Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 10, 2023

On January 10th, 1929, the first Adventures of Tintin comic book was published. Hergé’s books became hugely popular in Europe and around the world.

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January 10th, 1776 is the day that North Carolina Governor Josiah Martin issued a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the “rebels”. This ultimately led to Colonel Donald McLeod leading the men on an assault on the Patriots that ended with fifty of his men dead and 880 captured. The Patriots lost only two of their number.

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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 $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.

A DIY Masonry Outdoor Cook Stove, by K.R.

During our harsh winter weather, I look for projects that increase our preparedness, but that can be accomplished in the warmth of my garage; preferably with a minimum of cost. This winter, my wife and I were reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of our preparations. We were inspired by the SurvivalBlog articles that have implored us all to examine and test our preps. We considered how we would do our cooking in a grid-down situation during summer, when cooking on our inside wood stove would be impractical. We already have (a few) gas-fueled camp stoves; but what about that day when no gas is available, and the wood you fell and chop is your primary source of heat?

Under such conditions, I always thought I would simply use an open fire, since I’ve done that many times camping. However, open fires are very inefficient for cooking. One uses more wood (which I believe would be in shorter supply in a grid-down situation) and more smoke is produced (which helps other –perhaps unwelcome–people know when and where dinner is about to be served). So we began searching for ways to build a small, efficient wood stove that was durable enough to be kept outside.

We browsed online line to see how people cook food in rural, undeveloped countries with limited wood supplies. We saw fascinating examples of permanent, mortar-based cooking stoves, where people use simple materials to create very efficient stoves that cook with a small amount of wood. Newer versions of this type of stove are sometimes called “rocket stoves” because they can produce a lot of heat in a confined space, with minimal fuel. They also produce a minimum of smoke. There are many ways to make or purchase such rocket stoves. Most of the ones I’ve seen would be perfect for a bug-out situation. But we were looking for something stout for a homestead situation; something that could be left under four feet of snow in the winter if need be. So our search continued.Continue reading“A DIY Masonry Outdoor Cook Stove, by K.R.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on Wallowa County Oregon’s bid to join the Greater Idaho movement. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

Wallowa becomes 12th Oregon county to seek secession to Idaho.  This article begins:

“Wallowa County in eastern Oregon submitted a petition aimed at forcing a ballot initiative in 2023 that would move the county out of Democrat-led Oregon and into GOP-led Idaho and is part of the Greater Idaho movement aimed to “relocate the Oregon/Idaho border to make both states better.”

According to Greater Idaho’s website, a spokesman for the Greater Idaho movement, Matt McCaw, said, “Two major statewide ballot measures got 51 percent of the vote last month. That means eastern Oregon came within one percentage point of vetoing them. Western Oregon would be free of our interference if they stopped holding eastern Oregon captive and let our communities join Idaho.”

o  o  o

Study: Montana, Idaho lack good data to make wolf management decisions.

o  o  o

Some great scenery in this 2021 article: American Road Trip ~The Tetons, Wyoming, Idaho & Montana.

Idaho

Court documents: Suspect DNA found on knife sheath in Idaho murder case.  JWR’s Comments: This sounds like 23AndMe became 23AndMyCrimeScene.

Here are some more details:

New court documents lay out case against Bryan Kohberger for Moscow Murders.

o  o  o

Video: Historic Gold Dredge on the Yankee Fork – between Bonanza-Custer, Idaho.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“A tyrant in effect is one who, though having the appearance of civil authority, is but a man ordering fellow men to great evil. His injustice is worthy of a higher type of resistance, for it concerns the whole of civil life; it is not merely an injustice here or there. He is a private man waging an unjust war against the people. With force, the people can pressure him to act justly, remove him from office, or declare separation and independence (when possible). Since the people resist an aggressor, revolution is a type of defensive war.” – Stephen Wolfe, The Case For Christian Nationalism

Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 9, 2023

January 9, 1943 was the birthday of gunsmith Paris Theodore, developer of the ASP modifications to the S&W M39 pistol.

January 9, 1890 was the birthday of Karel Capek, a Czech writer who wrote the science fiction play R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti, or in English: Rossum’s Universal Robots). He coined the word “robot”.

