The Survival Weekly Dispatch - Volume 11, Issue 48
Hey everyone, thanks for checking out the newsletter this week. We’re just a week away from Christmas and I still have shopping to do. It sounds silly, but the holiday really kind of snuck up on me this year. I think it’s at least partially because Thanksgiving seemed to come so late. That or I’m just getting old, I guess.
On the work front, I have several projects going. I just signed a new contract with Ulysses Press, but I can’t reveal the details just yet. Hopefully soon. I’m waiting to hear back from another book publisher about a pitch I sent them about a month ago. There’s also a book I’m working on that will probably be self-published at some point next year. On top of all that, I’m doing several articles a month for GAT Daily and I have a number of articles I’m writing for Offgrid magazine.
I’m still waiting for the final 2025 publishing schedule for Backwoods Survival Guide magazine, but as it stands right now we’re still planning six issues, plus probably another Gear Guide special in the fall. As soon as I know more, I’ll be sharing it here.
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Prepper Tip -- Plan ahead for the possibility that you and your dog or cat could become separated during or after a disaster.
Microchipping your critters is fairly inexpensive and very common. Shelters and veterinary offices know to scan for them on strays. As needed, you can change your contact information quite easily, so that it’s easy to get in touch with you.
Various companies offer digital pet ID tags. These have scannable QR codes on them, which will provide a ton of information, including your contact info as well as your pet’s vet’s contact info.
I also recommend keeping a reasonably current photo of your pet saved on your phone so that you can easily share it with folks who might help you locate the furry family member.
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There’s a great article here from Joshua Swanagon on how to recognize signs of escalating aggression. Given how tense people seem to be these days, this is good information to know.
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Facebook memories reminded me that it was six years ago this week that my dad’s caregiver tried to swindle him out of his house. Long story short, a friend of her husband’s (along with her and her husband) approached my dad and offered to buy his house. The offer was for less than half of what it was worth, basically just paying off the existing mortgage. They would then graciously allow my dad to continue living there until he passed, paying them rent of course. Had I not insisted at being present for this meeting, dad might have gone along with it and lost what little he still had.
I tell you that to tell you this. If you have older folks in your life, please watch out for them. Make sure the predators in the world don’t take advantage of them. Keep the lines of communication open and actually listen when they talk to you. Pay attention to your gut and speak up if something sounds amiss.
I had/have a lot of issues with both of my parents, most of which are unresolved, but the one thing I don’t regret is doing everything I could to protect dad from those who wished to do him harm. Even if he didn’t see it the same way.
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My favorite episode so far of How to Survive 2025 went live this week. This time around, Dacia, Brian, and myself talked about our favorite survival/disaster novels, TV shows, and movies. You can watch it here or download the audio from your favorite podcast site.
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Our hike this past weekend was a gloomy one. One of those cloudy days with a chill in the air that goes right through you. We had some rainy weather on the way, so we took a quick walk at Price Park just outside Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
Survival Tip – Disasters and Being Charitable
This came up in a prepper Facebook group earlier this week. Here’s what was posted. I’ve corrected typos in the post.
Say SHTF and you decide to help someone with a little home canned food or food sealed in mylar. That indicates you have more so they’ll come back for more and bring other people with them who may take your preps. Not that they wouldn't come back anyway. If you choose to help, how do you avoid signaling you may have much more to give?
This is a somewhat common concern. On the one hand, you don’t want to do anything that will put you or your family in danger. But on the other hand, many of us feel like we’d have a hard time turning other families away.
Here’s one possible solution.
“Hey, listen. I don’t have anything to share, but there’s a church about a mile up the road where people have been leaving a few things they could spare to help others.” They don’t need to know that you’re the local person who’s been leaving things there.
Like everything else under the prepper umbrella, this isn’t the perfect solution for everyone. But maybe it’ll prompt you to come up with something even better for your individual situation.
Backwoods Survival Guide Magazine
For those new to my little corner of the Internet, I am the Editor in Chief for Backwoods Survival Guide magazine. Here is the cover for the current issue available in stores right now.
You can find Backwoods Survival Guide just about anywhere magazines are sold, including:
Walmart
Sam's Club
Costco
Publix
Walgreens
Rite Aid
CVS
Tractor Supply
Fleet Farm
Barnes & Noble
Subscriptions are available here.
Questions, Comments, Complaints, Concerns?
I am always just an email away - jim@survivalweekly.com.