Month: March 2014

Guest Article: Staying Mobile in a Collapse Situation, by M.C.

Staying Mobile in a Collapse Situation by Matt Conner I have seen countless disaster movies set 30+ years after the collapse of society where, somehow, people still have gasoline and diesel fuel to run their vehicles. I am a professional diesel mechanic, operating two vehicles retrofitted from their original gasoline engines to run on older mechanical diesel engines. I feel I could stay mobile longer because I would not be dependent on service stations to provide me fuel, and I could make my own. I would like to share my methods here with fellow like-minded readers. The concept I will …


Guest Article: Pemmican, by D.D.

Food seems to be a most popular subject for Prepper’s and Survivalist’s, and why shouldn’t it be? We all live to eat and eat to live. In an effort to expand my knowledge of shelf-stable food, I started thinking about the way indigenous peoples in different areas of the world survive, or survived, without refrigeration, dehydrators, or freezers. What I found was very interesting and helpful in my shoring up of shelf-stable foods for my family’s security in a SHTF situation. There is one thing, more than the rest, that I really have enjoyed researching and implementing. Of all the …


Pat’s Product Review: Maxxeon Hunter’s Floodlight

Some months ago, I tested and reviewed the portable WorkStar 2000 floodlight from Maxxeon for SurvivalBlog readers, and it was a huge hit. I heard from a number of readers about how pleased they were with the product. Today, we’re looking at the new and improved Hunter’s http://www.maxxeon.com/led_hunters_worklight_workstar_2030.html floodlight from Maxxeon. Some SurvivalBlog readers have requested that I list the country of origin– where the products are manufactured– in all of my articles. Maxxeon products are made in China. Like it or not, we now live in a global economy, and in order for many companies to compete or even …


Pat’s Product Review – Benchamde’s Rift, Automatic Folder

Today, we’re looking at the Rift, automatic folder from Benchmade knives. The Rift is proudly made in the United States of America and is from the black box line– a working line of knives for professionals. I remember when I first started writing about knives. I was a freelance field editor for Knives Illustrated magazine. I contacted Les d’Asis at Benchmade and requested a sample to do an article on. This was more than 22 years ago, and Benchmade has continued to keep me supplied with samples for articles. Benchmade knives are always in demand. A good number of our …


Recipe of the Week: Posole, by SRG

7 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces 1 whole garlic, cloves separated & crushed 1 teaspoon oregano, crushed 4 teaspoon cumin, ground 1 teaspoon sage, crushed 2 onions, either sweet and/or purple, finely chopped (Remember, purple onions are stronger flavored.) 2 bell peppers, finely chopped (For added color, use bell peppers of different colors.) 2 bunches fresh cilantro, VERY well washed and finely chopped 6 large cans posole or hominy, drained & washed 2 small cans niblet corn, drained & washed 1 jar chunky salsa, mild or medium (Old El Paso brand is a good choice.) 2 large cans (1 …


Letter: Staying Put in a Chicago Apartment?

Hello, I love the website but having difficulties. I live in an urban environment, in a good town but near a rough section of Chicago…which causes crime to seep into our borders (theft a huge problem). I live in an apartment, with limited storage space….limited space in general. So much seems geared to those who live in a bit more suburban or rural communities. I want to be prepared but overwhelmed is an understatement, as well as feeling stymied by many factors outside of my control, i.e. space and lack of land. I have looked through the archives, perhaps not …


Economics and Investing:

More on the Penny and Nickle: Penny and Nickel Mentioned in Obama’s 2015 Budget Items from The Economatrix: ADP: Mediocre Job Growth Continues We’re Going to be Hit with a Tsunami of Inflation-Peter Schiff Never leave home generation: Household formation goes negative year-over-year at steepest rate since recession ended in 2009. February Payrolls 175K, Beat Expectations Of 149K, Unemployment Rate Rises To 6.7%


Odds ‘n Sods:

Video: For those that love the Mosin rifle: The winter war 1939 – F.S. o o o Every where you turn, somebody wants to know what you’re doing. The NSA, Corporations and now:Warrantless Spying Is Becoming The Status Quo At Local Police Department o o o In a sad statement on the current morals of people: Redwood park closes road to deter burl poachers o o o Prepping is big business and CWalton on survivor.com has posted an article that shows an excellent example of how you should do your homework before participating or purchasing from any company dealing with …



Notes from HJL:

March 9th is the birthday of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man to ever travel in space. (Born 9 March 1934, died 27 March 1968 in the crash of a MiG-15-UTI fighter.) o o o 3 Ways to Make Your Portfolio Inflation-Proof JWR’s tangible investing strategy: Want to know an asset class that’s almost a surefire winner for the next five years? It’s razor blades. See the full article. Also: Guns, Ammo And Other Great Ways To Fight Inflation. – Frost o o o Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ …


How To Prepare Yourself For Cold Weather, by Prepared in Maine

I’ve been hearing a lot from friends and family in southern latitudes who are dealing with the cold. My lifetime of experience, living and working outdoors in northern Maine, has taught me that cold weather gear need not be expensive or complicated. Living in a cold climate does require some thought and preparation, but with a bit of both you can equip yourself and your beloved ones for cold weather so that you can not only survive but work and be comfortable. I don’t represent or have any interest in any of the companies listed. I cite brand names only …


Letter Re: Animal-Grade Grains and Bugs

Hello Hugh. With regard to your comment about animal-grade grains and bugs, I had the same problem several years ago and I have found a very effective solution. In fact, before I found a solution the weevils were so bad that when I was near the bags of grain I could hear them rattling around in there and they quickly spread everywhere. I store many bags of corn, chicken scratch, and barley without so much as a single bug now. The solution is diatomaceous earth. Bugs hate it. In fact weevils and moths simply cannot live with it. Fleas and …


Letter Re: Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the Flu Virus

Hugh, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the Flu Virus was an excellent article by JJE. Research has suggested that a Vitamin D deficiency *may* make people more susceptible to respiratory illness. “…Ultraviolet radiation (either from artificial sources or from sunlight) reduces the incidence of viral respiratory infections, as does cod liver oil (which contains vitamin D)…” With regard to Vitamin D supplementation: “…it may be prudent to maintain wintertime 25(OH)D at concentrations achieved in nature by summertime sun exposure (50 ng/ml)…the dosage will depend upon age, latitude, season, skin type, body weight, sun exposure, and pre-existing 25(OH)D levels… Administration of …


Two Letters Re: Why Your Family Will NOT Survive the Economic Collapse

Hugh, I don’t comment ever. I have been following Jim’s site for over three years now. It’s the first thing I view most mornings. I yelled to my wife, “Honey you won’t believe what’s posted,” and I read the post to her. We both agreed with A.Y. to turn off the boob tube! I turned it off in the 80’s. I was sick of the garbage on it. I would love to see more posts concerning this topic. – M.S. o o o Hugh, Why Your Family Will NOT Survive the Economic Collapse, by A.Y. is the best article I’ve …


Economics and Investing:

This map only has data from 1999 and 2009 but is surprising nonetheless: The Geography of Government Benefits. It’s very easy to compare 1999 to 2009 and see just how much government assistance has grown. – Skyrat Items from The Economatrix: Three-Month Low In U.S. Jobless Claims Offers Hope For Labor Market US Applications For Jobless Aid Reach 3-Month Low Stock and housing gains put US net worth at record What Costco Is Saying About The Economy