Fitness and Preparedness – Part 2, by N.C.

(Continued from Part 1.)

Goals and principles

A real-world example: The Shaolin monks

The origin story of the acrobatic kung fu the Shaolin monks practice is that it was developed for two reasons: Self-defense and general health. Meditation is a sedentary pursuit and the acrobatic kung fu allowed (and allows) them to pack in the flexibility, power, and cardiovascular training they needed to maintain health in a smaller frame of time. This is very much what we in the developed west face: a generally sedentary lifestyle that needs to be balanced with enough exercise to keep our general health up. Those of us who tend towards the prepping worldview tend to also have self-defense on our minds and that makes the Shaolin monks a worthwhile example to contemplate and imitate.

My goal with fitness: To be as useful as possible for as long as possible.

There are a lot of implications for that statement but I think it’s applicable for everyone. Specific training is king, if you practice a specific thing you become better at that specific thing. But, since none of us know exactly what’s in store, you can’t specifically train for what’s coming. This means I need to be useful as things are right now and as I think they may; and I need to recognize that my predictions may be wrong. I said it earlier I’ll repeat it here: general fitness that you will definitely need in all situations first (cardio, core, mobility), then specific fitness for which you foresee a need. So chew on it for a while, make your predictions, and then work so that you will be fit in what you think is coming.Continue reading“Fitness and Preparedness – Part 2, by N.C.”

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 plans for a universal digital passport.

The Everything Passport: DHS Outlines Digital ID Initiative

A recent headline: DHS Outlines Digital ID Initiative For “Travel, Immigration and Citizenship Status, Employment, Residency Status and More”. The article begins:

“The US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) recent unveiling of a $1.7 million initiative to foster the development of digital wallets will raise eyebrows among privacy advocates. While DHS’s Science & Technology Directorate ostensibly presents this as the “Privacy Preserving Digital Credential Wallets & Verifiers” SVIP Topic Call, the devil will be in the details.

The plan is to use the system for “travel, immigration and citizenship status, employment, residency status and more.”

A look at the DHS’s announcement shows a particular emphasis on wallets that are compatible with World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Verifiable Credential Data Model (VCDM) and W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DID) standards. On the surface, this may appear as a step toward standardization. However, this type of centralization could create a monoculture that will also speed up the move towards centralized digital IDs – which could be the entire plan.”

U.S. Church Attendance Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels

SurvivalaBlog reader D.S.V. spotted this, over at RedState: U.S. Church Attendance Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 28, 2023

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of theologian John Wesley. He was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. He died on March 2nd, 1791.

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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.

 

Fitness and Preparedness – Part 1, by N.C.

It was only when I was dealing with the Covid crisis that I understood that fitness is a resource. Far from being a happy insight, I only realized it was a resource because I was rapidly running out of it. It was sort of like realizing your car runs on gasoline because the Low Gas Light came on; somewhat less than an ideal situation.

Great time to start working out, yes? Well. Yes and No. Exercise damages your body initially, it’s the recovery that builds you back stronger. Sticking with the analogy, that’s like your gas light coming on while you were being chased. Yeah, you need to stop and fill up. Yeah, the people chasing you are going to catch up while you do that. Keep going without filling up and you will run out and your pursuers catch up.

Unlike other resources, you cannot panic buy (or obtain by other means) fitness at the last minute. By the time you realize you need more of it, then it’s probably too late. Fielding three kids, one an infant, while your wife struggles to breathe is not a time where you get to institute an exercise routine. You’ve got what you brought.Continue reading“Fitness and Preparedness – Part 1, by N.C.”

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.

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“No folding knives will get into Canada”: CBSA New Approach Big Problem. JWR’s Comments:  The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) now has another reason to harass travelers.  This nonsensical one-handed folding knife ban law parallels Germany’s Einhandmesser restrictions. (Fast forward to the 9:15-mark, for the English version of Joerg Sprave’s explanatory video.)

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Homeschooling Remains A Popular Option, While Defying Stereotypes.

