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, we look at the likely hoaxers of the  “Patriot Front”

Is The “Patriot Front” Group a FBI Hoax?

In a recent video, conservative commentator “Mr. Reagan” asks: Is Patriot Front an FBI Hoax? Two of his observations:  “Conservatives don’t care if their t-shirts match”, and “It is the least convincing hoax that I’ve seen in a while.” JWR’s Comments:  It seems like some leftist video game designers were given a big budget for LARPing, and this is what they came up with. I find that it all smacks of something remotely financed, cast, staged, hired, propped, pre-printed, hyped, and phony!  Beware, folks. Beware of rhetoric like: “Revolutionary consciousness.” Beware of the long-haired leader of a conspicuously short-haired group. Beware of slick web sites that look like they came out of Madison Avenue. This hoax has a malodorous stench to it that indicates that it is a well-orchestrated false flag operation. Expect nothing good to come of it, and plenty of Federal prosecutions in the next few years.

Cost of Living in the Great Depression Baffles the Internet

H.L. sent this Newsweek link: Cost of Living in the Midst of the Great Depression Baffles the Internet: ‘Incredible’.  Here is a quote that illustrates the cost of living in that era:

“Sugar cost 59c for 10 pounds, vitamin D milk was 50c a gallon, ground coffee cost 39c per pound, bacon was 32c per pound and eggs were 18c a dozen. For those who could win a place, tuition at Harvard cost $420 a year.”

JWR’s Comment: Their incredulity of how much prices have risen shows just how blind most Americans are to the peril of an unbacked currency and the erosive long-term effects of general price inflation. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Inflation is robbery in slow motion via a hidden form of taxation.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 8, 2021

Today marks the birthday of Eli Whitney, (1765–1825) the inventor of the labor-saving cotton gin, several firearms, and dozens of other mechanical devices. He was the first to demonstrate the advantages of fully interchangeable parts, in firearms manufacture.

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A reminder: Our biggest sale of the year at Elk Creek Company ends on Saturday (December 11, 2021.) Oh, and I just added this recently-arrived gem to our online store: Rare Spanish Contract Loewe Mauser M1893 Cavalry Carbine.
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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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 Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 ends on January 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.

Your Red Bags: Stop The Bleed – Part 2, by Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Things to consider beyond bleeding

No matter how good you are at stopping a hemorrhaging blood vessel, you or someone that you designate must call 9-1-1 right now! Don’t say “Somebody call 9-1-1!” Bob may think that John will call; John thinks that
Bob is calling – and no one calls. Instead designate: “John, call 9-1-1!” If you are faced with more than one victim, which might occur in a motor vehicle accident, decide as quickly as you can where the worst bleeding is occurring – which person and which part of the body. Unless you have extensive medical training in the management of trauma that will be an exceedingly challenging task. Accept the fact that you probably won’t do everything right. But whatever you do will make a difference.

Anticipate that the person whose bleeding you have managed to stop will be likely to go into shock – a condition in which blood pressure falls and the diminished output of the heart causes multiple organs to fail. It is often fatal. It is characterized by weakness, pale, clammy skin, a rapid pulse, rapid breathing, anxiety, and confusion. Elderly persons are most at risk and need to be observed closely. Although first aid manuals advise keeping the victim warm it’s important not to cover bleeding wounds.

A compound fracture, a broken bone whose fragments protrude through the skin, is likely to include one or more torn blood vessels. Pressure and packing may not be possible without causing further injury, and placement of a tourniquet is the first step if there is significant bleeding. In doing so take particular care not to move the extremity in order to avoid damage to nerves and further damage to torn blood vessels. When emergency responders are only minutes away, wait for them to splint the extremity for transport.

Save that finger! Rapid transport of trauma victims and the ability to reattach body parts is one of the triumphs of modern medicine. A severed finger should be wrapped in a damp paper or cloth towel, placed in a ziplock
bag or similar container and sent to the emergency room with the owner. The bag with the finger can be placed on ice, especially if it will take more than a few minutes to reach the hospital but ice should not come in direct contact with the digit. Never use dry ice. Saving a larger body part such as a foot or hand is beyond the scope of this article.Continue reading“Your Red Bags: Stop The Bleed – Part 2, by Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.”

