Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 11, 2022

On December 11, 1994, Russian troops invaded Chechnya to suppress the rebel Chechen government led by Dzhokhar Dudayev. This began what is commonly called the First Chechen War.

I just got word of the passing of Colonel Joe Kittinger.  What an amazing man! He will be missed.  My condolences to his family.

We are seeking entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

 



Major Economic Contraction Coming In 2023 – Followed By Even More Inflation, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article was first published by the Birch Gold Group and is reposted with permission.

The signs are already present and obvious, but the overall economic picture probably won’t be acknowledged in the mainstream until the situation becomes much worse (as if it’s not bad enough). It’s a problem that arises at the onset of every historic financial crisis – Mainstream economists and commentators lie to the public about the chances of recovery, constantly giving false reassurances and lulling people back to sleep. Even now with price inflation pummeling the average consumer they tell us that there is nothing to worry about. The Federal Reserve’s “soft landing” is on the way.

I remember in 2007 right before the epic derivatives collapse when media pundits were applauding the US housing market and predicting even greater highs in sales and in valuations. I had only been writing economic analysis for about a year, but I remember thinking that the overt display of optimism felt like compensation for something. It seemed as if they were trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public in the hopes that if people just believed hard enough that all was well then the fantasy could be manifested into reality. Unfortunately, that’s not how economics works.

Supply and demand, debt and deficit, money velocity and inflation; these things cannot be ignored. If the system is out of balance, collapse will set its ugly foot down somewhere and there’s nothing anyone including central banks can do about it. In fact, there are times when they deliberately ENGINEER collapse.

This is the situation we are currently in today as 2022 comes to a close. The Fed is in the midst of a rather aggressive rate hike program in a “fight” against the stagflationary crisis that they created through years of fiat stimulus measures. The problem is that the higher interest rates are not bringing prices down, nor are they really slowing stock market speculation. Easy money has been too entrenched for far too long, which means a hard landing is the most likely scenario.Continue reading“Major Economic Contraction Coming In 2023 – Followed By Even More Inflation, by Brandon Smith”



JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Biden’s Brilliant Diplomatic Deal: Trading a Low-Level Drug Criminal for a Global Terror Logistician Who Enabled the Deaths of Thousands

News Links:

Lawmakers rip Biden leaving Paul Whelan behind in Brittney Griner prisoner swap: ‘It’s shameful’.

Viktor Bout: Russian arms dealer known as the ‘Merchant of Death’ swapped for Brittney Griner.

There Were 17 Americans in Russian Prisons. Only 1 Mattered to the Left.

Blog reader G.F. sent this comment:  “Biden needs to pick up a copy of The Art of the Deal.”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” – Mark 7:1-23 (KJV)



Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 10, 2022

On December 10, 1520, Martin Luther publicly burned the papal edict that had demanded that he recant or face ex-communication.

And on this day in 1942, my great uncle Lt. Robert I. Kinsella was killed when his B-24 bomber (part of the 90th Bombardment Group, Heavy, 320th Bomber Squadron), flying from the Iron Range Airfield in Northern Queensland, Australia went down in the South Pacific. There were no survivors.

Today’s feature article was penned by SurvvalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

We are in great need of entrries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

 



Mass Casualty Trauma Kit, by Thomas Christianson

Recently, the Safety and Security Team of my church had the opportunity to evaluate the Mass Casualty Trauma Kit assembled by Mountain Man Medical, of Colorado. Overall, the Team found the kit to be a quality item. The kit was smaller than the team initially expected based upon the “mass casualty” label. Further research revealed that the kit is designed to be used in tandem with a number of other kits, based upon the peak occupancy of the facility being supplied.

With excellent components and a price of $219.99 the Mass Casualty Trauma Kit offers good value for the money.

The Backstory

Our church started a Safety and Security Team about nine years ago. Our insurance company pointed out that violent attacks on churches were increasing in frequency, and suggested that we might like to take some steps to mitigate that risk.

