Note from JWR:

Many thanks to the several new 10 Cent Challenge subscribers hat have signed up in the last few days. These subscriptions are entirely voluntary, and gratefully accepted. The Memsahib’s recent hospitalization was incredibly expensive, so your support of SurvivalBlog is particularly appreciated this month!




Letter Re: The Shenandoah Valley as a Retreat Locale?

Mr. Editor: I live 50 miles west of Washington, DC. How do you feel about the Shenandoah mountains area as a retreat location? I was thinking about building a cabin with a Safecastle underground [blast/fallout/security] shelter. I have not yet bought the land yet but it is a good time to do so. I look forward to talking with you soon. – Mike JWR Replies: I highly recommend Safecastle’s shelters, but a shelter by itself will not ensure our safety in truly desperate times. You will also need geographic isolation. I think that anywhere that is within one tank of …







Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations

Jim, Love ya brother, but low rigs are not necessarily”Mall Ninja.” A coupe of circumstances warrant them; First, body armor like US military issue Interceptor Body Armor (IBA). Having a pistol on your hip when wearing IBA/rack gear is not fun. The gun and gear is always gimping you and hanging up, especially when you’re in and out of vehicles. Second; when you’re wearing a BDU or ACU type top that isn’t tucked in. Again, it’s constantly binding or hanging up and, unlike an open front vest, digging up under the top to get at the gun and then trying …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Dave in S.C. recommended a handy FAQ on DC batteries.    o o o Cyberiot sent us this article: Problem bank list keeps growing. It includes this troubling metric: “FDIC says list of troubled banks in 2nd quarter grows to 117 with $78 billion in assets – up from 90 banks, $26 billion in assets in 1st quarter…” Speaking of the FDIC, several other readers suggested this article: FDIC weighs tapping Treasury as funds run low. I’ve said it before: Be ready for a massive wave of bank runs, folks.    o o o Reader “MGB” suggested a piece over …




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Ludwig von Mises warned us that governments will destroy free-markets long before they ever understand how they work. I would like to add that governments will destroy free-markets if they do not like the message of the market. Government intervention after all is nothing but a blatant attempt to change the market’s message about the price of some good or service. We have seen this intervention time and again by governments around the world, including the U.S. government. Sen. Lieberman’s bill to prevent institutional investors from buying commodities is a good example of this penchant to destroy the market process …