Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced – Round 109

We’ve completed the judging for Round 109 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.  The judging was particularly difficult for this round, because there were so many great articles. Round 108 began on August 1st and ended on September 30, 2023. (The contest is run in rounds that each last two months.) The prize-winning writers for Round 108 are:

First Prize

First Prize goes to SaraSue, for: Homesteading – A Cautionary Tale, posted on November 10-11-12, 2023. See: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. She will receive the following prizes:

  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 $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
Second Prize

Second Prize goes to J.M. for Alternative and Improvised Weapons, posted in six parts from November 14th to 19th, 2023.  See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level TrAlternative and Improvised Weapons – Part 6, by J.M.aining, 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. 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

Third Prize goes to Michael X, for: 12 Basic Actions To Make It Through the First 12 Weeks of TEOTWAWKI, posted on October 24-25, 2023. See: Part 1 and Part 2. He will receive the following prizes:

  1. 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.
  2. 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)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  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.
Honorable Mention

Each Honorable Mention Prize winner has been awarded a transferable and accruable $100 FRN purchase credit toward the purchase of any antique or percussion replica gun from Elk Creek Company.

Honorable Mention Prizes go to the writers of these 11 articles:

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More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 is underway and ends on January 31st, 2024, 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.

The Watchman – Part 1, by James Durham

This three-part article is a journey into End Times Eschatology and discovering our responsibility.

Editor’s Note:  The practical-tangible preparedness portion of the article will be in Part 3.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?  It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.  Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.»
Matthew 24: 45-47

Ezekiel 33 – Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me

November 6th, 2023

I am now starting my journey of writing a book on Eschatology. ThIs article represents an early draft of the core of that book. I have no idea how long this road will be and what I will discover along the way. Every beginning begins this way. So let us begin.

We will start through scripture and will mine its depths with the help of The Holy Spirit. He will teach us all things. That is God’s promise, and I will claim it now in Faith. Who is leading? That is hard to tell because it is my fingers hitting the key board. However, the truth is. Where He leads I will follow. So, in this journey we will have a guide. A guide that wants to lead us into all that He has imagined for us with him, since eternity past – before there was time. Till now in Time, and into eternity future where the Bible states «And thus, we will Always be with the Lord.»Continue reading“The Watchman – Part 1, by James Durham”

November 2023 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

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

What Did Gold Do in November?

Gold prices began November trending around $1,990 before falling to a monthly low of $1,938 on the 10th. Prices then began a strong rally to break above $2,000 by the 21st, then hit successive six-month highs as it broke above $2,050, considered the last major resistance point before hitting all-time highs. Closing gold prices for November peaked on the 28th, with futures settling at $2,067 an ounce and spot gold closing at $2,042.Continue reading“November 2023 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Unfortunately, there is a tendency among political elites to distrust the opinions of ordinary people. They are perceived to base their views on dark instincts and unjustified fears, rather than on rational choices. European voters, however, are highly educated, and it is ridiculous to suppose they can be easily fooled or manipulated.” – Geert Wilders

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 30, 2023

On November 30th, 1996, a block of gray sandstone known as the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland, 700 years after it had been taken to England as war booty by King Edward I.

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Satirical novelist Jonathan Swift was born on November 30th, 1667.

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And on November 30, 1782, Britain and the United States signed the preliminary articles of the Treaty of Paris as part of the Peace of Paris, a collection of treaties concluding the American Revolution.

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A very practical new property listing over at SurvivalRealty: Off Grid, 20 Acres, Two Homes, Year Around Access, Western Montana. This property its in a secluded valley in the Garnet Mountains, less than an hour from Missoula, Montana.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present the final entry for Round 109 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 $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. 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 $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.
  2. 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)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 109 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.

