Month: December 2011

Practical Preparedness Perceptions, by Charles S.

In the past Americans expected to be prepared.  Whether it was helping to raise a barn, saving seed for the next spring planting, or being part of the local militia, it was expected that you would be ready.  Today we have become increasingly more dependant on others to do such things for us.  Many people wonder if we need to know how to save food, cut wood or light an oil lamp. If you are reading this you are probably fully aware of the value of preparedness, but maybe someone among your friends, family or neighbors needs convincing.  And convincing …


Maintaining Good Morale in a Survival Situation, by Lisa F.

While much has been written about the essentials of survival (emergency shelter, fire-making, water purification, defense, hunting, bug-out-bags, etc.), few survival experts have focused on ideas and tactics for maintaining morale and good mental health in a stressful and possibly sustained emergency situation.  This essay is intended to arm the reader, figuratively speaking, with some tools for helping people stay positive and energized while under stress.  These tips and ideas will be useful for any group, whether or not it includes children, or an individual.  The games are not my inventions; rather, I’ve picked them up over the years from …


Letter Re: Gentian Blue — An Old School Antibiotic

James Wesley: At a slide show about extreme trekking in the tropics, I asked the speaker what they used as a topical antibiotic and antifungal medicine while on the expedition.  The speaker said they relied on Gentian Blue, an antibiotic that was used in World War I and II. Gentian Blue (or Crystal Violet) is used as a clothing dye.  The early chemical industry put a big emphasis on the development of dyes. In the race to discover the first antibiotics, every chemical on the shelf was tested, and Gentian Blue was found to have powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitical …


Letter Re: Why are Preppers So Hatefully Persecuted?

Hello, I am writing about a topic that has bothered me for some time: Why are preppers so hatefully persecuted? We know from the Bible that this is not a new phenomenon, as Noah was severely persecuted for the preparations God ordered him to make. Could you please put it out to your readers? Thank you very much for your time, – Drew in Idaho JWR Replies: Envy is a sin that is all too common. That is just part of living in a sinful, fallen world. Those who are unprepared often feel both envy and guilt for not providing …


Economics and Investing:

Jim Rogers Versus Marc Faber: Faber Cautious on China; Rogers Bullish on All Commodities Portugal Raids Pension Funds to Meet Deficit Targets Gerald Celente: ‘IT’S FASCIST. CAN’T YOU SEE IT?” – Part ONE. Celente describes his lack of recourse on his MF Global gold futures contract. Nothing trumps buying physical metals and keeping them at home! Speaking of Gold and MF Global: The Gold “Rehypothecation” Unwind Begins: HSBC Sues MF Global Over Disputed Ownership Of Physical Gold. (Thanks to Eli T. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: November Service Sector Cools, Factory Orders Fall Eurozone Crisis:  Britain’s Companies Prepare …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Wind turbine explodes as the worst storm for 15 years batters Northern Britain with hurricane-force gusts of up to 165mph    o o o Kevin S. suggested this: MakeUseOf Cheat Sheets    o o Some Nanny State news from formerly Jolly Olde England: Playground stripped bare by council jobsworths after play equipment falls foul of EU health and safety rules.    o o o And meanwhile in Denmark: Charge for cash transactions proposed. (Thanks to Jeff H. for the link.)    o o o The deadline for Safecastle’s Freedom Awards contest–the new Media recognition program in the area of survivalism and …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“A wise man’s heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth [him], and he saith to every one [that] he [is] a fool. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. There is an evil [which] I have seen under the sun, as an error [which] proceedeth from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.” – Ecclesiastes 10:2-6 (KJV)


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 …


Building an Armed Response Kit, by Madduck

Nearly everyone into prepping have a bug out bag (BOB) the contents vary from person to person, but mainly they allow the carrier to have what they think they will need to survive at least 72 hours. If needed they will provide food, water, shelter, perhaps some medical items, and maybe some self defense items, in the interim of waiting for help  or getting to another location. The  BOB is usually limited to a limited armed response, and anyone that has to Get Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) would be better served in getting loaded and moving, rather than finishing the …


Letter Re: Western Nebraska as a Retreat Locale

James, As a regular SurvivalBlog reader and a prepper, I would like to say western Nebraska is as close to the American Redoubt without being there. I have considered the reasons you have not include Nebraska, and though they are valid for eastern and central Nebraska, I believe if you stick to the western section, the Platte River Valley and the Sand Hills offer an attractive option. The main things I find appealing, inexpensive fertile crop land, good plentiful clean water, a plethora of wildlife (Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, and Turkey) great fishing holes everywhere, and few people per …


Letter Re: How to Drain an Abscess

Mr Rawles, The letter from Lonestar Doc about skin abscesses is both appropriate and essential. I would like to add a few points that may not have been clear. 1. Never squeeze (pinching between fingers with force) an abscess trying to get it to pop (remember your mother’s admonishments about pimples?) Squeezing may be successful in getting pus to come out, but you force the bacteria and toxins into deeper tissues and possibly blood vessels which may cause distant secondary infections. In certain areas like the face, it could be a lethal complication. If an area seems to be draining, …


Economics and Investing:

Jim M. sent me this: Citi: Euro Collapse Would Spark Global Depression, Push Unemployment Above 20% G.G. sent this: MF Global fallout delays U.S. farm seed, land deals Copper theft becomes a crisis for public agencies. (Thanks to reader S.B. for the link.) Daniel M. suggested a sobering piece by John Stossel: Ten Years to Greece   Standard & Poor’s to Eurozone: Fix It or Else… Items from The Economatrix: USPS Slowdown, 100,000 to Lose Jobs Many Americans Already Done with Holiday Shopping Soros:  Global Financial System In “Self-Reinforcing Process Of Disintegration” Jim Willie:  “The Public Will Not Wake Up …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Grace H. pointed me to a wonderful mapping site for soil surveys.  This is an ideal tool for anyone researching retreat locales. Just type in a locale name.     o o o I was doing some web wandering and found an interesting piece: Former “Seasteaders” Come Ashore To Start Libertarian Utopias In Honduran Jungle. And from there, I found a link to this fascinating page: A Map Of Where All 7 Billion Humans Are Cramming Together. Note that the dot sizing used is counterintuitive–the larger the dots, the fewer people. (This illustration certainly adds credence to my exhortation to Go …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Decency, security, and liberty alike demand that government officials shall be subject to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen. In a government of laws, existence will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. if the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law, it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that in the administration of the criminal law 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 …