Day: June 1, 2011

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest – Round 34 Winners Selected

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest – Round 34 Winners Selected First Prize goes to J.B. in Montana for Preparing Kids for Disasters, posted on May 28th. He will receive: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate is 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 $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from …


Tips on Buying Physical Silver Locally, by Frank B.

Twenty years ago a friend of mine came to me and said I should be buying silver. He took the time to show me what he’d bought with a small inheritance he’d received that year: 900 troy ounces of silver rounds. He packed them up in a couple of .50 cal. ammo cans and  spent the next 20 years moving them around [buried caches in] his back yards. Back then he paid something under $4 per ounce for an investment total of under $3,600. Twenty some years ago I had at least a hundred other things I could have done …


Announcing the Ready Made Resources Preparedness Video Contest

For the next two months, Ready Made Resources (a SurvivalBlog advertiser from the beginning) is seeking entries for their Preparedness Video Contest. Instructional (nonfiction) videos on any topic related to family preparedness are sought. The prizes for the award winner are a brand new Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) complete Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight with a combined retail value of more than $1,400. Please keep your privacy in mind when you create your videos. (Don’t mention any surnames or towns). You may post up to three videos to YouTube for …


Letter Re: Are Mexican Drug Cartels a Threat in the U.S.?

Hi James et al.,   I’ve slowly got around to reading most survivalist novels and blogs, but one thing I see never being considered (at least not to a great extent) is the threat from Mexican drug cartels. While threats from foreign governments and biker gangs would surely exist a post-collapse world, I worry about the discipline, ruthlessness, and resourcefulness of the cartels (see article about seized cartel tank). I could be wrong here, but it seems they already operate quite capably in a post-collapse scenario of sorts, so it would be nothing to them to transition to operating in a post-collapse United States. Maybe they’re …


Letter Re: Dressing for Self Defense

Mr Rawles, I found A.Y.’s suggestions to be very astute and workable, and wish to add a few of my own. Underclothes: fencers over the years have pressed the bounds of stab- and slash-proof clothing. There are a number of SPECTRA fencing undershirts, that are of the same quality, if not better, as LEO anti-knife gloves. They also have the added bonus of being made with the express purpose of being stab proof. That said, still hurts like the dickens when one really gets gut stabbed. Having worn one in 90 degree sun, I can attest that not only are …


Economics and Investing:

Mobius Says Financial Crisis ‘Around The Corner’ (Not surprisingly, Templeton says that it is derivatives that are to blame.) Over at The Daily Bell: The Aden Sisters on Money Metals, Where the Market Is Headed and Why Gold Is Going Up Thanks to William B. for sending this: Ireland may need more EU/IMF cash Reader Paul B. spotted this commentary: Gold signaling hyperinflation? Neal E. sent links to a pair of great articles over at Zero Hedge: Chart Of The Day: Currency Devaluation, Old School Style and Charting The Non-Linearity Of Hyperinflation, And Predicting America’s Future Courtesy Of Ancient History. …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Pedal powered farms and factories: the forgotten future of the stationary bicycle. (A hat tip to my old friend Charley S. for the link.)    o o o L.V.C. flagged this item: Survivalists Eyed as Key Market for Central Florida Horse Farm    o o o Andrew B. sent a link to an excellent video presentation on using malting to improve the digestibility of starchy grains for nursing babies who have lost their mother, or the malnourished and sick.    o o o Ian in England wrote to mention that in Europe there is currently have an E. Coli outbreak …