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:

This week we had a house guest. We toured him around and took hikes for several days. He is from a foreign country where their citizenry has only limited access to guns. (Only one gun per permit holder. His is a Glock 19.) So we did a lot of target shooting with a half dozen guns. That was also a good refresher for me and my wife. Our guest was thrilled to be able to shoot some guns that were unavailable to him at home. For instance, he had never shot an AK pattern rifle or a .45 ACP Glock. I sent him home with the gift of a Zacchaeus mini holster for his Glock.

I did a bit more firewood cutting and hauling. I also did some rototilling for Avalanche Lily.

Another minor project was replacing a GFI electrical outlet.  Thankfully, I keep a few spares on hand.  The weather forecast looks good for this coming week, so I’m hoping to accomplish a lot out in our woodlot.

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”. A new strain of the bird flu is causing concern.

Field Day

Survivalists and preppers concerned about communications when TEOTWAWKI happens should be aware that the 2018 Ham Radio Field Day is rapidly approaching. June 23rd and 24th are the dates that hams turn out in droves to set up emergency communication sites and practice their skills. If you’ve never actually talked on a radio, this is your opportunity to meet the hams in your area, actually talk on a radio and have someone walk you through the process. The hams will gladly get you started, teaching you what to say and when so you can get the feel for the whole process.

Doctors Without Wisdom

Despite that the actual data from the CDC’s own data shows a significant decline in gun related violence, the American medical Association (AMA) has decided to weigh in on the imaginary debate. Reader D.S. sent in this article that shows the AMA is actually demanding worse gun control measures than most gun control groups. They are demanding outright banning and confiscation of certain evil looking firearms along with demanding a national gun licensing and registration process. They don’t have any data that backs up their claims, but your supposed to believe that the emotional appeal is all that is necessary.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God: but if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.” – 1 Samuel 12:14-15 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – June 15, 2018

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Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter” on this day in 1215AD. This document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation’s laws. Although it was more a reactionary than a progressive document, the Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by later generations.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 77 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 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 77 ends on July 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.

Traveling to Your Safe Haven During a WROL Event- Part 2, by E.P.

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Yesterday, we began this article series on traveling to your safe haven during a without rule of law event. We touched on two major issues. These issues involved how to identify and communicate a WROL event within your group, unite your team’s commitment to its mission through a mission statement as well as agreement upon standard operating procedures and rules of engagement.

Issue 3: Traveling by Vehicle, Standard Operating Procedures

First things first. The suggestions below are just my opinion based on experimentation with several groups over a period of years. Use them as a starting point for your group’s discussions, or don’t use them at all. You may want to handle things differently. That’s fine. Only you and your team know your final location and what you may expect during the trip.

Moving Large Numbers With Least Amount of Casualties

You will be most vulnerable traveling in a vehicle during an WROL event. Unlike a military maneuver, where hardened vehicles and air support are readily available, there will be no resupply or medical evacuation. For these reasons, the discussion below focuses on moving a large number of civilians by road to a safe haven with the least amount of casualties.

When To Travel

When to travel? Experience tells us it’s probably safer for the group to travel at night and to begin traveling late in the evening. If you must leave during the day, drive to a safe location, a group rally point, and wait for other group vehicles. When your allotted group has assembled, begin the drive in earnest at night. This intermediate safe location could be an initial rally point for the group.

Continue reading“Traveling to Your Safe Haven During a WROL Event- Part 2, by E.P.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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 China’s “One Belt, One Road” highway project. (See the Economy and Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Lew Rockwell: Texas Bullion Depository Open for Business; Sets the Stage to Challenge Federal Government’s Monopoly on Money

o  o  o

John Rubino: Inflation Is Back, Part 7: Just Check Out This Chart

 

Forex:

The Venezuelan Bolivar is now valued somewhere below an equal lineal measurement of New Jersey Turnpike rest stop toilet paper.

o  o  o

What is a ‘Forex Hedge’?

o  o  o

Know When to Buy or Sell a Currency Pair

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“The key is to understand that our children don’t belong to us—they belong to God. Our goal as parents must not be limited by our own vision. I am a finite, sinful, selfish man. Why would I want to plan out my children’s future when I can entrust them to the infinite, omnipotent, immutable, sovereign Lord of the universe? I don’t want to tell God what to do with my children—I want Him to tell me!” – Rev. Voddie T. Baucham Jr. in his book Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – June 14, 2018

During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on June 14th, 1777, stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” The national flag, which became known as the “Stars and Stripes,” was based on the “Grand Union” flag– a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 77 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 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 77 ends on July 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.

Traveling to Your Safe Haven During a WROL Event- Part 1, by E.P.

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This article will provide general guidance and a few specific examples on getting your team to your safe haven destination during a “Without Rule of Law” (WROL) event in one piece. I am an engineer and a lawyer by trade. In my 20+ years of prepping, I have come across few fellow preppers with a well thought out plan for traveling to their bug out location during a WROL event.

