Finding, Buying, and Improving My Bugout Location – Part 3, by Greg X.

(Continued from Part 2.  This concludes the article.)

I purchased the property in the winter out of a bankruptcy for a good price. This left me with some money to invest, but I plan to do as much of the repair work as I can. This may take longer than contractors (who are hard to find too) but I also don’t want to appear too wealthy to the neighbors. This is the Grey Man approach.

I’ll use the neighbors to source inexpensive local materials and contractors for work beyond my skill set, safety, or time to invest. For example, I was looking at tractors and talking with the dealership manager. He told me about a good source for locally produced tongue and groove flooring. A neighbor told me a good place to buy a culvert pipe. I had a friend who recommended a contractor who recommended a roofer that he uses that I hired (though the roofer was about 5 months backed up). A neighbor had a relative who hauled in a load of gravel for the road at a good price.

People want to be helpful. At least one of the neighbors has some carpentry and construction skills so I’m considering hiring him for some of the work, or to teach me what I don’t know. He also has access to a skid loader that could be used to fill in some holes on the property. I’ve been spending considerable time getting to know my neighbors and becoming part of the community to the best extent possible as an absentee owner.

For the land, I started a couple compost piles to produce compost to rebuild the soil for a garden. I’m researching where to put the garden based on soil conditions and moisture. A neighbor offered me bedding hay and cow manure to fertilize the garden. I want to expand the forest into the edges of the hayfields, especially where the grass isn’t growing thickly. I’ve been talking with a friend from work who has been reforesting his family farm for about 20 years for tips and best practices.Continue reading“Finding, Buying, and Improving My Bugout Location – Part 3, by Greg X.”

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 the risk of a Third World War.

Five Places World War III Could Start in 2023

Posted in January, over at Business Insider: Five Places World War III Could Start in 2023. “These five areas pose the greatest risk for the eruption of what we might be tempted to call ‘World War III.'”

Russia’s War in Ukraine: Insights from RAND

From the statist RAND Corporation think tank: Russia’s War in Ukraine: Insights from RAND.

Is the Biden Administration Late to WWIII?

An opinion piece at left-leaning and statist The Hill: Is the Biden administration late to WWIII?

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery, it is that, in the long run-and often in the short one-the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative.” – Arthur C. Clarke

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 15, 2023

This is the birthday of General and President Andrew Jackson, in 1767. He was the 7th President of the United States (1829-1837.)

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I’m pleased to report that the ranch caretaker position that I had announced on behalf of one of my consulting clients has now been filled.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 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. 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 transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

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 105 ends on March 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.

 

Finding, Buying, and Improving My Bugout Location – Part 2, by Greg X.

(Continued from Part 1.)

My Detailed Search

I spent the first couple of years looking at real estate online. I’m trying to find a property that is at least 3 hours away so in-person viewing wasn’t efficient for my initial search. I wanted to get a feel for what was for sale, what were prices like, how much money did I need, and what kind of amenities were in certain areas. I would map driving distances and roads looking at drive times, rush hour constraints, fastest routes and number of alternate routes.

Zillow.com and Realtor.com were my favorite search sites. They have maps that show property lines, at least in the areas I was looking. They have tools that let me set minimum property size, min and max price, and other characteristics of the property. They showed pictures of the properties, size of structures, and if there were wells and septic systems. I used these sites to identify and screen initial prospects. For lots that looked promising I would map them in Google, look at the satellite pictures, try to gauge the density of the trees, how much of the properties were open, where were the neighbors, what people were doing with the land around the properties, where were the streams, and google has a terrain feature now that provides some view of topography and elevations.

I mapped distances to home and population centers, I checked on where the nearest big hospital with a trauma center was (not close), how far to smaller medical facilities, how far to find groceries, how far to hardware stores, a lumber yard, restaurants, etc. For properties that I really liked, I went to a USGS site, The National Map – Advanced Viewer, and looked up the properties. The topo map view gave me elevations, streams, where water was going to flow and a relative picture of slopes on the property based on the distance between contour lines. My search area was more than 10,000 square miles.

