Cape Town, South Africa- TEOTWAWKI, by Greg

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It was a sunny Friday afternoon with a still wind when the end of the world as we know it happened. No, there was no nuclear explosion overhead, no EMP, no invasion from Russia, and no alien landing.

A Disaster in the Making

Mother nature provided the scene for this disaster. Cape Town South Africa is a place of beauty and home to one of the seven natural wonders of the world– the cape floral kingdom. It’s known as a peaceful holiday town and popular venue for film stars and the rich and famous alike. Who would have suspected that there was a disaster in the making?

A Unique Climate Zone

The Western Cape of South Africa is in a unique climatic zone. we receive winter rainfall similar to the Mediterranean countries. Rainfall is abundant in the winter, and lakes and dams are full by spring. Water supply is always plentiful, and summers are spent enjoying various water sports and barbecues over the weekend.

Disaster Strikes

During the winter of 2016, El Niño built in the southern oceans, rainfall was a little less than normal, and dam levels dropped to uncomfortable levels. Nobody paid attention to this, and the political situation in South Africa continued its steady decline into a banana republic. At that time, Cape Town, with its provincial government being the only honest well-run local government, was doing a good job of maintaining services, keeping business going, and stimulating job creation.

All the things Cape Town was doing were good in a normal working economy. Unfortunately, South Africa is not a normal economy. The rampant corruption, with the State capture and looting of the fiscus, had led to most provinces being bankrupt and services falling apart.

Continue reading“Cape Town, South Africa- TEOTWAWKI, by Greg”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on the bearish stock market. (See the Stocks section.)

 

Precious Metals:

This week was a short holiday week of trading on the Comex.  By the Tuesday close, spot gold was up 0.37%, while silver was essentially flat.

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This Miner Switched From Gold To Battery Metals, Here’s Why

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Metals Focus: Record Palladium Prices Won’t Lead To Supply Surge

 

Economy & Finance:

Mortgage rates slide the fastest in four years, but it may be too late for the housing market

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Video: China’s Bike-Sharing Disaster

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – November 22, 2018

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Today is remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, the Stoner 63, and several other firearms. (The AR-10 was the basis of the AR-15 which in turn spawned the very widely used M16 and all of its variants including the M4 Carbine). It has been estimated that as many as 3.7 million rifles from the AR-15 family are owned by civilians in the United States, and military production M16 variants well exceeds 8 million rifles.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 79 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. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, 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).

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 79 ends on November 30th, 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.

Beware the PAN!, by D.D. in Virginia

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A PAN can be a co-worker, a friend, a family member, or someone you just met. They are not distinguishable by age, gender, race, or religion. In our current reality, interactions with a PAN can be mildly frustrating, or at worst, extremely annoying. However, during a SHTF situation, a PAN could be the prime threat to you and the lives of everyone in your survival group.

Passive-Aggressive Narcissists

What is a PAN? Experts in the field of psychology have named them “passive-aggressive narcissists” (PANs). We, the regular folks, use nomenclature that is more recognizable. We call them “know-it-alls”.

Seemingly No Subject Can Confound Them

We are all familiar with this person. Politics, religion, marriage, automobiles, economics, geopolitical affairs, firearms, horticulture, nutrition, and higher education are just a small sample of the topics that fall within their self-professed wheelhouse. From astrophysics to zebra mating habits, there is seemingly no subject that can confound them, or so they would have you believe.

Attempts To Avoid Them Prove Futile

You try to avoid them at work, at school, or at the range, but those attempts usually prove futile. They appear like a black hole in Aisle 9 of the hardware store or near the buffet table at a church picnic, waiting to suck you over the edge of their event horizon.

What was supposed to be a quick trip for a paintbrush or a dash for more potato salad has just gone terribly wrong. Your polite nature has left you exposed. Three hours later, with drool dripping from your chin and a twitch developing under your right eye, you now know the entire history of the wood screw, the migration patterns of the red-breasted warbler, and how #2 pencils are made.

Continue reading“Beware the PAN!, by D.D. in Virginia”

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”. JWR discovers a great sale from Palmetto State Armory on their Black Friday list. You might want to get in on this one given the current political atmosphere in congress.

Your CPAP is a Spy

Reader DSV sent in this article. Driven mostly by Insurance mandates, your CPAP machine is spying on you and reporting to the manufacturer. I can kind of understand the Insurance rules I guess. Many people who are prescribed a CPAP can’t get used to wearing the device for a number of reasons and it gets relegated to the closet. Insurance companies are now mandating that patient rent the machine for the first few months and only when the machine verifies that they are using it will the company pay for it. The problem comes in how that data is collected. Rather than have your doctor verify usage, the machine reports to the manufacturer who then shares that data with your doctor, the insurance company and often marketing companies since you have to have supplies for it.

