Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 1, 2024

Created this day in 1999 by carving a vast region from Canada‘s Northwest Territories, the Canadian territory of Nunavut stretches across much of the Canadian Arctic and encompasses the traditional lands of the Inuit.

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On April 1, 1621, at the Plymouth settlement in present-day Massachusetts, the leaders of the Plymouth colonists, acting on behalf of King James I, make a defensive alliance with Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags. The agreement, in which both parties promised to not “doe hurt” to one another, was the first treaty between a Native American tribe and a group of American colonists. According to the treaty, if a Wampanoag broke the peace, he would be sent to Plymouth for punishment; if a colonist broke the law, he would likewise be sent to the Wampanoags.

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April 1st is both April Fool’s Day and (unofficially) Molly Ivins Day. The latter refers to this key verse: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1 KJV)

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April 1st, 1886 was the birthday of Arthur W. Pink, who died 15 July 1952 and was an English Christian evangelist and excellent Reformed Biblical scholar. It was his meticulously referenced arguments in his book  The Sovereignty of God, that first convinced me of the truth of the doctrine of Election.

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Today’s feature article is a review conducted by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We are now seeking entries for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 112 ends on May 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.

Christensen Arms MHR in 6.5 Creedmoor, by Thomas Christianson

The most exciting features of the Christensen Arms MHR (Modern Hunting Rifle) in 6.5 Creedmoor stem from its carbon-fiber-wrapped, stainless-steel barrel. This technology offers the accuracy of a bull barrel without the additional weight. It reduces flex and harmonics, has zero thermal expansion, is corrosion resistant and climate adaptable, dissipates heat from the liner three times faster than a bull barrel, and extends barrel life by 25%.

The modular and customizable stock, forearm, and grips are also made with carbon fiber via an environmentally friendly process that Christensen calls Flash Forged Technology (FFT). The result is a well-balanced rifle that shoulders well and is weather resistant. The stylish stock offers a multitude of possible sling attachment points and features an easily-adjustable length-of-pull and an integrated cheek-rest. The beefy forearm fits my support hand better than any other rifle I have ever fired and includes a picatinny rail for mounting a bi-pod or other accessories. The crisp trigger is outstanding. Recoil from the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge is easily manageable.Continue reading“Christensen Arms MHR in 6.5 Creedmoor, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Lily’s Einkorn Flour Bread

The following recipe for Einkorn Flour Bread was developed by Avalanche Lily. It requires a cast iron fry pan with a lid or a Dutch oven with lid.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Sourdough starter (semi-liquid)
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons raw honey
  • 1 and half teaspoons of Sea salt
  • 4 and a half cups of Einkorn Flour
  • 1 and half cup warm water
Directions
  1. Mix up the dough. Let it rest fifteen minutes. It will be wet and sticky.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, fold dough about eight times with wet fingers.  Wet fingers help keep the dough from sticking to your fingers.
  3. Place back into clean lightly oiled bowl.
  4. Cover it with a damp cloth or Saran Wrap let rise 6-8 hours in a warm place.
  5. Take an empty cast iron fry pan or Dutch oven and put in your oven at 475 degrees F for 10 minutes.
  6. Take the pan out of the oven and carefully place a sheet of cooking parchment paper in the hot pan. Place the dough in the pan, on top of the parchment.
  7. Lightly flour it and score the dough.  Put it in your oven with the lid on the pan.
  8. Bake for twenty minutes.  Take the lid off and continue to bake the loaf for up to an additional fifteen minutes.
  9. Keep an eye on the loaf so that it doesn’t overbake.  (Note: I kept burning the bottom even after four tries.  It just may be my oven. It may be hotter than 475?  I am slowly dropping the temperature and the baking time.)
  10. Once baked, immediately take it out of the oven)
  11. Take the bread loaf out of the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools…and He has not been disappointed….If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.” – Justice Antonin Scalia

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 31, 2024

On March 31, 1854, U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry signed the Treaty of Kanagawa in Japan, ending that country’s period of seclusion.

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Lyman Cornelius “L.C.” Smith was born March 31, 1850. Lyman Smith was the namesake of the famous L.C. Smith Shotgun. Smith later went on to found the Smith-Premier Typewriter Company, which would later become Smith-Corona Typewriter Company. Smith Corona or the SCM Corporation is a US typewriter and calculator company. Lyman Cornelius Smith passed away on November 5, 1910.

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March 31 is also the birthday of the late economist Dr. Walter E. Williams, PhD., who was born in 1936. He passed away in 2020. His book American Contempt for Liberty is highly recommended.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present the final entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.   The author is from New Zealand. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 112 begins tomorrow, 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.

Home Security for the Gun-Deprived, by R.J.

When your temporary or semi-permanent home has to be away from true-home, you want to be secure there as well.

This review is based on experiences and plans my family and I had when living and working (and for many years with young children) in not-the-most-salubrious-parts of the planet. These places also didn’t allow foreigners to own firesticks whether long- or hand-guns; a couple of countries grudgingly allowed private possession of shotguns but only for citizens, not transients, even if the transient was going to be there for years at a time.

As a consequence, the Lady of the House and I developed a set of precautions, improvisations and occasionally downright nasty traps for the ungodly should they threaten the sanctity of our domain. Some of our tricks were useful or I should say usable when traveling, especially but not only to/from schools and in hotels. Some could be used at airports; if there is going to be an uptick in domestic terrorism, people are even more constrained, patient, and docile at airports than they are at concerts.