Glock FM81 Field Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Before Gaston Glock ever designed his first handgun, his company made knives and other equipment for the Austrian Army. One day in 1980, Glock was at the Austrian Ministry of Defense to talk about the sale of some of his products. While he was there, Glock overheard a conversation about the need for a new handgun design to replace the aging, World-War-II-era P38s that the Austrian Army was still using. He decided to design a handgun to meet that need. He bought samples of all the semi-auto handguns that he could find. He disassembled them, and studied how they functioned. Then he came up with an innovative design that won the Austrian Army Handgun Trials of 1982. The polymer that Glock used for making sheaths for his knives ended up becoming a major component of his handgun designs. The rest, as they say, is history.

The FM78 and FM81 field knives that Glock manufactured BG17 (“Before the Glock 17”) are still widely issued in the Austrian Army today. The difference between the two knives is that the FM78 has a flat back blade, while the FM81 has a saw back blade. The “FM” stands for “Feldmesser”, which means “field knife” in German.Continue reading“Glock FM81 Field Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at the Bunker Building Boom. (Pictured is a diagram of an underground bunker from Atlas Shelters.)

An Invasive Tick That Can Clone Itself Is Spreading

Over at Smithsonian: An Invasive Tick That Can Clone Itself Is Spreading Across the U.S., Threatening Livestock.

Something is Very Wrong—What Now?

A brief but pointed essay from Eric Utter, over at The American Thinker: Something is very wrong—What now?

American Prepper Culture Spreads To Taiwan

Reader Pat A. sent this: American Prepper Culture Spreads To Taiwan Amid Fears Of Chinese Invasion. Here is a pericope:

“Over the years preppers have been approached with ridicule and skepticism.  The media became overtly hostile to the idea of independent thinkers organizing to survive and fight, and others simply treated these groups as a novelty – A curious area of interest but nothing to be taken seriously.

Then came the lockdowns and the panic driven by covid hysteria, and suddenly many of those same skeptics became preppers overnight.  Mobs of people caught asleep and without provisions rushed into their local Walmart and Costco to fight over toilet paper and bags of rice.  Prices on necessities doubled, many items were hard to find and there was no knowing how long the supply chain disruptions might last.

The preppers and “conspiracy theorists” were right.  In fact, they’ve been proven right so frequently the past few years that it’s now humorous to find anyone who still uses the term “conspiracy theorist” as a derogatory remark.  Not only were they right about stockpiling essential goods, but they have also been proven right about training for self defense in combat scenarios.

The Russian war with Ukraine sparked surprising discussion within the mainstream media about the usefulness of civilian militias.  Had the Ukrainian government not been so hostile to the notion of an armed and trained citizenry they might have had an edge when the conflict with Russia started.  At the drop of a hat, Ukraine leaders were racing to arm civilians and teach them how to shoot.  Of course, this was too little too late.”

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 29, 2023

Today is the birthday of writer Clive Staples (“C.S.”) Lewis, who was born in 1898 and died 22 November 1963.  The news of his passing was surely overshadowed by the media attention to JFK’s death, the same day.

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We are now seeking entries for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, 2024, 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.

The 21st Century Geopolitical Chessboard

As we approach the end of 2023, I’ve been assessing world events. In short: The world is an increasingly dangerous place. There are numerous current threats, most notably:

  • The Western debt-based financial system is overextended and nearing a collapse.
  • The rise of the BRICS bloc.
  • Pandemics are being used as weapons to reduce population, control citizenries, and as excuses for a wide range of social engineering projects. Note that Avian Flu is still spreading and a new pneumonia strain broke out in northern China, and it is already jumping national borders. There is also a new canine respiratory illness and new swine flu variants.
  • The threat of regional war, from Ukraine.
  • The threat of regional war, from Taiwan.
  • The threat of regional war, from Syria.
  • The threat of regional war, from the Israel/Hamas Gaza war.
  • The hard left has seized control of academia, the mainstream media, and the Democrat party. They are rapidly pushing a socialist/globalist agenda.
  • Our nation’s southern border has collapsed, allowing an onrush of illegal immigration. This was intentionally orchestrated by the Biden regime, to build a larger leftist voting bloc.
  • The elites of the World Economic Forum (WEF) are moving behind the scenes in nearly all of the world’s governments, pursuing global governance.
  • Many Western nations are foolishly pushing for a transition to electric cars too quickly, without correspondingly expanding their grid power capacity.
  • The surveillance state has become ubiquitous. The linchpin will be a digital identification system. Digital IDs will become the de facto passports for Internet access, banking, travel, and vaccination. In a few years, anyone without digital ID will be pushed out of the economy and marginalized in the marketplace of ideas. (Read: Banned from the Internet.)
  • Urbanization, over-specialization, and over-dependence on technology have increased our vulnerability to cataclysmic events.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being rolled out without any controls.
  • CBDCs are being readied to replace paper currencies.

