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’s focus is on investing in AR-15 family rifles and lower receivers. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Central Banks Haven’t Bought This Much Gold Since Nixon Closed The Gold Window

o o o

ETF Gold Holdings Hit Highest Level Since 2013 In January: WGC

 

Economy & Finance:

California home sales volume lays low

o o o

At Seeking Alpha:  As The Global Economy Slows, The Grab For Yield Will Accelerate

o o o

Here’s how many people Tesla laid off at its California facilities

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – February 7, 2019

1

February 7th, 1867, was the birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder. (She died February 10, 1957). SurvivalBlog highly recommends the Laura Ingalls Wilder books as well as her biography.

On this day in 1775 in London, Benjamin Franklin published An Imaginary Speech in defense of American courage. The speech was intended to counter an unnamed officer’s comments to Parliament that the British need not fear the colonial rebels, because “Americans are unequal to the People of this Country [Britain] in Devotion to Women, and in courage and worse than all, they are religious.” Franklin’s response included his usual wit and acuity.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  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 81 ends on March 28th, 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.

New Zealand: Thoughts After Seven Years, Part 1, by Nivek

23

Part 1

Many of you have probably wondered about “bugging out” to another country. I would like to share with you what I have learned after living in New Zealand for seven years. I will try to organize my thoughts in different categories to help you get some answers. The first part will cover why and how I made the leap. Part 2 of the article will discuss various experiences. Part 3 will cover weather, gun laws, cars, car insurance, and shopping. And in Part 4 I will finish by covering taxes, telecommunications costs, and post a “points system” locales evaluation spreadsheet that I came up with. You could customize this to help you decide on choosing other major or difficult decisions.

To begin with, I never considered moving to another country until I had children, later in life. Before marriage I could easily move around and stay one step ahead of any situations that I did not like or to take off and simply try something new. An example of this freedom was in 1995. I was working for an engineering company. I was one year out of school with a civil engineering degree. On a Friday I saw an ad online in the Seattle newspaper for an engineering job in Alaska. I interviewed for the job the next Tuesday on the phone and accepted the position. I gave notice and just two weeks later I was driving up the Alaskan Highway.

Before being married and having children I could pack up at the drop of a hat and relocate without worrying about anything I had left behind. It would be a long list if I were to write down everywhere I have lived and worked. Ah, the happy times of being single and free. I did settle down a bit later on so that I could build up capital for retirement.

Late in life, marriage and children came along. I had to consider their needs first. The primary areas of my concern were safety and education–along with the children having a chance to experience being a kid. I didn’t want to carpool to every school activity or have to watch out for gangs and drug needles in the parks. So I started searching the web. New Zealand came out on top of the search.

A Kiwi Norman Rockwell Moment

I would like to share a moment I experienced about six months after my family arrived in New Zealand. We were in Picton. This is a small town at the top of the south island. It’s where the ferry comes in and connects the north and south islands. My wife had a friend that owned a dairy shop–a place to by a loaf of bread, rent a movie or get some ice cream or milk. My children were there playing with their children. I sat in the car across the street next to a small park. I was listening to the radio. It was a nice summer day and three kids ranging in age from about 5 to 10 walked across the grass in bare feet. They went into the shop and came out a few minutes later with ice cream cones. The oldest child looked out for the younger ones as they crossed the street. They slowly walked back across the park eating their ice cream, laughing without a care in the world. To me it was like a Norman Rockwell scene. There were no caps on backwards or pants hanging down.

Continue reading“New Zealand: Thoughts After Seven Years, Part 1, by Nivek”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

12

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 focus on power grid vulnerability to cyber attacks. EMP, CME (severe solar storms), and physical infrastructure attacks are not the only risks!

