Month: May 2010

From Zero to Prepared in Five Years, by Jon the Marine

At the young age of 17 and a half after having completed High School earlier than most of my peers and with parental consent, I joined the United States Marine Corps. The date was June of 1999. The next four years of my life would be interesting, exciting, dangerous, and eye opening. Quickly making me leave the naive boyhood I had then, and realizing what a dark place most of the world really is. At the end of my four year commitment, I returned home from a year deployment in Afghanistan, and chose to discharge honourably once my contract was …


Three Letters Re: Four Great Preparedness Myths

Dear Mr. Rawles, I read with a great deal of interest Dan B.’s piece on the Four Great Preparedness Myths, and although I have to agree with points 3 and 4, I have to take issue with the first two in his list. He says that “no one who has actually tried to defend themselves against a large group of determined assailants actually thinks it can be done”. Yes, no one person can defend themselves against a horde of attackers very long. But a group of ten or more, if they prepare themselves mentally, logistically and above all spiritually, can …


A Closeup View of the Rioting in Thailand

Hello Mr. Rawles, I haven’t corresponded with you in quite some time;. I hope you are keeping well. The reason I’m writing is that I’ve just received an email from a woman I used to work with who came from and went back to Bangkok, Thailand. I thought your readers might be interested (especially in the second paragraph). “Things are getting very bad out there. They are happening on major streets of Bangkok and they are not far from my house. I can hear Helicopter flying over head and can see black smoke over the sky. This morning the red …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this from Mish Shedlock: Illinois Doesn’t Pay Bills; Crisis Pushes Businesses to Edge of Bankruptcy Also from G.G.: Germans lead gold rush frenzy Chad S. sent this one: GM wants more subprime buyers; will lender agree? Also from Chad S. come this article from Detroit, Michigan: Landscapers find workers choosing jobless pay Items from The Economatrix: Lloyd’s of London Warns of “Perfect Storm” Threat to Insurers Markets Plunge as Merkel Delivers Euro Warning and Bans Short Selling Congress Blocks Indiscriminate IMF Aid to Europe US Housing Starts Jump, Wholesale Prices Fall Stocks Slide After Investors Focus on Europe …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader R.B.S. pointed me to a web site that I heretofore hadn’t heard of: Escape From America Magazine    o o o Ben L. mentioned a new electric “limb lopper” electric chainsaw. They are quiet, but of course for Grid Down situations, always keep a gas chainsaw on hand!    o o o F.S. pointed me to an interesting site: Modern Stronghold.



Note from JWR:

Do you have any favorite quotes that relate to preparedness, survival, self-sufficiency, or hard money economics? If so, then please send them via e-mail, and I will likely post them as Quotes of the Day, if they haven’t been used before in SurvivalBlog. Please send only quotes that are properly attributed, and that you’ve checked for authenticity. Many Thanks! — 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 …


Pregnancy and Nutrition in Hard Times, E.C. in Alabama

As a mother of a toddler with one on the way, and a former medical student and “birth junkie,” I’m very interested in the plight of the pregnant woman and newborn child in Third World nations (i.e. women with no access to higher-level medical attention) and in TEOTWAWKI scenarios.  Pregnancy is a vulnerable time in a woman’s life, and her nutrition is paramount. Of course, quitting any noxious habits, like smoking, drinking, and drugs of addiction, is crucial. Beyond that, good nutrition is the best prenatal care mother and child can get. The modern pharmaceutical industry would have you believe …


Letter Re: Self-Storage Spaces as Caches

Hello Mr Rawles, I have been reading your blog for about a year and truly have benefited from the valuable information. In regards to the round or disc lock for the self storage units, I have found that these locks can be easily picked by a simple pen as demonstrated on YouTube. Here is the following link: If anyone knows of another device/lock that can not be easily picked I sure would appreciated it. Sincerely, – Lynn in Washington JWR Replies: Even the best padlock should be considered only a delay–not a true barrier. Most padlocks –including disc or “hockey …


Letter Re: Saving in the Hard Times, for the Harder Times

James Wesley, Mrs. C.J. had some excellent ideas in her article, and I’d like to add a couple of suggestions about laundry/cleaning supplies. Since we have a septic system, I’m always mindful of the substances we’re putting into the ground. The Internet is a great source of recipes for homemade cleaners of all types, using ingredients that are a lot cheaper and safer than the store-bought items. For example, I use a few drops of tea tree oil (an antibiotic) and a squirt of Ivory Liquid in a spray bottle, add water, and have a great all-purpose cleaner for the …


Economics and Investing:

Reader “G2” sent this: China revaluation would hurt U.S.: World Bank’s Lin. G2’s comments: “The denial by China regarding revaluing its currency and it’s resistance to do so makes it seem quite possible that they will revalue the renminbi soon. i.e. ‘Believe nothing until it’s officially denied’, and ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks.’” The Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB) keeps growing: Here’s Another $23 Billion Bailout That You May Have Missed This Week. G.G. suggetsed this from The New York Post: The Next Di$a$ter–Federal mortgage insurance   Items from The Economatrix: First Gold, Now Europe Running Out of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader L.S.C. sent us this: Army recalls 44,000 combat helmets. L.S.C. says: “File under ‘caveat emptor’ for anyone looking to buy helmets on the surplus market!”    o o o L.J. sent us the latest news from England: Parents of under-fives face ‘nanny state’ home inspections to keep children safe    o o o I just heard about very worthy non-profit charitable organization called Homes for Our Troops. They build specially adapted homes for severely wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Al lof the homes are donated to the veterans by the organization. This is their way of thanking …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“While Barack Obama was making his latest pitch for a brand new, even more unsustainable entitlement at the health care “summit,” thousands of Greeks took to the streets to riot. An enterprising cable network might have shown the two scenes on a continuous split-screen – because they’re part of the same story. It’s just that Greece is a little further along in the plot: They’re at the point where the canoe is about to plunge over the falls. America is further upstream and can still pull for shore, but has decided, instead, that what it needs to do is catch …


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 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com. (A $275 value.), and D.) A 500 round case …


Shopping For Your Survival Retreat, by John J.

One of the hardest things to do in living a survivalist lifestyle is acquiring a retreat. You’ll discover rather quickly that your finances will determine the type and size of property you’ll be able to purchase. Another problem which you will encounter is determining where you should buy your retreat. The area you’re looking at property in should be done with a good deal of research. You’re likely to come across many types of deals in your search and you’ll discover that some are better than others, but you need to find the one that’s right for you. This of …