It’s not a comforting thought as I believe the only one that should have that data is you and your doctor. I have a CPAP and had these same rules applied. Once the compliance was certified, I yanked the reporting module from the machine. Sadly, some newer machines can’t be disabled like that. Actually, once you understand how they work, you can manage your own CPAP very effectively. I recommend The Apnea Board for programming manuals and help with your machine.

Light without Power

Reader G.S. sent in this article on 11 ways to light your home when the power goes out. There are no astounding insights in this article and all of these methods are most likely familiar to most of our readers, but it’s a good primer for beginners. They pretty much cover everything from flashlights to glow sticks. Some methods are more useful than others and the intended use is also important. Having light to read by is different that having enough light to not bump into furniture in the darkness.

Personally, I value kerosene/oil lamps (and propane lamps) near the bottom of the list. They put out plenty of light, but the hassle of using them just isn’t worth it for me. I tend to favor LED flashlights and area lamps with rechargeable batteries. I’ve never been caught without a flashlight because I think we literally have a hundred of them in one form or another around here, but in a pinch Mrs. Latimer’s solar garden lamps would be enough for just about anything except reading.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – November 21, 2018

On November 21, 1916, Britannic, the sister ship to the Titanic, sank in the Aegean Sea, killing 30 people. In the wake of the Titanic disaster, the White Star line had made significant modifications to the design of the ship, but on its way to pick up wounded soldiers near the Gulf of Athens, it was rocked by an explosion causing even more damage than that which had sunk the Titanic. Many of the dead were from some of the crew who attempted to launch life boats while the Captain tried to run the ship aground. The life boats were sucked up into the propellers, killing all of those on board. The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but many suspect it hit a mine.

Lex Mala, Lex Nulla and Some Drama

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The new crop of congresscritters of the 116th Congress will be seated on January 3, 2019. The Democrat Party has regained its majority, and now we can only look on with dread anticipation at their follies. Be forewarned: The whole concept of their being our elected representatives and actually harkening to the will of the electorate is something that seems quite foreign and antique to them. They no longer make even the pretense of genuine representation. They are headed to DC with an agenda. Their stated plan to topple Nancy Pelosi from her Speaker of the House position is indicative of their fervor. This, before they’ve even been through their freshman orientation! Clearly, the statists want to pass a lot of bad laws, and they will do anything and everything in their power to make that happen. If they have to cheat, lie, wheedle, posture, pontificate, cajole, prevaricate, threaten, bribe, or blackmail their peers to make it so, then surely they will. That is how 21st Century Democrats and their RINO Fifth Columnist pals operate.

We must face the sad fact that the U.S.House of Representatives once again has a Democrat majority. In addition to a long parade of contrived congressional investigations of the Trump administration, the Democrats are planning to ramrod numerous pieces of civilian disarmament legislation through committee to the House floor. They’ll start by reviving moribund pieces of legislation that had previously died in committee. Even Dianne Feinstein’s proposed “Assault Weapons” ban will probably come up for a floor vote. (Believe me: The only “assault” going on will be a an assault on our individual liberty!)

A word of warning: If they cannot pass these laws individually, then they will bundle them up into omnibus legislation packages, hoping to get them enacted by default or by inattention. Under the guise of “common sense gun control laws”, they will attempt to remove an entire class of firearms from production or importation for civilian ownership. I also expect them to bundle a national “Red Flag” gun seizure (aka Extreme Risk Protection Order) bill into an omnibus “gun control” legislation package.

Continue reading“Lex Mala, Lex Nulla and Some Drama”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on sources for antique radios. (See the Tangibles Investing section.

Precious Metals:

Precious metals, stocks, and cryptos were ALL down today.  Apparently the institutional investors are all running for the exit doors.  Cash is presently king.

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Trade War Concerns And Higher Interest Rates Dominate Market Sentiment

 

Stocks & Bonds:

Another ugly day on Wall Street! At today’s close, the DJIA was at 24,465.64 This down -551.80 points or 2.21% for the day.  Ouch! Meanwhile, the S&P 500 dropped 49 points, closing at 2,642. That was 1.8% loss for the day.  This is becoming a fear-driven market. Beware!

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Tech’s ‘FAANG’ stocks have lost more than $1 trillion and counting from highs amid tech rout

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on URGI rifles. (See both the Instructional Videos section and the Gear section.)

Books:

Gunsmithing the AR-15, The Bench Manual

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Gunsmithing (Stackpole Classic Gun Books).  A reprint of the classic Roy Dunlap book.

 

 

Instructional Videos (URGI Rifles):

This new video by Garand Thumb is interesting: Geissele URGI: The New Army Special Forces Rifle.

