Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 15, 2021

Today is birthday of David Stirling. (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990.) He was a Scottish officer in the British Army, mountaineer, and the founder of the Special Air Service (SAS). He saw active service during the Second World War.

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Our George Patton’s Birthday sale is continuing, at Elk Creek Company.  Be sure to check out the reduced prices on all of our pre-1899 antique cartridge guns, percussion replicas, percussion conversion cylinders, bayonets, and knives. The sale ends on Saturday, December 11th, 2021.

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Today we present another review and test conducted by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

 

Gryphon Knives M-35 Combat/ Survival Bowie, by Pat Cascio

I love big, fixed blade knives – you can do more with them, than a smaller knife when out in the field camping, hunting or surviving. However, I don’t like a fixed blade knife that is too big, either – they are too heavy to carry and too heavy for a of chores as well. About 25 years ago, my lovely wife, bought me a Gryphon Knives M-35 fixed blade knife. It is one of the best of the best, Bowie knives I’ve had the pleasure of owning. Sure, there are other Bowies that are better – but not “that” much better – an not even close to this one for the price. I like this M-35 so much, I now have a brace of them!

The trend these days for a lot of American cutlery makers are having their knives produced in Taiwan (free China), and to a lesser extent, in mainland China (the oppressive PRC). You may have read that Seki City, Japan used to be the world leader in top-of-the-line knives. Today, not many knives are being made in Seki City. One reason is, that having knives made there is a very expensive proposition. Then again, you are getting some outstanding cutlery. Many Japanese warriors of the past had their Katanas made in Seki. They demanded the best!

Cutlery Shoppe, in Meridian, Idaho is run by Jeff Loffer, and he’s a really good guy to do business with. I used to make a lot of trips to his then walk-in shop, and we’d visit a lot. He knows quality blades and tools. 15 years ago, I moved from the east side of Oregon to the west side. So I haven’t had a chance to visit with Loffer. He no longer has a walk-in store – too bad. However, you can check out his extensive line of products on his up-to-date website – and be prepared to spend hours poring over his products.Continue reading“Gryphon Knives M-35 Combat/ Survival Bowie, by Pat Cascio”

Recipes of the Week: Salsa Verde and Roasted Tomato Compote / Salsa

The following Salsa Verde and Roasted Tomato Compote/ Salsa recipes are from blog reader Mrs. Alaska.

Mrs. Alaska’s Intro:
“As readers may imagine, an Alaskan gardener harvests a lot of green tomatoes at the end of the season. Some I store indoors in paper bags and cardboard boxes to ripen.  Some of the green ones I use right away in a favorite seasonal treat. Both recipes are variations from Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving. Both recipes are versatile.  Feel free to substitute alternative ingredients if you lack something.”

SALSA VERDE

Quantity:  3 pints
Ingredients
  • 7 cups chopped green tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 5 – 10 hot peppers (like jalapeno), or mild, if preferred
  • ½ cup lemon or lime juice or vinegar
  • Include the zest (colored part of rind)
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves (or substitute celery or parsley leaves)
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
Directions
  1. Chop the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and garlic.  (If using dry peppers, soak for 30 minutes, first.  If using jarred or canned peppers, estimate a similar quantity).
  2. Dump everything in a food processor.
  3. Add the citrus juice and/or vinegar.
  4. Blend to a chunky or thin texture, as desired.
  5. Refrigerate, give away, or can to be shelf stable.
This has a nice, bright flavor.  Tasty with fish, chicken, rice, or potatoes.

ROASTED TOMATO COMPOTE or SALSA

Quantity:  4 pints
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs red tomatoes, thickly sliced
  • 2 small – medium onions, chopped
  • 14 peppers, sweet, hot, or combined, to taste
  • 1 head of garlic, separated into cloves
  • 2 tsp honey or sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ + cup water OR
  • ¼ + cup vinegar
  • A drizzle of olive oil
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 or broiler setting.
  2. Drizzle the sliced or chopped vegetables with a little olive oil and then spread out one layer thick in one or more roasting pans.
  3. Depending on the size of your pieces, roast for 10 – 20 minutes.
  4. Cool.  Pour the soft vegetables into a food processor.  Blend with a bit more olive oil.  Add water to thickness desired.
  5. Blend again.
  6. Serve it as a thick compote with chicken or pork, or spread it on pizza dough (my preferred use).
    Or thin it with vinegar as a salsa. The flavor is darker and sweeter than a raw tomato salsa

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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 the declining purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar. (See the Inflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Breaking Out Amid Loss of Investor Confidence in the Fed.

o  o  o

Arkadiusz Sieroń: Will Evergrande Make Gold Grand?

Economy & Finance:

The Power of Labor: Record Churn & Quits among Workers as Employers Desperate to Fill Huge Number of Job Openings.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge:  IRS Says Tax Brackets Will Be Higher In 2022 Thanks To Faster Inflation.

o  o  o

Is the Biden-Harris Regime Purposely Destroying the American Economy?

o  o  o

More Bad News For Biden As Real Wages Plunge.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 14, 2021

On November 14th, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted in Colombia, killing over 20,000 as nearby towns are buried in mud, ice, and lava. Scientists studying the volcano believed an eruption was imminent and had recommended an evacuation of the area which was largely ignored, resulting in the high number of casualties.

