The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.” – Psalm 22: 1-19 (KJV)

JWR: A Bit of Sick Leave

I’ve come down with what seems to be a bad cold.  I’m hoping that this isn’t the dreaded Omicron variant of the WuFlu.

For the first time ever in 18 years of writing and editing SurvivalBlog, I’ll be taking a few sick days, to recuperate.  Don’t worry, folks. I’m only 62 years old and I’m doing all of the right things:  Plenty of fluids, bed rest, extra Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, and Zinc.  I’m also taking a five-day course of 12 MG Ivermectin tablets.

As I’m writing this on Thursday afternoon, I’m still sick abed but now actually feeling a bit better. Sadly, this nasal-throat-chest crud has already robbed me of several days of productive writing and editing time.

Thanks for your patience! – JWR

P.S.:  On another note, you may have noticed that gold hit a one-year high on Tuesday.  (Spot Gold up 2% for the day to $2,037.60, and Spot Silver up 4.7% for the day at $25.16.)  There were some pull-backs on profit-taking, with gold back down to around $2,020. But silver was still at a solid $25.18 on Thursday afternoon.

I told you so.

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 6, 2023

Today is the birthday of famous American newsreel and radio journalist/narrator Lowell Thomas.

This is also the birthday of novelist Vince Flynn. (Born April 6, 1966, died June 19, 2013.) His death at age 47 was a loss to the literary world.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 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. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. 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)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 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 105 ends on May 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.

Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

Financial Concerns, Taking a Vow of Poverty

In my case, retiring early and cashing out most of my 401k took a leap of faith to say the least. It helped that I was debt-free and willing to put up with almost any inconvenience and suffer financially if necessary if it meant finally getting to live my dream life in the country. That was my primary goal above all else. How to get by if the funds ran dry was only a secondary concern that I’d deal with later if necessary. That’s how bad I wanted to make it happen. If I had to stock shelves at my local grocery store until my social security checks started rolling in, so be it. If I had to live off my preps for five years, what an opportunity!

For those who want their own little place in the boonies but think they just can’t make it happen, I can’t stress enough this mindset of taking a leap of faith, tossing convenience to the wind, adopting the attitude of sucking it up, toughing it out, and doing whatever it takes to make it happen. If it becomes your primary goal in life you can make it happen. And I’m not just parroting Vince Lombardi here. There are much cheaper ways to build a residence than I did, I just had a certain kind of house in mind since way back when. Sheetrock and paint are much less expensive than wood walls inside. Some people can start out in a mini house and then upgrade later, then generating income by renting the mini as an Airbnb. The norm before mortgages were invented was to build a very small one- or two-room house when the family was small, designed to be added on to later. An addition was added as the family grew, and often a second addition later on, if needed.Continue reading“Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

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 the near-record snowpack in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains.

California’s Historic Snowpack: More Flooding Ahead?

ABC television: California’s historic snowpack and the runoff’s potential impact on farmland.

“After historic snowpack levels in California, the concern now is for how fast the snow melts and the rate of runoff’s impact on farmland.”

How a Solar Storm Took Out a Fleet of Starlink Sats

SurvivalBlog reader C.B. sent this: Now we know how a solar storm took out a fleet of Starlinks.

An Attempted Kidnapping Using a Roadblock

Peter sent us this: Detectives release sketch for attempted kidnapper after woman is attacked at roadblock. JWR’s Comments:  Be armed and vigilant folks. Generally, you should stay in your vehicle, and don’t forget that it too is potentially a weapon.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Ever since the decline of the Arabian Empire, more than a thousand years ago, generals, sultans, and califs have attempted to unify the peoples of Arabia, and particularly of the province of Hedjaz, because it contains the two sacred Mohammedan cities. None were successful, but where they failed, Thomas Edward Lawrence, the unknown unbeliever, succeeded. It remained for this youthful British archæologist to go into forbidden Arabia and lead the Arabs through the spectacular and triumphant campaign which helped Allenby break the backbone of the Turkish Empire and destroy the Pan-German dream of world dominion. The way in which he swept the Turks from Holy Arabia and temporarily built this mosaic of peoples into a homogeneous nation, now known as the Kingdom of the Hedjaz, is a story that I should have failed to believe had I not visited Arabia and come into personal contact with Lawrence and his associates during their campaign.” – Lowell Thomas, from With Lawrence in Arabia

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 5, 2023

Today is the birthday of Baron Arisaka Nariakira (April 5, 1852 – January 12, 1915.) He was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. The inventor of the Arisaka Rifle, he is regarded as one of the leading arms designers in Japanese history, alongside Kijiro Nambu.

—

On this day in 1614, Pocahontas married John Rolfe which ensured peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 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. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. 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)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 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 105 ends on May 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.

Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued From Part 1.)

