The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” – 1 Corinthians 11:30-32 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – January 12, 2019

On January 12, 1888, the “Schoolchildren’s Blizzard” killed 235 people, many of whom were children on their way home from school, across the Northwest Plains region of the United States. The storm came with no warning and some accounts say that the temperature fell nearly 100 degrees in just 24 hours. There were many instances of teachers keeping or rescuing children who would have been caught in the storm while walking home.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This features another entry for Round 80 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 80 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.

“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 4, by Old Bobbert

Inclusiveness in our prepper world of “after the SHTF event” is that element wherein everyone who will be involved in an activity, regardless of the nature of the activity, will be involved in the creation of the plan. This way they can thereby be more fully committed to the plans’ success.

We are currently in the midst of looking at itemized “inclusive” strategic planning considerations to apply in an event situation. Ten points have been covered so far.

11. Applied Knowledge

We have often heard that ”knowledge has value”, or “knowledge is power.” While these simple and well-worn sayings do sound right, they are both actually very incomplete.

Only “applied knowledge” has value or is power. While unused knowledge does have value potential, until it is used it is without value. Application is the path to the value of our knowledge. Knowledge never loses its potential value. Sadly, idle knowledge is always totally useless.

A Little Knowledge Can Carry You A Long Way

Even a little knowledge can carry you a long way in the right direction. Additionally, a little knowledge will soon attract more knowledge and others to further your efforts and to help you gain additional skills and abilities. Knowledge seeks community and enlargement. That’s the best part.

Today’s Customer May Be “Provisional” Group Member Tomorrow

Today’s customer, worker, or student may be a new “provisional” group member tomorrow. In our previous example of providing a barter arrangement for reloading primers and services, your customer or student will go home enlightened and/or very happy with 250-275 shiny reloads. We, who provided the reloading services, will therein be able to supply our group with additional 25-50 finished rounds of ammo from every sale and possibly build up a silver coin nest egg for future growth needs. Ammo will always be used as money. In the event that we may need to enlarge our site defense force, our ammo customers may well want to help protect our business, which is their ammo source. Some of us still follow old time thinking and may well live to regret it.

Continue reading““Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 4, by Old Bobbert”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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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

Winter finally arrived in earnest here, with night-time snowfalls of 10″, 4″, and 5″, spaced a few days apart. Thankfully, we can reliably get one radio station during daylight hours in our valley, so I had something to listen to, whilst plowing.

There was a respite in the weather on Thursday and Friday, but there is more snow in the forecast. Just another slice of life at the ranch.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

On Thursday, we as a family sat together opening up the many envelopes that came through Snail Mail that we received for the Ten Cent Challenge.  Many of you readers wrote to us how the Blog has blessed you and has helped you on your Prepping Journey and told us about your lives.  We took turns reading the notes of encouragement aloud to each other.  It was a real pleasure to get to know you. We very much wish we could meet you all, shake your hands and give you all hugs.  We thank you all for your prayers and support of SurvivalBlog.  May the Lord Bless you all.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

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”. Here it comes… The Second Amendment is now under major anti-gun assault from the Democrats.

Stocking Up

Palmetto State Armory–one of our Affiliate advertisers–is having a special $39.99 special on their PSA AR-15 “Stealth” Stripped Lower Receivers. If you have an FFL or a local friend with one, then stock up! I recently bought more than a dozen of these as gifts for my grandkids. If there is Federal ban legislation passed in the now Democrat-ruled House of Representatives, even if it doesn’t pass in the Senate, I expect to see stripped AR-15 lowers jump back up to $200 apiece.

Financial Assault on 2A

Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large pointed out that that crazy person Maxine Waters will now head the House Financial Services Committee. You can expect more attacks on gun owners along the lines of “Operation Choke Point” where financial entities are pressured to drop firearms related businesses despite the legality of the business.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” – Exodus 10:1-2 (NASB)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – January 11, 2019

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Today is the natal day if the late Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby, who was born in 1918. He was the most decorated hero of the Norwegian resistance under the German occupation. He died May 10, 2012.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This features another entry for Round 80 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 80 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.

“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 3, by Old Bobbert

Inclusiveness in our prepper world of “after the SHTF event” is that element wherein everyone who will be involved in an activity, regardless of the nature of the activity, will be involved in the creation of the plan. This way they can thereby be more fully committed to the plans’ success.

We are currently in the midst of looking at itemized “inclusive” strategic planning considerations to apply in an event situation. Five points have been covered so far.

6. Keep a Daily Journal and Hold Bible Study Classes

Many of the “old” maxims we often follow blindly have lived long past their timelines. They have been overcome by the digital age devices. Carefully throw them away and begin the new-post event life as a well read and well educated person/group leader in the realities of our new survivalist world. Keep a daily journal of activities and conversations. I’ll say it again; keep a daily journal, and read your personal history therein often. Hindsight is always 20-20. Move your hindsight forward to the days you are living in, and apply your knowledge today.

