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:

I’ve been quite busy cataloging new inventory for my Elk Creek Company side business. I also took a trip yesterday to attend a gun show. I only found one gun there that was suitable to add to my inventory: A scarce  Ballard single-shot rifle with an octagonal barrel, chambered in .38 Long Colt.

On the way home, I dropped by to pick up a few antique guns from a friend who has an FFL. He very kindly takes delivery of pre-1899 guns sourced from Internet gun dealers and auction houses that mistakenly put antique guns in their FFL bound books “just to be safe.” They insist on those being sent only to fellow FFL holders. That idiotic practice really aggravates me. But thankfully, my FFL buddy handles this for me, free of charge. And, of course, he never logs them into his bound book. They don’t belong there any more than a BB gun does. (Since pre-1899 guns and blackpowder muzzleloading guns are not considered “firearms”, under Federal law.)  I try to reciprocate by doing favors for him, like occasionally letting him have an appealing gun at my cost, or buying him a restaurant dinner.

It looks like we will have some late summer rains starting on Monday.  That will relieve me from the monotony of moving the sprinklers around on our near pasture.  (It measures about two acres.) I’ve managed to keep that green, all summer long.

This coming week, I plan to install a replacement drop pipe and stainless steel sandpoint into the casing of one of our two shallow backup wells. Both of those wells are less than 30 feet deep. This particular well will also get a new Pitcher-type Hitzer brass and cast iron hand pump that I bought from Ready Made Resources.

I have been experimenting with making fermented pine needle sodapop.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.” – Psalm 73:1-20 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 5, 2025

Today is the birthday of the late comedian Bob Newhart. He was born September 5, 1929, and passed away on July 18, 2024. His comedic timing was great.

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On September 5, 1836, Sam Houston was elected President of the Republic of Texas.

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And on this day in 1932, the French Upper Volta was broken up into Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger.

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Today’s feature article is a short piece by our friend Hub Moolman, of South Africa.

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We are in great need of entries for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Take note that the number of entries always drops during the busy summer months, so your statistical chance of being a prize winner is much higher.   (There is simply less competition!)

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.

 

Tracking The Silver Bull Market, by Hubert Moolman

The recent silver breakout means that silver is likely on an almost clear path to this target area (previously presented):

 

 

 

(Click the thumbnail above, to expand.)

The current bottoming pattern from around 2014 to now is very similar to the early-2000s’ bottoming pattern.

I have highlighted two similar patterns (marked 1 to 5). The bottoming period of the early 2000s started when silver broke down at the black support line (bottom of the channel) in late 2000 and made a low at point 5. This is similar to the period since the breakdown at the blue support line (bottom of the channel) in late 2014, eventually making a low in 2020.

I have indicated how the current chart position is similar to late 2003, when silver prices were still around $5 USD per Troy ounce. The recent breakout is a significant indication that price could move relatively fast to the blue line.

Price will probably soon move back inside the channel just like it did in December 2003 and stay above that blue line for the rest of the bull market. So, although there could still be pullbacks along the way, it is expected (based on these fractals) that we are now likely in a sustained silver rally similar to 2010-2011, for example.

In a previous article, I showed how significant silver peaks occurred within 8.5 years after the Dow/gold ratio peak, with the Great Depression silver peak occurring the soonest (6 to 7 years after).

It is now 6 years and 10 months since the Dow/gold ratio peak of October 2018. In other words, there are still about 1 year and 8 months (20 months) left before we get to the 8.5 years since the Dow/gold peak.

Given that silver actually rallied on a sustained basis for at least two years before each of those peaks, we are likely to see silver rally for most of the coming 20 months.

When considering that we are probably very close to monetary reform, the rest of this decade will certainly make for interesting times.

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Editor’s Note: This article was first published at Hub Moolman’s website.  For those who see value in chartist analysis, I recommend his by-subscription silver newsletter. He also has a Silver Fractal Analysis Report available.

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 another new all-time high for gold, in U.S. Dollar terms.  (See the Precious Metals section.) Also, take note of my warning on the stock market, in the Economy & Finance section. – JWR

Precious Metals:

Reported in the WSJ on Monday: Gold Futures Rise to Record High on Fed Concerns, Rate-Cut Expectations  — The precious metal is now up more than 34% in the year to date. Here is an excerpt:

“Continuous gold futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 0.8% to $3,543.80 a troy ounce in European midday trading, having reached as high as $3,557.10/oz earlier in the session.”