Statistically speaking, our Safety and Security Team is much more likely to be called upon for a medical emergency than for an episode of violence. This means it is expedient for the majority of the Team’s training to involve responding properly to medical emergencies.

Up to now, our church first aid kits have been well supplied with Band-Aids, and not much else. In a sense, that was appropriate, because the majority of the first aid situations that we have faced over the years involved Band-Aid-level incidents. But the Safety and Security Team wanted to be prepared and equipped to respond to a more serious emergency if one should arise.

As a result, the Team was excited when they got word recently that they might be able to test a Mass Casualty Trauma Kit from Mountain Man Medical. They eagerly accepted the offer, and shortly thereafter, a package was delivered via UPS Ground.Continue reading“Mass Casualty Trauma Kit, by Thomas Christianson”



Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make 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 this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’ll start out this column with a bit of reminiscing. It was in December of 1990 — 32 years ago, this month — that I completed writing the online shareware novel The Gray Nineties. That grew into what was later re-titled Triple Ought, and then Patriots. When I wrote that manuscript, I was 30 years old. My eldest son was born in September of the following year. He is now an Engineer with a Bachelor of Science degree, a published author, and has a family of his own. It seems so odd… I’m pondering that my son is now older than I was when I wrote my first novel. He is the little boy that you see playing in the background of the photo above. And that’s me in the foreground, at my first ranch, near Orofino. That was before the onset of gray hair and slight pudginess. Now, at age 62, I’m still splitting wood and writing books. But I’m wondering who that old guy is, in the mirror.

I’m still piecemealing my way through the workshop remodeling project. My progress has slowed recently because I’ve had other projects come up. Mostly snowplowing. Lots of snowplowing. We’ve also started obstacle course training our year-old pup. My wife Avalanche Lily will fill you in on that… Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.

Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.

Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.

Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.

And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.” – Isaiah 16:1-10 (KJV)



Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 9, 2022

December 9th, 1914 was the birthday of Maximo Guillermo “Max” Manus. He put his life on the line, fighting the Nazi occupiers. Max Manus passed away in 1996. His exploits are fairly accurately shown in the movie Max Manus: Man of War.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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. 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).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.



Silver Fox Army Socks, by Thomas Christianson

I recently bought six pair of Silver Fox brand U.S. Army Men’s Cushion Sole Socks. In terms of comfort and durability, they leave a lot to be desired. In fact, I am so badly disappointed by the performance of the Silver Fox socks that I do not recommend them for field use.

If you are desperate, Silver Fox socks are better than no socks at all. But if you have any way of getting Darn Tough Wool Socks, Smart Wool Socks, or another quality brand, then they would probably be a better investment.

The Backstory

For everyday tasks during the summer, I typically wear humble cotton socks. They are inexpensive, comfortable, inexpensive, washable, inexpensive, easily replaceable, and inexpensive.

During winter, I typically wear wool socks. Under cold and damp conditions, they keep my feet warmer, drier, and more comfortable than other types of socks.

One drawback to wool socks is that they can be somewhat pricey. I can typically buy a half dozen pairs of cotton socks for less than what one good pair of wool socks cost.Continue reading“Silver Fox Army Socks, by Thomas Christianson”



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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at some bullish predictions for silver and gold. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

First up, at Seeking Alpha: Safe Havens For A Volatile 2023: Precious Metals, High Yielding Equities, And Cash.

o  o  o

A Silver Price Forecast For 2023.

o  o  o
Silver: is the shine coming back for traders?