Power Grid Vulnerability: Utilities Fined for “Serious Cyber Risks”

This troubling article illustrates the vulnerability of our three national power grids: Secrecy Reigns as NERC Fines Utilities $10M citing Serious Cyber Risks.  Here is how the article opens: “The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) imposed its stiffest fine to date for violations of Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) cybersecurity regulations. But who violated the standards and much of what the agency found remains secret. In a 250 page regulatory filing, NERC fined undisclosed companies belonging to a so-called ‘Regional Entity’ $10 million for 127 violations of the Critical Infrastructure Protection standards, the U.S.’s main cyber security standard for critical infrastructure including the electric grid.
Thirteen of the violations listed were rated as a “serious risk” to the operation of the Bulk Power System and 62 were rated a ‘moderate risk.’ Together, the ‘collective risk of the 127 violations posed a serious risk to the reliability of the (Bulk Power System),’ NERC wrote.” (Our thanks to J.M. for the link.) I hope that more Americans–especially our legislators–wake up to power grid vulnerability!

JWR Interviewed on the Pending Private Party Gun Transfer Ban

I was just interviewed on the Reluctant Preppers podcast about H.R. 8 — the pending Private Party Gun Transfer Ban.  Therein, I gave a summary of the proposed law and the short-term tsunami in gun prices that will be felt in the interval between the law’s passage but before enactment. I also explained the probable long term effects in the market for pre-1899 antiques.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“One of the reasons that we find so few persons rational and agreeable in conversation is there is hardly a person who does not think more of what he wants to say than of his answer to what is said. The most clever and polite are content with only seeming attentive while we perceive in their mind and eyes that at the very time they are wandering from what is said and desire to return to what they want to say. Instead of considering that the worst way to persuade or please others is to try thus strongly to please ourselves, and that to listen well and to answer well are some of the greatest charms we can have in conversation.” – Francois LaRochefoucauld

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – February 6, 2019

2

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6th, 1911. He was an American politician and actor, who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Prior to his presidency, he served as the 33rd Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, following a career as an actor and union leader in Hollywood. Reagan implemented sweeping new political and economic initiatives. His supply-side economic policies, dubbed “Reaganomics”, advocated tax rate reduction to spur economic growth, control of the money supply to curb inflation, economic deregulation, and reduction in government spending. In his first term he survived an assassination attempt, escalated the War on Drugs, and confronted an air traffic contoller’s strike.

—

The new 2005-2018 SurvivalBlog Archive waterproof DVD sticks are selling out rapidly.  We started out with 1,000 of them on January 5th, and now have less than 100 available. Notably, many folks are placing orders for 2 or 3 at a time. We should be caught up with mailing out the initial rush of orders by February 14th. (More than 400 have already been mailed.) After the first 1,000 sell out, there could be a delay of up to 45 days before we start shipping the second batch. And that batch will be just 500 sticks. When we advertise with:  “allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery”, we are being realistic. The demand has been heavy!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  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 81 ends on March 28th, 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.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread, by C.J.

14

Bread has been called the staff of life. Throughout history has become a staple to diets across the world. There are literally thousands of bread recipes to be found in cookbooks, online, and in grandma’s little recipe file. Most recipes are actually very similar with the only difference perhaps being a little more or less flour, salt, leavening, or other agent. The one thing in common with most rising breads is the process. Adding ingredients, kneading for a given length of time, allowing to rise then baking. Hoping to find at the end, a perfectly risen mass of wonderful bread exuding a fresh aroma that is beyond compare. And if all goes well, that is exactly what you should end up with.

What I am offering today is a process that I have used for a very long time to bake a week’s worth of bread at one time, with minimal effort and a never-fail methodology. Most of my bread recipes utilize five full pounds of flour–which is how it is typically sold at a grocery store. No measuring cups, weighing, or worrying about whether you forgot to add a cup or added one too many.

Why I use bread flour…

The only real difference between bread flour and all purpose flour is the protein content. Bread flour will give a lighter softer texture, while all purpose flour will give a firmer texture and crust. Other flours can be used as well–although I have not tried them. Almond flour and coconut flour are just two that come to mind. If you prefer a darker crust, then add a few tablespoons of sugar or honey.

Continue reading“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread, by C.J.”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

10

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on MagPul D-60 AR-15 drum magazines. (See the Gear section.)

Books:

I’ve mentioned this book several times since I started SurvivalBlog back in 2005. It was formerly published by the now sadly defunct Paladin Press. I consider it a classic, and I’m glad to see that it is back in print: Total Resistance. If you don’t already have a copy on your bookshelf, then you should!

