Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the recent record-setting auction price for General Grant’s revolvers. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Mike Savage: Inflation, Deflation…Or Both?

o  o  o

If gold is not the best inflation hedge, then what is? Nancy Davis.

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: “Build Blackouts Better”: Half Of America Faces Power Blackouts This Summer, Regulator Warns. JWR’s Comment: This serves as confirmation that one of the best places to live is in a power exporting region, such as the Inland Northwest.

o  o  o

Over at Sovereign Man, Fighting inflation… with price controls. It’s genius!

o  o  o

Pandemic shipping delays cause excess inventory at Walmart, Costco, Target.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 29, 2022

On this day in 1780, the treatment of Patriot prisoners by British Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his Loyalist troops led to the coining of a phrase that defined British brutality for the rest of the War for Independence: “Tarleton’s Quarter.”

Tarleton and his Torries proceeded to shoot any and all Patriots that had surrendered after the fall of Charleston. The Patriots lost 113 men. The slaughter of the surrendered troops became a propaganda victory for the Continentals and Carolina civilians who had been terrified of Tarleton and their loyalist neighbors now rallied to the Patriot cause.

—

Today’s guest article was too short for consideration as an entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running the contest. Round 100 ends on May 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

Medical Community Autocracy, by ToAndFro

I thought long and hard about whether to share this due to OPSEC, but felt it was important.

We have been seeing the same GP for healthcare for 28+ years and he was just slightly older than us. In June of 2020 he announced his retirement due to his own health concerns and COVID. He had always been very down-to-earth, understanding, listened more than he spoke, understood people, non-political, etc. The kind of doctor you would want for a Physician.

Luckily, his office partner was able to see us so we didn’t have to find new doctors. I had a physical scheduled for late that fall after Primary Doctor retired, and opted to do a virtual appointment during the pandemic with his Office partner who wasn’t as good a fit, but was ok for the time being. I only have 2 prescriptions so just getting the visit done and prescriptions renewed was a load off of our minds. Wife has several more prescriptions, and is a cancer survivor so her healthcare is more of a priority. The next summer in August 2021, without advance notice, the Office announced replacement/partner had seen his last patient in June, and would be retiring, so we would need to find new doctors because the office would be closing.

COVID cost us two doctors in 14 months. So, we began the search. The only doctors we could find in our network who were accepting patients were 20-to-30 something year-old doctors, fresh out of residency. We each booked an appointment 2.5 months out, which later had to be postponed for 4 weeks, because of this past winter’s spike in Covid cases, with someone I will refer to as Doctor “Doogie”.

My appointment was first on the schedule. I saw Dr. “Doogie” Mid-April. At the appointment. I asked him about my 2 meds, and whether there were any alternatives, or ways to get off of them. He bluntly stated those were the Medical/Hospitals protocols for this type of case. We discussed all the usual, diet/exercise etc. and he examined me. I played baseball for 11 yrs., competed in road cycling, and lifted weights for many years, so health generally is good. My resting heart rate is still 61, and in my prime it was 55. Bloodwork is good, but Cholesterol is a little high (not much), but that’s because good cholesterol is most of that ratio.

I should mention that for the past two years, I have done all of the outside the home errands including food shopping, car maintenance, etc. in an effort to protect Dear Wife from exposure, always wearing an N-95 mask and taking every precaution possible including shopping in the early hours before the public shows up and utilizing curbside pickup when possible. I supplement with Vitamins, and have since my athletic years including Multi, B-Complex, C, D, and Zinc on days when I ‘go public’. All are taken spaced out throughout the day. Most are timed-release. We eat very well, plenty of dark greens, complex Carbohydrates, fruits, veg, and yes, we like our protein of the animal variety, and plenty of eggs, etc. I get plenty of exercise (Wife not so much). She tires easily, and has ever since her cancer treatment. Back to my doctor’s exam/appointment:

When I got to the point where I asked what his treatment protocols were for COVID (without giving any opinions or information about my beliefs), his posture changed. He stood up, crossed his arms, got very uncomfortable and defensive, and stated he didn’t think Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin worked, and that there were studies proving they had little value, and that he recommended the vaccine. Now this is without my giving any indication what my beliefs were, only asking what his treatment protocol was for someone who got COVID. Then, when I stated that I hadn’t been vaxxed, hadn’t gotten COVID, nor had my wife, and based on the VAERS data and studies from around the world, I wasn’t planning on getting the vaccine. I also stated that research from studies in India, Africa, Scandinavia and other countries showed improvement when (Hydroxychloroquine  and Ivermectin)/FLCCC’s treatment protocols were used early, and in the proper dosage vs. late treatment after hospitalization.