JWR’s Comment:  The WSJ‘s editors failed to mention that spot silver hit a whopping $41.03 per Troy ounce, the same day. By Monday evening on the East Coast (which is Tuesday morning in Asian trading) spot gold was at $3,519.30 and silver at $41.19 per Troy ounce. That brought the market price for a $1,000 face value bag of “junk” silver up to almost $30,000. There was some profit-taking, but by Tuesday evening, gold was back up to $3,555.80. I don’t want to sound smug about this, but…  …I told you so!

o  o  o

Mark Mead Baillie, at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Lookin’ Sporty; Silver Lovin’ Forty!

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And Neils Christensen, at the Kitco site: Silver could outshine gold as investment demand picks up.

Economy & Finance:

From the WSJ: U.S. Stocks Are Now Pricier Than They Were in the Dot-Com Era. JWR’s Comments:  The P/E ratios don’t lie. In fact, they fairly accurately presage secular market downturns. And take note that the “Smart Money” is already on the sidelines, ready to ride out the upcoming stock market crash. Just look at Warren Buffett’s now huge cash position for the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio as a key indicator. If you haven’t done so already, GET OUT of most of your equities, ASAP!

o  o  o

Some gloom and doom talk over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Population Collapse PART 2: Tim Pool & Elon Musk Warn Of Coming Depression, Social & Economic Crisis.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“We wargame and make plans for the end of the world, right? We have maps, escape routes, stashes of gear, emergency communication protocols, etc. But, as I’ve said over and over, you’ll have a bunch of small personal EOTWAWKI events that are resolved with $50 bills long before you have the EOTWAWKI event that is resolved with .50 BMG.

So, it would stand to reason that if you’re going to be so prepared that you have contingency plans for the apocalypse, perhaps it might be a good idea to have plans for those personal apocalypses as well.

I learned the hard way that when you’re suddenly in a financial hardship and you don’t know where the next dollar is coming from, that’s the worst time to suddenly write a budget or spending plan. Dude, you need to have that duck already in the row so that when you get that big pink slip or your income takes a headshot you simply open up the folder to the plan and you follow it. For me, that’s what I call ‘the war budget’…” –  Commander Zero, in his Notes From The Bunker blog

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 4, 2025

On this day in 1618, the “Rodi” avalanche destroyed the town of Plurs, Switzerland (now Piuro, Italy, pictured) at the base of Monte Conto, killing 1,500 residents.

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September 4, 1862 is the fateful day that General Lee invaded the North with 50,000 troops.

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Today’s feature piece is a product review that was authored by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.

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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.

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar Watch, by Thomas Christianson

Certain observers would say that I have an unhealthy obsession with punctuality. The fact that those observers are my children does not necessarily mean that they are correct. Children have been known to misunderstand their parents. They may even rebel against their upbringing by arriving at events exactly on time rather than 30 minutes early. Thus, the world spirals into decay.

In any case, accurate time keeping is as a balm to my soul. If civilization collapses and chaos ensues, I want to know exactly what time it is when everything goes down.

In June of 2023, SurvivalBlog published my review of the Invicta 29178 automatic watch. The watch had many strong points, but it had one tragic flaw: it was just too shiny for field use. I felt like I was walking around with a mirror strapped to my arm that was screaming, “I am here! I am here!”Continue reading“Timex Expedition Field Post Solar Watch, by Thomas Christianson”

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, a brief examination of Federal District Court Judge Charles Breyer.

National Guard Use for LA Protests Ruled Illegal

The Associated Press reports: Trump’s use of National Guard during LA immigration protests is illegal, judge rules. JWR’s Comments:  The AP reporters and editors failed to mention that 83-year-old Judge Charles Breyer is a life-long Democrat, he graduated from UC Berkeley’s Law School in the 1960s, he was a Bill Clinton appointee, and since June 27th he has been facing a pending House of Representatives impeachment that alleges:  “Senior District Judge Charles R. Breyer used the powers of his position to engage in actions that overstep his judicial authority. By making a political decision outside the scope of his judicial duties, he compromised the impartiality of our judicial system and created a constitutional crisis.”  Judge Charles Breyer is the younger brother of the slightly more conservative and better-known former Supreme Court Justice, Stephen Breyer. (Who is also a Democrat and was a fellow Bill Clinton appointee.)

SOF Veterans on Surviving a Catastrophic Event

What is mentioned in this video interview will sound familiar to SurvivalBlog readers: Navy SEAL and Green Beret on Surviving a Catastrophic Event.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 3, 2025

On September 3, 301, San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world’s oldest republic still in existence, was founded by Marinus. He was named a Saint by the Roman Catholic church.