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Reader H.L. sent this “Welcome to Elba” news: Prigozhin ‘Exiled’ To Belarus In Exchange For Peace, Criminal Charges Dropped: What Was This All About?

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Nine minutes of video clips and commentary from Armed Attorneys: “Not Finished:” White House Wants More Gun Control in Bizarre Address. JWR’s Comment:  Biden’s “God Save The Queen, Man!” nonsequitur closing comment should have earned him great notoriety, but it was hardly mentioned by the mainstream media. Sniffy Joe Biden is now profoundly senile!

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MJ wrote to suggest:

“SurvivalBlog readers looking for work might consider signing up for these non-woke job websites:

Red Balloon is based in Moscow, Idaho — perfect for those who live in the Redoubt.”

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Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The modern city is probably the most unlovely and artificial site this planet affords. The ultimate solution is to abandon it. We shall solve the City Problem by leaving the city.” –  Henry Ford

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — June 27, 2023

Today is the birthday of Paul Mauser, (June 27, 1838 – May 29, 1914). He was a German weapon designer and manufacturer. His strong and reliable bolt-action design was used by many nations. The U.S. Springfield Model 1903 is based on the Mauser Model 1898, and in fact, the U.S. government famously lost a patent infringement lawsuit to Mauser. Ironically, the U.S. government continued to pay the Mauser company royalties on each M1903 Springfield produced, even during and after World War I.

Today is also the birthday Leroy James Sullivan (born June 27, 1933) is an American firearms inventor. Going by Jim Sullivan, he has designed several “scaled-down” versions of larger firearms. He also designed the Beta C-MAG double snail drum magazines.

And June 27th is the birthday of economist Dr. Ravi Batra. (Born 1943.)

—

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.

A Woman’s Role in Church Security, by Hollyberry

My husband was approached by our pastor about 4 or 5 years ago to start up a security team for our church. My husband is ex-military and due to various career experience, he is well suited for this role. I was surprised but glad that our pastor thought of a security team. In today’s world. there is no guarantee of safety anywhere. The security team was loosely assembled and consisted of all men. Discussions were held about areas of coverage and although I am not a security team member, I gave my husband my opinions and suggestions. He really had no options about hearing my input anyway! An out-of-state friend of mine knew someone who headed up church security and my husband was able to make contact with this gentleman and get some ideas also. I was concerned at first that people would be put off by the idea of security at a church but a week after our pastor introduced my husband’s new role to the congregation, a church shooting took place in another part of the country, and it made national news.

We are often thanked and prayed for by many people. Mothers tend to appreciate security in the Sunday school/nursery area. We have had new congregants show up and ask about safety and many mother’s ask what the security policy is and want to know if the Sunday school/nursery area is an area secured from strangers.

Our pastor and a couple of the men attended a church security conference that was being held mostly for law enforcement officers but quite a few men from area churches attended. My husband came back from the conference full of very useful information. He also learned that women should be included in security and I was now an official security team member! My also husband thinks women are much better at detecting undercurrents or tension. See, those girly feelings we get can be put to good use.Continue reading“A Woman’s Role in Church Security, by Hollyberry”

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 a new wind power and transmission line project in Wyoming. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

Gag order revised in University of Idaho murder cases.

And: University of Idaho murders: State seeks death penalty against Bryan Kohberger.

o  o  o

Boise man files federal lawsuit against two police officers, city.

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At Redoubt News: IDFG & Wildlife Disease.

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Chubbuck woman celebrates 108th birthday.

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This was not the Kohlberger case: State will not seek death penalty for Idaho man accused of killing four.

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

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Pride is a person having too high an opinion of himself. Pride is the first sin that ever entered into the universe, and the last sin that is rooted out. Pride is the worst sin. It is the most secret of all sins. There is no other matter in which the heart is more deceitful and unsearchable. Alas, how much pride the best have in their hearts! Pride is God’s most stubborn enemy! There is no sin so much like the devil as pride. It is a secret and subtle sin and appears in a great many shapes which are undetected and unsuspected.” – Jonathan Edwards

Preparedness Notes for Monday — June 26, 2023

On June 26, 1483, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, began his reign as Richard III after usurping power from his nephew, Edward V.

