Month: August 2009

Two Letters Re: Here Comes Winter!

Dear JWR, I enjoyed the great advice from Peter H. on being prepared in the winter. As a life-long Chicagoan and having spent lots of time snowmobiling in upper Wisconsin, please let me offer a few additional tips on dressing for cold weather. Keeping warm in the cold is all about layering underneath and waterproof on the outside. I prefer cotton clothes to the newer athletic-type wicking clothes which don’t seem to hold the heat as well. Start with cotton long underwear which is snug but not too tight. A second pair of long underwear is all you should need …



Economics and Investing:

Eugene in Anaheim sent this: New Cash Steered to Clunkers Thanks to Karen H. for this: America’s Recession ‘Safe Zone’ Shrinking From The Daily Bell: Bob Chapman on gold, silver, a bank holiday and the monetary elite Regulators shut down banks in five states; Regulators close banks in Fla., NJ, Ohio, Okla., Ill.; 69 US bank failures this year Items from The Economatrix: Weiss: Urgent Financial and Economic Crisis Investment Strategy Update “It’s only fair to acknowledge that the economic depression I foresaw in my book and in my reports is unfolding more slowly than I had expected. … the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Karen H. recommended this piece over at the Utah Prepper’s site: Making Better Char Cloth    o o o Trent H. and GG were the first of nearly a dozen readers to send us this Wall Street Journal piece that is right up our alley: Hollywood Destroys the World The new wave of disaster movies and TV shows isn’t about staving off the apocalypse. It’s what happens afterwards that counts. Viggo Mortensen versus the cannibals.    o o o SurvivalBlog just became a featured blog at AmmoLand.com    o o o What part of “no jurisdiction” don’t they understand? Up …



Notes from JWR:

The first post today is a guest article about Tibetan Yaks. The Memsahib and I raised ultra-wooly black yaks, back in the mid-to-late 1990s. We found them quite easy to manage. Our first yak bull (“Yukon Yak”) bred our Jersey cow, but unfortunately, she threw a bull calf. (We were hoping for a heifer.) Our senior yak cow (“Yetta”) originated from a Canadian zoo, and was far from tame! But all of her offspring including our first bull calf (“Black Yak Pershing”) were very gentle. I’ll never forget their distinctive “Uggh, uggh” yak grunts, and the strange sight of their …


Yak to the Future, by Judy T.

Tibetan Yaks in America? Why yes, about 5,000 of them, and growing. Why yaks? They are the most versatile animal whether you operate a retreat with livestock or plan to Get out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) Yaks can be yoked to pull for logging, farming, or transport. They can pack upwards of 250 pounds which I believe is more than llamas, donkeys or most horses. This is great if you want to carry a yurt or hunt elk and want to pack it out instead of dressing out in the field. Yaks can be ridden like horses and basically fill the …


Two Letters Re: Sterling Silver Flatware for Barter?

James: I want to warn readers about selling sterling and coin silver and other “scrap” [precious] metal silverware and jewelry. Most of the buyers out there are not reputable, and only pay a small fraction of the real “melt” value. You’ll get the best prices by selling directly to the silver foundry-type operations. To make sure that you get paid properly, first weigh your pieces on an accurate scale. Wikipedia says: “Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum …



Economics and Investing:

From reader G.M.H.: Recession Worse than Prior Estimates, Revisions Show Sven sent this: Card Companies Ready to Settle Up Items from The Economatrix: Middle Class Suicide The Collapse of Commercial Property: Towers of Debt Gold Will Hit $1,000 Again The Future Made Simple (The Mogambo Guru) Goodbye Bland Affluence Job Levels Won’t Rebound in California Until 2013 Unpaid Property Taxes Hit Localities Disney Earnings Drop 26% on Weaker Theme Park, Media Results Oil Slips Below $67 as Euro Stocks Falter


Odds ‘n Sods:

Craig K. sent us this: Germans Hoarding Traditional Light Bulbs    o o o Congressmen “fearful for their safety” as town hall meetings “run wild” (Thanks to F.G. for the link.) Gee, it sounds like the “Angry Villager Rule” from Dungeons and Dragons. Perhaps the sale of tar and feathers should be banned, just in case.    o o o House Approves Overhaul of Food Safety Regulations Some claim that this would give the US Government total control over food production.    o o o Five Freedoms You’d Lose in Healthcare Reform


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The president has got to stop promising renewed growth. While this would affect the perceived “standard-of-living” as measured in things like shopping mall sales and vehicle miles driven, it would not necessarily mean diminished “quality-of-life.” It would mean different ways-of-life for a lot of people — for instance, young adults who had expected lifetime employment as corporate executives but who, instead, find themselves ten years from now working at farming. We have an awful lot to get real about.” – James H. Kunstler (author of The Long Emergency)


Notes from JWR:

We’ve completed the judging! The first prize winner for Round 23 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is Mike S., for his article GPS for Day-to-Day Use and Survival. He will receive: 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 entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) The second prize winner is Extraman, for his article Going …


City Data as a Retreat Locale Search Tool

SurvivalBlog Readers: Are you trying to find small towns to evaluate for potential relocation? I’ve been wrestling with the process and have found it tedious at best. There is a web site, however, that can be a valuable resource: City Data. If you follow this link you will come to a page that has the states listed. Click on the state you are interested in Idaho, for example. This link takes you to a list of cities with a population over 6,000. There is a link at the top of the page that lists towns and villages with a population …


Letter Re: Sterling Silver Flatware for Barter?

Mister Rawles: We know having a supply of junk silver is a good idea, and we’re working slowly toward that goal. What would you suggest for those that have inherited sterling flatware or serving pieces? Not many people seem to use them anymore, we sure don’t, but it’s hard to sell them for cash in today’s economic climate. Do they have any value as trade items in a SHTF scenario? What would you suggest doing with these old family items that don’t hold sentimental value for us? Thanks! – Susan W. JWR Replies: Unless they have sentimental value, I recommend …