One reviewer had this to say: “Much of the minutiae may not be as useful anymore, for example how to take down phone lines, and there are other facets which simply did not exist in the author’s time, for example drones or digitized electronic warfare. Other facets are too specific to the Swiss military (e.g. instruction for specific mines, grenades) and the author assumes his audience (which were Swiss military and Swiss citizens who had undergone requisite military training) is already versed in basic fire-and-movement, weapons handling, patrolling, etc.

Nonetheless, the book is still highly relevant to the modern, American reader. The general strategies, maxims and insights still hold true. As a book on the mindset and process behind guerrilla warfare, I have yet to ready anything superior. Additionally, the author spends a great deal of time on 3 things that are almost always absent from other treatises: 1) the methods of the enemy to psychologically and socially disrupt resistance to its occupation; 2) how to form and grow secure social organization which will allow for resistance and guerrilla groups to form and survive; 3) the implications and issues of establishing PR, propaganda, finance, etc. for the resistance. Even the classics on guerrilla warfare, such as Mao’s and Che’s books, avoid these topics almost entirely and focus more upon a general notion of ‘spirit of resistance’ or on tactical considerations.”

o  o  o

For folks who often travel by commercial airliner or train and enjoy audiobooks, several of my books are available on Playaway pre-loaded compact digital audio players. These clever little devices resemble standard compact MP3 players, but are laminated with book cover images. They come with a pair of earbuds. The Playaway titles include Patriots and How To SurvIve The End Of The World As We Know It.

 

Movies & Television:

This movie helped me understand Ultra-Orthodox Jewish culture and values: Fill The Void

o  o  o

The Patriot

o  o  o

Find this for your kids: The original, and now considered quite politically incorrect animated television series,  Jonny Quest.

 

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

Economics & Investing For Preppers

5

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’s focus is on the Electrolux departure from Memphis. (See the Economy & Finance section.)  Pictured is the storefront of an Electrolux dealer, more than five decades ago.

Precious Metals:

Mark Lundeen; Market Update For Early February 2019

o o o

Gold falls as stocks gain on strong U.S. data, dollar firms

 

Economy & Finance (Electrolux):

At Wolf Street: Who Bought the Gigantic $1.5 Trillion of New US Government Debt Issued over the Past 12 Months?

o o o

Terry sent us this: Electrolux of Memphis, which Took More Than $100 Million in Corporate Welfare, Calls it Quits. Terry’s Comments: 

“It’s a no-brainer. My guess is that Electrolux took the bait, realized what they were dealing with, and left. Krogers, a major food retailer, did much the same a year or two ago – they simply refused to deal with the rampant crime anymore, so Memphis is now on the path of becoming a food “desert” as far as that’s concerned….Memphizuela perhaps. Nashville is on the cusp. Knoxville and Chattanooga are taking note.

Best to isolate that cr*phole and let it burn itself out, just like they need to do with virtually every large metropolitan area like Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Birmingham, Buffalo, Cleveland, Richmond…you name it. There are exceptions, but they only prove the rule: urban = blight

Smart move might to begin plotting the urban area main channels of communication – ingress and egress – plan accordingly, especially if you’re stuck there – plan, plan, plan: primary, alternate, backup, and contingency.

As soon as the EBT switch is thrown, deliberate or consequent, it doesn’t matter which, Schumer will hit the Fan, and there will be a domino effect, just like the 1968 riots.

Rural areas will be fine IF they prepare, urban will implode, regardless – fallout is the concern. Build local resilience for food, water, medical, security, comms, and fuel – think about disease vectors and corpse disposal. What is your community-level susceptibility and vulnerability (for you dumb asses out there, the two are different.) What is the fire fighting capability, EMT’s, hospital carrying capacity, emergency powers – who’s your local sheriff and county commission members? Do you know them and do they know you?”

o o o

The National Debt Math Doesn’t Add Up

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If an earthly king was to issue out a royal proclamation, on performing or not performing the conditions therein contained, the life or death of his subjects entirely depended, how solicitous would they be to hear what those conditions were? And shall not we pay the same respect to the King of kings and Lord of lords and lend an attentive ear to his ministers, when they are declaring, in his name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured?” – George Whitefield

