Notes From HJL:

In the Odds ‘n Sods column today, there is a link about the general bias of the SPLC. To add to that, one of our readers informed us: “I thought I should draw your attention to an article that contains a reference to ‘Patriots, A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse,’ where it is described as a ‘radical survivalist book’ being marketed by a neo-Nazi activist April Gaede, who apparently receives commissions from Amazon for any sales that are linked to her website.” – W.B. JWR Responds: The irony of this, of course, is that the “radical survivalist book” …




Taking The Leap Into Prepping, by J.B.

While some of us currently have enough to survive for months and the necessities to survive for much longer, this article will be for the beginner. There are so many different ways to start prepping. My family started by setting financial goals. Getting excited about prepping is really easy, but so is deciding that it won’t work for you. I have seen this before with friends who I have spoken with about what I do. They get really excited and go home and rally the troops. Then they realize that they have no funds to do so. While most Americans …




Letter Re: What Skills to Have

Hugh, Regarding S.K.’s question of What Skills to Have, As a Scout leader for the last 24 years, I can tell you that the current crop of Merit Badge Books and the Boy Scout Handbook are not worth the paper they are printed on. They are stuffed with “coping skills” for inter-city youth. There is much less reliance on “outdoor skills” that were in past editions. If you want good information from the Boy Scouts, go to your local second hand book store, FleaBay, or garage sales and look for handbooks from the middle 70’s and back. There is now …




Letter: My Current State of Readiness

Mr Rawles, I listened and read as much as I could of the good advice of blogs like this and other sources of inspiration. I got myself an older 4X4 diesel pickup– an ’86 6.9L. Just the other day the original alternator went, but the engine didn’t seem to care as long as it got started. When my car alternator died, I was off the road in minutes. I’m starting to see the value of these old rigs. I’m considering taking off the turbo to eliminate an oil leak and simplify the system, because the turbo increases heat and can …




Economics and Investing:

What Student Loans Are Really Used For: The Depressing Case Studies – G.G. Items from The Economatrix: Get Silver While You Can – They Are Going to Kill the Dollar Russian Dollar Dump Could Crash Financial System-John Williams The Top 12 Signs That The U.S. Economy Is Heading Toward Another Recession Russia Threatens To Abandon The U.S. Dollar And Start Dumping U.S. Debt




Odds ‘n Sods:

S.G. – Academic study: SPLC Hatewatch list biased, but you already knew that. o o o G.P. – Infections Linked to Chinese Seafood Markets in New York o o o Here is an infographic from Lifehacker that shows you how to delete yourself from the Internet. o o o Video: This looks like it exceeds the legal limit for fun… Shooting radio controlled planes with shotguns. o o o M.W. found this neat little rocket stove. We would be interested in the opinion of anyone that has used it. It’s not exactly a backpacking stove, but it looks heavy enough …