Preparedness Notes for Sunday — July 16, 2023

July 16th is the anniversary of the first successful atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945. This portentous event heralded the advent of the age of nuclear weapons. Plans for the creation of a uranium bomb by the Allies were established as early as 1939. In 1940, the federal government granted a total of $6,000 for research, but in early 1942, with the United States at war, the limits on spending were removed. The total cost was in excess of $2 billion. Germany was also feared to be working on a bomb, as was Japan, though neither of those nations could bring the requisite resources to bear in time before their defeat. With the Alamogordo bomb test, the nuclear age was born.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 107 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 $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. 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. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. 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.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $825,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 107 ends on July 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.

Building a Simple Faraday Cage, by OhioGalt

This article describes the effects of EMP and CME and how to build a simple inexpensive Faraday cage.

Most readers of the SurvivalBlog are aware of the potential damage from either a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) or an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and the impact on everyday electronics. With an EMP, an electromagnetic pulse is generated at high altitudes from a nuclear explosion damaging sensitive electronics. A CME damages electronics in a similar way with the release of a large solar flare from the sun reaches carrying magnetic fluxes and plasma toward earth. These magnetic fluxes interfere with Earth’s magnetic fields and create current surges in power systems and electronics. As of this writing, there is several C and M class flare activity causing some Amateur Radio blackouts on the lower bands. To follow active solar weather visit Spaceweather.com.Continue reading“Building a Simple Faraday Cage, by OhioGalt”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Since You “Representatives” Now Just Pretend To Spend Our Tax Dollars Wisely

From Now On, We’re Just Going to Pretend To List Our Full Income On Our Tax Returns

Note From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” – Revelation 6 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — July 15, 2023

On July 15th, 1888, the Bandai Volcano erupted on the Japanese island of Honshu killing hundreds and burying many nearby villages in ash. While Honshu is in an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, this eruption was surprising. The volcano had erupted only four times in the 1,000 years prior and none had been particularly deadly. However, this eruption was different. The rumblings started just after 7 a.m. Within 30 minutes there was an explosion on the north side of the mountain and over the next two hours there were dozens of explosions giving villagers very little time to escape.

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Just two weeks left to get in your entries for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $825,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 107 ends on July 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.

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Today’s feature article is by JWR.

Some Elements of American Redoubt Culture

It has been said that most regions of the United States have distinct norms and cultures. Though we lack a distinctive accent, Redoubters definitely have our own culture.

To sum it up in one sentence, I’d say the culture is marked by: fierce independence and conservatism, but with a kindly streak.  I’ll try to articulate that more fully, in the rest of this essay.Continue reading“Some Elements of American Redoubt Culture”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I finished unloading and stacking the last of the hay that we hauled to the ranch last week. That was only about 50 bales. No sweat. (Actually, just a brief sweat. Good exercise!)  So I can soon temporarily get back to my firewood project. But first…

We had some trouble with a few of our cattle escaping a pasture along a shallow stretch of The Unnamed River (TUR).  This has also happened in a few previous summers, when the river water level dropped. So I built a new 300-foot-long fence, with an arch gate. That should keep the cattle where they are supposed to be. But only time will tell…

Now, Lily’s report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” – Psalm 43 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — July 14, 2023

During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on June 14th, 1777, stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” The national flag, which became known as the “Stars and Stripes,” was based on the “Grand Union” flag– a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 107 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 $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. 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. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. 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.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $825,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 107 ends on July 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.

Could You Live Off Your Land, Right Now?, by SaraSue

As world events, both nationally and internationally, explode in violence, deep debt, instability, and uncertainty, I ask myself have I done enough?  Am I far enough away from the violence?  Do I have systems in place that will hold me and my family in good stead for years to come?  It’s complicated, and a heavy burden, to detach from the culture, from the world systems, and to create a self-sufficient lifestyle.  It is also freeing.  There’s so much detail to each aspect that it’s no wonder people throw up their hands and say it’s impossible.  I think it’s possible to a large degree, and I accept the things that still connect me to the “System”.  Until… I find a way to sever those things, or I am forced to, whichever comes first.

Examples of things that still connect me are: banking, taxes, insurance, electricity, products I cannot make myself, and Internet access.  Those are not small things, but they are the things that remain until I am able to detach from those things too.  I have done a good job of avoiding excessive taxation, but I can’t go without banking or insurance.  I could live without the products I cannot make, raise, or grow, certainly.  And I would be happy if the entire Internet crashed and burned – really.  I fully expect bank closures on the order of weeks, not days, so keeping the gas tank full, the home well stocked, and having some cash on hand, as well as barter items, makes sense.  Affording alternative energy has been a problem for me with so many other demands.  If the grid goes down for a very long time, I don’t think being able to purchase enough gas for the vehicle and generator is a long-term solution.  Maybe if the cost of solar wasn’t so outrageous, I could at least keep the basics running.  In the North, the worst problem is keeping warm, so a wood-burning stove is critical.  But, in the South, the worst problem is keeping cool enough to function.  The “Himidity” (heat and humidity) is suffocating.Continue reading“Could You Live Off Your Land, Right Now?, by SaraSue”

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 cover the announcement of a planned new BRICS Gold-Backed Currency. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Spot silver jumped nearly 4.5% in one day on Wednesday, to $24.39 per Troy ounce. Meanwhile gold was up 1.33% to $1,971 per Troy ounce.  I hope that my readers have been paying attention to the markets and have been buying on the dips.

o  o  o

‘The Most Insane Thing Ever’ – Man Finds Huge Hoard Of Civil War Gold On Kentucky Farm.

o  o  o

Kelsey Williams: The Federal Reserve and $10,000 Gold.

o  o  o

India restricts import of plain gold jewelry.

