The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Both free speech rights and property rights belong legally to individuals, but their real function is social, to benefit vast numbers of people who do not themselves exercise these rights.” – Thomas Sowell

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 19, 2025

October 19, 1987: Black Monday. Stock market indices around the world crashed, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), which fell 508.32 points (22%). That was 4½ times the previous daily record.

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October 19th also marks the anniversary of Operation Gatling; the famous “Green Leader” raid in 1978 in which Rhodesia attacked ZIPRA (Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army) in retaliation for ZIPRA shooting down a scheduled passenger flight, Rhodesia flight 825, during the Rhodesian Bush War. The Rhodesian military suffered only minor casualties in the raid, but claimed to have killed 1,500 ZIPRA personnel as well as some Cuban military instructors. Other sources falsely claimed that those killed were refugees camped near the border. Sadly, history does not seem to remember the two airliners shot down by ZIPRA along with the innocent civilians killed on them, but emphasizes the retributory Rhodesian strikes.

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Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. We usually post his review articles on Mondays, but I moved this one up to Sunday, since we have a seven-part article in the queue. That will be posted starting tomorrow.

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We need more entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Benjamin M600 Airbow, by Thomas Christianson

The Benjamin M600 Airbow is an outstanding development in the world of archery. It is powerful, accurate, and easy to use. Using pre-charged pneumatic power, it delivers arrows downrange at up to 600 feet per second with 300 foot pounds of energy.

With a weight of 6.8 pounds and a length of 33 inches, the M600 delivers these features in a reasonably light and compact package.

The M600 is made in the USA with globally sourced components. At the time of this writing, it cost $829.90 at benjaminairguns.com.Continue reading“Benjamin M600 Airbow, by Thomas Christianson”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

 

Meme Text:

Thankfully, “Fall” is Three Months Long

But “Pumpkin Spice Latte” Season Only Lasts About A Month

News Link:

Why is there such a strong aversion towards Pumpkin Spice Lattés?

Notes 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!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

1For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.” – Hebrews 9: 11-20 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 18, 2025

October 18th 1356: The Basel Earthquake. This was the most significant historically recorded seismological event north of the Alps. It destroyed the city of Basel, Switzerland. It was rebuilt with many of the buildings that can still be seen today.

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October 18th, 1662 was the birthday of Matthew Henry (died 22 June 1714). He was a Presbyterian minister who lived primarily in Chester, England. Matthew Henry’s six-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (commonly called Matthew Henry’s Commentary) (1708–1710) is a must for the bookshelf of any serious Bible scholar.

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Today’s feature article is short piece by our friend Hub Moolman of South Africa.

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We need entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

Gold: The US Dollar Bank Run Is Speeding Up, by Hubert Moolman

Previously, I have shown how the US dollar banking system is in the midst of a bank run. We have entered the critical part of this bank run. The US dollar banking system has become too debased, and nations are running to an asset like gold as a reserve asset instead.

It can be described as very similar to the events since Nixon ended the direct convertibility to gold in 1971. In the Gold/Monetary Base chart (below) you can see currently how a similar pattern has developed to the 1971 end of convertibility.Continue reading“Gold: The US Dollar Bank Run Is Speeding Up, by Hubert Moolman”

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 completed all of my fall slash pile burning on a rainy day early in the week. This was just a day before our first snowfall of the year.

Lily and I constructed a new rain/snow shelter in one of our sheep corrals.

I helped our #2 Son move. We used our 4WD pickup and horse trailer for the furniture, major applaince, and miscellany hauling.  He now lives three hours of driving closer to the Rawles Ranch, so we will get to see him much more often.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward.

And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.

According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;

After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.

When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;

Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.

Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 39:21-29 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 17, 2025

On October 17, 1814:  The London Beer Flood: A burst vat at Meux & Company Brewery floods city streets with over 300,000 gallons of porter ale, killing eight, with a possible ninth death from alcohol poisoning

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October 17, 1967: USAF test pilot William “Pete” Knight set a record, reaching an altitude of 102,100 feet (31.1 km) in the experimental X-15 spaceplane.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post by A.C. of the Stakeholder Prepping Podcast. Since he is a SurvivalBlog advertiser, this article is not eligible for our writing contest.

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We need entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running the contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

The Social and Psychological Cost of Preparedness, by A.C.

This is one topic that rarely gets any attention in the preparedness community, and I want to break it down all the way from the “prepper stigma” to the arguments and counterpoints we can make when confronted with the “tinfoil hat” comments by non-preppers in our lives.

