Month: May 2013

Notes from JWR:

This is the last day of Camping Survival’s Mountain House Sale. They are offering Mountain House nitrogen-packed cans at 25% off and pouches and long term storage HDPE buckets at 15% off. Order before midnight eastern time tonight. (May 15, 2013.) — Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day …


Simple Portable Stoves, by Carolyn P.

The survivalist movement is growing at great rate today.  You only have to read some of the articles posted in this blog to know that.  But with all the fancy accruements available today some of the more fun and lowly survival items are overlooked.  Among them: The hobo and emergency pocket stoves. These are so much fun to make, and so easy.  I remember first seeing them in an ancient tiny camping book from the 1960’s.  The book itself was a hoot.  When I cracked the book open the faded and almost crunchy yellowed pages revealed what I thought was …


Letter Re: Selecting a Prepper’s Firearms

James Wesley, I have found red dot scopes to be real helpful, and great for target shooting and plinking.  The problem of course are the [button] batteries. I have a cheap red dot on one of my [Ruger] 10/22 fun plinking gun.  Everyone loves it.  However, too Many times I have left the sight turned on only to have a useless device atop my rifle. I have spent much money on the special “photo type” batteries for these illuminated scopes (with and without reticles). Those scopes that have a regular reticle and the option of illumination is not as catastrophic …


Update on Chris Duane, SBSS, and Mulligan Mint

On Monday (May 13, 2013) I did my best to intervene and help mediate between Chris Duane and the Mulligan Mint to get them back to the bargaining table. I even suggested some potential terms of agreement. But they are still deadlocked. I’m afraid that this won’t be resolved until their controversy goes to formal mediation or to court. This is a very sad situation. I was hoping that they’d be willing to quickly settle this like gentlemen, but the rhetoric (at least on one side) has become so vitriolic that I don’t foresee an amicable resolution anytime soon. The …


Economics and Investing:

Reader F.G. sent: Ruger to Open Third Plant – Expansion for New Guns B.B. mentioned this by Lord Monckton: The Dollar and the USA are Toast Federal Reserve ZIRP has essentially destroyed household income growth: Households headed by those 45 to 54 see their real household income growth drop by 16 percent from 1999. Items from The Economatrix: Over at Mac Slavo’s excellent SHTFPlan blog: The Mathematical Reality Is We Are Losing Over 600,000 Jobs Per Month That Have Been Hidden From View Generation J(obless):  A Quarter Of The Planet’s Youth Is Neither Working Nor Studying Visualizing the Collapse of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Jeff H. wrote to suggest this instructional video: Arc Welding with Three Car Batteries    o o o “Excessive Force” doesn’t begin to describe… Dramatic helicopter shootout and car chase in Rio de Janeiro. (A hat tip to Ol’ Remus for the link.)    o o o F.G. suggested: Used AK Buyer’s Checklist    o o o Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) found this link: Why Vultures Devoured Hiker’s Body in Minutes    o o o As if on cue… Two days ago I asked rhetorically,: “Is a magazine capacity of 16 rounds inherently more evil, criminal …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) 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 …


Our Guerrilla Gardening, by Oregon Pat

Over the years our lifestyle of self-production has morphed from simply producing more of our own needs into an active learning, training experience for the whole family.  Our children have grown up working alongside us in the garden, enjoying our late-night “canning parties”, and lately helping to raise and pursue large animals for our consumption.  This last year our gardening has taken on a greater academic angle with more experimentation and trying new things.  We’ve done a fair amount of foraging in the mountains around our place, and we were wondering how our ‘domestic’ garden varieties would fair in the …


Letter Re: Sewing to Repurpose Items for SHTF

Sir: In her recent article on repurposing material by sewing, Penny Pincher said: “The Army poncho liner is nothing more than a thin quilt with a head hole in the middle.  It’s camo lightweight nylon with thin polyfil for batting, a few strings at the corners, and bound on the edges.  You could make something similar.  If you didn’t mind the extra weight, you could use some thin wool, maybe in two layers, and sandwich that between nylon to make it ride smoother.” I made something similar last spring, but with nylon on only one side. I like carrying a …


Letter Re: Post-TEOTWAWKI Welding

Dear Jim, I have been a welder, machinist, engineer, and someone interested in self-reliance for many years. I read the recent discussion on SurvivalBlog of post-SHTF welding with interest. I do not disagree that thermite could be made from scrap yard materials (done it, with aluminum filings and black sand (magnetite) from the river), but it would require a custom-made refractory mold for each joint.  IMHO two other forms of welding would be much more practical. Forge welding was the only available process up into the 1800s, and requires only anvil, hammer, fire of coke or charcoal and forced air.  …


News From The American Redoubt:

The historic flying legacy of Ontario [Oregon]’s Merle Maine. What an amazing collection! (Thanks to R.B.S. for the link.)    o o o Jim W. sent: Wolves vs Lion Hounds: Attacks Rising in Montana and Idaho    o o o Governor Otter invites firearms, ammunition makers to Idaho. (A hat tip to Rich B. for the link.)    o o o Jim W. sent us yet another good reason for the partition of eastern Washington: Attention Florida CWPs: Washington State is no longer reciprocal.    o o o A workshop in Wilsall, Montana will address “drought-proofing” farms and ranches and …


Economics and Investing:

Prof. Paul Caron: The Deepening IRS Scandal Intrinsic Value and the Final Battle for Silver H.L. suggested: Argentina’s Modest Proposal: Buy Bonds or Go to Jail Items from The Economatrix: Where Is The Recovery?  A Higher Percentage of Americans Had Jobs Three Years Ago Fed’s Cheap Money is Fueling Buyback Binge, Not the Economy Schiff:  Big Mac Index Exposes Flawed Inflation Data


Odds ‘n Sods:

Bullet blitz: Demand from public, government leaves ammo shelves empty. (Of course those of you who heeded the advice in SurvivalBlog and stocked up before last December are now sitting pretty.)    o o o Tomorrow is the last day of Camping Survival’s Mountain House Sale. They are offering Mountain House nitrogen-packed cans at 25% off and pouches and long term storage HDPE buckets at 15% off. Order soon!    o o o Reader M.V.R. spotted this: Use These Secret NSA Google Search Tips to Become Your Own Spy Agency    o o o Jeff H. mentioned: Mothers Milk: Grow …