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 strong demand for RVs. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Thai central bank leads pack, buying 90 tonnes of gold over April and May.

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Gold & Basel III’s Trillion-Dollar Question.

Economy & Finance:

Reader H.L. sent us this: David Stockman on the Fed’s Socialist Monetary Policies and What Comes Next.

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Hacking Attack Likely Hit Thousands of New Targets. An excerpt:

“The ransomware group that collected an $11 million payment from meat producer JBS SA about a month ago has begun a widespread attack that has likely infected hundreds of organizations world-wide and tens of thousands of computers, according to cybersecurity experts.

The group, known as REvil, has focused its attack on Kaseya VSA, software used by large companies and technology-service providers to manage and distribute software updates to systems on computer networks, according to security researchers and VSA’s maker, Kaseya Ltd.”

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South China Port Congestion Worsens As Traffic Jam Of Container Ships Builds.

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Amazon Is Now Mostly All Made-In-China.

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Majority of Young Adults now Live at Home: The Millennial and Gen Z Housing Crisis Highlights a Growing Wealth Divide.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 8, 2021

Today marks the birth of actor Kevin Bacon (born 1958.) Preppers usually associate him with the campy movie Tremors.

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The second batch of waterproof SurvivalBlog archive USB sticks is now available, and going fast. The first batch of 1,000 sold out quickly, so order soon. There are now less than 45 remaining from this batch of 250!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. 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.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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!

Round 95 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.

 

Precision Iron Sight Alignment and Accuracy, by Auli

I know there have been many fine articles here at SurvivalBlog on firearms and accuracy submitted in the past, yet I feel as though I can contribute something unique and useful with my combination of tools and methodology…see what you think. For myself, there are a few tools I utilize perhaps above and beyond what most folks I have observed employ, and then other basic tools. The two items I would like to especially emphasize in this article, among others, are the chin rest bag for pistol sighting and the optical occluder for enhanced focus for both pistol and long gun iron sight alignment.

My Path to Accuracy

As a pretext before elaborating on the above-mentioned items, following are a few odd paragraphs about my evolution of interest, dare I say passion in arms history as the basis of my appreciation for the Second Amendment and a driving force for maximum accuracy from each iron-sighted firearm. As an example of continuing interest, I have disassembled a Winchester 1897 action. As I worked through cleaning and lubricating each part, I studied its function and interaction with the other parts. It is just fascinating to me.

I also worked for years at a blacksmith/machine shop that was opened by the owner in 1918. He and his co-owner nephew were still running it when I started there. My mother was a good friend of the nephew’s wife. She said I should go there for a job while attending community college as I was in between jobs. I asked:  “What do they do there Mom?” She hesitated and then said: “Oh, they solder toasters and things like that.” Precious memories. There were only a few of us that worked at this oldest business in the town. The shop had many vintage lathes, mills, various welding apparatus, trip hammer, anvil, benders, shears, band saw, blacksmith’s forge, drill presses, etc. Metalworking only increased both my knowledge of and my fascination with tools, machining, heat treatment, alloys, and firearms.Continue reading“Precision Iron Sight Alignment and Accuracy, by Auli”

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 Polaris Solutions camouflage suits, from Israel.

Camouflage: The IDF’s New Elven Cloaks

Karen B. sent this article: Rocking the camo! New tech that makes soldiers virtually ‘invisible’ both to the human eye and thermal detectors is used by Israeli’s military.

And here is another article on the same topic: New Israeli camouflage kit can lead to a ‘revolution in the battlefield’.

Also see: Polaris Solutions website.

Oh, and yes, the Polaris Solutions camo suits are available commercially, but they are quite pricey!

“What Scares Liberals Most”

Trevor sent this: “What Scares Liberals Most”..A SELF-SUFFICIENT Man — Buddy Brown.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 7, 2021

July 7th, 1907 was the birthday of science fiction novelist Robert A. Heinlein. He passed away on May 8, 1988, at age 80.

