Day: July 2, 2009

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 23 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350. Third Prize: A copy of …


Practical Survival Trapping, by Jason C.

There is nothing more soothing to the soul then quietly enjoying a stroll through the woods, forests, and outdoor areas of this great countryside. And having a rifle or shotgun over your shoulder for the chance opportunity at a squirrel, deer, dove, or pheasant is nothing short of perfection for many of us. However, in a survival situation, a hard day of hunting with nothing to show for it is not only depressing but can be downright dangerous. A person in a survival situation must conserve their energy at all costs. Any activity that doesn’t produce something towards the goal …


Letter Re: A Distaff Prepper’s Comments on an Appleseed Shooting Weekend

Mr. Editor, I just wanted to let you know I attended my first RWVA Appleseed shoot last weekend and it was a great experience. I found them from their link on SurvivalBlog. I learned how to use a sling and fire from different positions, among other things, and over all improved my mastery of my rifle. It was well worth my time for the weekend and I will be attending another one in a couple of months. Another nice feature of the Appleseed program is ‘women shoot free’ ! So husbands can bring their wives (children shoot free too, up …


Letter Re: Brumby Compressed Air-Powered Well Pumps

Dear Captain Rawles, Are you perchance familiar with Brumby Well Pumps? They work using compressed air and are being manufactured in Australia. From what I can tell, this is a good idea if you can get compressed air to the pump. This leads to the next question: Is there a practical way of operating an air compressor with either a wind turbine or a mechanical means not requiring the grid or a gasoline engine of some sort? When I lived in Germany I saw a number of old Volkswagen air-cooled engines that had been converted to serve as air compressors. …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

Map: US swine flu by state (Thanks to JP for that link) A/H1N1 Swine Flu Tamiflu Resistance Spreading British Medical Association Warns Parents Against “Swine Flu Parties” UK: Girl, 9, Dies in Big Surge of Swine Flu Cases Swine Flu Outbreak Worsens in Argentina New England Journal of Medicine: Spread of a Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Via Global Airline Transport


Economics and Investing:

Reader Wayne S. sent us a link to an interactive map with three “toggle” views that gives some very useful and interesting information for anyone looking to relocate. Wayne notes: “It’s truly amazing to see that most of the states that have done the best job managing their budgets are also the same states that infringe upon personal liberties the least…. Coincidence or not? As you have said many times on your blog, ‘vote with your feet!’” Reader HPD suggested this piece by Thorsten Polleit: Inflation: What You See and What You Don’t See From frequent content contributor GG: U.K. …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Cheryl sent us a link to a PDF from Brookings: Which Path to Persia: Options for a New American Strategy Toward Iran    o o o Reader “MysteryMeat” mentioned this New York Times article: It’s Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson recommended two John Campbell (The Arizona Bushman) outdoor survival videos available on YouTube: The Hand Fire Drill and a Field Expedient Bow    o o o The folks at Directive21 (one of our newest advertisers) have expanded their product line to include stainless steel Berkey water …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Inflation is a special concern over the next decade given the pending avalanche of government debt about to be unloaded on world financial markets. The need to finance very large fiscal deficits during the coming years could lead to political pressure on central banks to print money to buy much of the newly issued debt.” – Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, from commentary in The Financial Times, June 26, 2009