Economy & Finance:

From the eternal optimists at CNN: Why we think we’re in a recession when the data says otherwise.

o  o  o

IBT: World Economy Faces More Pain In 2023 After A Gloomy Year.

o  o  o

At CNBC: Oil plunge, tech collapse and Fed cuts? Strategist shares possible 2023 market ‘surprises’.

o  o  o

Over at Zero Hedge: Credit Card Debt Hits All-Time High Just As US Savings Rate Plummets To 17-Year Low.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“You do not rise to the occasion in combat, you sink to the level of your training. Do not expect the combat fairy to come bonk you with the combat wand and suddenly make you capable of doing things that you never rehearsed before. It will not happen.” – Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Combat



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 8, 2022

Today marks the birthday of Eli Whitney, (1765–1825) the inventor of the labor-saving cotton gin, several firearms, and dozens of other mechanical devices. He was the first to demonstrate the advantages of fully interchangeable parts, in firearms manufacture.

We are in great need of entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.



Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies

JWR’s Introductory Note: This article is an update and substantial expansion to a piece that I wrote back in December of 2005.

The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk and correspond with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full-time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: “…but I’m not self-employed. I can’t afford to live in the country because I can’t find work there, and the nature of my work doesn’t allow telecommuting.” They feel stuck.

The recent Wu Flu pandemic proved that a huge number of office-setting jobs can indeed be handled from home. High-speed Internet now predominates, via DSL. And Starlink — which is much faster than DSL — will soon be rolling out in even the most remote parts of the United States. Starlink is now available in 32 countries, including Canada and Mexico. There are now videoconferencing tools like Skype, Zoom, GoTo Meeting, and Facetime. Many of these are available free of charge.

Don’t Just Move First, And Hope

Over the years I’ve seen lots of people “pull the plug” and move to the boonies with the hope that they’ll find local work once they get there. That usually doesn’t work. Folks find that most rural jobs typically pay little more than minimum wage and they are often informally reserved for folks that were born and raised in the area. Newcomers from the big city certainly don’t have hiring priority!Continue reading“Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies”



The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— 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. Today, we look at the North Carolina Substations Attacks.

Netherlands to Shut Down 3,000 Farms

First up, SurvivaBlog reader  D.S.V. found this piece at Australia’s SkyNews: ‘War against humanity’: Netherlands to shut down 3,000 farms.  Here is a quote:

“Webster University assistant professor Ralph Schoellhammer says the Dutch government’s plan to shut down 3,000 farms in a bid to comply with EU emissions standards is a “war against humanity”.

Mr Schoellhammer said these decisions are made due to a “cultish ideology”.

‘We get the promises that ‘oh this is not going to be a problem, we are going to move to alternate modes of production’, be it energy or agriculture,’ he told Sky News Australia.

‘In the end, it never works.'”

What Really Happened in the NC Substations Attack?

Over at The Organic Prepper What Really Happened in the NC Substations Attack?  JWR’s Comment: Yes, perhaps it had suspicious timing. But keep in mind that by itself, time correlation does not prove causation.  It is noteworthy that the entire region is famous for its perennial Robin Sage exercises, which often employ local civilians for role-playing.

Blog reader and frequent feature article contributor “3AD Scout” had this comment:

“I think the rush to point blame on drag queen protesters is only going to lead to more attacks if investigators only focus on one theory and that theory turns out to be wrong.

The area impacted is in the heart of the US Army Special Forces training area.  Southern Pines is the town by Camp Mackall.  Fort Bragg is a few miles away. It isn’t a leap of logic to think Russia might attack the area if their attempts to use cyber attacks on our grid were met with a good defense.  Just deploy a few “little green men” just like Russia did when they invaded Crimea in 2014.
Logistics wins wars, and right now the logistics from the US is helping to win the war in Ukraine. Logistics requires electricity so without it, logistics collapse.  During WWI there were at least 100 acts of sabotage on American soil by the Germans.  Why are we so ignorant to think our enemies won’t do it again?  Our nation seems to have a habit of not realizing when others are at war with us.  But hey, when turning a blind eye helps with your woke political agenda, why not ignore any other possible causes of an attack.”

US Agencies Acquiring Tech to Hack Private Autos

Reader D.B. sent us this, from NewsMax: US Government Agencies Acquiring Tech to Hack Private Autos.

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