We found a couple real estate agents we liked, over time. I used the agents to find out additional information on the properties, disclosure statements, maps, deeds (when possible), answers to questions, and to tour the properties. Rarely did the agents find a property I hadn’t reviewed first online. This might be different in other areas. We described what we were looking for, land with a stream, a pond, some slope, good trees, soil for a garden, next to public land for more privacy and places to play. I can build a house, a garage, or a barn but the features of the land are inherent to the property purchased. It either comes with a stream or it doesn’t, it has the contours to fill a pond or it doesn’t, it has trees growing, or planting them now will provide a forest for my grandchildren. I’ve now come to believe the public land would be good in peacetime, but a threat if the SHTF since there is no owner to protect the land. It becomes a place for outsiders to camp in.Continue reading“Finding, Buying, and Improving My Bugout Location – Part 2, by Greg X.”

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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SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this: Oregon man stranded in remote snow-covered road uses drone to signal for help. Mike’s Comment: “He was foolish for getting into that predicament, but he devised a clever way to get out.”

o  o  o

China Warns “There Will Surely Be Conflict And Confrontation” With The US If Nothing Changes.

o  o  o

A new video from Lauren Southern: How True is Farmlands Today? #SouthAfrica.

o  o  o

Over 40% Of Americans Think WW3 Is Imminent. JWR’s Comments: The PLA leadership in China would be foolish to wait until a Republican is back in the Whitehouse, before invading Taiwan. They know Biden is a pushover. Historically, most of America’s wars have been started with Democrats as Presidents, and ended with Republicans as Presidents.

o  o  o

Jeff Charles of Liberty Nation News: Desperate Democrats Get Creative in Implementing Gun Control.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 14, 2023

On March 14, 1951, United Nations forces recaptured Seoul during the Korean War.

This is the birthday of fighter ace Major Raoul Lufbery (born 1885). He was shot down and killed in 1918.

This is the birthday of Marlin Perkins. He was a well-known television host (Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom). He was born in 1905 in Carthage. Missouri.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 105 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. 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 transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

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 105 ends on March 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.

Finding, Buying, and Improving My Bugout Location – Part 1, by Greg X.

Introduction

In this article, I will describe my search for a bugout location (BOL). I would consider it typical for someone living in the eastern United States. I closed escrow on that property last May and have been working on the place every weekend since then.

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If you search the Internet and you will find multiple articles about the perfect bugout location. Most articles will contain a standard list of recommendations that require tradeoffs and sacrifices most of us don’t want to or can’t make while staying within our value systems and life constraints. I would argue that “the” perfect bugout location is a myth, that even our personal perfect bugout location is likely to be unobtainable for most, and that what we should seek is the best location we can obtain that balances tradeoffs. What follows is my thought processes, search, and final results. Your results, your analysis of the risks, your constraints are likely to be different and that’s ok because the key is to develop a plan that works for you.

I’ve been a prepper since I was a kid, but I didn’t seriously start thinking about a bugout location until about 12 years ago when I read one of JWR’s books. Prior to reading that book I lived in the Midwest near New Madrid. [Anticipating an earthquake that might make my house uninhabitable,] I kept sufficient survival supplies in the garage to survive for a month living in my backyard.

I was transferred to the east coast. My supplies expanded a bit, but now I was preparing for a hurricane. Both my worst-case scenarios were regional with the rest of the country available to supply aid over time. I just needed to survive on my own until the aid arrived. JWR’s book introduced the idea that the whole country could go down, that there would be no rescue from areas unaffected and my planning needed to expand. At the time my son was in high school, I was being transferred for work, and I didn’t have the income to buy a bugout place. I started with a bug-in plan. I began with accumulating food, supplies, water filters, books, knowledge, tools, guns, ammunition, and a long list of materials that would be useful if the stores closed and commerce collapsed. I read SurvivalBlog, I read books, I read other Internet websites, and I just started thinking, doing “what if?” drills, connecting dots, saving money for a bugout location down payment, and doing the mental preparation and analysis.Continue reading“Finding, Buying, and Improving My Bugout Location – Part 1, by Greg X.”

