The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Anyone who thinks hunters are just ‘bloodthirsty morons’ hasn’t looked into hunting. If you wait through long, cold hours in the November woods with a bow in your hands hoping a buck will show, or if you spend days walking in the African bush trailing Cape buffalo while listening to lions roar, you’re sure to learn hunting isn’t about killing.” – Donald Trump, Jr. (Photo by Gage Skidmore.)

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 2, 2025

November 2, 1907: US banker J. P. Morgan locked more than 40 bankers in his library to force them to find ways to avert a New York banking crisis. (The Panic of 1907.)

—

November 2, 1948: Holland ended its rationing programs started during WWII for the distribution of textiles, meat, and cheese.

—

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.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

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.

—

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.

A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 5, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.)

9. CLOTHES AND A WAY TO WASH THEM

It’s hard to believe how many top-10 lists mention ferro rods, manual can openers, plant-identification books, and the ever-present multi-tool without ever mentioning clothes or washing equipment. Clothes last for quite a while if we’re sitting in an office all day but they won’t lost long when manual labor becomes a daily routine.

Since we’ll be wearing them at some future point anyway, it’s a good idea to be stocking up on clothes for all of the inflation-fighting reasons already mentioned. At the same time, we’ll be prepping for TEOTWAWKI if it ever materializes. Like many other prepping acquisitions, a slower approach over time may work best for clothes.

Shoes and work boots, even the most expensive ones, have a limited lifetime. It’s one thing to be walking around the post-SHTF homestead in thread-bare clothes covered with patches, but a whole different situation walking around in worn-out shoes and boots. On my homestead working without adequate footwear to protect against stepping on nails and sharp objects, and steel toes to protect against foot injuries while making firewood, would be difficult and dangerous. Since I’ll be wearing them at some future point anyway, I’ve started stocking up on boots when they go on the annual post-Christmas 20% off sale at my local farm store. Footwear will last longer if we have two or more pairs we can alternate every day, allowing them to dry out more fully between wearings.Continue reading“A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 5, by St. Funogas”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Some Interesting Anagrams for the name Zohran Kwame Mamdani:

Hired Kwanzaa Mammon

Harm: Amaze Womankind

I Khazar: Women, Men Mad

Warn: Mohammed AK Nazi

Mom Harmed in Kwanzaa

Khazar Imam: Ad Men Now

Newark Mohammad Nazi

Wham! Armani Zak Demon

Hazard: I Waken Mammon

Harmz, in a Woke Madman

News Links:

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:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” – Hebrews 8 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 1, 2025

November 1st, 996: The first noted use of the modern name for Austria, in the “Ostarrîchi Document”.

—

November 1, 1911: The first aerial bomb is dropped by an Italian pilot on Turkish troops in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War. This was the first recorded operational aerial bombardment.

—

November 1st is also the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American history, Armstrong was finally put on trial in a proceeding that was branded as a sham. He was convicted on securities fraud charges based upon some marginal testimony and given a five-year sentence. He was released from prison in September of 2011. Notably, Armstrong continued to write his economics newsletter while in prison, producing most of the issues on a prison library typewriter.

—

You may have already heard that the fine folks usaBerkeyFilters.com have bought the Harvest Guard reusable canning lids business. It is great to hear that these important products for preppers and homesteaders will continue to be available.  And, given the solid reputation for customer service at usaBerkeyFilters.com, I’m confident that the quality control, fast shipping, and customer service at Harvest Guard will be held to the highest standards.  Please note that they are offering a special 25%-off coupon code, just until November 5th, 2025.  Enter the code LIDS25 at checkout, to get that special discount.- 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.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

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.

—

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.

 

A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 4, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 3.)

7. ELECTRICITY

Prepping for electricity was only on one of the top-10 lists I could find, and wasn’t mentioned at all even on most of the lengthier prepping lists. Of all the things we take for granted in our daily lives, electricity has to be one of the most common. If the Schumer hits the fan, there’s no need to step back to the 1800s and punish ourselves by living electricity free when there are some inexpensive, easy-to-use modern-day options. Too many preppers haven’t gotten past that 1800s mentality and modernized their thought, a conclusion I came to after seeing that every single prepping list I saw has candles or oil lamps on their top-10 or top-25 lists. That and the fact that typical top-10 lists fail to mention electricity altogether.

