Month: February 2014

Odds ‘n Sods:

For those who, like Tim Taylor (Home Improvement), like to “up-size” whatever they do… Farm invention of the year – J.W. o o o As Israel grows increasingly nervous about Iran, Israeli army report reveals intelligence and security relations with several Arab and Muslim countries – B.R. o o o RBS sent in this article about an Ontario judge ordering 13 children from a Jewish community into foster care. o o o Canned Garands – What more needs to be said? o o o An anonymous reader sent in this neat video: Don’t get stranded wearing a plastic coat. It …



Notes from HJL:

Today, February 13th, is the birthday of both Robert Charles R.C. Sproul, Jr.(born 1939), a well-respected American Calvinist theologian and General Chuck Yeager (born, 1923), the first man to break the sound barrier. o o o W.A sent this video in regarding Hard Tack. It wasn’t enough to make a post out of it, but it was too good to pass up. Also, a quick search on SurvivalBlog returns quite a few results. Use the search term “Hard Tack” as well as “hardtack”. My favorite is found in the Recipe of the Week: Matt The Teacher’s Cranberry Pumpkin Pie Spice …


Prepper Primer for Your Non-prepper Loved Ones, by T.S. – Part 2

Food and Water I recommend making a catalog of everything in our stores, if time allows. Do this for sure if you are staying at our home. Open all of our buckets; some contain non-food items! Do not forget to include items in the garage, shed, and throughout the house that may be useful. This list will be invaluable when it comes to planing what to cache and how to solve problems. You need to know what you have to work with. Obviously, hide this catalog very well. Food The kind of foods you want to pack in your BOB …


Three Letters Re: Heating Concern in LP/OP

Hugh, In response to the letter on Wednesday Feb. 5th regarding “Heating Concern in LP/OP“, I submit my thoughts. Indeed, those of us in Northern climates should be very concerned with keeping warm in a LP/OP during the winter months. When in the LP/OP, we typically have to stay put. Wandering off or doing laps around the property could allow those who would do your group harm to enter your property unannounced. The other important point is that an effective person in a LP/OP is also quiet. Having the upper hand in a tactical situation could very well hinge on …


Economics and Investing:

C.M. sent in this video link on Prince Rupert’s Drops. It’s an amazing science phenomena that I think you will enjoy seeing. C.M., however, uses it as an object lesson on our economy. When the Federal Reserve has built enough stress into the US society (and the global economy) with market manipulation, all that will be needed to finish the job is a scratch. Items from The Economatrix: US Wholesale Stockpiles Rise 0.3 Percent December Competition For A Job Lowest Since The Financial Crisis Jim Rogers: \


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ninth Circuit Holds California’s Carry License Laws Unconstitutional o o o Don’t forget Ready Made Resources with their first 25-42% off Mountain House Food Sale going on right now. They are also offering free shipping and will be giving away a case of Mountain House Pouched Yogurts on orders where more than 10 cases are sold. (A $300 value.) o o o J.W. sends us this video showing how to check the state of the battery without a VOM. I’ve tried it with Ray-o-Vac, Energizer and Duracell’s in AA, AAA and C sizes. It does seem to work. It did …



Notes from HJL:

Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), 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, Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value), A $300 gift certificate …


Prepper Primer for Your Non-prepper Loved Ones, by T.S. – Part 1

Purpose: To quote my spouse, “I didn’t know when I married you that you were a bucket of crazy.” So essentially, this article is intended to help the spouse whom you love but whom is not a prepper. There are many hundred-plus page books written on this subject, but this primer can be read in less than an hour and is tailored to my personal situation. It is the hope of the author that others will create their own such document for family and friends using this as a starting point. Whether I am dead, geographically separated from her, injured, …


Letter: Community Assistance Required – Design for Off-Grid 10 Man Field Camp

Hi James, I need assistance in design ideas from the community for a 10-man, off-grid, truck-portable, field camp. Researching the Internet has yielded many solutions for solar power– some for camps, including military field hospitals and command posts. With this overwhelming array of options, I decided to ask the community for design ideas. The camp needs to be portable by Toyota Hilux (or equivalent vehicles), provide housing for 10 men, solar- and generator- powered for office/computerization, and requiring only food and fuel deliveries. All aspects of day-to-day living must be accounted for. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. – O.J.


Letter Re: Physical Possession of IRA Gold and Silver

Hugh, I found the article from Will to be very accurate, creative, and informative. His information was spot-on, although I would add a few comments: Disclosure: I have an employer-matching 401k plan and a Roth IRA that I rolled over from a previous job (paid the tax on the conversion). If you think the government will seize the assets, then it really does not matter what type of plan you have; they will follow the paper trail. A more realistic scenario would be a hefty tax on retirement plan, since the funds are pretax contributions (excluding Roth). The threat of …


Three Letters Re: Heating Concern in LP/OPs

HJL, Regarding the letter about the heating concern in your LP/OP, don’t forget that any heat source will cause the position to show up on IR or thermal scopes. For that reason, insulation (PAC boots and layers of coats, sweaters, and long johns) is better than heat sources. If you must use a heat source, string a thermally-reflective tarp over your position and camouflage it with snow. In essence you create a snow cave with the front open. While it will still show on IR, it won’t be human-shaped. Snow is extremely good as an insulator and as such masks …


Economics and Investing:

D.B. sent in this article on the Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF. Amidst all of the bad economic news, it’s always good to hear some good news. The motley fool writes: 50 Reasons We’re Living Through the Greatest Period in World History Items from The Economatrix: Richard Russell – This Terrible Collapse Is Going To Accelerate Retail Apocalypse? Major Chains Closing Hundreds Of Stores 22 Facts About The Coming Demographic Tsunami That Could Destroy Our Economy All By Itself Lots Of Negatives Hidden In Recent Jobs Data


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog’s Editor-at-Large, Michael Z. Williamson, forwarded this link about a computer threat. o o o Michael also sent in this article about how two administrations lied about an error on the Do Not Fly list, refused to admit and correct the mistake and defended secrecy as “national security.” o o o A federal judge in Missouri ruled that drivers have a First Amendment right to warn other motorists of nearby police and speed traps. – Mike. o o o FreeSpeechMe, an Anti-Censorship, Anti-Hijacking Free Software Dot-Bit Plug-in for Windows and GNU/Linux was released this month. If anyone has been using …