity to go to a store, then what would you get? Where would you get it? Bic Ligters? Vitamin C tablets? Water purifiers? Your answers to these questions will predetermine your actions on TEOTWAWKI.

My wife and I have decided to each carry cash, a 1 oz gold Krugerrand coin on our persons and twenty dollars face value of 90% junk silver in our book bags for the foreseeable future. If or when something hits, minimally the credit card systems will go down. Cash will become instantly worthless. If it starts with a Cyber attack or an EMP, most people will be clueless about what is happening. Most will be frozen because of indecision. Hesitancy kills. This is the moment to take decisive action.Continue reading“What Would Robinson Crusoe Get at WalMart?, by A.B.B.”



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.

From reader G.G.: The Best Multi-Tool for Every Job.

o  o  o

Department Of Justice Announces “Federal Red Flag Center” Shortly After Omnibus Passes, Congressman Says. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)

o  o  o

Reader C.B. sent this: FCC launches crackdown on signal jammers sold by Amazon, others.

o  o  o

FEMA makes profound decision to pay for major new feature in schools, hospitals: ‘Creating more energy independence’.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” – Justice William J. Brennan



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 26, 2024

On March 26th, 1913, Dayton, Ohio was almost destroyed when the Scioto, Miami, and Muskingum Rivers reached flood stage simultaneously.

On March 26th, 1812, an earthquake now estimated at 7.7 on the Richter scale destroyed 90% of Caracas, Venezuela and killed an estimated 15,000–20,000 people.

And, on March 26th, 1995: The Schengen Treaty went into effect.

There are several interesting new listings at SurvivalRealty.com.  They include:

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contesSouthern Oregon Creekfront Mini-Farm and Home | $575,000 | 15551 East Evans Creek Road, Rogue River, OR, USAt. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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 $2,000.
  2. 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),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 



The Deuce and a Half as a BOV, by B.F. 

I am often amused at the articles in both mainstream publications and in the preparedness press that talk about using surplus military vehicles as “bug out vehicles” (BOVs). Sometimes these vehicles are basically stock, other times they are highly customized packages priced at $100,000 or more. In any event, I believe they are off the mark in their suggestions, although they do make for enjoyable reading.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like surplus military vehicles. I own (or have owned) several including an M35A2 Deuce and a Half with winch. an M818 semi-tractor, an M1009 CUCV, an M998 HMMWV, and an Air Force J20 Jeep ambulance with winch. I also have several trailers including an engineer equipment trailer, a 5/4 ton utility trailer and an artillery ammunition trailer.

In addition to the vehicles I own, Uncle Sam was kind enough to let me play with quite a few others during my 23 years of service including: M151A2 jeep, M109 van, M880 pickup, M887 contact truck, M1008 pickup, M820 van, M816 wrecker, M817 dump truck, M113 APC, M551 AR/AAV, D7 Dozer, M920 MET, and even a Bridge Erection Boat. While I don’t consider myself to be an expert on military vehicles by any means, I feel I do have more experience than many people do with them.Continue reading“The Deuce and a Half as a BOV, by B.F. “



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 impact of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

This recent Dr. Steve Turley segment discusses the American Redoubt movement in general, and Pastor Doug Wilson in Moscow, Idaho, in particular: Leftists Freak Out as Patriots Build a New Christian Nation!

o  o  o

Crook County latest Oregon county to put Greater Idaho question on voters’ ballots.

o  o  o

A report from the left-wing Inlander tabloid: New data from Idaho and Washington helps debunk some myths about who’s moving here, and whether they came as self-identified political refugees or for the quality of life.  Here is an excerpt:

“We can even get into the demographics of folks coming from each city. Like the single voter who moved to Kootenai County from Ontario, Oregon, isn’t affiliated with a political party and is between the ages of 30 and 49. Or the two voters from San Martin, California, who are both older than 70 years old and registered as Democrats in Kootenai County.

Because of this we can debunk a myth while telling you something you probably could’ve guessed. All these new Idahoans aren’t Democrats coming to liberalize the Gem State. In reality, most of the people moving to Idaho are Republicans. In the case of those Californians, almost 80% of them registered in Idaho as Republicans. (By contrast, only 58% of the state’s nearly 1 million voters are registered as Republicans.)”

o  o  o

10 Most Conservative US States 2024: Republican Bastions.

o  o  o

Readers who subscribe to a potential Earth pole shift will find this piece from Ben Davidson at Suspicious Observers of interest: Safe Zones and Disaster Zones.

Idaho

Why Idaho just closed a loophole that would allow state agencies to steal residents’ home equity. (Thanks to reader C.B. for the link.)

o  o  o

A video from William Kirk, wherein he discusses several pieces of pro-gun legislation that will likely soon become law: Idaho, the Last Bastion of Freedom in the Western Time Zone.

o  o  o

An interesting biographical sketch: William F. Jasper, Idaho Native: A Man for Our Time. JWR’s Comments:  I met Bill Jasper when I was living near Orofino, in the 1990s.  He had by then already moved to Sacramento, but he fairly regularly came home to visit his parents, Morris (“Gene”) and Dolores (“Rusty”), and they were friends of mine. I have a lot of respect for Bill and his principled approach to journalism.

o  o  o

Idaho population could hit 2 million any day now, passing Nebraska. Thanks, California!

o  o  o

Idaho manhunt ends with two mystery murders and white supremacist and accomplice captured.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”