Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 20, 2021

Today is the birthday of Ed W. “Too Tall” Freeman (November 20, 1927 – August 20, 2008). He was a United States Army helicopter pilot who received the United States military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Battle of Ia Drang Valley during the Vietnam War. During the battle, he flew through gunfire numerous times, bringing supplies to a trapped American battalion and flying dozens of wounded soldiers to safety. Freeman was a wingman for Major Bruce Crandall who also received the Medal of Honor for the same missions.

On November 2, 1920, the radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh produced what is often cited as the world’s first commercial broadcast. However, it is noteworthy that an experimental station in San Jose, California was operated by Charles “Doc” Herrold, much earlier. Herrold started broadcasting daily from 1909 to 1917 — long before the advent of KDKA. He began playing record albums on the air in 1912. Herrold’s station was licensed as KQW (in 1921) and later KCBS. In the fall of 1916, after the De Forest Radio Telephone & Telegraph Company began operating an experimental radio station, 2XG, in New York City. They were the first broadcaster to operate commercially, airing advertisements.

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Like most Americans, I was relieved to hear that on Friday, Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty, on all charges. But I am quite troubled to see the incredibly biased mass media still referring to the men he shot as “victims.”  They were the aggressors. Kyle Rittenhouse was the victim.  Perhaps if he were of a different skin tone, or had a different political persuasion, the mass media would characterize the incident differently.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 97 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!

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 97 ends on November 30th, 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.

Reflections In the Mirror, by Richard T.

Many years ago when my son came to the age of needing to shave he asked me to show him how. He is a grown man now and in no need of further instructions, and yet I am offering him an update on my original advice. I’m now 73 years old and have been learning that shaving is more than cutting whiskers. Shaving is one of those few moments in a man’s day when he can reflect on his thoughts as his face reflects in the mirror. For me, it has become a time of reflection of what my life looks like, inside and out. What has happened outside of me because of what was inside of me as well as the reverse:  Reliving regretful experiences and harvesting lessons from them, overhauling habits, seeking wisdom from acts of folly, and most of all developing self-acceptance and gratefulness. It isn’t easy to do in those few minutes in front of the mirror.

Let me start with this; gratefulness. Taking a shower, sitting down on the throne, shaving your face; these are those daily duties we just do and take for granted as well as the access to the facilities to do them. It struck me recently to read about the plight of a man who was denied such simple and basic everyday needs. What initially caught my attention was that he was referred to as an elderly man, but he was two years younger than me. I read the article; he had been held hostage in an American gulag for the “crime” of being at the nation’s Capitol on January 6th of 2021 in a constitutionally legitimate gathering in support of a political issue. This is his account:

“On January 6, 2021 I was arrested and taken first to this place I can only describe as a dungeon. But Websters definition does not do it justice. It says, “A dark cell for prisoners”. That is just a start. Its dark alright. With 2 people in a cell about 5×7 with a commode, no sink, no water, and no toilet paper. If you needed a drink you had to get the guards attention and at his pleasure, he would bring you a 6oz cup of water. If you needed to poop you had to call the guard and ask for toilet paper. The guard would take a roll of toilet paper and depending on the roll size, he would roll off maybe 5 or 6 loops and he would leave. If that wasn’t enough, you had to call him back for more”.

I’ve been able to do what this man has not been allowed to do every single day since he and others have been imprisoned nearly a year ago for absolutely no legitimate reason.Continue reading“Reflections In the Mirror, by Richard T.”

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:

We took a three-hour drive to purchase several ewes and a disrelated ram. These are from a fairly rare breed, so we were excited to find a breeder so close by. (By Redoubt standards, a three-hour drive is “close by.”)

I’ve been fully engaged in the last week with writing, editing, shipping out Elk Creek Company orders. There have been a lot of orders, since we are running our biggest sake if the year, until December 11th.  For example, one gent ordered four knives and a Leatherman tool. There have also been a lot of projects around the Rawles Ranch. These included tacking-up burlap flaps to the fronts of our henhouse nest boxes, beefing up some fences to make them more bull-proof, re-hanging a tube gate, and rebuilding an old sheep corral, to make it once again sheep-tight. A lot of that work was done just after we’d received four inches of fresh snow. We also did some renovation of our old small livestock shed — since it has been several years since we’ve kept any goats or sheep in it. Most recently, it had been used to house our chickens.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.

He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.” – Proverbs 14: 7-23 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 19, 2021

On this day in 1863, U.S. President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, at the dedication service for the National Cemetery in Pennsylvania.

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Less than two weeks left!  Get your entries in for Round 97 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 97 ends on November 30th, 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.