I have an important note at the outset. With respect to all of the comments below, it is assumed a WROL event has occurred. Most of us are well on their way to acquiring enough ammunition, firearms, food, water, medical supplies, et cetera for facing a WROL event. On the other hand, preparing the group for moving to the safe location seems to be one of the last issues addressed.

Anything That Attempts to Interfere With Mission Should Be Considered Hostile

Why is this assumption important? It’s important because some of the suggestions will force you and your team to think outside the box and challenge how you perceive and interact with authority figures and governmental entities when all hell breaks loose. Simply put, during a WROL event anyone or anything that attempts to interfere with your mission, making it to the safe haven, should be considered hostile. Only you and your group can decide how best to respond to hostile intent in a WROL condition.

Continue reading“Traveling to Your Safe Haven During a WROL Event- Part 1, by E.P.”

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 main stream media continues their propaganda with the Las Vegas Die In this week.

Las Vegas Die In

Reader J.H. sent in the photo today that he took while passing by the protest along with this comment:

Wanted to be the first to get the word out the Las Vegas Die In today was attended by 12 people. The media crowded them all together with their signs touching. The local station promoted as if 1000s attended the Die in. The Muslim girl speaking was talking just fine to everyone standing around. She was the spokeswoman and once she took to the mike “all tears broke loose” and she laid on the cry baby voice with it cracking at the proper words. Just for added effect.

There were more media personnel attending (in the background not in picture) than the actual protesters. Talk about pushing a narrative. When the March for Life pushed out 200,000 who traveled to DC there was no coverage on that number by MSM. We need to be careful about keeping these media orchestrated leftist agendas exposed.

Role of Militias

Reader T.J. sent in this article from Forward Observer on the role that Militias might be playing in the “coming unpleasantness”. Samuel Culper has continued to talk about creating an intelligence network in your local community along with creating a community security plan. He states “…if we can’t secure our communities, then we don’t stand a chance at securing our counties, states, and regions, either.” Of note is the concept that a militia is not really concerned about removing a host nation’s government, but about seeking to protect and secure it’s own interests or autonomy. It will be the role of the militias to uphold the law, not devolve into organized crime. There are other worthwhile conclusions in this article as well.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – June 13, 2018

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On Jun 13, 1983, after more than a decade in space, Pioneer 10– the world’s first outer-planetary probe– left the solar system. The next day, it radioed back its first scientific data on interstellar space.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 77 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 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 77 ends on July 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.

A Maslow-Like Hierarchy of Survival, by I. M. Learning

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Maslow’s Hierarchy details the steps a person needs to achieve to be able to function at a level of success.

Food and Water

The first step is ensuring a supply of food and water. Any newbie to prepping is at least aware of this in the basic sense. But how much food and how much water is necessary? Where do you put it? How do you keep the food usable and the water available and potable?

Twenty-Five Year Food Buckets

I started out, as I’m sure many new to prepping do, buying 25-year food buckets. I’m not saying that isn’t a good idea, but I began scrutinizing what was actually in those buckets. Not only does everything require some amount of water, but a lot of those buckets are full of powder to make drinks. So, I changed tactics and began just ordering the meat buckets. Unfortunately, I bought buckets that had two to three times as much rice as there was meat. Again, I began doing some research on canned foods and was surprised how many cans of meat and bags of rice I could buy for a fraction of the cost of one 25-year bucket.

Bagged Rice, Canned Meat and More for Fraction of Price of Survival Food Bucket

Instead, I bought bagged rice. Then, I placed each one in a thick vacuum bag and sealed them with my vacuum sealer. I did the same for bags of beans, cereal (which can be eaten without milk), and other dried goods. Canned meats with a minimum two-year expiration date were purchased. I can rotate those out and replace them up to the time buying food is no longer an option. The same principle was applied to canned fruit and vegetables. I acquired all of this for a fraction of the price of a survival food bucket. An added bonus is that canned foods do not require water for cooking. In fact, all canned fruit, vegetables, stews, et cetera can be eaten straight from the can, if necessary.

Continue reading“A Maslow-Like Hierarchy of Survival, by I. M. Learning”

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 Restored 1960s 4WDs. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Demolition Crew Strikes Gold In France, Uncovers 600 Historic Gold Coins Worth Over $100,000

o  o  o

Gold Pricing Moved Little By Singapore Summit

o  o  o

Sharps-Pixley: Silver’s Not-so-subtle Outperformance

 

Forex:

USD/JPY forecast Japanese Yen on June 13, 2018

o  o  o

Video from James Stanley: US Dollar Price Action Setups Ahead of FOMC, ECB, BoJ

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 John Wayne’s last movie, The Shootist.

Books:

Birds of the Northern Rockies

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The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in Healthy Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain

 

Movies:

The Shootist. This movie was fittingly John Wayne’s last film. It is about an old gunfighter who is dying of cancer. At the time, Wayne had terminal cancer. It was shot on location in Carson City, Nevada. The supporting roles are also quite well acted. It is available on DVD, and also available for free streaming to Amazon Prime members.

o  o  o

Refusenik. A great documentary released in 2008 about the long struggle of persecuted Jews inside the Soviet Union, who at great cost finally gained the right to emigrate to Israel and to other western nations.

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”