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – February 5, 2019

5

On February 5th, 1988 two indictments were unsealed, accusing Panamanian General Manuel Noriega of drug trafficking and bribery.
—

Warning! The private party gun transfer ban bills (H.R. 8 and its Senate equivalent, S.42) appear to be on the fast track through committees and passage.  Please contact both of your U.S. Senators and remind them that this bill is unconstitutional. This law would essentially end the privacy of firearms ownership. Nearly all modern gun transfers would have to go through an FFL, (for a fee) with an FBI background check. Whether it is a sale, a gift, a trade, or a loan, all gun transfers would have to be “papered” on a ATF Form 4473. The only exceptions would be gifts (not sales) within an immediate family, and transfers of antique (pre-1899 manufactured) guns. All other transfers would require a background check and completion of an ATF Form 4473.  At last count  H.R. 8 has 229 co-sponsors, and S.42 had 41 co-sponsors. That is already enough to get it through the House, and just 10 more senators voting for it would assure passage on the Senate side. This is a huge threat to our firearms freedom. Call and write your Senators, often!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present the first entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  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 81 ends on March 28th, 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.

The Importance of Christian Self-Defense, by A. Benjamin

27

Disclaimer: I am not a theologian, just a believer who is fed up with a trend I’ve noticed.

There is a distressing passivity and fatalism in the church these days.  Many have been suckered by the false meekness of pacifism and even flaunt their defenseless, as if it is a badge of honor!  To them, trusting in God means denying themselves the God-given right and command to defend themselves and others.  For them, faith is submitting to all authority, even if that is the ‘authority’ of a scumbag caving their head in, or the head of their child with a club or simply accepting raping murderers into the country without question.  They turn their cheek to make it easier for their attacker to slit their throat.  Not only is this attitude disgustingly delusional, it is cowardice gilded with false piety.

I am not exaggerating with this example.  When I took my mandated training course for my CCW permit, the instructor, a devoted Christian, told us a horrifying anecdote:  While at a conference, he was advertising his business and an irate woman told him firearms, and for that matter self-defense have no place in the life of a Christian. Calmly asking what she would do if someone held a gun to her child’s head, the child having shown interest in this man’s booth, he received the response “If they died, that’s God’s will.”  I hope you are as sickened and disturbed by this response as I was.

When talking with a female friend the other day, herself a shooter and believer in self defense, she was amazed I carry every Sunday into church, even when I volunteer in the nursery.  Even for someone that believed in being armed, in her case with pepper spray (while waiting for approval of her CCW permit), it was foreign to her to think that I would do such a thing.  The response I gave was to ask her a question.  “Do you believe I could live with the guilt if one of my nursery children, or one of my students, or anyone for that matter was hurt, raped, kidnapped or even killed because I refused to carry a weapon when I am legally and physically able to?”  Even when I am at my teaching job, I informed her, I carry some means of self defense.  In my case, that is a pointed steel non-tactical pen.  Sadly mis-matched against an attacker’s firearm–but as good of an option as I have available, until I can badger my principal into approving my application to our state’s teacher firearm certification program.  I’ve also looked into a few options for concealed sheaths for screwdrivers, technically legal.  A law abiding citizen considering resorting to a glorified shiv to protect children. Doesn’t that just fill you with hope for our future?

Armed at All Times

For me, there is an obligation to be armed whenever possible, even with meager and improvised means.  This is not only what I consider a God-given duty, but one I think that every responsible Christian must be prepared to take up at all times.  My friend is in agreement and she agreed to talk with the youth pastor she is courting, himself a shooter as well, about this issue.  I pray both of them will be armed to the teeth, very soon.

Continue reading“The Importance of Christian Self-Defense, by A. Benjamin”

Letter: Steel Job Site Boxes as a Valuables Storage Option

11

Hugh and James:
It’s often mentioned at Survival Blog that firearm magazines are a critical component. As Tamara K. of the View From the Porch blog has written: “The correct number of magazines to have is: ‘more.'”

So, some of us buy magazines, especially lots of them when we find a very good price.