Economy & Finance:

At Investopedia: Recession vs. Slowdown: Economic Forecasts Cloudy for the Rest of 2023.

o  o  o

Bloomberg: Economists Cut China GDP Forecasts After Disappointing Data.

o  o  o

Posted by the Conference Board, in mid-June: Global Forecast Update.  Here is an excerpt:

“The outlook for other emerging economies is mixed. Other developing Asian economies (e.g., India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines) continue to post relatively strong growth, driven among other things by rebounding domestic activity and tourism. The slowdown that we see elsewhere is also not visible in sub-Saharan African economies, with the exception of South Africa. Asian and sub-Saharan African economies are therefore positive outliers in the context of global growth forecasted at a relatively subdued 2.6 percent. The outlook for Latin American economies is more subdued, particularly Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. The weaker outlook is associated external factors such as slowing global demand and lower commodity prices, as well as internal factors such as very tight monetary policy leading to elevated interest rates, troubling public finances and political instability.”

o  o  o

A Breitbart article that I found linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Kerry: Fiduciary Responsibility of Money Managers ‘Not to Lose’ Money Is Hurting Climate Transition Investment.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 13, 2023

On July 13, 1832, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft identified the source of the Mississippi River as Lake Itasca in Minnesota.

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On this day in 1787, Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance structuring settlement of the Northwest Territory and creating a policy for the addition of new states to the nation. The members of Congress knew that if their new confederation were to survive intact, it had to resolve the states’ competing claims to western territory.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 107 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 $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. 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. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. 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.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $825,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 107 ends on July 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.

Accessibility: Retreat Design, by SwampFox

Everybody gets old. Everybody gets hurt. Time and chance happen to us all, and these are unfortunate facts of life. Is old age, injury, or disability part of your planning? Can you keep going with essential work if you are hampered by physical limitations? As always, it is better to think ahead and be prepared than to be surprised by the unexpected.

I am used to thinking about physical limitations. My mother is a retired physician, and has bravely phased a physical disability for 35+ years. Both of my parents are getting older, and my own health and physical build has never been the best. As my work both professionally and at home involves tools and heavy equipment, I occasionally must deal with a work-related injury. When building my home and outdoor facilities, we were aware of present and future needs and limitations.

A primary concern is prevention of slips, trips, and falls. These are the number one cause of workplace injuries in the USA among all ages, and are especially concerning for older people and people with limitations. Outdoors, it is worth taking the time to fill in holes, smooth out uneven ground, and keep debris picked up. As my father has gotten older, knee pain has kept him from picking up his feet as much as he walks. To keep him safe, I make sure to mow the grass very, very short. Short grass keeps objects on the ground visible, rather than hidden, and it also prevents weeds from catching a foot and causing a fall. Got garden tools in the grass? Pick them up! Stones floated to the top of the soil over the winter? Remove them and put them in a pile. Fallen sticks and branches? Get them to the burn pile or the kindling box. My father is constantly reminding me to keep paths clear and leave walking room.Continue reading“Accessibility: Retreat Design, 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, we look at an upcoming landmark Supreme Court decision.

Supreme Court Likely to Overturn Chevron Deference

A very lengthy and detailed judicial update by Harold Finch, over at the UncoverDC news, podcast, and commentary site: VanDerStock v Garland: The Judicial Eradication of Biden’s Signature Gun Control. A brief quote:

“The decision in VanDerStock v Garland is the second major shoe to drop. Judge Reed O’Conner ruled that the ATF illegally rewrote the previously accepted definitions of frames and receivers that were in use and accepted since the 1968 GCA, just as a Federal court ruled the ATF had done with bump stocks in Cargill v Garland.”

JWR’s Comments: The impact of the “history, text, and tradition” test of the 2022 Bruen decision is just starting to be felt in the Federal appellate courts.  It is now obvious that the handwriting is on the wall for the vast majority of Federal gun laws. That includes most or all of The National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. When Chevron deference inevitably falls, then arbitrary Federal agency rulemaking will come to an end. Freedom is on the march!

Alert: Sunspot Activity Rising

Spaceweather.com reports:  “A HYPERACTIVE SUNSPOT: New sunspot AR3372 is seething with activity. In the last 24 hours alone it has produced eight M-class solar flares…  …If current trends continue, we should expect more strong M-class flares during the next 24 hours with a chance of X-flares as well. This sunspot will become even more geoeffective in the days ahead as it continues to turn toward Earth.”

JWR’s Comment: This might be a good time to disconnect radio antennas and store your spare radios, phones, and computers in Faraday containers. Be ready to disconnect from grid power, if there are any more concrete warnings.

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