***

But before we continue… the Best Defense is the one you never have to mount. And the Best Fight is the one you never have.

If we have / had the option to run away from a dangerous scenario or a home invasion, we would. But running away is less feasible in a country where we are strangers; where we are a different and stand-out by skin color; where we understand and speak only some of the language; and where we could rapidly end up in a worse predicament, away from where we live and have resources.Continue reading“Home Security for the Gun-Deprived, by R.J.”

March 2024 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, presented by Gainesville Coins. Each month we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. We cover gold’s performance and the factors that affected gold prices.

What Did Gold Do in March?

Boy, did anyone see this coming? I actually lost count of how many record highs gold hit this month. Gold futures and spot gold both started the month with new all-time highs. $2,095 an ounce for futures, $2,083 for spot.

Futures ended the month $143 higher at $2,238 an ounce, and spot gold gained $150 after finishing at $2,233.

Factors Affecting Gold This Month

STATIC INFLATION
Most economic reports show that inflation isn’t getting higher or lower overall. While this means that the Fed is in no hurry to cut interest rates, there is no need at all for a rate hike.

MELLOW FED
Fed officials say that while they see no immediate need to cut interest rates, they still expect to cut rates three times this year. If we take a June rate cut as a given, a logical course of action would be for the Fed to cut rates every other meeting for the rest of the year. That would be in September and December, dodging the political minefield of a November rate cut.

FOREIGN INSTABILITY
We have wars in Ukraine and Israel, global supply chain disruptions caused by rocket attacks in the Red Sea from pro-Iranian rebels in Yemen, and  China teetering on the verge of economic collapse. Toss in superheated inflation in nearly every nation that isn’t in the G7, and gold becomes an attractive safe haven for much of the world.Continue reading“March 2024 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week: 

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Climate Change is Real.

Real Socialists Promoting Their Lies, To Change The Political Climate.

Notes From JWR:

Special thanks to SurvivalBlog reader D.R. for the meme text.

Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 30, 2024

On March 30, 1867, William H. Seward, secretary of state under U.S. President Andrew Johnson, signed the Alaska Purchase, a treaty ceding Russian North America to the United States for a price—$7.2 million—that amounted to about two cents per acre.

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On March 30, 1981, President Reagan was shot and seriously injured outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John W. Hinckley Jr. Also wounded were White House news secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and District of Columbia police officer Thomas K. Delahanty. Agent McCarthy took a bullet protecting Reagan. McCarthy was not wearing a bullet-proof vest. He later became Chief of Police in Orland Park, Illinois.

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And on March 30, 1811, German chemist Robert Bunsen, who observed that each element emits a light of characteristic wavelength, was born in Göttingen, Westphalia.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends tomorrow, March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry for Round 112. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

The Smaller Things, by A. Midwester

To give you a little background, for most of my life I lived in an urban environment, everything I needed was just a short walk or drive away. It could have been a few 2x4s and screws for one of my many projects, a new tool when I needed it, or anything else like it. If it wasn’t available locally, I could easily order it online and expect it, almost without failure, within a day or two. It’s truly amazing what society has developed in terms of convenience. But it’s also scary to consider what would happen if that convenience just went away overnight.

Then about a decade ago, one of those moments that can change the direction of your life showed itself for my wife and I. An elderly family member had passed away and left behind what I always referred to as the family farm (the farm). I grew up visiting the farm many times over the years with my family, and through experiences I had in those early years of my life, it was part of who I had become.

Time and lack of maintenance was causing it to fall into disrepair. The farm was a day’s drive from where I lived most of my life, and 1+ hours from any major metropolitan area. It kind of felt like the “boonies” whenever I visited, which was several times a year. But I still loved the peace, quiet, and sense of freedom I had every time I was there. Our family did all we could to keep up with the basic maintenance through long weekend trips multiple times a year.Continue reading“The Smaller Things, by A. Midwester”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, 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 your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

We shifted cattle and horse pastures this week. The goal is to get a few yearling heifers, a steer calf, and one older cow ready for sale. But separating calves from their moms, even when they are 11+ months old — and ostensibly weaned — always leads to some drama and plenty of late-night mooing and bellowing.  As usual, I phoned our one closeby neighbor (about a quarter mile away), to let them know that we had just made the pasture shift.  I do this so that our neighbor won’t be alarmed by the vociferous cow-bellowing.  I wouldn’t want them to think that one of our critters got its head stuck in a fence.

I was busy with packing and mailing out Elk Creek Company antique gun orders this week. I also had to make two other trips to town, on errands. Since our ranch is fairly remote, any trip into town is at least a half-day proposition.

One of the rear tires on our electric ATV developed a slow leak. A long squirt of about 6 ounces of Slime tire sealant remedied that. When the nearest tire shop is more than a one-hour drive away, having tire sealant available can be a practical lifesaver. I recommend keeping plenty on hand!

Now, Lily’s report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.

It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

Thus did all the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.” – Exodus 12:36-51 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 29, 2024

On March  24, 1974, farmers drilling a well near Xi’an, China, penetrated a subterranean chamber that led to the discovery of the terra-cotta army: 8,000 life-size terra-cotta soldiers and horses in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

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Today is the birthday of the gifted electronic and orchestral musician Vangelis. (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou.)

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 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.