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:

I had a fairly hectic week, starting with three vehicle oil change and repair appointments in a row on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, in three different towns. First, a pickup truck oil change, then an SUV brake job, and then a UATV steering box replacement.  On Thursday I was on the road to a gun show, that I attended just on Friday. But on the way, I dropped off a cow-calf pair to their new owners. (I drove our pickup with our three-horse trailer in tow.)  Those two critters were the last of our old herd. We are now building a new herd with all A2/A2 stock, from another small cattle breed. We already have a bull and a disrelated cow-calf pair with the more desirable genetics. We will also soon be buying a couple of disrelated heifers.

I shipped out five Elk Creek Company orders this past week.

On my way home from that gun show trip, I dropped by my FFL Buddy’s house.  He had several pre-1899 guns waiting for me, that I had bought at out-of-state auctions.  To explain:  Many auction houses have been buffaloed by the overbearing ATF and now insist on all guns being shipped to FFLs — even pre-1899 antique guns. They often say that they do this “just to be safe.”  That is really silly and not in accordance with the law.  Of course, my buddy with the FFL then just hands the antiques to me, because as pre-1899 guns, he cannot legally enter them in his ATF Bound Book. They don’t belong there any more than BB guns do. Per the Gun Control Act of 1968, pre-1899 guns and blackpowder replicas are not classified as “firearms.”

I usually buy him dinner, as a thank you for taking those deliveries for me.

I stayed up late last night, adding six new guns to the Elk Creek Company online catalog. There are both pre-1899 cartridge guns and several modern percussion blackpowder guns. These include a scarce 1898-dated Swedish Model 1896/38, a very early production S&W Model 2 single-action .32 S&W revolver, an early early production stainless steel Ruger Old Army with a three-digit serial number, a Chilean Model 1895 Mauser 7.62mm NATO arsenal conversion, and a scarce SAKO Mosin M39 “SKY” Finn on an 1896 Antique Receiver.  Take a look!

On a hike out to the west end of the Rawles Ranch, I noticed that the brackens are growing taller than usual, this year, because of the rainy spring.  That is usually a sign that we are going to have a bumper crop of large  Huckleberries. Yum!

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day

 “Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,

Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;

Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.

Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,

Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” – Isaiah 8:1-14 (KJV



Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 28, 2024

On June 28, 1880, the Australian bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly was captured at Glenrowan.  He was executed on November 11th of the same year.

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of theologian John Wesley. He died March 2, 1791.

Today’s feature article is a guest piece by Brandon Smith, the Editor of Alt-Market.us.

We need some entries for Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.



The Five Stages Of Economic Collapse Denial, by Brandon Smith

This article was originally published at Birch Gold Group. It is reposted with permission.

In light of the recent resurgence of inflation on top of increasingly rigged employments stats, declining manufacturing and stagnant wages I think it’s important to revisit a fundamental question: What does an economic collapse look like?

As I have said for years an economic collapse is not an event, it’s a process. When people think of a historic crisis they usually imagine something like the stock market crash of 1929 at the beginning of the Great Depression. However, there were numerous indicators and warning signs leading up to that crash that should have tipped people off. There were even a handful of economists that voiced concerns about impending instability, yet they were ignored.

Then, after the crash occurred numerous establishment economists denied that the system was in any real danger. They continually claimed that recovery was “right around the corner”, but the recovery never materialized. Instead, the crash spiraled onward for over a decade until world war erupted, largely because the Federal Reserve raised interest rates into economic weakness (a disaster they have openly admitted to causing and a policy they are instituting right now).Continue reading“The Five Stages Of Economic Collapse Denial, by Brandon Smith”



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, we look at some economic effects of the A.I. revolution. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

From Kitco: Gold and silver’s next act – Matt Watson on precious metals and growing industrial demand.

o  o  o

Jordan Roy-Byrne, over at Gold-Eagle.com: Historical Comparisons for Gold Right Now.

