Estate Planning For The Prepared, by David E.

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As Benjamin Franklin once observed, nothing is certain except Death and Taxes.  If you’re like most people, though, you find the topic of planning for your own passing uncomfortable.  In fact, it’s more comfortable planning for TEOTWAWKI than planning for one’s own death.  Many find it so uncomfortable that they avoid planning for it at all.

A lack of a good plan, however, leaves your loved ones in bad shape: they could be saddled with months or even years of legal proceedings, have to pay onerous taxes that could have been avoided, and your years of preparing and saving could be significantly wasted.  Worst of all, if your preparations are needed, your family may be unable to effectively utilize them when the time comes.

This article will not focus not on legal estate planning.  There are plenty of resources regarding the legal aspect of estate planning.  You should have a will, should try to keep your assets out of the clutches of the probate system and other governmental bodies, and you should try to minimize taxes.  If you have any significant assets, then sit down with an attorney to make a plan to protect your estate from government taxes and interference.  Rather, this article is about practical estate planning: what happens upon the death of a person has spent many years preparing for the unexpected?Continue reading“Estate Planning For The Prepared, by David E.”

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. This week the focus is on magazine storage. (See the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

How to Diagnose and Repair Automotive Electrical Systems (Motorbooks Workshop)

o  o  o

Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations, by Admiral William H. McRaven

o  o  o

Woodstove Cookery: At Home on the Range

o  o  o

TC 31-29 Special Forces Operational Techniques: September, 1988.

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

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. 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 buying and reselling vintage luggage. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Theresa May Quits As PM – Gold In British Pounds Reaches £1,015 Per Ounce.

o  o  o

Doyon’s vast Tintina Gold Belt potential

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Italian Bond Yields Spike After EU Threatens $4 Billion Penalty Over Excessive Debt

o  o  o

European elections could be hugely significant for the economy

o  o  o

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Increased in April

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — May 28, 2019

George Washington, a young lieutenant colonel in the British Army and future president of the United States, led an attack on French forces at Jumonville Glen on this day in 1754. This battle was later credited with being the opening salvo in the French and Indian War (1754 to 1763). In the biography His Excellency: George Washington, historian Joseph Ellis recounts Washington’s first combat experience. Washington and 40 colonial troops had been encamped near the French garrison at Fort Duquesne when he received an urgent message to rescue Indian allies in the area who were threatened by French forces. In his official report of the encounter, Washington described how his troops, aided by warriors under the Indian leader Tanacharison, surrounded a detachment of 32 French soldiers near the fort on May 28 and, within 15 minutes, killed 10 of them, including the garrison’s commander, wounded one and took another 21 prisoner.

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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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  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.

Our DIY Solar Well Pump, by PJA

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About four years ago, my wife and I finally got all four children out of the house and “on their way.” This allowed the two of us to pursue our dream of “leaving the city” and moving to a “rural homestead” on the edge of Middle Tennessee. The property we settled on is a modest five acres nestled within miles of rolling hills and cave fed streams within each “holler.” It included a 1940s farmhouse, two streams, a springhouse and a no-longer-used capped well casing. We managed to fence the 3-1/2 acre hill and stocked with Great Pyrenees herding dogs and a small herd of goats. We also dove into raising chickens.

To support our new collection of livestock, we constructed a small barn and fed a watering trough via roof gutters. This water source worked well for all the animals except in the hot summer months of July thru September when the rain slows to once a week or so. We needed an alternate source of water without running a county water line from the house to the barn.Continue reading“Our DIY Solar Well Pump, by PJA”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. Today, we focus on the expanding range of grizzly bears in the American Redoubt.

Region-Wide (Grizzly Bears)

Reader Tim J. was the first of several readers to send this: Grizzly bears on move in Rockies as hunting is in limbo.  The article begins:

“Grizzly bears are expanding their range in the U.S. Northern Rockies, spreading from remote wilderness into farmland amid a legal fight over proposed hunting.

New government data from grizzly population monitoring show bruins in the Yellowstone region of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho expanded their range by about 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers) over the past two years.

They now occupy almost 27,000 square miles (69,000 square kilometers), a range that has grown 34 percent in the past decade.

That means more bears on private lands where they can encounter humans and attack livestock, said Frank van Manen with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Run-ins with bears are happening in agricultural areas where the fearsome animals hadn’t been seen for decades, raising tensions in communities over the grizzly’s status as a federally protected species in the U.S. outside Alaska.”

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”.  Today, we look at 3D printed guns.

Washington State Bans 3D Printed Guns

‘Ghost gun’ ban, other firearms laws signed

Bill Banning 3D Printed Firearms Approved In New York

Bill Banning ‘Ghost Guns’ And 3D-Printed Firearms Approved In New York State

The 3D Printed Gun Revolution

Reader G.P. sent this item at Wired: 3D-printed guns are back, and this time they are unstoppable

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 27, 2019

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I’ll start with a bit of breaking EU election news, from England:

  • The newly-formed Brexit Party +31.2%
  • Labour: – 11.9%
  • Liberal Democrat +11.1%
  • Conservative: -12.5%
  • UKIP: -23.9% (Nearly all having apparently jumped to the Brexit Party)
  • Others (Greens, Etc.):  +10.4

That is an astounding result, for a party that didn’t even exist, two months ago!

I hope that the new national government that is formed following Teresa May’s imminent ouster gets the message from the voters: Quit fiddling around, and make a hard Brexit!

