Year: 2012

Letter Re: Effective Small Team Tactics for the Coming Collapse

Mr Rawles, I have a few comments after reading the guest article by Max Velocity on small team tactics. I realize the author’s perspective is colored by his time in Afghanistan and Iraq, but there are some issues I have with his article. The first is the Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) is not the same IED he described in the Off-route section. The EFP is formed by the Miznay-Chardin effect, not the Munroe effect. The EFP (Miznay-Chardin) is a solid slug or can be fragmented by various means, but is not a molten jet of metal (Munroe). The Munroe effect, …


News From The American Redoubt:

I am gauging interest in what might become a new weekly column with news from the American Redoubt region. It will feature news about events, business opportunities, Radio Free Redoubt, local bloggers, local vendors, demographics, and more. o o o Musicians will find this of interest: PrairiePsaltery.com o o o Another Sustainable Preparedness Expo will be held on September 30, 2012 in Spokane, Washington. o o o One of the largest and best gun shows in the Redoubt region is scheduled for August 3-4-5, 2012, in Missoula, Montana. (This is Montana’ oldest and biggest show, organized by Hayes Otoupalik–an expert …


Economics and Investing:

Those pesky derivatives: How Jamie Dimon hid the $6 billion loss The latest from Yohay at FOREX Crunch: US Gained Only 12,000 Jobs in May According to Bernanke’s Highlighted Indicator Steven M. sent this: It’s Not Just Free Cell Phones… The Government Is Handing Out Free Air Conditioners Too. JWR Adds: Oh, and to make it even worse, the LG Global Electronics brand air conditioning units they are giving away are made in China. (“Your tax dollars at work.”) Items from The Economatrix: Jim Willie:  Extreme Danger Signposts Gold 22% Rally to Record Seen by Eric Sprott:  Commodities Buffet Says …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Following up on the recent derailment and evacuation in Ohio, SurvivalBlog reader Lee M. found a handy railroad map of the U.S. [JWR Adds: More detailed maps can be found if you do a search for each particular railroad, such as Burlington-Northern-Santa Fe.]    o o o Ian R. sent this: Emergency responders turn to expired drugs as key lifesaving medicine supplies run low    o o o Getting in on the act: Reader Tracey A. noticed that Costco’s mailorder arm is now offering a special package price on 12-pack Gamma Seal Lids and 6-gallon Buckets with 12 Mylar Liners …



America’s Economic Recovery: Smoke and Mirrors

The mainstream news outlets are still proclaiming an ongoing “recovery”. Headlines in the Washington Post warn that the “recovery may be slowing.” Meanwhile The Economist calls the American economy “The Comeback Kid.” The stock and bond promoters at Parker Financial had the temerity to begin their latest cheery report (dated July 9th) with: “The economic recovery that began in June 2009…” The BBC, quoting International Monetary Fund officials, more realistically describes it as a “tepid recovery.” In my estimation all of these pronouncements are nothing but hyperbole. Any movement in economic indicators has not been a result of any genuine …


Pat’s Product Review: Montie Gear Slingshot

Although my body is growing older, my mind is still stuck at age 27 – and at times, my mind is even younger than that. I hope this never changes, once the mind grows old, then the body will grow even older – faster! While I can’t do the things I used to do (physically) when I was much younger, there’s still a lot of “fun” left in me.   I grew up in Chicago, and like most kids at that time, and in my neighborhood, we were pretty poor, except back then, we didn’t know we were poor. We …


Essential Medical Skills to Acquire: Suturing, Part 1, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

In the introduction to this series of article I gave a brief outline of the medical skills that a layman should acquire when preparing for TEOTWAWKI.  One of the most needed skills is suturing and other forms of wound closure.  Lacerations are frightening, especially to young children.  One’s sense of wholeness is violated, often out of proportion to the actual injury.  Even adults view minor cuts as emergencies, when the truth is, most would heal (though perhaps with more scarring) with little intervention beyond cleansing and bandaging.  Pain and fear may cause as much discomfort as the actual wound. The …


Guest Article: Effective Small Team Tactics for the Coming Collapse, by Max Velocity

I have been a soldier for all my adult life: infantry, special operations and as a civilian security contractor. More recently, I have got into prepping for the survival of my family. I have been working slowly at it, and reading and researching a lot of the publications and related blogs. Given my background, I have a head start in the security area, but many have huge head starts over me in the other desired and required skills that will be essential to survival. I have a lot to learn and a lot to catch up on. However, I would …


Letter Re: National Forest Road Closures in Arizona

Jim, My wife and I were heading back from cabin in the Northern Arizona mountains Saturday (July 7) afternoon and were stopped by a nice elderly lady who worked for the Forest service (vehicle parked across from her) on a forest road. She handed me a new Coconino National Forest map and said “if the roads are not shown on this map then it is closed and that each year they will come out with a new MVUM (motor vehicle use map) and the same applies. So, if the road is not shown, then it is consider closed. I said …


Letter Re: Avoid Becoming a Refugee

Dear Editor: The “off-road” gear carriers described in Avoid Becoming a Refugee are neat, but check out this fascinating article about the Chinese wheelbarrow. Its wheel is dead center (instead of at the end like European barrows) enabling it to carry three to six times more weight. Frequently passengers with luggage would be transported by just one person. These were the primary freight movers of their day (much like tractor trailers are used today) but had the advantage of being able to negotiate extremely narrow “roads.” I really enjoyed reading this history and have tucked this knowledge in the back …


Economics and Investing:

Six charts that show the Welfare State run amok. (Thanks to SurvivalBlog’s Poet Laureate G.G. for the link.) Doug C. sent this: Is Bankruptcy Coming to a City Near You? The looming student loan bubble – Almost half of all student borrowers were not making payments. 1 out of 4 in debt repayment past due on student debt. G.G. sent this: Gold for Oil: Turkey has exchanged nearly 60 tons of gold for several million tons of Iranian crude oil, despite its promises to uphold Western sanctions on Iran’s energy sector Items from The Economatrix: Inflate Or Die Four Reasons …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I am weary of hearing police officers now referring to the general populace as “civilians.” I’ve noticed that this misnomer has become commonplace in the new century. Even some journalists are parroting this condescension without any comment or correction, sometimes egregiously. I’ll present the facts here as clearly and concisely: The police and sheriff’s deputies are our employees and they are civilians, too. The police are civil servants that help protect our property rights and civil rights, under civil law. (And hopefully with civility.) In contrast, military or “martial” law is the task of the Military Police and they are …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 41 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 …