Economy & Finance:

From Fortune: IMF official delivers stark warning on AI’s potential to turn an ordinary downturn into a severe economic crisis.

o  o  o

Is AI to Blame for All These Layoffs in 2024? The article begins:

Despite a “booming economy” and soaring profits, tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have laid off over 42,000 people so far in 2024, according to Yahoo Finance. However, it’s not only tech workers who are suddenly finding themselves out of a job. Business Insider reports that UPS will cut 12,000 jobs in 2024, including 14% of the company’s 8,500 managers. Then there are companies like Expedia, Wayfair, Tesla, and Nike, all of whom have seen notable cuts to their workforce in 2024.

o  o  o

Harvard Business Review: AI’s Trust Problem.

o  o  o

Over at the Whatfinger.comApple Rejects Meta Partnership, Embraces OpenAI and Other AI Innovators for iPhone Integration.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“If we have an economic crisis in the Western world it’s because the government makes up 50 percent or more of the economy. This is a cancer that is taking away people’s freedom.” – Dr. Marc Faber


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — June 27, 2024

On June 27, 1778, the Liberty Bell returned home to Philadelphia after the British army’s departure.

Today is the birthday Leroy James Sullivan (born June 27, 1933) is an American firearms inventor. Going by Jim Sullivan, he has designed several “scaled-down” versions of larger firearms. He also designed the Beta C-MAG double snail drum magazines.

Today is also the birthday of Paul Mauser, (June 27, 1838 – May 29, 1914). He was a German weapon designer and manufacturer.  His strong and reliable bolt action design was used by many nations. The U.S. Springfield Model 1903 is based on the Mauser Model 1898, and in fact the U.S. government famously lost in a patent infringement lawsuit.  Ironically, the U.S. government continued to pay the Mauser company royalties on each M1903 Springfield produced, even during and after World War I.

June 27th is also the birthday of economist Dr. Ravi Batra. (Born 1943.)

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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. 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 $359 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. 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 USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  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 $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 $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.



Surviving the Heat – Part 2, by N.C.

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

Ingest Cold Food and Drink

Your body has to warm everything that you ingest up to 97 degrees Fahrenheit and that uses up some of the heat in your body. Going to the store and getting ice for your cooler for a heat snap is wise preparation. It’ll keep your freezer closed and cold but give you access to chilled food and beverages for the day. Which will cool you and you will also wind up with cold water which you can use to cool yourself directly.

When we think cold food we think ice cream and popsicles and other treats. Instead, you want to plan ahead and have other frozen foods that are healthier. Frozen grapes and frozen cut-up pieces of watermelon can be eaten directly and will help cool you. Homemade yogurt-based popsicles will cool you have more nutrients than commercial treats.

Think about cold meals as well as just treats. Things like cold pasta salad, cold soups ( like gazpacho and Mul-naengmyeon), potato salad, cold cuts, bread and cheese, coleslaw, ham salad, egg salad, tuna salad, fruit salad, chilled quiche. Generally, our weather models are accurate enough to let us know a couple days ahead of a heat wave. So do your prep beforehand. Before this last heat snap, we cooked a ham. As a result, I had cold ham in the fridge so the protein for the week didn’t need to be cooked.Continue reading“Surviving the Heat – Part 2, by N.C.”



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, another look at the government’s arbitrary mask laws.

DHS Conflated ‘Religious’ and ‘Veteran” With Domestic Terrorism

In The Federalist: Report: DHS Group Called Being ‘Religious’ An ‘Indicator’ Of Domestic Terrorism. (Thanks to D.S.V. for the link.)

Russia and North Korea Sign Mutual Defense Agreement

H.L. sent this from The New American: Russia and North Korea Sign Mutual Defense Agreement.

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



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Roll away the dawn,
Roll away the dawn, and let me see,
The land of the free,
Has anything changed at all?