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, in a departure from the usual news coverage, we will briefly focus on the increasingly conservative politics in The American Redoubt.

Idaho

What kind of political beliefs are newcomers bringing to Idaho? Survey says…

o  o  o

Written by a liberal, back in 2021: Explaining Idaho: Growing Fast and Changing Politically.

o  o  o

Thousands of Idahoans are moving to these 5 states. (We could be more adventurous.)

o  o  o

Report Says Migration to Idaho From Other States Down 61% since 2020.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The people I represent are more independent—they want to feel empowered to make decisions that they think are best for themselves and for their families. They don’t like the federal government or the state government interfering with their ability to make those decisions and so they get offended sometimes when the people who live in the greater Seattle area enforce their values on those of us who live in eastern Washington.” – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 13, 2023

Editor’s Update:  Don’t miss reading today’s Economics & Investing column. It is important!

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Today is the anniversary of The Great Quebec Blackout. On March 13, 1989, the Hydro-Québec power grid failed after a solar storm, as a coronal mass ejection (CME) struck the Earth’s magnetosphere. The blackout lasted nine hours.

Dr. David Boteler, head of the Space Weather Group at Natural Resources Canada described the event: “It was the biggest geomagnetic storm of the Space Age. March 1989 has become the archetypal disturbance for understanding how solar activity can cause blackouts.”

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I noticed that Sawyer Mini Filters in five different colors are now on sale for just $28.99 at Ready Made Resources. (One of our most loyal advertisers, and also a long-time sponsor of our nonfiction writing contest.) To find the Sawyers filters, type or paste SP128 in their search box.

Bear Edge Model 61125 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

A pair of eyes glowed brightly in the darkness of the woods beyond the reach of my headlamp. I was not concerned. The woods surrounding our home are filled with a host of furry creatures, most of them benign. A stroll around our property can resemble the meadow scene from Disney’s Bambi. Birds flit through the branches, and rabbits and squirrels leisurely hop off into the undergrowth. So it is not at all unusual to see eyes glowing in the darkness when I take the dog for a walk on a winter’s evening.

Then the eyes started moving toward me. That was definitely unusual. It had never happened before. Usually the eyes eventually just disappear as the various furry creatures turned their heads and move away into the undergrowth. I felt a touch of concern as the word “rabies” skittered across the back of my mind.

I was holding the dog’s leash was in my left hand. I reached across my body with my right arm. There was a Bear Edge Model 61125 folding knife clipped inside my left front pants pocket. I pulled out the knife and swept my index finger over the flipper. The blade spun around the pivot point and locked firmly into place with an authoritative click. It was the first time that I can ever remember deploying a blade for possible defensive use. I took a measure of comfort from knowing that if this situation became a matter of tooth and claw, I had one claw that was longer and sharper than the others.

The glowing eyes then disappeared. The unknown creature, its curiosity evidently satisfied about the dog and man passing through its domain, had turned and moved away into the woods.

The Background

I recently received a press release about the new Bear Edge 61125. Bear Edge is a brand under Bear & Son Cutlery. I had previously reviewed another knife from Bear & Son, the Bear OPS Rancor II Pattern 400. I liked that knife a lot, so I decided that the 61125 was worth a second look. I asked Bear & Son if they could provide a sample for testing and evaluation. They were kind enough to agree.Continue reading“Bear Edge Model 61125 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Survival Spread

The following Survival Spread recipe is from SurvivalBlog reader L.E.. She notes:

“You may have to overcome a visual “ick” factor, since this mixture resembles baby poop. Along with plenty of water, two heaping spoonfuls per day will keep an adult alive for a week if nothing else is eaten.

DO NOT attempt to add nuts or fruit or oatmeal, the goal here is to have a mixture that can be easily consumed and digested by babies, licked off a spoon by starving children, bedridden injured, and toothless old people.”