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June 26th is also the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what I call the Even Greater Generation.

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My #1 Son mentioned this new listing for some retreat-worthy improved land, north of Coeur d’Alene: Private North Idaho Retreat.

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Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We are in need of articles 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.

Invicta 29178 Automatic Watch, by Thomas Christianson

I have previously written about the value of being able to tell time in a grid-down situation. Although there are many practical benefits to being able to tell time, the ones I most value are the less tangable emotional and psychological benefits. In the midst of a chaotic situation, timekeeping contributes to emotional well-being by helping to maintain orientation. This emotional benefit is so significant that interrogators often try to deprive their subjects of this support by restricting their access to timekeeping devices and cues.

I recently purchased an Invicta 29178 Automatic Watch. I like automatic watches because they don’t have batteries that constantly run down and need to be replaced. In my childhood and youth, automatic watches were called “self-winding” watches. They collect energy from the motion of the wearer’s arm to wind the mainspring and keep the watch running. Unlike spare batteries, the shelf life of an extra automatic watch is virtually indefinite. With a reasonable amount of care, most users report receiving decades of service from a good automatic watch.Continue reading“Invicta 29178 Automatic Watch, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Fruit Shrub

The following recipe for Fruit Shrub is from SurvivalBlog reader Mr. Alaska.  She writes:

“A ‘shrub’ is an old-fashioned drink that made great sense before water was reliably potable. This was safer and refreshing because it incorporated vinegar.  You might find the idea odd — drink vinegar? But in the right proportions, with fruit and sweetener, the vinegar adds the kind of tang that people like from quinine or tonic water – without the bitterness, and with some salubrious gastrointestinal tract benefits, too. You can drink this straight or add a bit to water or a clear alcohol or wine, depending on preference.
You can adjust for personal taste but start with a 1:1:1 ratio of:
Liquid rich fruit (like a berry) : Honey or sugar : Gentle vinegar.
A gentle vinegar is my description of vinegars made from apple cider or red or white or rice wine.  If you use distilled white vinegar (as I have done, too, reduce by half or increase the fruit or sweetener to your preference).
For example:
In a pot, heat to a simmer:
2 cups berries or rhubarb or other juicy fruit
2 cups honey or sugar
Cool liquid.  Refrigerate.  Shake from time to time over a week to incorporate fruit with syrup.
A week later, smash and then filter out the particulate matter.  (with cheese cloth or a coffee filter or even a stocking or loose T shirt)
Then mix in the vinegar to taste. Stir. Taste again.  Refrigerate or put in the cold hole.  Taste a few days later.  Figure out your preferred proportions.
2 cups gentle vinegar (or 1 cup white vinegar to start)
This will not taste like a fruity vinaigrette.  Give it a try… before you need to do so.
Mrs. Alaska blogs here: https://alaskauu1.blogspot.com/

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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, some more coverage of Blackrock.

Precious Metals:

The spot price of silver dropped to $22.70 per Troy ounce on Friday evening (June 23, 2023.) This brings the silver-to-gold ratio back above 85.1-to-1. Ratio traders should take heed.

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At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Forecast – This Could Be the Last Opportunity to Buy Gold Below $2000.

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Gold will rise with dollar as ‘violent’ global debt crisis unfolds, de-dollarization will take at least a decade – Brent Johnson

Economy & Finance:

US Slips Into a Recession Based on Biden Criteria.

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Video from Stoic Finance: Blackrock’s Total Collapse Begins.

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China’s Economy Is Faltering.

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Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Robert Kiyosaki Predicts that 2023 Will Have a Bigger Economic Crisis Than in 2008.

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Massive data breach impacts CalPERS and CalSTRS, the nation’s biggest public pensions funds.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”