Day: January 19, 2012

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. This one is quite lengthy and detailed! 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 …


Comprehensive Crisis Communications Planning for the Prepper, by Hammer

In the words of the fictional character Jeff Trasel from the novel “Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse”: “If you don’t have Com, you don’t have jaaack“. The subject of radio communications as it relates to Prepping is an often misunderstood topic. Understanding radio communications issues can also be confusing, complicated, and daunting for the newcomer. There is a lot to know about the subject, and speaking as one that has spent a good part of his life experimenting with radio communications, it seems that the more I learn about radio communications, the more I learn how …


Letter Re: Post Collapse Barter: The Rest of the Story

Sir, Thanks very much for maintaining this terrific blog. I try to read it every day and frequently find useful information that assists in my preparations. I found particularly useful D.T.R.’s recent article, “Post Collapse Barter: The Rest of the Story,” which I think contained a more realistic description of the post-collapse economy than perhaps many preppers have in mind. I agree with D.T.R. that the majority of non-preppers are unlikely to have anything valuable to trade for the salt, iodine, alcohol and other items that preppers are setting aside for barter. Furthermore, the needs of non-preppers can be predicted …


Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale

JWR: The recent letter about Alaska as a Retreat Locale brings up many good points, and I as an Alaskan certainly hope survival will be possible here if society collapses. But the trouble with predicting the future is that there’s no way to know how events are going to play out. The author assumes that oil will still flow, that there will still be an economy of sorts, and that the military will be friendly. These predictions might or might not be accurate. The Alaska pipeline must have a flow rate of at least 70,000 barrels a day to remain …


Economics and Investing:

Thanks to David D. comes some analysis of how speculators can move markets: How Global Investors Make Money Out of Hunger. [JWR’s Comment: Some of the surge in farm commodities prices can be attributed to hedging on anticipated currency value declines and higher fuel and fertilizer costs rather than the result of–or an expectation of–lower crop production. In essence, nearly all tangibles are viable hedges when the global currencies are engaged in a race to the bottom. Steve W. sent some interesting news: Mint begins trial strikes in composition tests. The good news is that the trials strikes are part …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Roman sent me a link to a fascinating blog piece the summarizes an academic paper titled Baffles and Bastions, published in the Journal of Archaeological Research. Some food for those for those of us designing defensive architecture. Note that masonry baffles also stop (or deflect) bullets.    o o o F.J. sent this one: Back in the DPRK. This article includes an interesting observation on the high cost of fuel, and families doubling up in homes that have traditional charcoal stoves. Hmmmmm…    o o o Inside A $1.5 Million Cave House. (Thanks to Judy T. for the link.)    …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Nor was this the only form of lawless extravagance which owed its origin to the plague. Men who cooly ventured on what they had formerly done in a corner, and not just as they pleased, seeing the rapid transitions produced by persons in prosperity suddenly dying and those who before had nothing succeeding to their property. So they resolved to spend quickly and enjoy themselves, regarding their lives and riches as alike things of a day. Perseverance in what men called honour was popular with none, it was so uncertain whether they would be spared to attain the object; but it …