Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 25, 2021

Today is the birthday of physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937). He was known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission as well as for the development of Marconi’s law and a radio telegraph system. He is often considered the inventor of radio.

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Today we present a guest article. It was too short for consideration in the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

Round 94 of the writing contest ends on May 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.

Tangible Investments on the Farm, by Animal House

As many Survival Blog readers remember JWR, and other knowledgeable sources, have been recommending various ‘tangible’ investments for several years. While I am not an expert on anything, I study various reports which I consider applicable to my lifestyle. The Institute for Supply Management issued a report which got my attention:

“Things are now out of control. Everything is a mess, and we are seeing wide-scale shortages.”
Bank of America’s Chief Investment Officer, Michael Hartnett, said: “Our worldwide supply chain, and ability to provide products and services to you, is being significantly impacted by increased prices resulting from labor and raw material shortages, escalating raw material prices, manufacturing delays and transit interruptions. Stated directly, our costs are increasing and are much more volatile than in the past.”

“Supply chains are depleted; inventories up and down the supply chain are empty. Lead times increasing, prices increasing, [and] demand increasing.”

“The coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic is affecting us in terms of getting material to build from local and our overseas third- and fourth-tier suppliers. Suppliers are complaining of [a lack of] available resources [people] for manufacturing, creating major delivery issues.”

“Prices are rising so rapidly that many are wondering if [the situation] is sustainable.”

Source: ISM World

Last year I had a CD mature, which I did not renew. Instead, I put the proceeds in a safe place and made a list of tangible investments that I felt would benefit the farm. I had in mind developing a few more strings of income and expanding our tiny cottage business.

On a farm you are always building and repairing something. If you have good equipment and tools, the jobs are done faster and (usually) more safely than just using body muscle power. If you get hurt on a farm, dozens of chores don’t get done and everything suffers.

A Mid-Size Tractor

The second year on the farm I purchased a mid-sized tractor and a couple of basic implements. The end of last year I ordered more implements that could expand the usefulness of the tractor. My son uses the tractor for small jobs for homesteads nearby, such as digging trenches, holes for fruit trees using the backhoe attachment and fence posts with the auger attachment, tilling gardens, leveling farm roads with the box blade, moving dirt and gravel, bush-hogging and pushing over small trees, and so on. He charges by the job and we split the income; I keep half for maintenance expenses. FYI, I purchased the recent implements from Titan Attachments (palletforks.com) and I’m pleased with their services.

Portable Sawmills

After our last building project, when lumber prices had increased by 45%, we investigated portable sawmills. Once the brand and model were decided, I placed the order for the sawmill and found there was a three month lead time. By the time the mill was delivered, the salesman told me the lead time was 6 to 7 months for delivery, partly because of difficulty getting raw materials and partly because of increased demand. As I write this, lumber costs have gone up to 180%.  (Sources: Lesprom and Fortune.)

Our plan for the sawmill is to harvest some of our forested acreage to mill 6x6x12, 4x4x10, 2x4x8 and plank boards for use instead of plywood (which is going for $28-$32 a sheet in our location). This wood will be used for two new feed sheds, pig and goat shelters and repair of our cages and coops. Next year we may take a couple of small orders for neighbors, but right now we are still in a learning mode with the mill.

This year I replaced the propane rental tank by purchasing a 500-gallon tank for the house since it is more economical to own your tank. I have a propane HVAC and a small indoor wall heater, a kitchen range and a water heater that also run on propane. I purchase the propane on contract each year and it runs around $1.40 per pound. I use around 350 to 400 pounds a year. My plan is to purchase another 500 gal tank later this summer.

Our Kit-Built Greenhouse

A year and a half ago, I purchased a greenhouse kit from Farmtec/Clearspan. The kit was for a 20’x20′ hoop house since my location normally has mild winters. We put the building together ourselves according to the directions. We added some extra bracing and screws since we get thunderstorms and tornadoes in our area. This past winter we experimented with using propane heaters hooked to small propane containers to keep the temperature above freezing inside. We had cool weather vegetables growing such as collard greens, radishes, cabbages, broccoli, and our dwarf fruit trees inside. One heater worked well until the temps plummeted to below freezing (18°F) when we added a second heater. The two worked well (down to 0°F) until we ran out of propane during an ice storm which closed the roads and bridges so we could not get any refills.

