The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Common hedging techniques include shorting stocks, buying put options, writing call options, and various types of leverage and paired transactions. While I do reserve the right to use these tools if and when appropriate, my firm opinion is that the best hedge is buying an appropriately safe and cheap stock.” – Michael Burry

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 17, 2025

On February 17, 1621, Myles Standish was elected as the first commander of the Plymouth Colony.

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February 17, 1776, the first volume of Edward Gibbon‘s seminal work “The Decline and Fall of Roman Empire” was published.

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USB STICKS UPDATE:  We have nearly completed mailing out all of the SurvivalBlog 205-2025 Waterproof Archive USB sticks. We are taking no more orders this year.  The only stick orders still waiting are a few that were designated in our ordering system as being paid by check. All of those in CONUS paid by PayPal or by credit card have been mailed and should arrive by Friday, February 21st. If we haven’t received your check by March 10, 2025, then your order will be canceled. For anyone who missed out:  Mark your calendars for February 10, 2026. That is when the special 20th Anniversary Edition waterproof archive sticks should be orderable.

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We are seeking entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

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Today’s feature article was authored by Tom Christianson, SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor.

Otis FG-750 Tactical Cleaning System, by Thomas Christianson

The Otis FG-750 Tactical Cleaning System is lightweight, compact and versatile. It is suitable for cleaning something with a barrel as small as a .177 caliber pellet gun, a barrel as large as a 12 gauge shotgun, and pretty much anything in between.

A clever system of proprietary patches greatly contributes to the system’s versatility and ease of use. But the slotted tips of the system could easily be pressed into service if necessary with standard gun cleaning patches or even with homemade patches made of cut-up rags.

A small zippered nylon pouch carries the entire system, keeping it neat, organized, and easy to carry for field use.

The system is designed to clean firearms from breech to muzzle. This helps to preserve rifle accuracy while preventing damage to the crown of the barrel.Continue reading“Otis FG-750 Tactical Cleaning System, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Turkey Chili with Black Beans and Vegetables

The following recipe for Turkey Chili with Black Beans and Vegetables is from SurvivalBlog reader H.N.. She says: “The exact proportions of the major ingredients are not important. Use your judgment, to suit your taste.”

Ingredients
  • Ground Turkey –  Can substitute chicken, beef or other ground meat.
  • Bell pepper
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Zucchini or summer squash
  • Whole corn – fresh or frozen
  • Canned black beans – You may substitute most other beans, except Lima Beans
  • Canned crushed tomatoes
  • Chicken broth – Can substitute beef broth, vegetable broth, or just water
  • Spices: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. You can leave the cayenne out for a mild version of this turkey chili.
  • Cocoa powder (optional)
  • Olive oil (enough to sauté.)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)
Directions
  1. Sauté the onions and peppers in oil. Use a large heavy pot for this, such as a Dutch oven. (If using a slow cooker, you can perform this step in a large skillet if you prefer. If using a pressure cooker, do it directly in the insert using the “sauté” setting.
  2. Add the spices and garlic and sauté them until they are fragrant.
  3. Add the ground turkey and zucchini. Continue to sauté until the turkey is broken apart and fully cooked.
  4. If you are using a crockpot/slow cooker, then transfer everything into it.
  5. Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, black beans, and corn.
  6. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  7. Stir everything together and simmer covered on low for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Then simmer without stirring for another 4 hours on the stovetop. Or, set your slow cooker to low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. (Note: For a  pressure cooker, set it to manual, high, for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes when it’s done. Then, manually release the pressure valve.)
SERVING

Serve with a starch such as corn bread or tortilla chips.

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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!

Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Mapping U.S. rivers in proportion to their flow rate. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

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Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If you like small government you need to work hard at having a strong national defense that is not so militant. Personal liberty is the purpose of government, to protect liberty – not to run your personal life, not to run the economy, and not to pretend that we can tell the world how they ought to live.” – Former Congressman Dr. Ron Paul

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 16, 2025

On February 16, 1659, the first known cheque was written, for £400. It is now on display at Westminster Abbey.

