Month: December 2011

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 38 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Keeping Honey Bees for Survival, by Michael J.

Why Keep Honey Bees? Wandering into the woods and staying lost for months is something I love to do. I have been an Urban Guerrilla Survivalist for 24 years, and have been keeping bees for more than 10 of those years. With these experiences under my belt, I have begun to teach people how to be a survivalist, and one subject I focus on is the art of beekeeping. Before I tell you the benefits of having bees and some cheap ways to keep them, I suggest that you find a book about beekeeping to help you understand the terms …


Letter Re: Holly as a Substitute Caffeine Source

James, Many people in North America wonder how they would survive in a world without caffeine [since coffee and cocoa are both imported].  An alternative to coffee could be Yaupon holly tea.  The Yaupon holly is used as a tea by various Indian tribes, and it has been studied as a commercial herbal tea drink. According to my local colonial history book, colonists also raised Yaupon tea leaves for trade. It is related to yerba mate, a holly used to make a caffeinated tea in South America.   The Wikipedia article is rather confused on this point, but it is believed …


A New Organization Replacing Medical Corps (PRNMed)

I received the following note from Chuck Fenwick, the director of Medical Corps   “As I posted on my site, Medical Corps will no longer be organizing classes.  Our Lead Instructor, David Turner has agreed to take care of all the logistics of teaching the Medical Response in Hostile Environments class [under the new company name, PRNMed.] David, having completed nursing school during a two-year furlough, will be back teaching the class too.  I will also be teaching, but only have to show up and instruct.   Medical Corps did not bring forward our extensive student list because sharing e-mail lists is against …


Economics and Investing:

Depression in 2013? Jim Rogers: “100% Chance” of Another Financial Crisis That Will Be Worse Than 2008 KAF sent us this: Congress ends corn ethanol subsidy 40 Hard Questions The American People Should Be Asking Italian Bonds Return To 7% / Markets Plummet / Raid On Gold And Silver “There Will Be Violence, Mark My Words” Items from The Economatrix: Economists Make 2012 Predictions China And Japan Plan Direct Currency Exchange Agreement Unrelenting Global Economic Crisis:  A Doomsday View of 2012 Sears to Close Up to 120 Kmart, Sears Stores


Odds ‘n Sods:

Big American Brother gives hints on how to spot citizen terrorists. Since when did paying in “Legal tender for all debts, public and private” morph into something suspicious and “weird”?    o o o From the SHTFPlan blog: What To Expect From The Government After Collapse    o o o Some incisive commentary on Attorney General Eric Holder, over at the View From The Porch blog: The cheek of the man is unbelievable.    o o o T.C. mentioned a piece by MSN: Best places to live off the grid    o o o A short and sweet video clip …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 38 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Making a Business of Preparedness, by H.P.

An aspect of survival preparedness that is easily overlooked and sometimes ignored is the utilization of a home-based small business as a means of financial preparation as well as a method of acquiring and stockpiling survival necessities.  It appears likely that some level of collapse and restructuring of our financial and monetary system will take place in the near future.  Establishing your own business is a good way to protect against a financial system catastrophe and prepare for other disastrous events.  Starting and growing a small business may seem a daunting task for many, however, it can be done with …


Letter Re: When The Ancient Mayans Got Out of Dodge — All The Way To Georgia

Dear Editor: I’m sure that the readers of SurvivalBlog will find this quote of interest, from an article entitled Ruins in Georgia mountains show evidence of Maya connection: “In July of 2011, Waldrup furnished a copy of the 2000 Stratum Unlimited, LLC archaeological report to People of One Fire members.  Those with experiences at Maya town sites instantly recognized that the Track Rock stone structures were identical in form to numerous agricultural terrace sites in Chiapas, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. Johannes Loubser’s radiocarbon dates exactly matched the diaspora from the Maya lands and the sudden appearance of large towns with …


Economics and Investing:

B.B. suggested this: It’s the Math, Stupid!: Seven Devastating Facts About 2012 Echoing the statements by Kyle Bass that were quoted in SurvivalBlog: Debt Crisis 2012: Forget Europe, Check Out Japan Items from The Economatrix: Top 10 Companies Hiring This Week Stores See Busy But Not Bang-up Christmas Eve US New Homes Sales Heading For Worse Year Ever Another Face Of US Recession:  Homeless Children US Homes Lose $700 Billion In Value In 2011–And That’s The Good News


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader B.B. sent this: Montanans Launch Recall of Senators Who Approved NDAA Military Detention. Merry Christmas, US Senate    o o o You may remember reading my description of an Elecraft QRP ham radio transmitter in my novel “Survivors”. Here is an update on that technology: the Elecraft KX3 Transceiver is now available for ordering.    o o o A reader from Saskatchewan wrote to ask if it was worthwhile to use paracord bootlace. I replied that I do indeed recommend them due to their durability and versatility. I specifically recommend making them about 18 inches longer than the original …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The American people have no idea they are paying the bill. They know that someone is stealing their hubcaps, but they think it is the greedy businessman who raises prices or the selfish laborer who demands higher wages or the unworthy farmer who demands too much for his crop or the wealthy foreigner who bids up our prices. They do not realize that these groups also are victimized by a monetary system which is constantly being eroded in value by and through the Federal Reserve System.” – G. Edward Griffin, The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 38 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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 $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Subsistence Fishing After TEOTWAWKI by, CentOre

Introductory Disclaimer: Many ideas expressed within this article may not be legal in all jurisdictions.  Items covered and methods discussed are strictly theoretical in nature unless otherwise stated. Many people have a love of fishing.  Take a pole, and maybe a youngster, down to the shore, or a dock, baiting up, casting out, and waiting for a bite.  It’s a great time to just sit, talk, and enjoy nature.  Right? Not after TEOTWAWKI!  There will not be many ‘restful’ days, or nights for that matter.  Our group has a saying that: “Sportsman-ship goes out the window when Survival-ship comes in …