How To Buy and Store Gold and Silver – Part 2, by Rocket J. Squirrel

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

Security

First off, never tell anyone that you have gold and silver stored at your home. Second, you must break rule #1 and tell someone you trust about the location, emphasis on trust. You will want to tell your wife/husband. Additionally, you will want to tell one of your heirs. You do not want to have your gold and silver lost to the person who buys your home when your heirs sell it if your heirs are unaware that you have gold/silver hidden on the property. Whomever you tell, emphasize to them that they should tell absolutely no one else. You will likely know ahead of time if someone is a blabbermouth and therefore not select them as your trusted heir.

If you store gold and silver at home, be prepared for the situation where a home invader knows of your gold and silver and threatens to torture/kill one of your loved ones if you don’t hand over the gold and silver. Will you give them what they want? Will you fight back? What if the home invader is given what he is asking for and then kills all of you anyway? Decide now on how you will handle such an unthinkable situation before it happens. Will you fight? Will you give up your gold/silver and hope that the thief does not murder you and your family members present even after receiving the gold/silver? Plan now so you will be prepared mentally.

Do not store more gold/silver at your home than you are willing to lose. My personal strategy is to store sufficient 90% junk silver (good for small transactions) at home to provide for my family should the Schumer hit the fan. The remainder is stored in commercial vaults, segregated and insured.Continue reading“How To Buy and Store Gold and Silver – Part 2, by Rocket J. Squirrel”

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:

We had a busy week at the Rawles Ranch.  I slaughtered and butchered eight “excess” young roosters.

Our Number Two ram developed a dislike for one of our ram lambs, his younger brother, born this year, and butted him until he fractured the lamb’s foreleg.  So, I immediately slaughtered and butchered him. He only weighed about 55 pounds. That yielded just four legs of lamb, one small freezer bag of backstrap, and some dog meat.  That is sad.  If he had lived in peace, we could have butchered him next spring and there would have been twice as much meat.

I packed a whole slew of Elk Creek Company orders.

I am anxiously waiting for the green light from the US Forest Service on slash pile burning. Normally, “open burning” for hand-piles begins on October 1st each year, but we’ve only started to get rain in the last few days after a drought-like summer. I’m hoping that I can start burning before the piles get rain-soaked. (Our current slash piles are only partially tarped.)

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.” – 2 Chronicles 8:13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 3, 2025

On October 3, 1712, The Duke of Montrose issued a warrant for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor.

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And on October 3, 1913, the  US Federal income tax was signed into law (at 1%) by President Woodrow Wilson.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

How To Buy and Store Gold and Silver – Part 1, by Rocket J. Squirrel

Up front: Select a trustworthy dealer and place your order. But there are many complexities and nuances that I will explain. Please forgive me if I have left any of your questions unanswered, but I endeavor to include all needed information to keep you out of trouble.

First, what should you buy? Here are some of the options.

Forms of Gold and Silver

  • Jewelry
  • Bars/Ingots
  • Coins (“rounds” produced by private mints, typically silver)
  • Coins (from sovereign mints, historic and current coins)
  • USA Silver Dollars
  • Junk Silver 90% (USA pre-1965 dimes, quarters and half-dollars)
  • Junk Silver 40% (USA Kennedy Half-Dollars minted 1965–1970, and 1976, as well as Eisenhower Silver Dollars minted in the years 1971-1974, and 1976)
  • Commemorative/“Collector” Coins
  • Numismatic Coins
  • Allocated Accounts
  • Exchange Traded Products (ETPs)

Jewelry can certainly be a store of value because it contains gold or silver. Gold jewelry will typically be stamped with the purity in karats. 24 karat is 100% gold. 18 karat is 75% gold. Silver stamped with 925 is 92.5% silver. Jewelry will often have the hallmark of the maker along with the purity. If you like jewelry, that is wonderful. However, I do not recommend jewelry for preserving and storing your wealth. The premium above spot price is typically much higher compared to bullion products. That said, people who live in Asian countries many times use gold jewelry for storing wealth. Much of the jewelry sold in Asia is 22 karat.Continue reading“How To Buy and Store Gold and Silver – Part 1, by Rocket J. Squirrel”

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. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, news of new highs for gold. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

