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. Don’t miss today’s link to Paul Joseph Watson’s piece on vaccine passports.

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Wagstaff sent this: Biden stimulus checks spark historic surge in gun sales, especially AR-15s.

Wagstaff’s Comment: “I find this ironic and amusing… in my case, I used my stimulus check to buy parts, lowers, uppers, mags, bullet molds, etc.”

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S.F. in Oregon had this comment for Serena (the author of the recent SurvivalBlog feature article Demonetizing Precious Metals):

“Serena, great history lesson and good points…
Bottom line, EVERYTHING is, or seems FAKE today! Fake fiat, fake health, fake news, fake elections, fake emotions, fake genders, fake religions, fake CGI movies, fake plastic bodies and hormones, fake websites, fake politicians, fake emojis, fake weather, fake laws and fake economics…so, are we the “weird ones” for holding, storing and appreciating REAL MONEY and PMs?! Not! They are tangible, lasting and beautiful!”

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The latest video from Paul Joseph Watson: The Truth About ‘Vaccine Passports’.

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Another comment on Serena’s article, from Just-A-Dad:

“Serena is correct with her take on the monetary situation currently in play. While as she says, her take is brief, it is one of the most honest ones I have seen in close to a decade.

Even as a relatively “poor” person, my strategy to combat this is quite simple.
Food / 3 stages / short term or fresh is 2 weeks to a month (self grow an added 50-60% intake) – medium term or canned and frozen is 3 -4 months – long term is 3-4 months
Monetary is even simpler / cash on hand between 20 and 200 at all times (again poor) – silver on hand, 10-20 ounces always – and lastly, some credit available but not used unless absolutely needed
Again, this article was amazing!”

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SaraSue sent this suggestion:

“Although I don’t agree with the philosophies, giving/charities, or Amazon affiliation of this company, it’s a starting point to find products NOT MADE IN CHINA:  China Never.  I wouldn’t follow the links on this site, per se, but make note of the lists of products.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the rapidly-growing Second Amendment (2A) Sanctuary Movement. Note that here is model legislation widely available to recommend to your own county commissioners.

Region-Wide

Somehow, a link to the racist Northwest Territorial Imperative wiki page keeps getting added to the “Related Pages”  list at the bottom of The American Redoubt Wikipedia page. This keeps happening even though there is NO CONNECTION between the two movements, and despite the fact that The American Redoubt movement is quite anti-racist. So I’d appreciate it if someone who watches Wikipedia could zap that Northwest Territorial Imperative link, and keep zapping it, whenever it pops up again. Thanks!

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By way of Redoubt News, here is John Jacob Schmidt on Radio Free Redoubt: The Coming War in America.

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The new book Survival And Resistance In Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction In The Pacific Northwest seems to have some popularity. It is ranked in the Top 100 in the History of Religion & Politics category at Amazon.com. But please don’t feed the Amazon beast! Instead, please order all your books from BooksAMillion (BAM). Thanks!

Idaho

Idaho 2A Sanctuary Counties Map Update

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News Update From Idaho Rep. Heather Scott: The Coming Avalanche

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Idaho Republican leadership raises questions about state collection of vaccine data

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Parents and students protest CDA schools mask requirements

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Police: Suspect in early-morning stabbing at Boise apartment complex found dead by ‘self-inflicted wounds’

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Reader D.M. sent us an Idaho legislative update:

“Idaho gun owners may soon receive additional protections against unconstitutional federal executive orders. A bill called H. 300 The Small Arms Protection Act has been introduced in the Idaho legislature. H. 300 would prohibit any “official, agent, or employee of the state of Idaho, or a political subdivision thereof” from assisting in federal firearm-related confiscation or other enforcement actions that are contrary to Idaho law or the state constitution.

The idea behind the Small Arms Protection Act is that the Second Amendment sets only a lower limit on our freedoms, and that Idaho (or any other state) can provide greater protections. Other states have enacted additional protections for free speech, searches and seizures, and (after the Supreme Court’s Kelo decision) private property rights. Enacting additional protections for firearm owners is the next step in the Second Amendment sanctuary movement.

The Small Arms Protection Act has not yet been introduced in the Idaho Senate, but three senators reportedly are interested. There’s not much time to get it enacted. Idaho’s legislative session ends April 24th. Remember, the White House’s press release last week said, ominously, that these were only “initial actions.” We should expect more soon.