Continue reading“The 21st Century Geopolitical Chessboard”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Far-right anti-Islamist Wilders wins Dutch election, sending shockwaves through Europe.

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How Blue States Work Around SCOTUS to Restrict Gun Rights.

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Fellow American Redoubt resident Commander Zero shared this wisdom on pistol tritium sights: Nuke ’em till they glow.

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Fact-Checkers Are Gaslighting You on the Feds’ Vehicle “Kill Switch” Mandate.

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A video from Bjorn Andreas Bull-Hansen: A New Dark Age Is Upon Us.

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Gun ownership hits record high with American voters, poll finds.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various powerful interests, combined in one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in banks.” – John C. Calhoun

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 28, 2023

On November 28, 1757, English engraver, artist, poet, and visionary William Blake, whose notable works included the poetry collections Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794), was born.

And on November 28th, 1520, Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after navigating the dangerous straits on the southern tip of South America that now bear his name. He became the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic.

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Jonathan Rawles — my #1 Son who operates SurvivalRealty.com — mentioned that they have recently revamped their Agent Directory, making it easier to find a local survival property specialist to buy or sell with.

Along with this, they are running several special offers for real estate agents and “For Sale By Owner” property owners:

Keep in mind that SurvivalRealty.com is a property advertising site rather than a brokerage, so they charge NO sales commissions!

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Today’s feature article is a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

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We are now seeking entries for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 begins on December 1st, 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.

Kershaw Launch 15, by Pat Cascio

I can often see myself, in my mind, going back in time, to when I would be on the front stoop, with my grandfather, spending many hours, just whitling on an old stick or a tree branch. Those were the days, in memories that still come to my mind. We didn’t waste those hours, on the contrary, they created memories of a much simpler time – long before any such thing as video games – that people play on their cell phones today – by themselves. It honestly was a great time to be alive as a child.

I don’t recall what kind of a folding knife my grandfather gave me, but it was something with three blades, and it had a plastic handle on it, and we whittled enough wood to build a house with. We didn’t really talk much, just sat there slicing off little pieces of wood, into a pile in front of us. And, before the day was over we had to sharpen our knives, my grandfather was s shoe maker at one time, and he knew how to bring a dull knife back to life.Continue reading“Kershaw Launch 15, by Pat Cascio”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, another look at the Patriot Front agitprop group. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

Patriot Front members sentenced to 5 days in jail, banned from Coeur d’Alene parks. JWR’s Comments:  It is widely believed that the Patriot Front group is an agent provocateur operation that is either sponsored by or fully infiltrated by and co-opted by the FBI. It has also been called agitprop. I concur. These racist-statist clowns should be avoided!

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Why Walleye Are a Problem in Idaho.

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SurvivalBlog reader R.B. sent this news link: Joe Biden’s Federal Officers Go to Rural Idaho and Shoot Homeless Man in Wheelchair 11 Times, Paralyzing Him – Operation Began with a Devious Trick (Video).

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Prosecutors ask to move Chad Daybell’s trial to eastern Idaho, oppose cameras in courtroom.

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Shaw Cattle Company: A Legacy of Excellence and Innovation.

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Study finds moderate grazing has no effect on sage grouse nest success.

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