Month: April 2010

Letter Re: The Advent of McBunkers

Hi Mr. Rawles, Here’s an interesting article I just came across: Bunker Mentality: The Ultimate Underground Shelter. This is the web site for the company: Terra Vivos. I guess this concept was inevitable and I would expect that more companies would get into this business. While I don’t fault anyone from wanting to be prepared, I just see tremendous logistical problems that I doubt would be surmountable. It also seems to me that these “McBunkers” might represent a large bullseye target from opportunists. Take care, – BB JWR Replies: I agree! Be very wary of large scale commercial ventures with …


Letter Re: Advice on Moving Offshore

J. Rawles: My wife and I have the chance to buy a farm in the Toledo [southern] district of Belize. With our savings, and [with] what we net out of selling [our house] in San Diego, I can afford to pay cash for it. I really feel the need to “Get Outta Dodge”. The farm has two springs and a creek. I’m self-employed. I write software, freelance, mostly for my former employer. I earn around $80K per year. That [much income] is considered a fortune [in Belize.] I speak decent Spanish, and my wife is fully fluent [in Spanish]. (She …


Letter Re: Standardizing with DeWalt 18 VDC Power Tools

Dear James: As a builder, I rely on 120 VAC current for everything, including charging the dozen or so cordless tool batteries that we use daily. I recently purchased a DeWalt 12VDC “car charger” and am in the process of streamlining my cordless tool collection. I have a bunch of different tools and batteries from a variety of manufacturers, which I’m liquidating. In going to an all-DeWalt power tool collection, I now have the ability to charge all of my batteries (regardless of voltage) from a PV panel and voltage- regulated jump pack. I’m sure other tool manufacturers offer car …


Economics and Investing:

Karen H. sent this indicator that food price inflation is beginning: Wholesale prices rise in March as food costs jump. GG flagged this: Governments Will ‘Bankrupt Us’: Marc Faber Some interesting commentary by our friend Commander Zero: Guns as investments Items from The Economatrix: Are Interest Rate Derivatives a Ticking Time Bomb? Senate Panel Approves Derivatives Reform Bill. And for the inevitable back pedaling, here is press release from a Nebraska Senator’s office on the legislation. (Thanks to M.E. for the latter link). School Districts Around the Country Warn of Deeper Teacher Cuts Job Seekers Too Picky? Demand for US …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Andrew B. suggested this analysis from the folks at Stratfor: Dirty Bombs Revisited: Combating the Hype    o o o Reader Bret F. flagged this: Death of ‘Caveman’ ends an era in Idaho. Oh, and here is a link to a video clip about him: Diggin’ Dugout Dick in Idaho. OBTW, I highly recommend the book Last of the Mountain Men by Harold Peterson, about Sylvan Hart (aka “Buckskin Bill”) who lived up in the River of No Return hinterboonies. Sylvan Hart epitomized true self-sufficiency, and was a genuine character. I would have liked to have met him.    o …


Economics and Investing:

A preview of Things to Come, for the U.S. of A?: Iceland reports record 34 percent inflation Portuguese Five-Year CDS at Record High, Spread Wider. Can you spell D-E-F-A-U-L-T, boys and girls? (Our thanks to Brad F. for the link.) RBS sent this: Forget 10% Unemployment, The Real Job Loss Pain Number is 54% Amy R. sent this: U.S. Food Inflation Spiraling Out of Control Courtesy of frequent content contributor Jeff B.: 10 Cities Facing a Double Whammy of Default Risks Thanks to Mark G. for flagging this: The Housing Crash Has Just Started; Get set for falling prices again. …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: 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 assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of …


TEOTWAWKI Simplified, by Jim S.

Most people find themselves looking at TEOTWAWKI as some sort of extended outdoorsy jaunt. Some people think of it as hard times. Me, I think it could be both, and then again it could be near mass extinction. But to make any type of sensible decision as to disaster preparation, you have to determine what is truly important. So let me simplify things for those of you all wadded up in bugout vehicles and plans for where to go and what ammo and guns are best to “protect yourself”. First, if you are dead, then you will no longer care. …


Letter Re: You May Not Need to Buy New 12 Volt Batteries

Sir: The recent post on battery rejuvenation touts a $200 unit, but the reality is that electronic battery [pulse] desulfators for 12V batteries are widely available for as little as $25 and they do just as well. (Check eBay for the phrase ‘battery desulfator’ and for more info on units, Google search the term.) The devices I believe originated in the Army decades ago and they operate by taking a little of the battery DC and changing it to AC impulses that break down lead sulfate crystals by hitting them at a resonant frequency of the molecule. This may operate …


Economics and Investing:

Reader RBS sent this: Government goes high-tech to redesign $100 bills. RBS warns that with each currency change, there is the risk of the advent of a blocked currency. “That is where there is one variety of note for Domestic use only and one species for foreign use.” JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that U.S. Postal Service Money Orders are already marked “Valid only in the U.S. and Possessions.” Currency controls are coming, folks! Alasdair sent this: Greek debt crisis gets worse as EU revises figures Items from The Economatrix: If The US Economy Falls Will It Result In A …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Yes, our modern global society is now very inter-twingled: Volcano Ash Cloud Sets Off Global Domino Effect; Lack of Flights Entering, Departing Europe Stalls Africa War Crimes Investigation, Halts Japanese Auto Production. (Thanks to Robert B. for the link.)    o o o Chris Y. suggested this article at Trailspace: Human Waste Disposal in the Backcountry.    o o o I just found a very interesting blog that relates to personal privacy: The TechnoFascismBlog.    o o o Paul D. sent this: Police: 89-Year-Old Fires Gun At Intruder. Commenting on the police kindly reloading the revolver for the old woman, …



Notes from JWR:

I’ve had two readers write me to ask how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull. One of them noted: “It took me a year just to learn how to pronounce TEOTWAWKI (“Tea-Ought-Walk-ee”), so now I’m expected to learn this?) Chris Taylor of Word Around the Net explains: “Its pronounced ‘Throat warbler mangrove’”. (An homage to Monty Python.) But as for me, I’ve decided just call the Icelandic volcano “Effie.” I think that’s a nice familiar nickname, and it is probably apropos, since we’ll likely be choking on Effie’s gritty bad cooking for several years, or perhaps even a decade or longer. — Today …


Turning the Corner, by F.J.B.

Today there seems to be any number of reasons for the average American to turn the corner towards preparedness and being self-reliant.  Back in 1993, I would have been able to give you just as many reasons based on my observations through the 1980s.  Not surprisingly there are twice as many reasons for the average man to not start around that corner.  The reasons I have heard the most include the cost factor and objections to living so primitively.  Simply put: today’s average American is too poor and soft to endure hardships like camping, physical labor, and no TV.  These …