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The second batch of waterproof SurvivalBlog archive USB sticks is now available!  The first batch of 1,000 sold out quickly, so order soon. There are now less than 115 remaining from this batch of 250 sticks!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. 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.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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!

Round 95 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.

 

Books and Why You Need Them – Part 2, by Born Free

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

I’m sure all SurvivalBlog readers can come up with a list of things they value and believe, often handed down from their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. With the continual onslaught of controversial ideologies, it might behoove one to pick up a book and turn off the digital world. It might give your soul solace. It might remind you of the things you knew to be true as a child. It might be a reference for discussions with family members. Don’t be afraid to review your own version of your cultural heritage that was handed down to you, and decide things for yourself. Don’t be afraid to fully reject the rewriting of your own family’s history. Thoughtfully, intentionally, go over those things, keeping what is good and tossing what is bad, for yourself.

THE DIGITAL WORLD

I believe that part of the success of those who are bent on looting and destroying our own cultural heritage is due to the “digital world”. They remove a word here, a paragraph there, add in ideological “context”, and shift the “narrative” until the text is nothing recognizable. The “changers of society” consider themselves to be morally superior and it is commonplace to hear people state that they “identify” with, or as, this or that. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you don’t seek to force your “identity” on others, and more specifically, on children that are not your own. I personally identify as a human being who really does want to buy the world a coke and have peace on earth.

I hate conflict and am a lover of Peace. However, my love of peace does not mean that I am willing to compromise on what I consider to be “true truth”. And I’m not going to let anyone take that away from me or badger me into compliance. Therefore, I read really good books. Books that are not just rants about some ideological belief, but books that offer various points of view about various things. Well-reasoned books – Books filled with well-referenced ideas from others – Books based on personal experiences that were impactful – Books that seek to teach a lost art or skill – Books filled with art and beauty and poetry, as well as books on the practical How To. So much to learn, enjoy, and so little time!Continue reading“Books and Why You Need Them – Part 2, by Born Free”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: 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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Reader S.B. sent this: Forget cicadas. Drought-stricken West is getting plagued by voracious grasshoppers.

o  o  o

St. Funogas had this reply to a query from another reader:

“Monica sent this query:

“I’d like to ask St. Funogas this question:

I have more than 500 new in box canning lids that were bought about 20 to 30 years ago…….stored in a Pennsylvania garage……..ball and other brand name lids……

Are these toast?
I never knew that new unused canning jar lids had a shelf life……..
Also, do you have to have your pressure cooker recalibrated/checked at the extension service every year?      there is none close to me.  Thanks!”

St. Funogas replied:Hey Monica, funny you should ask.  I was at an auction last weekend and saw some boxes of very old lids.  I was hoping to bid on them to run a test.  When I opened the box to inspect them, every single lid had a crack across the sealant, making it impossible to seal.  Back when I talked to the gal at the company that makes Ball/Kerr jars, she said the recipe for the sealant had changed but didn’t say exactly when.  I’m assuming the cracked sealant lids I saw were the old recipe.  The only way to find out for sure if your lids are good is to do a test by boiling some water, putting it in jars, put an old lid on immediately, and see if it seals when the water cools down.  Please let us know how it goes!

My pressure cookers don’t have gauges on them so I can’t speak from personal experience but I do make sure I clean out the small hole below the weight and check the small rubber safety plug every time I use a pressure cooker.

o  o  o

Reader Tunnel Rabbit suggested this piece: Retired Green Beret Jeremy Brown: The Republic Has Fallen, Here’s What You Can Do.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.” – Ulysses S. Grant

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 6, 2021

July 6th is the anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters. Weather changes, resulting in 45 mph wind gusts, caused a modest wildfire to erupt into a blazing inferno, which threatened homes in and around the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Firefighters from around the country were called to assist in fighting this wildfire. We will never forget the young men and women who lost their lives battling this fire:

Prineville (Oregon) Hotshots: Kathi Beck, Tamera Bickett, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Douglas Dunbar, Terri Hagen, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Jon Kelso