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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First up is this bad news: U.N. Taking Down Private Websites – Domain Level Censorship. JWR’s Comment: The only thing worse than corporate censorship (a la Facebook and YouTube) and national censorship (a la the Chinese Communist Party) is supranational (globalist) censorship. Soon, it may be time to break out your old IBM Selectric.

o  o  o

This Los Angeles Times article was widely republished: Brutal, brazen crimes shake L.A., leaving city at a crossroads.

o  o  o

Tim in Connecticut wrote us:

“You may have mentioned this book previously on the blog but I want to say that the book, ‘The Chief Witness’ by Sayragul Sauytbay is an eye-opening account of the concentration camps currently being operated by communist China. What is and has been going on in these camps makes Hitler look like an amateur.

Please encourage your friends and family to refrain from purchasing Chinese products whenever possible. China is the number one danger to our county and the free world. I purchased my copy from Booksamillion.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 7, 2021

Today is the 80th anniversary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. This should be a reminder to us all: Never let your guard down, nor allow your elected representatives to let our collective guard down.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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 Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. 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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  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 98 ends on January 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.

Your Red Bags: Stop The Bleed – Part 1, by Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.

When the shooting stops but the bleeding doesn’t, are you really prepared?

Approximately 40,000 Americans die every year from injuries that result in severe bleeding, a condition that can drain life away in as little as four minutes. The massacre at Sandy Hook, Connecticut on December 14th, 2012, was a tipping point. In that dreadful event twenty students, all only six or seven years old, and six staff members were gunned down by Adam Lanza, who had earlier murdered his mother and subsequently took his own life. Shortly thereafter members of the American College of Surgeons, the Department of Defense, the FBI, and other experts convened in Hartford, Connecticut and formed the Hartford Consensus. And so Stop the Bleed was born.

Hemorrhage is a major factor in trauma-related deaths and Emergency Medical Services are almost never available in a timely manner. Experience on the battlefields of the Middle East as well as civilian catastrophes convinced the leaders of the Stop the Bleed program that there were immediate steps that could be taken to stem bleeding and that these measures were simple enough for civilians to learn and to apply effectively. The result is that Stop the Bleed has become the most rapidly-deployed lifesaving public health measure in the history of medicine.

Mass shootings garner massive headlines and deservedly so but most of us will never encounter such an injury. Most deaths from hemorrhage result from accidents in the workplace and the nation’s roadways. In fact, the life that you are most likely to save is your own or that of someone you love. The home can be a deadly place. An errant kitchen knife, a whirring circular saw blade, or a fall into a glass patio door or a window are among the most common causes of life-threatening bleeding. Further, because such an event can occur at a distance from a medical facility or in a TEOTWAWKI situation where a firearm injury is quite possible, it’s even more imperative to master the skills described here.

Continue reading“Your Red Bags: Stop The Bleed – Part 1, by Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.”

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 an eastern Oregon black bear attack.  (See the Central & Eastern Oregon section.)

Idaho

Idaho is the least regulated state, new study says.

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Idaho state trooper nearly rammed by pickup truck while helping stranded motorist: dashcam video.

o  o  o

Bundy: Campaigning counts as court-ordered community service.

o  o  o

Chad Daybell trial set for Jan. 2023.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 6, 2021

Today is the birthday of “claymation” artist and filmmaker Nick Park (born, 1958.) He is best known for his Wallace & Gromit films.

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On December 6th, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, ending the institution of slavery. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” With these words, the single greatest change wrought by the Civil War was officially noted in the Constitution.

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There are just five days left in the month-long Patton’s Birthday Sale at Elk Creek Company. Order soon!

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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 Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 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!

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 ends on January 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.

Wheel Estate For Survival, by Pat Cascio

As a lifetime Prepper, I’m always looking at ways to improve the odds of surviving, whatever may come my way. I readily admit that no one, no matter how rich they may be, can prepare for every circumstance that may come along, that demands survival. I remember back in school, in the early 1960s, when we practiced “duck and cover” as a way of surviving a nuke going off in our city. Even back then, it was silly to believe that by  ducking under your desk while in school would add to your survival chances. Our school was huge – three stories, and a full basement. We learned to head to the basement if alerted that a nuke was about to go off…and we found inside walls, and we sat facing those walls, with our hands and arms protecting us. Again, not feasible, but still better than ducking under a desk. My plan was to run across the street, to the house we lived in. Beyond that, I had a vague plan to go and shelter in the storm drain under the sidewalk in front of our house.

