Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at investing in autographed books. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold and Silver Shine During the Race to Debase

o  o  o

The view from India: ‘Gold will be the best asset class to invest in 2019’

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: The $6 Trillion Pension Bailout Is Coming

o  o  o

Ultra-Low Mortgage Rates No Relief for Home Sales

o  o  o

US consumer sentiment hits 98.4 in July, vs. 98.5 estimate

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — August 1, 2019

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August 1st is celebrated as Swiss Independence Day, in recognition of the signing of the Federal Charter of 1291, which united Switzerland’s first three cantons. As of 2014, Switzerland has been free and independent for 723 years. Having a well-armed populace has assured that.

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August 1st is also remembered as the election day in 1946 that sparked the Battle of Athens, Tennessee, when returning World War II veterans took up arms to oust a corrupt local government that was rigging an election.

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Today is also the birthday of Lt. Colonel William B. Travis (born 1809, died March 8, 1836, at The Alamo.)

Rounding-Out Your Baofeng UV-5Rs

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Final implementation of the dual-band UV-5R importation and sales ban (previously detailed in SurvivalBlog) is now just one month away. I’m confident that the majority of SurvivalBlog readers in the U.S. were cognizant of this and have stocked up on these radios, in quantity. But now I must ask: Are you ready to operate them, practically, long-term? This will surely require a few spares and accessories. The good news is that the accessories fully interchange, and most of them are quite inexpensive. By the way, this runs contrary to a SurvivalBlog aphorism: “Life is cheap, but the accessories will kill you.”  Thankfully in this case the accessories won’t  break the bank.

Here are what I’d recommend, for UV-5R Handie-Talkie (H/T) spares and accessories:

    • One spare H/T, for every three that you plan to operate. (Inevitably, some will end up getting dunked, stepped on, lost, stolen, or otherwise meet their fated doom.)
    • One spare earpiece/mike, per H/T,
    • One “speakermike” handset, per H/T, but only if you plan to operate with a H/T strapped to your belt, harness, or plate carrier, and you prefer a handset over a earphone/mike.
    • One or two spare battery packs, per H/T. (Particularly important in cold weather, where you’ll want to keep a spare in a warm inner coat pocket, enclosed in a small zip-lock bag.)
    • A possible upgrade to an extended battery pack, for each H/T.
    • One spare back belt clip, for every 2 or 3 H/Ts. (These are fairly fragile!)
A Note on 12-Volt Chargers

You should also consider getting a few voltage-regulated 12 VDC vehicular chargers. Set them for 9 volts, since Baofeng UV-5Rs can be damaged or destroyed by excess charging voltage. (Their maximum is 10 volts.) One of the several plugs that come with these will be compatible with your existing charging cradles. Once you’ve selected the correct plug, confirm the correct polarity and then securely tape it on, so that it doesn’t get lost or reversed. And I recommend taking this a step further and replacing the charger’s cigarette lighter plugs with Anderson Power Pole connectors.Continue reading“Rounding-Out Your Baofeng UV-5Rs”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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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 the death of newspapers.

The Truth About Gun Buy Back Programs

A brief video with some sage observations from Colion Noir: The Truth About Gun Buy Back Programs

New EMPShield Variant for RVs

I just noticed that EMPShield.com (one of our affiliate advertisers) has added a new RV protection module to their product line. (You can see it by clicking “Shop” at their site.) If you foresee having to bug out in your RV, then I highly recommend adding one of these!

The Death of Newspapers

By way of Whatfinger.com, there is this: RIP: Newspaper circulation lowest ever recorded. A snippet:

“After a long total high of over 60 million subscriptions from the 1960s to the 1990s, circulation has dropped to 28 million daily and 30 million for Sundays.

“Those numbers were down 8% and 9%, respectively, from the previous year…”

LBRY App Updates

I often recommend getting the LBRY app. It is a viable un-censored blockchain-based alternative to YouTube. They recently  switched to a “bottomless” stack (similar to YouTube) and added several other new features including comments and “Customize Your Homepage” buttons. (You can add categories to your list such as “survival” “homestead”, “privacy”, “self-sufficiency”, “guns”, and so forth. Once you have the LBRY app installed, I recommend you start with this video: Why I Quit YouTube.  (Warning: Some vulgar language.) The same video has been deleted several times at YouTube, but a new copy just went up there.)Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 31, 2019

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July 31st, 1921, was the birthday of Army Air Corps veteran David Thatcher, one of the Doolittle Raiders. Thatcher was the tail gunner in the rear of the Mitchell B-25 medium bomber christened the Ruptured Duck, the seventh of 16 planes. Returning from the raid, the bomber crashed into the sea from low fuel and the crewmen survived, in no small part to Thatcher’s heroic efforts. The five airmen washed ashore and were given aid by Chinese fishermen who found them. Thatcher bound their wounds and being the only crewman able to walk, joined with armed guerrillas to carry the other crewmen to a hospital while evading Japanese troops. David Thatcher was born in Bridger, Montana, and later lived in Missoula, Montana. He died in 2016, at age 94.  Only one other Doolittle Raider outlived him: Dick Cole.

