Gerber US1 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Designed for watch pocket carry, the Gerber US1 Folding Knife offers a 2.5 inch locking blade made of 420HC steel and a handle made of glass-filled nylon (gfn) with rubber over-mold. Since it lacks a pocket clip or provision for one-handed opening, it does not qualify as a modern everyday carry (EDC) knife. But with the addition of an aftermarket deep carry pocket clip, I found the knife to be quite useful as a daily companion.

The US1 is made in the USA as its name suggests, and it cost just $23.95 at www.bladehq.com at the time of this writing.

Although it is reasonably priced and American-made, the US1 would not be my first choice in a folding knife. But even though I don’t believe that the US1 is the best possible knife choice, it is by no means a bad choice, especially for those who do not particularly value one-handed opening.Continue reading“Gerber US1 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Whole Wheat Flour Sugar Cookies 

The following recipe for Whole Wheat Flour Sugar Cookies is from SurvivalBlog reader E.J..

Ingredients
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 oz. white chocolate, melted (optional)
  • Buttercream frosting (optional)
Directions
  1. Cream together the butter, oil, and sugars until combined.
  2. Add the water and eggs, soda, cream of tartar, extract, salt and flour and mix until just combined. Note: Don’t overmix the dough.
  3. Using a large cookie scoop (at least 1/4 cup sized) place a scoop of dough on your cookie sheet, spaced 2″ apart.
  4. With a glass or flat measuring cup, press down the rounded dough to flatten your cookie. The sides will spread out and open up some.
  5.  Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the cookies.
  7. Bake in your preheated 400° oven for 8-to-9 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and cool 1 minute on the hot pan. Then transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack.
  9. Optionally, make the buttercream frosting, and frost the cookies. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

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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 silent spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), caused by prions, among Deer and Elk populations in North America. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit, using USGS data.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

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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:

“America’s contemporary police officers now almost reflexively say: ‘Show me your I.D.’  I see hardly any difference from the familiar old German Gestapo demand: ‘Deine Papiere, bitte.’  (‘Your papers, please.’) Or, less politely: ‘Zeig mir deine Papiere.’  (‘Show me your papers.’) If you are stopped by police but not placed under formal arrest, then you are not obliged to give your name or produce identity documents unless an officer can state a reasonable articulable suspicion of an actual crime that has been committed or that is about to be committed.  Without that reasonable articulable suspicion (under the Terry v. Ohio doctrine), you are free to stand mute. Only with a properly articulated suspicion of a specific crime, as supported by evidence (and the “reasonable man” doctrine) are you obliged to give your name and produce identity documents. (The only exceptions are for formal arrests with Miranda warnings, or traffic stops for specific infractions worthy of a citation, where by law you must display your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and in most cases, proof of insurance.) An officer’s vague suspicion is insufficient cause to demand identification. The Fourth Amendment protects the rights of all American Citizens ‘…to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.’  So stand firm, folks!” – James Wesley, Rawles

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — July 6, 2025

On July 6, 1415, following his trial (pictured), Bohemian proto-reformer Jan Hus was burned at the stake in Constance, Germany.  The later Hussite revolution, led by Jan Ziska, used Hus’s name as a rallying cry.

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On July 6, 1699, pirate Captain William Kidd was captured in Boston.

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On July 6, 1917, Arab forces led T. E. Lawrence captured the port of Aqaba from the Turks. This was later dramatized in the movie Lawrence of Arabia.

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And July 6th is also the anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters.

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Today’s feature article is a review penned by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We still need some entries for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 119 ends on July 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.

Heritage 92 in .44 Magnum, by Thomas Christianson

Inspired by John Moses Browning’s iconic Winchester Model 1892, the Heritage 92 comes in a number of different models with various barrel lengths, finishes, and chamberings. The version that I tested has a 20 inch barrel, is chambered in .44 Magnum, holds 10 rounds in the tubular magazine, has semi-buckhorn sights, and walnut-colored tropical hardwood furniture.

The Heritage 92 is light, attractive, and well-machined, operates reliably, and puts the shooter in touch with his inner movie cowboy. The .44 Magnum chambering has enough energy and a flat enough trajectory from a rifle length barrel to make the Heritage 92 useful for medium-sized game out beyond 100 yards. By about 150 yards or so, bullet drop begins to become a significant enough factor to make accuracy more difficult.Continue reading“Heritage 92 in .44 Magnum, by Thomas Christianson”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:


Meme Text:

A Zero-Dollar Tax on SBRs, SBSes, and Suppressors?

So, Can I Please Also Have a Zero-Dollar Income Tax?

News Link:

Big Beautiful Bill Passes Senate, Back to House with Zeroed Out NFA Tax Intact.

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-17 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — July 5, 2025

On July 5, 1601, the siege of Ostend began when a Spanish force under Archduke Albert VII of Austria, with 12,000 men and 50 siege guns, laid siege to a small garrison of fewer than 2,000 Dutch at the strategically important fortress of Ostend, Flanders.

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And on July 5, 1891, an intense hailstorm killed 16 horses near Rapid City, South Dakota.

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Please pray for all of those affected by the floods in Texas!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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),
  2. 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),
  3. 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.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 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. A $269 retail value survival-ready power package from Solar Power Lifestyle. This includes two Solar Power Lifestyle 25W Portable Solar Panels, plus a $150 gift card to use for any purchase at solarpowerlifestyle.com.
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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.

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More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 119 ends on July 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.