The Curse of The Cult of Kanban

In 2007, I began warning SurvivalBlog readers about global over-reliance on Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory management. This system — also called lean inventory management or kanban — was first developed by Toyota in Japan, in the 1950s. There, with largely internal chains of supply that were all clustered around the major cities on Japan’s largest island, Honshu, the kanban system worked with wonderful efficiency. Kanban soon branched out to the other three primary islands: Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Manufacturers were able to cut costs by keeping their parts inventory small, and placing frequent orders to their supplying wholesalers and component parts makers. Kanban became very popular in Japan in the 1960s.

The Japanese lean inventory way of doing business was so successful that it caught the attention of American and European efficiency experts. They soon adopted it, preferring to use the term Just-In-Time (JIT). The bean counters earned nice Christmas bonuses, and both CEOs and shareholders were happy with a fatter bottom line. By the late 1990s, in many industries JIT became the norm. Even in worldwide trade, kanban proved to be efficient, if allowances were made for the lag time created by transoceanic shipping. American companies also found lean inventory beneficial in states with outdated inventory taxes.

Seeing the success of JIT in industry, wholesalers and retailers emulated kanban practices. This widespread adoption was seen most dramatically in supermarkets. Most new stores that were built after the early 1990s omitted having a large rear storeroom for “overstock”. What you see on the shelves is all that they have available in the store. Increasingly, it is route drivers and jobbers from third party companies that actually stock supermarket shelves. This started first with bread shelves, but now entire swaths of store shelves are stocked by people who are not store employees. This shelf-stocking activity largely goes on between 2 AM and 6 AM every morning, so most customers are oblivious to this hum of activity.Continue reading“The Curse of The Cult of Kanban”

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 strengthening U.S. Dollar. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold gains as inflation worries offset strong dollar.

o  o  o

Gold Is Back in Vogue With Bulls Loving Faster Inflation Again. Here is an excerpt from the Yahoo article:

“While bullion is often bought as a way to protect wealth when consumer prices are climbing, this year’s inflation had weighed on the metal as investors bet that it would spur the Federal Reserve to scale back huge stimulus measures. But with the Fed determined to keep rates low while unemployment remains elevated, worries about out-of-control inflation are boosting gold’s allure.

That was clear on Wednesday, when gold jumped to break out of a 15-month downtrend after data showed U.S. consumer prices rose the fastest since 1990. On Thursday, spot prices rose as much as 0.9%, before paring some of the gain.

Inflation “is not transitory,” said Nicky Shiels, head of metals strategy at MKS (Switzerland) SA. “It’s injected some bullish momentum. That’s a change from the previous ‘thinking’ since the Fed’s taper threat is out of the way.”

Taxes:

Biden’s Vaping Tax Sparks Concerns People Will Go Back to Cigarettes.

o  o  o

“Fair Share”? Here’s Every State’s Top Tax Rate Under Biden’s Massive Spending Bill.

o  o  o

$283,927,000,000: Federal Tax Collections Set Record in October.Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“These observations bring out the fact that, whenever liberty is regarded merely as the power to do something which it is desired to do, the tyrant need only base himself on the desires of the masses to suppress the liberties cherished by a few. But can anyone fail to see that the very concrete problem here posed is the problem of the sation of satisfactions, and not the problem of liberty at all? How, then, has it come about that we have drifted away from what we were discussing? This is the very definition of liberty which we allowed as our starting-point. Its development makes it clear that the thing discussed does not merit the fair name of liberty.
It is certain that every man desires addition to his power and chafes at the obstacles which stand in his way; it is also certain that the quest for a power which is wider binds him to a growing dependence on other men; it is certain, lastly, that this dependence creates a growing tendency to quarrel about distribution. All that is important, but it is the story not of liberty but of human imperialism. And whoever thinks to see the essence of liberty in the power of man is is utterly lacking in any true feeling for liberty.” –  Bertrand De Jouvenel, Sovereignty: An Inquiry into the Political Good

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 18, 2021

On this day in 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones led hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. This incredibly tragic occurrence introduced the term “…drink the Kool-Aid” into our parlance, since poison-laced punch was the vehicle behind most of the deaths. This serves as a stark warning and reminder to anyone who would join with like-minded friends under the leadership of a charismatic leader. Always know who you are following!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 97 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 97 ends on November 30th, 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.

 

Food Shortages – The Hype and The Reality – Part 2, by SaraSue

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

In Part I, we discussed a bit about where the real food shortages are and some solutions. The primary advice was: buy in bulk if possible, buy single ingredient whole foods, identify alternative food sources, cook from scratch, grow your own, and avoid processed foods wherever possible. It’s pretty straightforward stuff, right? Then why is the “prepping community” “stacking it to the rafters” if there’s plenty of food? What’s going on underneath the surface? What’s not so obvious, generally? Why are people, seemingly, panicking about access to food?

