Month: March 2008

Letter Re: Choosing a State for Relocation

Dear Jim, I found this article on the safest states to live in, based on major crime rates. Compare that to this article from “Parents” magazine, who[‘s author] seems to rate states by the number of socialist laws they have. This is the [same] magazine whose solution to children fearing fire, after seeing the attacks of Sep 11 [2001], was “therapy.” I used the expedient of starting a small brush pile out back, dousing it with an extinguisher, and leaving a new extinguisher in their room. $30 is a lot cheaper and less stigmatizing than “therapy,” and had the practical …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Reader “LG” sent us this: Fed’s rescue halted a derivatives Chernobyl. JWR’s comment: I think “delayed” would have been a more accurate word than “prevented”, for the headline    o o o KAF flagged this Reuters article: Cities grapple with surge in abandoned homes    o o o RBS found a piece that is probably already “old news” to most SurvivalBlog readers: Cell Phones–FBI Can Listen In, Even When Phone is Turned Off    o o o Bee plague worsening, anxious keepers say


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“[Recognition of] Peak Oil will never catch on in any major way, at least no more than the folks in the Tower of Babel economy ever caught on to the big flaw in their economic model. We’ve got 50 years invested in suburban buildout economy, 150 years invested in industrial living, and 500 years invested in the age of expansion to come to understand just what this means for us, at least in the aggregate.” – Matt Savinar, Editor of Life After The Oil Crash (LATOC)


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.


My Seven Favorite North American Edible Wild Plants, by Paul C.

In light of the impending economic and social crisis, a knowledge of edible wild plants is essential. I have included a list of seven easily recognized plants in this discussion, but keep in mind there are hundreds of edible species. These seven are common throughout much of North America. When foraging, one must remember that if you need a field guide to identify a plant, you are not ready to eat that plant. However, field guides with color photographs are necessary for anyone interested in this activity. In my opinion, the best field guide on the market today is The …


Letter Re: Deep Family Roots Versus “Ideal Location” When Considering Relocation

Good Evening, I’ve recently become a reader of your web site – thank you for the excellent resource. Having read through your information on Recommended Retreat Areas, I have an additional question or two. My husband, kids and I currently live in Utah. He has family here, within an hour drive. We also live in a heavily populated area, right on the Wasatch Fault. That is worrisome. My mother, many cousins and close friends live in rural coastal North Carolina. My mom lives alone and is aging. We have thought ahead to the possibility of needing to care for her. …


Two Letters Re: Some Offshore Retreat Considerations, by P. Traveler

James, I see a lot of letters concerning ‘re-locating’ out of the U.S. What are these people thinking? If there is one country that still has a modicum of privacy, freedom, and the ability to ‘disappear’ into the wilderness, then it is here in the U.S. Where in the world can you own the variety and quantity of firearms than here? [Where else can you] stockpile food, go off the grid et cetera? The legal system is still intact here as well, so you can win in court under most circumstances. I just cant figure Americans willing to give up …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SF in Hawaii mentioned Wisemen Trading and Supply. Check out the “Picklemeister”, near the bottom of their crocks product page.    o o o Tonight’s season finale episode of the Jericho television series (Tuesday, March 25, 2008), titled “Patriots and Tyrants” looks like it will be good. The five minute teaser for the finale (on the CBS web site) shows a pro-Second Amendment message hat is most unusual for a network television show. No wonder that the show is now rumored to be doomed to cancellation. OBTW, all of the first and second seasons are now available for online viewing. …



Note from JWR:

One way that you can help increase the readership of SurvivalBlog is by e-mailing the Permalinks of blog articles and letters that you think would be of interest to your friends and relatives. Just click on "Permalink" beneath any blog entry. Then you can copy and paste the URL from the displayed Permalinked page into an e-mail. Many thanks!


Two Letters Re: Using Natural Caves on Private Property

Greetings Jim, Memsahib, and Readers, I wanted to mention a couple things regarding caves for shelter or storage. Many years ago, in my youth, I became interested in Spelunking (Caving) and was lucky enough to explore caves in Tennessee with seasoned Spelunkers with fifteen years experience. Depending on your climate you will not only get a ‘wet season’ where you have to deal with a lot of dampness but you may actually face the cave being almost totally under water. We found this out the hard way when on one trip the cave we were going to explore a lower …


Letter Re: Advice on Gold and Silver Coins as a US Dollar Inflation Hedge

Jim, You recommended that I use Swiss America for some gold purchases, which I did. What would you recommend for bartering purposes exactly, as far as gold and precious metals are concerned? I’m confused by all the “collectors” coins and such which are more expensive. Do you have any specific types of coins that you think would be ideal for trading? I purchased some collector 1 ounce coins for their easy-liquidation (and no tax paper trail on gains) as a hedge against inflation, but I’m looking to get some good barter gold for long-term post-SHTF security (especially now that gold …


Letter Re: Which .22 Ammo to Store–High Velocity or Subsonic?

Jim, You mentioned the following in your List of Lists: “WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver. Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get plenty of .22 LR (most high velocity hollow points).” High velocity .22 rimfire can be heard from a long way off. Would human predators stalk you and close in for the kill? Think stealth after the SHTF. Here are some figures: High velocity 22 40 grain @ 1,250 fps (hypersonic) = 136 foot …


Letter Re: Forever Postage Stamps as an Inflation Hedge

Jim, I read the piece about the Forever stamps. Not a bad idea if you mail things. But why pay face value? Stamp collectors often purchase large quantities of stamps looking for a one or two particular stamp. Usually they sell off the remaining stamps at less than face value. Also, many stamp collectors invested in full sheets of Stamps issued in the 1950s and 1960s, thinking full sheets would appreciate in value (They didn’t.) These sheets and other bulk postage can often be found selling at 50% to 90% of face value on eBay. So, if your readers need …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Hawaiian K. suggested this blog post by Rick Falkvinge of Sweden: Why the US is collapsing:    o o o The Federal Reserve has now issued denials that it discussing coordinated purchases of mortgage-backed securities with other central banks. Why am I dubious? Harken!, the MOAB commeth.    o o o With gardening season fast approaching in the northern hemisphere, here is a useful YouTube video on composting.    o o o Vic at Safecastle mentioned that the entirely revamped Safecastle Royal Store web page is now up and running. Buyers Club members get 20% off of list prices, and …