Hiding and Tracking – Part 1, by J.M.D.

I enjoy learning new things and picking up new skills, and the many activities I engage in such as shooting, paintball, backpacking and, of course, prepping give me ample motivation and opportunity to do so. A year or so ago while on a backpacking trip with some friends I met a guy who was a pretty decent tracker, and after he kindly spent some time on that hike showing me some of the basics I decided that tracking (and evading trackers) were some skills that might be useful in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Since then I’ve taken training classes, read books, researched a lot of online material and invested a good amount of field time in learning how to track both people and animals. The goal of this article is to provide a starting point for understanding the basics of tracking and hopefully give the reader an incentive for adding this skill to your survival arsenal. I want to state that I’m by no means an expert tracker – I’ve only been practicing and learning for about a year, and I have a long way to go before I’d even consider myself a novice, but I thought that sharing my experiences and what I learned might be useful for others.

To begin with, tracking and evading are two sides of the same coin – knowledge of how to track someone can be just as useful for helping you evade pursuers, and developing habits to minimize your ‘footprint’ on the world while instinctively paying attention to the signs left by others can help you in a lot of different scenarios. In a post-disaster environment you may need to track down someone who’s been poaching your livestock or locate a lost family member, or you may need to avoid leading some bad guys back to your homestead. Even in today’s ‘normal’ environment you may be followed or tracked by people that mean you harm.

There are also people that debate the meaning of ‘tracking’ versus ‘following’ someone – ‘tracking’ typically means using signs someone leaves behind in the environment to figure out where they’re going, how many people are involved, etc., whereas ‘following’ typically means maintaining visual contact with the person you want to keep track of. For the purposes of this article I’m just going to use the word ‘tracking’ for both, since the goals are essentially the same.Continue reading“Hiding and Tracking – Part 1, by J.M.D.”

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. In today’s column, news of an arrest in the Idaho multiple stabbing murders case. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

A suspect has been arrested in connection to the University of Idaho murders. Over at Fox News: Idaho murder suspect: Who is Bryan Christopher Kohberger?  A quote:

“Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, is a PhD student at the department of criminal justice and criminology, according to the WSU website.”

o  o  o

Idaho suspect stalked victims for weeks and woregloves after quadruple murder to avoid leaving trail of evidence, claims friend of investigator: ‘He’s not stupid and has been very careful’.

o  o  o

I found another interesting old Outdoor Idaho video segment: The River of No Return.

And that led me to this segment by Grits Gresham about Sylvan Hart (a.k.a. Buckskin Bill), and visiting Hart’s nearest neighbor, the twice-widowed Frances Wisner. Gresham’s video was for Sports Afield: Homesteading in the Wilderness of Idaho.

o  o  o

Idaho Lowers Income Tax Rates, Creates Rebate.

Related news: Idaho’s new flat tax.

o  o  o

From the leftist NPR: New faces mean big changes for 2023 Idaho Legislature.

o  o  o

Man shot, killed by Post Falls police on I-90 identified.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 2, 2023

On January 2, 1999, major snowstorm struck the Midwestern U.S., leaving 14 inches of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches in Chicago, Illinois, where temperatures plunged to -13 °F (-25 °C); 68 deaths were reported.

On this day in 1936, the first night vision electron tube was revealed in St. Louis, Missouri.

And January 2nd, 1776 is also the anniversary of the first revolutionary flag to be displayed in the American English colonies.

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Today’s feature article is a product review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Thomas Christianson.

Taurus GX4XL 9mm Pistol, by Tom Christianson

I was recently able to test the new Taurus GX4XL EDC variant pistol in 9mm. I was impressed by the way Taurus was able to squeeze a 13-round magazine and a 3.6 inch barrel into a micro-compact profile. The grip texturing was highly effective, and the gas nitride finish on the slide and the diamond-like-coating (DLC) on the stainless steel barrel enhance reliability and wear resistance. Practical accuracy was adequate for a micro-compact profile handgun. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $429 for the basic model and widely available online for under $350 at the time of this writing, the GX4XL offers a good option for everyday carry.

A Pleasant Surprise

I had first asked to borrow a sample of the GX4XL several months ago. At that time, Taurus was backordered on the handgun. They promised to send one to my FFL when they had enough in stock to allow them to do so. I stopped by my FFL recently to pick up a different firearm, and was pleasantly surprised to find the GX4XL waiting for me as well.

First Impressions

Taurus sent me both the standard GX4XL and the Taurus Optic Ready Option (T.O.R.O.) kit. The T.O.R.O. kit contains a slide designed to accommodate a number of different models of micro-red dot sights as well as a second recoil spring and barrel. The case that comes with the GX4XL is made of a decent gauge of plastic with well-designed latches. It won’t need to be quickly replaced like the cardboard boxes or flimsy plastic cases that accompany many new handguns.

