Tips for Moving to the Country, by The Novice

54

Civil unrest has rocked many American cities. Looting, arson, assault and murder are common. As a result, a growing flood of refugees is fleeing the cities and their surrounding suburbs in order to seek safety in more rural settings. For those of you who may be voting with your feet in this way, I have gathered some tips regarding moving to the country. These tips deal primarily with unfamiliar things you may experience in a rural setting, and how to best respond to them.

SurvivalBlog readers with experience living in the country are encouraged to supplement my list in the comments section with tips of their own.

Situation 1: Your spouse exclaims, “Look, the neighbors are shooting guns out behind their barn!”

Bad Responses:

  1. Reply, “Call 911.”
  2. Reply, “How terrible. Let’s try to get a local nuisance ordinance passed to prevent such behavior in the future.”

Good Response:

  1. Reply, “What a great idea! We should invite them over for dinner, and ask if they would let us sight in our new gun on their range?”

Best Responses:

    1. Reply, “What a great idea! We should invite them over for dinner, and ask if they would help us set up a range behind our barn?”
    2. Reply, “What a great idea! I wonder if they would prefer a box of 9 mm or 45 ACP with the plate of chocolate chip cookies that we are giving them for Christmas?”

Situation 2: Your spouse exclaims, “Look, the neighbors are spreading chicken manure on their garden!”

Bad Responses:

  1. Reply, “Call 911.”
  2. Reply, “How terrible. Let’s try to get a local nuisance ordinance passed to prevent such behavior in the future.”

Good Response:

  1. Reply, “What a great idea! We should invite them over for dinner, and ask where we can get some chicken manure for our garden?”

Best Response:

  1. Reply, “What a great idea! I wonder if we should raise chickens?”

Continue reading“Tips for Moving to the Country, by The Novice”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

58

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, news of a car that was apparently driven intentionally through a store. (See the Montana section.)

Idaho

Idaho National Guard mobilized, Idaho back to Stage 2 due to coronavirus spike

o  o  o

Hundreds March Through Downtown Boise In Support Of Trump After Biden Claims Victory

o  o  o

Judge rules to join Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell’s cases

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“And yet in early democracies, as in American democracy at the time of its birth, all individual human rights were granted on the ground that man is God’s creature. That is, freedom was given to the individual conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility. Such was the heritage of the preceding one thousand years. Two hundred or even fifty years ago, it would have seemed quite impossible, in America, that an individual be granted boundless freedom with no purpose, simply for the satisfaction of his whims. Subsequently, however all such limitations were eroded everywhere in the West; a total emancipation occurred from the moral heritage of Christian centuries with their great reserves of mercy and sacrifice. State systems were becoming ever more materialistic. The West has finally achieved the rights of man, and even to excess, but man’s sense of responsibility to God and society has grown dimmer and dimmer.” – Aleksander Solzhenitsyn — Quote from A World Split Apart, Harvard Commencement Address, 1978

Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 16, 2020

7

November 16th was the birthday of Michael D. Echanis (born 1950, died September 1978), a former United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted man. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with “V” device as a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was born and raised in eastern Oregon. Echanis was killed while working for the CIA in Nicaragua in 1978 in a plane crash along with his colleague Charles Sanders and members of the Nicaraguan armed forces. There was conjecture that the plane was destroyed in flight by a saboteur’s bomb. My novel Survivors includes a minor character from Oregon with the surname Echanis, as a small homage to Mike Echanis.

—

Avalanche Lily wanted me to post these two important “emerging threat” video links:

Ice Age Farmer: “Next Crisis Bigger than COVID” – Power Grid/Finance Down – WEF Cyber Polygon. Pay attention: Klaus Schwab is warning of a huge “Fire Sale” cyber attack. (Yes, a Hollywood movie from 2007 provided the predictive programming.)

and,

Adapt 2030: Work From Home Taxes and Planned Red Meat Phase Out

—

Today, another product review from our staff Field Gear Editor,  Pat Cascio.

