Year: 2010

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 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 …


Surviving A Home Invasion Robbery, by Susan G.

On August 2nd, 1997 I had the hardest choice in my life to make, that was to survive.  Masked men wearing camouflage and carrying guns kicked my front door in at 12:40 am.  I was sitting about five feet from the front door waiting for my son to arrive home for the evening.  I heard my doorknob jiggle.  I thought it was my son trying to get his key in the door.  I made it within two feet of the door and stopped because I had not heard him set his car alarm.  With one kick from a 299 pound …


Letter Re: The Winter Salad

Mr. Rawles: In his book The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses, Eliot Coleman has written about his lifelong experience and experimentation with year round commercial farming in snowy Maine. His methods entail no extra heating or lighting, and all produce is grown outdoors during the Maine winter. Specifications include planting schedules. I have not yet tried Coleman’s winter gardening techniques, but I plan to. His research and experience have convinced me to give it a go this coming winter. My small plastic greenhouse, homemade [planting] boxes, and floating cover are ready …


Economics and Investing:

A dark day for personal privacy in America: $600 Sale? Get Ready for Tax Form. Essentially, this makes everyone into unpaid de facto IRS agents. (Thanks to “Boosters” for the link.) Gregory S. sent this: Dollar should be replaced as international standard, U.N. report says Items from The Economatrix: Silver Posting Best Streak Since Hunt Conspiracy No Matter Which Way Economy Turns Stamp of Idiocy (The Mogambo Guru) Home Prices Rose 0.8% in April Over March Consumer Confidence Tumbles in June Oil Prices Plummet on Concerns About US Demands Gold May Reach New Highs on “Double Dip” Fears


Odds ‘n Sods:

Neil G. sent a link to the USDA’s June acreage report: “All wheat planted area is estimated at 54.3 million acres, down 8 percent from 2009. This is the lowest United States total since 1971.”    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent us some further evidence that Chinese-made merchandise should be shunned: Dallas store sells U.S. flag with 61 stars    o o o There hasn’t even been a trailer released yet, but the forthcoming remake of Red Dawn looks like it will be quite a film. With a web search, I found an interesting …



Notes from JWR:

Today, June 30th, is the last day of the Mountain House sale, offered by Ready Made Resources. Ordering any multiple of six can cases (even if mixed cases) gets you 25% off and free shipping. Partial cases are also 25% off, but $17 is charged for shipping. — Today we present another entry for Round 29 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 …


Some Hope for the Low Budget Survivalist, by D.L.

You’ve heard it before, “Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”  That principle can be, and should be, applied to every facet of your survival preparations.  It applies to the possession of material items such as food, weapons and first aid.  It applies to your skills such as how you find your food, use your weapons and administer first aid. It applies to your physical abilities such as endurance, speed and agility.  It applies to your state of mind such as courage, honor and ingenuity.  And, of course, it applies to …


Three Letters Re: The Winter Salad

James, Just sending a note to remind your readers that the time to plan and plant a fall vegetable garden is right around the corner. Check out the USDA Hardiness Zone Maps for your area to find out what generally grows well in your area. Even better, check with your local Land Grant College Extension office for specific varieties as well as gardening tips and techniques for your area. In Oklahoma, mine is the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. See their home page for the Fact Sheets. For example, see the Fact Sheet for Fall Gardening. Here is a quote from …


Letter Re: Hurricane Readiness

James: T. in South Florida wrote an excellent article on hurricane preps. As a life-long Floridian, hurricane preparation was my introduction to the preparedness mindset. Working on hurricane preps, and dealing with the aftermath of three hurricanes in 2004, facilitated my progression to preparing for other worst-case scenarios. There are two things that I would add to T.’s hurricane readiness plan: Every home should have a hard-wired telephone as opposed to the wireless portable kind. Even though electricity goes out, a hard-wired phone will often continue to work. During the 2004 hurricanes, many people had phone service, but didn’t realize …


Economics and Investing:

KAF sent this: Five minutes of waiting to exhale A 17 percent plunge in Citigroup Inc. today triggered a five-minute trading pause, making the bank the second company halted by the two-week-old circuit- breaker program created to prevent market panics From reader S.M.: The Third Depression Also from S.M: US State Budget Crises Threatens Social Fabric Items from The Economatrix: Derivative Market: Alive and Kicking Despite Reforms Banks Told to Hoard Cash in Case of Crisis New UK ATMs to Restrict Money Supply 46 US States Facing Greek-Style Crisis Oil Price Rises Over Tropical Storm Concerns Unemployed Face Abuse from …


Odds ‘n Sods:

K. in Montana mentioned this humorous piece: You might be married to Burt [Gummer] if……    o o o 15 Facts About China That Will Blow Your Mind. (Our thanks to Ed in Kentucky for the link.)    o o o F.G. sent this: Utah gun permit business booming – in other states    o o o John M. flagged this: FDA issues Draft Guidance to reduce antibiotic use in food-producing animals



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 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 …


The Winter Salad, by Tom in Colorado

Most of us reading SurvivalBlog have some amount of food stored. We are aware of the problems with the most commonly stored foods as well: sufficient nutrition, a large enough assortment to provide variety, and a good enough taste to keep people eating. I’m going to offer another alternative here to help provide these three things in the dead of winter while sparing our stockpiled food. If you have a window that receives a decent amount of sunlight (south facing is best in the northern hemisphere) then you may well be able to provide entire fresh salads or ingredients for …