Assessing and Prioritizing Risks, by Francis Marion

One of the most common questions asked by new preppers is “What should I prepare for?”. The easy…and wrong…answer is “everything”. After all, as Frederick the Great said, “He who defends everything, defends nothing”. If one attempts to prepare for everything that can happen…from coastal erosion to Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) to winter weather…one could quickly become overwhelmed. This is why the first steps in preparing should be to assess and prioritize risk.

For background purposes, I spent more than 25 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve, including multiple deployments. When planning military training and operations, a formal risk assessment is always a requirement. In addition, I hold a Master of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management, and I currently work in emergency management, where assessing risk is a significant part of my duties. I say this not to boast, but to offer the reader the context from which I approach this subject, as well as to maximize transparency to the greatest extent possible while maintaining a reasonable level of Operational Security.

Risk is an inherent part of life. Regardless of where one lives, or what one does, we all assume a certain level of risk every day. What is key is developing an accurate assessment of what risks one actually faces, in order to better mitigate and prepare for those risks. And no, mitigation and preparation are not the same thing, although there is certainly some overlap. In short, mitigation includes steps taken to reduce the impact of an event when it occurs, while preparation includes steps taken to respond to an event after it occurs. For example, if one buys a tarp, tape, and nails to cover any windows that might be broken during a windstorm, that’s preparation. If one puts plywood over the windows to reduce the chances of breakage during a windstorm, that’s mitigation.

Purchasing a generator to provide continuity of power during an outage could be considered both mitigation (since it reduces the impact of the power loss) and preparation (since it is engaged as part of the response to the event). Regardless, in order to better focus limited resources when developing mitigation and preparation measures, it is necessary to accurately identify potential hazards, assess risk, and then utilize that analysis to maximize effects in planning.Continue reading“Assessing and Prioritizing Risks, by Francis Marion”

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, we focus on some record-breaking low temperatures throughout the Redoubt region.

Idaho

An Idaho Farm Bureau video: Living in Idaho Back Country.

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Arctic air settles into region, dangerously cold conditions.

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Mourning in Moscow: The latest on the investigation into University of Idaho students murdered.

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Video and still photos from the west side of the Tetons: Driving Through the Idaho Countryside.

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Micron will cut 10% of workforce as glut of memory supply hits market; Company reports loss.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The salvation of the common people of every race and of every land from war or servitude must be established on solid foundations and must be guarded by the readiness of all men and women to die rather than submit to tyranny.” – Winston Churchill

Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 26, 2022

On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean region Tsunami took more than 250,000 lives.

On December 26th, 1776, after crossing the Delaware River, Washington led his men against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans, significantly boosting their flagging morale.

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

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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.

 

Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof, by Thomas Christianson

Norwegians have a saying about weather and clothing: “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær” (There is no bad weather, just bad clothing). Appropriate clothing allows the wearer to function comfortably and effectively outdoors under a wide range of weather conditions. This makes selecting weather-appropriate clothing an important consideration for those who work and spend leisure time outdoors.

I recently tested Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof. I found that it can significantly enhance the water resistance of certain garments while still allowing them to breathe. This makes those garments much more effective in wet and rainy conditions. A 10-ounce bottle is large enough to treat two garments, and was available for $13.25 a bottle at www.nikwax.com at the time of this writing.

The Backstory

My wife and I went to one of our favorite thrift stores about a year ago. On the shelf we found about two dozen bottles of Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof for the price of one dollar a bottle. That seemed like a great price, but we were not familiar with the product. It was hard to know whether we were getting a great deal or throwing our money away. We finally decided to compromise by buying three bottles. After testing the product, I wish we had bought them all.

For many years, I wore a tightly woven green cotton jacket while working around the property during moderate temperatures. I had treated the jacket with Kiwi Camp Dry, and found it to shed water quite well without sealing in water vapor.

Eventually, the years of rough use began to take their toll. The jacket began to fall apart. I replaced it with another jacket that I had purchased at a thrift store.

The problem with the newer jacket was that it had a looser weave. It did not repel rain as effectively as the older jacket. I decided to see if Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof could help to make the new jacket more water resistant.Continue reading“Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof, by Thomas Christianson”

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 examine some planned cryptocurrency regulations. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Keith Weiner: The Current Yield Curve Inversion, Explained.

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Kelsey Williams: Gold, Inflation, and The Federal Reserve.

Economy & Finance:

How high will interest rates rise in 2023? Economists, markets are skeptical of Fed hike plan.

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Joe Biden and the Fed Have Completely Ruined the U.S. Economy.

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Harvard Business Review: What Will the Global Economy Look Like in 2023?  Here is a quote from Mihir Desai:

“The pessimistic case is persistent inflation above 5% throughout 2023 because of a wage-price spiral that means that rates have to stay high much longer. Equity markets have been undergoing a valuation reset — in the pessimistic scenario, stocks continue to fall because the prospect of declining corporate earnings and persistently higher rates still hasn’t been fully internalized in prices.”

