Month: November 2016

Notes for Wednesday – November 02, 2016

On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a declaration of intent to establish a Jewish homeland known as the Balfour Declaration. While Arab hostilities and the outbreak of World War II delayed the desired outcome, the Nation of Israel was eventually re-established in 1948. Today, we present another entry for Round 67 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 …


Five Things Women Need, by J.W.

My wife has a love-hate relationship with all this personal defense stuff.  She hates the idea of needing to be prepared and can’t stand that her day-to-day life is affected by potential or perceived and often unseen threats of violence, bUT she loves me.  So that means she agrees to all my training, prepping, security protocols, and most of my gear purchases.  Most? Okay, many of them. Many? Okay, fine. I just buy what I want. She gets mad for awhile and then eventually forgives me! The point of this article is to give you five things that we think …


Letter Re: Spare Tire From Hurricane Matthew Lessons Learned

Gentlemen, I really enjoyed DD’s Hurricane Matthew Lessons Learned write up. There was a lot of good stuff in there, and it gave me a couple of things to work on. One thing I can personally vouch for is the mention of your vehicle spare tire. I recently had some work done of my main vehicle, and it required the removal of the spare, which is mounted on the undercarriage. The mechanic called and said he needed to cut the bracket with a torch, as it was so corroded that he couldn’t remove the tire. If I had broken down …


Economics and Investing:

Video: This Is Gold’s Turnaround Year – Aden Sisters JWR’s Comment: I am still more bullish on silver than I am on gold. I can foresee that by around 2030 the silver-to-gold price ratio will slide back closer to the historical norm of around 16-to-1. (Presently it is around 71-to-1, making silver a huge bargain.) o o o Reader A.N. sent us this evidence over at Zero Hedge that there is another Zimbabwe in the making: Venezuela Throws In The Towel On Hyperinflation: Will Print 200x Higher-Denominated Bills o o o Also at Zero Hedge: “Recession Risk Is Rising” Fast, …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: The ARRL Antenna Book for Radio Communications Idaho for the Curious: A Guide Movies: Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (recommended for children and teens) Rooster Cogburn Music: The Best of Guy Clark Gloryland: 30 Bluegrass Gospel Classics Podcasts: Podcast-James Wesley Rawles – We’re Still Headed For A Cataclysmic Event – Part 1 Podcast-James Wesley Rawles – We’re Headed For A Cataclysmic Event – Part 2 Instructional Videos: A YouTube video from VikingPreparedness about mental preparedness for Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF) situations: “It all happened SO FAST!” YouTube Video Collection 152 Do It Yourself Projects Using …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Video: Hicock45 test shoots, describes and field strips the TNW Aero Survival Rifle. This is a straight-blowback AR variant that uses Glock magazines. It is available chambered in .45 ACP, 9mm, .40 S&W, 10MM, and .357 SIG. Though I’m not a fan of pistol caliber carbines, the TNW looks quite well machined and finished. However, as you can see from the video, the ergonomics of the undersize grip are so-so, and the feeding reliability appears to be highly dependent on having fully-seated magazines. – JWR o o o New social media tools empower citizen journalism. SurvivalBlog readers are strongly encouraged …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“How bad do things have to get before you do something? Do they have to take away all your property? Do they have to license every activity that you want to engage in? Do they have to start throwing you on cattle cars before you say: ‘Now wait a minute, I don’t think this is a good idea.’ How long is it going to be before you finally resist and say: ‘No, I will not comply. Period!’ Ask yourself now because sooner or later you are going to come to that line, and when they cross it, you’re going to …


Notes for Tuesday – November 01, 2016

November 1st, 1923, was the birthday of science fiction writer Gordon R. Dickson (born 1923, died January 31, 2001). Many of his novels and short stories, such as Wolf and Iron, have survivalist themes. November 1st is also the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American history, Armstrong was finally put on trial in a proceeding that was branded as a …


October in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainseville Coins where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. What Did Gold Do in October? October gave gold no treats. Gold started the month in the $1,335 range and ended more than $50 lower. Unexpectedly hawkish comments throughout the month from various senior officials at the Federal Reserve sent the dollar on a strong rally while depressing gold prices. The capitulation of the British …


Letter Re: Ammunition Buying OPSEC

Mr. Rawles, In response to Cliff’s e-mail regarding ammunition OPSEC, I just wanted to write in and express my firm belief that the worst thing one can do, unfortunately, is to conduct e-commerce for bulk ammo via any Internet sites. I have nothing against any of the online vendors, but their records are kept and not immune from subpoenas or government seizures. I have had particular luck with bulk ammo sales on Sunday afternoons at gun shows. The fact of the matter is that no vendor wants to carry that weight of unsold inventory back to their trailer after the …


News From The American Redoubt:

Malheur Jury Rejects the Thought Police o o o Spokane County flooded with permit requests after Supreme Court ruling o o o The good folks at Lone Wolf (in Priest River, Idaho), are now offering No-FFL required 80% complete Glock pistol frames for hobby gunsmiths. They also now make nifty AR-15 lowers that are compatible with Glock magazines. o o o If you are looking for a rifle suppressor, check out this company in Cheyenne, Wyoming: Thunderbeast Arms. o o o Soft energy markets mean more financial trouble for Wyoming. o o o Steel belting is not just for tires. …



Odds ‘n Sods:

DIY KYDEX® Project : How to Make a 1-Piece Sheath (Featuring Christian Green) o o o It is surprising to see this in the leftward-leaning Washington Times: More states allowing permitless gun carry, embracing self defense as ‘natural born’ right. (Of course the rabidly leftist Washington Post would not run an article even acknowledging the growing trend.) o o o New Hampshire Ranks Most Free State in 2016 Rankings by Cato Institute o o o Things will never be quite the same at The Benning School For Boys: Army enters new era: 10 women pass first gender-integrated infantry officer course


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Gun control by definition affects only honest people. When a politician tells you he wants to forbid you from owning a firearm or force you to get a license, he is telling you he doesn’t trust you. That’s an insult… Gun control is not about guns or crime. It is about an elite that fears and despises the common people.”? – Syndicated Columnist Charley Reese (1937-2013)


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: SOG Knives Evac Sling 18 Pack

Many folks assume, when I tell them I was in the U.S. military, that I was in at the time when they still had a mounted unit– horses! Nope, I’m not quite that old just yet. Back when I was in the military, we had some boring OD green equipment. Everything was OD green in color– our uniforms, A.L.I.C.E. geat, well, just everything, except out boots, and they were all leather, which we had a shine on the toe that you could see your reflection in, plus something almost unheard of today. You could actually have your boot re-soled. In …