Month: February 2016

Fitness for Success When the SHTF– Part 4 by J.P.M.

Pacing for the Out-of-Shape If you are out of shape and trying to lose weight and build strength, start with small increments that you are able to handle, such as doing only ten sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and jumping jacks. Then rest until the burning sensation subsides but no more than a minute. Then do another round until you have completed your workout time. Dedicating 15-30 minutes is a good amount of time for a balanced workout. If you have a pull-up bar (make sure you have one at your SHTF retreat; good plans for building one exist online), do as …


Letter Re: How to Prepare a Refugee Bug Out Bag

HJL, There are some good ideas in here, but a few items that may be easily overlooked. First, denim should be avoided for your clothing. While durable, it will perform horribly if you get wet. It’s better to go lightweight with some good synthetic materials. I would suggest convertible pants that can zip out to shorts because you may not know what kind of weather you will bug out in. When you are looking at your base layers, you can’t forget to start with underwear. Materials that don’t wick sweat away or chafe will spell disaster. Compression shorts and a …


Economics and Investing:

The Chilling Ways The Current Global Economy Echoes The 1930s Depression Era – Sent in by B.B. o o o Music to my ears! The War On Cash Is Irrelevant If You Own Gold And Silver – D.S. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Lawmakers Ask Treasury to Probe Chinese Purchase of Chicago Exchange (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “It is outrageous that a communist Chinese company — a front for the communist Chinese government — will be given access to trillions of dollars in the struggling U.S. economy and secure information about U.S. businesses. I strongly urge the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Oregon was just a sample: The War on Western Working People – Thomas Jefferson changed John Locke’s phrasing when he wrote the Declaration of Independence from “property” to “pursuit of happiness”. Although the reasoning behind this change is well argued, one of the prime reasons was that “private property” was easy to come by in the new world. Now we find that, yet again, that very concept is endangered. – RBS o o o SurvivalBlog reader H.L. sent in this article by Mac Slavo; useful information for all of us: Using This Phone Passcode Strategy Will Take The FBI 127 …



Notes for Saturday – February 20, 2016

Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value), A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. …


Fitness for Success When the SHTF– Part 3 by J.P.M.

The Dead Lift Pulling is probably one of the best movements for overall leg and lower back growth, plain and simple. Dead lifts hit your quads, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, abs, traps, and upper lats. This exercise does require a barbell. Walk to the bar. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar. Don’t touch it with your shins yet. Stand with feet at hip width stance and toes out 15°. Grab the bar, narrow, with hands about shoulder-width apart. Arms should be vertical from the front view, hanging just outside your legs. Bend your knees and keep going until your …


Letter: Home Locks Review From Someone That Breaks Into Homes (Legally) For A Living

HJL, As a long time reader of the blog, I was interested in the note about secure home products. The trick with the rod with the hook to undo an automatic garage door opener I thought was great; I actually tried it yesterday and after a minute I gave up on it and just drilled the lock. When I walked in the garage I looked up and I almost had it hooked another minute I think I would have had it. Here’s the back story; I break into homes for a living. My job is to secure foreclosed homes. The …


Economics and Investing:

Kmart gets into the liquidation business. Why be surprised? The entire company is going bankrupt. Why not take somebody else’s unwanted garbage along for the ride. – RBS o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: You Are Here – I am not a chart expert by any means, but this is worth a quick peek. Negative Rates Are a ‘Dangerous Experiment’, Warns Morgan Stanley Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Regulator: Feds Face Rising Risks for Managing Fannie, Freddie (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “The current situation is unsustainable, Watt said, not only because of the lack of capital at the two …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A neighbor up the valley who is moving a cattle fence line recently complained that he was having trouble pulling steel T-posts by hand. He said that they often got bent when “rocking” them out, and that in rocky soil, they would sometimes have their cross-plates (“wings”) break off. I resisted the urge to laugh, and I introduced him to my old standby: A Red Rooster T-Post Puller Plate. These work remarkably well. I use mine with one of my pair of 48″ Hi-Lift jacks, but these can also be used by attaching a short length of chain to the …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.” …


Notes for Friday – February 19, 2016

JRH Enterprises is running a sale on their popular Nightfighter 2 combo. This package includes a High Performance AN/PVS-14 Third Generation Pinnacle autogated night vision device brand new with a real factory 10-year warranty, plus an infrared laser, ACH helmet, helmet mount for the PVS-14, infrared marking beacon, and light interference filter (LIF). There are limited quantities on the size Large helmet. o o o SurvivalBlog would like to welcome two new advertisers to the site: Go Sun has a variety of solar cookers, from small individual sizes to commercial/party sizes, and they not only work well they look cool! …


Fitness for Success When the SHTF– Part 2 by JPM

Practical Fitness. As the title implies, I believe in “practical fitness”. In my opinion, many people make fitness an obsession that takes over an inordinate amount of their day. I’m not saying it should be something like, “Oh, yeah, time to do that again”, only doing it as a once-a-week-drudgery. Dedicated physical exercise should be something we all engage in on a daily basis. But, it should be in the proper context: to prepare and maintain our body to live safe, healthy, active, productive lives. Physical exercise isn’t the focal goal, but its benefits are. It’s for this reason that …


Letter: T.Z. Answers Some Questions on Paleo Prepping

HJL, As to getting rid of accumulations of prepper storage carbs, find some livestock that naturally eats such things. Maybe a local beekeeper could use the sugar over winter. Maybe some chickens can turn it into good eggs or meat. As to storage, I already mentioned good, organic vitamin and mineral supplements and protein powder, which you can put in bug-out bags. If I have fat on me, I’ll be burning that for a while as I’m bugging out or assessing the local area for wild food, barter, or what I’ve stored. Since I’m not hungry all the time, I …


Economics and Investing:

Why OPEC Production Freeze Could Pave The Way For Actual Cuts o o o More indoctrination of our kids. “Ultimate Banking” Monopoly Edition Goes Completely Cashless – L.P. o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Why Negative Interest Rates Will Fail (Mises) Excerpt: “…there is an old adage: you can bring a horse to water but you cannot make him drink! With the world economy sinking into recession, few banks have credit-worthy customers and many banks are having difficulties collecting on existing loans.” Percent of Total Wealth Owned in the United States: Bottom 40% Control -0.9% Meaning Close …