The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“A tyrant in effect is one who, though having the appearance of civil authority, is but a man ordering fellow men to great evil. His injustice is worthy of a higher type of resistance, for it concerns the whole of civil life; it is not merely an injustice here or there. He is a private man waging an unjust war against the people. With force, the people can pressure him to act justly, remove him from office, or declare separation and independence (when possible). Since the people resist an aggressor, revolution is a type of defensive war.” – Stephen Wolfe, The Case For Christian Nationalism

Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 9, 2023

January 9, 1943 was the birthday of gunsmith Paris Theodore, developer of the ASP modifications to the S&W M39 pistol.

January 9, 1890 was the birthday of Karel Capek, a Czech writer who wrote the science fiction play R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti, or in English: Rossum’s Universal Robots). He coined the word “robot”.

On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence.

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I just heard that SurvivalRealty.com has a new property listing in Costa Rica. I see that it has some very interesting features and substantial off-grid infrastructure. It is priced at $3.5 million USD.

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

 

RedHead Ultimate Work Pants, by Tom Christianson

RedHead Ultimate Work Pants have an appropriate name: they are a good pair of pants to wear while working. They are comfortable, durable, stain resistant, and well-cut. The pants, which are manufactured in Bangladesh, are made of a lightweight cotton canvas. They retailed for $39.99 at Bass Pro Shops at the time of this writing.

The Backstory

I recently decided that two of my pairs of work jeans had reached the end of their useful life. The holes had gotten large enough that I had a hard time getting my feet through the legs of the pants rather than through the holes.

That left me with space for a couple of more pairs of work pants on my closet shelf. I started looking for some good used jeans at the thrift stores that my wife and I frequent, and asked her to do the same.

About a week or so into our search, I got a call from my wife. She indicated that she had found me a pair of work pants at one of our local thrift stores. The pants were in like new condition, and my wife paid a grand total of $4.99 plus tax for the garment.

Description

The pants had a “RedHead” tag in the back of the waistband. An Internet search revealed that the RedHead brand is owned by Bass Pro Shops of Springfield, Missouri.

The date of manufacture was listed as June of 2019.

A search of the style number listed on a tag sewn into the waistband brought me to the RedHead Ultimate Work Pants on the Bass Pro Shops website.

The pants are 100% cotton. They are olive on the outside. The inside of the waistband is brown.

Other colors available on the Bass Pro website are listed as “Bungee Cord”, “Vintage Khaki” and “Gray”. I find it difficult to believe that the same marketing department came up with the color “Bungee Cord” was content to settle on the color “Gray”. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

There are rivets on the corners of the pockets, a couple of extra tool pockets on the sides of the legs, and a hammer loop on one of the legs. The current version pictured on the Bass Pro Shops website no longer appears to have the hammer loop.Continue reading“RedHead Ultimate Work Pants, by Tom Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Navy Bean Crockpot Soup

The following recipe for west coast navy bean crockpot soup is from SurvivalBlog reader J.J.. This is a slowed-cooked crock pot recipe. J.J. writes:

“I was able to acquire this recipe from a navy cook decades ago and it’s a keeper. I have never had a navy bean soup that could top this recipe. The aroma will drive you crazy but it’s worth the wait. The dill relish is truly the secret ingredient. If needed, you can add extra water to replace any that has evaporated. Be advised not to use any ham that has water added in, ham bone ham only.”

Ingredients
  • 6 cans of navy beans (drain off liquid before adding)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small white onion grated or very finely diced
  • 2 to 5 pounds of bone in pre-cooked smoked ham
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 1 quart water
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dill relish (very important, this makes the soup)
  • 1/3 cup of flour
  • 3 tablespoons of dry mustard
  • 1/2 can of dark beer
  • 3 tablespoons of garlic, onion, and salt
  • 2 tablespoons of pepper (or less, to suit your taste)
  • 2 diced carrots
Directions
  1. in a large crock pot, add the first 6 ingredients.
  2. Set the crock pot cook on low (very important not to boil) and leave the lid part way on and cook for minimum of 12 hours.
  3. Take a cup of broth and mix in the flour to make a rue.
  4. Add the rue back to the soup along with the rest of the ingredients.
  5. Cook tehesoup for at least another 10 to 12 hours, covered.

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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. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the rising price of gold. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold price rallies to six-month high on safe-haven buying.

o  o  o

Will Gold Return to All-time Highs in 2023?

o  o  o

Silver Price 2023 Outlook: Will Silver Underperform Gold in 2023?

Economy & Finance:

Forget recession — the U.S. is heading for a ‘slowcession’ that could last all year, Moody’s warns.

o  o  o

Friday evening’s headline: Dow closes 300 points lower after strong jobs data signals more rate hikes.

o  o  o

Amazon executives warn of 18,000 layoffs.

o  o  o

A stock market crash and a Great-Depression-style economy are among the boldest forecasts for 2023.

o  o  o

The national debt is a “rapidly growing death spiral”. Here is an excerpt:

“Like a consumer grappling with a massive credit card balance, the federal government is paying more just for the interest on the national debt. Government projections show those interest costs tripling from $399 billion this year to $1.19 trillion in 2032. Borrowing most likely will have to increase just to pay for the higher interest expenses.”

o  o  o

Biden Economy: Biden Wiped Out $10 Trillion of Americans’ Wealth – 2022 Saw Worst Bond and Equity Losses Since 1871.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Everything I’ve done in my career is a result of growing up in rural Oklahoma, because if I hadn’t had the training from Mama and Daddy to work hard, to do what I’m told, to take directions, to mind and to do a good job at anything I set out to do, then I wouldn’t be where I am today.” – Reba McEntire

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 8, 2023

January 8th, 1931 was the birthday of the late Algis Budrys (he died on June 9th, 2008). He was the Lithuanian-American science fiction author who wrote the classic survivalist novel Some Will Not Die.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post by a Rawles family member.