Idaho residents should contact their legislators and urge them to support the Small Arms Protection Act. Here’s a link to determine who your state legislator is.”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If every person has the right to defend–even by force–his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly.” – Frederick Bastiat, The Law

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 12, 2021

April 12th is the birthday of the late novelist Tom Clancy. (Born 1947, died October 1, 2013). It was Clancy who almost single-handedly created the modern techno-thriller genre, with his first novel, The Hunt For Red October. Coincidentally, Tom Clancy’s first literary agent is now my agent, Robert Gottlieb.

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Inventory is getting low at my Elk Creek Company side business. Federal gun legislation is looming, so get your order in soon. The current sale will end on Friday, April 16th, 2021. – JWR

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Today we are featuring a review article by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

Polymer 80 9mm Pistols, by Pat Cascio

No, it’s not a Glock, and many people refer the P80 pistols to a Glock, and we often refer to this fine handgun as a “Not-a-Glock” However, for most purposes, these effectively are Glocks, with a few changes. Polymer 80  has been around a few years now, and they didn’t start out producing complete pistols. P80 was, and still is, producing 80% frames, that have to be completed by the buyer, and once the buyer does this, they can assemble the P80 into a complete firearm, and this was approved by the BATF, however…things have changed, the rules have changed – according to the BATF.

They Started With 80% Frames

Let’s step back in time, just a little bit, and as I stated Polymer 80, was only producing a handgun frame that was not a completed firearm. It was 80% completed, and this was approved by the BATF. It is legal in every state – that I’m aware of – to possess an 80% complete frame or receiver. It wasn’t too long ago, that Polymer 80 started producing complete handguns, and like all firearms, you have to go through an FFL dealer to purchase one. If you’re late to the party, the P80 firearms are “just about” a Glock – 3rd generation, that is. The frame and slide are more attractive, and they feel much better in my hand, than any factory Glock does – really! I like the stippling on the frame, and it makes the gun rock steady under recoil. The slide is much more modern than that of the Glock. It has grasping grooves on the front and rear of the slide – on the sides of the slide. The frame also has four Picatinny rail slots for attaching lights/lasers to it, while the factory Glocks only have one position.Continue reading“Polymer 80 9mm Pistols, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Roast Crown of Lamb or Mutton

The following recipe for Roast Crown of Lamb or Mutton is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book is one of the many bonus items included in the latest edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. The first batch of the 15th Anniversary Edition (2005-2020) USB stick sold out quickly, but a smaller second batch should be available in a few weeks.

Ingredients
  • 1 crown lamb or mutton
  • Green Peas
  • Salt
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Salt-pork cubes
Description and Directions

A crown is composed of two or three sections of the loin containing the rib chops, the ends of the ribs having been scraped as for French chops and the sections sewed together so that the ribs curve upward and outward. These ends should be of the same length. To prevent the ends of the bones from charring while roasting, cap each one with a small cube of salt pork. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a half cup of water and pour over the roast when in the pan. Roast for about one hour. Remove the cubes of pork and cover the ends of the bones with small frilled paper caps. (In cities, these caps are easily obtainable ready-made.) Fill the center of the crown with mashed potatoes and surround with buttered peas.

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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 Ballistic Wampum. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

The battle of wills as inflation rises

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Arkadiusz Sieroń: Will Upcoming Inflation Take Gold With It?

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: How Long Can This Printing-Press-Money-Induced, Lopsided Trade Insanity Last?

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Undeletable Coercive Loan Apps First Hobble Then Shut Down Your Smartphone If You Fall Behind On Repayments

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At Wolf Street: QE During the “Everything Mania”: Fed’s Assets at $7.7 Trillion, up $3.5 Trillion in 13 months

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 11, 2021

April 11th is the birthday of John Milius, who was born in 1944. He both wrote the screenplays and directed the films Dillinger, The Wind and the Lion, Big Wednesday, Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, Farewell to the King, and Flight of the Intruder. He also wrote the screenplays of the first two Dirty Harry movies as well as the first draft of the screenplay for Patton (before Francis Ford Coppola turned it into a vaguely anti-war commentary laced with references to reincarnation). Milius is my favorite Hollywood writer and director, in part because he stands for everything that Hollywood doesn’t.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 94 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. 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.
  5. 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. 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!

Round 94 ends on May 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.

