Gardening in a Post-Nuclear Fallout Environment, by Don Shift

Several weeks ago, Reader L.E. asked how seeds would fare after a nuclear war. That got me researching about growing food after the nukes fly would be complicated. It turns out, not much. After a nuclear war, fallout and higher radiation counts worldwide will be a fact of life. The remnants of the fallout will remain acutely in our food chain for a century. Consuming radionuclides (radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes) will be unavoidable, but not as catastrophic as some think, and it can be mitigated.

Fallout will not be a massive, universal phenomenon as some of the outdated fallout pattern maps from the 1960s show. Airburst weapons do not create any appreciable fallout and as cities are the likely targets, they will be destroyed by warheads detonating a few thousand feet above the city to maximize blast effects. Surface detonations are used against things like missile silos; so if you live near some, watch out. Fallout from surface blasts may travel long distances, but will almost certainly be heavily localized near hardened military targets.

Long-distance fallout or worldwide fallout that is lofted high into the atmosphere will be a universal concern. This radiation will be much weaker as the particles are less dense and have been decaying while airborne. A real-life example is that of the Downwinders who were exposed to atomic testing in Nevada during the 1950s and 1960s.

Fallout in food is an ingestion hazard of radionuclides (radioactive isotopes) through the food cycle. These radionuclides include isotopes of iodine, cesium, and strontium. Iodine is a short-term hazard whereas strontium and cesium, with their longer half-lives, are long-term hazards. Thyroid and other cancers are the primary pathology. Radioactive material can be ingested in two ways; consuming produce with fallout embedded in it or consuming produce that has absorbed an isotope from the soil.Continue reading“Gardening in a Post-Nuclear Fallout Environment, by Don Shift”

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:

This week, between rain showers, I did more firewood cutting and slash pile building. I also helped Lily with manure hauling, weeding, and rototilling. Our family also did a hay-hauling trip this week. So, the busy time of year has arrived!  Now, over to Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Make haste, o God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.

Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.

Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying.” – Psalm 70 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 10, 2022

On June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War ended as Israel and Syria agreed to observe a United Nations-mediated cease-fire.

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On Wednesday (June 8, 2022), the U.S. House passed H.R. 7910 — a package of anti-gun laws that includes a ban on the manufacture, import, or sale of any 11+ round magazines or belts, and raises the minimum age for detachable magazine centerfire semi-auto rifles. The package also includes a safe storage law, bans unserialized homemade guns, and codifies Trump’s bump stock ban. (Details, here.) Five turncoat Republicans from eastern states voted for the bill:

  • Fitzpatrick – Pennsylvania
  • Gonzalez – Ohio
  • Jacobs – New York
  • Kinzinger – Illinois
  • Upton – Michigan

Shame on them!

The fight to stop this package of bills now shifts to the U.S. Senate, where they are also discussing so-called “Red Flag” laws. Please contact both of your State’s U.S. Senators, and remind them that a magazine ban is grossly unconstitutional, and that Red Flag laws violate the 2nd Amendment as well as the Due Process protections of the 5th and 14th Amendments. To have a judge summarily yank someone’s Second Amendment rights without notice in absentia is a hideous perversion of our justice system. This is Star Chamber-level jurisdictional evil. If we lose our due process rights to identify and face our accusers, to be present at a proceeding to speak in our own defense, and the presumption of innocence, then our system of justice will be essentially gutted. “Welcome to the gulag, comrade.” Please point out that per Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank (1950), due process requires, at a minimum: A. notice, B. an opportunity to be heard; and C. an impartial tribunal.

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Today we present a guest article by . I’ve often linked to his articles and essays. This one was so timely that I asked for his permission to re-post it.

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We are seeking entries for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends on July 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.

Why We Need Our Guns, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

Make no mistake about, brain-dead Biden and his gang of criminals want to take our guns away. And these efforts didn’t start with him. As James Bovard pointed out in 2020, ““’Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15,’ declared ‘Beto’ O’Rourke at a Democratic party presidential candidate debate in September. Compelling Americans to surrender their so-called assault weapons is ‘the newest purity test’ for Democratic presidential candidates, according to the Washington Post. O’Rourke and other Democratic presidential candidates, including Cory Booker, Kristin Gillibrand, and Bill de Blasio (now withdrawn from the race, as are Gillibrand and O’Rourke) have all endorsed mandatory buy-backs of assault weapons. Though such proposals are momentarily politically profitable, they could start a cascade of public-policy dominoes that ends in civil war.

When Australia and New Zealand mandated buy-backs of assault weapons, most gun owners ignored the decrees despite politicians repeatedly ratcheting up their threats. Similar noncompliance to laws requiring surrender or registration of assault weapons has occurred in California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and elsewhere.