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July 31st  was also the birthday of noted libertarian economist Dr. Milton Friedman.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 83  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. 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.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  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. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 83 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.

 

Some IFAK Facts, Part 2 by MtnDoc in Washington

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

Pressure points are areas where major arteries are closer to the surface of the skin than normal and utypically over hard/boney areas of the anatomy. Pressure points are areas of the body where arteries come close enough to the surface for pressure points to work. They are common areas where pulses are felt as well. You can practice locating them by feeling for the pulse on friends or family members, using your index and middle fingers together. I will be discussing the easiest points to identify and have labelled their general location with blue dots on the attached picture.

Working down the body, the first pressure point is where the brachial artery transits past the armpit (axilla) and down the arm over the humerus/biceps area. The pressure point is located on the inside of the arm over the area where the bicep muscle and humerus (upper arm bone) meet. The second point is also the brachial artery, but further down the arm. It is typically very visible in healthy, well hydrated individuals at the crease of the elbow, or antecubital area of the arm. This is the area that is commonly accessed for IV access.

The next point is the Radial artery, probably the most recognizable pressure point. The Radial pressure point is on the underside of the wrist on the thumb side, where the pulse is felt and measured most frequently. The next point down the body is the Femoral artery. The easiest way to identify Femoral Pressure Point is in the area where the leg meets abdomen close to the genitalia. To access the pressure point, you may need to cut away the clothing to expose the area to properly feel for the pressure point. This is where trauma shears would come in handy. When accessing the femoral pressure point, do not be shy. To reach the pressure point you will need to get close to the genitalia. I made sure to tell my sailors and Marines this, and in a life and death situation where there is a legitimate chance of bleeding out, the patient will not care. Continue reading“Some IFAK Facts, Part 2 by MtnDoc in Washington”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books and movies that have any tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food as and food storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. This week the focus is on Red Cross Training. (See the Commo Data and Training Web Pages section.)

Books:

The classic book series by Dave Gingery: Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap

o  o  o

How to Build a Natural Swimming Pool

o  o  o

If you want to try a ketogenic diet, there is now this cookbook: The Easy Keto Meal Prep: 800 Easy and Delicious Recipes – 21- Day Meal Plan – Lose Up to 20 Pounds in 3 Weeks

o  o  o

Beginners Guide to Mastering the Art of Sewing: A Visual Step By Step Guide to Using Sewing Machine for Kids & Grownups

o  o  o

War of the Flea: The Classic Study of Guerrilla Warfare

Movies:

With “predictive policing” and “red flag” laws now in the news headlines, the script of this movie was prescient:  Minority Report.

o  o  o

Now in 4K Blu-Ray format: Black Hawk Down 

Instructional Videos and Vlogs:

This is a good option for folks that live in semi-auto rifle-deprived countries or states, or for Over The Road  truckers and others who regularly pass through many state jurisdictions: Marlin 1894 CST upgrade w/ Midwest Industries Handguard

o  o  o

Max Velocity: The Combat Reload.

o  o  o

10 Things You NEED For Hiking | ESSENTIAL HIKING GEAR

Commo Data and Training Web Pages:

Ethrane wrote: “This site is from the DHS but they have done a good job of aggregating a large volume of communications information.  They include frequencies, modes, wiring and pin out diagrams, organizations and a host of other information. I think people will find it is a good resource.”

o  o  o

Most SurvivalBlog readers have already visited it, but in case you haven’t:  The American Red Cross has an Online Learning web site.  (Note: Registration is required.)

o  o  o

Greg e-mailed me this:  “My safety guy at work sent me the link to FEMA’s training web pages. I suggest that you look under the Independent Study category.”

Gear and Grub:

Tool Aid SG SGT18980 Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit (Quick Change with 9 Die Sets)

o  o  o

3-Outlet Surge Protector with 2 USB Ports

o  o  o

Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System

o  o  o

Keto Snack Box (20 Count) – Ultra Low Carb Snacks, Ketogenic Friendly, Gluten Free, Low Sugar – Healthy Keto Gift Box Variety Pack – Protein Bars, Pork Rinds, Cheese Crisps, Nuts, Jerky

o  o  o

Thai Kitchen Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 13.66 fl oz.

Make a Suggestion

Want to suggest Recommendations of your own? Then please send them to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“We cannot make Events.  Our Business is wisely to improve them.  There has been much to do to confirm doubting Friends & fortify the Timid.  It requires time to bring honest Men to think & determine alike even in important Matters.  Mankind are governed more by their feelings than by Reason.” – Samuel Adams, Letter to Samuel Cooper, April 30, 1776

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 30, 2019

Today marks the birthday of author Reginald Bretnor. He was born Alfred Reginald Kahn on July 30, 1911, in Vladivostok. He died on July 22, 1992 in Medford, Oregon. In addition to penning many witty science fiction novels and short stories in his characteristic style, he also wrote nonfiction articles for Mel Tappan’s P.S. Letter

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 83  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. 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.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  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. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 83 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.

