Month: September 2012

Pat’s Product Review: Eberlestock Gunslinger II Pack

I have literally lost count of the number and different types of backpacks I have owned and tried over the years. And, to be sure, there is no one backpack that suits everyone the same. I believe backpacks are a very personal thing, and you can’t select one for someone else. Everyone in my family has a different type of Bug Out Bag – always have! At one point, when I was quite a bit younger, I used a US military CFP 90 pack – and that thing could hold something like 6,500 cubic inches of stuff. Fully loaded, it …


A Critical Thinker Book Review: Hunt Gather Grow Eat

We all benefit from the wisdom and experience of those around us. For someone with a beginning passion for a subject, a mentor is extremely valuable; and for those that have achieved a reasonable amount of competence, a respected peer can be a great sounding board for exploring issues and alternatives. For those with a general interest in self sufficiency or a specific interest in food independence, the new book from Jason Akers comes very close in replicating those relationships. His book, Hunt Gather Grow Eat: Your Guide to Food Independence, is a very readable and useful survey of self …


Letter Re: Alternative Treatments for Auto-Immune Disorders in the Absence of Traditional Health Care

Dear James, I’m a long time SurvivalBlog reader, first time responder, and serious prepper.    This article by J.F. has some excellent information but there is a glaring omission.  In most auto immune diseases, there is an assault on your body that invokes a response by your immune system. At times, such as the case of the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, your body gets confused by various threats and “brings out the big guns, namely a cytokine storm that effectively neutralizes the threat.  Unfortunately, this also does “collateral damage” in the form of severe oxidative stress to surrounding tissue.   …


Recipe of the Week:

John E.’s Lefse                         Lefse is also known as Norwegian flatbread, or “Norwegian tortillas.” Growing up in a mostly Norwegian community, I learned at an early age the joys of a warm rolled lefse fresh from the griddle that had been slathered with butter and sprinkled with sugar.  In later years I enjoyed them rolled with thin sliced gouda cheese, summer sausage, and a little mayonnaise with mustard.  Lefse in both forms was a welcome snack while sitting in the middle of a snow filled slope after several hours of skiing. My grandparents always boiled more spuds than …


Economics and Investing:

Jim W. recommended this “must watch” interview that mentions the coming derivatives implosion: Greg Mannarino – People Are Going to Suffer on a Biblical Scale Marc Faber – The Most Dangerous Trend Facing The World Today. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.) G.G. flagged this: Regulators close small bank in Minnesota for total of 41 US failures so far this year Items from The Economatrix: June Food Stamp Recipients Hit All-Time High As Three Times As Many Americans Enter Poverty Than Find Jobs 8 Reasons Why No One Should Ignore The Coming Economic Collapse Unemployment Benefits Claims Fall 12,000 Inflation …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I’m pleased to announce that my old associate Todd Savage has officially launched www.SurvivalRetreatConsulting.com. Todd is both a former real estate agent and a Marine with a good tactical eye. He offers his on-site services for selecting and upgrading retreats in Northern Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Northwest Montana. His rates are quite affordable.    o o o R.B.S. sent: The power of the Sun: Now NASA reveals Video of a 500,000 mile ‘solar whip’ that caused an aurora on Earth    o o o Another Sustainable Preparedness Expo will be held on September 30, 2012 in Spokane, Washington.    o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I was born and raised in that religious atmosphere which for three hundred years has never varied in its extreme devotion to peace. Yet I know that peace comes in the modern world only to those nations which are adequately prepared to defend themselves. The European Allies are now paying in blood and disaster for their failure to heed plain warnings. With adequate preparedness they might have escaped attack.” – Herbert Hoover. May 27, 1940, from the recently-released book, Freedom Betrayed: Herbert Hoover’s Secret History of the Second World War and Its Aftermath


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 42 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …


Alternative Treatments for Auto-Immune Disorders in the Absence of Traditional Health Care, by J.F., RN

Many preppers are carefully strategizing the health care needs of themselves and their families. They are doing a great job of planning for a lack of conventional medicine, by stocking up on prescription medication where possible, finding alternate sources for antibiotics, collecting over-the-counter supplies and supplements and stockpiling the necessary items for inevitable wounds, rashes, skin infections and the like. But what about those folks with chronic illnesses, who rely upon daily medications and/or the newer injectable biologic answers to auto-immune disorders such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus? What solutions, hopefully temporary, can be offered to those with diabetes, hypertension, …


Two Letters Re: Prepping with Fangs: Dogs for a Survivalist

James: As a reformed “slip and fall” attorney, I would like to point out some issues related to dog ownership. I have defended homeowners and sued homeowners relating to dog bites.The article about the decision to pick a certain breed, Doberman Pincher, was well written and informative but I would like to add some additional points, too often overlooked, about dog ownership. For sure, I would check with my homeowner’s insurance carrier to see if you have coverage for a dog bite, and secondly, if there are specific breed coverage exemptions. Often you will be unable to insure the risk …


Economics and Investing:

Canadian housing bubble goes into full mania mode – Canadian debt-to-personal income ratio near 145% while US at peak of the housing bubble was at 125%. When Working Until 70 Isn’t Enough Rex spotted this: Richard Russell: The World Can Fix Its Debt Problem By Raising The Value Of Gold To $10,000 The swan song of stagflation – Gas prices up over 100 percent from 2005 and incomes are stagnant. Ignoring a $16 trillion debt headline and repackaging food to hide stagnant incomes. Items from The Economatrix: Catherine Austin Fitts:  They’re Going to Depopulate or Bankrupt the Rest of Us …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Signs of the times: Roadside solar panels nabbed. (Thanks to Brian M. for the link.)    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Mike Williamson mentioned this amazing cartridge made by shortening and necking down 20mm Vulcan cases: 14.9mm SOP    o o o Several readers mentioned this essay by novelist (and former Navy SEAL) Matt Bracken: When The Music Stops – How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence. Note that Matt Bracken isn’t a racist. He’s a realist.    o o o Cause for concern: White House circulating draft of executive order on cybersecurity. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 42 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …


Training Combatives: The How, What and Why of Acquiring Hand-to-Hand Skills

Disclaimer: the opinion presented below is garnered from my personal experience. I make no claims of omnipotence or omniscience. As with all things, analyze this information and use your judgment to make an informed decision on how to integrate the following material into your personal preparations. When it comes down to it, learning how to avoid a fight and effectively negotiate a resolution is as (or more) important than combatives training. However, I will leave the topic of practical negotiation to others who can espouse the finer points better than I. I was motivated to write this article after gritting …