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Hickok45: How NOT To Carry a Colt Single Action Army

 

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“How divinely full of glory and pleasure shall that hour be when all the millions of mankind that have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God shall meet together and stand around Him, with every tongue and every heart full of joy and praise! How astonishing will be the glory and the joy of that day when all the saints shall join together in one common song of gratitude and love, and of everlasting thankfulness to this Redeemer! With that unknown delight, and inexpressible satisfaction, shall all that are saved from the ruins of sin and hell address the Lamb that was slain, and rejoice in His presence!” – Isaac Watts

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – November 20, 2018

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On November 20th, 1945, the Nuremberg Trials began, placing 24 high-ranking Nazis on trial for atrocities committed during World War II. The trials lasted 10 months and 12 were condemned to death with one committing suicide in prison. The trials of lesser war criminals continued in the 1950s and resulted in the conviction of 5,025 other defendants and 806 executions.

Black Friday (and Pre-Black Friday) Sales Have Begun!

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SurvivalBlog Advertisers

These SurvivalBlog advertisers have already started their pre-Black Friday sales and you can pick up some great deals on their products. Avoid the crowds and get a head start on your Christmas and Hanukkah shopping. Check these deals out!

JRH Enterprises

JRH Enterprises has already started their holiday week/Black Friday sales with huge savings on things like brand new ACH ballistic helmets with NV mount (over $200 off!) and Photonis PVS14 ECHO SPEC White Phosphor night vision devices as low as $2,799, with 10 year warranty included. Make sure you get on the e-mail list to get updates on more sales!

Ready Made Resources

Ready Made Resources has several specials on Night Vision Devices gear. Note that Ready Made Resources also offers financing to those who need it.

Their premium white phosphor unit is only $2,798. This unit has the Photonis 4G “Onyx” P-45 spec tube and comes with a manufacturer’s warranty of either 5 or 10 years (your choice). This is Night Vision Devices’ most advanced monocular.

Their premium green phosphor unit is only $2,999 and comes with a free bump helmet. This device is autogated and has it’s own kit which includes a soft case, head mount, head mount adapter, operator’s manual and several other necessities. This unit is powered by one AA battery for 40 to 50 hours of operation.

For those who want the full binocular night vision experience, the Photonis PVS Echo Onyx-45 tube binocular is only $6,999. The tubes are hand selected for the best match and come with up to a 10 year manufacturer’s warranty.

Valley Food Storage

Valley Food Storage is offering a 15% discount off of your entire order at checkout. For those hard core survivalists, they have proteins like freeze dried Meat or their meat and cheese bucket. You can use their freeze dried Chicken A La King, Fettuccini Alfredo, or even their Enchilada Beans and Rice for the main course. My personal favorite is their Mac and Cheese as a side dish. And, of course, don’t forget about your vegtables like their freeze dried broccoli and their dried sweet corn.

Use the code “HOLIDAY15” at checkout to get the 15% off.

Repackbox

Repackbox has some great specials for those who reload or who want to properly store ammo that they buy in bulk. If you buy five 30-box kits (any caliber) you get two more 30-box kits for free (any caliber). That equals a 40% off discount. Use the code “BLACK FRIDAY” at checkout to get the discount. You’ll put seven in your cart and will only be charged for five.

Continue reading“Black Friday (and Pre-Black Friday) Sales Have Begun!”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on Pocket NC, a small, innovative company in Bozeman, Montana.

 

Region-Wide

Here is a must-watch video to send to any of your conservative friends who feel the need to get out of the liberal coastal states, but can’t decide where to go: What is the American Redoubt?

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On Yellowstone Grizzly Hunting, Politics and Making Sure to Use Enough Gun

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Over at The Inlander tabloid’s web site: Growing Communities: Where the next booms are about to blow up, plus housing and transportation in 2018

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At another quaint little leftist tabloid: Montana Grizzly Bears Roaming Far Afield: Grizzlies from the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk ranges spotted in Washington and Idaho.

 

Idaho

Idahoans have cheapest average utility bill in U.S.. JWR’s Comment: Thanks to abundant hydroelectric power, the other American Redoubt states have rates that are nearly as low.

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Idaho transportation workers find two explosives under bridge

 

Montana (Pocket NC)

Pocket NC is a small company in Bozeman, Montana that has been getting some press. Leveraging off of developments in 3D printing, they’ve developed a five-axis desktop milling machine that allows amazing milling flexibility without the traditional shifting of a workpiece. From their web site: “Upon launch of the campaign, the $70,000 goal was met within the first hour and was sold out within the first week raising a total of $355,000 from 280 backers making it the most successful Kickstarter campaign in Montana history. ”

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Montana Hunter Attacked by Bear Northwest of Columbia Falls

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”