On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence.

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I just heard that SurvivalRealty.com has a new property listing in Costa Rica. I see that it has some very interesting features and substantial off-grid infrastructure. It is priced at $3.5 million USD.

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

 

RedHead Ultimate Work Pants, by Tom Christianson

RedHead Ultimate Work Pants have an appropriate name: they are a good pair of pants to wear while working. They are comfortable, durable, stain resistant, and well-cut. The pants, which are manufactured in Bangladesh, are made of a lightweight cotton canvas. They retailed for $39.99 at Bass Pro Shops at the time of this writing.

The Backstory

I recently decided that two of my pairs of work jeans had reached the end of their useful life. The holes had gotten large enough that I had a hard time getting my feet through the legs of the pants rather than through the holes.

That left me with space for a couple of more pairs of work pants on my closet shelf. I started looking for some good used jeans at the thrift stores that my wife and I frequent, and asked her to do the same.

About a week or so into our search, I got a call from my wife. She indicated that she had found me a pair of work pants at one of our local thrift stores. The pants were in like new condition, and my wife paid a grand total of $4.99 plus tax for the garment.

Description

The pants had a “RedHead” tag in the back of the waistband. An Internet search revealed that the RedHead brand is owned by Bass Pro Shops of Springfield, Missouri.

The date of manufacture was listed as June of 2019.

A search of the style number listed on a tag sewn into the waistband brought me to the RedHead Ultimate Work Pants on the Bass Pro Shops website.

The pants are 100% cotton. They are olive on the outside. The inside of the waistband is brown.

Other colors available on the Bass Pro website are listed as “Bungee Cord”, “Vintage Khaki” and “Gray”. I find it difficult to believe that the same marketing department came up with the color “Bungee Cord” was content to settle on the color “Gray”. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

There are rivets on the corners of the pockets, a couple of extra tool pockets on the sides of the legs, and a hammer loop on one of the legs. The current version pictured on the Bass Pro Shops website no longer appears to have the hammer loop.Continue reading“RedHead Ultimate Work Pants, by Tom Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Navy Bean Crockpot Soup

The following recipe for west coast navy bean crockpot soup is from SurvivalBlog reader J.J.. This is a slowed-cooked crock pot recipe. J.J. writes:

“I was able to acquire this recipe from a navy cook decades ago and it’s a keeper. I have never had a navy bean soup that could top this recipe. The aroma will drive you crazy but it’s worth the wait. The dill relish is truly the secret ingredient. If needed, you can add extra water to replace any that has evaporated. Be advised not to use any ham that has water added in, ham bone ham only.”

Ingredients
  • 6 cans of navy beans (drain off liquid before adding)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small white onion grated or very finely diced
  • 2 to 5 pounds of bone in pre-cooked smoked ham
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 1 quart water
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dill relish (very important, this makes the soup)
  • 1/3 cup of flour
  • 3 tablespoons of dry mustard
  • 1/2 can of dark beer
  • 3 tablespoons of garlic, onion, and salt
  • 2 tablespoons of pepper (or less, to suit your taste)
  • 2 diced carrots
Directions
  1. in a large crock pot, add the first 6 ingredients.
  2. Set the crock pot cook on low (very important not to boil) and leave the lid part way on and cook for minimum of 12 hours.
  3. Take a cup of broth and mix in the flour to make a rue.
  4. Add the rue back to the soup along with the rest of the ingredients.
  5. Cook tehesoup for at least another 10 to 12 hours, covered.

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

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the rising price of gold. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold price rallies to six-month high on safe-haven buying.

o  o  o

Will Gold Return to All-time Highs in 2023?

o  o  o

Silver Price 2023 Outlook: Will Silver Underperform Gold in 2023?