That storm triggered my investing in a 250-gallon tank for the greenhouse. Since the greenhouse is not accessible by the propane truck, my son built a wooden cradle that he can pick up with the tractor forks. With that, he can move the tank to a point where the propane truck hoses will reach. I figured the tank will only need filling in alternating years, if temperatures only fluctuate within 10°F of what we had this past winter.

Summarizing, my tangible investments for the farm were last year’s greenhouse investment, and this year additional implements for the tractor, two propane storage tanks, and a sawmill to process our own lumber. I feel they will provide a Return On Investment (ROI)  within two to three years.

I hope each of you doing well and preparing for the difficult times ahead. My prayers go out to those dear blog friends needing comforting and encouragement. – Animal House

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.” – Luke 6:1-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 24, 2021

April 24th is the birthday of my childhood friend, Carolyn Cole (born 1961). She is a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times.

This is also the day that the Armenian Genocide began, in 1915. Ottoman Turk Muslims slaughtered 1.5 million of their Christian neighbors, intellectuals, and community leaders. The Ottoman government proceeded with multiple phases to round up men in mass executions and drive women and children into the desert on death marches. They also led the general Muslim citizens to participate in brutal periodic massacres within their communities signaled with the blow of a bugle. It is one of the first modern genocides and serves as a warning for us today. There are chilling accounts contained in Islam scholar Andrew Bostom’s book, The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War And the Fate of Non-Muslims.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 94 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 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!

Round 94 ends on May 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 Moving Story, by Uncle Reid

Think about having to move all your stuff. Think about the weight. And the volume.

The Wuhan Flu put my wife and me on the unemployment line on March 16, 2020. Living in northern New Jersey (NJ), in Bergen County with its nearly 1 million inhabitants, 25 miles from New York City, with incredibly high property and personal income taxes was no longer tenable. We had a place to “bug out” to. My son had moved to Tennessee a few years ago and had a bed for us. But just a bed. No room for our 60 super pails, our 120 ammo cans, our over a hundred #10 cans of freeze-dried and conventional fruits and vegetables. But even if they did have room, how were we going to get our stuff out of NJ to a location over 900 miles away? My employer made me a great deal on my work truck, an E-350 Ford utility body van with dual rear tires and a heavy-duty transmission. So, we left our home of over 30 years in the care of our daughter (who had been squatting with us for over a year looking for the “right house”) and loaded the truck and the car, a mid-sized SUV, and made our first trip down South.

This was no small task, especially for two people in our mid-sixties. (And four days into our adventure my wife fell and broke her arm and installed her eyeglasses into her forehead. MRIs, plastic surgery, a crippling injury.) Plus, I worried about overloading the truck. Do the math: Sixty super pails weighs well over 2,500 pounds. Ammo cans vary from ten to thirty pounds, depending on whether they are .50 cal. or .30 cal., and whether they are full of ammo or nickels. Oh, the nickels! Inspired by JWR, I started collecting nickels when they were worth $.07 each in melt value. Every paycheck I would buy a box at the bank. I worked for a small company and we did not have direct deposit so I had to go to the bank to cash/deposit my check every week. I became to be known as “The nickel guy”. I explained to the bank staff I was putting together a coin collection with my grandson, which was true. If nothing else it was a great savings plan. But after three years I had over three thousand pounds of nickels. This was not going to go to Tennessee! But the 2,000 pounds of ammo in cans were.

Actually, having the coins — all 155 twenty-two-pound boxes of them — proved to be a blessing. The banks were glad to take them, eight or ten at a time. Covid-19 caused a coin shortage and we needed the money. It took me over a month and I had to go to every branch in the area, but I cashed in almost all of them. We needed the money because the New Jersey Unemployment Insurance Agency was totally overwhelmed and our benefits were delayed. I did not get my first check until the second week of June, almost three months after I lost my job. Thankfully, my wife’s claim went through faster, but her benefits were not nearly enough to carry us. (OBTW- I did not feel one hint of guilt or regret collecting this benefit. We paid into this system every paycheck for forty-plus years, it was our money coming back to us.) We were sitting on a gold mine. Our home was worth over $600,000, but that would do us no good until we sold it. Plus, I needed to do about $50,000 in home repairs in order to close the deal. Our 65-year-old septic system would need to be eliminated and the sewer connection was really involved, which is why I put it off for over twenty years. And things we had learned to live with, the broken microwave door, the peeling stain on the deck, the cracked patio, the faded paint, the dated faux finished walls, all this needed to be repaired or replaced.

