Makers and Riders Pants, by Thomas Christianson

Two friends and I each recently had the opportunity to test several pair of Makers and Riders Pants. We each tested their “Traveler” softshell jeans and their 3 season “Dispatch Rider” jeans.

We found the Traveler jeans to be extremely comfortable for everyday wear during cool weather. They cost $109 at the time of this writing at www.makersandriders.com .

The Dispatch Rider jeans were outstanding for everyday and field wear during cold weather. They are water resistant and fleece lined. They cost $118 at the time of this writing.

The owner of Makers and Riders got caught up in supply chain issues during Covid. He got so burned out by the stresses involved that he turned his attention to other pursuits. Now he is in the process of liquidating his remaining inventory. So if you are interested in the pants after reading this review, don’t wait too long. Whatever is still available today may be gone tomorrow.Continue reading“Makers and Riders Pants, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Pioneer Skillet Cornbread is from SurvivalBlog reader J.A.. This is intended to be baked in an oven in a cast iron skillet, but you could substitute an uncovered cast iron Dutch Oven.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 1/2 cups cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 2 1/4 cups milk
  • 6 Tablespoons melted shortening (or bacon grease) for the batter
  • 2 Tablespoons hot shortening (or bacon grease) in your skillet.
Directions
  1. Set your oven to 450 F.
  2. Heat a cast iron skillet in the oven with the shortening or bacon grease while mixing the batter.
  3. While the cast iron skillet heats, combine the flour mixture, wet ingredients, and grease from the pan and mix well.
  4. Pour batter into a sizzling hot skillet with the grease in it, and then bake for 25 minutes at 450 degrees.
Chef’s Notes

The key to a delightful crust on the cornbread is to have the skillet and grease hot before pouring the batter in.

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Do you have a well-tested 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 recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic:  Map Showing the Generations of Currently-Seated State Governors in the U.S. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

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Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Speculative markets have always been vulnerable to illusion. But seeing the folly in markets provides no clear advantage in forecasting outcomes, because changes in the force of the illusion are difficult to predict.” – Robert J. Shiller

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 13, 2025

On April 13, 1520 Raphael‘s final influential masterpiece “The Transfiguration” was put on display just a week after the artist’s death.

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April 13, 1743 was the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. (He died on July 4, 1826 just a few hours before the death of John Adams.)

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

The Repair Teardown – Part 2, by R.T.

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

A factor that makes it difficult for the average homeowner to do their own repair jobs is that some manufacturers design their products to be serviced solely by them and not by you. Something to look for in a product before you buy it would be to find out how easy it is to repair. Product reviews are a way of doing that. A very helpful piece of information when viewing a product’s reviews is to look for a notice on the frequency of returns; this can be a more accurate indicator of the value of the item than the customer reviews are. Before I accept a rating of a product by a magazine that does such research into consumer products I check the criteria by which they rate it. Sometimes their criteria reflect a political perspective which can skew their rating.

How about asking an online forum on how to do a repair job? Occasionally I’ve gotten some very good help there, but those forums seem to attract more wannabee comedians than experts. There are endless online videos of stupid household and automotive repair jobs and repair hacks, all of which I consider to be in the category of entertainment and not to be taken seriously. Hacks are not reliable fixes, it is a “kick the can down the road” approach that is a delay that might end up costing more later.

Back when cars had carburetors and sticky bowl floats I used to ride to work with a guy who always had a ball-peen hammer under the front seat so that when the float stuck he’d jump out of the car, usually when we were at a stoplight, to tap the bowl to unstick the float. That was not an ideal “getaway” car!Continue reading“The Repair Teardown – Part 2, by R.T.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

A Simple Question For Pam “D.O.J. Barbie” Bondi:

So, Where Are All The Epstein Files That You Said Were “Sitting On My Desk, For Review” Back On February 21st, 2025?

News Link:  Bondi says Epstein client list ‘sitting on my desk’ for review.

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.” –  Mark 10:1-12 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 12, 2025

April 12, 1893:  “Massacre of Hoornkrans”: Curt von François (pictured), colonial Governor of German South West Africa (now Nambia), led an attack by 225 Schutztruppe soldiers on Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi’s headquarters at Hoornkrans. The shelling of the village caused tremendous civilian casualties. Witbooi escaped and waged several months of guerrilla warfare against the German forces.