Economy & Finance:

Forget recession — the U.S. is heading for a ‘slowcession’ that could last all year, Moody’s warns.

o  o  o

Friday evening’s headline: Dow closes 300 points lower after strong jobs data signals more rate hikes.

o  o  o

Amazon executives warn of 18,000 layoffs.

o  o  o

A stock market crash and a Great-Depression-style economy are among the boldest forecasts for 2023.

o  o  o

The national debt is a “rapidly growing death spiral”. Here is an excerpt:

“Like a consumer grappling with a massive credit card balance, the federal government is paying more just for the interest on the national debt. Government projections show those interest costs tripling from $399 billion this year to $1.19 trillion in 2032. Borrowing most likely will have to increase just to pay for the higher interest expenses.”

o  o  o

Biden Economy: Biden Wiped Out $10 Trillion of Americans’ Wealth – 2022 Saw Worst Bond and Equity Losses Since 1871.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Everything I’ve done in my career is a result of growing up in rural Oklahoma, because if I hadn’t had the training from Mama and Daddy to work hard, to do what I’m told, to take directions, to mind and to do a good job at anything I set out to do, then I wouldn’t be where I am today.” – Reba McEntire

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 8, 2023

January 8th, 1931 was the birthday of the late Algis Budrys (he died on June 9th, 2008). He was the Lithuanian-American science fiction author who wrote the classic survivalist novel Some Will Not Die.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post by a Rawles family member.

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We are still 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.

Navigating the Real Estate Price Dilemma, by Jonathan Rawles

One of the largest obstacles to relocation is the high prices of land and homes in desirable retreat areas. With mortgage rates rising, but prices still high, affordability is taking another hit. As a brief example, a recent search on Zillow for homes in Boundary County, Idaho with the criteria of 2,000 square feet and 20 acres returned only four results, starting with a rustic off-grid cabin at $850,000.

There are many factors playing into this, including a limited supply, high demand, and a skewed market. Rural areas hold only 20% of current housing supply and 10% of new builds. Even a relatively small percentage increase of suburban-to-rural migration translates to a huge increase in demand.

Further, new builds in rural areas incur the full site preparation and utility development costs for each home, rather than having these costs spread over an entire subdivision. The market is further skewed by rural zoning ordinances that limit density, preventing small “semi-rural” developments that could help balance the market demand. To top it off, 20 years of artificially low mortgage rates have produced astronomical inflation in real estate prices.Continue reading“Navigating the Real Estate Price Dilemma, by Jonathan Rawles”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.”  – Mark 9:1-9 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — January 7, 2023

On January 7, 1785 a manned balloon crossed the English Channel for the first time. French inventor Jean-Pierre Blanchard took about 2.5 hours to fly from Dover to Guînes, France. Blanchard was a pioneer in hydrogen balloon design.

—

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 $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.

A Get Home Bag Alternative, by Rick S.

Anyone who leaves home should bring a Get Home bag with them. We regularly hear of incidents in which people leave home expecting a 30-minute jaunt in their climate-controlled vehicle only to find themselves in a grim, hours-long ordeal without even a bottle of water to tide them over. In some instances the individuals could simply pull over to the side of the road and walk home, but they are wearing high-heeled shoes and have no coat: after all, they had no intention of doing any walking nor did they expect to be out of their warm vehicle any longer than it takes to walk into a warm building.

Precisely what “getting home” entails depends on each person. I am blessed to work approximately 3 miles from where I live when I am not working at home. In the event that I had to walk home suitable outerwear, comfortable shoes, and a bottle of water would usually be adequate for the task. However, like most people, I am sometimes much farther from home. It may take several days to get home if I am required to walk and I will need some basic supplies to make that feasible.

The typical solution is some sort of rucksack. This may take the form of a military-style bag or it may simply be a book bag. In most cases it involves a bag that is suspended from the shoulders (or, worse still, a sling pack that is suspended from one shoulder). Anyone who has done any significant amount of backpacking knows how painful that can be if the bag is more than a few pounds. The only people who plan to carry a 40-pound “get home” bag on their shoulders for 10 miles (and then do it again the next day and the day after) are soldiers and people who have never actually done it.

In this article, I’m suggesting an alternative: the lumbar pack. The photo below shows my Get Home Bag: it is a Mountainsmith Day model lumbar pack, featuring a wide, heavily padded hip belt together with the optional shoulder straps. The shoulder straps only stabilize the load; the weight of the pack rests on the hips.Continue reading“A Get Home Bag Alternative, by Rick S.”