The grip texturing on the handle of the GX4XL is excellent, providing a great combination of comfort and secure grip under a wide variety of conditions. The same texturing is used on a pair of indexing pads on the sides of the frame. These indexing pads provide tactile reference points for safe trigger-finger placement outside the trigger guard.Continue reading“Taurus GX4XL 9mm Pistol, by Tom Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Powdered Milk Granola Bars

The following recipe for Powdered Milk Granola Bars is from reader S.S.. Dry nonfat milk is used in a glaze topping.

Ingredients
  • 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter (Note: Fresh butter is preferred — using reconstituted butter from butter powder can be tricky with this recipe.)
  • 10.5 oz. marshmallows (miniature marshmallows melt more readily)
  • 6 cups of granola or other dry breakfast cereal. Kids like Cheerios, but granola is much more healthy.
  • 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
  • 2 Tsp of tap water
Directions
  1. Butter or PAM an 8-inch square pan or a loaf pan.
  2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter to “brown”. To brown it, keep the butter on the heat until it turns brown and smells nutty. The butter will foam and turn golden before beginning to brown. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom. Warning: Watch the butter closely, because it can go from brown to burned (ruined) in less than a minute!
  3. Once the butter is browned, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows.
  4. Add the cereal once the marshmallows are smoothed in, and stir until all evenly coated.
  5. Spread the cereal bar mixture into the prepared pan.
  6. Press the cereal down with a silicone spatula or a lightly-buttered plastic spatula.
  7. Let cool and then cut into 2″x2″ square bars.
To Prepare the Dry Milk Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons water

In a small mixing bowl, mix the milk powder, powdered sugar, and water until the powders have fully dissolved.

Drizzle this on top of the finished granola bars.

STORAGE

Store these bars in an airtight container — refrigerated, or at room temperature.  You may need to hide these from your kids, or they will quickly vanish.

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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 crashing home sales. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Reuters: Supreme dollar rules the roost in gold market.

o  o  o

Central banks buy gold at fastest pace in 55 years. “Analysts are pinning China and Russia as big buyers.”

Equities:

‘Worst Year Ever’ For Stocks & Bonds – Global Inflation Fight Bursts ‘Everything Bubble’.

o  o  o

At Hedgeweek: Investors lose billions as stock hedge funds tank again in 2022.

o  o  o

Forbes: Hedge Fund Outlook For 2023: What To Expect As Managers Face Increased Complexity.

o  o  o

Tesla stock to close out worst year ever with a 65% loss in 2022, wiping out more than $700 billion in market cap. JWR’s Comments: With so many other electric car brands that benefitted from Tesla’s learning curve now on the market, I would shy away from buying Tesla shares.  But…  The World’s Most Famous South African has a few other ventures that promise to be very profitable — including a full constellation of Starlink satellites, the new Tesla Phone, and I’ll wager… […drumroll…] …a fully satellite-capable VOIP version of the Tesla phone. “Look, ma: no cell phone towers!”

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Attempts to resist modern life in practical ways are often derided as LARPing or live-action role playing—that one’s anti-modernity is superficial, imaginary, and made possible by modernity itself. There is some element of truth to this. Modern homesteading, for example, often requires supplemental income from modern sources. But many of the things ridiculed as LARPing are simply good choices for living well in this world. A woman who makes food from scratch from her own garden is not only offering her family healthy options but also exercising praiseworthy skills and passing those skills on to her children. The variety of skills that our ancestors mastered to survive are now unnecessary and obsolete, and the products of these skills are readily available in stores. But certainly something important for living well has been lost as a result, as we’ve lost the ability to make and fix things for ourselves and to intimately bring something from the soil to the table. LARPing is, in the best sense mastering inefficient and old skills and practices that attune one to the natural world, that break you free in part from the modern world.” – Stephen Wolfe, The Case For Christian Nationalism

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 1, 2023

This is the birthday of Jacob Snider (January 1, 1811 – August 18, 1866.) He was an American mechanical engineer and inventor. He invented and patented a method of converting existing muzzle-loading rifles into breech-loading rifles, notably the Snider-Enfield.

This is also the birthday of John Cantius Garand (January 1, 1888 – February 16, 1974.) He was born in St. Rémi, Quebec. John Garand designed one of America’s best-known battle rifles, the M1 Garand.

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Today’s feature article was written by JWR.

Low-Cost and No-Cost Preparedness

Many SurvivalBlog readers have contacted me, lamenting that they don’t have enough money to prepare.  My response? Re-prioritize how you spend your time and money. The following suggestions are primarily based on my own experience. Avalanche Lily and I do our best to live a frugal life. Please prayerfully consider and implement some or most of these suggestions, as new year’s resolutions.