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On this extended weekend, we honor Memorial Day, a day of solemn remembrance in the U.S. of the many who have given their all for our freedoms. We always thank those who are serving in our military and their families who have also made sacrifices, but today most of all we want to honor those who gave their lives. Consider: Just a Common Soldier

On May 27, 1861, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney of Maryland issued Ex parte Merryman, challenging the authority of President Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. military to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland.

And on May 27, 1813, former President Thomas Jefferson wrote former President John Adams about the loss of their mutual friend, Dr. Benjamin Rush. Reflecting upon the loss, Jefferson wrote, “We too must go; and that ere long. I believe we are under half a dozen at present; I mean the signers of the Declaration.”

Dr. Rush was instrumental in the reconciliation of Jefferson and Adams by initiating correspondence between the three of them. Both Jefferson and Adams continued to correspond until their deaths on July 4th, 1826– the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which all three had signed in 1776.

Buck 110 Automatic Folder, by Pat Cascio

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Iconic, is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as: “…relating to, or having the characteristics of an icon…widely recognized and well-established an iconic brand name…widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence…” This pretty much describes the Buck Knives Model 110 folding hunting knife. Today, we’re taking a look at Buck’s newest addition, and this is a 110 that opens automatically, instead of manually.

I wish I had a Dollar for every time I heard someone say “hey, that’s a Buck…” whenever they saw someone using a folding knife, with brass bolsters and a wooden handle scale. While it might have “looked” like a Buck, it was just a copy, an imitation, or rip-off – call it what you want, but it wasn’t a genuine Buck. Right now, sitting on my computer desk, is a three knife set, made by Remington, the gun maker – okay, not made by them, but made for them, in China, and it has the Remington name on it. The largest knife in the set looks very similar to the Buck 110 folder – but upon closer examination, you can see it isn’t anywhere near the quality of workmanship of Buck.

Buck Knives has been in business more than a hundred years, and that’s a good long time, for any sort of business to be around. That says a lot about the company. If they didn’t turn out quality products, then they wouldn’t still be in business. Some years ago, Buck, wisely made the move from Kalifornia to Idaho – good on them.Continue reading“Buck 110 Automatic Folder, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Trisha’s Lemon Spring Greens

Reader Trisha H. kindly sent us one of her favorite side dish recipes, for Lemon Spring Greens. This serves four.

Ingredients
  • 18 ounces (or 500 g) of spring greens.
  • 1 large lemon without wax.
  • Sea salt, to taste.
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
  • 2 TBS virgin olive oil.
Directions
  1. Grate the lemon zest (the outermost part of the peel) finely onto a cutting board, then transfer to a small jar for which you have a lid.
  2. Cut the lemon in half.
  3. Squeeze half the juice into the jar, over a wire mesh strainer. (Be careful to strain out any seeds.)
  4. Add the virgin olive oil to the jar.
  5. Add small pinch of salt. (To suit your taste, or your doctor’s orders.)
  6. Add small pinch of pepper. (To suit your taste.)
  7. Put the lid securely on the jar, and then shake it well.
  8. Taste test it to see whether you think it needs any more lemon juice or oil. You’ll want it to still have a nice zing, once it is on the spring greens.
  9. Half-fill a large saucepan with cold water and add a small pinch of salt.
  10. Put pan on a high flame, and bring to a boil.
  11. While that is coming up to a boil, trim and cut the spring greens in half lengthwise, then finely slice them.
  12. Once the water is boiling, add the spring greens and cook for 3 to 4 minutes–just until tender but still bright green.
  13. Once cooked, drain the spring greens over the sink in a colander. Steam dry te greens for a minute, and then tip back into the pan.
  14. Shake the dressing again, and then drizzle it over the greens.
  15. Gently toss the spring greens with salad or taco tongs in the dressing while still hot, to help the greens  soak up all the dressing.
  16. Transfer to a bowl.
  17. Serve immediately.

Serving Note: This should be the final dish that you prepare before serving dinner, to avoid having the greens get soggy.

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 book collecting. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Kitco queries Phil Streible: Why Gold May Not See 2011 Price Levels Again

o  o  o

The Metals, Money, and Markets Weekly by Mickey Fulp

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Blain: “It Feels Like A Shooting Match Is Imminent”

o  o  o

Here’s the worst-case scenario for the US-China trade war.  (Keep in mind that this was published by rabidly anti-Trump CNN.)

o  o  o

Rural America Is On The Verge Of Collapse.

o  o  o

Tesla Slides After Morgan Stanley Slashes “Bear Case” Price Target To Just $10

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day

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“What can be more foolish than to think that all this rare fabric of heaven and earth could come by chance, when all the skill of art is not able to make an oyster? To see rare effects, and no cause ; a motion, without a mover ; a circle, without a centre ; a time, without an eternity ; a second, without a first : these are things so against philosophy and natural reason, that he must be a beast in understanding who can believe in them. The thing formed, says that nothing formed it ; and that which is made is, while that which made it is not, This folly is infinite.” – Jeremy Taylor

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 26, 2019

May 26th is the birthday of Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.) He was born 1949. When not touring, he lives Somewhere in Montana, so he qualifies as a Redoubter. He reportedly has a large gun collection which is heavy on Sharps rifles and rifles that have factory letters showing that they were originally shipped to Montana. His song A Country Boy Can Survive is of course practically a survivalist anthem. His father was just 29 when he died, and despite a couple of close calls, Hank Jr. is now well into his golden years, so he may yet live to a ripe old age.

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Today we present a short guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that was not submitted for writing contest judging.