 

Glock Model 45, by Pat Cascio

18

Just as I reached the back of the gun shop that I haunt, one of the owners, Mark, reached into the display case, and asked me: “Have you seen the new Glock forty-five?” Before I could even answer, it was in my hands, and I liked it – a lot. Wow! A single-stack Glock in .45 ACP, and it feels sooo good…” Boy, what I wrong, I should have known better – you can’t tell what a Glock is by the model numbers they assigned to their handguns. I admit that I don’t keep up with all the latest firearms like I used to – just not enough hours in the day for that. So, I had mistakenly believed that this Glock forty-five, was chambered in .45 ACP. Every now and then, the guys at the gun shop pull a “gotcha” moment on me, because they learn about a new handgun before I do.

Needless to say, the new Glock “forty-five”, isn’t chambered in the .45 ACP. Instead, it is chambered in the ubiquitous 9mm Parabellum, but there’s a whole lot more to the story. The gun felt good in my hand, very familiar, to say the least. Had I taken a moment to put on my reading glasses, I would have seen on the slide, that it was marked 9mm, and not .45 ACP. Another thing that caught my eye immediately was that the barrel extended beyond the slide and it is threaded to accept a suppressor. That had me excited. I’ve been thinking hard about getting a sound suppressor for quite some time, even though the Hearing Protection Act has stalled in congress. That proposed law would have treated suppressors much like firearms and removed the Federal registration and the $200 transfer tax.Continue reading“Glock Model 45, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Pie

The following chicken pie recipe 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 will be one of the many bonus items included in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This special 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021. The 14th Edition sold out quickly, so place a reminder in your calendar, if you want one.

Ingredients
  • 1 chicken
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Pie paste
  • FIour
  • MiIk
Directions
  1. Clean, singe and cut up chicken as for fricassee.
  2. Place in a kettle and add enough hot water to cover.
  3. Put the cover on the kettle, and simmer slowly until the chicken is tender, adding a little more water if needed.
  4. Make a gravy of the stock, using two tablespoosns flour for each cup of stock.
  5. Use for the crust a good pie paste, rolled a little thicker than for fruit pies or puff paste. Half and half proportions of drippings and chicken fat may be used for the paste.
  6. Line the sides of a deep baking dish with crust
  7. Invert in the middle of the dish a small cup or ramekin.
  8. Put in part of the chicken and season with salt and pepper, then add the rest of the chicken, and season the same way.
  9. Put in the dish two cups or more of the gravy made from broth in which the chicken was cooked.
  10. Cover the top with crust. The cup or ramekin will hold the crust up and will prevent evaporation. Most chicken pie is too dry; therefore, use a generous amount of the broth.
  11. Bake one hour, or until crust is done.
SERVING

When serving, after cutting the first slice carefully slip the knife under the ramekin and release the gravy which is held there by suction. Any gravy left over should be served in a gravy-dish.

—

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

25

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 surging price of Bitcoin. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold, silver see price gains as Covid-19 rages in U.S.

o  o  o

Hub Moolman: Is Silver Leading Bitcoin or is Bitcoin Leading Silver?

o  o  o

Economy To Shut Down Again This Winter, Says Lobo Tiggre, Investor Who Called Gold Price Drop

Economy & Finance:

The WSJ reports on the presumptive president: The Economy’s Struggles Will Shape Joe Biden’s Presidency

o  o  o

Wolf Richter: Wolf Street “Pickup Truck & Car Price Index” for 2021 Models Crushes Official “CPI for New Vehicles”

o  o  o

Another from Wolf: Big City Exodus: Rents of Single-Family Houses Rise Across the US, Even as Apartment Rents in Expensive Cities Drop Sharply

o  o  o

And at Zero Hedge: Fed Warns Assets Could Suffer “Significant Declines” If Covid Is Not Contained

