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’ll start out this column with a bit of reminiscing. It was in December of 1990 — 32 years ago, this month — that I completed writing the online shareware novel The Gray Nineties. That grew into what was later re-titled Triple Ought, and then Patriots. When I wrote that manuscript, I was 30 years old. My eldest son was born in September of the following year. He is now an Engineer with a Bachelor of Science degree, a published author, and has a family of his own. It seems so odd… I’m pondering that my son is now older than I was when I wrote my first novel. He is the little boy that you see playing in the background of the photo above. And that’s me in the foreground, at my first ranch, near Orofino. That was before the onset of gray hair and slight pudginess. Now, at age 62, I’m still splitting wood and writing books. But I’m wondering who that old guy is, in the mirror.

I’m still piecemealing my way through the workshop remodeling project. My progress has slowed recently because I’ve had other projects come up. Mostly snowplowing. Lots of snowplowing. We’ve also started obstacle course training our year-old pup. My wife Avalanche Lily will fill you in on that… Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.

Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.

Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.

Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.

And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.” – Isaiah 16:1-10 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 9, 2022

December 9th, 1914 was the birthday of Maximo Guillermo “Max” Manus. He put his life on the line, fighting the Nazi occupiers. Max Manus passed away in 1996. His exploits are fairly accurately shown in the movie Max Manus: Man of War.

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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 $750,000 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.

Silver Fox Army Socks, by Thomas Christianson

I recently bought six pair of Silver Fox brand U.S. Army Men’s Cushion Sole Socks. In terms of comfort and durability, they leave a lot to be desired. In fact, I am so badly disappointed by the performance of the Silver Fox socks that I do not recommend them for field use.

If you are desperate, Silver Fox socks are better than no socks at all. But if you have any way of getting Darn Tough Wool Socks, Smart Wool Socks, or another quality brand, then they would probably be a better investment.

The Backstory

For everyday tasks during the summer, I typically wear humble cotton socks. They are inexpensive, comfortable, inexpensive, washable, inexpensive, easily replaceable, and inexpensive.

During winter, I typically wear wool socks. Under cold and damp conditions, they keep my feet warmer, drier, and more comfortable than other types of socks.

One drawback to wool socks is that they can be somewhat pricey. I can typically buy a half dozen pairs of cotton socks for less than what one good pair of wool socks cost.Continue reading“Silver Fox Army Socks, 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 Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at some bullish predictions for silver and gold. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

First up, at Seeking Alpha: Safe Havens For A Volatile 2023: Precious Metals, High Yielding Equities, And Cash.

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A Silver Price Forecast For 2023.

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Silver: is the shine coming back for traders?

Economy & Finance:

From the eternal optimists at CNN: Why we think we’re in a recession when the data says otherwise.

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IBT: World Economy Faces More Pain In 2023 After A Gloomy Year.

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At CNBC: Oil plunge, tech collapse and Fed cuts? Strategist shares possible 2023 market ‘surprises’.

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Over at Zero Hedge: Credit Card Debt Hits All-Time High Just As US Savings Rate Plummets To 17-Year Low.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“You do not rise to the occasion in combat, you sink to the level of your training. Do not expect the combat fairy to come bonk you with the combat wand and suddenly make you capable of doing things that you never rehearsed before. It will not happen.” – Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Combat

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 8, 2022

Today marks the birthday of Eli Whitney, (1765–1825) the inventor of the labor-saving cotton gin, several firearms, and dozens of other mechanical devices. He was the first to demonstrate the advantages of fully interchangeable parts, in firearms manufacture.

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We are in great need of entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 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.

Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies

JWR’s Introductory Note: This article is an update and substantial expansion to a piece that I wrote back in December of 2005.

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The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk and correspond with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full-time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: “…but I’m not self-employed. I can’t afford to live in the country because I can’t find work there, and the nature of my work doesn’t allow telecommuting.” They feel stuck.

The recent Wu Flu pandemic proved that a huge number of office-setting jobs can indeed be handled from home. High-speed Internet now predominates, via DSL. And Starlink — which is much faster than DSL — will soon be rolling out in even the most remote parts of the United States. Starlink is now available in 32 countries, including Canada and Mexico. There are now videoconferencing tools like Skype, Zoom, GoTo Meeting, and Facetime. Many of these are available free of charge.

Don’t Just Move First, And Hope

Over the years I’ve seen lots of people “pull the plug” and move to the boonies with the hope that they’ll find local work once they get there. That usually doesn’t work. Folks find that most rural jobs typically pay little more than minimum wage and they are often informally reserved for folks that were born and raised in the area. Newcomers from the big city certainly don’t have hiring priority!Continue reading“Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— 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. Today, we look at the North Carolina Substations Attacks.

Netherlands to Shut Down 3,000 Farms

First up, SurvivaBlog reader  D.S.V. found this piece at Australia’s SkyNews: ‘War against humanity’: Netherlands to shut down 3,000 farms.  Here is a quote:

“Webster University assistant professor Ralph Schoellhammer says the Dutch government’s plan to shut down 3,000 farms in a bid to comply with EU emissions standards is a “war against humanity”.

Mr Schoellhammer said these decisions are made due to a “cultish ideology”.

‘We get the promises that ‘oh this is not going to be a problem, we are going to move to alternate modes of production’, be it energy or agriculture,’ he told Sky News Australia.