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

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

 

The Repair Teardown – Part 1, by R.T.

My dad lived through the Great Depression on a farm in the western plains of Minnesota. When there was a breakdown of the machinery there was no thought of ordering a replacement from the Sears & Roebuck catalog as they needed it “right now” and not in 4-to-8 months. Their only options were; go to town to the hardware store, or the blacksmith shop, or fix it themselves. I was born and grew up in the city after they sold the farm, but he never abandoned his frugal handyman ways, which I inherited. Although I did not think it was unusual that he would spend an afternoon pulling nails from old boards to save them, it did get my attention.

Many Saturday afternoons my dad spent underneath the old Hudson or Chevy wrapping tin cans around the muffler with baling wire. Repair, restore, and buy used. It worked for my dad and it works for me.
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men, couldn’t put Humpty together again.“Continue reading“The Repair Teardown – Part 1, by R.T.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

It was a fairly quiet week here at the Rawles Ranch. Beginning on Monday, we’ve had some rain showers. Our pastures are greening up, and the ones near the river are under more than a foot of water.  (The Unnamed River comes out of its banks nearly every spring snowmelt season.)

I slaughtered and butchered a “spare” three-year-old ram, for mutton. He was a big boy, weighing perhaps 220 pounds. Lily helped with the butchering. That yielded about 70 pounds of usable meat and fat for tallow.  The choice cuts of meat were set aside for human consumption. But more than half is in “Dog”-designated one-gallon freezer bags.

We also had a bull calf born to our senior cow, this week. Lily will fill you in on that, in her part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.

The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name:

That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.” – Amos 5:1-9 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 11, 2025

On April 11, 1900, the first modern submarine designed and built by John Philip Holland, USS Holland was acquired by the U.S. Navy.

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Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC (11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was also a designer and inventor of firearms including the Webley-Fosbery revolver and the Paradox Gun.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 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 Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

THIRD OPTION: RECHARGEABLE LED LIGHTS

This section will be a very basic look at the broad topic of rechargeable lights. The bulk of the information and all of the many options will be presented in the next article of this series on post-SHTF lighting.

In order to use rechargeables for illumination after the SHTF three things are needed:
1. rechargeable lights
2. a charging device
3. a “plug-and-play” solar panel

1. Rechargeable lights

Rechargeable lights come in a wide variety of styles with options such as battery capacity, hi, medium, and low settings, dimmability, and quality of light among others. Some also have a USB port for charging cell phones or operating things that use a USB port. Cell phones won’t work in a TEOTWAWKI world for calling and texting but many other useful apps will. Some of them will make a post-SHTF life easier in many ways so overall a cellphone will be a useful tool. If turned on only when needed it would use very little electricity per week.Continue reading“Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

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. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today’s focus: Inflation or Deflation? (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

Sprott: Silver Price Dip: Temporary or a Major Trend? Is Gold Next as Tariffs Shake Markets?

o  o  o

Households urged to check jewelry insurance coverage after gold prices surge.

Economy & Finance:

From the WSJ: Americans Are Sitting on a Cash Pile as Stocks Reel.

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A lecture that provides some serious food for thought and grounds for further research: Exposing the Secret Financial Coup – Catherine Austin Fitts.

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Paul Joseph Watson: Something Strange Is Happening: The Truth About The Tariffs.

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At Whatfinger: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Just Warned China They’re Bluffing—and Holding a Losing Hand China threatened more tariffs after Trump hit back with his own. But Bessent says they’re playing poker with a pair of twos. JWR’s Comments: I must warn my readers: Pay attention to the markets, but watch with a jaundiced eye all of the flailings and histrionics of Jim Cramer and MSNBC’s flock of turkeys. And some of the conservative market pundits have their own biases. Regardless of the source, always consider whether “independent market analysis” might be politically driven or otherwise skewed.

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Over at Zero Hedge: Dismal, 3Y Auction Has 3rd Biggest Tail On Record, Only Covid, SVB Worse.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”