Reader H.L. suggested this article: Gold hit a new record. What Deutsche Bank says is driving the price of the metal.

o  o  o

At Gold-Eagle.com: Inflation: The Dow Is Down 36 Percent in Gold Terms Since 1929.

o  o  o

A video interview: Silver Squeeze 2.0: 10x Gains as Deficits Squeeze Supplies Dry – David Morgan.

o  o  o

‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ author blasts Warren Buffett’s U-turn on assets.

o  o  o

I noted these prices early yesterday morning (October 2, 2025), following Asian trading, but just before the Comex market opening bell:

  • Gold
    $3,910.40
  • Silver
    $48.29
  • Platinum
    $1,604.70
  • Palladium
    $1,292.10

With those big price jumps, I almost certainly expect to see some profit-taking, today.

This month is probably your last good opportunity to ratio trade out of gold and into silver or platinum before their prices blossom. Remember:  Reversion to the mean is the norm.  – JWR

Economy & Finance:

Over at MoneyWatch: As AI threatens white-collar work, more young Americans choose blue-collar careers.

JWR’s Comment:  The brightest and most ambitious apprentices will quickly climb up the ladder of the trades, and become prosperous specialist contractors or general contractors.  I can safely predict that it will be a long time before AI-driven robots will be doing tile floor house remodeling!

o  o  o

In The New York Times: From Crisis to Crisis: How Congress Struggles to Fund the Government.

o  o  o

WSJ: How Government Shutdowns Affect the Economy.

o  o  o

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Slow Learners, Another Transgender Spokesperson Forces The Closing Of 35 Stores.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Asia-West Coast Container Rates Plummet; Demand Seen Waning Through Year-End.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — October 2, 2025

On October 2, 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier first visited the Iroquois settlement of Hochelaga. It was later named Montreal.

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On October 2, 1835 the ‘Come & Take It’ Texas Revolution began.

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On October 2, 1866, J. Osterhoudt patented a tin can with a key opener.

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And on October 2, 1889, in Colorado, Nicholas Creede struck it rich in silver during the last great silver boom of the American Old West.

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I just heard of the passing of Jane Goodall, at age 91.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Neighbors, Friends and Enemies, by SaraSue

I think this is an important topic, and I’ve been struggling with it.  Who is my friend and who is my enemy, and why is it important to designate people as such?  Should I?  On the face of it, it’s about my safety and that of my family.  If I can identify friend or foe, I can more easily identify threats and make plans to mitigate them.  Maybe not easily, but at least I would know at some level what I’m dealing with.  I realize that my experiences are far different than those living in the suburbs or in a city.  (You should get out, if you can.)  I have never been more grateful to be living on a farm, nestled back in the hills, in a lightly populated area of the country.Continue reading“Neighbors, Friends and Enemies, by SaraSue”

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: Some more threats in cyberspace. (Pictured is a data center in Prineville, Oregon.)

UK to Require Digital ID for All Adults

Over at the UK Metro: Every adult in the UK will soon be required to have a digital ‘Brit-card’ ID.

Polish Government Issues Advisory on Belarus

“Leave Immediately”: Polish Government Issues Urgent Advisory for Its Citizens in Belarus.

South Dakota Cull: 420,000 Turkeys

Reader D.S.V. sent this: More Than 420,000 Turkeys Killed In South Dakota As Bird Flu Marches West.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — October 1, 2025

Today is the 90th birthday of singer and actress Julie Andrews. She was born on October 1st, 1935. Her name will always be remembered for The Sound of Music.

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On October 1, 1942, the Bell P-59 Airacomet fighter, the first US jet, made its maiden flight.

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The final day! Our big inventory reduction sale at Elk Creek Company — with nearly all of our guns, knives, bayonets, magazines, et cetera deeply discounted — ends at midnight tonight, Eastern Time. Get your order in today!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest: Round 121 Begins

Today, we present the first entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. But first, we are posting the results of the judging for Round 120.

Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 120

We’ve announced the winners of Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

Note to the top three prize winners: Please contact me and let me know your UPS and USPS address(es), for your prizes. Thanks. – JWR

The top three prize winners will each receive some great prize packages. The winners for Round 120 are…

First Prize Winner:

First Prize goes to AppComms, for Memoirs of a Disaster Survivor. (See: Part 1 and Part 2.) It was posted August 1-2, 2025. He will receive as prizes:

  1. 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),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
Second Prize Winner:

Second Prize goes to goes to J.M. for Text Comms in a Post-Disaster World. (See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.)  It was posted September 22-26, 2025.  He will receive:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. A $269 retail value survival-ready power package from Solar Power Lifestyle. This includes two Solar Power Lifestyle 25W Portable Solar Panels, plus a $150 gift card to use for any purchase at solarpowerlifestyle.com.
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  4. 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 gun purchasing privacy!
Third Prize Winner:

Third Prize goes to Iowa Dave, for Maximizing Prepping Storage Space. (See Part 1 and Part 2.)  It was posted September 9-10, 2025. He will receive:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.
Honorable Mention Prizes

The writers of the Round 120 Honorable Mention articles will each receive a transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun, or any knife or bayonet. (Even though Elk Creek Company will be going on hiatus starting October 10, 20205, you can still use your purchase credits. Just e-mail me and let me know what merchandise you’d like to apply your credit to. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns in most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

There were 12 Honorable Mention prize-winning articles in Round 120. They are:

Get Busy Writing!

Round 121 begins today and runs for two months, so please get busy writing and e-mail us your entry soon. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. 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. Thanks, – JWR

Growing Kabocha Squash, by Rookie Gardener

Until my retirement in the summer of 2021, I had never grown anything but weeds, which evidently, I’m pretty good at. However, growing anything else was hit and miss, mostly miss. During my working life my wife and I spent a lot of time in Asia. One of the commonly used vegetables often sliced thin, breaded, and deep fried on tempura platters is kabocha squash, also called Japanese pumpkin. Kabocha is a winter squash with a creamy texture. It’s used in many Asian cuisines.

We could not bring home seeds but here we found that we could purchase them online or at some garden shops. To our surprise, we found that it was easy to grow. My family home is less than a hundred miles from Yellowstone National Park. With the relatively short growing season in this area there are many food plants that are difficult to grow. So, we really had not expected the results that we got. This is our second year of planting the squash-like pumpkin.

Both years the seeds were sprouted in our laundry room in April and then planted just before the first of May when the forecast gave little danger of frost. I did water both plants at least once a day, sometimes twice per day when it got hot. We had to leave for a week in early June, to my surprise they were still alive when we returned. However, they definitely needed watering.Continue reading“Growing Kabocha Squash, by Rookie Gardener”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our 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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Wayne in Canada sent this from the leftist/statist National Post: Noah Schwartz: Liberals’ botched gun buyback program may create a dangerous ‘grey market’. Wayne’s Comment: 

“Power-grabs/gun-grabs like this will no doubt amplify calls for secession of the western provinces!”

Here is related news with some details: Buyback program for banned firearms to begin in Nova Scotia next month.

And,

The Public Safety Minister accidentally tells the truth about Canada’s gun-buyback program. Here is a key quote:

“During his press conference, Mr. Anandasangaree erroneously told the public the buyback program is “voluntary.” The minister responsible for public safety ought to know, however, that it would be a criminal offence to own a prohibited firearm after the government’s amnesty period ends on Oct. 30, and that anyone found in possession of a prohibited firearm could be found guilty of an indictable offence and face a prison sentence of up to five years.”

JWR’s Comments: A government cannot “buy back” something that it never owned. Canada needs a new conservative government that recognizes the individual right to own guns and carry guns.

o  o  o

A web search led me to some useful insights for Bugout Vehicle planning: I’ve Spent Over 300 Nights Camping in My Truck. This Is My Packing List. JWR’s Comment: You should have contingency plans for a variety of situations.  This includes being ready to camp out of your car for several days, or perhaps even weeks.

o  o  o

Portland Anarchists Firebomb Rapper Ice Cube’s Tour Bus After Reportedly Mistaking It for ICE Deportation Bus. JWR’s Comment: Well, well… That is quite the way to “Make Friends and Influence People.”

o  o  o

Several readers sent the link to this AP wire service article: Foraging revival: How wild food enthusiasts are reconnecting with nature.

o  o  o

Judge rules USPS ban on guns is unconstitutional.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”