Congress passed an assault-weapons ban in 1994 that lasted for a decade. The original assault-weapons ban protected Americans from being shot with rifles that included features such as grenade launchers, bayonet lugs, or other detailing whose primary impact was to fuel the phobias of gun haters.

Shortly after the 1994 ban was passed, a Washington Post editorial admitted, ‘Assault weapons play a part in only a small percentage of crime. The provision is mainly symbolic; its virtue will be if it turns out to be, as hoped, a stepping stone to broader gun control.’ Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, in an article headlined, ‘Disarm the Citizenry. But Not Yet,’ explained the ‘real logic of the ban”: ‘Its only real justification is not to reduce crime but to desensitize the public to the regulation of weapons in preparation for their ultimate confiscation.’ Krauthammer, who was revered by much of the nation’s mainstream media, trumpeted his support for ‘real steps’ on gun control including ‘the banning of handguns.’Continue reading“Why We Need Our Guns, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.”

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, a look at persistent and increasing currency inflation, worldwide. (See the Inflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

Central banks bought 19.4 tonnes of gold in April, remain net buyers in 2022 – WGC

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Austrian Monetary Gold Transfer From London To Switzerland, Planned In 2015, Still Hasn’t Arrived.

Economy & Finance:

From Bloomberg: Black Swan Investor Is Watching for ‘Greatest Credit Bubble’ to Pop

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At The Economist: What America’s next recession will look like. JWR’s Comment: “Mild”? If Jay Powell keeps his promises on Quantitative Tightening, then the brewing recession will be anything but mild.

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I found this liked at the Whatfinger news aggregation site: Russia thinks it has found a way around Washington’s dollar bond payment blockade.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The fact that so many successful politicians are such shameless liars is not only a reflection on them, it is also a reflection on us. When the people want the impossible, only liars can satisfy.” – Thomas Sowell

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — June 9, 2022

Today is the birthday of Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat (1824–1883), who is best known for the percussion cap revolver that bears his name. It is a novel design, where the cylinder revolves around a central shotgun barrel.

On June 9, 1940 Norway surrendered to the invading German army, during World War II. The citizenry was then quickly disarmed by the Nazis, so resistance was limited. (The invaders had access to the Norwegian police gun registration lists.) To limit reprisals by the Germans, King Hakkon the 7th also ordered that only Norwegian troops operating from offshore should overtly resist the Nazis. The “H7” logo became the ubiquitous symbol of resistance in occupied Norway.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 101 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 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 LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends on July 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.

Assembling Advanced Medical Cabinets, by K.B., M.D.

No doubt, we all have a medicine cabinet of some size. Lately, I reorganized and consolidated our medical
supplies with the major assistance of my kind talented husband who built a set of floor-to-ceiling cabinets dedicated to that purpose even though he dislikes doing carpentry. (Thank you!) Because I am a retired and disabled physician, I obtain supplies to mainly care for those under our roof in a TEOTWAWKI situation.

Of course, we all are very aware of recent supply shortages (masks, hand sanitizer, medications-both over the counter and prescription) but what about the possibility of a decline in the level of care offered? I am referring first to those in less fortunate countries where you either bring your own supplies, do without, or risk contamination. Does anyone remember the U.S. ice pair dancer who fell and sustained a serious skull fracture with permanent hearing loss in Russia several years ago? I recall the compassionate and prompt action of a Ukrainian-born skater who rushed to the hospital with his own personal stash of supplies including clean sheets, bandages, syringes, needles, etc for her to use. Will the day come, when we need to consider having a selection of medical supplies for our use at a U.S. hospital or clinic?

I am aware that some people already order casting supplies for treatment of their fractures in order to avoid elevated prices at medical care facilities. We’ve all heard horror stories of outrageous fees for simple bandages or an aspirin at emergency rooms. Who knows what the future will bring? Maybe it is time to re-evaluate what we have on hand and consider situations where we may be fortunate enough to have access to a health care provider, but he/she may be without supplies.Continue reading“Assembling Advanced Medical Cabinets, by K.B., M.D.”

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, a special examination of pending gun ownership restriction legislation at the State and Federal levels.

House Democrats are Fast-Tracking Gun Legislation

CNBC: House Democrats look to pass gun control legislation by early June.

Rep. Scalise: Red Flag Laws Are ‘Unconstitutional’

Over at the Townhall web site: Representative Steve Scalise: Red Flag Laws Are ‘Unconstitutional’. JWR’s Comment: Since Scalise just barely recovered from the bullet wounds of a politically-motivated attack by a mentally unstable man in 2017, I believe that when he urges legislative restraint, he is particularly well-qualified. For him to issue this warning to his fellow congressmen says a lot. His counterparts on the Democrat side of the aisle should listen to him, dispassionately.  Please mention Scalise’s stance on Red Flag/ERPO laws when you contact other congress members.

