Text Comms in a Post-Disaster World – Part 1, by J.M.

Unless you’re a completely isolated loner, communications are going to play a critical role in both short-term and long-term disaster scenarios. Being able to effectively exchange information with family, friends and community members in both short-term as well as long-term disaster scenarios can literally mean the difference between surviving or going the way of The Dodo. There have been dozens of articles on SurvivalBlog about the use of radios for voice communications, and having appropriate radios and communications plans should definitely be considered a critical part of any preparedness plan. However, there’s another form of communications that should be considered to complement radio communications – the ability to exchange text messages without the need for any supporting infrastructure. There are some use cases where texting can provide significant advantages, including:

  • Communicating silently if you need to stay quiet
  • Reviewing previously received communications
  • Secure encrypted communications with minimal risk of being intercepted
  • Sharing communications among a large group simultaneously
  • Something that works with existing technology like cell phones and with a minimal learning curve (texting)
  • Relatively compact with a long battery life
  • Something that doesn’t stand out in our current society like a handheld radio would
  • You don’t have enough radios for everyone in your extended group

Continue reading“Text Comms in a Post-Disaster World – Part 1, by J.M.”

Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Carrot Top Pesto is from SurvivalBlog reader S.N..  She writes:

“I had a wonderful carrot harvest this year. I freeze dried half of the green tops and use them like you would parsley. I also grind the dried tops into a powder and add it to my green drinks.

My favorite is carrot top pesto. The best part of this recipe is that its measurements are all to your liking. Absolutely delicious!”

Ingredients
  • Carrot top greens. (Leaves and stems, or take the time to de-stem. Nah.)
  • Olive oil
  • Pecans (or most any other nuts will work)
  • Garlic (to taste)
  • Onion
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)
Directions
  1. Combine the above-listed ingredients in your food processor.
  2. Blend to the consistency of your liking.
SERVING

“Wonderful on crackers. Energy-packed, and nutrient-dense. This provides terrific energy to fuel the day when eating for breakfast.

My other favorite is spreading it on Nan bread with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

This can be used like any other pesto.”

STORAGE

You can freeze this pesto, to save it for use in winter.

Notes

“This is also using food as medicine. Its nutrient-dense ingredients boost your immune system right before cold and flu season.

The additional ingredients are endless.\

If you weren’t able to use all the carrot tops then add them to your watering can and let them macerate for a few days. The stinkier the better. Your plants will thank you for the nutrients by giving you some brighter greens right before the winter sets in.”

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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!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week 

Today’s graphic: A map showing the annual property tax bill for owning a median-priced home in that US state. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

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Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 21, 2025

September 21, 1776: The Great New York Fire. Five days after the British Army took New York City, one quarter of the city burned down.

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September 21, 1931, Britain abandoned the gold standard. The Pound was devalued by 20%.

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On this day in 1780, during the American Revolution, American General Benedict Arnold met with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British in return for the promise of a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. The plot was foiled and Arnold’s name became synonymous with the word “traitor”.

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Today’s feature piece was written by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.  His features usually appear on Mondays, but this is running on a Sunday because we have a multi-part article that is scheduled to begin on Monday. – JWR

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We are in need of entries for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 120 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. 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.

Unorthodox Designs SLAP Loader for SIG P320/250, by Thomas Christianson

Gravity is not your friend. That is, except for some rare instances when it actually is. The Unorthodox Designs SLAP (Single Load And Press) Loader for SIG P320/250 harnesses the power of gravity to quickly and easily load steel SIG P320/250 standard or high-capacity magazines. The loader is especially effective when loading factory FMJ ammo with brass or nickel-plated casings.

The SLAP loader is available exclusively at GunMag Warehouse where it cost $19.99 at the time of this writing. There is also a version available for double stack Glock 9mm or .40 S&W magazines. Continue reading“Unorthodox Designs SLAP Loader for SIG P320/250, by Thomas Christianson”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week: 

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

We’ve Been Robbed!

One Well-Worn Pre-1965 Silver Dime With Just Melt Silver Value Now Costs $3.15 in FRNs

News Link: 

Silver price tops $40 for first time since 2011.

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

Now the Jew’s feast of tabernacles was at hand.

His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?” – John 7:1-19 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 20, 2025

On September 20, 1945, under OSS (and later CIA) Operation Paper Clip and Operation Overcast (1945 to 1959), German rocket scientists began to work in the United States. For the sake of expediency, more than 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians were granted immunity from war crimes prosecution and transported along with their families from the former Nazi Germany to the United States for employment with various government agencies and later, with defense contractors. Under these secretive and later publicly acknowledged and very controversial programs, the German contingent was most conspicuously led by senior scientist Wernher von Braun. (Pictured above, in 1964.) Their expertise with German V1 and V2 rockets under the Nazi regime jump-started the U.S. Army’s advanced missile program, the USAF remote-control target drone and X-series rocket plane programs, and the NASA space program.

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On this day in 1519, Magellan left Europe on his voyage of discovery.