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At Zero Hedge: Here’s What’s In The ‘Ugliest’ Omnibus Bill Ever.

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Biden’s moronic 2023 budget: More, more, more.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“All just laws are both righteous and good. They are righteous when they inherently accord with the natural law; the commanded action is good in its substance. But being inherently righteous says nothing about their suitability for any given people.” – Stephen Wolfe, The Case for Christian Nationalism

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 25, 2022

To those who are celebrating the Advent of our Lord and Savior, the team at SurvivalBlog wishes you a peaceful and meaningful Christmas. And for those who choose to celebrate our Lord through the biblical feasts, stay safe out there. Our prayer is that each and every one of you enjoys the family gathering time and that you stay safe on the roads.

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Today’s guest article is too short to be included in the judging for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

We are still seeking entries for Round 104. If you have some spare time between Christmas and the New Year, then please write an article and send it in. We all appreciate you sharing your knowledge and hard-earned wisdom. 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.

Are You Self-Reliant, Self-Sufficent, or Self-Sustaining?, by Mrs. Alaska

One of our goals each year is to decrease our dependency on others by increasing our skills and resources. In the city, it was convenient to pay for services and products. Living remotely, we learn to do many things ourselves or do without. I evaluate aspects of our life on a continuum from dependent to independent:

  • Dependent on others
  • Self-reliant
  • Self-sufficient
  • Self-sustaining

Given recent news reports of coronavirus and the economy, tornadoes, wildfires, and power outages, perhaps readers are applying this sort of rubric to their situations, too.Continue reading“Are You Self-Reliant, Self-Sufficent, or Self-Sustaining?, by Mrs. Alaska”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” – Luke 2:11-14 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 24, 2022

December 24 is the anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began, in 2000. He and his family had been self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for nearly 15 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest, before the district attorney dropped the charges. This was the longest standoff in American history, in which he faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs.

On December 24, 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was flying over the Peruvian rainforest with her mother when her plane was hit by lightning. She miraculously survived a two-mile fall, still strapped in her seat. She found herself alone in the jungle. After ten days of walking out from the crash site, she was rescued by a group of rainforest loggers.

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Today we present a guest article selected by JWR. We are in need of 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.

 

The Surveillance State Is Making a List and You’re On It, by John & Nisha Whitehead

“He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows when you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness’ sake!”
—“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”

You’d better watch out—you’d better not pout—you’d better not cry—‘cos I’m telling you why: this Christmas, it’s the Surveillance State that’s making a list and checking it twice, and it won’t matter whether you’ve been bad or good.

You’ll be on this list whether you like it or not.

Mass surveillance is the Deep State’s version of a “gift” that keeps on giving…back to the Deep State.

Geofencing dragnets. Fusion centers. Smart devices. Behavioral threat assessments. Terror watch lists. Facial recognition. Snitch tip lines. Biometric scanners. Pre-crime. DNA databases. Data mining. Precognitive technology. Contact tracing apps.

What these add up to is a world in which, on any given day, the average person is now monitored, surveilled, spied on and tracked in more than 20 different ways by both government and corporate eyes and ears.

Big Tech wedded to Big Government has become Big Brother.

Every second of every day, the American people are being spied on by a vast network of digital Peeping Toms, electronic eavesdroppers and robotic snoops.

This creepy new era of government/corporate spying—in which we’re being listened to, watched, tracked, followed, mapped, bought, sold and targeted—has been made possible by a global army of techno-tyrants, fusion centers and Peeping Toms.

Consider just a small sampling of the tools being used to track our movements, monitor our spending, and sniff out all the ways in which our thoughts, actions and social circles might land us on the government’s naughty list, whether or not you’ve done anything wrong.Continue reading“The Surveillance State Is Making a List and You’re On It, by John & Nisha Whitehead”

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:

We had a few brutally-cold days this week. Over Wednesday night, the low here at the Rawles Ranch was -16 Fahrenheit. That is approximately -26 on the Celsius scale.  The daytime highs were around zero at mid-week, but they are expected to climb back up above freezing on the 25th.

With the arrival of this cold weather, we switched to feeding our horses from our small reserve stockpile of baled alfalfa.  We normally feed them just grass hay, but in weather like this, they seem to do better when eating the more calorically-dense alfalfa. But we never feed our cows from alfalfa bales. It is considered too “hot” a feed for cattle. The cattle are getting extra bales during this deep cold.

We’ve also had another 10+ inches of snow this week, so I’ve been out using our pickup’s snowplow blade, doing my best to keep caught up. I am thankful that I can do so from inside a heated pickup cab, instead of out on a plein air tractor seat. That would be truly brutal.

Now, over to Lily.Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.

Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.” – Psalm 85 (KJV)