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:

This week I came down with a head cold, so I’ve had to put some beef butcherting plans on hold.  Hopefully, next week we will slaughter and butcher a heifer that was too tightly bred. (Our bull was both her father and grandfather.) We now have a replacement bull, to avoid any inbreeding. My eldest son plans to visit for a couple of days in just over a week to help me with butchering a steer. That will be an even bigger project. But our chest freezers will be full. We are grateful for God’s providence! For the short term, I will be freezing the green hides. Lily plans to tan them, this coming April or May.

I wrapped up writing my posts for the rest of 2023. So our Managing Editor can now get started in creating the new edition of the SurvivalBlog Archive. This edition will have so much bonus content that we had to switch to using 32 Gigabyte USB sticks!  Those waterproof sticks should be orderable by around January 20th.

Now, Lily’s report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

 “And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.” Genesis 31: 11-18 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 29, 2023

On December 29, 1845, Texas was admitted as the 28th state of the Union.

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Today is the birthday of actor Jude Law (born 1972.) You may remember him from Enemy at The Gates and Sky Captain.

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Natchez Shooters Supplies (one of our affiliate advertisers) is running a special promotion today and tomorrow:  Take An Additional 10% Off ALL Clearance-Listed Items When You Spend $99.99+  (This offer ends at 11:59pm EST on 12/30/2023.)  To get the additional 10% off, use Promo Code P231229

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 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. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  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. 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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 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 110 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.

Using the Past to Prepare for the Future – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

It does not take much imagination to realize that our society will come crashing down without the cheap, steady flow of electricity. The world’s electric grids are the lifeblood of our modern lifestyle. Many predictions believe that if the electrical grid was shut down, by something like an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or a very strong Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), then civilization would be thrown back into the 1800s. Some predictions even think the 1700s or even further back. Regardless of what time period we are all transported back to, we are going to have to find ways to replace all the modern conveniences, instantly made useless, that we currently depend upon for our daily life and survival.

As a society, we do not realize how good we have it. Americans and others enjoy several hours of “free time” compared to those living in the 1700s and 1800s. All that “free time” will evaporate along with the electricity. Many of us stock months or years of food and other supplies to hopefully survive long enough for society to get back on its feet, that is for the power to be restored.  Society getting back on its feet will take people with the knowledge, skills, and the tenacity that spurred the Industrial Revolution. However, unlike our ancestors, our generation will have some disadvantages. These disadvantages are nothing that cannot be overcome with a little foresight and preparation.Continue reading“Using the Past to Prepare for the Future – Part 1, by 3AD Scout”

The Financial Disaster No One Is Talking About, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note:  Today, in place of my usual Economics & Investing column, with permission I am reposting this article that was first published by the Birch Gold Group. Brandon Smith is the Editor of Alt-Market.us. He is an astute observer of the world’s political and economic machinations. – JWR

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Several years ago I predicted that the U.S. would ultimately be confronted with the debilitating economic conundrum of stagflation, something which the nation had not seen since the 1970s. I suggested that stagflation would become a household word again and that the majority of American concerns would revolve around rising prices coupled with stagnant wages and falling production.

In 2018 in my article Stagflationary Crisis: U.S.A.’s Ongoing Collapse, Understanding the Cause, I noted:

Years ago there was a rather idiotic battle between financial analysts over what the end result of the Fed’s massive stimulus measures would be. One side argued that deflation would be the outcome and that no amount of Fed printing would overtake the vast black hole of debt conjured by the derivatives implosion. The other side argued that the Fed would continue to print perpetually, resorting to QE4 or possibly “QE infinity” and negative interest rates as a means to stave off a market crash for decades (like Japan) while at the same time initiating a Weimar-style inflationary bonanza.

Both sides were wrong because they refused to acknowledge the third option – stagflation.

Continue reading“The Financial Disaster No One Is Talking About, by Brandon Smith”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.” – Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Charles William Frederick Dumas, May 6, 1786

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 28, 2023

December 28, 1793 was the day that Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French Revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the guillotine.

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I just heard of the sad passing of Austrian gun designer Gaston Glock (July 19,1929 – Dec. 27, 2023.) His Glock 17 was not the first polymer frame pistol, nor the first striker-fired pistol, nor the first double-column magazine pistol, but his design certainly revolutionized modern pistol manufacturing. That will be his lasting legacy.  A Glock or a “Glock-like” pistol is now carried by the majority of the world’s police officers and a huge number of soldiers and civilians.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 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. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  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. 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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 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 110 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.

Homesteading Cautionary Tales – Part 2, by Mrs. Alaska

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

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with a Chimney Issue

My husband and I also heat our remote, off-grid home with a woodstove. One cold February night we had to evacuate our cabin at 3 am because the chimney pipe had gotten so clogged with creosote that the smoke in the firebox was leaching out into our home rather than drawing upward to the outside.

We evacuated with camping chairs to our shower house, which has an on-demand, propane heater. Every two hours, we ventured back in to the cabin, wearing N95 masks, to ascertain when the fire subsided and the firebox cooled down enough to dismantle the chimney pipe and clean it out. Meanwhile, we heated up some coffee on the propane stove and snacked on peanut butter, jelly, and bread from the food shed.

At 8 am, we disassembled the chimney pipe. It was clogged with sticky, shiny creosote flakes, especially where we had an ill-conceived 90 degree “elbow” to exit through the wall rather than ascend straight up through the second floor, (because of the location of our bed).Continue reading“Homesteading Cautionary Tales – Part 2, by Mrs. Alaska”

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 police radios switching to encryption.