Missoula Smokejumper: Don Mackey

McCall Smokejumpers: Roger Roth, Jim Thrash

Helitack firefighters: Robert Browning, Jr., Richard Tyler

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We are getting lots of orders, now that we switched to Pre-1965 silver coin pricing, at Elk Creek Company. We also take debased Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs), at a multiplier. Take a look, and you will feel like you’ve stepped out of a time machine: A typical antique gun is priced at around $75 face value in silver coinage.  Postage is $1 in silver for handguns, and $2 for long guns. Good Old Days Guns, at Good Old Days prices!  Consider this: It is not the real value of guns that has changed in America. It is the purchasing power of FRNs. Since 1965, we’ve been gradually robbed by both currency debasement and currency inflation.

Oh, and there is no FFL paperwork required for pre-1899 antique guns, in most states. (Consult your state and local laws before ordering.)

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. 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.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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!

Round 95 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.

Books and Why You Need Them – Part 1, by Born Free

Every time I moved, I schlepped boxes upon boxes of heavy books, not to mention the bookcases. Only one time that I moved did I have “professional” movers, and all the rest of the times were with the help of family and friends. I’ve moved at least 10 times in the past 40 years. I won’t go into the details of moving the piano, twice, upstairs. At some point, since I could not carry the boxes myself anymore, I started letting go of my books. I had a vast library of technical books (networks and systems), but the technology had changed, so they were no longer very useful – those were fairly easy to let go. I was never much into novels or sci-fi or fantasy, but into philosophy, religion, music, and science. It was very hard to let go of those books. I gave cherished classics to my various children who seemed to appreciate them. One of the last times that  moved, the only book I moved with was my large study Bible. I told myself that I could read digital books on my laptop rather than move hundreds of pounds of “real” books around.

REAL BOOKS

Earlier this year, I “quit” Amazon – in solidarity with JWR – and in keeping with the mantra of “starve the Amazon beast”. Since then, I’ve slowly selected some classics that I’ve been able to find through used book stores and started to rebuild my physical book library. I found in 5 paperback volumes the complete works of Francis A. Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher and theologian, for around $50. Some of Schaeffer’s topics/books include: How Should We Then Live?, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, A Christian Manifesto, The Great Evangelical Disaster, etc. I recall reading his works in the 1970s when I was just a teenager. In my opinion he was one of the most inspired philosophers of the century. In that, he draws on history, literature, art, science, and culture to posit a reasoned approach to Christianity.

Schaeffer and his wife founded L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland where people could go to seek answers to life’s most challenging questions. The atmosphere was like a “co-op” where everyone shared in the activities of keeping L’Abri running while learning, enjoying discipleship and mentoring. Yes, a “student” could be out picking vegetables for meals, or repairing something in need, washing dishes, or just spending time in prayer, while having the privilege of spending time learning the Bible. I actually have a few family members who spent time at L’Abri a long time ago, and I own a piece of early art painted by a Schaeffer family member. In our culture, so devoid of real meaning, so filled with drama and emotionalism, it’s good to fill one’s mind with… what shall I call it? Reading his books and pondering is like sitting down to a complete steak dinner versus McDonald’s McPlant sandwich on the go.Continue reading“Books and Why You Need Them – Part 1, by Born Free”

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, a special edition, profiling trailer manufacturers in the American Redoubt.

Idaho

Double R Trailers of Nampa produces a wide range of custom-made utility enclosed trailers, toy haulers, and concession trailers.

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Fox Trailers in Post Falls makes high-quality flatbed utility trailers.

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Snake River Trailer in Caldwell is a trailer manufacturer that builds flatbed trailers, dump trailers, utility trailers, landscape trailers, cargo trailers, tilt trailers, equipment trailers, gooseneck trailers, and more.

o  o  o

Criterion Trailers are built in Caldwell, Idaho. Criterion Trailers is a division of Rhino Metals, one of the leading security safe manufacturers in the United States.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Elections should be held on April 16th – the day after we pay our income taxes. That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders.” – Thomas Sowell