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February 16,1838: The Weenen Massacre. Hundreds of Voortrekkers were killed by Zulu warriors along the Blaukraans River, Natal.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 117 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. 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 $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  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 $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Bird Flu: What I’m Doing About It, by Sara Sue

The Current Situation

The White House suggested, via the Press Secretary, that over 100 million chickens have died, or been destroyed, over bird flu.  I noticed that the price of eggs has gone up exponentially, so I polled my group of friends in an online homesteading forum, asking what they are seeing.  I also asked family members who live across the country.  The highest price I heard of from a family member in California was $10 per dozen for grocery store eggs.  Locally where I live, free-range chicken eggs are about $5-to-$6 per dozen.

Eggs have been a standard for an inexpensive protein source “forever”.  When people couldn’t afford to buy meat, they could buy eggs and count on that to meet protein needs.  That is no longer true.  The situation is fairly devastating for the population, not just chicken farmers.

The price of eggs and chicken meat will continue to rise, at least in the next several months, in my opinion.  Primarily because it takes at least two months to grow out meat birds and 5-6 months to raise layer chickens before they start laying eggs.  Not to mention the cost and time of reconstruction after having to burn down the chicken housing, as is required in large chicken operations after a bird flu infection.Continue reading“Bird Flu: What I’m Doing About It, by Sara Sue”

JWR’s Memes Of The Week:

Two of the latest memes created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Take A Chill Pill, Pocahontas

Zeroing The USAID Budget Will Not Cause a Constitutional Crisis

News Links:

 

Meme Text:

The DOGE Witness Channeling Roy Orbison

“There Goes My Budget, There Goes My Heart…”

News Links:

MAGA cruelly mocks DOGE committee hearing witness just because he’s blind

Notes From JWR: 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:

“To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

For our God is a consuming fire.” – Hebrews 12:23-29 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 15, 2025

On February 15, 1867, Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube waltz premiered in Vienna.

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Today’s feature article is a guest piece from our friend Brandon Smith. It is not part of the writing contest judging.

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We are seeking entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Mass Deportations: How To Keep Illegals From Coming Back, by Brandon Smith

For months before and after Donald Trump’s election win there was an army of naysayers crawling the Internet claiming that he would “never follow through” on his promises and that deportations “were not going to happen”. Most of these people were leftists trying to sow the seeds of doubt. At least some claimed to be conservatives and were perhaps disenchanted with the inaction of Donald Trump’s first term in office. I know I was not expecting much back then.

In 2017 Trump’s cabinet confirmations took a decidedly swampy turn and his administration was overrun with Neo-Cons and banking elites. I criticized this outcome harshly at the time. However, I was willing to acknowledge a reasonable explanation – That Trump was being misled by advisers with ulterior motives. After all, every president has around 4,000 positions to fill in their administration and most of them will defer that duty to their advisers.Continue reading“Mass Deportations: How To Keep Illegals From Coming Back, by Brandon Smith”

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:

The past week entailed a lot of driving. I had to make trips to Coeur D’Alene two days in a row, for my cataract surgery, and a follow-up examination.  After my surgery, since I had one eye dilated and covered, Lily did all of the driving. She is such a wonderful blessing, as a Helpmeet.

My vision in my right eye is recovering about as well as  can be expected. That eye is optimized for “close” focus — the distance of my desktop computer  screen or a pistol front sight. Hopefully, it will be nearly perfect by the time the surgeon does the lens replacement on my left eye. That one will be optimized for driving.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.

He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.” – Psalm 18:1-23 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 14, 2025

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent was fought on February 14, 1797: The British fleet commanded by Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated the larger Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba y Ramos near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal. Captain Horatio Nelson distinguished himself in this naval battle.

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February 14, 1803: Writing the majority opinion in the landmark Marbury V. Madison decision, Chief Justice John Marshall declared that any act of U.S. Congress that conflicts with the Constitution is null and void.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 117 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. 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 $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.