Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 30 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), D.) A 500 round case of …




Psychological Preparedness for TEOTWAWKI

We do not know what the future brings, though in the survival community there is no shortage of speculative events that may occur. This article is a brief primer on psychological techniques that can be used in a TEOTWAWKI scenario to help prepare for and stave off psychological fatigue until a time at which you can properly cope with the situation at hand. Also, it provides some coping techniques to help get you back on track after all has settled. Why are we so driven to preparation? The answer is death. It is inevitable, and we must all face it …




Two Letters Re: Fire, The Flame of Life

Jim, TSK’s article on fire was well written; however, I would like to add a few items and clarify a few things for the novice fire starter. I teach fire starting as part of a larger course, and one of the things that I think needs to be stressed is the difference between flame and fire. When you strike a match, or use any of the other starting methods listed, all you have is a flame. In order to turn a flame into a fire you need to first build a proper fire bed, typically using any of the methods …




Economics and Investing:

The Worrying Numbers Behind Underwater Homeowners. A bit of good housing news came in a recent report issued by real estate analytics firm CoreLogic: The number of mortgaged residential properties with negative equity declined slightly to 11.2 million by the end of the first quarter this year, down from 11.3 million at the end of 2009. The bad news: Those 11.2 million loans are 24% of all U.S. mortgages. Add the 2.3 million borrowers who are close to slipping underwater (those with less than 5% equity), and the numbers rise to 13.5 million — 28% of mortgages. B.B. sent this …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Chuck G. spotted this: Using your RV to survive in an earthquake or other natural disaster. This might have some utility for a short-term disaster, but it would be suicidal in something long term. Without propane, your RV will turn into a refrigerator in the winter. Without gas, you will lose mobility, possibly when you are in an inopportune locale. And given the limited room for food storage, once that is consumed, you are likely to end up part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.    o o o A federal judge ends Idaho, Montana wolf hunt. …