Prepare For The Consequences, Not The Disaster, by 3AD Scout

Many Preppers are often asked “what are you preparing for?” The responses are anything from a simple weather event to an extinction-level event. Having been in the field of disaster planning and response for 24 years, I cannot tell you the number of times someone from the public would call looking for our tornado plan, or flood plan, chemical spill plan and on and on. The reality is, many entities do not have disaster specific plans but rather general emergency operations plan that address the similar consequences of several different disasters.

With that said, there are exceptions such as entities that are at high risk for specific disaster such as flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes or nuclear power plant emergencies. Many entities have a general Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and then have an appendix for specific disasters. For example, a county in Florida would have a general EOP with an appendix for hurricanes, whereas a county in Minnesota would have an EOP and an appendix for blizzards. Looking at the consequences of a disaster, versus just specific disasters, will improve your level of preparedness.Continue reading“Prepare For The Consequences, Not The Disaster, by 3AD Scout”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both 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 the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

All is well at the Rawles ranch.  We had a busy week, with one half-day trip to pick up a replacement ram for one of our two sheep flocks.  The old saying is: “The herd (or flock) sire is half of your operation”, so we try to be very choosy. He is a four-month-old weaned ram lamb that came from Idaho’s Paradise Valley — southwest of the town of Bonner’s Ferry. That whole region (anywhere north of Cocalalla) is one of my preferred retreat locales.

I had several consulting calls. I also kept quite busy packing and mailing Elk Creek Company antique gun orders. One gent ordered four rifles. I’m presently having trouble finding affordable inventory, so our stock of guns is diminishing.  Be sure to order yours, while we still have a good selection.

Lily and I did some Serviceberry picking at a friend’s ranch, and also in the National Forest within a mile of our ranch.

I helped an ailing neighbor with some more firewood cutting, splitting, and stacking, to get him back to a two-year supply of firewood.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

 Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.

Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.

The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.” – Isaiah 33:1-19 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — July 4, 2025

Happy Independence Day! Today, Americans go through the motions of celebrating the remnants of our once preciously cherished liberty. Please don’t refer to it as just: “The Fourth of July.”  Give it meaning, and do your best to help restore our freedom and rein in the size and power of the state and Federal governments. – JWR

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Independence Day is also the birthday of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) and of General Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882)

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Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog’s founder and Senior Editor, James Wesley, Rawles (JWR).

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We are in need of entries for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 119 ends on July 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.

Political Machinations: The 2026 Midterms May Be A.I.-Manipulated

The recent Democratic Party mayoral primary election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City does not bode well. It illustrates that the Hard Left Democrats now have a stranglehold on New York City politics. I suspect the same for all of the East and West Coast Blue States, as well as Illinois. I heard it suggested on talk radio that artificial intelligence (A.I.) was used to exert influence on the New York mayoral primary via concerted social media bot traffic. This may have swayed “on the fence” voters toward Mamdani. I’m curious to see if this manipulation can be documented.  If it can indeed be proven, then that won’t surprise me.

I don’t need to elaborate on the radical socialist politics of Zohran Mamdani. That has already been well-documented. And, see, for example: Mamdani: We Must ‘Buy Up Private Housing’ to Convert into Communes. And consider his self-professed racism. If he is the model for the upcoming batch of Democratic candidates that will run in the next midterm elections, then we are in serious trouble. I can foresee that they will mostly be somewhere between Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chairman Mao, on the political spectrum.
Continue reading“Political Machinations: The 2026 Midterms May Be A.I.-Manipulated”

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. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, six months into Donald Trump’s second term in office, a special look at Trumponomics 2.0.

Precious Metals:

Rep. Massie Introduces Bill to Audit U.S. Gold Reserves.

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Gold Price Forecast June 2025: What’s Driving Gold Prices Right Now?  JWR’s Comments:  In the past week, gold rose 3% and silver was up about 10%, in Dollar terms. We should never lose sight of the fact that the value of gold never changes much. But the “price” of precious metals, as quoted in fiat currencies, is actually a measure of the relative and gradual worthlessness of the world’s currencies. As I’ve written before, I prefer to analogize the global currency milieu as a Leper Colony. The fiat currencies are all lepers. They are all dying slow, painful deaths. Some of them are just dying more slowly than others. The Swiss Franc and the U.S. Dollar are two of the healthier lepers, with a few more fingers and toes than their neighbors. But inevitably they will also die. The shed skin and digits that litter the leper colony are coinage. The dead that are carried away are the heavily redenominated, worthless and repudiated currencies.  These currences are almost forgotten, though they now have descendants — sometimes using the same name — who are also infected: the Continental, the Weimar Germany Papiermark, the Georgian Kuponi, the Hungarian Pengo, the Greek Drachma, the Yugoslavian Dinar, the Zimbabwean Dollar, the Bolivian Peso, the Turkish Lira, and the Nicaraguan Cordoba. (Most of these had replacement currencies at rates of 1 million-to-1, or higher.) Some immortals visit the leper colony, but they are immune to leprosy. They have names like Mr. Gold and Mr. Silver. The lepers may soon have another generation of offspring who will be born infected. These popular but doomed kids will be called CBDCs.

Economy & Finance:

Reuters: Trump’s economic ‘golden age’ meets Fed’s brass tacks.

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Audio, at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: “No One’s Ready For What’s Coming To The Middle Class…” – Victor Davis Hanson.  (Note: Ignore their inane and distracting A.I.-selected stock footage video. I suggest just listening to the audio.)

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Trump Opens Waitlist for $5M Investor Visa.

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Deloitte: United States Economic Forecast.

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Reported on Monday: Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq rise as momentum builds for Trump trade deals, tax bill.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”