Month: October 2011

Letter Re: Observations on a Prepper Family’s Move to The American Redoubt

James: My husband and I fell in love with a section of [what is now called] the American Redoubt long before I discovered SurvivalBlog.  We dreamed of retiring in that part of the country as so many of his co-workers have done.  We even went looking for property years ago in the hopes that we would have a place to go to in our old age.  We couldn’t afford any at that time, but the idea stayed in the back of our minds.  Our dream was put on hold when he suddenly passed away, but after he died I got  …


Letter Re: A Disaster Survival Strategy for Urbanites?

Hi Jim, I just finished reading “Patriots” and can’t wait to being reading “Survivors”. I live in the Queens borough of New York City with my family in an apartment building and was wondering if there were any specific guidelines relating to survival in a city such as New York? We do have the ability to G.O.O.D. but I am concerned about a situation where we would have to hunker down at home. I am just beginning to educate myself about survival techniques and strategies. Thank you in advance for any guidance, Sincerely, – Derrick A. JWR Replies: I do …


Economics and Investing:

US Mint Bullion Sales: Silver Eagles Reach Record 6,422,000 [Troy Ounces] U.S. “close to faltering,” Fed ready to act: Bernanke . (JWR Notes: Keep in mind that “Action” in Helicopter Ben’s lexicon means either borrowing other people’s money, or creating money out of thin air.) IMF official retracts statement on bond purchases. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.) Morgan Tries to Quell Rumors About Its Holdings Tom Friedman: China’s Currency Manipulation Good & Bad for America S.G. sent this: Think Occupy Wall St. is a phase? You don’t get it Commentary from Randall W. Forsyth: The Bear Market Is Made …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Another Self Reliance Expo will be held this weekend (October 7-8) in Salt Lake City. The last one (in Denver) was great. Don’t miss it.    o o o I noticed some interesting discussion threads in progress over at the PreparedSociety.com forums.    o o o Freeze Dry Guy has announced an October special: 60 Serving Real Meat “Bug Out” Buckets with Freeze Dried Beef and Chicken. They are offering a special pre-order price of $109, with free shipping in CONUS, and a $20 “Survival Bucks” bonus.    o o o Steve M. sent this gem: Don’t Rob A Convenience Store …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“You know what’s wrong with karate, Jerry? It’s based on the ridiculous assumption that the other guy will fight fair.”  – James Garner, as the television private detective character Jim Rockford, The Rockford Files episode “Backlash of the Hunter “, 1974. (Screenplay by Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins.)


Notes from JWR:

Welcome to all of the first-time readers of SurvivalBlog, who’ve found the blog because of all the buzz about my latest novel, “Survivors”. The archives of SurvivalBlog are immense, so you might feel overwhelmed and wondering where to begin. It is probably best if you read SurvivalBlog’s About page and then my Quick Start Guide page. — Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round 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 …


Low Maintenance Animals That Work For You: Chickens, Rabbits, and Goats

When I began to plan my families survival food stores, it quickly became apparent that if/when we lose our suburban grocery store lifestyle, my stores are only going to last a limited time.  I also realized that there is a point at which more food is pointless without more trucks to move it and more people to drive them and more mouths to feed requiring more food.  I live in Phoenix, in the suburbs, in the middle of one of the harshest deserts in the world, where any TEOTWAWKI scenario will be a G.O.O.D. situation.  Relocation now is a desirable …


Letter Re: An Interesting Off-Road Vehicle Instructional Video

Mr. Rawles, I just purchased the Kindle version of “Survivors” and can’t wait to start!  But that’s not what I’m writing about.  There’s a very interesting video titled Kelly McCann’s Crucible High-Risk Environment Training Volume Four: Mission-Essential Off-Road Driving, published by Paladin Press.  In a nutshell, the video is geared towards security contractors operating overseas, but contains valuable information for anyone (emergency responders, sheriff’s deputies, etc.) who may need to use off-road vehicles under emergency circumstances (like preppers) without destroying their rig. The video starts off by explaining the various setups you may find on commercially available SUVs (solid axle …


Economics and Investing:

William J. sent this: Texan investor hedging with $1 million in nickels. Does this sound familiar?) A Swedish newspaper reports: Germany has rush-ordered the printing of new D-Marks. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.) Darin H. mentioned this: Gerald Celente: The Crash will happen sometime this month Rhonda T. flagged this: “EU preparing bank rescues amid Greece doubts. Here is a key quote: “All roads now point to a mid-November crunch.” Italy downgrade deepens contagion fears over euro debt crisis. (Thanks to Al H. for the link.)


Odds ‘n Sods:

News from formerly pleasant Oxfordshire, England: Mob takes emergency water supplies during Banbury shortages.    o o o Today is the last day of the three day sale: Ready Made Resources is also having a 25% off sale on Mountain House foods where they are offering a free copy of “Survivors” when you order two cases Mountain House foods. Note that this offer can be multiplied — i.e. you will receive five copies of the novel if you order 10 cases of Mountain House foods.    o o o The Los Angeles Times reports: Emails show top Justice Department officials …



Today is Book Bomb Day!

This is the release day for my novel “Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse”. (October 4th, 2011.) Thank you for waiting to order your copies until today. Keep an eye on the book’s Amazon Sales Rank, as the day progresses. This should be fun! Here is some information on the novel, without any spoilers: Much of the novel is set in the Four Corners Region of the American Southwest. “Survivors” is unusual for a novel sequel. Unlike most sequels, instead of extending the “Patriots” saga further into the future, it is contemporaneous with the action in the first book. …


Economics and Investing:

Things are looking more like my novels with every passing day. Here are the latest headlines… Stocks tank as Greece admits it won’t hit targets. Mentioned over at Don’t Tread On Me: 2011 US Mint Silver Set To Have Bigger Sales Than ’86 to ’92, combined! Are Hedge Fund Managers Dumping Gold Assets To Raise Cash? Four (4) Market Signs Signaling A Recession John R. kindly sent me a whole bunch ‘o links: The Dollar and Reserve Currency (Martin Armstrong)  Debt Men Talking (Richard Webb)   Batten Down The Hatches, A Big Storm’s Coming (Dave Cohen) The FINal Countdown (over …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Shortages Lead Doctors To Ration Critical Drugs. (A hat tip to Brian D. for the link.)    o o o Couple recovering from home bear attack. Important safety tip: Keep a loaded gun handy at all times, for both two-legged and four-legged predators! (Thanks to F.J. for the link.)    o o o Fed Plan to Consolidate Power Over Nation’s Power Highway Has States Nervous    o o o A bit more truth comes out: ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010. Meanwhile, we read: Whitehouse Document Dump Raises Possibility of …