The act of preparing for an emergency is almost universally portrayed in popular culture as a solitary, dramatic, and often paranoid pursuit. Hollywood tends to show only the aftermath, illustrating the lone survivor who only needs their preps, but the reality of the emotional and social journey toward self-sufficiency is frequently ignored.

While preparedness can offer immense psychological benefit by converting generalized anxiety into tangible action, the path to this state of quiet confidence is frequently fraught with significant mental and social challenges. Anyone who commits to self-sufficiency must not only manage their stockpiles of supplies but also navigate the real social cost and the psychological pitfalls that come with this lifestyle that is often labeled as “fringe”.Continue reading“The Social and Psychological Cost of Preparedness, by A.C.”

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 the end of Dollar Dominance.

Precious Metals:

A clear-pitched bell rang at 9:25 AM Eastern Time on Monday morning, when we saw these numbers posted:

  • Gold: $4,111.40
  • Silver: $52.00

And by Thursday evening (Friday morning in Asia), we saw these even more astounding numbers, marking two more all-time highs:

  • Gold: $4,358.20
  • Silver: $54.22

There will surely be profit-taking today, but most of the Shorts have now covered and exited the market. The Longs are happy campers. A $1,000 face value bag of circulated U.S. 90% silver coins now costs around $38,800 — that is if you can find one. Many dealers are now sold out of silver.

The market wonks at CNBC are now scratching their heads, wondering why their over-hyped equities aren’t matching the returns of precious metals. The simple truth, nay, the hard truth — is that the days of Dollar dominance in world trade are coming to an end. – JWR

o  o  o

BofA lifts 2026 gold forecast to $5,000/oz, sees silver at $65.

o  o  o

A long-time reader wrote to inquire:

“I’m considering liquidating a bit to raise a little cash. I’m up over 2 to 1 on [my investment cost for] silver and over 4 to 1 on gold. I am not a market timer but a client reminded me long ago that pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.”

I replied:

“You might consider selling your holdings in 20% increments each time that silver doubles, starting at the $50/ounce level. But hold the last 20% for the long term.  I seriously expect to see a $200/oz. top for silver, in this bull run.  As for your gold? Perhaps sell 20% of your holdings each time that gold goes up another $500, starting at $4,000.”

I further recommend to the general blog readership: To conservatively diversify, at least half of the proceeds from liquidating precious metals should be invested in another useful tangible, such as land, collectible guns (both modern and antique), or ammunition. – JWR

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Silver Wars: London Fades Away.

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Reader H.L. dug this up: Excavators find $1 million in gold coins from Spanish shipwreck along Florida’s ‘Treasure Coast’.

Economy & Finance:

In an 8-minute video, Andy Schectman summarizes the new global currency paradigm:  It Will ALL Collapse.

o  o  o

This headline was posted at the same time that silver and gold set new highs: Historic Financial Carnage: More Than A Trillion Dollars In Market Value Was Just Wiped Out In A 24-Hour Period.

o  o  o

Martin Armstrong: New Hires Fell to 16-Year Low in September.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — October 16, 2025

On October 16, 1846, dentist William T. G. Morton demonstrated the effectiveness of inhaled ether as a surgical anesthetic.

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October 16, 1923: John Harwood patented the self-winding watch in Switzerland.

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Mark your calendar for February 16, 2026, to order your 20th Anniversary Edition SurvivalBlog archive USB sticks. We might open pre-ordering as early as January  5th. – JWR

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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),
  2. 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 $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 3, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Electrical

I keep a variety of spare fuses on hand in the glovebox. Fuses are cheap and do not go bad if kept dry. I also keep a voltmeter in the glove box.

Ensure the cigarette lighter works. Replacing a cigarette lighter plug is simple. Having an operable lighter plug can mean the difference of not only being able to pump up a flat tire, but also preventing hypothermia. If you are stuck in the backcountry, a cigarette lighter can be used to start a fire.

The factory battery cables mounted to the side of the battery. I have never liked side-mount battery cables. They can be difficult to attach jumper cables to and on more than one occasion, I have had the internal terminal nut strip out, which can cause the cable bolt to loosen over time, creating a poor battery connection. I replaced these cables with standard terminal cables that connect to the top of the battery.

When I was in high school, a friend told me to take the rotor out of the distributor when parked at school, at work,  or at a car show. His reasoning behind this was that if someone was able to quickly hotwire the car, it would never start without the rotor. If the perpetrator could quickly figure out the issue, it would be incredibly unlikely they would have the proper rotor on hand. I have never forgotten that lesson, even though I never took his advice. In the event of an EMP/Solar Flare, any still-running vehicle will be a target. Removing the rotor may be the simplest option to protect your property from being taken.Continue reading“Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 3, by Lodge Pole”