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:

After fighting off a recurring head cold,  I’m back up to full speed and plunging into projects around the Rawles Ranch.

On Thursday and Friday, I took a trip to a gun show, seeking inventory for Elk Creek Company.  I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find affordably-priced pre-1899 antiques.  Bidenflation is with us, in earnest. It is driving up prices across the board.  My advice: Get your wealth out of paper and into tangibles. Those will be our only safe refuge, as inflation rages. Yes, I do expect inflation to worsen!

It looks like I’ll soon be able to put our snowplow in storage.  But I’ll watch the long-range weather forecast before I decide when to switch back to summer tires for our SUV and our pickup.

And now that the snow is coming off, I need to move a large winter accumulation of manure from our corrals.  Fun, fun!

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

A just weight and balance are the Lord‘s: all the weights of the bag are his work.

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.

The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” – Proverbs 16:1-19 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 11, 2022

Today is the birthday of author Douglas Adams (born 1952). He is the author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Also on this day, the Great Blizzard of ’88 struck the northeastern United States (1888).

March 11th is the birthday of the late actor Anton Yelchin (born 1989, died June 19, 2016). He is remembered for his portrayal of Kyle Reese in Terminator: Salvation, and as Ensign Pavel Checkov, the most recent Star Trek movie series. He died in a freak accident wherein his parked Jeep Grand Cherokee unexpectedly rolled forward on an incline, pinning him to a security fence. He is greatly missed.

Trapper and survivalist Claude Lafayette Dallas, Jr. was born March 11, 1950. The subject of several books and movies, Dallas has had a “colorful” life. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the deaths of two game wardens, in Idaho. He served 22 years of a 30-year sentence before being released in 2005. He reportedly now lives in the wilds of Alaska.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 99 ends on March 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 10 Basic Knots – Part 1, by St. Funogas

Several articles posted in SurvivalBlog in the past year have mentioned various cordage, knot books, and knot tying. But as far as I know, nobody has actually demonstrated how to tie the ten most basic knots and how to use each one around the homestead. For those who can’t afford the books but would still like to learn, here are the ten most basic knots I use on a regular basis.

When I was a sprout my interest in knots began when my grandfather gave me a copy of the 1943 Boy Scout Handbook. There were three requirements to become a Tenderfoot and one of them was to become proficient in tying nine different knots, all of which were demonstrated in the book.

I later learned various specialty knots when I did some rock climbing way back when. Then about ten years ago I found a book on clearance that looked almost like a coffee table book: high quality, printed on slick paper with a sewn binding. From that book, The Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework by Geoffrey Budworth, I learned some interesting specialty knots which I use, like making a carry handle for a jug, and the illustrations made it super simple to teach yourself the knots.

If you have kids or grandkids, teaching them to tie knots is a fun activity and a useful learning experience as well. My grandkids had a lot of fun last year and among other activities, learning to tie knots during their visit will be a memorable experience for them as the years pass. They spent most of their idle moments practicing knots and were so enthused I gave them my knot book when they left.

Knot Applications and Attaining Proficiency

Certain knots are used for specific purposes and once you know the basic ten, you’ll be surprised how often you’ll use them around the homestead and elsewhere. For me, a knot must be useful for a specific application, strong, and in most cases easy to untie but unable to come loose when applied to a given use.

In order to become proficient more quickly, knot tying must be practiced until it becomes muscle memory. You can practice whenever and wherever, watching television, with your morning coffee, etc. If you don’t miss any lines in the movie because you’re tying each knot without looking, you’ve arrived. In taking photos for this article, while tying the knots slowly and stopping to take progressive shots, it was actually harder on some because it’s pure muscle memory and harder to tie when stopping and thinking about it in steps.Continue reading“Using 10 Basic Knots – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

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 wild ride in the markets, triggered by the Ukraine crisis.

Precious Metals:

The spot prices of gold and silver took considerable jumps this week, just as I anticipated. In my estimation, it is still not too late to buy some silver, as it is likely to zoom up over $40 per Troy ounce, as the Ukraine crisis deepens. And if silver “the poor man’s gold”  is still too expensive for you, then you can always get nickels at face value from your local bank, for immediate gain.  (See the Commodities section for some details on the global nickel market.)

o  o  o

Gold: Chasing Price Feels Very Nice!

o  o  o

Gold price hits all-time highs as investor risk sentiment falls sharply.

Economy & Finance:

The Atlantic: China’s Russia Risk.

o  o  o

Greyerz – The Dark Years For The World Are Now Starting In Earnest.

o  o  o

In the midst of economic turmoil, is Russian history repeating itself?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 10, 2022

On March 10, 1910, China officially ended slavery. But unofficially, China now has one of the world’s largest slave populations. These are mostly political prisoners, working in prison factories. Sadly, there is no way of reliably knowing whether or not most of the “Made In China” merchandise that you buy might originate from these prisons.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. 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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 99 ends on March 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.

Red Shirt Versus Gray Man, by Elli O.

This article was written a bit “Tongue in cheek”. I will compare two types of preppers- the Red Shirt and the Gray Man.

