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 news of yet another new coronavirus variant.

Scientists Demand Wearing Masks for New Covid Variant

In The Express: Scientists demand Britons wear face masks as new Covid variant spreads. A pericope:

“Dubbed BA.X, online virus trackers have found the virus in Denmark and Israel, although this has not yet been independently verified.

Some scientists are already calling for new measures to be introduced – but others say it is too early to determine whether the variant could lead to another pandemic.”

Most Have Been “Vaccinated” for Covid Via “Shedding”

Mike D. sent us this link: Study: Most Americans have been “vaccinated” for covid whether they wanted it or not due to “shedding”. Here is a quote:

“According to the experts at CU, aerosol transmission of antibodies represents “an entirely unrecognized mechanism by which passive immune protection may be communicated.” In other words, the fully jabbed are spilling the vial contents not only inside their own bodies by getting pricked but also to others who come near them simply through proximity.

“Whether antibody transfer mediates host protection will be a function of exposure, but it seems reasonable to suggest, all things being equal, that any amount of antibody transfer would prove useful to the recipient host,” the research team stated.”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“History has shown that a government’s redistribution of shrinking wealth, in preference to a private sector’s creation of new sources of it, can prove more destructive than even the most deadly enemy.” – Victor Davis Hanson

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 16, 2023

August 16, 1888 was the birthday of British archaeological scholar and military strategist T.E. Lawrence—who was best known for his legendary activities in the Middle East during World War I, which earned him the nickname “Lawrence of Arabia”.

—

On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to re-establish the Bank of the United States. In response, angry supporters of the bank gathered outside the White House and burned an effigy of Tyler.

—

Ready Made Resources — one of our original advertisers and the first writing contest prize donor — has added an interesting new line of freeze-dried beef to their catalog. The company is called Whole Cow. Their specialty is certified vaccine-free beef, from Texas.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 108 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 $840,000 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 108 ends on September 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.

The Garden Failed This Year, Now What?, by Hollyberry

Every gardener, worldwide, has glorious expectations of the upcoming gardening season. Many families rely on their gardens for daily food and for getting through winter with canning and preserving the summer harvest. Gardeners can control many area of the actual process of growing, like enriching soil and getting good seed stock. We can also control some pest/insect infestation. Controlling the weather, well that’s a whole different story. To some degree, you can mitigate adverse weather conditions. Planting after a last frost date, provided the full moon has occurred is a relatively safe bet. If you live in a northern climate, have some frost blankets on hand for those last-minute dips in temperatures. Even in a drought situation you can still water and save some crops, provided you have access to water. It’s very disheartening to watch all your hard work produce very little.

The last two years here in Maine were drought-stricken. Because of the drought issues, we set up our rain collection system in mid-May instead of the beginning of June. The past two years it took many storms to fill up 6 fifty-five gallon barrels. This year, one whopping, torrential storm filled all the barrels in 24 hours! I was elated! I keep a gardening journal that details weather, insect issues, successes, and failures. The two previous years we had almost no rain June and most of July with some very hot temperatures. This June was very different. We had 28 out of 30 days of rain. Not nice gentle showers that delicately water everything, I am talking pounding, two to three days of nonstop rain storms. Totals of 3-4 inches of rain per storm. Roads and streams flooding were a daily occurrence. Our dirt road took a beating. At times it looked like chocolate milk running down the sides of the road. Continue reading“The Garden Failed This Year, Now What?, by Hollyberry”

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.

—

Rising death toll makes Maui wildfires deadliest in modern US history.

o  o  o

Reader C.J. wrote to warn about GatewayAmmo.com.  According to C.J., in his case, this company has posted false contact information on their website, used trickery on payment methods, failed to deliver products or to issue a refund, and then tried “refundable insurance” trickery to scam even more money. This “company” has used several addresses in Kansas and California. Their terms of service mention El Paso County, Colorado — also apparently bogus. The Better Business Bureau has plenty of complaints about GatewayAmmo.  Ditto for a Reddit discussion of GatewayAmmo.  A word of warning, in general:  Never do business with any firearms-related company that initially looks like they have a credit card merchant account but then informs you that you need to make payment via the PayPal “family & friends” option, or Zelle, or Venmo.