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

3

“Lastly, and perhaps it is just a personal note, it is past time for us being to be producers of experiences and not consumers of experiences. Media requires only that you sit passively and absorb events as they happen to you. Most Americans watch people play sports, watch people go fishing, watch people race cars, watch people fix cars or build things. Few go out and do them, as evidenced by the average American watching nearly four hours of TV every day. It’s an astronomical amount of time, and one the right has little use for. It supports people who hate you and allows the people you hate to influence your mood and culturally impact the very people you want to protect. Take a step back and not only get a lot of extra time on your hands, but quiet your mind a little bit. Happy and calm people are convincing and persuasive, not screaming, agitated and stressed out people. The depth and firmness of one’s beliefs are not in direct proportion to how loud you are. Guard your mental health, and in this time of crisis and outrage do not let those who seek to visit harm on you and yours have a vote in that. Politics is a spectacle and while fun to obsess over in good times, it has now become a dangerous sideshow. If this election has shown us anything it is that our vote does not count, and does not matter. We are the underground, the counter culture, the bogeyman. Such trivialities as the latest lies on political machinations or the latest decree from corrupt, illegitimate rulers are beyond us.” – “Jesse James” in American Partisan – Nov 10, 2020

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 15, 2020

6

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.

—

On this day, Charles Dickens published the final installment of A Tale of Two Cities in Dickens’ circular.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 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 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 91 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.

Lessons Learned from My First Bug Out Truck – Part 2, by H.J.

8

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

Using one side of my mechanic friend’s two-car garage, the gasoline engine was removed and the 4BT was prepared for test fitting by pressure washing the engine and scrubbing down with degreaser. One of the top killers of diesel engines is high exhaust gas temperature (EGT), which can occur under hard use and heavy loads and can melt the pistons and cylinder rings. To monitor this temperature, the turbocharger was also removed, the exhaust manifold was drilled and tapped for an aftermarket pyrometer, and the turbo re-installed. It is important when monitoring the EGT to do so in the manifold and not in the exhaust pipe due to heat loss through the turbo. To ensure that the engine was receiving adequate fuel, the banjo bolt connecting the lift-pump hard fuel line to the fuel filter housing was removed and then drilled and tapped to accept an aftermarket fuel pressure sensor.

Since the manual transmission was being retained, a universal flywheel tachometer adaptor from Dakota Digital was used to work with the original tachometer. It is important to get an accurate count on the number of flywheel teeth before bolting the engine to the transmission (ask me when this was found out), as the adaptor has a control box which requires you to set a series of switches so that the signal to the tachometer is correct. Once this is done, the unit works flawlessly.

Following the recommendation from the 4BTSwap web site, the stock diaphragm lift pump was replaced with a higher-performing piston-style unit. The engine was than lowered, dummy bolted to the transmission, and blocked in place. Using cardboard, we mocked up motor mounts which were cut out of scrap 1/4″ steel plate by using a handheld oxygen-acetylene torch and stick welded together. The resulting mounts were hardly show-worthy but have proven to be more than sufficient over the years.

The engine was then installed properly and bolted into place. The existing fuel tank was re-used after being dropped, drained, and rinsed out with diesel fuel several times. The stock fuel line was reused and we left the in-tank fuel in place but removed the fuse from the circuit. It is important NOT to use the in-tank fuel pump because it operates at a much high pressure than the 4BT fuel system is designed to handle on the incoming side, which can blow out seals in the lift- and injector-fuel pumps.

Exhaust Work

Moving onto the exhaust, the downpipe was slightly modified to clear the passenger side firewall-transmission tunnel seam. The downpipe was temporarily connected to the existing exhaust system by using flex pipe. A local exhaust shop later replaced the flex-pipe with a correct and much more sturdy exhaust pipe.Continue reading“Lessons Learned from My First Bug Out Truck – Part 2, by H.J.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

2

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” – 1 John 3 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 14, 2020

8

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.

—

I have a sale announcement: Harvest Guard is having a 15% off sale at canninglids.com

Beginning Friday the 13th, all products on their website are discounted 15% by using the coupon code CELEBRATE during checkout. The company’s president notes:  “Not only is it Friday the 13th, but by the end of the day we will finally be back to normal shipping times of 1-3 days from receipt of orders, with the caveat that red lids are still about 7-10 days away from being available.”

That is worth celebrating!  Note that this sale ends at midnight on Sunday, November 15th, 2020, so get your order in right away, with the coupon code!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 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 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 91 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.

Lessons Learned from My First Bug Out Truck – Part 1, by H.J.