And the house needed to be empty. Goodbye, 400 pounds of salt (to the curb). Goodbye, snowblower and chest freezer (sold to a co-worker for half their worth). Goodbye 50 year tool collection (sold to my poor helper, for 20 cents on the dollar). Goodbye, huge computer desk, piano, Weber grill, swing set, trampoline, deck and patio furniture, kitchen table — you get the picture. I got good money for some of these items which enabled me to buy a 14’ vee-nosed trailer. And the truck needed a hitch and brake controller installed. That was another $1,100. Interestingly, the trailer was tough to get. All the used ones in the area, and there were not many, were either too small, too big, or junk. I got a great price on a new one but could not get the exact model I wanted as it was back ordered three months. For the last trip down I had the truck and trailer loaded to the gills. Our garage sale was a limited success, we made a few hundred dollars but sold less than half the stuff we needed to get rid of. All the rest went to the curb. Thankfully some of it was picked up by Freecycle folks before the garbage truck arrived.

But we had to keep the Berkey, the framed photos, the pots and pans and dishes, the blender and coffee maker, the beer steins my grandfather brought over from Germany, the bicycles, the canning jars, the pressure cooker, the beds, and the precious metals. I managed all of 9 MPG and was climbing hills at 45 MPH. The only really heavy furniture we moved was our dining room table. My wife could not bear to sell it for a fraction of its worth (we did try) and she loved it. She indulged my “Crazy Train” prepping for the last 13 years, so it was the least I could do.

A Cautionary Tale

This story is meant to be a cautionary tale. Look at your preps. Think about having to pick up and bug out. Think about the weight, not just the physical effort of moving it, but the capacity of your vehicles, both in weight and volume. Think about where you are going to put all this stuff in your new location. Mr. Rawles wrote a story about a couple who spent a frantic night deciding what they were able to take and what they were going to have to leave behind. I was given months to deal with this, and it still was an ordeal. I knew we were going to pull up stakes when my wife got the COBRA health insurance letter on July 1, 2020. That told me her job was not coming back. She got the word, “Get out” while walking and praying a month later.

We did not close on the sale of our home until mid-November even though we accepted an offer in early August. God gave me over three months to clean house, and I needed all that time to get the job done. But you might not get that much time. You might have to pick up and head out in a few weeks, or a few days. What will you take, and what will you leave? What will you give away, and what will you try to sell? We had to luxury of time to sell our beat-up sofa and love seat, and amazingly got $50 for them. My precious stained glass door bookcase went for just $40. We got a much-needed $1,000 for the too heavy and too big to move piano and computer desk.

I gave away a ton of stuff–literally. Socks and garden tools and dressers and beds and paintings and area rugs and all the stuff an affluent couple collects in decades of prosperity. God showed us how little we needed, living in a borrowed bed with half our stuff left behind in NJ and half in my son’s garage, stacked to the ceiling. You can’t move from a five-bedroom house to a small condo and take it all with you. Nor should you. You don’t really need 20,000 rounds of 5.56, do you? Nor do you need a 48-gun safe filled to capacity. It is nice to have a couple of years of grains in pails, but might a bucket of heirloom seeds be just as valuable?

Heavy Stuff

Consider what you are accumulating and its real worth, will you ever need all this heavy, heavy stuff? I was so blessed to sell (at fire-sale prices) our kitchen furniture to a woman who had lost her sister and brother-in-law and was caring for her orphaned niece and nephew. I found a ministry in Paterson, NJ, called Star of Hope. They were glad to take the closets full of clothes we no longer needed. Paterson is not the poorest city in NJ, I think that honor goes to Camden. But it is a poster child of a drug-dependent, generational welfare-dependent, crime-ridden, urban mess. That it exists a few miles from some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country is a sad commentary on our government’s failed “war on poverty” policies.

I have tried to be a good steward of the gifts God has given me. As a couple, my wife and I have learned of God’s wonderful provision and of His perfect plan for our lives. I had a plan; I was going to work another five years and pay off the mortgage and have another $100,000 in our Roth IRA and max out our 401Ks and have enough to spend winters on the beach in Florida or the Caribbean. Now I am retired early and living large, five minutes from five of my grandchildren, paying no state income tax and enjoying life in the Bible belt, where you can plant your garden a month earlier than up North, where you can carry a firearm without being related to a senator, where you can go to a (crowded) church without having to pre-qualify and where masks are the exception. Also, a church where wearing a sidearm raises no eyebrows.

