Day: February 21, 2008

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 15 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Round 15 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entries. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Sanitation During a Grid Down Collapse, by Nina in Washington

Sanitation may be an area that is neglected in our preparations for during difficult times. Not because people don’t care, but because we take so much of it for granted we aren’t aware of its importance. There are several areas in the sanitation arena that need to be considered when preparing; 1. Food 2. Daily Living 3.Waste Disposal 4. Medical 5. Deaths The most obvious area to consider is that of our food preparations. We are all aware of the importance of washing our hands and not cross contaminating foods like meats and vegetables. All counters where foods may be …


Letter Re: Your Bug Out Vehicle as Your Daily Driver

I take a different approach to choosing a Bug Out Vehicle (BOV). I recognize many who read this site can afford a well equipped vehicle for your BOV, but not all are in that position. Let me offer a few suggestions for a different slant on the need to get out of Dodge. Here is a description of my daily work/family car. This is a 1999 Plymouth Voyager Minivan, in the longer wheelbase version. This has a 3.3L V-6, and gets about 18 MPG around town and approximately 22-23 MPG on the highway, depending on traffic. This is rated for …


Odds ‘n Sods:

More than a dozen SurvivalBlog readers suggested this important article: America’s economy risks the mother of all meltdowns    o o o Northern Rock Bank to be Temporarily Nationalized. Speaking of banks, Eric and Krys both sent us this: Banks “quietly” borrow $50 billion from Fed    o o o Eric suggested this New York Times piece: Wall Street Banks Confront a String of Write-Downs    o o o Also from Eric comes this Associated Press article: Foreclosed Homes Occupied by Homeless


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Historically, legal tender laws have been used by governments to force their citizens to accept debased and devalued currency. Gresham’s Law describes this phenomenon, which can be summed up in one phrase: bad money drives out good money. An emperor, a king, or a dictator might mint coins with half an ounce of gold and force merchants, under pain of death, to accept them as though they contained one ounce of gold. Each ounce of the king’s gold could now be minted into two coins instead of one, so the king now had twice as much “money” to spend on …