Rep. Matt Gaetz Calls Out Red Flag Law Proponents

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Matt Gaetz Drops the Mic!

House Panel Advances Gun Bill After Recent Mass Shootings

From U.S. News & World Reports: House Panel Advances Gun Bill After Recent Mass Shootings.

N.Y. Democrats Ramrod Multiple Anti-Gun Bills

The NRA-ILA reports: New York: Gun Control Package Passed By Albany Democrats.

Republicans Team Up with Dems to Pass Gun Laws

Rep. Toomey sells out, again! Republicans Team Up with Democrats to Pass Gun Control Laws.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors … even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?” – Gina Carano

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 8, 2022

On June 8th, 1776, the forces of Canadian Governor Sir Guy Carleton defeated American Patriot forces under John Sullivan. After taking heavy losses and the loss of General Richard Montgomery at Quebec, the Patriots were pursued by Governor Carleton. Halfway between Quebec and Montreal, at the Trois-Rivieres, the Patriots turned to fight. The Redcoats and German mercenaries killed 25, wounded 140, and captured 236, but Carleton allowed the rest of the 2,500-man force to complete their retreat. This battle changed the priorities of the Patriots, and Colonel Benedict Arnold wrote, “Let us quit and secure our own country before it is too late.”

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We are continuing our summer sale, at Elk Creek Company. We’ve reduced the prices on all of our percussion replica guns, and nearly all of our pre-1899 cartridge guns. With the recent dip in the spot price of silver, this is a great time to buy. Note that we have our prices listed in both pre-1965 silver coinage and in current rapidly-inflating Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs.) The last day of the sale will be Monday, June 20th. Our small inventory is selling rapidly, so order soon!

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Today’s feature article was written by Brandon Smith and was first published by Birch Gold Group.

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We are running low on entries to post for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction nonfiction writing contest. Please share your knowledge with the SurvivalBlog readership.  A 1,500+ word entry will qualify you for the judging to win some valuable and very useful prizes!

Inflation Will Price Many Americans Into Homelessness, by Brandon Smith

One of the most detrimental aspects of an inflationary or stagflationary crisis is that, in most cases, housing costs tend to rise while home sales fall.

It might seem counterintuitive; one would assume that as sales fall so should prices, but this is the upside-down world of inflation. Certain commodities and products, usually necessities, almost always skyrocket in price, ultimately driving most American families out of the market completely.

One of the only exceptions to this rule is when the government institutes rent or price controls. In Weimar Germany, for example, the government enforced strict regulatory controls on landlords, fixing rent at a rate that made profits impossible.

Biden’s housing crisis

Now, this might sound familiar – during the height of the Covid pandemic the Biden administration established a lengthy moratorium on evictions, which made it impossible for many property owners to collect rent payments they were owed. Owners couldn’t replace delinquent tenants with those willing to pay on time, leading to massive financial burden on property owners across America.

The effects of this were detrimental to both the U.S. economy and especially the rental market.

How? The moratorium awakened property owners to the reality that they could be unilaterally restricted from their own business. They could be stopped from collecting rent payments owed by tenants under contract while still being forced to pay taxes and maintenance expenses on those same properties.

The entire rental market became a zero-sum game. In response, landlords began selling their extra properties in droves instead of renting them out.

As you might expect, this has led to a shortage of rentals in many parts of the country. When supply is constrained, what does basic economics tell us must happen? The eviction moratorium led directly to much higher prices on the limited rentals that still remain.

But it wasn’t just a reduction in supply that caused prices to rise.

Those owners still willing to rent properties under the eviction moratorium had to increase their prices to compensate them for the additional risks they were taking in a market where the rules suddenly changed. By placing the moratorium on rent, Biden made an existing housing crisis far worse.Continue reading“Inflation Will Price Many Americans Into Homelessness, by Brandon Smith”

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. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

The latest from Ian McCollum: SIG M5 Spear Deep Dive: Is This a Good US Army Rifle?

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Deadly secret: Electronic warfare shapes Russia-Ukraine war.

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Mike in Alaska recommended this very portable and very versatile HF dipole antenna: Chameleon Six Band No Tuner Portable HF Antenna. These are great for Field Day or for hams with compact QRP rigs. Don’t miss the review video link that is linked amongst the still photos at the bottom of the web page.

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The Top 10 Creepiest & Most Dystopian Things Pushed By The World Economic Forum.

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Reader A.K. suggested a new video from a familiar face, Dr. John Campbell: Famine in 2022. JWR’s Comments: This will surely have global consequences. Do you remember “Arab Spring”? That uprising, with more than one subsequent regime change, was triggered by a shortage of wheat flour and baked bread. This predicted famine could literally lead to a Third World War.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”