Sweet liberty,
Sweet liberty is in our hands,
It’s part of the plan,
Or is it a state of mind?

Horses and men,
Horses and men are on the field,
They didn’t yield,
Many have fallen here;

Never forget,
Never forget what they have done,
The time will come,
When it will change again,
Never forget!”
– Chris DeBurgh, lyrics to the song “Liberty



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 26, 2024

On June 26, 1894, Karl Benz of Germany received a US patent for a gasoline engine-driven automobile.

Last Day of the sale!  The big sale on all of the percussion revolvers in our Elk Creek Company inventory ends tonight.  No paperwork is required. Cartridge conversion cylinders are available for many of these guns. These can be mailed right to your door, in most states.  This sale ends at midnight Pacific Time tonight (Tuesday, June 26th), so get your order in, ASAP!

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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. 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 $359 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. 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 USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  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 $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 $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.



Surviving the Heat – Part 1, by N.C.

Every heat wave kills people. For most of us, it’s a minor inconvenience and hurts our wallets more than anything else. Here in the US, air conditioning is now almost ubiquitous and everything is fine. But what about when grid power is not available?

This article is aimed at people living in cities and suburbs who find themselves without power during a heat wave. For whatever reason there is no power for some time, what do you do? It also applies to people who just can’t afford air conditioning which is where I learned a lot of these things.

As a student, I lived in a tiny attic apartment in a big city. I simply could not afford air conditioning. I’m not being melodramatic, I later found out that I qualified for food stamps even as I was studying and teaching full time. So my wife and I got to learn how to deal with miserable city heat. Before that, I had spent years in the Southeast United States again without air conditioning for reasons out of my control. And now I live in the upper midwest without air conditioning. Now in this situation I could get air conditioning but it’s only miserable for a couple of weeks each year, and by now I have experience dealing with the heat.Continue reading“Surviving the Heat – Part 1, by N.C.”



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.

Magma beneath Mount St. Helens is ‘recharging,’ scientists say.  This article begins:

“Mount St. Helens, which notoriously erupted in 1980, has been showing signs of increased seismic activity lately, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It’s thought to be part of the volcano’s natural magma recharging process.

The volcano, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” has experienced around 350 earthquakes since the beginning of February, with 38 alone in the first week of June.

Most of these earthquakes were not noticeable, but one registered 2.0 magnitude on May 31 — strong enough that it could have been felt by humans.”

o  o  o

Double Digits: Biden Admin tells Americans that it’s soon time for their 10th Covid shot.

o  o  o

Reader D.S.V. sent us this: 567,000 “MyCharge” Portable Battery Chargers Sold At Costco Recalled After House Fires.

o  o  o

C.B. suggested a post over at the oft-mentioned Rural Revolution blog: Pickling Tip.

o  o  o

Biden Admin. Asked Amazon To Hide Vaccine Critical Books During The Pandemic. JWR’s Comment:  It seems that The Resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue considers the 1st Amendment just “guidance.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”





Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — June 25, 2024

On June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn – also called Custer’s Last Stand – marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, the generally accepted reason for the battle is that the discovery of gold in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 1875 led to the U.S. government disregarding previous treaty agreements. The gruesome fate of Custer and his men outraged many white Americans and confirmed their image of the Indians as wild and bloodthirsty. Meanwhile, the U.S. government increased its efforts to subdue the tribes. Within five years, almost all of the Sioux and Cheyenne would be confined to reservations.

June 25, 1867: The first barbed wire was patented by Lucien B. Smith of Ohio

All of the percussion revolvers in our Elk Creek Company inventory are now on sale, with some deep discounts.  No paperwork is required. These can be mailed right to your door, in most states.  This sale ends at midnight Pacific Time tomorrow — Tuesday, June 26th, so order soon!

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 113 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 $2,000.
  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. 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 $359 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. 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 USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  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 $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 $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 113 ends on July 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.