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 Urbanization. (See the Troubling Trends section, near the end of this column.)

Stocks:

Bloomberg reports: Old Wall Street Is Losing the Battle Beneath the Surface of ETFs

Commodities:

Next, Nick Cunningham opines: Chinese EV Boom Could Crash Oil Prices

 

Economy and Finance:

On to this: White House Says Corporate Tax Cut Would Boost Wages $4,000

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Yellen Calls Inflation the ‘Biggest Surprise’ in the Economy. JWR’s Comments:  Some of us are not so surprised.  In fact some of us are anticipating lots of inflation, when interest rates inevitably bounce back.

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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 80% complete SIG P320 trigger groups. (See the Gear section, near the end of this column.)

Books:

Claire Wolfe reports: The sale is on at Paladin Press. Presently the discount is 55% off their entire book inventory. (The company is shutting its doors at the end of the year. Even deeper discounts are promised, as their inventory dwindles.)

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Store This, Not That!: The Quick and Easy Food Storage Guide

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Grant. This is a biography of the U.S. Civil War General, by Rod Chernow.  I have not yet read this book, but I have read his excellent earlier biography: Washington: A Life. (That was a Pulitzer Prize winning book, and deservedly so.)

 

Movies and Television:

Megan Leavey.  The true story of a female enlisted Marine and her bomb-sniffing war dog. Available on DVD or for free download for Amazon Prime members.

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Sense and Sensibility, directed by Ang Lee. Available on DVD or for free download for Amazon Prime members.

 

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Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – October 17, 2017

On this day in 1835, Texans approve a resolution to create the Texas Rangers– a corps of armed and mounted lawmen designed to “range and guard the frontier between the Brazos and Trinity Rivers”. After winning their revolutionary war with Mexico the following year, Texans decided to keep the Rangers, both to defend against Indian and Mexican raiders and to serve as the principal law enforcement authority along the sparsely populated Texan frontier.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 73 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 $1,090 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, and
  8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. 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,
  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), and

Round 73 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.

After Action Report On Hurricane Irma, by Florida Dave

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The Prep Prepping

Our prepping to deal with Hurricane Irma was done in a series of steps based on the probability of a strike affecting my area. I wrote about this in a previous article posted on SurvivalBlog. My preps for a Hurricane started two weeks prior when I notice a storm taking a track towards Cuba and local meteorologists saying, “We need to watch this one.” I had recently completed a quick inventory and tested the generator, lanterns, and camping stove. So my two week prior check was done, or so I thought.

Pre-Labor Day Preliminary Prepping

On the Thursday before the Labor weekend, August 31, Irma was tracking towards Cuba and ten days out. It was then that I did the following:

  1. Checked my supplies.
  2. Purchased 30 gallons of fuel in 5-gallon cans for use with the generator and cars. (I added 4oz of Stabil to each 5-gallon can of gas. This will keep the gas good for up to 1 ½ years.)
  3. Purchased 40 Gallons of purified water for home and 10 gallons for use at work.
  4. Purchased one package of D batteries.

Continue reading“After Action Report On Hurricane Irma, by Florida Dave”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on the relocation of U.S. Optics to The American Redoubt. (See the Montana section of this column.)

Idaho

Jury finds Jonathan Renfro, man accused of killing police sergeant, guilty of first degree murder

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Neighbors furious after F&G officer kills ‘pet’ deer

Montana (U.S. Optics)

In addition to a plethora of gun makers, the Redoubt region now has several firearms optics makers. Perhaps best well-known is Nightforce Optics, headquartered in Orofino, Idaho.  The latest on the scene is U.S. Optics, in Kalispell, Montana.  For some details on their recent relocation, see: U.S. Optics Moves To Montana. 

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This news story received national coverage: Climber kills himself after girlfriend’s avalanche death

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Montana Governor Speaks at Carbon Capture Forum

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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. Today the focus is on GPS receivers.

Another Senseless GPS Mishap

Our friend Commander Zero over at the great Notes From The Bunker blog had a link to a familiar story:  Yet another motorist stranded because of their foolish faith in GPS technology:  The Latest: Couple who survived six days in Utah. JWR’s Comment: [[[Sarcasm on]]] How many times does this have to happen before Congress finally takes action and bans the evil assault GPS technology? GPS receivers can be bought on the street without any background checks and can be easily concealed.  They often get into the hands of children. Only the police and military should be trusted to have GPS technology. [[[Sarcasm off]]]

Here is a follow-up article with more details.

Piercing The IDF OPSEC Veil

JWR’s wife Avalanche Lily spotted this piece over at YNET: Inside ‘the pit’: Commander offers rare peek into IDF nerve center.  JWR’s Comment:  The IDF is famous for their OPSEC–even down to individual troops, who in my experience often won’t even mention which branch of the IDF they are with, to strangers. To have a Brigadier General be this open is actually sending a message to at least one of their opponents.  If they aren’t quaking in their boots, then they should be!

