Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 47 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 …




Learning 52 Skills: Applying a Purchasing Plan Approach to Learning New Skills, by Seth T.

It’s common for Preppers to run into a misallocation of resources.  Some things are flashy (Read: Guns) and will attract a lot of attention. People will spend hours and hours researching their newest gun purchase but never take the time to conduct a test loading of their bug out gear into their vehicle.  People will spend hours comparing the XTP vs Golden Saber vs Hydra-Shok for their carry gun, but never work on drawing their weapon from their carry holster, manipulation drills, or shooting basics.  How much money is spent on QuickClot and trauma dressings by a person who doesn’t have any first …




Letter Re: Some Overlooked Risks

I appreciate what Havoc had to say.  As I read survival fiction I often find myself thinking that the authors are being optimistic about the situations they write about.  I couch that with my own understanding that if the authors were to write the stories as I fear they will play out then no one would want to read those stories.  Reality can be ugly. I think Havoc does well to mention the four horsemen, and it is worth noting that the rider of the pale horse (Revelation 6:7-8) is given authority to kill a fourth of mankind with sword, …




Economics and Investing:

Reader CDV sent: Peak oil lives, but will kill the economy How Detroit Drowned in a Sea of Troubles Farmland prices cooling in Iowa, Nebraska Items from The Economatrix: Worldwide Unemployment Crisis: There are 93 Million Unemployed Workers in G20 Nations Can the US Economy Keep Up With this Exponential Chart? SEC Warns:  Prepare for Repo Defaults Blame Ethanol For Spike in Gas Prices




Odds ‘n Sods:

For anyone who might feel in a Guy Fawkes sort of mood on any day other than November 5th, here is some useful data: State Codes Related To Wearing Masks    o o o News from Nanny State Norge: Man’s Home Raided by Police for Paying Cash    o o o Joe K. sent this: Is Your PIC MetaData Giving You Away?    o o o Pierre M. suggested five web pages on the topic of camouflage: Fundamentals of Unconventional Warfare: Camouflage and Concealment 101 Chapter 34 of FM 23-10 Slide show: Camouflage for the Patriot Hyperstealth’s “Metro” pattern: utility or …