Year: 2010

Moving to a Small Town as a Retreat (And Why it’s Good to Do it Now), by Bryan B. in Alaska

Two years ago, I was a busy guy. I worked 50-to-60 hour weeks as an equipment and auto mechanic in south central Alaska. I was a Dad, delivery driver and taxi for the family, and maintenance man for our aging trailer. We lived a couple miles from a town of 15,000 on a .75 acre lot with a mobile home. My decent pay barely paid all the bills and fuel costs of going to work. To top things off, I had just “woke up” to what was going on and had no idea how I was going to prepare for …


Letter Re: Automated Budgeting Tools for Preppers

Hi James, One of the pages on my web site has to do with budgets. It’s a short page, and takes into consideration that there are four basic pay periods for individuals not working under contract (IRS Form 1099 workers). On it, I’ve included four spreadsheet files that are Excel compatible. These are blanks, with calculations that carry over from month to month, and are not too involved. I wanted them to be useful for people that have basic computer skills, but feel uncomfortable with traditional budget software packages. I also included a link to OpenOffice, which is an open …


Letter Re: Caring for Babies in TEOTWAWKI

Hello Mr. Rawles, What a fine blog you have! I read with interest the entry Caring for Babies in TEOTWAWKI. I respond to the part about breastfeeding your infants. The author makes many excellent points about the tactical advantage of breastfeeding infants as opposed to relying on formula, including the potential to feed other members of your family. If you are successfully breastfeeding when the balloon goes up, it would be very advantageous for your family to have a battery operated breast pump, simply to collect more milk. The author also included a very touching video of a woman acting …


Economics and Investing:

Brett G. highlighted this news article: Roubini Predicts 20 Percent Stock Market Fall Also from Brett: 25 Questions to Ask Anyone Who is Delusional Enough to Believe That This Economic Recovery is Real Reader M.S.B. sent this piece by Egon von Greyerz: Hyperinflation Guaranteed Jonathan C. forwarded this: Global Banks May Need $1.5 Trillion in Capital, Study Says Also from Jonathan C.: FDIC Closes on Sale of $233 Million of Notes Backed by Commercial Real Estate Loans. Jonathan’s comments: Reading between the lines of the $233 Million sale is the fact that it is a 77% discount since the assets …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Jeff B. sent this scary article link: What if a hurricane were to slam into the oil slick?    o o o Robert S. sent us the link to this charming news: Dengue Fever in Florida Portends a Growing Problem    o o o JM from Michigan mentioned the many older (out of copyright) on-line books and info that are available at Archive.org. BTW, it is also the home of the “Way Back Machine”– a fascinating web archive search tool that allows you view deleted web sites, or to see what current sites looked like in their early days.    …



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 …


Caring for Babies in TEOTWAWKI by A. & C. K.

You’ve seen it in the movies: the very pregnant woman gets stuck in traffic, or an elevator, or wherever on the way to the delivery room. (Although, a very pregnant woman was recently rescued by Sheriff’s helicopter on I-40 during the recent floods here in Middle Tennessee!) On the screen she usually makes it to the hospital with some stunt driving from a frantic father or some Samaritan will deliver the baby in the back seat. The whole affair ends with smiling patients and doctors happily mewling over a freshly swaddled newborn. Then everyone heads home in their nice family …


Letter Re: Advice on CB Radios

Jim, My husband and I have been studying and implementing many of your recommendations in your book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” and I have a question about the Cobra 148 GTL 40-channel CB radio. Does it work on DC power only, or can it be used in our safe room on AC power? The shortwave receiver you recommended also includes CB, so why do we need another CB radio? Although these are old technologies, they are new to us, so we would appreciate more info. Thanks. – Linda G. JWR Replies: Like …


Two Letters Re: Lessons From the Tennessee Floods

First things first, please accept my heartfelt thank you for your excellent web site and all of the information you have helped disseminate to folks such as myself. My heart goes out to the people of Nashville and the disaster they are facing from the flooding. However, the logical part of me is astounded by all of this as the media and government (http://www.nashville.gov/oem/preparedness/wcd.asp) in Nashville have been repeatedly warning people to prepare for a major flood since 2005 and have held numerous public meetings in conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The warnings were not from …


Economics and Investing:

Reader P.D. flagged this: One false move in Europe could set off global chain reaction G.G. sent this: Nouriel Roubini: “We are still in the middle of this crisis and there is more trouble ahead of us” Dave D. was the first of several readers to mention this article: New rules might not stop next financial crisis; After Senate debate, passage, many loopholes exist in regulations. At issue are those uncontrolled derivatives–finally being recognized asa threat by the mainstream media. Brian B. forwarded this CNBC piece: Global Markets Now Infected with Europe Fear On the lighter side, comes this comedy …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Just three days left! Safecastle (one of our most loyal advertisers) is running a special sale from May 16-29 only, with 25% Off All Mountain House #10 Cans, and free Shipping to the Lower 48 States. There are additional freebies, depending on the quantity that you order. (See their web page for details.)    o o o Reader Ray B. mentioned this article in an Everett, Washington newspaper: Our volcano: Glacier Peak is the hidden threat in our back yard    o o o Beatriz mentioned this great web site on dehydrating foods at home: Dehydrate2Store.    o o o …



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 …


Living Like TEOTWAWKI Could Come at Any Time, by Mrs. C.J.

If you even so much as glance at the news or if you’re like me and check out The Drudge Report every morning, you can’t help but realize the world is becoming more and more uncertain. It seems that anything could happen at the drop of a hat and without little, if any, fore-warning. Volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods seem to be changing or taking the lives of unsuspecting people almost daily. The threat of nuclear warfare is always just beyond the horizon. If we ever experience an EMP, we could be without power and [utility-supplied] water for months. Most …