But…as valuable as magazines are to us they’re just as valuable to anyone else, which is why we buy way more than we need, even considering that they are “wear items” that will eventually require replacement. Magazines have substantial value as trade or barter items. They’re also among the first targets of gun-banning politicians, making it imperative to possess more than a minimum quantity.

The desirability of magazines makes them potential high theft items. I use cardboard boxes 12″L X 9″H X 9″W as “food unit” boxes: 24 standard 16 ounce (actually, 15.5 oz now) cans fit perfectly, with space between them to drop in plastic knives, spoons and forks. Tape a few P-38 or P-51 folding compact can openers under the top, and it’s a 27 lb “grab and go” food unit with 8 cans of protein, 8 of veggies and 8 of fruit. Those same boxes hold will 44 PMAG 30-round AR-15 magazines, more than three dozen 20-round AR-10 or M1A magazines, and more Glock magazines than I’ll ever have.

Whatever we paid for them on super-duper sale, those 44 PMAGs carry a retail cost of $792. They may be covered by insurance, so the theft of two of those boxes – if you can document them to the satisfaction of your insurance company –  will get you a hefty check in a couple weeks. (Minus your deductible, of course). The dollar value, however, is peanuts compared to “really, really needing magazines right now” and not having them. An insurance check will be worthless if Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and their comrades make them illegal and impossible to buy replacements. (Can’t happen? Look at Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Seattle, Connecticut, etc.). The same holds true for those cases of 5.56×45, 9MM and .22LR that you’ve been stockpiling.

I’m suggesting that you consider security storage methods for those items, like magazines and ammunition, that are high value to thieves and especially high value to us who buy them as prep supplies with our hard-earned dollars. It’s certainly not “gun safe security level” or very fire resistant. However, standard steel job site tool chests aren’t very expensive. A 48″ X 24″ X 24″ steel chest retails for a little over $300. They are available at places like Tractor Supply, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc., and often show up on sale for even less. They’re also frequently available in used condition for much less on websites like Craigslist. As long as the metal is intact, the hinges in good shape and the lid closes securely, then it’ll work for reducing the possibility of critical–and potentially irreplaceable–prep supplies being stolen. The boxes weigh around 130-150 pounds, and adding several hundred pounds of ammo underneath the boxes of magazines makes them effectively non-portable. Needless to say, buy your own new locks for them–even if the seller throws them in.

Continue reading“Letter: Steel Job Site Boxes as a Valuables Storage Option”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

8

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. The emphasis this week is on saddlemakers in the American Redoubt. Many of these craftsmen also make saddlebags, holsters, and magazine pouches. Pictured is a custom saddle made by C&S Saddlery in Idaho.

 

Idaho (Saddlemakers in the American Redoubt)

There is custom leatherworker from Bayview, Idaho who does excellent work at very reasonable prices. His name is Clay Ensley. Along with his wife Shelley, he operates C&S Saddlery. Clay has 30 years of experience as a commercial leatherworker. In addition to custom-order saddles, his main line is traditional Old West style revolver holsters, gun belts, chinks, and cuffs. He also makes tooled smart phone cases, semi-auto pistol holsters, and pistol magazine pouches. For instance, he made me a nifty 3-magazine Glock 21 magazine pouch that is about the same size as the Classic Milt Sparks Six Pack.

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Anyone looking for pack saddles should visit Packsaddleshop.com. They are located in Moscow, Idaho.  Oh, and don’t miss their useful Horse Packing Tips web pages.

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Many horsemen in eastern Idaho have heard of Cary Schwarz. His shop is near Salmon, Idaho.

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Cougars killed two dogs in Idaho this month. Officials think their numbers are growing.

 

Montana (Saddlemakers in the American Redoubt)

Witt’s Custom Saddlery in Laurel, Montana is a well-established shop with loyal clientele.

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For folks in southwestern Montana, be sure to visit Freckler’s Saddlery. They are located in Dillon.

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I noticed that SurplusAmmo.com (in Victor, Montana) still has a good supply of AR-15 MagPul PMAGs available, at quite reasonable prices. I recommend that you buy yourself a stack of them before the next ban!  The store also sells a variety of gun parts (mostly AR), including lower receivers with their own SAA brand name. And they sell SOTA billet AR lowers for as low as $44.99 each.

 

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