And I’ve read similar complaints about MEGAAMMOSUPPLY.com.

o  o  o

Reader A.K. sent this: Examples of Lithium Battery Fires.

o  o  o

Well, a gazillion deaths late, but: Doctors Can Prescribe Ivermectin for COVID-19: FDA Lawyer.

o  o  o

Federal Court: Knives are ‘Arms’ and Protected by the Second Amendment.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their love of frivolities, their attempts to meet the world on it’s own ground, and give back the old love of the doctrines of the Cross and Christ. May free grace and dying love again be the music that refreshes the church and makes her heart exceeding glad.” – Charles Spurgeon

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 15, 2023

On August 15, 1935, American entertainer Will Rogers and aviation pioneer Wiley Post were killed in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska.

On August 15, 1057, Macbeth, king of Scots, was killed in battle by Malcolm, eldest son of Duncan I.

—

For 2023 the Paratus holiday for preparedness-minded folks will fall on September 15th.

—

Today’s guest feature article was selected by JWR. It first appeared in the Advancing Time blog.  It is reposted with permission.

—

We are in need of entries for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $840,000 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 108 ends on September 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.

Global Inflationary Depression Is Very Possible, by Bruce Wilds

Roughly two and a half years ago it was predicted here on AdvancingTime that we might soon be witness to the first global inflationary depression. Many of us predicted inflation rolling in but underestimated the size of stimulus that would be put in the pipeline. This has only postponed the collapse of the financial system and economy. Still, many investors are basing their investments on more intervention from central banks and governments to pull another rabbit out of their hats.

Global inflationary depression is not a mix of words we normally see placed together. To those finding this notion unacceptable, we could reframe this as a stagflation era of reversion. Moving us towards the depression part of this scenario is the fact many economic watchers are predicting outright deflation pointing to a huge slowing of the economy. Currently, the biggest source of demand comes from governments. Demand from working people and private sector growth is on the wane. If you remove all the money being spent on Covid-19 vaccinations, tests, and a slew of inefficient spending that has created little long-term benefits to the economy the GDP would fall like a stone.

We seldom have depressions but instead tend to roll through mild recessions, however, what we face today may be far more severe. In the past, times of falling economic activity have generally been deflationary as defaults rise but this time if inflation does not abate the result may be very different. Part of this is rooted in the fact that in the past many events tended to be regional rather than global. Today, economies have become more interconnected the resulting codependency presents an increased possibility of problems spreading across the world.Continue reading“Global Inflationary Depression Is Very Possible, by Bruce Wilds”

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, a further examination of the red county/blue county divide.

Region-Wide

There seem to be a lot of people that now feel a strong conviction to move to the American Redoubt. Here is just one recent example from a vlogger that I have been watching for several years: Incredible News From God Family & Guns!

o  o  o

See the fastest-growing (and shrinking) U.S. states.

o  o  o

CNBC says red states are the worst, even though everyone is moving to them.

o  o  o

Most Gun-Friendly States in 2023.

o  o  o

Founder of Conservative Move says there is pent-up demand to move to red states.

o  o  o

Americans growing further apart on key issues of society, politics.

Idaho

Some great footage in an overland backcountry driving video: Incredible Idaho. (Over an hour long, but well worth watching.)

o  o  o

Idaho’s getting younger. Here’s how many from each generation are moving to the Gem State.

o  o  o

A great new Trent Palmer bushpilot video: Ty Forgot The Door To His Airplane – Idaho Backcountry Mission.

o  o  o

Idaho judge sentences 5 from white nationalist group to jail for conspiracy to riot at Pride event. JWR’s Comments:  This incident had all of the telltale signs of being orchestrated by out-of-state agitators.  And indeed, we later learned that these Astroturf Agit-Proppers came from 11 different states. The leader of the group is a young statist-socialist from Texas. It is widely alleged that the “Patriot Front” group is thoroughly infiltrated by paid Federal informants and it is they who are actually directing the group, to be Controlled Opposition or False Flag agitators.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — August 14, 2023

On August 14, 1457, the first book printed in Europe with a colophon bearing the name of the printer was completed in Mainz, Germany. These eventually developed into what is now commonly called a copyright page.

Today is also the birthday of British folk-rock singer Maddy Prior.  (She was born August 14th, 1947.)