27

Many moons ago, as a semi-broke college student, I purchased a used 1995 Ford F-150 for my first all-weather, practical vehicle. Being a young man, this selection was driven completely by brand loyalty and cosmetic appeal rather than any careful consideration of vehicle capabilities. By the grace of God, my selection would prove to be an excellent base from which to build my first Bug Out Truck (BOT) after I entered the prepping world.

The truck in stock form delivered reliable service for many years with the original manual transmission and 5.0L gas engine. While dependable, there were several outstanding qualities and several shortcomings that become glaringly obvious very quickly.

  • As a full-size single cab, it provided plenty of room for my brother and myself on the four-hour trips from home to college. However, I had not put any thought into how a third passenger would affect everyone’s comfort. This was especially true for the person riding in the middle seat, as the gear shift sat between his/her knees. Having a manual transfer case, the four-wheel drive lever was under that person’s left foot. I had also not considered how to transport luggage in bad weather. A used, across-the-bed style toolbox was quickly found and Glad trash bags become a major part of the truck’s emergency kit.
  • While being a full-size vehicle, the short-bed wheelbase made the truck very maneuverable, quick to steer, and tight turning. This allowed me to easily navigate the parking lots, garages, and street stalls of an over-crowded college town.
  • A college student with a truck is always the most popular and in-demand person around, even to complete strangers. I later learned this applies equally well in the recently-married stage of life as friends and family bought new furniture and/or embarked on their first Do-It-Yourself home improvement projects.
  • The 5.0L V8 gas engine was a terrible choice. As a young man, I was instantly sold on the idea of a V8 engine and thought the truck would have plenty of power. Instead, I found it to be grossly underpowered and required high RPMs to deliver adequate performance when merging with interstate traffic or passing on two-lane roads. Fuel mileage was also dismal, typically averaging 13-14 MPG. Combined with the 18-gallon gas tank, I passed up very few gas stations.
  • Bad weather performance was much poorer than I thought it would be. I mistakenly thought that having four-wheel drive would allow the truck to go anywhere I wanted no matter what the weather conditions were.
  • You can and will quickly exceed the comfortable weight carrying capacity of a truck. I learned this very early on when I started making Lowe’s and Home Depot trips for friends and family. Just because you can fit a pallet of bagged concrete in the bed does not mean you should.

A few years after college, several life events occurred over several years that would change how I looked at life and especially how I considered vehicles.

First, I purchased One Second After by William R. Forstchen and immediately proceeded to read it three times in a week. This opened my eyes and plunged me headfirst into the world of prepping.Continue reading“Lessons Learned from My First Bug Out Truck – Part 1, by H.J.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

121

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. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

Just in case “President” Biden (or should I say… Harris) gets sworn in, I hedged my bets and bought another $1,800 worth of full capacity magazines. (Mostly AR-15, AR-10, Glock, SIG P320, and M1A.) I expect that we’ll soon experience massive and chronic shortages of 11+ round magazines.

This week I got the studded tires back on our SUV and had the oil changed. (Yes, I’m now at the stage of life where I pay to have that done.) I also hooked up our Western plow on our pickup truck. The controls were acting a bit glitchy, so I gooped all of the terminals on the detachable control and power cables with dielectric grease. That fixed it.

I”ve been busy with radio and podcast interviews — promotion of my two most recent nonfiction books: Survival Retreats and Relocation (now available for ordering) and The Ultimate Prepper’s Survival Guide (in print since late August). The latter has been selling very well, so it looks like there will soon be a second printing. That batch should be available in late January or early February. (They are printed in Hong Kong, and they come to the States via cargo ship.) Take note that there could be a drought of available copies, in the interim. So if you get the chance to buy any at your local Costco, then jump on them. You’ll be able to re-sell them for $25+ each, on eBay.

I also did yet another Polish radio interview about the new Polish-language edition of my bestselling How To Survive The End of the World as We Know It nonfiction book.

It feels good to settle into our winter routine. Summer and fall tend to be very hectic for us. So it is nice to have days where the most memorable highlights are, feeding the cows and horses,  sweeping snow off the porch, and tossing logs in the woodstove.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”