I never even got to my Religious objections before he cut me off and said he wasn’t able to provide those kinds of treatments, and said they had Paxlovid available for treatment. (Two weeks after my appointment, bad news came out on Paxlovid). He finished up and concluded the appointment (about 45 minutes with exam), by scheduling an appointment for 1 year later, and that was that, or so I thought. Later that night (9 something p.m.) I get an e-mail on the Medical Net from his office wherein he tells me (without giving any reason), that he doesn’t think he can provide the medical Services I am seeking. When I asked if it had anything to do with the questions I had asked about his COVID treatment protocols, he said absolutely not, he had many patients that hadn’t taken the vaccine… I told him I didn’t understand his reason for this decision, and thought it was entirely appropriate to ask questions about my medications, my treatment, and his treatment protocols. He then stopped responding.

My dear wife had an appointment scheduled with him for the following week, which she had like-wise been in the queue for 2.5 months. The day before the appointment, his office called and canceled her appointment, saying he was sick and wouldn’t be in. She thought it odd they didn’t offer to reschedule. I phoned his office the next day with caller id blocked, and may or may not have said I was a Pharmaceutical Rep, and that I wanted a few minutes with the doctor when he was available. I asked if Dr. Doogie was in, and if I could stop by and introduce myself. The secretary said yes, he was in with patients (so he was not out sick as his secretary told my wife the day before). I told her I was willing to wait until he was available and confirmed again that he was in the office. She said he was.

New doctors seem to be toeing the Hospitals/Medical Networks line and official dogma, so be advised and aware. We are now asking around for like-minded Physicians… We started by searching the internet using DuckDuckGo.com for Physicians that prescribed Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate and Ivermectin. It was virtually impossible to locate doctors and Pharmacies that were willing to commit publicly on the Internet, or at least we had difficulty finding any in the nearby region. We then tried the FLCCC website. The FLCCC Alliance lists doctors and Pharmacists willing to prescribe/fill prescriptions and that provide COVID care using their protocol. We had some luck in our area searching for doctors by checking with Pharmacies listed on the FLCCC website that prescribe the alternative medications. We then called around and asked those pharmacists in our area if they know any Physicians prescribing those meds. One was unwilling to give out names of doctors, but another did give us two names. It’s a start, but we’re going to keep asking around. Another idea might be to approach the Pharmacies in person vs over the phone. We haven’t tried that yet but just a suggestion …

If anyone has other suggestions on how to find ‘like-minded physicians and pharmacies’, please share them via e-mail with JWR, so that he can post them in the Snippets column, next Wednesday.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

But God raised him from the dead:

And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” – Acts 13:22-47 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 28, 2022

George Washington, a young lieutenant colonel in the British Army and future president of the United States, led an attack on French forces at Jumonville Glen on this day in 1754. This battle was later credited with being the opening salvo in the French and Indian War (1754 to 1763). In the biography His Excellency: George Washington, historian Joseph Ellis recounts Washington’s first combat experience. Washington and 40 colonial troops had been encamped near the French garrison at Fort Duquesne when he received an urgent message to rescue Indian allies in the area who were threatened by French forces. In his official report of the encounter, Washington described how his troops, aided by warriors under the Indian leader Tanacharison, surrounded a detachment of 32 French soldiers near the fort on May 28 and, within 15 minutes, killed 10 of them, including the garrison’s commander, wounded one and took another 21 prisoner.

—

Today is also the birthday of the late Major General Victor Joseph Hugo Jr. (28 May 1931 – 11 May 2020.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 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. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends in just three days on May 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

Science Fiction and the Preparedness Mindset, by Michael J.

Some SurvivalBlog readers might think that science fiction is just starships, aliens, and directed-energy weapons. Not all science fiction is created equal, but the best of science fiction provides important commentary on society as it is now, or as it could be given the invention of certain technological devices. There is also a genre of science fiction called alternate history, which attempts to depict what life would be like if certain historical events had turned out differently, or if certain famous people had been removed from the scene before the activities that made them famous. (For example, imagine how different history would have been if Corporal Adolf Hitler had been one of the millions killed during World War I.) It is for this reason that science fiction was once called speculative fiction.