Postscript

I want to give a happy postscript to this tale of ripped-up lives and lost heirlooms. We found we can live in a borrowed bed without all the stuff of the middle-class American lifestyle. Some say “one is none and two is one”, but seven AR-15s is overkill. We have learned to trust God in a new way, as He has supplied all our needs, especially financial needs, when the rug was pulled from beneath us. Our net worth, despite not having worked in over a year, has not dropped precipitously. We have lost a lot of weight, not just a few tons of stuff and fluff, but we have learned that our God’s supplies our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus. We still have an abundance, and can share with those in need. So, in light of this truth, I challenge you to slim down. Give out of your abundance, find needs around you that you are privileged to meet. Then if you are forced to move out, you will have an easier time of it and will have learned to trust in God’s good plan and provision.

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 very busy week here at the Rawles Ranch, with some splendid weather. I hung two new livestock tube gates, assisted our eldest daughter in setting up a business venture, limbed and dragged a deadfallen fir tree, went to visit a consulting client, placed a few mail orders for resale, inventoried a few new guns for Elk Creek Company, mailed out two orders, and assisted Lily with a few chores and projects.

Yesterday I attended a gun show for just one day, and found a few bargains. But I was alarmed at the price of ammunition and primers.  Generic 9mm ball ammo was selling for $45 to $50 per box of 50, and jacketed hollowpoints were $60+ per box of 50 or higher. Primers were selling for an absurd  $175 to $225 per thousand.

Now, over to Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:

To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.” – Job 5 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 23, 2021

On April 23, 1968, decimal coins (divisible by 10) were introduced in England. The 5 Pence coin replaced the former 1 Shilling (which was 12 old Pence.) And the new 10 Pence coin replaced the 2 Shillings Florin (which equated to 24 old Pence). The old non-decimal coins were removed from circulation by 1971.

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A New SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Prize!

We are pleased to announce that Siege Stoves is generously donating a new prize that will be part of the Third Prize package, starting with Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. They are donating the following complete US-made very lightweight SIEGE® STOVE kit:

  • Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members
  • Large Folding Grill
  • Pair of Side Toasters
  • Compact Fire Poker (made in Japan, and converted into a fire poker by Siege.)
  • Extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. These can be used to quickly convert almost any common can into an efficient, stable, high-performance wood-burning stove. With these and the Flat-Pack stove, one is able to get two fires going in parallel, which can be very handy (boil water for coffee, cook a second dish, etc.). One can even take a can of food on a trip, open it, empty it into a pot and while that is cooking on the Flat-Pack Stove, turn the now empty can into a second stove (takes just two minutes to make the holes with the built-in hole-punch and attach the extra set of Cross-Members).

The value of the kit is just over $200 (and may be higher, depending on how much titanium costs have risen since they bought raw materials a year ago.)

Welcome aboard, Siege Stoves!

So, the full set of prizes for Round 94 (et sequitur) 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 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!

Round 94 ends on May 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.

Using Different Size Axes, by Steve Acker

Every year that I can make it I go on summer vacation for a week in Colorado in a remote wilderness area, camping, hiking and fishing with old buddies. It is roughly 50 miles off of the nearest paved road. The area we use is a primitive camping area and at 10,000 feet. Temperatures can range from 34 F to 92 F.

I use this time partly to keep up my outdoor skills, practice axe skills, evaluate new camping equipment and ideas, practice alternate fire building skills, and sit around the campfire with the guys telling stories about how fast we used to be. I even catch a trout once in a while.

I am not an axe expert but do like to learn about axe history and use them in the woods. On these trips, I generally carry my full-size 3-pound head axe, a 2-1/4 pound Collins Legitimus ¾ (or Hudson Bay type) axe, and my old Gränsfors Small Hatchet. I carry all three to Colorado in a hard side rifle case which has worked out well.

