The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.”  –  James Madison, from a 1795 letter, as quoted in: The Papers and Messages of the Presidents Vol 2 section II; The Madison Years.

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — October 26, 2023

The sci-fi movie The Terminator was released in the United States on October 26, 1984. It was hugely successful. It made actor Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and established director James Cameron as a bankable filmmaker.

This is the birthday of Henry Deringer (October 26, 1786 – February 28, 1868) was an American gunsmith. He is best known for inventing and giving his name to the very compact Deringer pistol.

Edward Wilson Very (born October 26, 1847, died March 1, 1910) was an American naval officer who adopted and popularized a single-shot breech-loading flare pistol that fired flares that bears his name.

October 26th is the anniversary of the death of American-born RLI Trooper Joseph Patrick Byrne, in Rhodesia, in 1978.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 109 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 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 $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.
  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. 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 109 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

How To Find a Trustworthy Doctor – Part 1, by C.A.J.

I’ll begin with a quote:

“The first step is to give up the illusion that the primary purpose of modern medical research is to improve Americans’ health most effectively and efficiently. In our opinion, the primary purpose of commercially funded clinical research is to maximize financial return on investment, not health.” – John Abramson, M.D., Harvard Medical School

The last few years have been revealing to many people about the world in which we live. For those of us who study (not just read) the Scriptures as well as others, the world appears to be in a spiritual as well as a physical warfare. Many have written about the dimensions of warfare, and I will not pretend to know much about them other than it seems clear that there are many dimensions of war with the passage of time. Furthermore, there are many fronts to a war, and if I may draw an analogy, I wish to offer a paradigm on healthcare as a war front.

In my opinion, we are witnessing the death of true medicine in the social transformation of American medicine. Before defending my opinion, I presuppose that most of the readership of SurvivalBlog hold to one of two primary world views. though there are many others. Specifically, these are Humanism and Theism, particularly the view that YHWH of the Scriptures designed and created everything including humans and the multiple systems in which we find ourselves. Humanism, on the other hand, rejects the idea of God or the supernatural, and holds to the materialistic, progressive evolution for its basis of genesis. Its followers ultimately tend to absolutize humankind either as self-worship or collective man, as in the form of government.Continue reading“How To Find a Trustworthy Doctor – Part 1, by C.A.J.”

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 tactical evasion tactics.

How to Evade a Professional Military (Tracking, Countertracking)

Reader C.B. suggested a new video from Garand Thumb: How to Evade A Professional Military (Tracking, Countertracking). Here is his description:

“In today’s video, we tackle the life-and-death strategies of combat evasion. When the stakes are this high, your ability to avoid confrontation can be the difference between life and death. Join us on a journey into the heart of darkness, where we explore the grim reality of combat situations and the techniques that can save lives.“

Gulf Stream Current Could Collapse in 2025

Over at LiveScience: Gulf Stream current could collapse in 2025, plunging Earth into climate chaos: ‘We were actually bewildered’.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?” – J. B. Priestley

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — October 25, 2023

40 years ago today, the U.S. military, under President Ronald Reagan, invaded the tiny island country of Grenada.

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On this day in 1415, the English army, led by Henry V, scored a decisive victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War, paving the way for further English conquests and successes.

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This is the birthday of explorer and pilot Admiral Richard Byrd (1888–1957). His autobiography titled Alone is a must-read.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 109 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 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 $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.
  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. 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 109 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

12 Basic Actions To Make It Through the First 12 Weeks of TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by Michael X.

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

Heat

We have a super-efficient wood stove in our basement that can heat our entire cabin. We can vent heat into various parts of the house. We have two propane fireplaces that do not use any electricity. I put all these in when we built the cabin as our electricity as always spotty and my belief is that electricity is going to be a problem in almost every society fail scenario.

I have a wood lot and prepare enough wood to stay warm all winter. I have several chain saws and can split small wood by hand. For larger pieces I borrow from a good friend who lives nearby. I know that this it is not a long term solution at this time.

Our stovetop is propane so it can cook our preserved food as well as provide some heat on a limited basis. I have backup camp stoves and LP gas to extend the use of indoor cooking. My grill also can take some of the load. And I can cook on the wood stove if necessary.

Wood heat will be the most likely answer for heating, but procuring wood for wood heat for the long term, in northern Wisconsin, will be a hard life.

Electricity

Electricity will eventually stop, in almost every major scenario. As discussed in another article in December 2023, our power was out for a few days last winter. I had redundant generators, and eventually got one to work well. However, it is not practical to have to run a generator 24/7, and gas will eventually be gone or go stale, so it cannot be a long-term solution to keeping modern processes going.

After the outage I bought a solar-chargeable portable power station. We use it to keep a CPAP going. I should have purchased a larger one, but I wanted to “test drive” one before getting too deep into it. So far I have been very impressed. I may buy another. It can power our radios and charge other key electrical items we need on a limited basis. I have a few portable solar chargers to keep the phones/radios going for use in emergencies and to get the news, such as it is.

To back up day-to-day activities that currently use electricity, I try to keep as many manual, non-electric hand tools as possible for backup.

Use electricity until you can’t. Plan on it going out. Make sure you can function without it.Continue reading“12 Basic Actions To Make It Through the First 12 Weeks of TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by Michael X.”