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And on September 20, 1995, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to drop the national 55 MPH speed limit. This allowed the states to again decide their own speed limits, without fear of losing Federal highway funding.

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Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, James Wesley, Rawles (JWR).

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We are in great need of entries for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 120 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. 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.

Firearms Ownership Privacy: The Pre-1899 Solution

America is a wonderful place to live. We enjoy great prosperity and far more freedom than the citizens of most other nations. Our right to keep and bear arms is enshrined in the Constitution. But, as a union of 50 sovereign States, we also live with a patchwork of laws. Something that is perfectly legal in one State can be a misdemeanor or even a felony in another.  I feel fortunate to live in a very gun-friendly state in the Northern Rockies with permitless open carry, permitless concealed carry, and permitless vehicular carry. Here, nobody blinks an eye when they see a holstered pistol or a rifle in the back window of a pickup truck. But, meanwhile, gun owners who live in “blue” states often live in fear of violating some obscure state law or local ordinance. They cannot walk into a gun show and buy a modern gun from a fellow Private Party, and walk out the door. And, sadly, ever since 1968, nobody living in any state can buy a modern (post-1898) gun across state lines without processing the transaction through a FFL, filling out a Form 4473, and — more recently — passing a NICS (FBI) background check.Continue reading“Firearms Ownership Privacy: The Pre-1899 Solution”

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 are now feeling ready for winter. The hay and firewood are stacked.  I’ve been gathering the hoses and storing them in the shop. The guest cabin has been winterized.  Lily is still harvesting in our gardens.

We’ve been greatly enjoying the Indian Summer weather.  On Wednesday, we drove up to the high country for one last day of huckleberry picking. When we got back to the ranch in the afternoon, we found that 100 feet of our lane from the county road was crowded with thousands of orange California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica) butterflies. (Lily’s photo, above, shows just a few of them.)

I have been quite busy in the past few days, cataloging new inventory. This includes two more percussion revolvers, and a big batch of FN/FAL and HK91 magazines that I bought at auction from an estate. This includes some very rare original Rhodesian camouflage-painted 30-round Belgian FAL magazines! (See the Accessories section of the Elk Creek Company store page.)

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord‘s passover.

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” – Leviticus 23:1-8 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 19, 2025

On September 19, 1356, English forces under Edward the Black Prince defeated the French at the Battle of Poitiers and captured French King John II, during the Hundred Years’ War. Preceded by the Battle of Crécy in 1346, and followed by the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, it was the second of the three great English victories of the war.

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September 19, 1778: The Continental Congress passed the first budget of the United States.

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Also on this date in 1796, George Washington addressed the nation in his farewell address as President.

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Today’s feature article is by JWR.

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We are in need of entries for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 120 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. 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.

The Meme of Crushroom: A Key Retreat Architecture Element (Updated)

JWR’s Introductory Note:  This is an update and expansion of an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog back in 2009. I’ve corrected the article’s dead links and added some important details.

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One bit of retreat architecture that I’ve often recommended to my consulting clients who are designing (or retrofitting) retreats is the inclusion of a protruding entryway foyer, that I call a crushroom. Passing this advice along to you gives me the chance to employ one of my horrible puns: The Meme of Crushroom. A crushroom is a controllable confined space, typically an entry foyer, that can be covered with small arms fire or subjected to irritant or obscurant smoke or sprays. The outer door (or barred gate) to the crushroom is normally left open, but has a spring-loaded self-closure device, and an automatically-engaged remote-controlled lock release mechanism. Think of it as a Box Trap for Bad Guys. Have you ever visited a Big City apartment with a communal door where you need to get “buzzed in”? In this case, the Bad Guys will have to be buzzed out of your crushroom.Continue reading“The Meme of Crushroom: A Key Retreat Architecture Element (Updated)”

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 the return of inflation. (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

I noted a price jump in precious metals on Monday morning (Sept. 15, 2025) in U.S. trading. This followed strong buying in Asian trading:

  • Gold
    $3,697.80 
  • Silver
    $42.83 

And then on Tuesday morning:

  • Gold
    $3,709.90
  • Silver
    $43.17

That was another all-time high for gold. Predictably in typical profit-taking, by Thursday morning, we saw:

  • Gold
    $3,660.80
  • Silver
    $42.04

I expect to see more profit-taking and perhaps a last hurrah in short-selling — especially in Friday afternoon Comex trading — but the bull market has been re-confirmed. – JWR

o  o  o

At Gold-Eagle.com: Goldman Sachs: ‘Central Banks Will Be Buying Gold For Years’.

o  o  o

Nick Giambruno: Why the Hardest Money Always Wins.

Economy & Finance:

As reported by the leftist CNBC: Fed set to cut rates, but forecast for rest of 2025 is key to markets with politics clouding the picture.

o  o  o

I saw this linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Mortgage refinance demand spikes nearly 60%, as interest rates drop sharply. JWR’s Comment:  Clearly, the Fed’s 250 Basis Point interest rate cut on Wednesday was already “baked into the cake.”

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Bank Of Canada Resumes Rate Cuts After 6 Month Pause.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”