Preparedness Notes for Saturday – August 04, 2018

On august 4th, 1944, 15 year old Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family were captured by the Nazi Gestapo. The Franks had taken shelter is a small space in a sealed off area of an Amsterdam warehouse along with another Jewish family and a single Jewish man. They were aided by Christian friends who brought them food and supplies. Her diary survived the war, overlooked by the Gestapo, but Anne and nearly all of the others perished in the Nazi death camps.

Guest Post: Dehydrating Raspberries, by Patrice Lewis

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If there’s one dependable crop we get year after year, it’s raspberries.

 

Raspberries are Younger Daughter’s favorite fruit, and in years past picking them was more or less her province. In her absence this summer, the task has fallen to Don and me. And since it’s been blazing hot in the daytime and there are too many mosquitoes in the late evening when it’s cooler, I’ve been going out around 5:30 a.m. to pick berries.Continue reading“Guest Post: Dehydrating Raspberries, by Patrice Lewis”

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

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers:

We’ve had a very busy week at the Rawles Ranch. I did some more woodcutting and slash hauling. We also took a full day at mid-week to do some cattle hauling. Thankfully there was no obstinate livestock rodeo drama. No muss, no fuss.

I also continued my earthwork project.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

It has been very hot here in our part of the American Redoubt.  Thankfully this past week we had a small thundershower that drenched everything very nicely, at least for a day.  I like small thunderstorms with no to little lightening and lots of rain, because we don’t want them starting forest fires.

Our guests departed this week.  Before they left I took them site seeing and berry picking high up in our surrounding mountains.  We picked about three cups worth of Thimbleberries, some Huckleberries and over a gallon’s worth of Elderberry.  I have made jam with the Thimbles and the guests took the Hucks with them. I still have to process the Elderberries and freeze them.  I will make syrup with them at a later date.

In the garden and greenhouse, I have been harvesting seeds from the Kale I planted in the greenhouse last fall, and from volunteer Kale in the garden. I’m cutting the flowered seed fronds and put them loosely into open used grain sacks and put them in a safe dry area to finish drying.  Later, when they are dried,  I’ll beat them until they drop their seeds into the grain sack, then bag them up for next summer. There are so many seeds that I’ll have a great supply for both plants and sprouting.   It is very important to let a portion of your non-hybrid “greens” go to seed for subsequent years.

Also, the bed from where the kale was located will be turned over and more manure brought in and I’ll plant more seeds for the fall garden during this coming week.

I have harvested two small rows of yellow onions, and plan to harvest a few more rows and turn that area into some winter beds with hoops.  I will develop the plan and tell you more about it later.

May you all have a very blessed and productive week

Many Blessings to All, – Jim Rawles and Avalanche Lily, Rawles

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”. Check out Wranglerstar’s new firefighting tractor setup!

Firefighting Tractor

With this years fire season devastating much of the American west coast, this video from Wranglerstar comes in at a critical time. He has basically taken his fire-skid and strapped it down to the forklift attachment of his tractor, giving him the ability to put firefighting gear where it is needed quickly. While he spends time detailing the features of this particular rig, he also talks about fire evacuation orders. Many a home has been lost because of the lack of a man with a shovel. When the order to evacuate comes, you have to remember that even though it is “mandatory”, only you can really make that decision. If you have prepared your property in advance, all that may be necessary to save your home is the fast-attack capability of a shovel. This profiled kit is more advanced, placing a foam system with 150 gallons of water at your disposal. With something like this and proper planning, there is no reason to lose your home to fire. Thanks to T.J. for the link.

NRA in Trouble

According to this article sent in by reader KAA, the NRA is in financial trouble. The root problem is the pressure that is being placed on companies that do business with the NRA. Many insurance companies and financial institutions are refusing to do business with the organization due to the false claims by anti-gun stooges that the NRA is in the business of selling guns. This is governmental and corporate blackmail at it’s worst. The NRA has filed suit against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state’s financial regulators asking for the court to block the state from blacklisting them. Note that this report is from Rolling Stone who gleefully reports that the NRA is going out of business and links them to the ever popular Russian agents.Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.” – Isaiah 50:10 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – August 03, 2018

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August 3rd, 1846 is the day that the Donner party found a note warning the emigrants that their expected route through the mountains ahead was nearly impassable. Hastings, an unscrupulous trail guide had created his own “short cut” route and wasn’t even at the meeting place at Fort Bridger, but had left word for the part to continue on. Hastings had claimed easy passage through the rugged Wasatch Mountains, but had left a note attached to a forked stick for the party explaining that the route was more difficult than he thought. Eventually reduced to cannibalism, only 45 of the original 89 emigrants reached California the following year.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 78 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 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 78 ends on September 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.

How To Be A Financial Prepper- Part 3, by Brandon

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No matter the crisis scenario for which a prepper prepares, the financial side of preparedness is unavoidable. Items are necessary and they are costly. Most of us have very limited resources, but I know that we can still prepare. I’m sharing the lessons my wife and I have learned.

In the first two parts, I talked about budgeting, assessing your financial situation, saving, and now we have begun to talk about the step of living below your means. Saving and living below your means needs to happen concurrently.