This essay highlights some science fiction short stories, novels, television shows, and movies that provide some hints about prepping and some commentary on what our country and Earth in general have become, and what we can do to prepare ourselves and possibly even to reverse some of the damage. If I missed your favorite example of science fiction, I’m sorry; I wish I had time for everything out there.

Much science fiction attempts to describe politics of the future. The themes are tyranny (religious or secular), war, chaos, or a benign, democratic world government. This last is the cornerstone presumption of Star Trek in its various forms: there might be war and despotism and anarchy out there in the galaxy, but Earth is peaceful and united. If anyone thinks that is likely to happen anytime soon, I’ll sell you some oceanfront property in Arizona.

Sadly, despotism, war, or anarchy seem to be more likely here on Earth. One good candidate here is Robert Heinlein’s Friday. Friday depicts a future in which the United States has disintegrated into several smaller countries: Vegas Free State, the Atlantic Union, the Chicago Imperium, the Lone Star Republic, and the California Confederacy. The heroine is a genetically engineered woman who works for a shadowy corporation. Robert Heinlein coined the term “corporate states” and noted that these would be more powerful than many territorial states (the modern nation-state). I’d say he hit the nail on the head: Amazon, Google, Twitter, Apple, and Facebook (Meta), as well as industry leaders in finance and energy, among others, all command a great deal of revenue and power. Facebook even attempted to start its own currency, and backed down only in the face of united opposition from the territorial states. Friday contains a hilarious parody of California politics.Continue reading“Science Fiction and the Preparedness Mindset, by Michael J.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make 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 this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’ll start out with my recently-visited Radio.Garden stations:

  • Ballina Killaloe Local Radio – Killaloe, Ireland
  • BeatlesRadio.com – Liverpool, United Kingdom
  • The Sound of the Caribbean Radio – Bluefields, Nicaragua
  • Rumsey Retro Radio AM 1580 – Rumsey, Canada. (They feature music and radio shows from the 1930s and 1940s.)
  • cuRADIO – Quismondo, Spain.

(Note: Radio.Garden has been glitchy with recent releases of Firefox, but it works well with the Opera browser.)

I had some business travel this week, so I wasn’t able to accomplish much around the ranch.

We had some difficulty with our lambing, this past week. We had to slaughter and butcher one of our young ewes that had a failed lambing.  Lily stayed up to attend to the ewe for most of the night. The ewe made no progress in birthing. Lily tried to go in several times to help the ewe, but couldn’t get her very small hands in very far because of the smallness of the opening.  Her bones were too narrow.  It had nothing to do with her dilation status. There was no room for the head to come through. A pitiful situation. A foot-long section of the umbilical cord prolapsed, before dawn. Judging by that cord’s condition, we could see that the lamb would very likely be stillborn, if it was born at all. Therefore at the hour of opening that morning, we had the ewe at the vet’s door for confirmation.  He couldn’t get his hand in, either, and stated that it would be best to butcher her since even with a C section this time, she would continue to need them in the future and chances are pretty good that she would pass this smallness genetic trait down to her future daughters. Therefore some decisions on a ranch must be made based on practicality rather than sentimentality. It simply makes no sense to pay $400+ for a veterinary c-section surgery to save a $100 lamb. So we made an immediate trip to the local butcher, before the ewe might go down and long before any sepsis would have set in. At least we now have about $130 worth of chops and lamb-burger in the freezer. So that ewe wasn’t a total loss. But the whole ordeal was still a disappointment.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.

And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab.

And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.

And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.

For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.

And these were the heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of the house of their fathers.

And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.” – 1 Chronicles 5:17-26 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 27, 2022

On May 27, 1813, former President Thomas Jefferson wrote former President John Adams about the loss of their mutual friend, Dr. Benjamin Rush (pictured). Reflecting upon the loss, Jefferson wrote, “We too must go; and that ere long. I believe we are under half a dozen at present; I mean the signers of the Declaration.”

Dr. Rush was instrumental in the reconciliation of Jefferson and Adams by initiating correspondence between the three of them. Both Jefferson and Adams continued to correspond until their coincident deaths on July 4th, 1826 – the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which all three had signed in 1776.