Here are some suggestions for spending less money:

  • Pray. Prayer costs nothing, and it helps focus your mind on your priorities. Chief among these should be your family, friends, fellow church congregants, neighbors, and co-workers.
  • Study. Used books are inexpensive and there are now many free online courses available from Khan Academy, PraegerU, and others. Also, join a Bible study group, if you can find a good one. If not, then start one of your own!
  • Expand your home library by buying your books used online, at used book stores, thrift stores, and at library book sales. Such sources will save you 50% to 98% on the cost of books.
  • Exercise. Most exercise like jogging and at-home calisthenics costs little or nothing. For the sake of your back and your ankles, be sure to find a good quality exercise mat.
  • Practice traditional, pioneer, and primitive skills. These don’t cost much, but they’ll add tremendously to your preparedness — even for a long-term grid-down societal collapse.
  • Watch for inexpensive (or free!) canning jars, shelving, and tools on Craigslist, Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace, or other online sites/sources.
  • Watch for garage sales, yard sales, and tag sales. Learn the art of bartering, and dickering prices. It takes time to learn how to barter.
  • Buy yourself and your neighbors very inexpensive handy-talkies (“H/Ts”) such as Baofeng UV-5Rs. Set up a weekly “roll call” and chat hour. You’ll thereby develop a new hobby, hone, important radio skills/confidence, AND you’ll increase the security of your neighborhood.
  • If you work on the road or in an office or factory, then don’t buy delicatessen or restaurant food for lunch. Instead, get in the habit of always packing a nutritious lunch.  By doing so, you will be eating less expensive and more healthy food.
  • Cut out needless cable television or video streaming subscriptions. This will both save money and give you more time to read.
  • Cook from scratch, rather than buying packaged foods, or eating out.
  • Grow a vegetable garden.  By doing so, you will eat more healthy and nutritious foods, with less expense. And if you don’t have enough land for a garden, then grow sprouts. You can do that with just a kitchen cupboard and a few very inexpensive jars with screen lids.
  • Stop buying expensive coffee from coffee shops. If you must have coffee, then pack a Thermos each morning. Better yet, stop drinking coffee. I have several friends who have successfully transitioned from coffee to herbal (no caffeine) tea. It is much less expensive than coffee if bought in bulk, and it is not habit-forming.
  • Take less expensive vacations. Travel shorter distances and camp out rather than staying in motels or hotels. By camping, you’ll also learn practical skills.
  • Raise a flock of laying hens. The price of eggs and chicken meat in grocery stores has become absurd.  If you raise your own chickens, then you can save a lot of money — particularly if you include kitchen scraps as part of their feed.
  • Give up golfing and switch to less expensive and more aerobic exercise.
  • Shop for foods in bulk at Amish stores and at discount food stores like Grocery Outlet and Winco.
Shop at Thrift Stores!

Perhaps what should be right near the top of my list is thrift store shopping. This is a great way to both save money and to stockpile inexpensive gear, books, containers, and clothes. Develop the habit of shopping for used merchandise at thrift stores at least one day per month. Discounts can be as deep as 95%, versus shopping for new merchandise, elsewhere.

In a 2013 SurvivalBlog article, reader Chris M. had this great advice on thrift store shopping:

With careful shopping, you can pick up extreme bargains at your local second-hand stores.  Finding bargains is an exciting prospect.  I’ve seen plenty of old, sturdy ball jars, canning equipment, flashlights, hand tools (including high-quality American-made brands), power tools, survival/preparedness books, and even oddball items like gas regulator valves.  The items can be quite unexpected – from mosquito netting to binoculars or a (previously) expensive backpack.  Favorite finds have been a serviceable Benchmade Knife for $2.85 ($125 new), cold weather famous brand pants for $15 ($150 new), cast iron cookware, and some very expensive clothing for my children at absurdly low prices.  I also buy my work clothing at GoodWill stores – unused current-style dress shirts for $12 ($70 in department stores) or a pair of expensive khakis for $3 on half price day is nothing to laugh at.  One trip to the dry cleaners and they are added to my wardrobe.

My favorite items to shop for at Goodwill include clothing, especially items that can be stored away for future use or charity.  In most cases, I am buying these items for 70-90% off the original cost.  It’s not difficult to source lightly used boots (including military surplus), name-brand quality cold weather gear, top-quality gloves, and brand-new garments with tags.