Reason For Living Below Your Means

Living below your means serves several purposes. Yesterday, I shared that the first reason is having more income available for prepping and saving for disaster.

The second reason is that living well below your means will begin to teach you how to do without and how to manage with less than you would otherwise have. Depending on how far you take this, you could live as though you were in a SHTF scenario already. Many preppers and homesteaders live without the use of modern conveniences, and they are mostly self sufficient.

Continue reading“How To Be A Financial Prepper- Part 3, by Brandon”

Letter: Comments on “How to be a Financial Prepper”

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Hugh,

I try to read just about everything I can find concerning personal and family finances, not because I am a prepper but because I have responsibilities as a husband, father, and grandfather. As it happens, I am also a prepper and have been one before there was a specific term for the practice.

Finances remains one of the single most difficult aspects of our existence for preppers and for those who are not. One of the largest problems is that many of us, as a society, have a dysfunctional relationship with money. Modern society has been constructed largely on a mountain of debt, in large part that debt is personal. It comes from the concept that every person should shoulder a massive mortgage, drive a car that may not make a lot of sense, and, worse still, participate in everyday life by purchasing an absolute truck load of “things” that may not even be necessary. I am unaware of any public K-12 school that teaches personal finances as part of core curriculum. We require training and competence to carry a concealed weapon or to drive a car, but most of society is silent on the topic of personal money management. These problems are not small in nature; they are bright red flashing warning signs.

Continue reading“Letter: Comments on “How to be a Financial Prepper””

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 effect of higher interest rates on stock markets. (See the Stocks section.)

 

Precious Metals:

Fed Does Nothing To Help Gold

o o o

Video interview of chartist Gary Wagner: Gold To See “Fireworks” From Trade War

 

Stocks:

Stock Market Outlook: Choppiness Ahead?

o o o

This thought-provoking piece was published by Forbes back in March: Higher Interest Rates Crushed Stocks Before, And They Will Crush Them Again

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“We’ve forgotten much. How to struggle, how to rise to dizzy heights and sink to unparalleled depths. We no longer aspire to anything. Even the finer shades of despair are lost to us. We’ve ceased to be runners. We plod from structure to conveyance to employment and back again. We live within the boundaries that science has determined for us. The measuring stick is short and sweet. The full gamut of life is a brief, shadowy continuum that runs from gray to more gray. The rainbow is bleached. We hardly know how to doubt anymore.” – Richard Matheson, in “The Thing”

 

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – August 02, 2018

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August 2nd was the birthday of Peter O’Toole (1932–2013). When his name is mentioned, Lawrence of Arabia immediately comes to mind.

o o o

Praise the Lord! Tommy Robinson is Home!

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 78 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 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 78 ends on September 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.

How To Be A Financial Prepper- Part 2, by Brandon

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While skills and abilities are invaluable and arguably the most important part of preparing yourself for any disaster, it would be naive for a prepper to decide that it is unnecessary to have “stuff”. No matter the scenario for which you prepare, the financial side of preparedness is unavoidable. In part 1, I talked about the benefits of living debt free and importance of developing a budget and sticking with it to better use resources for preparedness efforts. Now, let’s move forward.

Evaluate

What’s next? Now that you have your budget, what is the next step (whether you choose to try for a debt free life or not)?

Assess Your Financial Situation

This part is no new revelation. You will find this same information in other readings about financial wellness. You need to assess your financial situation and evaluate options.

As preppers we often focus our time and energy on our security. And one of the first things you learn is situational awareness or assessing the situation. You must take a hard, honest look at whatever situation you find yourself in to know how you may best act or react.

Continue reading“How To Be A Financial Prepper- Part 2, by Brandon”

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”. There is a great deal on PVS-30s today.

PVS-30

I just noticed that Ready Made Resources has a sale on Mil Spec AN/PVS-30 clip-on night vision weapon sights. This is factory reconditioned sight from Knights Armament is only $4695 and comes with a new certificate of compliance. It has the latest Gen 3 light intensification tube and is appropriate for front line, long range scopes. This unit will mount on a rail in front of your normal scope so your carefully sighted scope will not be affected. Your existing eye relief and cheek weld are undisturbed. If you are looking for a unit to help you control coyotes and other predators on your property at night, this may be the thing for you.

Federal Reserve

Reader USP visited the Federal Reserve on a recent vacation and noted this:

I was visiting New Orleans a few weeks ago and stopped in to the Federal Reserve branch to tour their small museum. There were some nice displays and several videos that talked about the mission of the Federal Reserve. The one video that struck me was that the fed is the conduit for EVERY monetary transaction, large and small, that takes place in the USA. Here is link to the videos produced by the Federal Reserve of Atlanta. The one that woke me up was the one titled: “The Fed Explains the Payment System”

I would also note that this video should be watched as well when learning about the Federal Reserve.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Let me say for the record, Mr. Speaker, not one human death or injury resulting from a grizzly bear attack is acceptable to this Congressman. In fact, it should not be accepted by anyone who values human life. I do not want to have to stand up before a spouse, a parent, a child, brother, or sister who have lost their loved one because of a rare occurring brutal grizzly bear attack and explain that this tragedy would not have occurred had we not introduced this dangerous animal into Idaho in the first place.” – Congressmember Helen Chenoweth