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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Remote Work Can Thrive in Remote Places.  JWR’s Comment: It is interesting seeing that article posted at a website where the stock answers to nearly every question are either: “More government”, or “We should create a [taxpayer-funded] program to…”

o  o  o

Over at WND: Tesla won’t start after driving in rain, owner speechless when stuck with $21,000 bill.

o  o  o

Video from Mark Dice: We’re Being ManipuIated in Ways Most People Can’t Even Imagine!   JWR’s Comments: Watch this, and you’ll understand one of the reasons why we discontinued the Reader Comments on posts at SurvivalBlog. (Yes, we DID detect comments being posted by sockpuppets.)

o  o  o

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The reality is that our military presence on foreign soil is as offensive to the people that live there as armed Chinese troops would be if they were stationed in Texas. We would not stand for it here, but we have had a globe-straddling empire and a very intrusive foreign policy for decades that incites a lot of hatred and resentment toward us.” – Ron Paul

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — October 24, 2023

On October 24, 1648, the Peace of Westphalia ended the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Dutch and the German phase of the Thirty Years’ War.

On October 24, 1861, the first transcontinental telegram was sent via the telegraph in the United States, effectively bringing to an end the Pony Express.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 109 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 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 $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.
  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. 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 109 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

12 Basic Actions To Make It Through The First 12 Weeks of TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by Michael X.

Is TEOTWAWKI imminent? I do not know. But things are slipping toward it happening soon. Will it be a violent, giant crash, like one involving many cars on the turnpike, or will it be a quiet breakdown along the side of a deserted country road?

For myself, at this point, I am not thinking it will be a catastrophic, instantaneous crash caused by nuclear war, an EMP, asteroids, or alien invasion. More likely, I think it could be a slow slide that will catch people off guard until it is finally too late to get the basics in place.

This could be caused by the slow boil of recession, inflation, unchecked illegal immigration, government oppression of freedom to buy what you want when you want, to go where you want, and own what you want. Your currently untraceable money replaced by electronic “money” that the government will monitor the use of. Cash could be useless. Use of barter will be outlawed to ensure that taxes are collected “for the greater good”. After a few weeks or month, many people could wake up and realize they are living as if they exist in the world described in the novel 1984. And the flexibility to control the situation will be gone. Many will panic.Continue reading“12 Basic Actions To Make It Through The First 12 Weeks of TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by Michael X.”

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, an update on the Greater Idaho movement. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

Which States Are People Moving To? Led By Idaho, Mountain West States Outpace The Rest In Newcomers Per Capita.

o  o  o

Oregon legislator meets with Idaho leaders about ‘Greater Idaho’ movement. Here is a quote:

“Oregon Rep. Iverson said she had a ‘duty and responsibility’ to show up at the conversation.

“It is clear: people in central and eastern Oregon do not align with all the values of those in Portland and Eugene,” Rep. Iverson said. ‘Is Greater Idaho the answer? I am not sure but I am willing to turn over all the rocks possible, for the land and people I love.’”

o  o  o

And some more reporting on the same, from a slightly different perspective: ‘Let’s have that conversation’: Idaho lawmakers go to Oregon to discuss Greater Idaho.

o  o  o

Hydropower generation drops in Montana, Pacific NW due to drought.

Idaho

Video from Caldwell, Idaho: Rob Schneider visits Nemo Arms and builds his new Nemo Battle Light.

o  o  o

Idaho State Police Pursuit of Murderer in Coeur d’Alene — Trooper Shoots Suspect’s Tires With Rifle.

o  o  o

Idaho man arrested after low-speed tractor chase.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 23, 2023

On October 23, 1956, the Hungarian Revolution began with a massive demonstration in Budapest. JWR’s Comment: The days of trenchcoats and Tokarevs… Too bad that they didn’t have access to more effective ant–tank weapons, or they could have pushed the communists out of power, permanently.

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Today we remember the 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy Sailors, and three U.S. Army Soldiers who died on this day in 1983 when terrorists attacked the Beruit Barracks. 58 French soldiers also died in the attack. JWR’s Comments: It seems like yesterday, but 40 years have transpired. In October of ’83, I had just recently joined an Army Reserve Intelligence unit, and I remember reading after-action summaries of the event, soon after I got my TS/SBI clearance.

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Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

 

Ruger Single-Ten Stainless, by Thomas Christianson

The very first handgun that I ever fired was a Ruger Single-Six chambered in .22 Long Rifle (“.22LR”). I was then in junior high school. Our church had a group for boys my age. The men who led that group took us on an outing one time in a nearby state forest area. One of the men took along his Single-Six. When we came to a sandbank that could be used as a backstop, he placed a soda can on a stick stuck into the ground. Then he let us take turns shooting at the can. My major takeaway from that experience was that it is much harder to fire a handgun accurately in real life than it is in the movies.

About a year ago, I became nostalgic about the memory of firing that Single-Six. I went to the Ruger website, and learned that they make a Single-Ten stainless in .22LR with fiber optic sights. It looked like a nice step up from the Single-Six, so I contacted Ruger and asked to borrow one. They were kind enough to agree, and placed one on order for me. Eight months later, I received notification that the Single-Ten had been shipped to my FFL.Continue reading“Ruger Single-Ten Stainless, by Thomas Christianson”