Month: January 2013

Packing Horses and Mules, by R.S.

In today’s world most people will never pack an animal to move their goods from point A to point B. However it wasn’t that long ago that animal power was the primary land transport system. In a grid down scenario it may return if only briefly. I offer this article only as an introduction, or primer with a few “how to’s” and a few “how not to’s”. If only one piece of knowledge stays with you, it could be very beneficial.   Many of the things I will cover are the basic principles of packing.  Some of the knowledge may …


Is it Evolution or an Alternative Semi-Auto Personal Defense Rifle?, by Racker

Once again, we have people using a tragedy to push personal agendas; they have little respect for the victims of those tragedies or their respective families and friends. These kinds of people maneuver to develop hysteria to use like a blanket masking their real intent and many of them have been sitting on the edge of their seats with prepared slogans and programs awaiting such tragic opportunities (i.e., “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” – Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s current Mayor and President Obama’s former Chief of Staff and mouthpiece). Meanwhile, as citizens and as proper planners, …


News From The American Redoubt:

In Wyoming: Supercomputer Opening Caps Years of Effort    o o o Buck Knives has completed their relocation to Post Falls, Idaho. They now offer tours of their factory.    o o o Idaho’s minimum wage now even lower than neighboring states    o o o Reader R.B.S. forwarded a link to an Idaho job that you probably won’t see elsewhere. Oh, but this might explain it: Sage grouse protection plan would set aside 1.7 million acres in West.


Economics and Investing:

Blog reader Paul C. sent: Mickelson plans ‘drastic changes’ in response to tax hikes. (Effectively a 63% tax rate, for high income earners, in California.) Pacific Group to Convert 1/3 of Hedge-Fund Assets to Gold Obama’s New ‘Pay as You Earn’ Plan a Windfall for MBAs. Items from The Economatrix: A Look Inside The Fed On Verge Of Crisis America Should Declare Bankruptcy


Odds ‘n Sods:

Joe Ordinary Voortrekker sent some news from South Africa, where sadly a private citizen owning more than 200 rounds of loaded ammunition of any one caliber is illegal: Ammunition, food and medical supplies found in Sasolburg house    o o o And, lest we comfortably feel “Oh, but it can never happen here”, consider: When Citizen Vigilantes Busted Food Hoarders    o o o Steve H. pointed me to one of SouthernPrepper1’s videos, wherein he embraces MURS band radios and DakotaAlerts, for retreat security.    o o o Slate: Earth May Have Been Hit by a Gamma Ray Burst 1,200 …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“How complacent we become when we sit secure, hedged round by laws and protections a government may provide!  How soon we forget that but for these governments and laws, there would be naught but savagery, brutality and starvation! For our age-old enemies await us always, just beyond our thin walls.  Hunger, thirst and cold lie waiting there, and forever among us are those would loot, rape and maim, rather than behave as civilized men. If we sit secure this hour, this day, it is because the thin walls of the law stand between us and evil.” – Louis L’Amour, Fair …


Asthmanefrin: A New Twist on a Life-Saving Medicine, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Ever since Primatene Mist was taken off the market a year ago, SurvivalBlog readers have asked about a replacement for this potentially life-saving over-the-counter drug.    Now there is one, in the form of Asthmanefrin. If you don’t have asthma, should you care?  Definitely so. Although the drug is officially only indicated for asthma, in the event of societal collapse, it may be the only effective and available treatment for: Serious allergic reactions to foods, drugs, stinging/biting insects, or other substances Widespread hives Anaphylactic swelling of the face, lips, or throat (or angioedema) Dropping blood pressure Narrowed airways due to infection, …


Pat’s Product Review: The Power Pot

Living in the country, is really great, but there are a few problems that one can expect. One is loss of electrical power – especially in the winter months, where I live – in Western Oregon. We have a lot of rain, and it causes trees to fall across power lines, knocking out power, and we lose our power at times, for days. I have a back-up generator, and I use it to keep my refrigerator and freezer cold, so I don’t lose any foods. I don’t have a need to watch tv all the time, or surf the ‘net, so …


Letter Re: Question on the Utility of Garmin Rino 655t Receivers

Brother Rawles, I read your blog every night and appreciate what you stand for, and the way you live your life. My question is on the Garmin Rino 655t GPS. My family is large, but we all live somewhat close to one another just outside of Cleveland Ohio. Although this isn’t optimal, the majority of us work as either firemen or policemen, so relocation would be difficult. We are trying to find the perfect radio communication system that our family could use during a SHTF scenario to communicate during a bug out to the compound. I have tried the MURS …


Recipe of the Week:

Chris P.’s Ranch Stew This is a family recipe I wanted to share. This stuff is great, especially in the colder months. Enjoy!   1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained 1 med./large green bell pepper, diced 1 sm./med. white onion, diced 1 can corn, drained 1 can (plain) diced tomatoes 1 can (plain) Ranch Style beans 1 can Rotel 1 can water (for additional soupiness) Chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste   Combine ingredients in large pot, simmer with pot covered, stirring and tasting occasionally, until peppers and onions cook down and flavors have mixed well. Chef’s Notes: …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this item: First Term: Americans Collecting Disability Increased 1,385,418—Now 1 for Each 13 Full-Time Workers US Mint Out Of Silver Coins – Suspends Sales (A hat tip to Rory for spotting that article.) Bill O’Reilly: Obama’s Economic Collapse. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Expect Stunning $233 Silver As It Begins To Soar Another “Market Meltdown,” “Huge Recession” Is Guaranteed Do You Want To Scare A Baby Boomer?


Odds ‘n Sods:

A reader in Oklahoma asked about Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) anti-depressant drugs. Here is the short answer: Big Pharma has replaced Big Tobacco as D.C.’s unassailable legislative pressure group. SSRI drugs are a $50 billion per year industry. So don’t expect any highly-publicized congressional hearings that detail the links between mood altering drugs and school massacres, even though the evidence is plain as day. OBTW, Forbes recently posted an excellent article on this subject, but it must have hit too close to the mark, because the editors spiked it, just a few days later. (The huge advertising budgets of …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"You’re going to see more social unrest. You saw huge riots in Greece, and you’re seeing huge riots in other parts of the world over food (and lack of food) and those are actually derivatives of the financial problems that we’re seeing. We’re exporting inflation to some other nations. Going forward it’s going to be a problem." – Kyle Bass


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 44 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 …


Four-Tier Survival for the Newbie, by C.H.

A little about me: I am 27 years old, I have been married to my wife for 7 years. We have two boys, ages six and 22 months. Both my wife and I are school teachers; I also coach football and power lifting. So, we are the epitome of the American middle class. I have always enjoyed hunting, camping and the outdoors. So I have developed some basic “outdoorsman” skills throughout my youth and early adult hood. As a young child and early teen, I was very interested in survival, homesteading, and living off the land. I remember reading Foxfire …