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.

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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.

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.

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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

o  o  o

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.

o  o  o

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

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The great merit of gold is precisely that it is scarce; that its quantity is limited by nature; that it is costly to discover, to mine, and to process; and that it cannot be created by political fiat or caprice.” – Henry Hazlitt

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 10, 2025

On April 10, 1841, the New York Tribune began publishing under editor Horace Greeley.

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April 10, 1827 was the birthday of General Lew Wallace. He wrote books (author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ), sculpted, practiced law, painted, played the violin and made them as well. In the “Battle of Monocacy” he fought alongside 8,000 Union troops against 15,000 Confederates. He was second in command of the Lincoln conspiracy trial as well as principal in the trial of the Commander of Andersonville prison where prisoners had been starved to death. He was U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. And he served as the Territorial Governor of New Mexico. William Bonney (“Billy the Kid”) surrendered to him.

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April 10th, 1796 The birthday of James Jim Bowie (died March 6th, 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo.)

—

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 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

Paraffin Lamps

Halfway between a candle and an oil lamp are paraffin lamps. They’re similar to oil lamps and burn the same fuel but they come in a small jar with a wick. They’re essentially a small oil lamp that burns more like a candle. I thought it would be interesting to test one but by the time I finished with the candle portion of my tests, there was no doubt in my mind these paraffin lamps with their small wicks and long burn times (one claimed 115 hours) wouldn’t be much better than candles. There’s only X amount of light energy per ounce of paraffin or oil no matter what form it’s in so a 115-hour burn time would have a mighty small flame. Online reviews confirm that the flame is tiny and they don’t burn anywhere near that long.

SECOND OPTION: OIL LAMPS

Kerosene and lamp oil (aka paraffin oil) are related petroleum products with kerosene being less refined. Kerosene also burns brighter than lamp oil.

JWR Adds: Many people who can tolerate the smell of lamp oil cannot tolerate the smell of kerosene.  Check on this with your family members before you stock up on lamp fuel in quantity.

In my trials, I quickly learned that kerosene is not a healthy option for indoor use. I started the kerosene hurricane lamp test in the house. Within a few minutes I decided it was a mistake so I took it outside. It cast a large shadow underneath and produced just enough light to illuminate the pathway. In my shop, there was only enough light for low-light work like sharpening a hoe or sanding a board where feel is as important as sight. The light from a kerosene lamp with an average ¾” wick is too dim with large shadows for any moderately precision work like using a drill press. Kerosene is less expensive than lamp oil so probably makes a good choice for nighttime outdoor activities like checking out that racket coming from the chicken coop, but it is not a good choice for the house or closed shop.Continue reading“Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is 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. In today’s column, a further examination of A.I.’s ramifications.

Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence?

A CalTech Science Exchange article: Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence?  Here is an excerpt:

“When people think about the dangers of AI, they often think of Skynet, the fictional, sentient, humanity-destroying AI in the Terminator movies. In this imagined scenario, an AI system grows beyond human ability to control it and develops new capabilities that were not programmed at the outset. The term “singularity” is sometimes used to describe this situation.

Experts continue to debate when—and whether—this is likely to occur and the scope of resources that should be directed to addressing it. University of Oxford professor Nick Bostrom notably predicts that AI will become superintelligent and overtake humanity. Caltech AI and social sciences researchers are less convinced.”

A Bird Flu Update

An update at the CDC website: H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation. An excerpt:

“Detections in Animals

    • 12,702 wild birds detected as of 3/25/2025 | Full Report
    • 51 jurisdictions with bird flu in wild birds
    • 168,256,678 poultry affected as of 4/7/2025 | Full Report
    • 51 jurisdictions with outbreaks in poultry
    • 998 dairy herds affected as of 4/3/2025 | Full Report
    • 17 states with outbreaks in dairy cows”

China Cuts Off Rare Earth Mineral Exports to U.S.

SurvivalBlog reader H.L. sent this: China Cuts Off Rare Earth Mineral Exports to U.S. in Trade War with Trump.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 9, 2025

On April 9, 1768, John Hancock refused to allow two British customs agents to go below the deck of his ship. This was considered the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies.

—

April 9, 1869: The Hudson Bay Company ceded its territory to the Commonwealth of Canada.

—

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 1, by St. Funogas

Author’s Introductory Disclaimer: I have no association with or receive any benefit from any of the companies whose products are mentioned in this article. They’re used for examples only, I haven’t used some of them, I’m not making recommendations, and the reader is advised to do their own research before making any purchases.

This is the first article of a planned series, discussing the various options for lighting our homesteads in a permanent grid-down world.

Some of us have been in a multi-day grid-down situation at least once in our lives. For some, it is an inconvenience, for others an adventure. We get out the flashlights, candles, or oil lamps and we wait anxiously for the power to come back on.

Whatever form of backup lighting we currently have for a temporary blackout is probably good enough for the short term. If not, a quick trip to Walmart this weekend can get us all the preps we need to make it through a four-day ice storm or hurricane.Continue reading“Post-SHTF Lighting – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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A case analysis from “Armed Scholar” Anthony Miranda: Breaking! Supreme Court Decision Strikes Down Machine Gun Possession Law & Charges! DOJ Responds! JWR’s Comments: I am praying that there is a Circuit Split on this issue, so that the Supreme Court will feel obliged to settle this decisively, in light of the Bruen decision!

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Rains add to misery in quake-hit Myanmar as death toll rises to 3,471.

o  o  o

At Townhall: Why National Concealed Carry Reciprocity will make Americans safer.

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The State of Texas has announced an Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday, from April 26 to 28, 2025.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”