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, we look at some interesting maps for those who are preparedness-minded.

Map: National Risk Index for Natural Hazards

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) publishes a National Risk Index for Natural Hazards. This data can be displayed as a map. There is a toggle list in the upper left corner to sort by specific risks, such as earthquake, flood, tornado, et cetera. The tornado risk in the Denver area came as a surprise to me.  Note that the “Census Tract” view might be more useful than the county view, especially for areas with large countries, like southern California. The map at the top of today’s column shows Tornado Risk.

An Interactive Crime Rate Map

With some web searching, I found that the ADT company hosts an interactive map on crime rates that can be filtered by types of crime. It is quite interesting. I was shocked by the high crime rates in Alaska — but I suspect that most of that is concentrated in Alaska’s handful of large cities.

DC Democrats are Still Hard At Woke

SurvivalBlog reader H.A. coined the phrase “Hard At Woke.”  And that perfectly describes the oh-so-woke authors of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. This amendment, offered last July, in summary:

“Requires public companies to annually disclose the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, and veteran status of their board directors, nominees, and senior executive officers; empowers the SEC’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion to publish best diversity disclosure practices; and creates an advisory group that would study and report on increasing corporate diversity.”

It was sponsored in the House Rules Committee by House members Meeks (of New York), Maloney, Carolyn (of New York), Torres, Ritchie (of New York), Sherman (of California), and Brown (of Maryland).  Not surprisingly, all of them are Democrats.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 19, 2023

April 19th is the original Patriot Day which marks the multiple anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”. This first battle, leading to our nation’s independence, was the then-dictator’s (United Kingdom King George III’s) failed attempt at “gun control”– an act being carried out in too many parts of our USA right now. This first gun control of the colonies was a failure, because of the will and determination of a small part of the population (about 3% actually fought for our independence actively, with many others supporting) to stand up to an oppressive, controlling government (England). Without the sacrifice by those few Patriots, we could very well still be “British subjects” rather than independent citizens. Note that due to corporate bureaucracy, the celebration has generally been moved to the third Monday in April to facilitate a postal/banking holiday.

It also marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943, the BATF’s costly raid on the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, the gun turret explosion on the USS Iowa in 1989, the capture of the Boston Marathon bomber in 2013, and very sadly also the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

April 19th is also the birthday of novelist Ralph Peters. Coincidentally, Ralph and I both have the same literary agent, Robert Gottlieb.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 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 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.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. 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. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 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 Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  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.

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More than $800,000 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 106 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.

Women Preppers: Learn To Hunt – Part 1, by D.K.R.

A couple of years ago, I decided to add hunting to my survival skills, and I would like to share my experience as a new hunter, particularly with women who may be intimidated by the idea. Please note that the suggestions in this article are not strictly post-TEOTWAWKI methods and gear — but are intended to help now in the learning and preparation process.

Family and friends, including my husband, thought I had gone off the deep end, deciding to start hunting as a woman “of a certain age”, but I was not deterred. In addition to fishing and foraging, hunting could help supplement food supplies in the event of TEOTWAWKI and even just lean times. Also, a part of me reasoned that if I am going to eat meat, I should be willing to participate in the entire messy process. I have fished, camped, and backpacked. But I admit that taking on this particularly male-dominated activity was especially empowering.Continue reading“Women Preppers: Learn To Hunt – Part 1, by D.K.R.”

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.

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The Great American Gun Divide. JWR’s Comments: Pundits often speak of the cultural divide between “Red States” versus “Blue States”.  But the contrast between Gun-Toting States versus Gun-Hating States is even more pronounced. There are not many other issues that have precipitated such wholesale political migration. Needless to say, if you live in a gun-grabbing state, then vote with your feet!

o  o  o

I heard about an innovative business-to-consumer site, created by and for conservatives: Public Square.

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Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini emerges from cave after 500 days — and she did not want to come out.

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Officials sound alarm on carmakers dropping AM radio in new vehicles: ‘Meant for emergencies’.