‘In the end, it never works.'”

What Really Happened in the NC Substations Attack?

Over at The Organic Prepper:  What Really Happened in the NC Substations Attack?  JWR’s Comment: Yes, perhaps it had suspicious timing. But keep in mind that by itself, time correlation does not prove causation.  It is noteworthy that the entire region is famous for its perennial Robin Sage exercises, which often employ local civilians for role-playing.

Blog reader and frequent feature article contributor “3AD Scout” had this comment:

“I think the rush to point blame on drag queen protesters is only going to lead to more attacks if investigators only focus on one theory and that theory turns out to be wrong.

The area impacted is in the heart of the US Army Special Forces training area.  Southern Pines is the town by Camp Mackall.  Fort Bragg is a few miles away. It isn’t a leap of logic to think Russia might attack the area if their attempts to use cyber attacks on our grid were met with a good defense.  Just deploy a few “little green men” just like Russia did when they invaded Crimea in 2014.
Logistics wins wars, and right now the logistics from the US is helping to win the war in Ukraine. Logistics requires electricity so without it, logistics collapse.  During WWI there were at least 100 acts of sabotage on American soil by the Germans.  Why are we so ignorant to think our enemies won’t do it again?  Our nation seems to have a habit of not realizing when others are at war with us.  But hey, when turning a blind eye helps with your woke political agenda, why not ignore any other possible causes of an attack.”

US Agencies Acquiring Tech to Hack Private Autos

Reader D.B. sent us this, from NewsMax: US Government Agencies Acquiring Tech to Hack Private Autos.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 7, 2022

On a Sunday morning, in 1941, America was caught sleeping. Then, six decades later, there was that September morning, in 2001. Let’s pray that nothing like those days ever happens again. – JWR

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The 2600 Upgrade PVS-14 night vision monocular/weapons sight sale at Ready Made Resources will end on Thursday, December 8, 2022.  With this sale, you will save $400 off normal retail and receive what is normally a $200 upgrade to a 2600 FOM unit. They are in stock and ready to ship, at $3,595.

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Special Note: Today’s feature article is a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio. Pat has been in and out of the hospital twice in recent weeks with bleeding from diverticulitis. Please pray for healing and complete restoration of his health.

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We are now in need of entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 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.

Springfield Armory Ronin 1911 10mm, by Pat Cascio

I requested a sample of the new Springfield Armory Ronin 1911 in 10mm as soon as I heard about it. Still, I had to sit and wait for my sample – this gun, in this caliber, is in great demand! Back in 1988, I owned the only 1911-pattern pistol chambered in 10mm at that time. I ended up selling it, because we just moved back to Oregon, and my wife wasn’t yet working as a teacher and I was on disability from an auto accident – collecting a whopping $125 per week. I thought I’d never own another 10mm in a 1911 configuration. That gun that I ended up selling, is no longer made. However, a quick check on GunBroker.com revealed that it is now selling for over $2,000.

As long-time readers will know, my end-of-the-world handgun is a Glock 19X. However, my all-time favorite handgun is a good ol’ 1911, and the chambering would be in .45 ACP. I have 1911s in several calibers, and love them all. However, I have a brand-new love affair with this Springfield Armory 1911 in 10mm – it would make an excellent gun for self-defense. And, one nice thing about the 10mm round is that you can pick and choose different ammo, for different chores. For defense, I’d go with the Black Hills Ammunition HoneyBadger 10mm round with a 115-gr all-copper bullet that is fluted. I believe it may just be the ultimate man-stopper. For dangerous game, a heavier bullet. And for target practice, I’d use a 180-gr FMJ bullet.Continue reading“Springfield Armory Ronin 1911 10mm, by Pat Cascio”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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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We’ll start out with this, at Brushbeater: The Guerrilla’s Guide To The Baofeng Radio Is Out!!
Canadian Provinces Refuse to Assist in Trudeau’s Gun Grab.

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North Carolina power substations taken out by gunfire: sheriff. JWR’s Comment: Time correlation does not necessarily mean causation.

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What Americans Must Do to Stop the Great Reset.

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Fred The Valmetmeister sent this: HAM (Amateur Radio Documentary) Montana PBS [2022]

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A fascinating tour, with narration: Palmetto State Armory Factory Tour! See how their AKs, ARs, JAKLs are made! (Full disclosure: Palmetto State Armory is one of our affiliate advertisers, so we earn a little piece of the action when you place an order that originates with the click of a PSA ad or text link at SurvivalBlog.)

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A video suggestion from reader Tim J.: Hidden Danger in Fruit & Honey [ A1c Misses Fructose Damage ] 2022

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 6, 2022

Today is the birthday of RAF and RCAF fighter ace George Frederick “Buzz” Beurling. He was born in Verdon, Quebec on December 6, 1921 and killed in Rome Italy, on May 20th, 1948. There are a few books about him and one worth mentioning is his autobiography Malta Spitfire which he wrote in 1943 during a Victory Bond tour in Canada. He left the RCAF in April,1944 with 31 aerial victories, most of them during the siege of Malta in the summer of 1942.

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Today is the birthday of “claymation” artist and filmmaker Nick Park (born, 1958.) He is best known for his Wallace & Gromit films.

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Today’s brief guest article was too short to be included in the judging for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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. More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 is now in progress and will end on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry.