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 tumbling Russian Ruble. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Here’s Why US Threats Against Russian Gold Reserves Mean a Monetary Reset Is Imminent.

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Video interview: ‘I’ve never seen this kind of volatility’ in gold; Gary Wagner calls for bigger moves ahead.

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Platinum market surplus to fall by 47% in 2022 as demand continues to grow – WPIC.

Economy & Finance:

Joe B. sent us the link to a recent commentary from Tucker Carlson that centers on tech monopolies and inflation: This Is The Biggest Tax Increase in Your Life.

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At Zero Hedge: “Credit Is Cracking”. Here is an excerpt:

“In the U.S., investors pulled $5.4 billion from corporate high-grade funds in the biggest weekly exodus since April 2020, according to data from Refinitiv Lipper for the period ended March 9.

Even those safest dollar corporate bonds losing more than 8%, while equivalent euro-denominated debt has lost more than 4.7%, according to Bloomberg index data, but European corporate credit is facing further blows as the ECB – the biggest buyer – prepares for a faster-than-expected exit from the market.”

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When Will Fed Raise Rates or Taper?

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At Wolf Street: Alibaba Plunges Below First-Day Closing Price in 2014. Golden Dragon China ETF Plunges Below its 2007 Price.

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Goodbye ATMs: Australia is eliminating physical currency, expects to become a ‘cashless society’ by 2031.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Most gun control arguments miss the point. If all control boils [down] fundamentally to force, how can one resist aggression without equal force? How can a truly “free” state exist if the individual citizen is enslaved to the forceful will of individual or organized aggressors? It cannot.” –  Tiffany Madison

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 13, 2022

Today is the anniversary of The Great Quebec Blackout. On March 13, 1989, the Hydro-Québec power grid failed after a solar storm — a coronal mass ejection (CME) — struck the Earth’s magnetosphere. The blackout lasted nine hours.

“It was the biggest geomagnetic storm of the Space Age,” says Dr. David Boteler, head of the Space Weather Group at Natural Resources Canada. “March 1989 has become the archetypal disturbance for understanding how solar activity can cause blackouts.”

A much smaller solar storm — but with some great Northern Lights — is due to arrive tomorrow.

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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 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 3, by St. Funogas

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

11. NECK CORD KNOT

This isn’t one of the 10 basic knots but since it’s nearly impossible to untie, it’s useful for tying a cord to hang around your neck for carrying a small ferro rod, hand lens, compass, or anything else small you don’t want to lose. The interesting part is that it’s just two intertwined overhand knots. I don’t know the real name of this knot and it’s not well known but I learned it many decades ago after reading a story in Newsweek about a new knot discovery (Photo 20).

It seems simple to tie but it’s tricky. It’s made with a single cord but two colors are used here to see more clearly what’s happening. Here’s a little mnemonic I use. Bats are nocturnal so “The bats come out at nine, the snake comes out of his hole, goes underneath himself, comes up through the right pretzel, then ties himself in a knot.” Translation: first an overhand knot is made with the loose end coming out of the hole at the 9:00 position (A). Notice how it can be made into a pretzel (B). Next, the snake comes out of its hole (C), goes underneath itself (D), up through the right half of the pretzel (E), then completes its own overhand knot (F). Once it’s that far along, carefully tighten it up. Pull gently (G & H) until the knot begins to form a cross, then pull on opposite arms of the cross until the knot is tight (I), then trim the ends off (J). Notice in the two small photos the decorative sides of the knot, one with a parallel section and the other crossed.Continue reading“Using 10 Basic Knots – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

Now the Jew’s feast of tabernacles was at hand.

His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” – John 7 :1-18 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 12, 2022

On March 12, 1850 the first US $20 gold piece was issued.

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Today is the birthday of science fiction author Harry Harrison, who is best known for his Deathworld trilogy. (He was born in 1920 and died in 2012.)

—

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 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 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

6. FIGURE-EIGHT KNOT

I use this knot mostly as a “stopper knot” but occasionally for other uses as well. An overhand knot makes a good stopper knot but if it’s too small for the hole size, a figure-eight knot is the next step up. It’s similar to an overhand with one extra loop.

Stopper knots are called that for their use on preventing a rope or cord from passing back out of the hole they’ve been pushed through. I use stopper knots to put handles on various items I make including the gift crate seen in Photo 9.

 

 

 

[PHOTO 9 – Figure-Eight Knot]

7. CLOVE HITCH

The clove hitch (Photo 10) is a knot which has very specific applications compared to most other knots. I use it for two main things around my homestead: hanging the hammock in the shade and tying my solar clothes dryer to the trees it’s suspended between. A clove hitch wraps twice around the tree so it remains snug for however long the rope is there. It has the added benefit of being easy to untie.Continue reading“Using 10 Basic Knots – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

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.

—

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.)

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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.

—

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.