Bible Study Lead

It will be very wise to have a willing and learned group member who is willing to accept the responsibility of being the group specialist on Bible study classes and to gently lead volunteer prayer groups and perhaps be the unit chaplain.

No Denominational Distinctions

Denominational distinctions should, in a post-event scenario, be an unwanted aspect of the old life of contentions and anger. We’d do well to leave them behind with the other trash of the past. Everyone will feel that their personal religious beliefs are respected as a believer and denominational distinctions won’t be not put into competition with a general belief that there is a God of goodness and that the ten commandments actually do fit into every belief system. Goodness fits everyone very nicely and smells just fine, period!

Continue reading““Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 3, by Old Bobbert”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

13

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 Sears bankruptcy. (See the Stocks  section.)

Precious Metals:

Investors Should Pay Attention To Silver Momentum – Analysts

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BMO: Palladium Prices Still Soaring; Substitution Risk High

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Blackrock Says Gold Price Will Be A “Valuable Portfolio Hedge” In 2019

 

Global Economy & Finance:

Germany Heads for a Technical Recession

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At Wolf Street: Brexit Moment in 80 Days, No One Knows What’ll Happen, London’s Finance Industry on Tenterhooks

 

Stocks (Sears Bankruptcy):

Sears plans to liquidate after 126 years in business

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Sears is in trouble: What shoppers should do now with the bankruptcy filing

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A Sears liquidation could create some winners and over 100,000 losers

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Tying American Stocks to the Rest of the World

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LG Electronics sees 80 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit; analysts point to thinning TV margins

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – January 10, 2019

January 10th, 1776 is the day that North Carolina Governor, Josiah Martin issued a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the “rebels”. This ultimately led to Colonel Donald McLeod leading the men on an assault on the Patriots that ended with fifty of his men dead and 880 captured. The Patriots lost only two of their number.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This features another entry for Round 80 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 80 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.

“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 2, by Old Bobbert

We have defined “inclusiveness” and the application for it in our prepping communities and especially in an event (SHTF situation). Now, we’ve just begun to discuss the planning process. Let’s continue to dig further into this meat of the article.

Successful Strategic Planning

Above all else, a successful plan needs to be carefully written and will always require a knowledgeable and fully committed buy-in on the parts of every participant, both operators and support. Every operation participant needs a written and accurate plan contents page(s) concerning their individual specific participation. Additionally, every operation participant needs to be thoroughly familiar with the responsibilities of every team member.

This is a serious part of inclusiveness. Inclusiveness must be valued as a necessary item in every part of planning activities in both defense and offense operations. This applie to everyone, every time, everywhere, and for every activity.

Let’s run through the numbers and learn together.

1. Concerned With Knowledge and Current Information

Sound planning will be very concerned with task knowledge and current information as to communications, medical needs, command, and leadership. It will be very important to carefully select team members whose task ability is the best available be put in charge of his/her particular specialty. The task specialist should be in command of, and responsibility for, that specific task activity. This tasking leadership change has been proven in modern combat special operations in recent years and is known to be successful in many different areas and efforts. It works!

Continue reading““Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 2, by Old Bobbert”

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”. Wait till you see the full color night vision examples in today’s lead article.

Full Color Night Vision

Reader G.P. sent in this interesting article on the next generation of night vision. While previous nigh vision generations have focused on gaining a better, higher resolution picture, they are still monochrome. Green is typically the color shade of choice simply because our eyes are more sensitive to green light and it gives us a better capability of picking out details. However, full color gives us the same capability as we have during the day. Your eyes will be able to pick out threats at night just as well as they do in the daytime. In effect, the only limitation at that point would be the narrowed field of vision night vision devices introduce. While it is likely that the military will get it first, it will eventually make it to the civilian market.

Breaking YouTube

Paul Joseph Watson has laid out how YouTube (the second biggest search engine on the Internet after Google) has been altering its search engine algorithm based on the insistence of social justice warriors and left wing lobbying campaigns to bury, block and ban videos that they find to be undesirable or negative toward their political agenda. When you perform a search for any new worth item, you are met with a wall of main stream media videos despite the fact that individual YouTubers almost always have better, less biased coverage of those events. Some are certainly more popular to watch, but unless you are purposefully subscribe to their channels, you will not see their videos returned in the search results.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Hope is necessary in every condition. The miseries of poverty, of sickness, or captivity, would, without this comfort, be insupportable; nor does it appear that the happiest lot of terrestrial existence can set us above the want of this general blessing; or that life, when the gifts of nature and of fortune are accumulated upon it, would not still be wretched, were it not elevated and delighted by the expectation of some new possession, of some enjoyment yet behind, by which the wish shall at last be satisfied, and the heart filled up to its utmost extent.” – Samuel Johnson

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – January 09, 2019

3

On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Although little used today, pamphlets were an important medium for the spread of ideas in the 16th through 19th centuries.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This features another entry for Round 80 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 80 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.