Day: December 22, 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 …


Barter, Post-TEOTWAWKI: The Micro Store

I’ve been a faithful reader of SurvivalBlog and several others for several years. I have downloaded the archives onto my Kindle and am about halfway through those, too. I am simultaneously fascinated, entertained, and horrified by what I have read. I have learned a lot, been totally confused/overwhelmed by everything electronic, amused and entertained by the fascination with firearms and ammunition, and all over the scale on 1,001 other issues. Can anyone ever be “fully prepped?” Probably not, but we are all working on it or toward it. This article is about how you can simultaneously help other “survivors” while helping yourself. Let’s …


Letter Re: Advice on Sleeping Bags

CPT Rawles: I have read with interest all the good advice on sleeping bags and how to stay warm in very cold weather.  Most of the writers speak about a specific area they lived in, or traveled in, as a basis for the post.  There is a lot of good, sound advice out there by these writers.  I thought I might contribute my own personal opinion as well, since my own experience ranges pretty much across all weather extremes, and was under conditions far harsher than hiking, camping or hunting – at least for the most part.  I spent 29+ …


Economics and Investing:

U.K. stores sell out of reindeer meat. (Thanks to loyal contributor F.G. for the link.) Reader F.B. suggested: The Coming Collapse of Bitcoin? Realtors: We Overcounted Home Sales for Five Years Most American’s Still Have No Idea How Bad the U.S. Economy Is Items from The Economatrix: Why All Signs Point to Chaos Dow Dumps 100 Points; BofA Dips Below $5 Stocks Knocked Down By Weak Banks, Europe Uncertainty US Stock Losses Double on EU Statement


Odds ‘n Sods:

To temper this sensationalistic news reporting on the man-made H3N2 flu variant, consider: On Research Ethics    o o o A reminder to readers in the US that you have less than one week left left to purchase Primatene Mist Inhaler(s) over the counter, after 12-31-11 it will no longer be available. As most of you know, this is nothing more than Epinephrine in an inhaler and can be used for any type of anaphylaxis. The cost is around $21.    o o o NYT Smears Gingrich Over EMP Threat Comment. (Thanks to Yishai for the link.)    o o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Each man of the three companies bore a rifle-barreled gun, a tomahawk, or small axe, and a long knife, usually called a ‘scalping knife’, which served for all purposes, in the woods." – John Joseph Henry, An Accurate and Interesting Account of the Hardships and Sufferings of That Band of Heros, Who Traversed Through The Wilderness in the Campaign Against Quebec in 1775