Ingredients
  • One 16-ounce jar of store-brand peanut butter
  • Two cups powdered WHOLE milk, (either Peak brand or WHOLE goats milk-Meyer brand.)
    (Do NOT use store-brand nonfat powdered milk, you will need WHOLE milk for recipe to work)
  • Two cups Protein powder (Chocolate Malt Ovaltine, or Instant Breakfast powder any flavor)
  • One cup melted coconut oil (or substitute lard, if you are not Jewish or Muslim)
  • One-quarter cup syrup of choice (Maple syrup, Fig syrup, or Molasses)
Directions
  1. Mix all ingredients in large microwave-safe container, then heat in a microwave oven for one minute or less, keeping watch to make sure nothing burns or bubbles over. Or mix well in a metal pan on your stovetop on low heat.
  2. When the mixture has cooled, it must be able to hold a spoon stuck in it upright without slumping over.
SERVING & STORAGE

Store in fridge and use like peanut butter, or vacuum seal to eat like a popsicle. I vacuum seal mine in foil pouches each containing 14 heaping tablespoons full, and freeze them. It is my “grab and flee” emergency food.

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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, some more details on the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse, and the closure of Signature Bank. (See the Economy & Finance section, the Derivatives section, and the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Important Note: If you have any exposure to a regional bank or one that is heavily into CDS derivatives or tied to a crypto exchange, then withdraw the majority of your funds, ASAP! – JWR

Precious Metals:

Perth Mint sold diluted gold to China, got caught, and tried to cover it up.

o  o  o

A piece by Dr. Ron Paul, posted by Gold-Eagle.com: The Federal Reserve’s Magic Trick: Big Tech.

Economy & Finance:

Silicon Valley Bank imploded in a single day. It could be just the tip of the iceberg. Here is a pericope:

“Commercial real estate should be a a top worry for investors because there is more than $60 billion in fixed rate loans that will soon require refinancing at higher interest rates. Additionally, there is more than $140 billion in floating rate commercial mortgage backed securities that will mature in the next two years, according to Goldman Sachs.”

o  o  o

Regulators have two massive problems to sort out with the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

o  o  o

Silicon Valley Bank is a reminder that ‘things tend to break’ when Fed hikes rates. JWR’s Comments:  This is a great example of the folly of “Borrowing short and lending long.”  A lot of the blame for this fiasco should go to Janet Yellen, who kept rates artificially low throughout her entire term, leading the Federal Reserve banking cartel.

o  o  o

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Larry Summers warns Silicon Valley Bank collapse has ‘substantial consequences’ for America’s innovation system.

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CNBC: Auction process is reportedly underway to find a buyer for Silicon Valley Bank.

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At Seeking Alpha: SVB Financial Group: Simply Scary.

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Yellen rules out bailout for Silicon Valley Bank: “We’re not going to do that again”.

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Larry McDonald (of Bear Traps Report) warns stock market crash could come within 60 days.

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Update (Monday AM):  A headline at Yahoo Finance: US Regional Banks Remain Under Pressure as First Republic Sinks. Here is an excerpt:

“Regional lenders dominated the leader board for most-sold stocks in the US premarket:

First Republic Bank sank 65%

Western Alliance Bancorp lost 60%

PacWest Bancorp was down 46%

Finwise Bancorp tumbled 40%

Zions Bancorp. slid 24%

Metropolitan Bank dropped 23%

BankUnited Inc. was off 21%

The selling starting to seep into S&P 500 futures, which spiked overnight before turning lower 45 minutes before the cash open.”

Blackstone Defaults on Nordic CMBS as Property Values Wobble. JWR’s Comments: Just imagine if we were to hear a similar story in a few months about Blackrock, with a much higher dollar figure. In 2022, Blackrock lost $1.7 trillion in just six months. It is noteworthy that Blackrock controls $10 trillion dollars in assets! If this real estate giant defaulted, then we’d be looking at the grandmother of all bailouts.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”