Note from JWR:

Congrats to Matthew B., the high bidder in the recent SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. Today we begin a new auction. This one is for two cases (12 cans) of Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans donated by Ready Made Resources, a course certificate for a four-day Bushcraft & Survival Course valued at $550, 25 pounds of green (unroasted) Colombian Supremo coffee courtesy of www.cmebrew.com, and a set of 1,600 U.S. Military Manuals, Government Manuals, and Civil Defense Manuals, Firearm Manuals on two CD-ROM disks. The opening bid is just $50. Details on this new auction will be posted soon. …




Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor

Mr. Rawles: I’ve seen your advice on guns and commo gear, but what do you recommend for bulletproof vests? Should I have one for concealment, and a separate [heavier] one for a stand-up fight in the worst case? Or is there a compromise thickness? Also, what do the [NIJ vest rating] “Levels” stand for, exactly? Thank Ye Much, – Arnie V. JWR Replies: I forwarded your questions to Nick at BullterProofME.com, since his knowledge of body armor dwarfs my own. Here is his response: Dear Arnie: Your questions are very well put.  The most basic question of Body Armor is …




Letter Re: Request for Investing Advice

Mr. Rawles: After reading “Patriots” last year, much like Mr. H., I was decidedly ready to act, but largely unprepared logistically. It can be overwhelming and the feeling that “I had a long way to go” was ever present (it still is and I suspect always will be as my education never ends). I’d just like to remind the author to not worry, you’ll get the stuff; you’ve already taken the first step and done something. But preparedness is more than material, the mindset is most important. Start to live right, be frugal, be healthy. Don’t be reliant on outside …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Larry in Cincinnati spotted this sobering Banking Times article: Central bank body warns of Great Depression. Gee, have they been reading SurvivalBlog?    o o o Jack B. flagged this from Scotland: Petrol supplies dwindling as tanker drivers’ strike fuels panic buying    o o o If you are wealthy and want to own the ultimate “Get Out of Dodge” vehicle, I noticed that there is an U.S. Army/ARVN configuration Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando wheeled armored personnel carrier listed for sale at Dave Uhrig’s site. It make the up-armored Ferret Mark 4 that I once owned look wimpy, by comparison. …