Year: 2016

Readiness Mindset: Your Most Important Survival Tool- Part 1, by B.G.

Whether prepping for a EOTWAWKI situation or any potential disaster or emergency in everyday life, the most important and powerful tool at your disposal is your own mind. A person can have all of the fanciest survival gear and equipment, but without the proper mindset and training it is all nothing more than a cool looking, expensive pile of useless junk. Even a person who has studied countless books, guides, and manuals for every survival situation imaginable can be rendered completely inept in the moment of an emergency, when all that knowledge is needed the most. If you wish to …


Letter Re: Realities to Off-Grid

Hugh, Just wanted to share that the bucket toilet seats don’t last long, only about five months. You need to build a wooden box and put on a real toilet seat. You will get a build up in the bucket over time and bleach doesn’t clean it. Pour boiling water over the sides and bottom and it will come out clean and odor free. Laundry done by hand will need a place to drain, since you can’t wring it out as well as a machine. You can use a wringer, but it doesn’t do well for jeans and sweat shirts, …


News From The American Redoubt:

Retirees Driving Surge in Montana Gun Sales – D.B. o o o Boise Gun Dealer Shocked After Machine Gun Stolen By Bundy Sympathizer – RBS o o o Kyle Odom makes first court appearance on attempted murder charge o o o Wyoming: Millions of bees released in interstate 80 crash o o o Feds deny permit for Washington coal-export terminal o o o Salmon advocates cheer Columbia Basin BiOp ruling


Economics and Investing:

Reader SDP wrote in to inform us that the number of stored locomotives is much, much higher than we reported before. There are some railroad enthusiasts who track this kind of information, and this is from an April 11th communication: “Laid Up Power – BNSF has added to the Laid Up Good Order (LUGO) fleet this month. At the end of January, there were 1249 engines in LUGO status. As of April 4th,there are 1457 in LUGO status. This is up 101 more from March 1st when there were 1356 in LUGO status. While part of the fleet is laid …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Former Facebook Workers: We Routinely Suppressed Conservative News JWR’s Comment: Why am I not surprised? o o o From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large: AAR of Chris McCandless; death, 20 years later Mike also sent this in: Potential new antidote for sarin nerve agent o o o Vice News Video: Inside The Alberta Wildfires o o o The San Andreas Fault Is On The Brink Of A Devastating Earthquake – Sent in by G.P. o o o West Point is investigating whether 16 female cadets broke military rules by taking this photo – Showing just how …



Notes for Monday – May 09, 2016

On May 9th, 1945, Herman Goering– commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, president of the Reichstag, head of the Gestapo, prime minister of Prussia, and Hitler’s designated successor– was taken prisoner by the U.S. Seventh Army in Bavaria. Goering, who was addicted to painkillers due to a wound, was instrumental in creating concentration camps for political enemies. It was Goering who ordered the purging of German Jews from the economy following the Kristallnacht program in 1938, initiating an “Aryanization” policy that confiscated Jewish property and businesses. Tried and convicted at the Nuremberg trials, he was sentenced to hanging, but before …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Rockin’ 9mm for Survival

Without a doubt, the most often asked questions I get in my handguns classes is “What is your favorite handgun?” followed by “If you could only have one gun for the rest of your life, what would it be?” Of course, it is next to impossible to answer either of those questions, especially if you are a long-time gun owner. As to my favorite handgun, that’s an easy one to answer, and it confuses people. Put simply, my favorite handgun is the one I’m carrying at the moment! I’m not trying to dance around answering the question. If you stop …


Recipe of the Week: Easy Hamburger Potato Soup

Inspired by last week’s recipe, Reader A.N. sent one of her favorites in: Ingredients: 1 package of Bear Creek dry potato soup mix 1 lb ground beef or turkey (cooked) 8 cups of water Directions: Heat water to a boil. Slowly whisk in the dry potato soup mix. Add ground beef. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese, scallions, grated carrots, or whatever suits your fancy. o o o Useful Recipe and Cooking Links: Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!


Letter Re: Alien Gear Holsters

Jim and Hugh, Several weeks ago, in your “News from the Redoubt” column, you mentioned a company out of Idaho for IWB (inside the waistband) holsters, named Alien Gear Holsters. I have just about every type of (outside) belt holster and most work just fine for my needs, but I was in need of an IWB so I decided to give them a try. I’m glad I did. I was planning on an Internet order on Sunday evening when the hours on their website said they were still open (I live in the eastern time zone and they in mountain), …


Economics and Investing:

Economic Collapse Logistics For The Government – Sent in by B.B. o o o Labor Force Participation Rate Dropped to 62.8% In April: 94,044,000 Out o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Citi: The Fed Would Attempt One Last “Hail Mary” Before Announcing Negative Rates (Business Insider) Interesting thoughts! Excerpt: “…anyone who believes a rate hike isn’t coming until May 2017 has to at least consider the possibility the Fed would need to cut rates before then.” Gross Calls for Helicopter Money (Mises) Excerpt: “There is a rude end to flying helicopters, but the alternative is an immediate …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Sent in by T.P. – US gun-loving mom agrees to give talks about gun safety – The value of this story isn’t in the story itself. Take a close look at the photograph of this Remington 1911 pistol in the article. It is not in (U.S. military / Jeff Cooper / NRA) approved conditions 1, 2, or 3. It is “firing line hot” with the hammer fully cocked and the thumb safety “OFF”. I can’t be sure, but the middle digit of the man’s first finger may be placing some pressure on the trigger, as well. Ooops. The only times …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Interposition [Doctrine]: “The doctrine that a state, in the exercise of its sovereignty, may reject a mandate of the federal government deemed to be unconstitutional or to exceed the powers delegated to the federal government. The concept is based on the 10th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States reserving to the states powers not delegated to the United States. Historically, the doctrine emanated from Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 Dallas 419, wherein the state of Georgia, when sued in the Supreme Court by a private citizen of another state, entered a remonstrance and declined to recognize the court’s jurisdiction. …



How to Use Amazon for Economical Purchasing- Part 1, by Sarah Latimer

Like many SurvivalBlog readers, I don’t live in the city. It is far from convenient for me to shop for any kind of specialty item because of the travel distance usually required. Even basic groceries to the “local” store requires a bit of a drive and is kept to a maximum of about three times a month. My in-person shopping is typically done about once a month in bulk and takes most of a day to make the trip to the city, do the shopping, and then make the journey home. Not only is my time valuable but the trip …