Shopping at second-hand stores can be hit or miss.  As with auctions, if you have a plan, you can make the most of your time and money.  Here’s a quick list of my “rules”:

    • Know the locations of all the stores you’d like to visit.  Stores located in prosperous neighborhoods in larger cities or suburbs are great targets.
    • Call stores in advance to ask about discounts.  Some charity-based stores will give you a hefty discount if you make even a single item donation when you arrive.  One of our local chains offers a 20% discount on that day’s purchases when you donate unwanted items.  Hmmm… 20% off items that I’m already getting a 75% discount on?  Score!  Other stores discount color-coded price tags — reduced by up to 50% but they only do so on certain days of the week.
    • Travel to each store in the most efficient manner possible to save fuel and time.
    • Move through quickly.  Look at each shelf and rack carefully, but do so with a keen eye for top-quality supplies.
    • Bring your list of needs and wants.  If the item isn’t on your list, or if it isn’t a good addition to your prepping inventory, pass the item by.  These items can still add to a large tab when you check out.  By the way, this is where it pays to have an extensive list of supplies you want to add to your prepping inventory.
    • Don’t break your budget!  If you can’t afford it now, it will show up again later in another store.
    • Finally, before making a purchase, do the look-sniff-try it test.  Look all over the items for defects.  Sniff clothing for odors.  Try all items for functionality – zip zippers, button snaps, even use a local outlet to plug in tools to see if they work as designed.

If you want to live more frugally, one important book to find is the updated edition of Possum Living, by Dolly Fried. In her book, Fried has some great advice on cutting expenses and doing things for oneself.  Another key and oft-mentioned book to study is: The Encyclopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery.

You can indeed afford to prepare! It is a simple matter of changing the way that you spend your time and money.

For more ideas on budget prepping, see the SurvivalBlog Archives category: Frugal Living.

I encourage readers to send me more suggestions on low-cost and no-cost preparedness via e-mail, and I will post them in the Snippets column. Thanks! – JWR

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” – Hebrews 9:11-28 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 31, 2022

On December 31, 1991, the Soviet Union legally ceased to exist. Russia and the other former USSR nations had declared themselves independent and founded the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on December 21, 1991.

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December 31st is the birthday of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

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December 31st, 1851 was also the birthday of Frederick Selous. He died on January 4th, 1917.

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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.

 

The Modern Breadcrumb Trail, by BowtiedPartisan

Introduction

Modern life in a First World country is fantastic. Access to everything you need. What’s even more beneficial, is having a computer in your pocket. That’s right, your smartphone, it’s a computer and a radio transceiver. It can communicate with almost anyone in the world via radio waves and the Internet. All it needs to do is reach a cell phone tower. Let’s focus on a few aspects of this though, what the cell phone was originally created for, and what it has replaced. It plays a part in understanding your reliance on this device.

Cellphones were primarily created for a mobile means of communication. Handheld radios also did this well, but not as well as a cell network. There is a lot that goes into a cellular network in terms of supporting infrastructure, most notably the need for towers to dot the landscape, and the number of users on one tower. This is key to understanding how fickle and vulnerable a network like this can be. I don’t want this article to become a history lesson though… So what did the innovation actually do? Also, how did it change the culture of self-reliance?

Prior to cellphones, there was no reliable way to communicate with family, friends, or co-workers when they were on the move, covering substantial distances. Sure, payphones existed. But what if you were not near one? More than likely, you had to walk to a house to use a phone, or a good Samaritan stopped to help. Also, they had to memorize where everything was. There was no ability to instantly search for a location, and start electronic navigation to it. People took even the most casual outing outside of their home more seriously. There were no Google or Apple maps. They had to know where they were going, and every road to get there. People paid attention to any and all pay phones they passed in case of an emergency. Why? Because having a small device to call or reference a map didn’t exist. If they were having an emergency, then they were on their own.Continue reading“The Modern Breadcrumb Trail, by BowtiedPartisan”

December 2022 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance and the factors that affected gold prices.

What Did Gold Do in December?

The gold market was a volatile battlefield in December, with bulls and bears waging war around the $1,800 level. Rallies were routinely sold into, which bulls saw as a buying opportunity. Some of this selling, best seen in gold ETF outflows, was likely due to margin calls as stocks stumbled under the dual expectations of recession and stagflation as the Fed showed no sign of stopping in its quest to sacrifice consumers in its efforts to stop inflation.

Investors stampeded out of both stocks and bonds during the month, providing a tailwind to the dollar. The higher dollar in turn was a headwind to gold.

Factors Affecting Gold This Month

INFLATION
Inflation news continued to dominate all markets, due to the influence it would have on Fed rate hike policy. For example, CPI came in lower than expected on December 13th, 7.1% versus estimates of 7.3%. This shot gold up by $40 to break above the 200-day moving average before settling at $1,825. The dollar went the other way, gapping down from the 104 range to the 103 range.

Things went the other way on December 22rd, as the final reading of third-quarter GDP came in hotter than expected, signaling that the economy (and inflation) were still running hot. Third quarter GDP rose by 3.2%, compared to the previous reading of 2.9%. This increase locked in further rate hikes for 2023.  Markets reacted as expected, with the dollar zooming higher, gold losing $30, and stocks falling.Continue reading“December 2022 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”