Month: August 2013

Odds ‘n Sods:

First look inside famous Cold War nuke vault. Under a McDonalds hamburger place in downtown Los Alamos, New Mexico!    o o o Leaked: German Government Warns Key Entities Not To Use Windows 8 – Links The NSA    o o o I recently asked if someone made a set of stencils for camouflage spray-painting rifles and other field gear to replicate popular camouflage patterns, such as Woodland pattern. Yes, there is a company that makes them. And as previously mentioned, similar stencils are also available from the makers of Duracoat, Lauer Custom Weaponry. Just be sure to use flat …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina Or the sweetness of the grass in Tennessee And Lord I can’t make any changes All I can do is write ’em in a song I can see the concrete slowly creepin’ Lord take me and mine before that comes.” – From the lyrics of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s All I Can Do Is Write About It.



Understanding The Process of Freeze Drying Food, by Thomas Baldrick

To understand freeze drying there is less to digest than you might think. If you’re into survival, freeze dried food is your friend. It’s a good friend because you’ll enjoy it and feel good having it around. Like a weapon, a partner or a loyal dog, it serves as your trusted companion… always there for you when you need it most. Now let’s explain the process of freeze drying food and understand how this friendship begins. What is Freeze Drying? While today’s freeze drying industry is powered by some really smart people and super high tech equipment, the concept remains …


Advice on Come-Alongs

Reader L. in Tucson recent wrote to ask for some guidance on buying come-alongs for his new retreat ranch in northern Arizona. Here is my advice: Ratchet cable hoists (commonly called “Come-Alongs”) are crucial tools for life on a retreat and for off-road driving. They have umpteen uses for everything from wire fence stretching to lifting elk carcasses for butchering. These should be purchased in pairs, for the greatest versatility.  We keep four come-alongs here at the Rawles Ranch: Two that are 2-ton capacity and two that are 4-ton capacity.  All four are American-made, by Maasdam under the trade name Pow’R …


Pat’s Product Review: T3 Rescue Tool

Many years ago I worked as an EMT – part of my training was to work on a Chicago Fire Department rescue ambulance. It was exciting  and demanding. Also, in the course of working as a police officer, I had many occasions where I had to cut someone out of a seat belt that had become stuck, or cut people out of their clothing so we could attend to their injuries. While I’ve always carried a pocket knife, it was not the perfect tool for the job.   There are several different types of cutting tools on the market today, …


Recipe of the Week:

Rich H.’s Peach Pie Jam 6 cups peaches, peeled and cut 2 cups brown sugar 3 T. bottled lemon juice 1 t. cinnamon 1 t. nutmeg 4 1/2 T. Ball Flex Batch no sugar/low sugar pectin ( or Sure-Jell one box of no sugar/low sugar pectin) Cut and measure peaches and put into dutch oven, heating until the peaches begin to break down, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally so that you don’t burn the fruit. Add 2 cups of brown sugar, lemon juice, and spices. Once you get the right flavor bring to a boil and then add your pectin, …


Economics and Investing:

Hit in the Gut by the Internet Sales Tax. The advent of this tax is yet another reason to support small “mom and pop” businesses. (They will be exempt from collecting Internet sales taxes–at least for now.) Reader James W. suggested: Cashless: The Coming War on Tax-Evasion and Decentralized Money Italian factory owner moves company to Poland while staff are on holiday Items from The Economatrix: 18 Signs That Global Financial Markets Are Entering A Horrifying Death Spiral 401(k)s: Delivery Problems of a Different Nature Health Insurance Premiums Rise Faster Than Wages Obamacare clock stops for your boss, not you


Odds ‘n Sods:

What if they had a protest, and nobody came? Richmond rally supports more checks for gun purchases. You’ll find buried in the third paragraph: “Speaking to a sparse crowd — perhaps 15 local supporters…” Fifteen? Gosh, even the gay boy-baiting NAMBLA group gathers more people than that. So my questions are: Who wrote that headline, and who was the editor that approved it? And since when does 15 souls constitute a “rally”? Their draw was closer to the scale of a Kaffeeklatsch. The turnout was pretty pathetic, when you consider the $12 million+ that Mayor Bloomberg has spent on just …



Notes from JWR:

Book Bomb Day! Today (Sunday, August 25, 2013) is the release date for The Prepared Family Cookbook. This great 372-page book was authored by our friend Enola Gay, of the Paratus Familia blog. It includes many great recipes that you won’t find anywhere else. Avalanche Lily has already read the book, and loved it. Most of the recipes are tailored for farm, ranch, and retreat living. In addition to hundreds of recipes, there are also special chapters on food storage, woodstove cookery, hospitality, homestead medicine, off-grid living, wildcrafting, home dairying, and homestead hygiene. Understandably, most of this came out of …


Fitting Martial Arts into the Life of a Prepper, by Matthew G.

While watching season two of Doomsday Preppers on the National Geographic Channel I noticed the “consumer prepper.” These are people who think of a problem and quickly try to throw money at the situation instead of trying to find the best solution to their issue. In one episode a wealthy older man was fearful of a major earth quake in California. He bought thousands of dollars of freeze dried food, the most expensive firearms, and even a helicopter to fly him out if things were really bad. With all of his money he made a poor choice of putting his …


Letter Re: Gun Storage While Traveling to Anti-Gun States

Dear Sir,
Thank you for an excellent web site. I read it every day. I have a question regarding traveling with my handgun. Living in Ohio, a reasonably free state these days, I occasionally have to travel by car to one of the totalitarian states. States such as New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Maryland. I of course prefer to carry my handgun and have CCW licenses to carry in all the surrounding free states on the way. However, as my need to enter these other states, would potentially land me in jail if I brought my weapon, I must make my whole trip unarmed. Are there gun storage options?

Other than burying my gun just outside the state line of one of these totalitarian regimes, do you or your readers have any suggestions? I have considered contacting gun retailers near, but outside the borders. Perhaps asking them to store my gun while I am in the hostile territories. But this may have many complications, including entry at many points depending on my destination and scheduling…


Economics and Investing:

Wim Grommen: The Dow 30 Stock Market Index is the Greatest of All Ponzi Schemes Abandoned Dogs Roam Detroit in Packs as Humans Dwindle. (An estimated 50,000 dogs at stray!) Items from The Economatrix: Get Ready: The Great Transfer of Wealth in Gold and Silver is Coming Your Future: “We Are Now at a Point Where the Crisis Will Happen Almost Overnight” Ron Paul And Jim Rogers Discuss Economic Collapse


Odds ‘n Sods:

When the ‘cure’ doesn’t end the pain: Some Lyme disease patients have symptoms that can linger for years despite standard treatment. Scientists are puzzling over how that can be. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)    o o o One month to Revolution: The premiere of Season 2 of the post grid-collapse television series Revolution is scheduled for September 25th. It will air on Wednesdays at 8:00pm ET/PT. The series was renewed for another 22 episodes. It is fairly mediocre as sci-fi/survivalist television drama goes, but it is the only game in town. Seeing Revolution only makes me miss Firefly …