Of course, the best all-around solution is to have a complete solar-panel setup with storage batteries. The most commonly thought-of source of electricity is a gasoline-powered generator. Since a set of roof-top solar panels isn’t feasible for most people due to the expense and other factors, and since a generator isn’t sustainable (though still important for Week One), there’s a third way to provide some electricity for the long term.Continue reading“A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 4, by St. Funogas”

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:

We put studded snow tires on both of our primary vehicles — a full-size SUV and a pickup truck. Thankfully, the Les Schwab tire company still does seasonal tire swaps free of charge, if the tires are already on rims.

I did some other prepping for winter. I stowed our canoes and kayak in our shop. I finished the garden hose project. I also used our air compressor walk-around tank to purge all of the water from one of our seasonal irrigation pipes that has a stretch that is not buried below the frost line.

I cataloged a few more guns for my part-time biz.  I have put Elk Creek Company on hiatus for a couple of years, while I restock our depleted inventory. The only orders that I’m currently taking are from blog readers who have earned purchase credits, as writing contest prizes.  Otherwise, I am only buying and trading inventory.  I did find that I’m over-stocked on Ruger Old Army percussion revolvers, if anyone out there has any antique (pre-1899) Colts, Winchesters, or S&Ws that they’d like to trade. I’m in particular need of .38 S&W top break revolvers. For those to be considered Federally antique, be advised of these serial number thresholds to ensure that they were made before 1899:

  • S&W Double Action (DA) .32 top break revolvers with exposed hammer (serial # below 209,301)
  • S&W DA .32 top break Safety Hammerless (“lemon squeezer”) revolvers (serial # below 91,400)
  • S&W DA .38 top break revolvers with exposed hammer (serial # below 382,022)
  • S&W DA .38 top break Safety Hammerless (“lemon squeezer”) revolvers (serial # below 119,900)

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;

And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.

Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.” – Micah 4 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 31, 2025

Today, while most of America celebrates the pagan Halloween, our family celebrates Reformation Day.

—

On this day in 1517, Martin Luther sent his Ninety-five Theses to Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz, precipitating the Protestant Reformation.

—

And on October 31, 1952: The first thermonuclear (fusion) bomb was aboveground test-detonated at the Marshall Islands.

—

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.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

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.

—

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.

 

A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2.)

5. TOILET

Now that we have a warm house, food, water, and a way to defend it all, we need a workable sanitation system. Many preppers won’t have enough water to waste it flushing toilets so an outhouse or composting toilet will be necessary. Regardless of whether you have a flush toilet or something else, find a way to save the urine. Not only is it the best garden fertilizer, it will also speed up the composting process as well. Best of all, fertilizing the pile with urine allows us to add things which we can’t currently compost. This includes all of our waste paper and cardboard, and high-carbon organic matter like straw, sawdust, and cornstalks. The composting bacteria need lots of nitrogen which urine provides.

Unlike feces, urine is sterile when it is first excreted so there’s no bacteria to worry about when handling it. If we’re just composting our kitchen waste without some of these high-carbon organic materials, at the end of a year the final amount of composted humus will be surprisingly small. Compared to today, our kitchen waste will be even less when we’re needing to get every molecule of nutrition we can from what we eat. No more trimming the tops off carrots, peeling potatoes, trimming the fat off meat, and no more leftovers. When breaking virgin soil to create or enlarge a garden, we’ll need a large compost pile to provide the necessary humus to speed up the soil-improvement process.Continue reading“A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

Gold and Silver’s Rise are Actually Symptoms of the Dollar’s Demise

Today, in place of our usual Economics & Investing news column, we offer some brief commentary from Senior Editor JWR:

—

I’m often irritated to hear the mainstream financial media report on the gold, silver, and platinum markets.  In reporting the ups and downs of the spot and futures metals markets, they seem oblivious to the bigger picture.  The metals are all now in primary bull markets. They blithely report: “The price of gold rose today…” But the rise (in Dollar terms) of gold, silver, and platinum are actually symptoms of the U.S. Dollar’s demise. In fact, all of the world’s fiat currencies are tumbling, vis-a-vis the precious metals.  In the myopic view of the financial reporters the metals are “rising“, but it is really paper currencies that are falling.  In real purchasing  power, the metals are mostly holding their value or gaining slightly. But conversely, the banksters’ Funny Money is rapidly inflating and starting to show its real value — which in fact is… nothing!

We must remain confident that in the long term, gold and silver will rule and the world’s paper currencies will be used for kindling or for toilet paper.

Most SurvivalBlog readers have already hedged their investment portfolios with precious metals. And those of you who haven’t done so should get on board right away.  With a spot price over $4,000 per Troy ounce, it is now nearly too late to invest in gold. But both silver and platinum are both relative bargains.  I recommend stacking them deep.

