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…

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

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

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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.

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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.”

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

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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.

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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”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 12, 2023

On March 12, 2009, hedge-fund investment manager Bernie Madoff pled guilty to various crimes related to his operation of a Ponzi scheme that was one of the largest in the world; he was sentenced to 150 years in prison.

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Today is the birthday of science fiction author Harry Harrison, who is best known for his Deathworld trilogy. (He was born in 1920 and died in 2012.)

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On March 12, 1850 the first US $20 gold piece was issued.

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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.

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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 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.

Long-Term Survival Poultry, by J.S.

A few years ago, we moved out of the suburbs and onto a farm/homestead with plans to start raising every farm animal imaginable. Lots of friends and family thought we were crazy, but we had spent years researching animal husbandry and couldn’t wait to put our book knowledge to work. We moved in around Christmas and by mid-January we had baby chicks in the brooder and some donated hatching eggs in an incubator.

While our farm is not our main source of income, we do run it like a business and each spring we raise a few hundred pullets (young laying hens) to be sold to the backyard poultry crowd who don’t want the hassle (and smell) of staring chicks in their homes. While we do hatch some eggs on the farm, most of our day-old chicks are mailed to us from the hatchery (yes, that’s how it works) and then we raise them in the brooder with the proper light, heat, food, and water.

There are a few obvious problems with the mail-order hatchery approach if your goal is long-term survival and self-sufficiency. It relies on an operational postal system, operational hatcheries, cheap consistent electricity, and running water. If any one of these systems fails to operate, all of a sudden you can’t have chickens. Last spring, we lost power for just a few hours and lost quite a few fragile baby chicks. Anyone looking for birds this year knows that they are quite hard to come by; hatcheries are sold out over six months in advance in most cases today due to high egg prices!

A lot of homesteaders, preppers, and backyard chicken hobbyists buy their chickens this same way (or at the farm store which are still just mail-order chicks). Even backyard breeders that do hatch their own eggs generally do so with electric brooders just like the large hatcheries use.Continue reading“Long-Term Survival Poultry, by J.S.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” – 1 Thessalonians 3:3-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 11, 2023

135 years ago today, on March 11, 1888, the Great Blizzard of ’88 struck the northeastern United States.

Today is the birthday of author Douglas Adams (born 1952). He is the author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

March 11th is the birthday of the late actor Anton Yelchin (born 1989, died June 19, 2016). He is remembered for his portrayal of Kyle Reese in Terminator: Salvation, and as Ensign Pavel Checkov, the most recent Star Trek movie series. He died in a freak accident wherein his parked Jeep Grand Cherokee unexpectedly rolled forward on an incline, pinning him to a security fence.

Trapper and survivalist Claude Lafayette Dallas, Jr. was born March 11, 1950. The subject of several books and movies, Dallas had a “colorful” life. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the deaths of two game wardens, in Idaho. He served 22 years of a 30-year sentence before being released in 2005. He reportedly now lives in the wilds of Alaska.

A Florida Vacation, or SHTF?, by Z.P. Wilson

Greetings from Michigan, where the summers are glorious, and the winters long and cold. My wife and I have lived here all our lives, and have endured the seasonal cold by hunkering down at home with books and television. During our work lives, I often told her that when we retired, we would travel to warmer places when the snow flies.

We retired last year, so this was the first winter to put my idea into effect. I rented a house in Florida for the entire month of February. As we made plans for what to do and what to bring, a worry slowly crept into my brain—what to do if the Schumer Hit The Fan (SHTF) when we were far from home?

The Incomplete Prepper

I am the prepper in our family, and though my wife supports my efforts, she leaves most of it to me. I admit that I am an incomplete prepper. We’ve store food, cash, and ammo, but compared to some of the preppers I have read on this site, I am an amateur. Still, I think that any preps are better than no preps.

So I started thinking about various scenarios that could happen when we would be 1200 miles from home, in a large city with only the supplies we brought with us.

No matter the SHTF scenario, my primary concern was getting us home as quickly as possible. We planned to drive to Florida in my vehicle, a Ford Escape, which is a mid-size SUV. Here are my (admittedly incomplete) preparations for the journey.Continue reading“A Florida Vacation, or SHTF?, by Z.P. Wilson”

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:

This week we did a bit of snowplowing.  I also got some work done, remodeling our workshop. And I constructed a full-height 3′ x7′ poultry wire mesh room within our henhouse. We plan to use that room for specific breeding and to protect our baby chicks. The framework for that room was constructed with mixture of 2x2s and 2x4s. Its door is a framework of 2x2s with a 2×4 cross-brace, with poultry wire stapled on.

Now, Lily’s report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”