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We are still seeking entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

Navigating the Real Estate Price Dilemma, by Jonathan Rawles

One of the largest obstacles to relocation is the high prices of land and homes in desirable retreat areas. With mortgage rates rising, but prices still high, affordability is taking another hit. As a brief example, a recent search on Zillow for homes in Boundary County, Idaho with the criteria of 2,000 square feet and 20 acres returned only four results, starting with a rustic off-grid cabin at $850,000.

There are many factors playing into this, including a limited supply, high demand, and a skewed market. Rural areas hold only 20% of current housing supply and 10% of new builds. Even a relatively small percentage increase of suburban-to-rural migration translates to a huge increase in demand.

Further, new builds in rural areas incur the full site preparation and utility development costs for each home, rather than having these costs spread over an entire subdivision. The market is further skewed by rural zoning ordinances that limit density, preventing small “semi-rural” developments that could help balance the market demand. To top it off, 20 years of artificially low mortgage rates have produced astronomical inflation in real estate prices.Continue reading“Navigating the Real Estate Price Dilemma, by Jonathan Rawles”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.”  – Mark 9:1-9 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — January 7, 2023

On January 7, 1785 a manned balloon crossed the English Channel for the first time. French inventor Jean-Pierre Blanchard took about 2.5 hours to fly from Dover to Guînes, France. Blanchard was a pioneer in hydrogen balloon design.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.

A Get Home Bag Alternative, by Rick S.

Anyone who leaves home should bring a Get Home bag with them. We regularly hear of incidents in which people leave home expecting a 30-minute jaunt in their climate-controlled vehicle only to find themselves in a grim, hours-long ordeal without even a bottle of water to tide them over. In some instances the individuals could simply pull over to the side of the road and walk home, but they are wearing high-heeled shoes and have no coat: after all, they had no intention of doing any walking nor did they expect to be out of their warm vehicle any longer than it takes to walk into a warm building.

Precisely what “getting home” entails depends on each person. I am blessed to work approximately 3 miles from where I live when I am not working at home. In the event that I had to walk home suitable outerwear, comfortable shoes, and a bottle of water would usually be adequate for the task. However, like most people, I am sometimes much farther from home. It may take several days to get home if I am required to walk and I will need some basic supplies to make that feasible.

The typical solution is some sort of rucksack. This may take the form of a military-style bag or it may simply be a book bag. In most cases it involves a bag that is suspended from the shoulders (or, worse still, a sling pack that is suspended from one shoulder). Anyone who has done any significant amount of backpacking knows how painful that can be if the bag is more than a few pounds. The only people who plan to carry a 40-pound “get home” bag on their shoulders for 10 miles (and then do it again the next day and the day after) are soldiers and people who have never actually done it.

In this article, I’m suggesting an alternative: the lumbar pack. The photo below shows my Get Home Bag: it is a Mountainsmith Day model lumbar pack, featuring a wide, heavily padded hip belt together with the optional shoulder straps. The shoulder straps only stabilize the load; the weight of the pack rests on the hips.Continue reading“A Get Home Bag Alternative, by Rick S.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make 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 this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I had to handle some bothersome tax paperwork this week, and I did my annual desk clearing. There was at least a small sense of accomplishment there. By the way, I have found an accountant to handle my taxes.  Hopefully, that will be a smooth transition.

Out in the shop, I’ve been making progress on the second-story flooring and partitions. It is gratifying to see that project coming along.

There has been very little snow in the past 10 days, so I haven’t had to plow. The piles of snow that I’ve pushed back has formed very stout walls. They obviously are now there for the rest of the winter. I’m glad that I allowed lots of room for that snow, since we are experiencing a more snowy winter, than usual. Even with temperatures in the mid-30s on most days, the snow in our parking area and on the lane out to the county road has been frustratingly slow, in melting. This has left a thin layer of ice that makes it treacherous to walk. As is our habit, this time of year we all wear YakTrax on our boots (pictured), and we move around with deliberate caution.

The 2005-2022 USB archive stick project is progressing well. This year, the archive will be on a 32 GB stick. With all of the new bonus books, there was no way to fit everything on a 16 GB stick. The waterproof archive sticks should be orderable by January 22nd. Thanks for your patience.

The only change to the livestock feeding and stock tank routine this week was hauling out a couple of new salt blocks. The sight of a fresh, crisp-cornered salt block always causes a brief burst of attention and the usual dominance assertion games among the cows and horses.

Now, over to Lily’s part of the report.Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” – Psalm 90 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 6, 2023

On January 6th 2021, protesting supporters of then-President Donald Trump entered the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. They were protesting the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election. At last report, several of the protestors were still being held without bail in the D.C. jail, two years after the event. This is an apparent violation of the U.S. Constitution’s “speedy trial” provision.

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To celebrate 15 years in business, Seed for Security is running an exceptional sale. They are offering their Colossal Security Pack, at 25% off. This combination pack is a total of over 5 pounds of seeds — all are open-pollinated (non-hybrid) and non-GMO. Included in this combination pack are their three most popular collections: the Super Survival Pack, 4 Grain Collection, and Heirloom Herb Collection. This offer is for a limited time, so order soon.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 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.