Watch the silver-to-gold price ratio closely. Whenever gold soars up to more than 85 times the price of silver (as it just did, early this week) then that is a good time to ratio trade out of gold and into physical silver. Conversely, if gold drops to less than 20 times the price of silver, then that is a good time to ratio trade out of silver and into physical gold.

There are still real Nickels

if you are on a limited budget and cannot afford to buy silver, then at least stack some rolls of nickels.  The lowly “nickel” five-cent piece is the last circulating U.S. Mint coin that still has a base metal content that matches its face value. (They are actually composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel.) All other circulating U.S. Mint coins have been debased. Even the U.S. pennies are now frauds. Those minted since 1982 are zinc slugs with just a thin copper flashing.

You can obtain nickels in bulk at face value, at your local bank.  Just ask your local teller for a few boxes of nickels, at a time.  Each box contains 20 rolls, and each roll has 40 coins = $2.00. (Thus, a box has 800  5-cent coins = $40.)

Let’s face it, folks; With gross and chronic Federal overspending, the un-backed U.S. Dollar is doomed.

Pay no attention to the know-nothing Talking Heads on CNBC.  They are just cheerleaders for Wall Street and the Banksters. They have no clue about genuine market fundamentals or genuine monetary fundamentals.

Stack them deep

The Bottom Line: Precious metals are real money, but fiat currencies are mere tokens that can be printed at will. Trust your gut. Do not expect governments to suddenly become fiscally responsible and balance their budgets. Stack your precious metals deep. Either hide them well, or use them for “ballast” in the bottom of your gun vault. Do not lose your nerve when you witness drops in precious metals prices. That is just a sign of market manipulation. The short sellers love to try to manipulate thin markets. Presently, the mainstream pundits are badmouthing gold and silver, and wagging their fingers at their 5% to 7% corrections. But those profit-taking corrections came right after bull market rallies that saw 20% to 30% gains!

Diversifying Your Portfolio

Speaking of profit-taking: Many of you reading this bought silver below $15 per Troy ounce, and gold below $1,200 per ounce. If you decide to now take some profit on a small portion of your precious metals holdings, then I strongly recommend that you don’t leave the proceeds in Dollars, or put them in Dollar-denominated investments. Instead, I recommend that you immediately diversify and invest the proceeds into another tangible investment, such as:

  • Productive farm, ranch, or timber land,
  • Quality guns and common caliber ammunition
  • Top-quality Swiss self-winding watches
  • And perhaps if you have the garage space, a restored 1960s classic car.
Some Closing Numbers

I’ll close this brief essay with some numbers to ponder…

The Thursday, October 30, 2025 spot market:

  • Gold
    $4,050.50
  • Silver
    $49.22
  • Platinum
    $1,637,70 

And for comparison, here was spot, back on November 1, 2023:

  • Gold:
    $1,985.00
  • Silver:
    $23.04
  • Platinum:
    $922.60

 

 

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — October 30, 2025

On October 30, 1864, in the midst of both a mining boom and the Civil War, Helena, Montana was founded.

—

On this day in 1938: A nationwide panic over the War of the Worlds broadcast.

—

October 30th, 1735 was the birthday of President John Adams. (Some sources cite his birthdate as October 19, 1735.)

—

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.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

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.

—

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.

A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

3. WOODSTOVE

Currently, only 1.7% of American homes heat with wood with an additional 7.7% use it for their secondary source of heat. That leaves 90% of Americans without a sustainable way to heat their homes if the SHTF. Don’t be one of those 90% if you want to survive your first post-SHTF winter.

Based on those numbers, for most preppers heat will be the second most difficult thing (after water) to prepare for on a long-term sustainable basis. And because it’s so difficult, it’ll be the most neglected topic among their prepping priorities. Don’t ignore it! For those who already have a woodstove, prepping will be easier: extra door-gasket cord and chimney pipe, and perhaps a backup woodstove. (Chainsaws will be covered separately.)

Other than using a woodstove or fireplace to heat with wood or coal, I’m not aware of a practical way for most of us to heat a TEOTWAWKI home for the long term. If the SHTF in December and heating is an immediate must-have, those who heat with propane or heating oil should have enough in their storage tanks to get along for a while, but see item #6 below on cooking stoves. Like any storage tank (water, vehicle gas tanks, etc) a good habit to form right now is never letting the propane or heating-oil tank get below 50%. If the feces hit the fan you’ll at least have that much to keep you warm while getting Plan B in place.Continue reading“A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 2, by St. Funogas”