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Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson spotted this: Visualizing the World’s Plummeting Fertility Rate.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 18, 2023

Paul Revere, a renowned silversmith, is better remembered as a folk hero of the American Revolution who this night in 1775 made a dramatic ride on horseback to warn Boston-area residents of an imminent attack by British troops.

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We are still seeking entries for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $800,000 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 106 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.

Deluded American Fiat-Fooled Yellen-Era Serfs

I recently coined the acronym DAFFYS, to describe the majority of Americans. DAFFYS stands for Deluded American Fiat-Fooled Yellen-era Serfs.

Most Americans are under the foolish delusion that they have “money” in their bank accounts. But it is not true money (gold or silver “dollars” as defined in the Coinage Acts of 1792 and 1834). Instead, much like the folding paper currency, those accounting entry digits represent “Federal Reserve Notes” (FRNs), with no intrinsic value. FRNs are issued “at will” (by fiat) by the Federal Reserve cartel. They are created out of thin air, through the process of fractional reserve banking. Created out of nothing, they are also redeemable only for nothing – just other FRNs, in different forms, including debased (clad) coinage. Starting in 1965, FRNs became non-redeedmable. The 90% silver coins minted up until 1964 were quickly swept out of circulation by the public and tucked away, for family safekeeping. There were 40% silver half dollars for a few more years, but those too soon vanished from circulation. People realized what was going on, and they pounced on that real money. So many folks were stockpiling silver coins that there was a coin shortage for several years. Eventually, the U.S. Mint caught up, producing nearly worthless silver-plated copper slugs, to circulate ersatz dimes, quarters, and half-dollars.

We’re Being Robbed

As the money supply increases, wages go up. Your average dimwitted DAFFYS see “more money” in their wallets, and hence they feel like they are getting ahead. But they are not when inflation outpaces wage increases.  And generally, sadly, that is the case. So DAFFYS  might feel richer, but they are actually getting poorer.

We are being systematically robbed two ways, every year:

1.) A tax rate that averages no less than 30% combined, at local, state, and federal levels.

2.) A currency inflation rate that now exceeds 12%. (The much lower “official” rate is a lie, because it excludes food and fuel price increases.)Continue reading“Deluded American Fiat-Fooled Yellen-Era Serfs”

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, we focus on the Montana Legislature’s Vote To Ban TikTok. (See the Montana section.)

Idaho

Reader Dave B.  sent us the link to this biased left-wing Dutch television news report from 2022: AMERICAN REDOUBT: Ultra Conservatives Taking Over Idaho.  Take note that Nieuwsuur is co-produced by two state-run broadcasters in Holland — their equivalents of PBS or NPR. They of course reflexively dredged up the 30+ year-old history of a handful of Idaho neo-nazis, in an attempt to discredit the American Redoubt movement.  And hearing Sandpoint’s hard-left Democrat mayor of Sandpoint refer to us as “The American Taliban” made me laugh out loud.  That was ironic, coming from someone who tried to severely lock down his city during the recent pandemic.

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Week one of the Lori Vallow Daybell trial comes to an end.

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How could Idaho’s firing squad law affect Bryan Kohberger? Idaho’s history offers clues.

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Runners take on the snow and ice during the 45th Race to Robie Creek.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The Constitution of the United States was made not merely for the generation that then existed, but for posterity — unlimited, undefined, endless, perpetual posterity.” – Henry Clay

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 17, 2023

On April 17, 1982, the Canada Act, also known as the Constitution Act, took effect. The Canada Act established certain individual rights, preserving parliamentary supremacy, and making Canada a wholly independent, fully sovereign state.  Sadly, since then, individual liberty in Canada has been deeply degraded by the growth of the bureaucratic, Ottawa-centric, and increasingly socialistic Nanny State.

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Today’s feature article was penned by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

Ruger 10/22 Carbine, by Thomas Christianson

I recently began evaluating a rifle chambered in .22LR. In my notes and in my thoughts, I kept comparing the rifle to the Ruger 10/22. After a while, I thought, “I really should write about the Ruger 10/22 first. That would provide a baseline for future reviews of other rifles chambered in .22LR. In many ways, the Ruger 10/22 is the standard against which other  rifles are measured.”