Conspiracy Theories

Let’s get all the conspiracy theories out of the way first: global warming, global cooling, the government wants you dead, the government is going to make you eat crickets rather than steak, the government is going to compost human beings for you to fertilize your garden with, “you will own nothing and be happy about it” (World Economic Forum), one day people will be half human and half robot (transhumanism), etc, etc, etc. I love conspiracy theories because they allow me to exercise my brain in creative problem-solving! For instance, let’s take the Grand Solar Minimum. I fully believe that the earth and the solar system go through extended weather cycles, and that God created it to work that way. We, as human beings, do not know everything about how things work; but we know what recorded history and observation teaches us.

It is possible we are in a Grand Solar Minimum right now. How does that affect us? Well, it depends upon where you live and what a “normal climate” looks like to you. It could be colder and the snow deeper for many areas of the country and world (think: greenhouses, lots of firewood, etc). It could be warmer, hotter, for many areas (think: heat-loving crops and water systems as very important). It could rain barrels of water in an area that was previously very dry with potentials for landslides, sinkholes, rotting crops (observe and react in advance). I’m not saying I know anything. I am saying that for each “conspiracy theory”, there are elements of truth worth a look. An old adage: Don’t put your eggs all in one basket.

Let’s take the weather first. If we are truly in a Grand Solar Minimum, there could be crop failures in certain areas of the country, and around the world. We do so hope that the major companies who grow food are in tune with weather cycles. I kind of suspect they are, even if they don’t say it out loud. If they aren’t paying attention they’ll go bankrupt, so it’s their primary job to pay attention even if the information is obscure. Smaller farms, homesteads, and ranches should be paying attention too, and prepare for the worst, to the best of their ability. For instance, if you run cattle in Wyoming, you might think about having available shelter and extra hay for the animals when previously it wasn’t needed. If you live in the Southern states, it could be colder there too, or hotter. Plan for both.Continue reading“Food Shortages – The Hype and The Reality – Part 2, by SaraSue”

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 wars and rumors of wars.

Would America Survive a Second Civil War?

Some serious food for thought and grounds for further research:  Would America survive a civil war? Here is an excerpt:

“But 2021 is a different world to 2015. Talk of insurrection, secession, civil conflict and civil war is no longer the chatter of the gullible and the mentally ill. It’s entering the fringes of polite society. Some support this ‘national divorce’; others are opposed to it. Others claim they would actually prefer to declare war on their recalcitrant countrymen rather than let them go their own way unmolested.

None of this morbid interest in civil conflict is irrational, given the times. The year 2021 has thus far been a spectacular year for signs of political decline: the US has now seen all the notable “horsemen of the apocalypse” that historically herald strife and revolution appear, one after another. Political division among its elites, increasing loss of legitimacy in the eyes of the population, military defeat abroad, and a new and very ominous crisis in the real economy, with no end date in sight.

Any one of these crises would be bad enough on their own; taken together, they represent a truly serious threat to the stability of the current order.”

China Threatens Taipei’s Pro-Independence ‘Diehards’

China threatens to punish Taipei’s pro-independence ‘diehards’.

Baltics Warn of Military Escalation at Belarus Border

Kenny sent this: Baltic states warn of possible military escalation at Belarus border.

Russia May Be ‘Attempting to Rehash’ 2014 Invasion of Ukraine

Blinken says US is concerned Russia may be ‘attempting to rehash’ 2014 invasion of Ukraine. Here’s a quote:

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the United States is “concerned by reports of unusual Russian military activity” and the possibility that Russia may be “attempting to rehash” its 2014 invasion of Ukraine.

Blinken’s comments came a week after Russia’s powerful security chief did not deny that Moscow was moving troops or assuage the US’ concerns about Russia’s intentions during a meeting with CIA director Bill Burns, according to four people briefed on the discussion.”

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 17, 2021

On this day in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were submitted to the states for ratification. They differed from the Constitution in that they emphasized the primacy of the states. This brings to mind the dangers of convening a new Constitutional Convention, because the last time this happened the Articles of Confederation were thrown out and totally replaced by the Constitution. Do you honestly believe that our politicians today could craft a document that so thoroughly protects the rights of the individual as they did then?  Beware the risks of a “runaway convention”!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 97 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 97 ends on November 30th, 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.

Food Shortages – The Hype and The Reality – Part 1, by SaraSue

If you watch YouTube videos, alternative media, and even mainstream media, there is a tremendous amount of hype about food shortages. A common phrase among Preppers is “stack it to the rafters”. I can imagine the amount of stress this puts on families who don’t have a lot of extra cash. I was there once, so I have deep compassion for those worried about food security, not to mention gasoline and heating cost concerns — the basics. I’ll give a few tips to address that in this article. But first, are there really food shortages in the United States of America?