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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.

Prepping For In Between – Part 2, by Noah C.

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

Tangible takeaways

As I researched this I found a fascinating point of agreement in writings and interviews with disparate sources (former Delta Force, CIA agent, British Paratrooper, and a Mossad agents) all saying that being aware and friendly is the default to avoiding bad outcomes across cultures. Not being intimidating. Not having weapons (in fact sometimes deliberately avoiding firearms and knives). A friendly face blending in while being aware is the ideal default. Regardless of what other steps you decide are prudent friendly unobtrusive awareness is the pre-requisite.

If things continue to deteriorate (while not falling apart) an almost universally accepted strategy is in the subtle power of numbers. Not gang movement but group movement. Going to restaurants or parks or even shopping with multiple families. An outing showing good humor and good manners by all while at the same time offering the safety of numbers and multiple eyes on the horizon. That is not provocative but is protective. We’re not there yet here in the US but we may be headed that way.

Finally, even though signs of danger vary from place to place I will offer this as a possibly universal signal that there is danger: if the children disappear. For months, I didn’t bring my children on outings and I didn’t see other children out. If there had been children and now there are not, the baseline has changed in a major way.Continue reading“Prepping For In Between – Part 2, by Noah C.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.“- Galatians 3:1-22 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 13, 2021

Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was born in Scotland on November 13th, 1850.

Continental Army Brigadier General Richard Montgomery took Montreal, Canada without opposition on this day in 1775. Ironically, Shortly after this Montgomery was killed while fighting the British in Quebec, and the British retook the territory.

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The George Patton’s Birthday Sale is now underway, at Elk Creek Company.  Check out the reduced prices on all of our pre-1899 antique cartridge guns, percussion replicas, percussion conversion cylinders, bayonets, and knives. The sale ends on December 11th.

—

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.

Prepping For In Between – Part 1, by Noah C.

I’ve done a lot of research into prepping, survivalism, and bushcraft. I like the way you guys think. I like your approach to technology, I like that you’re keeping old skills and old recipes alive, I applaud your resolve to defend your families and communities, and I admire your inclusion of charity in your preparations; but I say ‘you guys’ because I don’t feel like I’m really one of you. At the same time, because of what you all have taught me, neither am I one of the herd panic buying beef jerky and bottled water at the last minute. I am someone in between and I want to write to others who are prepping in between.

I live in small-town USA with my wife and kids. My property has no chance of even approaching self-sufficiency and it is close enough to a large enough population center that the fleeing horde would strip it bare even if was. I spend money on things I absolutely would not spend on if I believed the balloon could go up any minute. At the same time I was not shocked at how quickly shelves were stripped in 2020. You guys had already taught me about just-in-time [JIT] shipping. And I was already carrying extra provisions against emergency weather.

There is a part of me would love to live in the Alaskan wilderness in a homestead, how else would I have found you guys? But in my research I came to realize there’s a zero-sum aspect to this. Each resource we put towards preparing for TEOTWAWKI is a resource we didn’t put to succeeding in the world as we know it. My wife has a point in not wanting that life to where it excludes resources for my children’s success in the world as we know it. Ultimately, prepping for in between means that you won’t be the most successful in either world but I think you can succeed well enough in both. Something more important because I think the emergencies we will face will be in between, too.Continue reading“Prepping For In Between – Part 1, by Noah C.”

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:

This week I’ve been very busy, catching up on projects here at the Rawles Ranch. In addition to unpacking and organizing,  I worked on our new (larger) hen house. I also dropped off a load of furniture and a dozen chickens that were our gifts to a young family that lives nearby.  Lily and I shoveled up a couple of tons of bull manure. (The real kind, versus the virtual/rhetorical kind from Washington, DC.) This took more than a half-dozen trips with our electric ATV and its small dump trailer.  We moved that manure to fertilize the right side of the Annex garden.  Next up will be wiring our replacement henhouse with lights, 117 VAC outlets, and a fan.

I’ve also started boxing orders for Elk Creek Company, since our month-long sale is underway. This year we are calling it the George Patton’s Birthday Sale. It runs from November 11th to December 11th, 2021.

Now, over to Lily, for her details…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:

Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The Lord hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.

The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.

They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.” – Lamentation 4: 5-20 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 12, 2021

November 12th, 1950 was the birthday of Corporal John Alan Coey (died 19 July 1975). He was the first American volunteer killed in Rhodesia.

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Today is the birthday of USMC Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph “Dan” Daly (born 1873, died April 27, 1937). He was one of only nineteen men (including seven Marines) to twice receive the Medal of Honor.

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I just noticed that we’ve reached the 35,000 posts threshold, on SurvivalBlog. I recommend that any recently-arrived readers take the time to dig through the blog archives, that date all the way back to 2005.

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.