Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 39 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 …




Picking The Perfect Hidden Retreat Location, by L.M.

Everyone knows the perfect location for family survival is the number one issue in being prepped.   How do I pick the perfect location should be the number one question in a prepper’s mind.  Many different survival instructors and writers have different ideas on locations and some even have scoring formulas to give your chance of survival.  I have a combined prospective on picking the perfect location from my military training and my working in the Third World as a trainer and combatant.  Let’s look at how I picked my location and facilities.   First, one has to be aware of the …




A Financial Advisor Becomes a Prepper Convert, by Kent Mathis

Allow me to take a moment to introduce myself (at least the self that existed prior to November 2010, when I started becoming a “prepper”).  I am a successful financial planner, married to a CEO of a mid-size manufacturing company.  We love our dogs, give to charity, and believe in God and Country…in other words, I am just like your friends who can not understand why on earth you spend so much time and effort preparing for TEOTWAWKI or SHTF events.  I had a kind of naïve, blind faith that all Republicans were Good and most Democrats were Stupid.  I …




Letter Re: A Simple IP Address Conversion Methodology

JWR, In reference to the recent change in Internet Protocol (IP) address for SurvivalBlog, I thought I’d describe a method to help people set up their computers to use it without DNS names. How to add important internet addresses to your computer. I’m using the new SurvivalBlog.com IPv4 address change as an example, I also recommend adding your mail server, and other important host names too. Audience:  I’ll try and keep the techno-babble to a minimum, so that the largest audience possible can use this.  Any Domain Name Server (DNS) experts or System Administrators out there will probably pull their …




Economics and Investing:

Gold is the Gut Reaction, Silver is the Smart Decision U.S. States Prepare For Hyperinflation Reader Sue C. suggested this piece by Rick Moran: Greece on the brink. No, really – this time for sure Items from The Economatrix: Oil Below $97 as Traders Eye Greek Debt Talks The Financial Crisis of 2008 Was Just the Warm-up Act for the Economic Horror Show That is Coming Markets, Murmurations, and Machines Gold Rises to Two-Month High, Eyes US Payrolls




Odds ‘n Sods:

F.J. mentioned this great evacuation route planning tool: Flood Map    o o o A reminder that there is another Self Reliance Expo scheduled for February 10-11 in Dallas, Texas. A half dozen SurvivalBlog advertisers will have booths there, including: Pantry Paratus, Backwoods Home Magazine, the Appleseed Project, Shelf Reliance, The Berkey Guy/Directive 21, and Ready Made Resources. Please mention that you are a SurvivalBlog reader when you stop by their booths. The keynote speaker will be Mike Adams of Natural News.    o o o F.J. spotted this: DIY Worm Compost Bin    o o o Mark H. suggested …