Some IFAK Facts, Part 1 by MtnDoc in Washington

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Introductory Disclaimer: This article is about medical first aid care and should only be used in emergency situation. Apply them at your own risk. There is no substitute for hands-on training.

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I am writing today to touch on a topic that I have seen some discussion in regards to related equipment but not the requisite training. I have heard it many places including on this page that without training, any equipment is useless. I would heartily agree with this sentiment. I would argue that this is particularly true when it comes to medical equipment, and especially with first aid equipment. This is what I will be discussing today.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been to the range and at shooting courses and have seen folks carrying their Individual First Aid Kits (IFAK) on their belts, vests, etc. who do not know how to use most of their contents. When I ask, I usually get a response similar to “I am sure someone else around will know how to use them all if I don’t.” To my way of thinking, this is a less than satisfactorily response. If you take the time to purchase and carry the equipment, you should know how to use the equipment. They obviously care enough about equipment training to be at the range or even in a firearms class.

There seems to be a gap in the civilian market for good training for things as simple yet possibly lifesaving as the contents in a simple IFAK. As I speak, I am coordinating with a local shop who sells first aid equipment along with offering firearms and training to use the firearms to develop and teach a class similar to what I am going to go over in this post.

First, a little bit of my background in this subject matter. I am a former Navy Corpsman with time spent in the field overseas shipboard and on the ground with the Marines. I served two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom/ Operation Enduring Freedom where I trained sailors and Marines how to render first aid/buddy aid as well as served their medical needs. I am now a civilian with more time spent treating patients in emergency rooms and urgent cares. Continue reading“Some IFAK Facts, Part 1 by MtnDoc in Washington”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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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 custom bicycle makers in the American Redoubt. (See the Idaho, Montana, Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, and Wyoming sections.)  But first, a bit about the crossover from podcasting to broadcasting.

Region-Wide

A number of conservative podcasts are now being aired by AM and FM radio stations in the American Redoubt. These are primarily news talk and Christian broadcasters. Some of these podcasters are far from the liberal/statist “mainstream”, with folks like Ben Shapiro, Alex Jones, Dennis Prager, and Matt Shea. Notably, some of the AM stations can be heard over long distances, at night. These stations include:

AM
  • 580 AM (KIDO) Boise
  • 630 AM (KTW) Spokane
  • 810 AM (KTBI) Wenatchee/Moses Lake
  • 930 AM KYAK) Yakima
  • 1050 AM (KFIO) Spokane
  • 1120 AM (KPNW) Eugene/Springfield
  • 1340 AM (KPRK)  Livingston
  • 1450 AM (KMMS) Bozeman
  • 1600 AM (KOHI) St. Helens
FM
  • 93.9 FM (KTAC) Moses Lake
  • 101.3 FM (KGDN) Tri-Cities/Walla Walla
  • 106.5 FM (KSPO) Spokane

Idaho

Alliance Bicycles in Hailey, Idaho builds great bikes, starting with their own titanium frames.

o o o

Kelson Bikes in Rexburg, Idaho builds custom bikes with steel, carbon fiber, or titanium frames.

o o o

Vibe Cycles in Boise specializes in building custom Fat Bikes.

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

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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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 chaotic South Africa

Acetaminophen – Not Worth the Risk

DSV sent us this: Acetaminophen – Not Worth the Risk, by the Children’s Health Defense Team.

An excerpt:

“Despite its ubiquity, acetaminophen also has many critics. These argue that the drug’s path to prominence has been littered with errors, false assumptions and undue complacency about risks. Documented problems include life-threatening liver damage in individuals who consume acetaminophen in “excess amounts”—something that is all too easy to do, given the drug’s different aliases and the sheer number of products in which it is present—as well as cardiovascular disease and renal injury risks associated with long-term use. In the critics’ view, these and other problems make acetaminophen “one of the most dangerous compounds in medical use.”

In the U.S., roughly 500 deaths are attributable to acetaminophen each year, as well as 100,000 poison control calls, 50,000 emergency room visits and 10,000 hospitalizations. Most acetaminophen-related emergency department visits are in young children (under age 5), adolescents or young adults. The problem of accidental (or intentional) overdoses is worrisome enough, but there are other reasons to be concerned about acetaminophen use in young people—notably, the drug’s association with asthma and developmental disorders such as autism. The research linking acetaminophen to these epidemic-level chronic conditions suggests that the drug’s automatic inclusion in the childhood medicine cabinet ought to be reconsidered.”

SurvivalBlog Archive USBs Out of Production Until 2020

Reader John M. wrote to ask:

“Any update on when the blog Archive on USB stick may be again available for purchase?”

I replied:  “Sorry, but there won’t be another USB production run in 2019.  The updated version (with one additional year of archives, and even more bonus books) should be available in mid-January, 2020.”

What is Vaccine Shedding?

At the Mercola site: What is vaccine shedding?Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”