As I’ve gone to various stores in my region (Costco, Walmart, Piggly Wiggly, Dollar General, Walgreens, etc.), I haven’t seen anything that scares me other than prices are going up weekly – and that doesn’t scare me yet. Now, to qualify what I’m seeing, I live in a rural area of Tennessee – take that for what it’s worth. Our Costco, a new one in a neighboring county, was very well stocked. Walmart had plenty of frozen turkeys on sale for $.89/lb, but I did notice “holes” in the shelves in various spots, and still, plenty of food and supplies. Piggly Wiggly is a small store and I don’t shop there much because their prices are high for most products with limited selection. Dollar General seems to be the store/chain that looks like they aren’t getting full shipments in – very limited inventory and a lot of empty shelves. Walgreens carries a few processed food items including milk, but very little. I shop at the Farmers Co-Op for animal feed, bedding, supplies, equipment, and they are very well stocked. The Farmers Co-Op is a familiar sight in Tennessee and most animal feed is sourced within the State, as far as I can tell.

I order a lot of bulk and organic items from Azure Standard out of Oregon. They run trucks across the country to various “drop points”, and people go monthly to their “drop” on a specific date/time to meet the truck, help unload it, and pick up their orders. They’ve become so popular, in fact, that they’ve put out a plea for volunteers to come to their warehouses in Oregon and help fulfill orders. They’ve had to delay routes and get creative since they don’t have enough trucks and drivers to meet the demand, which has doubled recently. On my last order, only half of the original order was filled. But, as they explained, it’s more a factor of a labor and transportation shortage than an actual food shortage. I generally do a monthly order, so if something isn’t available one month, I just add it to my online shopping cart for the next month’s order.Continue reading“Food Shortages – The Hype and The Reality – Part 1, by SaraSue”

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.

Avalanche Lily insisted that I post this: Colorado’s Democrat Governor Signs Executive Order To Turn Away UNVACCINATED From Hospitals.

o  o  o

I heard from the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) that the Preventing Gun Violence Through Financial Intelligence Act (House Bill 5764/Senate Bill 3117) was introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. It “aims to would require financial institutions to turn over information on firearms and accessory purchases to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for developing an advisory about the identification and reporting of suspicious activity.” This is bad legislation. Please contact your senators and congressman, to oppose it.

o  o  o

Reader Melissa B. sent this observation and conjecture:

“Bullets, Band-Aids, and Beans: It has happened, the end of the world as you know it.  It wasn’t what you thought it would be, but nonetheless here you are.  You’ve worked hard to put up food and know that your family will not go hungry.  You were going to work on securing your perimeter fence and work on a defensible space but ran out of time.  As you kneel, watching the group of men loading your food that you had worked so hard to put away, you keep thinking of the things you should have done.  Your blood boils as several of the men make lewd comments towards your daughters.  You see your sons set their jaws and know that they are ready to fight.  If only you had trained for this situation.  If only you had built a proper fence.  If only you had had more time.  If only…..

It has happened, the end of the world as you know it.  It wasn’t what you thought it would be, but nonetheless here you are.  You’ve worked hard to put up food and know that your family will not go hungry.  You have secured your property and have slept well knowing your family is safe.  You leave the bedroom where your son is writhing in pain.  Last week, as he was splitting firewood, the ax slipped and hit his leg.  You were able to get the bleeding to stop and thought how thankful you were that it had not been worse.  But it is worse.  The cut has become infected.  You know that just a short time ago, you could have gotten antibiotics and he would be fine.  Now you stand, looking into the forest surrounding your home and realize that you should have prepared for this.  If only you would have stored medicines.  If only you have learned about the medicinal plants that are all around you.  If only you had had more time.  If only…..

It has happened, the end of the world as you know it.  It wasn’t what you thought it would be, but nonetheless here you are.  You have secured your property and have slept well knowing your family is safe.  You have stocked what you figured was sufficient.  You figured that you would have time to purchase more food later.  You figured that someday you would have a large garden and animals to sustain your family.  Last night, your family ate the last little bit of canned goods you had.  You decide to try once again to go hunting.  It has been a month since “the event” and the people of the small town near you have decimated all the animals within walking distance.  But you must try.  So, you wake up before dawn, set traps, and look for any sign of life.  Thankfully, you can bring home one small rabbit.  The next day a rat is in one of your traps.  You know that is not enough, but it is all you have to offer.  The third day, you shoot your 22 at what you think is a deer.  It is only the leaves rustling in the trees.  You know that your family will have heard your shot.  You stay out until dark, yet they all come running to see what you have brought them to eat.  You know that you will need to take your family and leave the home you’ve built.  If only you had stocked more food.  If only you have learned about foraging.  If only you had had more time.  If only….”

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