Design Features and Customizations

Every place I’ve ever lived had a large living room and a smaller kitchen. I made the kitchen the largest room in the house since we spend a lot of time cooking, baking, and playing board games. There’s a loft on both sides of the kitchen leaving an 18’ ceiling with a large skylights above, giving the room a much larger feeling as well as making it bright and cheery, even on cloudy days. There’s a large 4’ x 6’ picture window to enjoy the view. The cat wanted 8” wide window sills, he got 12”. When the sills are not covered with trays of tomato seedlings in the spring, he’s stretched out catching some rays and napping while he dreams about where to hunt next after he wakes up.

Solar panels were a must and my son and I installed them while Uncle Sam was still paying for 30% of the cost in the form of a tax credit. The shop was designed so the south-facing roof was at the precise angle needed for solar panels at my latitude.

The plumbing/sewage system needed to be more bomb-proof than most and built with lots of stubs for adding various plumbing projects later on. These included an outdoor shower, solar water heater, rocket-stove water heater, sink for the garden shed, Amish clothes-washing system, and my backup water system which runs off a 12VDC RV water pump. The main waste line is one long straight run with each individual item plumbed straight into it. The kitchen and bathroom sinks, the shower and toilet plumbing all have their own dedicated line to the main waste line.Continue reading“Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

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.

—

Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested this 2011-dated CDC report: Noise and Lead Exposures at an Outdoor Firing Range. Here is a key quote from the report:

 “The only potentially effective noise control method to reduce students’ or instructors’ noise exposure from gunfire is through the use of noise suppressors that can be attached to the end of the gun barrel.”

Mike’s Comment: Hey, liberals! We should follow the science!

o  o  o

Matt Christiansen’s latest: On the Senate’s Massive Spy Bill Lindsey Graham Didn’t Even Know He Co-Sponsors — The Restrict Act.

o  o  o

Bill Buppert’s recent podcast (Chasing Ghosts: An Irregular Warfare Podcast) that centers on the 1984 movie Red Dawn, is worthy of your attention.

“The brilliant John Milius helmed this production in the thick of the cold war waning with the USSR. This will be the first episode where we examine the collision between irregular warfare and popular culture.”

o  o  o

Reader C.B. sent this: Dennis Quaid documentary ‘Grid Down, Power Up’ explores dangers of sudden electric grid failure.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

II love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ’Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” – Thomas Paine

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 4, 2023

On the 4th of April, 1291 the siege of Acre began. A 220,000-man strong Mamluk Muslim army besieged 15,000 knights of different orders — including the Teutonic, Templar, and Hospitalier. This was one of the most important battles of the Crusades. Despite being outnumbered, the knights fiercely-defended the city, meanwhile evacuating women and children. The city fell on April 18. And 10 days later the last seaside Templar tower was conquered. The surviving Christians were enslaved. This was the end of the Jerusalem crusades.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 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. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. 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)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 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 106 ends on May 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.

 

 

Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 1, by St. Funogas

With winter ebbing and spring headed our way, some folks are probably thinking a little more frequently about getting out of the city once and for all.

Having “been there done that,” it saddens me to read comments on SurvivalBlog from people wanting to start living a simpler more self-reliant lifestyle in the country but they just can’t seem to make it happen. For some of those, I’m confident they could turn their hopes into reality if they could learn to think out of the box, rethink normalcy, toss some of their fears aside, and make some sacrifices to make it all happen. Once settled in and growing accustomed to their new lifestyle, the “sacrifices” they made will seem trivial in comparison to the lifestyle they’re now enjoying.

I hope by sharing my own story of how I was able to finally start living the dream the reader might be inspired to take a fresh look at their life and see what kinds of trade-offs they can make to achieve their goal of getting out of the city. While it’s never too early to start preparing for TEOTWAWKI, even if it never happens the joys that come from living a lifestyle in a rural area cannot compare to the way of life many are living at the present time in cities and suburbia.Continue reading“Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

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 cover the rollout of high-speed Internet to American Redoubt locales.

Region-Wide

The national broadband map still looks patchy, in the Redoubt.

o  o  o

Starlink internet coverage, cost, speeds and the latest news — what you need to know.

o  o  o

Eastern Oregonians are fed up with the direction of the state. We went to find out why.

Some follow-up segments:

Why a fifth generation Oregonian is pushing for a ‘Greater Idaho’ takeover.

Eastern Oregon sheriff is still on the fence about ‘Greater Idaho’ movement.

‘We’re really struggling’: Eastern Oregon rancher’s dog killed by state-protected wolves.

And viewer reactions:

The Story viewers wade into the ‘Greater Idaho’ debate.

Is there a political solution for bridging Oregon’s urban-rural divide?

Idaho

Idaho House overrides Gov. Little’s property tax veto.

o  o  o

Initiative seeks to ‘Link Up Idaho’ to fast Internet.

o  o  o

Broadband board awards $26 million to two north central Idaho projects.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“What do automobiles, guns, and home-schooling all have in common that makes the liberals hate them? All these things reduce individual dependence on the government and on the grandiose schemes for other people’s lives created by liberals and imposed by government.” – Thomas Sowell

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 3, 2023

This is the birthday of Washington Irving, an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for short stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but he also wrote several biographies and served as the US Ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

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Today’s feature article is a review written by our Filed Gear Editor, Thomas Christianson.

But first, the results of the writing contest judging.