Police Radio Traffic is Increasingly Encrypted

The Wildly Popular Police Scanner Goes Silent for Many. Here is an excerpt:

“Denver, San Francisco, San Diego County, Baltimore, Chicago, New York and Sioux Falls are among the jurisdictions that have already encrypted radio signals to some degree. Minneapolis, whose police department has faced a lot of pressure to be more transparent and accountable, intends to adopt encryption next year.

Law enforcement officials say they long saw value in allowing a small number of civilians — journalists covering breaking news among them — to hear their communications. But as the numbers of listeners soared in a nation where true-crime shows and reality television are wildly popular, the risks of allowing unfettered access — at times including names, addresses and phone numbers — concerned public safety officials.”

NPR Rails Against New House Speaker

Some biased reporting, from the leftist NPR: Speaker Mike Johnson draws scrutiny for ties to far right Christian movement. It is noteworthy that the main reporter for this story is Odette Yousef — NPR’s  “National Security Correspondent on Extremism”.  Tellingly, her biography page seems to indicate that she sees extremist threats only from the “far-right.”  Born in Boston, she has a B.A. from Harvard in Economics and East Asian Studies.

FBI Weaponized Against Traditional Catholics

T.D. sent this Congressional report: New Report Details the Extent of the FBI’s Weaponization of Law Enforcement Against Traditional Catholics. You can read the full report here.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of a higher obligation. … To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the ends to the means.” – Thomas Jefferson, from a letter to John B. Colvin, September 20, 1810

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 27, 2023

On December 27, 1943, the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst sank in the Barents Sea, under the guns and torpedoes of a British battle group led by the Duke Of York.

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On December 27, 1571, German astronomer Johannes Kepler, who discovered three major laws of planetary motion, was born.

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On December 27, 1932, the internal passport system, previously denounced by Vladimir Lenin as one of the worst stigmas of tsarist backwardness and despotism, was reinstated in the Soviet Union by Joseph Stalin.

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On this day in 1979, in an attempt to stabilize the turbulent political situation in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union sent 75,000 troops to enforce the installation of Babrak Karmal as the new leader of the nation. The new government and the imposing Soviet presence, however, had little success in putting down anti-government rebels. Thus began nearly 10 years of an agonizing, destructive, and ultimately fruitless Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Death by a thousand cuts. The American involvement from 2001 to 2022 had similar results. In Afghanistan, the mountains always win, regardless of who invades.

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There are several new listings at SurvivalRealty that “check off some boxes.”  They include:

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 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. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  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. 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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 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 110 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.

 

Homesteading Cautionary Tales – Part 1, by Mrs. Alaska

People believe scams of all sorts, so I guess that I should not be surprised by the naivete of people who buy remote land in Alaska without first setting foot in the state, much less the particular site. Even if the location is a legitimate plot, not set in a mucky bog or on an eroding river bank, the challenges of this sort of life deserves more research… and introspection … than some people give it.

Below are two, recent cautionary tales of people – one from New York and the other from California – whose dreams of living in the Alaska bush came to a rapid, rude awakening – one in two weeks, the other in just two hours!Continue reading“Homesteading Cautionary Tales – Part 1, by Mrs. Alaska”

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.

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Reader C.B. mentioned this, published by the leftist USA Today: Will humans cut down trees that have been alive for thousands of years? New rules say no.  JWR’s Comments:  Throwing in mention and photos of 2,000-year-old trees is just a sympathy-inducing tactic. Those trees have long been protected.  The new rules will effectively limit USFS timber sales to just second-growth trees. In many areas, that means small-diameter pulpwood logs. The Bidenistas want to wreck the economies of most of the western and southern states. This new policy fits in with their overall strategy of marginalizing Republican “Red” states.

o  o  o

Channel 1: The world’s first AI-generated news channel.

JWR’s Comments: AI-generated tripe is becoming ubiquitous. Some websites and alleged blogs are nothing but AI-regurgitated pablum. And Amazon’s self-publishing platform is now becoming choked with AI-generated schlock books. I now often receive articles submitted for our writing contest with phrasing that is clearly AI-written. In my experience, the telling hallmarks of AI-writtten text are: A repetitious writing style, odd or simplified vocabularies, awkward phrasing, perfect punctuation, no typos, paragraphs of almost identical length, circular logic, and a monotonous recounting of facts. I of course reject these scam articles, but I often wonder about the editors of other blogs and websites who are not as discerning, or that simply don’t care. My fear is that the blogosphere will soon resemble my e-mail inbox — that is: overwhelmed by fakers, scammers, spammers, SEO stuffers, and fraudsters.  Rest assured that what you are reading at SurvivalBlog is legitimate. Our old-fashioned blogsite may lack those snazzy animated graphics and embedded videos, but we are genuine journalists, guided by Christian ethics.

o  o  o

The “Post-Degree” Era Is Here: Study Reveals Top 10 Six Figure Careers That Don’t Rely On College. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.” – Alexander Hamilton, “The Farmer Refuted”, February 5, 1775

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 26, 2023

December 26, 1791 was the birthday of English mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage, who is credited with having conceived the first automatic digital computer.

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On December 26th, 1776, after crossing the Delaware River, Washington led his men against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans, significantly boosting their flagging morale.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 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. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  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. 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. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 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 110 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.