Month: July 2014

June In Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and silver and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. Precious Metals Market Drivers in June Gold started the month under $1,250 an ounce, and climbed over $70 to above $1,320 by the end of the month. Silver gained steadily throughout June, from under $19 an ounce to over $21. Platinum and palladium saw peaks and valleys, due to the on-again, off-again labor negotiations in South Africa that had …


Letter Re: Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

Dear Mr. Latimer, Thank you for your in-depth review of the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. You mentioned in Part 3, Operation, Section 6 “Working with Trays”, first sentence that you “used both the aluminum trays and the stainless steel ones”. I checked the Harvest Right website and found no stainless trays available for purchase and I have only the aluminum trays. My question is: Where did you get the Stainless Steel Trays? I have the Harvest Right unit prior to your review and would like to purchase the stainless tray for my unit as well. I don’t like aluminum for …


Economics and Investing:

These Are The 5 Countries Most Plagued by Oil Theft o o o The BRICs Are Morphing Into An Anti-Dollar Alliance – J.W. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Gold Posts Longest Rally Since 2011, Defying Goldman View Auto Sales Close To Hitting The Brakes World Bank ‘Now Is The Time To Prepare For Next Crisis’ Starting Today Interest On New Student Loans Rises By 20%


Odds ‘n Sods:

South St. Paul Beef Plant Temporarily Closing, 300 Jobs Affected – E.B. It’s not just the 300 workers who will be affected either. It doesn’t take much to make the leap from “shortage of cattle” to “higher prices” at the market. o o o Uncomfortable Independence Day Questions – T.P. o o o How Fast Food Providers Beat Inflation – Add Wood Pulp To Burgers – RBS o o o The Facebook Manipulation Study’s Mysterious Connection to the Military – G.P. o o o IRS policy that targeted political groups also aimed at open source projects – At the same …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“It took about 150 years, starting with a Bill of Rights that reserved to the states and the people all powers not explicitly delegated to the federal government, to produce a Supreme Court willing to rule that growing corn to feed to your own hogs is interstate commerce and can therefore be regulated by Congress.” – David Friedman


Notes for Thursday – July 03, 2014

Today we present another entry for Round 53 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A 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 …


So You Think Starting a Garden Will Be Easy After TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. Prepper – Part 3

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the preparation of a survival garden where grass used to be, amending the existing soil with compost, and the creation of rows or raised beds. In Part 2, I discussed the construction of an eight foot tall fence and gate with the intent of keeping out varmints. Specifically, and perhaps strangely to some readers, no mention has been made yet as to WHAT should be planted in the garden or how much and why. This is because many who are not familiar with subsistence gardening may be surprised at the true facts …


Letter Re: Confiscation of Stored Foods

Hi Hugh, I really enjoy the blog. There is a lot of good info. You mentioned about losing weight during TSHTF along with everyone else. I and others in my group have bought used clothing in bigger sizes than we wear now. I have worn this clothing around people who haven’t seen me in awhile. All of them commented on how much weight I had lost. Some even asked if I had been sick. In truth, I was the same size I was before. The clothes made it appear I had dropped 20-30 pounds. Perception goes a long way. I …


Economics and Investing:

Court Ruling Issues Setback To Fracking In NY – J.S. o o o Bitcoin for Oil? The Latest Threat to the Petrodollar System o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Why Investors Are Anxious About The Jobs Report Payrolls To Test Gold’s Resilience After Gains In Dry California, Water Fetching Record Prices Mortgage Volume Remains Stuck Despite Lower Rates


Odds ‘n Sods:

America’s version of the “Brown Shirts” and, yes, they even call themselves that. – Medical staff warned: Keep your mouths shut about illegal immigrants or face arrest. – H.L. o o o Security Theater, Defense Contracting Edition. Paper magazines apparently can now have real computers in them. – T.P. Hugh Notes: I would love to get my hands on one of these to see just what it is and what its capabilities are. o o o FBI, CIA Use Backdoor Searches To Warrentlessly Spy On Americans’ Communications. – G.G. o o o Even the local government is organizing protests. Protesters …



Notes for Wednesday – July 02, 2014

Scot Frank Erie, SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor would like to know what products SurvivalBlog readers would like to see profiled. If you have an idea or a product for him, send him an email. o o o Today we present another entry for Round 53 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A 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 …


So You Think Starting a Garden Will Be Easy After TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. Prepper – Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the need to start a garden sooner rather than later, the pitfalls of starting a garden where grass has been cultivated, the creation of your gardening beds (whether rows or raised beds), and the use of composting for amending the soil. In Part 2, I will continue with discussing the structures of the garden with emphasis on fences, gates, and varmint control. Fence Basics Maybe you are one of those fortunate few where there are very few varmints– an undesired animal in an undesired place. (Some would ascribe the term to certain …


Letter: Storage Without a Basement

Hugh, After much prayer and house hunting, it would seem the Lord is leading me to relocate about 40 miles from where I currently live. This was never my plan, as I had intended to move much further west. My area does not have basements due to the water table. I am now having to rethink how I handle my storage. The house will be renovated to my specs and has over 2600 SF with about 10 acres. I will be having a safe room built outside the home for hurricane threats. Any suggestions will be helpful as a basement …


Economics and Investing:

The Federal Reserve is a Law Unto Itself o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Inside The Q1 GDP Bust: The Details Are Mostly Bad No Inflation Thanks to ObamaCare Video: Downward Spiral: What To Expect When Savers Are Punished The Message In The Q1 GDP Shock: Massive Windfalls For The 1%; Hardly 1% Growth For The Masses