Note from JWR:

There have been several new listings added at SurvivalRealty.com in the past few weeks, in Illinois, Nevada, Texas, and even one in Australia. It is rapidly becoming the go-to place for finding survival retreat properties. Some of the property listings make fascinating reading, like the one up in northwestern Montana, near Glacier National Park.




The Incredible Disappearing Retreat in the Woods

Here is something that heretofore I have only shared with a few of my consulting clients: an approach at rural retreat construction that can make a rural retreat of 10 acres or more essentially “disappear”. If there is a thick screen of trees or tall brush between the public road and potential building sites at your undeveloped country retreat parcel, then your property might be a good candidate for a “hidden retreat house”. This is accomplished by making as few changes as possible when the parcel is viewed from the county road. No fancy entry gate, no mailbox, basically nothing …




Letter Re: Hunkering Down or Storing Gear in a Commercial Building

Mr. Rawles, As always I enjoy the site and the support you provide. I would like to mention a few items that have come up lately here in South Florida with regards to survival in an urban area. This may be of particular concern to any of your readers that live in urban areas or for those that are not yet at a point in their preparations, or lives, to be able to move to a better, less populous location. First, as has been mentioned on this web site, in your novel “Patriots“, and by every credible “prepper” in the …




Letter Re: Voting With Your Feet–Comparing Economic Freedom in the 50 States

Mr. Rawles, A study was conducted by William P. Ruger and Jason Sorens of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University on a ranking of states basis on personal and economic freedoms. It is titled: Freedom in the 50 States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom. It encompasses items such as income tax, gun laws and homeschooling (among many other areas). My state unfortunately ranks in the bottom thirteen. As my family and I search for another income means it may behoove us to “vote with our feet”, as you say. Here is an abstract of the study: Abstract This …




Economics and Investing:

Vicki sent us a bit of video mirth to cheer us up, since there is more bad economic news to come: Taxpayers Clearinghouse Prize Patrol – Yes We Can! Thanks to OSOM for this: Marc Faber goes survivalist (as quoted in Bloomberg). “The best bet for investors may be to buy a farm and escape from the cities, as a prolonged recession could lead to war, as the Great Depression did.” From Bill in Ohio: The D-word: Will recession become something worse? From reader HPD: Bernanke Says U.S. May Need to Expand Bank Rescue. (Yea, the girth of the great …




Odds ‘n Sods:

A gent in the Peak Oil camp recently posted a very interesting round-up review that compares James Howard Kunstler’s novel World Made by Hand to several other post-collapse novels, namely: Parable of the Sower, Lucifer’s Hammer, The Road, Wolf and Iron, The Long Emergency (also by Kunstler, non-fiction), and my novel Patriots . I think he went way too far when he referred to me as “the patron saint of survivalism.” I believe that the moniker “obscure, backwoods enthusiast” would have been much more accurate.    o o o Upcoming hearings: A new NAIS legislative battle. Please contact your congresscritters …




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Until they realize that their agenda is destroying the life savings of millions of Americans, then all I can give you is caution… I’m not saying Mr. President go stare at the Bloomberg quote machine and come to your senses. I just want some sign that Obama realizes the market is totally falling apart and that his agenda has a big hand in that happening. I don’t know about you but I felt it everywhere I went this weekend… A young kid took me aside. He said I was right when I said we’ve elected a Leninist… I felt the …