Month: February 2009

Note from JWR:

Today’s first post is a cross-post (with permission) from Dr. Richard’s excellent Virginia Prepper’s Network Blog. His article addresses a fundamental issue that is a concern for most SurvivalBlog readers. Choosing between a rural retreat versus an “in town” approach is a decision that should be made deliberately, with plenty of study and prayer. There is not a “one size fits all” solution. Choosing a retreat locale depends upon your personal circumstances, the size of your extended family , your source of income, your health and fitness, your stage in life, and your personal envisioning of the future. OBTW, be …


Survival Retreat vs. Neighborhood Survival, by Dr. Richard

Earlier this month, I posted Etienne’s guest post Seeking/Starting a Survival Retreat in Virginia / Maryland / Pennsylvania / West Virginia. Today, I had lunch with Etienne de la Boetie and another prepper here in Loudoun County [, Virginia]. We had a long discussion about survival retreats vs neighborhood survival. Etienne is a big fan of the survival retreat concept. He previously had a retreat where he did not own the land but where he was able to store a travel trailer recreational vehicle in which he pre-positioned various preps and supplies. Unfortunately, his friend moved and sold the property. …


Letter Re: Should You Invest in Real Estate?

To quote Robert Prechter, “Short Answer is: no. Long Answer: The worst thing about real estate is its lack of liquidity during a bear market. At least in the stock market, when your stock is down 60 percent and you realize you’ve made a horrendous mistake, you can call your broker and get out (unless you’re a mutual fund, insurance company or other institution with millions of shares, in which case, you’re stuck). With real estate, you can’t pick up the phone and sell. You need to find a buyer for your house in order to sell it. In a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles returns to the small screen tomorrow evening. It has been moved to what has been called the Friday night “death slot.” There are rumors that the series will canceled. Cue the sad, sweet theme music to Firefly. 🙁 Meanwhile, there is plenty of buzz about the Terminator 4: Salvation feature film, which should be released on May 22nd.    o o o Craig W. flagged this: The (Zimbabwean) Dollar – The Point of No Return. (They’ve slashed another 12 zeroes!)    o o o Thanks to Stephen B. who was the first of several SurvivalBlog …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“With the planned fiscal stimulus (taxing future generations), the National Debt will reach 100 percent of GDP during the Obama administration. When Argentina’s economy collapsed in 1998, their National Debt as a percentage of GDP was 65 percent. The Great Deniers say we are not Argentina. They say we are safe because the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency of the world. This is like jumping off a 20 story building and as you pass the 10th floor someone yells out the window asking how you are doing. You answer, ‘Good, so far’.” – James Quinn


Notes from JWR:

The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $1,510. This auction ends at midnight (Eastern time) on Sunday, February 15th. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes:: 1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 36 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original Austrian FN-FAL steel 20 round magazines, with cartridge counter holes, 10 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (all Colt made!) alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Excellent condition original Glock Model 19 …


One View on the Ultimate Vehicular Bug Out by Jerry the Generator Guy

There hasn’t been much discussion regarding what might be a well-planned bug out. The following is an overview of our vehicular bug out plan. This overview is offered to assist others in fleshing out their specific needs and plans. If you are like us, then you believe that the local area is not viable for long term personal survival. Thus we are forced to consider quickly getting to an alternate location. I won’t present our criteria for the destination as everyone has different needs. We selected a locale for serious consideration and visited there. The “boots on the ground” impression …


Letter Re: My First Attempt at Forming a Retreat Group

Jim; I prayed, reflected and then invited several families to work with me to form a group. Here are my results: – I formed an agenda, created a ‘private’ [password-protected] web site where I posted articles (in PDF files), created links to web sites like SurvivalBlog, and set a date to gather at my home – I found near universal interest as folks are scared about the economy and direction our country has taken – People eagerly attended meetings (every two weeks), opined, and felt very good about gathering – Three months into gathering I printed up some rules and …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Bullion sales hit record in rush to safety    o o o Rory sent us a link to a video clip of a home invasion robbery foiled by an armed and vigilant Tucson homeowner. Given the 1-to-4 defender to attacker ratio, the homeowner did a creditable job.    o o o Our thanks to Florida Guy and Scotty who both sent this: Gun dealers experiencing shortages of ammo    o o o Some news and commentary, courtesy of The Economatrix: Marc Faber: US Will Default on Debt or Enter Hyperinflation — California Begins Employee Furloughs, Closing Offices — Record 19 …



Note from JWR:

An update on the big 25% off special on Mountain House and Alpine Aire freeze-dried foods in #10 cans, offered by Ready Made Resources: To do better than any competing offer, they are offering free shipping on case lots, and are including some free bonus items with each order. This is in accord with their long-standing “we will not be undersold” sales policy. This sale ends in just four days (on February 14th), so be sure to get your order in soon!


Letter Re: Gun Laws in Sweden

Hello, Mr Rawles! Thank you for a great and very useful blog. Thanks for your time and effort that makes for a good, bulky read every morning. On more then one occasion I´ve had to hurry to work because of the lengthy articles. It seems like you´re receiving letters about gun ownership from around the globe so I thought I´d share Sweden´s gun situation with you. Sweden has quite liberal gun laws for those who are determined, compared to many other European countries. Compared to the US it´s a hassle, of course, but no problem if you are focused. Sweden …


Letter Re: Diesel Motorcycles Coming to America?

Sir: Take a look at the E.V.A. Track Turbo Diesel Adventure Tourer Motorcycle. Here is a description from Motorcycle Daily: “The Dutch company E.V.A., builder of small diesel engines as well as an interesting two-wheel-drive system for motorcycles, intends to bring such a bike to market in Europe, and perhaps even the U.S.A. this year. It’s called the Track, and it may be just the bike to have for the apocalypse.” Here is a link to the E.V.A. company’s web site. 73s, – Steve


Letter Re: The Ozarks as a Retreat Locale

Mr. Rawles; The Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains are part of a very old series of mountains that runs from the Mississippi drainage to the Red River. This formation has been worn down to its present height by erosion and was more recently split by the Arkansas river. In addition to the generous growing season and precipitation you mentioned, many parts of this area have recoverable natural gas deposits and in is common for farms along the Arkansas river to have gas well heads. In addition to a monthly payment, many of these farms also enjoy free natural gas …