A Genuine Source for Binary Triggers

Many SurvivalBlog readers have taken my advice and gone shopping for a few binary triggers for their ARs. But many have been shocked to see their prices have nearly doubled.  The classic Law of Supply and Demand hasn’t been repealed. The “new normal” seems to be around $650. Ouch. Meanwhile, eBay is knocking down auctions and Buy-It-Now binary trigger listings almost as fast as they are posted. And many of the companies taking orders don’t actually have them in inventory. Since both Franklin Armory and FosTech now have 8+ week (and growing) order backlogs, I now DO NOT recommend buying from any dealer that doesn’t actually have their advertised triggers in captivity. There is now the risk that fast-tracked ban legislation could be signed into law before you can take delivery.

Thankfully, I did find a company in Utah that has a decent supply of Franklin BFS-II Binary triggers in stock. They are: Valley Food Storage. I ordered several from them for around $500 apiece. And again, I’ve been assured that they actually have these on hand. Tell them that Jim at SurvivalBlog sent you.  Note:  These triggers are not legal to purchase if you live in: CA, DC, IA, ND, NJ, NY, or WA.  The clock is ticking on this one, folks! – JWR

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday – October 16, 2017

There is now a petition on the White house web site, encouraging the President to veto H.R. 3999 if it reaches his desk. Please take a few moments to sign it!

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October 15th, 1859 is the anniversary of abolitionist John Brown’s raid against the federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery. Although the raid failed, it inflamed sectional tensions and raised the stakes for the 1860 presidential election. Brown’s raid helped make any further accommodation between North and South nearly impossible and thus became an important impetus of the Civil War.

Butler Creek ASAP Magazine Loader, by Pat Cascio

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We’re going to take a close look at the new double stack handgun magazine loader from Butler Creek www.butlercreek.com.

Getting Older and Feeling It

I don’t believe that any of us like to admit we’re getting older. No matter what you age might be, it’s a fact of life. Believe me when I tell you this, I never thought I’d live as long as I have. Very shortly, I’ll be turning 66 years of age. I lived a pretty wild, exciting, and dangerous life when I was younger and never thought I’d live beyond 35. That’s the truth. Had I known I would live this long, I sure would have taken better care of my body in many ways.

I spent more than 35 years active in the martial arts, either as a student or an instructor. I hold Black Belt rank in five different styles of martial arts with my highest rank being a 6th Dan. I’m not bragging, not in the least. It was a lot of work. And, even now, with all those Black Belts, I don’t consider myself an “expert”. I’m still just a serious student of the martial arts.

Continue reading“Butler Creek ASAP Magazine Loader, by Pat Cascio”

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 investing in Rolex wristwatches. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Precious Metals:

Spot gold has bounced back to around $1,300 per troy ounce.  But the price of silver is more like to break out.

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Peter Hug comments on Rhodium: Forget Bitcoin – Is This Overlooked Metal Heading Straight Back to $10,000?

Stocks:

First off, there is this: Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs as Wall Street bets on a strong earnings season

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S&P 500 is poised to make uncanny stock-market history—for doing almost nothing

Commodities:

Gregory W. Harmon: Copper Shows Strength

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Oil On Friday the Thirteenth

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Stalking the Night- Part 2, by Mark B.

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Yesterday, I wrote about my experience where I needed night vision while being stalked on the mountain “alone”. I also wrote about the various generation technology advancements of night vision. Let’s proceed to outline the details of night vision technology and what it means.

Understanding Resolution and Signal-to-Noise Specifications

The two most important specifications for any night vision device are resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. In fact one of the main parameters for determining whether a night vision device can be exported is the multiple of these two specifications, also known as “Figure Of Merit”. If the NVD you are considering buying is subject to ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations), it is a pretty good bet that you are looking at a high quality NVD. Conversely, if there is no restriction attached to the unit you are considering, it is probably a POS.

Resolution

Much like a television or computer screen, the more information that can be packed onto your night vision image tube, the clearer it will be. Measured in line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm), the higher the specified lp/mm the better. When you compare an average Gen1+ 25 lp/mm image tube to the typical resolution that you’ll find on a Gen3 tube, which is 64 lp/mm, it’s pretty obvious that a Gen3 tube is going to be better. No matter how you slice it, 150% better resolution means a better image.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

However, a high resolution isn’t the only thing you should be looking for in your image tube. Though it’s a good start, keep in mind that the real function of a good night vision system is to perform well under incredibly low light conditions. This is where the signal-to-noise measure becomes important.

Signal-to-Noise provides a measure of the light signal that reaches your eye divided by the perceived noise that you actually see. For example, “noisy” tubes look like there’s a snowstorm going on inside the tube. Even a very bright tube that’s full of snow (noise) is going to produce lousy results. A good Gen3 tube will have a signal-to-noise ratio in the high 20s, while Gen1+ ratios are much lower, generally sitting in the single digits. My two best NVDs are a PVS-22, which has a photocathode response of 2200, a signal to noise ratio of 27, and it also provides 64 lp/mm resolution. I also have a Knights Armament PVS 30 with a photocathode response of 2300, signal to noise of 25, and also 64 pm/mm resolution.

Continue reading“Stalking the Night- Part 2, by Mark B.”