The Ruger 10/22 is a semi-automatic rifle or carbine chambered in .22LR. It comes from the factory with a detachable rotary box magazine that holds 10 rounds. It has an aluminum receiver and a cross-bolt safety at the front of the trigger guard. Depending on the wood density of the stock, it weighs about five pounds.

A Good “First Gun”

The best first gun for any individual varies greatly depending on their background and experience, current situation, desired use, personal preferences, and economic situation. For example, for a man who grew up duck hunting with his father, and who is looking for a firearm for home defense, I might recommend a shotgun as his first gun. For someone who desires to carry a firearm on a daily basis, I might recommend a handgun. For someone in a rural area who has feral pigs raiding their garden, I might recommend a centerfire rifle. But for someone who has no firearms background or experience at all and who wants to cautiously dip their toe into the waters of firearm ownership, I would recommend the Ruger 10/22. I would recommend the 10/22 for a number of reasons.Continue reading“Ruger 10/22 Carbine, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:  Super Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

The following recipe for Super Simple Peanut Butter Cookies is from reader Cathy D.  She notes: “The egg helps hold the dough together. Don’t skip it, or you’ll have crumbly mess.”

This recipe makes one dozen cookies.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup peanut butter. Typical commercial peanut butter brands (like Skippy or Jif) work better than the “natural/organic” brands.
  • 1 cup of white sugar.
  • 1 egg
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Mix peanut butter, white sugar, and egg in a medium bowl until smooth.
  4. Roll mixture into 1-inch dough balls and place 1.5 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet
  5. Flatten each dough ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are just barely brown on the bottoms, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  7. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Ootionlly, sprinkle with sugar or powdered sugar.
SERVING

Serve warm or cold. With milk, of course!

STORAGE

If you’d like, the uncooked dough balls can be frozen.  Thaw before baking.

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Do you have a favorite 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 and slow cooker recipes, and any 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. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the baby bull in precious metals.

Precious Metals:

Silver has been steadily climbing, in recent weeks. Despite some profit-taking on Friday (April 14), spot silver closed at $25.61 per Troy ounce!  It now costs $26,900+ to buy a $1,000 face value bag of pre-1965 US. “junk” silver from a reliable “low mark-up” dealer. Some dealers are demanding more than $30,450! If you want to buy silver in any coin or bar form, then it pays to shop around for the lowest premiums.  But, of course, only buy from reputable dealers.

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Charted: 30 Years of Central Bank Gold Demand.

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A little chartism from Morris Hubbartt, At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold & Silver: A Thunderous Rally.

Economy & Finance:

From all reports, American banks are still hemorrhaging deposits, as their customers seek both the safety and higher rates of return found in U.S. Treasury paper. I can foresee that the banking crisis will worsen in the coming months, especially if the FOMC keeps raising interest rates. So… Keep your deposits small and diverse. If you have all your deposits in just one bank, then you are trodding on dangerous ground. Here is a piece that might prove helpful to you: Which Banks Are in Danger of Failing or Collapse? And I must repeat my guidance: Avoid banks with large derivatives exposure. – JWR

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Jobless Claims Deterioration Across US States Indicates Impending Recession.

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The yield curve in the U.S. has now been inverted for three months. This is the deepest inversion since 1981. Historically, the 2-year/10-year yield curve has inverted for 6 to 24 months preceding each recession since 1955. If this situation continues, then it does not bode well, particularly for equities. The general economy could now easily tip over into recession. Meanwhile, the real estate crash — both residential and commercial — is just getting started. Plan accordingly.

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Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site:

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Strictly speaking, it probably is not “necessary” for the federal government to tax anyone directly; it could simply print the money it needs. However, that would be too bold a stroke, for it would then be obvious to all what kind of counterfeiting operation the government is running. The present system combining taxation and inflation is akin to watering the milk; too much water and the people catch on.” – Congressman Ron Paul