Year: 2012

Notes from JWR:

Just released! The latest sci-fi novel in the popular Freehold series by SurvivalBlog’s own Michael Z. Williamson: When Diplomacy Fails. This novel is another prequel to Freehold, involving the Ripple Creek crew. Here is a summary: “Alex Marlow and Ripple Creek Security’s best personal security detail return to action. This time, they really don’t like their principal, World Bureau of State Minister Joy Herman Highland–a highly-placed bureaucrat with aspirations to elected office. Even worse, Highland’s assistant wants to publicize every movement and action for her boss’s pending campaign, which is anathema to good security. With a person of this status, …


Do-It-Yourself Rocket Stoves, by E.B.

I live and prep on a tight budget – at least for the time being. I am lucky to have a fireplace in my home, not a woodstove, nor the room for one, but at least a fireplace. It’s better than no fireplace, but rather inefficient for heating or cooking. It would do in a pinch, but a rocket stove would greatly reduce the amount of wood needed to cook a meal. On my budget even $100 is a lot right now and I began looking into building my own rocket stove. The knowledge is out there, and “improved stoves” …


Letter Re: American Redoubt Coverage

Jim, I’m a long-time blog reader and occasional writer just dropping a note by you to say first of all that I love the blog. I read it everyday without fail. I support you by clicking through to your sponsors and purchasing items. One thing I would like to state for the record is my objection to the constant yammering on about the American Redoubt. [Some deleted, for brevity.] As one who has relocated from Florida to central Kentucky, I can tell you that there are more nice places to relocate to than just the Redoubt. Once again, I love …


Economics and Investing:

Der Spiegel reports: Investors Prepare for Euro Collapse Welcome to the land of the poor and rich – Trading the middle class for economic extremes. Deep Fried Black Swan Lands as China Admits it Has a Food Inflation Problem, Releases Corn, Rice From Reserves. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.) Three Warning Signs Showing Why You Should Remain Leery of this Market   Why Alternative Energy Will Never Become Widespread in Our Lifetime Items from The Economatrix: Presenting The Ultimate “Muppet” Indicator The US Treasury Secretary’s $2.4 Trillion Secret Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago? Egan …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Camping Survival has announced an unprecedented Two Day Free Shipping Deal. This is for every order of $149 or more from their web site received on August 15th and August 16th. Free shipping is available only if you use coupon code “freeshipping” during checkout.    o o o Reader Diana V. suggested this: 100-year-old way to filter rainwater    o o o Gary S. mentioned: Cloak of Invisibility?    o o o F.G. sent this: Conquest vehicles reveals the Evade, its new, gigantic unarmored SUV. JWR’s Comments: They should have named this vehicle the Poser. Driving an unarmored vehicle that looks …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Emergency preparedness is a good thing for governments to focus on. But whether talking about the Elliot Lake mall collapse in Ontario or the ongoing efforts to turn Calgary’s communications back on, there’s ample evidence that governments are simply incapable of adequately tackling the complexities of disasters confined to even a single building. If something big ever happens — and sooner or later, something always does — we should all expect to be on our own for days, or longer. The systems we’ve built to support ourselves are just too complicated to repair any faster than that.” – Matt Gurney, …



Essential Medical Skills to Acquire: Part 2, Suturing, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

In Part 1 of Suturing I discussed several aspects of wound closure, including goals of treatment, common lacerations, alternate wound closure techniques, types of suture to purchase, wound cleansing, sterile field, needle size, proper instruments, correct suture placement, and aftercare. In Part 2 of Suturing I will address common mistakes to avoid. Wound closure is not rocket science, and any adult of average intelligence can learn the basic techniques.  Anyone who has sutured has learned from their own mistakes and those of others.  The following advice will help you skip a few errors and should make you look like a …


Letter Re: Army Scout Field Manual Available Online

JWR, I thought I’d take a minute and recommend an Army Field Manual (FM) that I don’t see referenced too often here. It’s FM 7-92 (“The infantry reconnaissance platoon and squad; airborne, air assault, light infantry”) with Chapter 9 for MOUT/urban operations. This version is a little hard to find, so here’s the link.  Just don’t ask why I had to go to Marines.mil to find it. This version dates back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, so the emphasis less on mechanized reconnaissance, technology, and general eye candy – unlike a majority of the scout FMs in current publication. …


Letter Re: A Flooded Basement and Rusting Canned Foods

Hello Mr. Rawles, Regarding the man who found his canned food rims rusting in his basement. I can recommend OSPHO, which is a liquid which will upon application changes the rust to a more stable compound. I was in the Merchant Marine and we used it on the ships and it works very well. You can get OSPHO through Amazon.com or at a ACE hardware store. It is basically phosphoric acid [suspended in a coating.]   He may also want to invest in a tabletop buffer or wire wheel to quickly remove surface rust before applying the OSPHO which improves the …


News From The American Redoubt:

Radio Free Redoubt has uploaded an after-action podcast about the the first T-REX (TEOTWAWKI Readiness Exercise) that was held August 10th, 11th & 12th.    o o o Yet another great video from Ttabs: Flying Elk River to Deary to Juliaetta to Craigmont, Idaho    o o o The Redoubt states are absent from this list: Traveling Soon? Top 10 U.S. States Plagued by Exotic Diseases    o o o Here are the Best Places to Live–in 2032. As usual, the Redoubt states are in the top half of the list.    o o o A trade group says it’s …


Economics and Investing:

Deutsche Bank Proclaims Western Currencies Worthless Long live the debt ceiling – approaching the fiscal cliff by spending $1 trillion more than is being taken in. A breakdown of government spending and revenues. Sentinel ruling may hurt MF Global clients. Here is a key quote: “Futures brokers are required to keep customers’ funds in dedicated accounts to protect them from being used for anything other than client business. However, Thursday’s ruling suggests that brokerages can use customer funds to pay off other creditors…” [JWR’s Comment: When stealing a client’s money effectively becomes legal for futures brokers (and possibly for bankers), …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Adam B. suggested this: Amish enjoy unexpected boom in numbers    o o o More in the Mayor Tony Mack saga: Woeful Trenton Sees Mayor Add Insult to Injury. So yet another member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) may soon do the perp walk and pose for a mug shot. Oh, and in case you missed it, Mayor Felix Roque was arrested in late May. And former Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick’s trial on additional corruption charges is scheduled to begin on September 6, 2012. Both of them are also MAIG members. Statistically, Bloomberg’s crack team of “crime fighting” …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We are locked into an unimaginably complex predicament and a system of dependency whose future seems at growing risk. To avoid catastrophe we must prepare for failure. We are entering a time of great challenge and uncertainty, when the systems, ideas and stories that framed our lives in one world are torn apart, but before new stories and dependencies have had time to evolve. Our challenge is to let go, and go forth. Our immediate concern is crisis and shock planning. It should now be clear that this is far more extensive than merely focusing on the financial system. It …