I like using axes as a traditional and useful skill that connects us with the ages and warms you twice. On a side note, axes don’t foul spark plugs or run out of gas. As a long-time axe user I know some of this report may be obvious to experienced axe users, but I still occasionally learn a few new things on these outings. Once in a while I bring a new-to-me axe to test against my three favorites, and have my buddies try them out. This time the new fourth axe was a short handle Wetterling 20H Hunters Axe, one of the few axes along with the Gränsfors mini axe that I have purchased new. All of these axes were used on this trip by cutting the abundant dry deadfall, felling standing dead aspen, cutting kindling, general fire building chores, and making fuzz sticks.Continue reading“Using Different Size Axes, by Steve Acker”

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 the growing scarcity of some firearms magazines. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

PRECIOUS-Gold firms near 7-week high on weaker dollar, lower yields

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Gold prices can push higher as bond yields have peaked – Metals Focus

Economy & Finance:

Travel on U.S. Roads Fell 12.1% in February Over 2020 Levels

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Hedge Fund Assets Hit Record $3.8 Trillion in First Quarter

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At Wolf Street: Freight Expenses Spike the Most on Record

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Place on one side fifty thousand armed men, and on the other the same number; let them join in battle, one side fighting to retain its liberty, the other to take it away; to which would you, at a guess, promise victory? Which men do you think would march more gallantly to combat — those who anticipate as a reward for their suffering the maintenance of their freedom, or those who cannot expect any other prize for the blows exchanged than the enslavement of others? One side will have before its eyes the blessings of the past and the hope of similar joy in the future; their thoughts will dwell less on the comparatively brief pain of battle than on what they may have to endure forever, they, their children, and all their posterity. The other side has nothing to inspire it with courage except the weak urge of greed, which fades before danger and which can never be so keen, it seems to me, that it will not be dismayed by the least drop of blood from wounds. Consider the justly famous battles of Miltiades, Leonidas, Themistocles, still fresh today in recorded history and in the minds of men as if they had occurred but yesterday, battles fought in Greece for the welfare of the Greeks and as an example to the world. What power do you think gave to such a mere handful of men not the strength but the courage to withstand the attack of a fleet so vast that even the seas were burdened, and to defeat the armies of so many nations, armies so immense that their officers alone outnumbered the entire Greek force? What was it but the fact that in those glorious days this struggle represented not so much a fight of Greeks against Persians as a victory of liberty over domination, of freedom over greed?” – Étienne de La Boétie, in “The Discourse on Voluntary Servitude.”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 22, 2021

Today is the birthday of the late Charles Rankin Bond, Jr., who was born in Dallas on April 22, 1915. (Died, 2009.) He was one of the last of the AVG Flying Tiger pilots.

Today is the birthday of actor Eddie Albert (born Edward Albert Heimberger April 22, 1906.) He died May 26, 2005, at age 99.) For his actions in the battle of Tarawa, he was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 94 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 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!

Round 94 ends on May 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.

Building Prepper Infrastructure – Part 3, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

Can you hear me now?

How do you plan on communicating when your cellphone doesn’t work? There are numerous radio options available including FRS/GMRS, MURS, CB, Marine band, and ham bands. Having spare radios and accessories will be important and those spares should be stored in Faraday cages. The problem with radio communications is that they are not secure, meaning others can listen in on your conversations gathering information that might then be used against you. Some of those radios will require batteries too that may give out at some point and not be replaceable. It is also easy for people with a little bit of equipment and know-how to find out where you are transmitting from. Just do an internet search for “Amateur Radio Fox Hunt”.

Building a micro survival communications infrastructure will have to take into account what you need to communicate and with whom (how far away are they and what are their capabilities?). To me post-SHTF communication will fall into two main categories; emergency communications that relay critical information that is time-sensitive, and routine communications that isn’t immediately needed. So, think about how you would communicate information about an approaching threat. (Approaching, as in they are 10 minutes out.) Perhaps a warning system such as a bell could be used to signal the need to go to a higher security posture. Or what about the need to assemble a fire brigade? Don’t get caught up in the belief that communication has to be just radio. I have a number of field telephone and miles of wire to build a more secure communications system in our immediate neighborhood.

For non-voice communications, I look for carbon paper and buy it when I see it. I would really like an old printing press but it isn’t that high of a priority at this time. The carbon paper will allow me to write once but produce several copies at once. “Runners” on bicycles or even walking can also deliver messages. When I was in the Army, in the late 80s early 90s, they still employed “runners” at times. We also have put away a few “triangles” (dinner bells) and even an old WWI gas attack alert system- it is a “U” shaped steel pipe that has a piece of wood partially wrapped with the same pipe- you bang the “U” with the metal on the wood handle. Low-tech works, no matter what. Have a plan and build the capability now.Continue reading“Building Prepper Infrastructure – Part 3, by 3AD Scout”