Year: 2013

Letter Re: Advice on Dakota Alerts

Hi Jim and Readers, My Dakota Alert works great, as long as I can keep the batteries fresh, I find that they really use the current up fast. I did paint the outside of my "bird nest" box with paint that looks like bark and green leaf color that I purchased in the paint department at Wal-Mart. It really helps camouflage the box, and when hanging it on a tree, most people never notice it. As for protecting the antenna, I covered it with 1/2 inch black adhesive-lined shrink tubing available from Mouser Electronics. By shrinking it on the antenna is …


Economics and Investing:

Just as I anticipated: Platinum Climbs to a 16-Month High, Extending Premium Over Gold. (I hope that some of you took my advice last October and bought platinum when it dipped below the price of gold.) Bob Bauman of The Sovereign Investor recently reported some “voting with their feet” news: “In 2009, when the Labor Party in the U.K. raised the top income tax rate to 50%, two-thirds of the country’s 16,000 £1 million earners disappeared from British tax rolls. In 2010, HM Revenue and Customs reported only 6,000 remained. Rather than increasing revenue, the tax actually cost the U.K. …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I recently reviewed a consulting client’s draft “Get out of Dodge” plan for getting to his retreat in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which only showed one evacuation route from a major midwestern city. I told him bluntly: If you don’t have a Plan B, then you don’t have a plan. His revised plan, he promises, will show four routes, two of which go through Canada.    o o o New York’s ‘SAFE’ Act: The ‘Rape’ of the Second Amendment. JWR’s Comment: I’m now thoroughly convinced that New York is irretrievably in the hands of the Statists via multigenerational constituencies, and beyond …



Notes from JWR:

A special note to Wyoming Citizens: Three pending pro-gun bills are in peril: HB103, HB104, and HB105. I heard from a reader: “They have cleared the [Wyoming] house but have  been assigned to two committees on the senate side: Education and Judiciary. These are committees that are have majority members leaning to the left on this issue. We need them to hear loud and clear that these are great landmark bills for the state of Wyoming and this nation.” Please contact your Wyoming House representatives! (This web page provides a way to do so.) — Today we present another entry …


Lessons Learned on My Prepping Journey, by Tim K.

As Seen on TV – My Humble Beginnings I admit I’ve watched just about every episode out there from all of the popular survival shows – Survivorman, Beyond Survival, Man vs. Wild, Dual Survival, Man Woman Wild, and yes, even Worst Case Scenario with Bear Gryllis . I ate it all up. Those shows got me hooked on wilderness survival. My Christmas and birthday lists went from a focus on video games and computer upgrades to things like paracord, solar blankets, magnesium fire starters, etc. I also got a few great books that gave me vast amounts of knowledge. Everything …


Letter Re: Advice on Dakota Alerts

Dear Mr. Rawles,  Greetings! I have enjoyed your blog site.  I noticed you have mentioned several times your use of Dakota Alert systems for your ranch.   This is why I am writing. I would like you input and thoughts.   I was viewing some customer comments on Amazon from those who had purchased the units.  Some complained about rust-out due to moisture (rain) after a few months.    I then followed this up with an e-mail to Dakota Alert manufacturer.    Bryon Pedersen of Dakota Alert responded by stating that most of the moisture issues have been resolved-except for moisture …


Three Letters Re: Dealing With Biting and Stinging Insects

Jim: I’d like to recommend the best chigger bite treatment: Put some rubbing alcohol on tissue paper and lightly rub this on the chigger bite as soon as possible. Hold in place for at least half a minute to kill germs. Then immediately rub a piece of ice on the bite for a few minutes to reduce swelling. This will eliminate pain and swelling by 99%.  After getting hundreds of chigger bites over the years, this is the best method I’ve found. – Paul O. James, One thing to add about chiggers, or red bugs. I got these on my …


Economics and Investing:

A penniless Canada: Mint begins years-long process of collecting and melting down 82-million kg in coins Gasoline costs take biggest share of household income in three decades. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Is a global LIBOR settlement coming? Central Bank Snuffs Out Vietnam’s Thriving Gold Market Items from The Economatrix: January Auto Sales Indicate Strong Start to 2013. Own Physical Gold & Silver As Currency Wars Will Destroy Our Money Housing Packs Punch For US Growth In 2013 And Beyond


Odds ‘n Sods:

Peter S. recommended this: Tiny Off-Grid Cabin in Maine is Completely Self-Sustaining    o o o I had a shock when I recently bought a replacement set of studded snow tires for our full-size SUV. Complete with studding, mounting and balancing, four identical tires from the same maker and installed by the same Les Schwab tire store cost $753 in January 2011 and $952 in January, 2013. And they tell us that “consumer price inflation is low.” Yeah, right. The effects of the BHO Administrations’s massive Quantitative Easing are now starting to pervade the economy. Get out of U.S. Dollar-denominated …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“…every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid. To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.” – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper No. 78 (Paragraph 10)


Notes from JWR:

My Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course was out of print for nearly three years, but I’m pleased to report that it is available again, via digital download. Because of the efficiency of digital delivery, it now available at just a fraction of the price that had been charged for the original hard copy binder edition. The course was designed for beginning and intermediate preppers, with this premise: Could you prepare your family for a major disaster, with just one or two trips to your local COSTCO or Sam’s Club store? In the course I describe exactly how to do …


Dealing With Biting and Stinging Insects by K.F.

Being “bugged” by insects is a problem we will likely face in TEOTWAWKI. Americans will spend more time outdoors in an effort to gather food and fuel as well as hunt and guard their retreat and resources. Exposure to insects will increase exponentially. Our defenses against pests will diminish significantly as our homes and retreats have their windows and doors left open more often. Also, the commonly available pesticides will probably not be available as supplies (of all kinds) decrease when TSHTF. We all know that insects have the potential to spread disease as well as lower our quality of …


Letter From #1 Son on SurvivalBlog Publishing Structure Suggestions

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers: We are in the early stages of transitioning to new content management software for SurvivalBlog. I’d appreciate input from any of our readers who have experience in content design, on making the site even more useful. For our general readers, don’t worry, there won’t be any major changes in the blog. You will still have the same daily posts. In the seven years that SurvivalBlog has been running, we have built a massive archive of nearly 17,300 posts. This includes many daily items, such as notes, odds ‘n sods posts, and quotes of the day. Then we …


Letter Re: Thoughts Trailers and Towing Capacity for Times of Fuel Scarcity

Jim: InyoKern’s comments [about living in trailers] are right on. My brother is [living] in a 21.5 foot long toy hauler and it is built stronger than a conventional trailer and you can haul a lot in it. It is very comfortable and has extra large storage capacity for fuel, water etc. He has 200 watts of photovoltaic panels on the roof and four 6 -volt golf cart batteries cabled together to provide most of his electrical needs. I have a 9 foot truck camper and though its good the trailer is much more versatile for moving about from city …