—

Our feature article today was written by a SurvivalBlog staff member, Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

Spyderco Byrd Harrier 2 Lightweight Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

I recently purchased a Spyderco Byrd Harrier 2 Lightweight Folding Knife. It has a 3.36-inch full flat grind blade with a plain edge in 8Cr13MoV steel, a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle, a back-lock locking mechanism, a reversible pocket clip, a lanyard hole, and the distinctive Spyderco opening hole (as modified for Byrd) to allow ambidextrous, one-handed opening.

I bought this knife because I had somehow received the impression that it is made in Taiwan. That is, unfortunately, not the case. All Spyderco Byrd knives are made in mainland China. I usually don’t review products made in mainland China, but since I had already invested $35.70 in this knife, I decided to go ahead and review it.

Blade Steels Can Show the Country of Origin

Online retailers often try to hide the origin of products that are made in mainland China. They may bury that information somewhere deep in the specifications, place it in fine print, or not share it at all. I find this lack of transparency frustrating as I consider potential products to review.Continue reading“Spyderco Byrd Harrier 2 Lightweight Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Linda’s Sweet Relish

The following recipe for Linda’s Sweet Relish is from SurvivalBlog reader Linda R.  She notes that her version of the recipe is adapted from Linda J. Amendt‘s book:  Blue Ribbon Canning, published by Taunton Press, 2015

Linda notes:  “This sweet relish, made with sugar, onion, salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and cider vinegar, is perfect for hamburgers and hot dogs and potato salad, and anything else.”

This recipe makes enough to fill  8 half-pint jars.

Ingredients
  • 3 to 4 pounds stems of purslane or collards, finely chopped (6 to 8 cups)
  • 2 cups finely chopped onions, (2 to 3 medium onions)
  • 3 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt
  • 2 to 3 quarts ice cold water
  • 2 to 3 (or more) cups granulated sugar, depending on just how sweet you like your relish
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, layer the purslane or collard stems, onions, and salt. Add enough of the cold water to completely cover the vegetables. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
  2. Drain the vegetables in a large fine-mesh sieve or colander lined with a single layer of cheesecloth. Rinse well and drain again, pressing out the excess liquid.
  3. In a 6- to 8-quart stainless steel pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, and celery seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the drained vegetables to the syrup and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. The mixture may look watery but that’s okay. Ladle the relish into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp paper towel. Apply hot lids and screw bands.
  5. If you’re simply stashing the relish in the fridge for immediate use, then refrigerate the jars of relish for up to a few weeks.
CANNING and STORAGE

If you are properly canning the pickle relish, process 8-ounce jars in a water bath canner according to manufacturer’s instructions for 10 minutes and process pint jars for 15 minutes. Remove from the water bath canner and let cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals and remove the screw bands. Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year.

—

Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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 skewed inflation data. (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

AG Thorson, at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Forecast: Leading Economic Indicators Support Impending Recession.

o  o  o

Video from Jeffrey Christian: Silver deficits don’t exist and other silver myths.

Economy & Finance:

From Yahoo Finance: U.S. yield curve hits deepest inversion since 1981: What is it telling us?

o  o  o

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com site: Credit Crunch: The Money Supply Has Shrunk For Eight Months In a Row.

o  o  o

Moody’s downgrades several US banks amid ‘ongoing strain’ in the banking sector.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I’ve been selling my soul
Working all day
Overtime hours
For bullsh*t pay
So I can sit out here and waste my life away
Drag back home and drown my troubles away

It’s a damn shame
What the world’s gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it is
Living in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just want to have total control
Wanna know what you think
Wanna know what you do
And they don’t think you know, but I know that you do
Cause your dollar ain’t sh*t, and it’s taxed to no end
‘Cause of rich men north of Richmond

I wish politicians would look out for miners
And not just minors on an island somewhere
Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothing to eat
And the obese milking welfare
Well God, if you’re 5 foot 3 and you’re 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds
Young men are putting themselves six feet in the ground
‘Cause all this damn country does is keep on kicking them down.” – Oliver Anthony, Excerpt from the lyrics of Rich Men North Of Richmond

JWR’s Update: Oliver Anthony opened a concert yesterday with a reading from Psalm 37.