Year: 2014


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ 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.) B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) …


Soap Making Before And After Interesting Times, by Laura and Jim Fry

Over the years there have been occasional posts on SurvivalBlog about making various “homemade” soaps using easily found commercial ingredients. These often include store-bought washing soda, Fells Naptha, Zote soap, baking soda and such. Simply grate them up in the right proportions, mix and there you go. There have also been posts going a step further that explain how to make soap from easily purchased oils, meat counter fat or suet, commercial lye and fragrances. It’s just not that hard if you make use of the ingredients and instructions easily found these days. But what do you do in TEOTWAWKI if the stores close, either from lack of product to sell or from looting? What if …


Letter Re: Toilet Facilities for Plan B

James Wesley; In building our retreat, we will have multiple modern bathroom facilities in various buildings. The septic system was recently installed. However, we are thinking for long-term situations that a more primitive back-up would be desirable just to have on the property. So, the question is: Which is better: An outhouse that could utilize fireplace and oven wood ashes and simply relocate as time dictates or a composting toilet? We have researched both outhouses and composting toilets. We can see reasons to have either. Interestingly, this old property only ever utilized cesspools. They are dried up and have composted …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Chris G. suggested a piece by Patrick Barron: We Will Be Told Hyperinflation is Necessary, Proper, Patriotic, and Ethical Institutional Buying: The Coming Silver Game Changer Items from The Economatrix: IMF paper warns of ‘savings tax’ and mass write-offs as West’s debt hits 200-year high Prices At US Pump Expected To Stay Flat U.S. Job Growth Falters As Cold Weather Grips Nation Baltic Dry Index Crashes 18% In Two Days


Odds ‘n Sods:

H.L. suggested: Drinking Water and Garden Irrigation During Drought or Crisis    o o o An interesting discussion: Security Risks of Embedded Systems    o o o I recently mentioned off-center feed (OCF) ham transceiver dipole antennas. A reader then suggested this one as a more durable and lower-cost alternative.    o o o “Cool, by accident.” Three-wheel $6,800 car gears for 2015 US launch. (Thanks to George S. for the link.)    o o o Seed For Security has announced a new bonus that will be mailed with each Super Survival Pack that you order: A Practice Kit of …



Notes from JWR:

I’ve already received more than a dozen resumes in response to my mention of the Managing Editor position. Thanks! I will be starting the preliminary interviews and reference checking later this week. — Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ 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.) B.) 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 …


You Have To Start Somewhere, by Jason F.

As a blessed and married father of five, you continuously do what you can to make sure that all will go well on a daily basis.  Things like the car running, the roof not leaking, the kids having shoes on their feet, clothes on their back and family having food in their bellies.  Just recently I have been thinking more about the possibilities of a tragedy striking and the “what if” scenarios that could be involved.  You can call me crazy, concerned, or even paranoid but whatever the case may be, I want to be prepared. I’ve never considered myself …


Letter Re: Charleston West Virginia’s Drinking Water Crisis

Mr. Rawles, I noticed your reference to the water situation in the Charleston, West Virginia (Kanawha Valley) area. As of Saturday when I’m writing this, the water is suitable for flushing toilets and fire fighting but that is all. The town I live in (St. Albans) has their own independent supply, but most of the surrounding area is fed from the centralized West Virginia American Water Plant in Charleston. One plant serves a very large geographic area. I know when I first finished mechanical engineering school I could only find a job working for a small civil engineering company. We …


News From The American Redoubt:

American Redoubt Darknet (ARD) an Introduction    o o o B.B. sent: EPA Changes The Borders Of Wyoming; Governor Appeals Decision. Here is another article about the situation, from the Casper Star Tribune: EPA: Riverton part of the Wind River Indian Reservation    o o o Not just Mag-Pul… Another Colorado company votes with their feet: Maverick Ammunition Coming To Laramie    o o o Idaho Cabin survives massive wildfire, then its assessed value goes up – Everyone else’s burned and their value went down…    o o o An interesting (albeit overly simplistic) infographic: The United States Of Shame …


Economics and Investing:

David Stockman – “2014 Is The Year Of The End Game” Yahoo News reports: More well-known U.S. retailers victims of cyber attacks – sources Items from The Economatrix: U.S. jobless claims fall to five-week low As traffic slumps and teen-oriented stores struggle, retailers suffer worst holiday season since 2009 Extending unemployment ‘killing economy’


Odds ‘n Sods:

I was doing some web wandering, and discovered a great collection of WX links: Weather monitoring links — Satellite and RADAR for USA and world    o o o The latest Economist/YouGov poll shows that 39 percent of American households own guns, which represents a five percent increase over the number of gun owning households in 2012.    o o o James W. sent us this: Florida moves ahead with bill legalizing ‘warning shots’    o o o By way of Tam’s blog, I found this at The Shekel – Coins, Law and Commentary: Range Trip With The Tavor    o …



Note from JWR:

Dr. Cynthia Koelker (our volunteer Medical Editor) has announced a “Survival Medicine Double-Header” with back-to-back Survival Medicine 101 and 201 courses, running from January 27 to February 1, 2014 in St. Marys, Georgia (near Jacksonville, Florida.) There, you will learn basic and advanced techniques for suturing, splinting, casting, office procedures, major trauma, and much more.  You can see details at ArmageddonMedicine.net.