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.)

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Gold: Chasing Price Feels Very Nice!

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

Economy & Finance:

The Atlantic: China’s Russia Risk.

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

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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.

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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.

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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. “

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

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

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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.

Using Effective Encryption, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

So much has been written by greater minds than mine about secure communication in a crisis. There are many publicly available resources and information on SurvivalBlog and elsewhere.

Shifting letters in a message a certain number of characters is nothing new (Caesar Cipher, used in the last century B.C.). Using the SAME count to shift letters is a guaranteed way to have your encryption broken. Using different numbers to shift each letter in a message (a One Time Pad) – when your recipient has the same list of numbers to decrypt the message – is theoretically unbreakable, if you do it right.

This approach will only work if you have a list for the sender and a list for the recipient that is truly random. You can copy blocks of random numbers from several websites on the Internet [probably risky], or you can pretty quickly make your own table of random numbers with 10-sided numerical dice. Like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Chessex-CHX25408-Dice-Opaque-Black-White/dp/B077YC6JY1

This spreadsheet below (SFGshift) has been built to shift letters in a message. You type in the letters of your message, one letter per cell vertically, then you type in the numbers from your block of random numbers vertically. And the spreadsheet outputs letters that have been shifted the correct amount. Write down the encrypted letters and send that, either by email, or texting, or reading it letter by letter over the radio, or any one of several other methods.

When you’re done, you can select those two columns (message and numbers) and delete them, or just don’t save your changes when you close the spreadsheet, so the spreadsheet is clear for your next message. You can do the letter shifting by hand, of course, it’s just maybe a little faster to get your computer’s help (I wouldn’t do so on a computer connected to the Internet…). Or you can use a wheel like this:

https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/secret-codes-for-kids/

The spreadsheet here:

SFGshift

…can shift letters any number of characters, but for simplicity’s sake, I recommend simply using SINGLE digits from your block of random numbers.Continue reading“Using Effective Encryption, by ShepherdFarmerGeek”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on Washington’s pending magazine ban and conflicting drought forecasts.

Region-Wide:

Atmospheric river causes waterways across the Inland Northwest to rise.  An excerpt:

“Some of the heaviest rain in Spokane in years is one sign of the tremendous amount of water that’s been dumped across the Inland Northwest so far this week. Now that water is expected to swell rivers to flood stage in some areas and close to record flows in others.

Heavy rain in the North Idaho mountains is already pushing the Coeur d’Alene River to minor flood stage. A Flood Warning is in place from Cataldo to Harrison until the river lowers this weekend. Further south, the St. Maries and St. Joe rivers are expected to push the river at St. Maries close to minor flood stage this weekend. Not only are these high river flows because of the heavy rain, but the melting snow because of the rain and high temperatures over the past few days.”

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Meanwhile, we read: Climatologists: Drought to worsen in Oregon, Idaho this year. A quote:

“At a news conference hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, water and climate experts from Oregon, Washington and Idaho said parts of the region should prepare now for severe drought, wildfires and record-low stream flows that will hurt salmon and other fragile species.

Drought covers 74% of the Pacific Northwest and nearly 20% is in extreme or exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. An unusual ridge of high pressure off the U.S. West Coast scuttled storms in January and February that the region normally counts on to replenish water levels and build up a snowpack that feeds streams and rivers in later months, the experts said.”

Idaho

Liberal journalist Nick Geranios strikes again: Rural Idaho town part of trend: Conservatives seeking space.

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Senate passes Texas-style anti-abortion bill.

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Idaho bill would end most property taxes on main residences.

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Child marriage becomes a legal loophole in custody fights.

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Idaho State Liquor stores pull Russian vodkas off shelves.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 7, 2022

March 7, 1944 was the birthday of Townes Van Zandt, a gifted Texan singer/songwriter. (He died in 1997.)

March 7, 1707 was the birthday of Stephen Hopkins, (Governor of Rhode Island) one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

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Today, a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.