The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I anticipate with pleasing expectations that retreat in which I promise myself to realize, without alloy, the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow citizens, the benign influence of good laws under a free government, the ever favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors, and dangers.” – George Washington, from his farewell address, September 17th, 1796

CRKT Crossbones Folder, by Pat Cascio

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Under review is one of the newest folding knives from CRKT. It’s the Crossbones, and it is one dandy gentleman’s folder, too.

Folding Knives

Regular readers will know that I’m a fan of folding knives with a blade between 3.5” and 4”. For my personal taste, that 3.75” blade is about perfect for my daily chores. I like a stout folder, because I never know what kind of chores I might have to use a pocket knife on. However, I certainly do appreciate smaller folders for every day carry as well; they have lots of uses.

Designer Jeff Park in Hawaii

Jeff Park, who resides in Hawaii, is an up and coming knife designer and maker, and he learned quite a bit about designing and making knives from world famous Ken Onion, who also resides in Hawaii. In the past, I interviewed Onion for an article in a knife magazine, and we had a great visit. To be sure, Ken is one wild man to talk to. In any event, Jeff Park learned from one of the best in the business, if you ask me.

Continue reading“CRKT Crossbones Folder, by Pat Cascio”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest 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 JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on the 2o17 Stock Rally. (See the Stock Markets section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Pushes Toward $1,300; Can Rally Continue?

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All Bets On Silver In 2018 – Kitco’s Survey

Stock Markets (2017 Stock Rally):

Over at the CNBC Cheering Section: Strategist Jeff Saut: I’d expect 2018 to almost repeat 2017’s record stock rally. JWR’s Comment: The ongoing 2017 Stock Rally  (called The Icarus Rally, by some) is probably an aberration that won’t continue for all of 2018. If Saut’s prediction proves right, then I’ll eat my hat.  A Qualifier:  I always hedge, so I must clarify that the hat I just  mentioned is my smallest felt cap, so I guess I could cut it up into very small pieces…

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“They never fail who die
In a great cause: the block may soak their gore:
Their heads may sodden in the sun; their limbs
Be strung to city gates and castle walls—
But still their Spirit walks abroad. Though years
Elapse, and others share as dark a doom,
They but augment the deep and sweeping thoughts
Which overpower all others, and conduct
The world at last to Freedom.” – George Gordon, Lord Byron, Marino Faliero

Preparedness Notes for Sunday – December 31, 2017

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December 31st is the birthday of Dr. Cynthia Koelker, SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor. It is also the birthday of Frederick Selous (born 1851, died 4 January 1917.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 74 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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, and
  6. 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).

Round 74 ends on January 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.

The Measure of a Man, by J.H.

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Not too terribly long ago, I was at work and came across a young man. (The word “young” is used as a relative term. I am 37, and this young gentleman was approximately 20.) I work for the U.S. Army on a military installation in CONUS, and this young soldier out of uniform happened into my work area to ask me a question. And the manner in which he asked me the question made my blood boil. It wasn’t that he was disrespectful or rude. By those standards he was completely polite. But he looked at my feet and muttered, and then he repeated the process when I asked him what he said. Having noticed this trend among younger men of late, I couldn’t help but ask him, “Son, didn’t your father ever teach you look a man in the eye and speak up when you’re talking to him?”

Imagine my surprise when the young man literally turned red as a beet, raised his eyes to my chest, and said, “No, Sir, he didn’t.” I was floored. This wasn’t sarcasm or snark. This was legitimate ignorance. I softened my tone and explained the etiquette of the situation, and we moved on. But I began thinking; how many young men out there are not learning from their fathers what it means to be a man? I’m talking about the lessons that now seem obvious and like common sense for those of us fortunate to have been brought up in a world where conversations took place face-to-face and not over text message, but are becoming increasingly lost as our culture automates and emasculates itself.

Continue reading“The Measure of a Man, by J.H.”

Letter: Help with Livestock Dogs Viewed as Pets by the County

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Hello,

We moved to the American Redoubt, prompted by Gods providence and the knowledge we learned from your organization. Our ranch and homestead is rural, and we raise cattle/sheep/hogs/etc, but our most important livestock are our livestock guardian dogs.

We are surrounded on all sides by national forest and you can imagine what this means in regards to predators. Our dogs are the most integral and loved part of the ranch and what we do. They are well behaved, not aggressive and patrol our property how it comes naturally to them.

Neighbors

Recently we’ve ran into some issues with our neighbors (closest one living a mile away). On what was once a prolific ranching road, we are now the only ranchers/homesteaders on the road, despite the rural and out of city limits location. Our dogs have on occasion run alongside the road and across the road, as there is a coyote den on both sides of our driveway. These are on national forest land. This particular neighbor(s) has called the sheriff multiple times, even after often provoking the dogs by honking so that they’ll come to the road.

The sheriff has visited us several times and wrote us a citation for ‘dogs at large’. The folks complaining are willing to go to court apparently, however we have yet to navigate this process any further than the citation so that is yet to be seen. Historically livestock guardian dogs are classified as livestock, not pets. In an adjacent county, they acknowledge working dogs in their county ordinance. Our county has no classification or code for working dogs. We are on open range forestland and our dogs patrol our property through the natural geography and game trails.

Asking for Guidance

This is all to say, we could use some insight/guidance/etc on ways we could advocate for our dogs as predator control/working/livestock animals rather than pets that are ‘at large’. We’ve researched the law extensively and there are no specific ordinances in our state or our county, for or against working dogs that we know of, it’s a very gray area. At this point we are supposed go to court to contest the citation. The sheriffs deputy that came last night threatened that the courts can order the dogs put down for running at large (on our driveway, by the [county] road). But nowhere in the state code or statues does it say this, only that a fine will be assessed.

Please let me know if this is something you’d at all be able to give us guidance on. I really appreciate your help. – L.M.

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 “HJL”. Today features a couple of interesting articles on the AK-47 popularity.

Massive Protests in Iran

Citizens in the most destructive country in the Middle East have begun protesting in the thousands. Demonstrators in Iran took to the streets on Friday to protest rising prices and corruption in Iran’s Islamic government. The protests also included calls of “Death to the dictator”. The protesters are mostly comprised of adults under the age of 40. While starting over economic issues, the demonstrators quickly morphed into calls for freedom of political prisoners and an end to the clerical regime.

North Korea’s Unique AK

Reader JMC sent in a couple of videos that analyze North Korea’s weapons displayed by photos released from the regime. Of particular interest is the version of the AK shown in many photos with a tube underneath the rifle. Most media has tried to portray that as a large bore grenade launcher, but Max Headspace9mm shows where it is actually a helical-fed magazine similar to Calico’s. While an interesting choice for a military magazine, he points out how heavy it would be to carry and that unless shooting prone, there is no advantage to it at all.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.” – Luke 5:21-26 (KJV)

The Blizzard of 2003, By 97B40

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It was 2003 and we needed the moisture, so I was glad to learn that snow was in the weather forecast. Our part of the state got most of its precipitation in March and April, so I was optimistic. I should have been more precise about what I wished for. My wife had flown to Los Angles a couple of days before for business, and I looked forward to hiking or snowshoeing with our three dogs and relaxing.

Our Colorado Rocky Mountain Blizzard Story

On March 17th snow began falling in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. At 7,000 feet in the foothills, our house was predicted to receive eight to ten inches. The snow might be all we’d get that winter, so I was looking forward to it. I took our three dogs for a walk and watched them chasing each other through the evergreens.

After lunch, I noticed that the snow was coming down harder. Maybe I’d clear the driveway with the snow thrower to be on the safe side. The weather forecast remained the same. The walk-behind snow thrower made short work of our circular drive. One more pass just before dusk ought to take care of the rest. After lunch, I shoveled the walkway and noticed that the morning path I’d made in the drive was filling as snow kept falling.

Continue reading“The Blizzard of 2003, By 97B40”

The Editors’ Preps for the Week

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers,
Here in the northern portion of The American Redoubt, December started out dry and mild, but just at the solstice, winter arrived, in earnest. Since December 21st we’ve had about 40 inches of snow, and only one day above freezing. It looks like we are in for a hard winter.  The nearby lakes have now frozen over, so the Bald Eagles have shifted to fishing on The Unnamed River that transits the back end of the Rawles Ranch. We now see them daily.  Snow plowing with the pickup’s truck plow blade is a tiresome and time-consuming chore. But we realize that it is nothing compared to the alternative:  shoveling it all by hand. So we are thankful for God’s providence.

It is presently snowing heavily. We are expecting power outages in the next 24 hours. But we always stay ready for that. We are now in Shovel Mode. When we aren’t shoveling, we are inside staying warm near our wood stove. Winter is definitely here!

We are looking forward to reading comments from readers about your preps, this winter.  May you all have a peaceful and prosperous New Year, – Avalanche Lily Rawles

Continue reading“The Editors’ Preps for the Week”

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 “HJL”. The excessive SWAT team tactics have claimed yet another life. This time the only thing the swatting victim appears to have done to get shot is just answer the door.

The Last Combat Mission

Jerry Yellin, who flew the last combat mission of World War II, has died at age 93. In the days following the atomic raids on Japan, all aircraft flying combat missions over Japan were supposed to receive a coded signal to turn back to base if Japan surrendered. Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender as Lieutenant Yellen was leading his four-plane attack, but for some reason his planes did not receive the message. It was only after returning from the mission that he learned that the war had formally ended while he was on the mission. Thanks to reader T.P. for the link.

Bunkerville Standoff

“Our Judicial system failed these people and there has got to be accountability.” – Words from Constitutional sheriff Glenn Palmer this week on Facebook regarding the lies and manipulation during the Bundy trial. Sheriff Palmer was the one waiting for the convoy in John Day, Oregon when the feds, with the Oregon State Sheriffs support created an ambush “felony traffic stop” that ultimately killed LaVoy Finicum and injured Ryan Bundy on January 26th, 2016. Because of his stance against the unethical acts of law enforcement, he had taken considerable heat in his re-election bid last year, but won anyway. Thanks to D.S. for the article.

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