Year: 2010

Odds ‘n Sods:

Texas Calls in the Law in Its Beef With Feral Porkers; You Can’t Shoot Them From Helicopters in Dallas Proper; Subtlety Is Required. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)    o o o Also from F.G.: For Jacksonville couple, historical re-enactments are real business    o o o There are now more than a dozen family preparedness podcasts out there. Two of them that I find particularly useful are The Prepper Podcast and The Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast.    o o o Tired from a hike? Rescuers fear Yuppie 911



Notes from JWR:

SurvivalBlog may have some downtime when we make server changes this Wednesday night. The blog page should be back online in less than 24 hours. Don’t panic! — As we remember Pearl Harbor Day, we need to be vigilant, both as a nation, and as individuals. — Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 …


Where’s the Bad Guys? — Morality When the SHTF, by Kelly A.

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You don’t have to read many gun blogs before you are faced with discussion regarding Bad Guys (“BG’s”). The BG shorthand is the current forum-speak for “Bad Guy”. In these discussions you’ll find that BG’s are always in desperate need of having an end put to their pathetic lives, and that they are nothing really but a target waiting to be acquired. But does reality reflect forum logic? Does every BG have an angry scowl and use someone’s beautiful daughter as a human shield? Life, unlike some forum discussions, is chuck-full of gray areas, shadowy concealment, and moral dilemmas where right and …


The Relational Dimension of Survival, by Gene B.

One of the more unsettling observations that I’ve increasingly noticed in the current talking circles of the internet catastrophe/ end-times web-sites is the lack of agreement on whether or not a manmade scenario or an earth caused event hits us first. The preparations for either are complex, the preparations for both at the same time may be so much so, as to leave holes in our efforts. It might be prudent therefore to consider the strength and synergism of developing a team of like minded individuals or families to fill in these holes that may be unseen in our preparations …


Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

Here are the current top-most items on my perpetual bedside pile: I just finished the novel What So Proudly We Hailed by South Carolina author James Howard. It is in the “Cozy Catastrophe” genre, and has a victorious Christian message. I love reading books that are prophetically and scripturally sound. This is the second book, which I’ve read recently, in which the author selects Islam as the religion out of which the Anti-Christ and his prophet arise. This book was both fast-paced and thought provoking. It is a bit scant on the “nuts and bolts” of surviving a disaster, but …


Letter Re: In Praise of Productive Dumpster Diving

JW,R:   Ever since I was a young’n, it has been hard for me to pass a dumpster or trash heap without investigating it.  I quickly learned that folks throw out a lot of good stuff, thinking it is worthless (someone said “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”); e.g. I’ve found appliances which only need a new electrical plug!  Nowadays, the same habit has greatly enhanced my prepping inventory, and best of all, it’s free, leaving more of my tight budget to buy store-bought items.  If you collect more things than you can use, the extras can be bartered, …


Economics and Investing:

Surprise, surprise: Fed aid in financial crisis went beyond U.S. banks to industry, foreign firms B.B. sent this from the Des Moines Register: Why farmland is skyrocketing. (I’ve been telling folks to invest in productive farm land, for many years. I told you so!) How muni bond bust could do big damage Foreclosure mess could threaten banks, report. (A tip of the hat to Kelly D. for the link.) Elitists Leading On An Odyssey Of Economic Ruin. (An excerpt from Bob Chapman’s weekly International Forecaster) Our thanks to frequent link contributor John R. I told you so: Spot silver hit …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBloggers will consider this well-trodden ground, but since it is a concise summary, so it might be a good link to forward to Pollyanna relatives: How To Prepare For The Coming Financial Apocalypse.    o o o V.L. flagged this: Hoarding more than just a little clutter. Unfortunately everyday preppers may get ensnared in new regulations designed to stop compulsive hoarders.    o o o OMG That’s OTT Department: SureFire “Quad-Stack” AR Rifle Magazines. The word “impractical” doesn’t begin to describe this product. Prone shooting? Forget it!    o o o Ghost Towns: Ciudad Juarez Residents Flee New Homes to …



Notes from JWR:

Just one week left! The Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course is only rarely offered at a discounted price. Until Monday December 13th, the publisher is running a special sale. Don’t miss out on the chance to get a copy for yourself, or to give one as a Christmas gift. — Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 …


Budget Survival: The Ins and Outs, by J. Lewis

Where to Begin First, take into account how many mouths you have to feed, what resources you currently have available and what resources will be available if SHTF in your current location.  Figure out a monthly budget that includes money coming in, bills going out, and what you have left over.  This will give you an idea of where you can trim the fat. (We will cover more on this later.)  Next, take an inventory of you already have that will be useful if SHTF, such as lighters, matches, wool clothing or blankets, canned food.  If you have camping gear, …


Letter Re: Confusion on Food Grade Buckets

Mr. Rawles: I’m befuddled. My husband says that the new orange 5-gallon buckets they sell at Home Depot are the same as “food grade” buckets, because they are made of the same plastic. But my sister says they aren’t food grade. Who is right? Thanking You in Advance, – Lena in Indiana JWR Replies: This has been discussed before in SurvivalBlog, but it comes up so often that it bears repeating: As I explain in the Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course, determining whether or not a plastic bucket is truly food grade can be a challenge. I’ve had …


Letter Re: Recommendation for the Surviving Disaster Television Series

James, I’m writing to recommend the Surviving Disaster series. It was a simulation of real life disaster situations produced by Spike. Hosted by former Navy SEAL Cade Courtley, each episode retells situations in a worst-case scenario and what viewers can do to survive them. There have been ten episodes aired to date. The series was not picked up for a second season. Spike TV has the entire season available online. I have found this show to be quite helpful should you ever be caught in any of those situations. Enjoy, – KJP


Letter Re: Cooking & Canning Beans and Meat

Letter Re: Cooking & Canning Beans and Meat Mr. Rawles, Thank you for all of your efforts to share such useful information that can be used in our daily lives and in the times ahead!   I would like to compliment Marie H. for sharing much useful information on pressure canning beans and meat. However, there is one bit of information that scares me big time: using a tongs to remove the pressure regulating weight to decrease the pressure quickly. Even the thought of doing this sends shivers down my spine.   As a multi-generational food producer and processor, with …