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English general and statesman Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658.

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On September 3, 1752, Great Britain and its colonies, including the future United States of America officially adopted the Gregorian calendar, and it immediately became September the 14th.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post by our friend and fellow American Redoubt resident Brandon Smith, the editor of the Alt-Market.us blog.

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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.

Bring Back Asylums: Transgender Fatigue In America, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note: This essay was first posted at Brandon Smith’s Alt-Market.us. It is reposted with permission.

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Transgenderism is not a civil rights movement; it’s a social engineering experiment. The LGBT movement is not a struggle for equal rights; it’s a covert war for political control. The agenda of the people involved in the spheres of trans-activism are radical zealots hellbent on the destruction of their enemies by any means necessary – And if you believe in logic, objective reality, biological science, and moral imperative, then you are one of their enemies.

A prime strategy of the trans movement is the indoctrination of our children. They rarely have any children of their own and in order to perpetuate their numbers they must groom future generations to their cause. And, it has become clear that if they can’t indoctrinate our kids, they are perfectly willing to murder our kids.Continue reading“Bring Back Asylums: Transgender Fatigue In America, by Brandon Smith”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our 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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Reader Mark J. suggested this Matt Bracken interview on Rumble: Are We Normalizing Military on US Streets? (Matt is pictured above, from a previous interview.)

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Mike in Alaska wrote:

“Summer is over up here in the Arctic …snow is falling in the mountains and on the North Slope while we here in the valley are getting our wet rain (pre-snow?) and all the leaves have started falling in earnest … soon it will snow here too. Here’s an attached photo of a cabbage grown down in Palmer Alaska at the State Fair. It was 84.2 # fully grown. That’s a lot of coleslaw and kraut !! Our meager garden has produced some fine pepper this year, a lot of great tomatoes’, and oddly enough  some Russian cucumbers that are still producing! They are not very fat being only about 2″ round but very long usually about 12″ – 14″ in length and very tasty … I eat them peel and all. But the temps are no in the low 30’s at night and dark comes around 11:30 so it won’t be long now when the sun will fall below the horizon and not come above it for very ling and with the darkness will come snow … the signs are that this winter is going to be very harsh up here; I am not certain what it will be for you folks but I suspect it too will be harsh.

I was amazed to see the 20th anniversary post on the blog … how fast the time has passed.

I pray often for you and ask His Majesty King Jesus to richly bless you all and keep you safe. Our moose mother and her two calves are back again and seem to have taken up residence in our back yard again … they do this every fall and when the snow comes they’ll move on. I suspect that since it is hunting season they know they are safe in our yard and along the power line ally there with lots of food available, a slough off of the river flowing not too far from there for water and no hunting pressure. This year we’ve not seen any sign of grizzly activity. So maybe that’s a factor, too?

Lots of fox and lynx seen, but no wolverines in many years, at least four yearssince the last sight of one running in the snow.
I’ve tried making butter but can’t seem to get the hang of it even with reading directions… since I can get heavy cream I have been using whipping cream, I have to wonder if that’s the problem? The ice cream maker however works marvelously. I’ve been storing dry goods in mason jars using the jar sealer I reviewed in the blog, next spring or summer I’ll start trying some of the items to see how well it kept the food. Mostly beans, pasta, and some of the Ramen Toppings mix I recently wrote about just to see how well it keeps …
I have a one-tube shortwave radio kit I built and I am writing an article about it if you’re interested in having it … it is a simple design and works off four AAA batteries and one 9 volt battery but it is not a kit for beginners despite its simplicity.
… Sarah Sue has been posting some very good stuff and I would ask you to thank her for me.
Keep warm, and may God richly bless and protect you all.”

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Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The major obstacle to a religious renewal is the intellectual classes, who are highly influential and tend to view religion as primitive superstition. They believe that science has left atheism as the only respectable intellectual stance.” – Robert Bork

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 2, 2025

September 2, 1798: The first reported bank robbery in the US: Bank of Pennsylvania robbed of $162,821 at Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia. The wrong man — blacksmith Patrick Lyon (pictured) — was accused of being one of the perpetrators.

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September 2, 1969 was the day that the first automatic teller machine (ATM) made its first public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York.

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The prepping Paratus holiday — an invention of our friend Commander Zero — is observed on the third Friday in September.  I recommend giving very practical preparedness-related gifts.

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Today’s feature article is a guest piece by a  SurvivalBlog reader. It was too short to qualify as an entry 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.