Note from JWR:

Today we are posting another review by SurvivalBlog’s volunteer Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio. Pat’s main expertise is with knives and firearms, but he is open to reviewing all sorts of products that have applicability to self-sufficient families. If you are a manufacturer or importer with a product that you’d like to submit for Pat’s test and evaluation, please contact him via e-mail.




Pat’s Product Review: Cold Steel Bushman Series Knives

I have received many requests to test and evaluate the Cold Steel “Bushman” line of knives that Cold Steel is producing. I’ve been a big fan of Cold Steel products since the very beginning – I’m sold on their products. However, for some strange reason, I never requested anything from the Bushman series of knives.   My friend, Lynn Thompson, who owns and operates Cold Steel, isn’t afraid to back up his products, and does so, in a series of videos on his company web site. On the web site, you will see all manner of Cold Steel products being …




Letter Re: Home Security in Great Britain

Mr. Rawles: First of all, I would just like to say a huge thank you for all the advice, expertise, and survival techniques that you have bought to my attention through your books and your blog. I never realised just how much of a risk our current climate is, and how likely we are to get to a state of “every man for himself” survival. My name is Steve. I am a 21 year old living in the West Midlands county in the heart of Great Britain. I have always had survivalism in my blood, and have always liked to …




Recipe of the Week:

S.A.’s Hearty Bean Soups First, if your family doesn’t feel that a hearty bowl of beans is a meal, you need to start down this path as soon as possible. In my childhood, even though coming from a comfortable, educated home, every single Saturday, while the house was being cleaned and weekly grocery shopping done, a big pot of pinto beans was on the stove simmering away. My parents, both raised during the Great Depression, descendants from Civil War families, had also lived through rationing during WWII. The pinto beans were served with cornbread slathered with butter. My father would …




Economics and Investing:

U.S. Mint production of Nickels (five cent pieces) is up 78%. (Also see this related article: US Mint Circulating Coin Production Shifts to Lower Denominations.) JWR’s Comment: That large an increase can’t be attributable just to collector demand. Obviously, a small but forward-thinking portion of the citizenry is anticipating a debasement, and these wise folks are stockpiling nickels. Methinks the next 18 months could turn out to be a bit of 1963 and 1964 deja vu. Mark my words: Congress will act. Debasement is coming. Get your nickels before the composition change. (That is, before you have to hand sort …




Odds ‘n Sods:

Patrice Lewis, the editor of the excellent Rural Revolution blog has authored a series succinct and concise e-books on practical topics: The Self-Sufficiency Series. These sell for just $1.50 each. They don’t sell hard copy editions, but since most of them are less than 20 pages each you can print out your own reference binder copies at home. (I recommend that you keep backup copies on the memory thumb drive in your Bugout Bag.)    o o o Washington state launches new disaster preparedness web site, campaign. (Our thanks to M.E.S. for the link.)    o o o Reader C.D.V. …