There is no sure way we can prepare for all the nasty things that we might have to endure – simple as that! We have always kept tents in our vehicles, along with sleeping bags, and a small e-box – that contained food, water, and other survival necessities, and we still do to this day. However, while none of that is exactly what we want, it is better than nothing. If we had to evacuate our home, we’d of course grab our BOBs (Bug Out Bags) along with weapons and whatever else we could grab and go within a few minutes. Not a bad plan, but not a good one.

Enter the world of RVs – Recreational Vehicles. In this article, I use the term RV generically to include motor homes as well as travel trailers, camping trailers, and 5th wheel trailers. We own a fairly nice, used,  22-foot travel trailer, and it has everything we’d need for survival. We keep it fairly well-stocked with enough food, for our family of four, at all times. If all we could do is hook up to a tow vehicle and drive away, then we’d have enough food for several months, for the four of us. Of course, we’d top-off the freshwater tank, as well. Given a little more time – say an hour or so, we could add a lot more food inside our vehicle and trailer, and of course more weapons and lots of ammo. We have several bug-out locations we could go to – or at least attempt to get to one of them. Once again, not a perfect plan, but better than no plan, like jumping in a vehicle and just driving off.

Prior to 2008, there were a lot of really nice used travel trailers, and if you’ll recall, that is when the recession hit, and those people who lost jobs, purchased some used travel trailers. In our area – all around our area – we would see travel trailers, and 5th wheels alongside the mountain roads in our area, where people were living – and I mean, these rigs were right alongside mountain roads – not a pull-off or a campground. It was a heart-breaking sight, to say the least. We even saw people with RVs, set-up in friends’ or families’ front yards. Some were living in small tents – Ugh! However, better than living on the streets.Continue reading“Wheel Estate For Survival, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Lentil and White Bean Soup

The following recipe lentil and white bean soup is from Nurse Michele. She writes: “Today I made a nice pot of soup.  It occurred to me that the recipe used mostly pantry staples and garden stuff that stores well, and thought it may be enjoyed by your readers.”

Ingredients
  • 1 cup lentils,  picked through and rinsed
  • 3 cans chicken broth
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 can small white beans
  • 1/2 large onion, diced (I like Vidalia)cup
  • 2/3 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery, inner stalks are best w/leaves
  • 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 28 Oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp, or up to 1/2 Tbsp salt (on taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup really small pasta (like Pepe, Orzo, or Pastina)
  • Up to a cup of water,  if needed for thinning
DirectionS
  1. Place carrots, onion, celery, and dry lentils in soup pot and drizzle with olive oil.
  2. Cook over medium heat,  stirring frequently until onions start to sweat. Usually just a few minutes.
  3. Add garlic, simmer for 2 more minutes.
  4. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt,  pepper and white beans.
  5. Cook for an hour,  covered, or until lentils soften. keeping at a good simmer but not too high a boil.
  6. Remove bay leaf.
  7. Stir in dry pasta.
  8. If soup has thickened too much,  you may add some water.  Start with 1/2 cup, it’s a hearty soup, so don’t thin it too much.
  9. Keep simmering until pasta softens. Then the soup is ready to eat.

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Do you have a favorite 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 and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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 promising cryptos for 2022, and a brief crypto crash. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Reuters: Gold set for third weekly loss as faster tapering talks weigh.

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A Couple Stored IRA Gold at Home. They Owe the IRS More Than $300,000. JWR’s Comment: For some sound advice on how to set up a gold IRA the right way, consult Perpetual Assets. (They are one of our advertisers.)

Economy & Finance:

Biden says economy is ‘stronger,’ despite disappointing job numbers.

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Northern Trust: Global Economic Outlook for 2022.

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India’s economy grows by 8.4% amid signs of recovery.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If you have to be persuaded, reminded, pressured, lied to, incentivized, coerced, bullied, socially shamed, guilt-tripped, threatened, punished and criminalized … If all of this is considered necessary to gain your compliance — you can be absolutely certain that what is being promoted is not in your best interest.” – Ian Watson