Year: 2010

Lessons Learned From a Suburbanite, by Battle Ax

I am your typical thirty-something suburbanite that lives in a cookie cutter house (on the grid of course) in a nice little subdivision, with a wife, 2.6 kids, a dog, and two cats.  I have a steady job, pay my taxes, keep my lawn manicured, and chat with the neighbors out front.  I try to keep up with current events, and I believe things are going to get worse before they get better.  Not being pessimistic, but realistic. My roots in preparedness go back to my childhood where my step-father was a military man, and subtly assigned each one in …


G.O.O.D. Planning–Did You Remember Everything?

Over the past few years there have been numerous very useful articles submitted regarding bugging out or Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) as they say, if a major regional or national disaster occurs. The articles focus on a number of issues such as the problems/hazards relating to simply getting home from work, making contact with the spouse who may be shopping or getting the kids from school. Then the writers cover the need for a ready bug-out bag “BOB.“ There are suggestions about having the vehicle already (at least partly) packed with enough supplies for either a few days or …


Economics and Investing:

Okay, so I told you so, folks. Gold and Silver have set new highs. There will still be some very scary dips in this bull market. Be wise. Buy on the dips! No comment necessary: State officials cancel access to welfare benefits on cruise ships and at all casinos. (Thanks to N.I.M. for the link.) Damon flagged this: ‘Delay and pray’ won’t work for commercial real estate Greg C. mentioned this: How the Housing Crisis Will End the U.S.A. as We Know It. B.B. sent this: Consumer bankruptcy filings climb 11% Those mysterious derivatives: French trader must pay $6.7 billion …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Anyone that has lived off-grid can relate to this piece by “Enola Gay”, over at the Paratus Familia blog: Lights Out. Life off grid isn’t perfect, but it sure beats the vulnerability of the alternative.    o o o A Russian writer suggests: Coldest winter in 1,000 years on its way. (Thanks to Ron M. for the link.)    o o o This tool rules out some choices for retreat locales: Murder Captured By Google Street View Car (Warning: Graphic images!)



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 31 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 …


Indoor Winter Vegetable Gardens, by Kate in Colorado

Indoor Winter Vegetable Gardens, by Kate in Colorado The first cool night of the almost changing season gave the squash plants a shiver and they curled their big leaves upon themselves as if to find protection.  I wait for this moment in the eternal gardening cycle to begin preparing my plants and myself for the “indoor” gardening season. You see, I don’t let the thought of thirty degree days or fear of the blowing snow that is Colorado keep me from enjoying the, excuse the pun, fruits of my gardening labor. With the looming price hike in food and the …


Two Letters Re: A Little Insight on Diesel Engines

Two Letters Re: A Little Insight on Diesel Engines Jim: I am prepper, survivalist, as well as a longtime waste vegetable oil (WVO) user. I wasn’t gonna get in this diesel game, except that it saved my life. In 2004 I was in a severe commercial truck accident where I was struck in the fuel tank and rolled three times. When the EMT was cleaning me up, she told me that using diesel fuel had saved my life. If I had been in a company truck that was gas-powered (Top Kick C6500) I would have died in a explosion upon …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Robert A. sent this: How to Make & Use Gold Test Solutions. Robert’s comment: “I recently entered a gold and silver exchange to sell, what I thought was silver, and upon testing discovered that it was a very thick silver plate. Below is a list of solutions used for various testing of gold and silver. I was informed that using the 14 karat gold solution works well for testing silver.” K. in Montana liked this piece over at the Rural Revolution blog: The Economics of Prepping Dan J. flagged this: S&P: $460 Billion Shadow Inventory [of distressed residential properties] …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers J.B.G. and T.B. both sent this: Super-rich investors buy gold by ton    o o o Richard S. suggested this interesting–albeit very poorly-titled–article: Self-Aiming Sniper Rifles Coming Next Year    o o o G.G. mentioned that an interview with David Werner, the author of the book, “Where There Is No Doctor”, is available as a podcast at the OffTheGridNews.com web site.



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 31 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 …


No Law Enforcement in TEOTWAWKI, by Ron M.

I am a Christian, husband and father. I am a former 10 year active Army veteran and three year National Guardsman in Louisiana. My military background is helicopter crew chief, CID (the Army’s equivalent of the FBI) and then an Armor officer in the National Guard. After leaving the Guard I became a Louisiana State Patrol (LSP) trooper. I have since left the state police. It is my experience as a state trooper that I wish to write about. I have read on your blog about many things and appreciate them all in many ways. Recently a writer was predicting …


Letter Re: A Little Insight on Diesel Engines

Captain Rawles: Let me add a caveat to burning raw oil (Filtered Vegetable Oil, Waste Vegetable Oil, Straight Vegetable Oil, Raw Vegetable Oil) in diesels. I have heard claims stating; “These engines will burn anything! You can dump in cooking oil, heating oil, kerosene, bacon fat, filter your used crankcase oil through a nylon stocking…you can even burn perfume!” To that I must add; “Garbage in, garbage out”, only not all the garbage goes out… it settles in your engine. All myths are based on some truth, and those claims are no exception. First, stay away from animal fats. They …


Economics and Investing:

$10,000 Gold? (Thanks to Siggy for the link.) Don’t Get Too Excited About Gold — It’s Actually Down Compared to the Euro US mint raises premiums on Silver Eagles by $.50 per coin Richard H. sent this: Cheap Debt for Corporations Fails to Spur Economy Items from The Economatrix: Treating Symptoms, Ignoring The Root Cause The Next Phase Of Gold’s Meteoric Rise The Recent Move in Silver is Just a Preview of What We Can Expect in the Future