Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 5, 2025

Today is the birthday of Jan van der Heyden. (5 March 1637, Gorinchem – 28 March 1712, Amsterdam). He was a Dutch Baroque-era painter, glass painter, draftsman, and printmaker. Van der Heyden was one of the first Dutch painters to specialize in townscapes and became one of the leading architectural painters of the Dutch Golden Age. He painted a number of still lifes at the beginning and at the end of his career.

He was also an engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the firefighting technology of his day. Together with his brother Nicolaes, who was a hydraulic engineer, he invented an improvement of the fire hose in 1672. He modified the manual fire engine, reorganized the volunteer fire brigade (1685) and wrote and illustrated the first firefighting manual (“Brandspuiten-boek”). A comprehensive street lighting scheme for Amsterdam, designed and implemented by van der Heyden, remained in operation from 1669 until 1840 and was adopted as a model by many other towns and abroad.

His rendering of Westerke, Amsterdam (above) is circa 1667-to-1670.

—

Today we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that is not part of the writing contest judging.

—

We are seeking entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Preparedness in the New Golden Age or Grimy Age – Part 2, by Single Farmer

Editor’s Introductory Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on February 24th, 2025: My Quest For a Wife.

—

(Continued from Part 1.)

We are not a wealthy society and it is doubtful that we are on the cusp of a golden age. We are a dying republic likely at the stage of “twilight’s last gleaming” before descending into 1,000 years of darkness unless it turns around really quickly. There is still time. When asked, what type of government we had in 1787 at the close of the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin remarked, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Our republic is currently riddled with corruption that it has been recently accused of being a “oligarchy” and this cancer is pervasive as a kleptocrats pilfer the rotting scraps on our nation’s bones. We owe more money than any country in human history. On average, our countrymen have lost much physical vigor compared to their counterparts of the 1960s with the average man being 30 pounds heavier composed of most likely not muscle and are the most medicated our nation has ever been. Morality is dying with a miniscule population of morally upright, virtuous people. Civic virtue is gasping for air: In the Second World War, boys would try to get into war and many succeeded. Within a generation, legions of grown men would dodge their civic duties starting in Vietnam. Even the smallest things reflect our decline: the currency in circulation has very little intrinsic value.Continue reading“Preparedness in the New Golden Age or Grimy Age – Part 2, by Single Farmer”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: 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. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

—

Reader Tim J. spotted this fascinating video, filmed in eastern Washington: Special Operations vet commutes by Flying Car from rural off-grid home. Here is a link to the ultralight maker’s website: Pivotal.  JWR’s Comment: Sadly, if heavier batteries are installed to allow longer range, this shifts this novel aircraft from the unlicensed Ultralight category to one of the licensed categories.

o  o  o

Lily informed me of this news: Microsoft will end Skype in May, leaving some users upset.  JWR’s Comments:  Count me among the “upset” crowd about Skype going dark. I’m surprised that owners of Skype didn’t find a few better ways to monetize it. I have been using Skype with the majority of my consulting clients and family members for many years. I suppose that I’ll just switch to using Zoom, even though it is less secure. But I should mention that I also have a Wire subscription.  Wire is a much more secure videoconferencing system, provided by a company in Switzerland.  But that security comes with a fairly hefty annual subscription cost. ($280 per year, for a four-seat license.)  I use Wire with several of my High Net Worth Individual consulting clients, as well as with a few family members.

o  o  o

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“An almost hysterical antagonism toward the gold standard is one issue which unites statists of all persuasions. They seem to sense… that gold and economic freedom are inseparable.” – Alan Greenspan

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 4, 2025

On March 4, 1756, the Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn was born in Edinburgh. He died in 1823. The image above is his portrait painting of Colonel Alasdair McDonnell of Glengarry, circa 1812.

—

On March 4, 1782, Johann Rudolf Wyss, Swiss folklorist and writer (of Swiss Family Robinson fame), was born in Bern. (He died in 1830)

—

On March 4, 1955, the first radio facsimile, or fax transmission, was sent across the continent.

—

Today we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that is not part of the writing contest judging.

—

We are seeking entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Preparedness in the New Golden Age or Grimy Age – Part 1, by Single Farmer

Editor’s Introductory Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on February 24th, 2025: My Quest For a Wife.

—

We find ourselves in a unique time which will be of great change. We can either make preparations to survive this time period like any other time or take whatever happens as it happens. Prepared people like to have options, so I am going to present to you a practical and historical case study of previous golden ages. I will bring you on a short historical journey to a few different golden ages along with some more difficult times, analyze the current situation, and provide some very practical ideas. I do hope that this journey will be profitable to you and that you will pass along any wisdom that you find to others. This is a very “future” piece, so please do not take anything I write as advice as this is only speculative. Consider this to be at best a “Gedankenexperiment” — a thought experiment — and I may be very wrong in my conclusions. It would be wonderful to be wrong and for us to be truly entering a golden age. Every day that we do not use our supplies eating from our pantries in peace and using our firearms for sport and recreation is a wonderful day. Please verify everything yourself and pray for the success of our country during this time.Continue reading“Preparedness in the New Golden Age or Grimy Age – Part 1, by Single Farmer”

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 located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today’s column has an emphasis on proposed and recently enacted legislation in the Redoubt states. The image above shows the interior of the Idaho state capitol building.

Idaho

Idaho Governor Signs School Choice Tax Credit Bill.

o  o  o

Idaho legislation, by bill number.

o  o  o

U-Haul driver arrested in drug bust, leads to multiple arrests at known drug house.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 3, 2025

On May 3, 1849, the Gold Coinage Act authorized $20 Double Eagle gold coin and the $1 Gold Liberty coin in the United States.