Also on this date, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney of Maryland issued Ex parte Merryman, challenging the authority of President Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. military to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 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. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 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

Keeping Preps In Stock, by 3AD Scout

You don’t have to be prepping for very long to know that the list of equipment and supplies never seems to end. As you move up from novice to expert prepper, your level of sophistication can actually decrease to some degree. As we all started out, we looked at the proverbial “Beans, bullets, and band-aids”. A good prepper is never really done with any one category but instead our sense of urgency shifts. I tend to shift my prepping based on a few variables. One variable is the demand. I refuse to pay $1 a round for ammunition, nor will I pay $200 for a thousand primers. Why? Simply because over the year I have steadily put back for a “rainy day”. So when ammunition or magazines become insanely high priced I switch over to focusing on something else like food, fuel or medical. This strategy has served me well for decades until now, when “everything” seems to be in demand and “everything” seems to be insanely priced. So, I have tried to find equipment and supplies that don’t seem to be in demand by the masses of new preppers. Here are some ideas to think about, if you are “okay” with basics:

When the power fails and our normal ways of heating our homes are no longer viable how are we going to heat our homes? Well, hopefully we all have wood-burning stoves but that will be far from the case. Traditional wood-burning fireplaces, it is said, have 70 to 90 percent of the heat go up the chimney. Hence the common fireplace is not an efficient way of heating one’s home. In the 1500s many English homes did not have fireplaces but rather they placed a small wood fire on the dirt floor in the middle of the home and kept it burning all day. In a somewhat different version, there were also reredos that were an open fireplace, made of fieldstone and perhaps some clay. The shape of many reredos would be like that of an armchair with no legs. The fieldstone would act as a heat sink to absorb the heat. Our modern homes are not conducive to doing this for a number of reasons, such as not having dirt floors, lower ceilings and not being as drafty — just to name a few.

As we often see in emergencies necessity becomes the mother of invention. People will do what they can, with what they have at the time to stay warm in a post-TEOTWAWKI world. (Please note this is for a long term grid down scenario like an EMP — not an ice storm.) A few items that can make heating our living spaces a little easier post-TEOTWAWKI are available, with no mad rush, are fire bricks, high heat silicone sealant, and welding blankets. Obviously, there are a number of safety issues with any fire, let alone with fires in post-TEOTWAWKI environments. I’ll leave it up to you to research how you may use these items, individually, in a post-TEOTWAWKI world.Continue reading“Keeping Preps In Stock, by 3AD Scout”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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

Precious Metals:

The U.S. Economy Is In A Recession Now – Gold, Silver Set To Soar.

o  o  o

Ray Dalio: Gold Reduces Risks, Enhances Returns, Belongs In Your Savings

Economy & Finance:

New home sales plunge nearly 17% in April.

o  o  o

FreightWaves reports: Supply chains are never returning to ‘normal’.

o  o  o

Great Reset: Americans Lost $20 Trillion Since The Start Of 2022.

o  o  o

Wait, What? HALF of Infants in the U.S. Are on WIC?!

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.” – Niccolo Machiavelli

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — May 26, 2022

May 26, 2022 is the 32nd wedding anniversary of Don and Patrice Lewis.  Patrice is the Editrix of the excellent Rural Revolution blog.

May 26th is the birthday of Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.) He was born 1949. When not touring, he lives Somewhere in Montana, so he qualifies as a Redoubter.

—

Today we present a guest article that is not eligible for judging in the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?, by Kevin R. Berg

The title of this article is an echo of a song title, by The Clash. This essay is about how I will choose an area for further investigation before moving to the American Redoubt. This summer I will load the family into our RV for a trip through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. As we travel, we will all be looking out for the pluses and minuses of each area. I have already marked up a paper travel map of the route and we can make marks on the map to remind us later. When I make a long road trip I usually mount a HD camera on the dash to record the travels. In using the video log we can replay the trip in those areas that we like. In areas that spark our interest I will collect local papers and other information. I will pass through many National Parks and Monuments so as to make the trip more enjoyable for the family. We are looking forward to seeing Glacier, Yellowstone, and Mount Rushmore.

Toward the end of the article, I have compiled various links that can be referred to for more information.
I tend to lean towards making decisions based upon research of available data at hand. I will use a point system on a list of criteria items I mention in this article. Of course, there are other occasions where I jump first, but a move like this will require a little restraint on my part.Continue reading“Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?, by Kevin R. Berg”