The Red Shirt

Although I am neither a science fiction fan nor a Star Trek Trekkie, I live with several who are. When I watch these shows, there is quite a bit of explanation given so I can follow the plot. But something I have learned is that when danger arises in the original Star Trek series, it is generally the team member that is wearing the red tunic who gets killed. This is called the “Red Shirt Syndrome”.

So let’s look at the Red Shirt Prepper…Maybe you are one of them. You are known by your overt actions. Here are your common behavioral traits:

You talk about prepping. Constantly and persistently. Regardless of the topic, you steer it back to prepping. You talk about the prices of long-term foods and the shortages of ammunition. When those who know you are a prepper start asking questions about what you think they should be doing, you tell them everything: stock up on food and ammo, buy guns, build underground bunkers, order potassium iodide tablets, etc. Give them “The whole bale of hay”.

You use the word prepping – not “being prepared”, but prepping. Yep, prepping is the word. You ridicule those who are getting prepared. After all, these other people are just playing around and they won’t last long when the world falls apart.

You proclaim to all that you are a prepper. When other shoppers comment about the multiple bundles of toilet paper you have in your cart, you just smile and say, “It’s okay. I’m a prepper.”Continue reading“Red Shirt Versus Gray Man, by Elli O.”

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, an update on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Zelensky Ready To ‘Discuss & Find Compromise’ On Crimea, Donbas Status

Over at Zero Hedge: Zelensky Ready To ‘Discuss & Find Compromise’ On Crimea, Donbas Status As CIA Warns “Ugly Next Few Weeks” Coming.

Arm The Masses: The Ukraine Double Standard

An observation from JWR: Ironically, the same leftist journalists that want to see Americans disarmed of our semi-auto rifles seem pleased to witness full-auto AKs being handed out sans papiere to the citizens of Ukraine. They are apparently oblivious to their inconsistency.

Making a Ghillie Suit Invisible to Thermal Imaging?

Reder Matt P. sent this useful video link: Emergency Blanket under a Ghillie. Defeats Thermal Imaging?

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 9, 2022

Today is the birthday of writer John McPhee (b. 1931), a master of creative nonfiction. One of McPhee’s most widely read books is Coming into the Country, which eloquently describes the Alaskan wilderness.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. 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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 99 ends on March 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.

Plant-Based Diets For Preppers, by H.E.S.

Intro: I’m 73 years old, pragmatic, conservative on most issues, Purple Heart Vietnam veteran, and a prepper for ten years. That’s me.

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After retiring from flying a news helicopter eight years ago, I decided to move to a rural, more prepper-friendly area and subsequently bought an off-grid log home in a very remote area. There is no mail or package delivery, trash pickup, or even cell service up here. Two sides of my property adjoin National Forest. You do get beaucoup more property for your money when you move out of the big city.

I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for adventure. Despite my age, I’m not fixing to die anytime soon and still embrace challenges and learning.

I’d never lived in a similar environment before. It was a little scary. I thought I would find the lifestyle satisfying but recognized that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes, you think you will like something and then, when faced with the reality of it, maybe you don’t. Here I was, putting all my eggs in one basket. Part of my motivation to make the move was that I figured the lifestyle would force me to be more physically active. And it’s done that in spades. Manual labor. Lots of manual labor. I do enjoy working outdoors and on the endless projects: fire preps, improvements, maintenance. Doing road maintenance – not so much. There’s four miles of rough dirt road between me and the county road. Sometimes that road needs plowing in the winter.Continue reading“Plant-Based Diets For Preppers, by H.E.S.”

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.

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The latest update from Reader SaraSue:

“About two weeks ago, I took delivery of a beautiful bred Jersey heifer (A2/A2 genetics) from a wonderful farmer and his wife. The first week was about her settling in and feeling comfortable. The second week has been about establishing trust with her – she eats cut-up apples out of my hand. I have purchased the supplies needed for her health, birthing, and milking by hand, so the next step is attempting to halter train her, brush her, and keep building trust. One small step at a time in anticipation of a calf and milking in about 6 weeks. My plan is to get the stanchion built, and purchase a refurbished Surge electric milker in case my arthritic hands can’t do a proper milking job. The 1/4 acre garden fencing is in progress, but due to food shortages, I’m thinking about expanding that garden to 1/2 acre (selling/bartering the excess that I can’t put up, along with extra eggs). With a calf due and a garden to put in, I’m going to be one busy, tired lady. “

o  o  o

A recent JWR interview: Critical Disclosure Radio – James Wesley Rawles – 1.14.2022.

o  o  o

H.L. spotted this piece: Missouri man selling sprawling bunker meant to withstand apocalyptic storms.

o  o  o

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 8, 2022

March 8th is the birthday of famed revolver shooter, big game hunter, and gun writer Elmer Keith, who co-designed the S&W .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges. He authored the book Sixguns, which is still considered a standard reference. His fascinating life story is told in his last book, Hell, I was there! A Proto – Redoubter, Keith spent the second half of his life on a ranch near Salmon, Idaho. (Keith was born in 1899 and died February 12, 1984.)

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 99 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
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. 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 $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 99 ends on March 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.