—

Today is the birthday of bluegrass musician Doc Watson. (He was born in 1923 and passed away in 2012.) His guitar work was phenomenal.

—

This is also the birthday of both Alexander Graham Bell and actor James Doohan, in 1920. He played Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek television series and films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He passed away on July 20, 2005.

—

A Newsletter Update: The March, 2025 edition of the SuvivalBlog Old School (S.O.S) newsletter has been completed and printed.  This issue is six pages long. Mailings should begin this week.  However, I ran out of envelopes!  So the mailings might not be completed until mid-March. (I now have another 1,000 envelopes on order.) Thanks for your patience. One minor note of clarification: Anyone who subscribed after March of 2024 will be getting copies of both the 6-page March 2025  issue and the 4-page March 2024 issue.

—

Today’s feature article is a review written by our own Tom Christianson.

Lightning Strike Fire Starter, by Thomas Christianson

The ability to start fires is foundational to survival. Fire provides warmth, light, hot food, the ability to signal, and a host of other practical and psychological benefits in the field. As a result, I recommend that an individual carry at least three fire-starting tools in their bugout bag, survival kit, or on their person while out in the field. These fire-starting tools may consist of things like matches in a waterproof case, a lighter (butane, liquid fuel, or plasma), a permanent metal match, a magnifying glass, or a ferrocerium rod. Because of its durability, stability under storage, and reliability under various weather conditions, I recommend that one of these three fire-starting tools be a ferrocerium rod.

The Lightning Strike Fire Starter incorporates a ferrocerium rod, striker, and tinder storage container into an aluminum tube that directs the sparks from the ferrocerium rod onto the tinder while preventing the striker from accidentally scattering the tinder. The Lightning Strike can even be operated with just one hand.

The Lightning Strike cost $68 at the time of this writing at Lightningstrikefirestarter.com. It comes in red, blue, green, or black in either standard or mini sizes. It is made in the USA.Continue reading“Lightning Strike Fire Starter, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Potato, Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Soup

The following recipe for Potato, Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Soup is from SurvivalBlog reader D.G..

Ingredients
  • 1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 ounces of block cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives or scallion tops, for serving
Directions
  1. In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp.
  2. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. P
  3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat; if you don’t have 2 tablespoons, add enough cooking oil to make up the amount. Reduce heat to low.
  4. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in the potatoes, water, and salt and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
  7. Remove half the soup from the pan and puree in a food processor. Alternatively, mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher.
  8. Return the puree to the pan. Over low heat, add the cheese and stir until melted.
  9. Remove the pan from the heat. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed
SERVING

Top the soup with the bacon and chives (or scallion tops) on each bowl that you serve.

—

Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: The “Stickiest” States: Showing the share of people born in each state who were still living there, as of 2021. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit. Based on Dallas Federal Reserve Bank statistics, via the U.S. Census Bureau.  Map created by Kavya Beheraj/Axios.)

JWR’s Comment: The low numbers in Wyoming, Alaska, and Hawaii say a lot about differences in both climate and job opportunities.

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

—

Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about anyone else.” –  Theodore Roosevelt, Kansas City Star, May 7, 1918

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 2, 2025

On March 2, 1458, the Hussite revolution leader George of Poděbrady was chosen as the 16th King of Bohemia.

On March 2nd, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Today is coincidentally also the birthday of Sam Houston.

Today is also the birthday of Moe Berg, American baseball player and clandestine agent. (He died in 1972). His biography The Catcher Was a Spy is fascinating reading.

And this is the birthday of libertarian economist Murray Rothbard (born 1926, died 1995.) His book For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto is highly recommended.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 117 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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

The Savvy Barterer: References, Skills, and Tools for TEOTWAWKI Barter

JWR’s Introductory Note:  This is an update and substantial expansion to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog back in 2008.

—

One of my long-standing Precepts is that every prepared individual should be ready for both barter and dispensing charity. Today, I’ll be briefly discussing barter. Being ready to barter is not just a matter of having a pile of “stuff” to barter. While barter and charity logistics are important, what is even more important is what is between your ears.

A Bazaar Experience

Bartering takes practice. Dickering is an acquired skill. Short of buying yourself a plane ticket to Marrakech, I suggest that you start attending gun shows, garage sales, and flea markets. Learn how to haggle.

One of my long-standing precepts is to have the skills and material acquired to conduct barter in a post-collapse society. Much has been written about what goods to keep on hand for bartering. But precious little has been discussed in survivalist literature on the skills required to barter effectively, and how to protect yourself from fraud.

I recommend that you practice bartering on a very small scale at first, to sharpen your eye for value and your ability to dicker in a manner that will result in a fair trade. A fair trade is one that is both mutually agreeable and mutually beneficial. The occasional transaction where you end up slighted is hardly cause for concern. But unless you develop the proper bartering skills, you’ll end up on the weaker side of bargains again and again. And those failures will mean that you’ll fritter away your tangible working capital. The attributes that will put you in a superior bartering position include specific knowledge about what is being traded, knowledge about who’s sitting on the other side of the table, and good old-fashioned “horse-trading sense”.

Don’t be greedy.  You don’t need to have every trade be profitable. Don’t go Full Ferengi.  You want to have many future transactions in your community.  So act fairly and forthrightly, and you’ll develop a good reputation.

Continue reading“The Savvy Barterer: References, Skills, and Tools for TEOTWAWKI Barter”