A Sweater and a Knife, by The Novice

This is my gear review of a German Army Wool Commando Sweater Reproduction and Opinel No. 8 Outdoor Sea-Mountain Knife

I love wool sweaters. For roughly nine months out of the year, I wear one pretty much every day. An inventory of my closet reveals a total of 21 wool sweaters: nine “cold-weather-office” sweaters, five “manual-labor” sweaters, and seven “cool-weather-office” sweaters.

Norwegian Sweaters

My love affair with wool sweaters began in Norway, where I lived for ten years. In Norway, wool sweaters are more than just a practical item of clothing. They are an art form.

My first “Norwegian” sweater was technically not a Norwegian Sweater at all. It was a Chinese knock-off of a Norwegian pattern. To be successfully marketed in Norway though, even a Chinese knock-off has to be pretty good. That sweater became my favorite for many years. After I wore holes in the elbows, I took it to a tailor and had leather elbow patches sewed on. When it developed holes elsewhere, it became one of my manual-labor sweaters. I still enjoy wearing it about one-fifth of the time when I am working outside during the winter.Continue reading“A Sweater and a Knife, by The Novice”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” – Matthew 6: 1-8 (KJV)

 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 10, 2021

April 10, 1827 was the birthday of General Lew Wallace. “He wrote books (author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ), sculpted, practiced law, painted, played the violin and made them as well. He also saved our Capitol from capture during the “Battle of Monocacy” where he fought with 8,000 Union troops against 15,000 Confederates, and helped to preserve our Union. He was second in command of the Lincoln conspiracy trial as well as principal in the trial of the Commander of Andersonville prison where Union prisoners were starved to death. Ambassador to Turkey, [Territorial] Governor of New Mexico when “Billy the Kid” surrendered to him.”

April 10th, 1796 The birthday of James Jim Bowie (died March 6th, 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo.)

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Today’s feature article is too short for consideration in the judging of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Round 94 ends on May 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.

Spring Update, by Animal House

Hello Survivalblog friends! This is just a brief spring update of what’s going on the farm. Every year I replace 1/3 of our chickens with new chicks ordered from the hatchery. This is usually 25 chicks. I change the breed each year so I can tell how old the chickens are and cull the useless eaters. Last year I added Rhode Island Reds and this year I ordered Barred Rocks. Both breeds are very hardy and lay large brown eggs. I have some older buffs which are ready for harvesting at the end of summer.

I also incubator-hatch ornamental silkie chicks and barnyard chicks. Our incubator is small (12 small to medium size eggs or 6 large eggs); our hatch rate this spring has improved to 70%. I’ve found that keeping the incubator at the correct humidity level results in higher hatch rates. It is important to let the new hatchlings fight their way out of the egg shell, because it strengthens them; resist the urge to help them get out of the egg. As soon as they can stand, I dip their beaks in water to give them a drink, and move them to the hot cage. The chicks stay in the hot cage until feathered (about 2-3 weeks), then go to the transition coop. I’ve included some photos of the incubator hatchlings.

This past week we hatched five chicks, one died because a club foot prohibited normal progression. Two more hatched today and I quickly added them to the hot cage on the porch in hopes they bond with the existing group. I have three eggs from this batch (of 10 eggs) left to hatch, so we’ll see how that goes. The silkies are quite tiny when they hatch but they have big personalities. The barnyard mix chicks are large and almost all survive.

We sell the year-old laying pullets For $25/ea and the feathered chicks for $5/ea. I normally don’t sell fresh eggs as it takes too much time, but I am thinking about it for this year. I already have 12 dozen eggs in the frig. Free-range, organic eggs sell in the local stores for around $3.90/dz so I may sell mine for $2.50/dz, just to get them moving.

Every summer I harvest the hatched barnyard rosters and any useless eaters, which are then processed into chicken broth and the meat for dog food. The harvesting is another story, for a later update.Continue reading“Spring Update, by Animal House”

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 had a very productive week, here at the Rawles Ranch. I helped Lily move and spread a ton of cow manure. (Literally, a ton.)  We made the seasonal switch to summer tires on both of our main vehicles. Our youngest daughter collected four boxes of fir cones, to supplement the cedar that I split each year, for kindling and I constructed a new roosting bar in our hen house, using an 8-foot length of S4S 2×2 fir.

This weekend I traveled to a gun show, looking for pre-1899 cartridge guns, for my Elk Creek Company inventory. By American Redoubt standards, this show is “fairly close by” — across a mountain range and only a 4.5-hour drive, each way.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”