Month: March 2017

Notes for Wednesday – March 22, 2017

This is the birthday of Louis L’Amour (One of Hugh Latimer’s favorite childhood authors). Some of his novels have survival themes. One of the most notable ones was Last of the Breed. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, …


Equestrian Survival For Bugging Out, Recon, Rescue, Projection of Force, or Hunting- Part 2, by R.M.

Figure Out How Much Weight Your Horse Can Handle If things head south, and you think you might have to use your horse under stress at some point in the near future, keep his weight right and work his chest. A firm horse is one you can rely upon. Using a soft horse for a strenuous endeavor is not fair to the horse and is a safety hazard to you. Every horse is different. A horse with bad conformation (bone structure) can’t have much expected of him; a swayback isn’t a long distance choice. You have to have a good …


Letter Re: Regarding Maple Syrup

Sarah, Yup, you got that right regarding maple syrup. We keep a gallon or two of maple syrup in our refrigerator/freezer and in our stand-up freezer in the basement. Both of those appliances are part of our core systems powered by 2Kw of solar panels. Backup inverters are stored in galvanized cans for hard times. So barring misfortune we will still have refrigeration during SHTF. Maple syrup is available in a variety of forms, including the favorite liquid (classification based on color) and crystallized candies. I often add it to recipes calling for sugar and highly recommend it be used …


Economics and Investing:

One-third of Americans say they’d have trouble coming up with an emergency $2,000 – G.G. HJL’s Comment: That’s incredible when you consider how easy it is to have an emergency that requires $2000– a transmission on a car, a broken leg, even the temporary loss of a job. That means that 1/3 of Americans are one paycheck away from total disaster. o o o Payless Is Said to Be Filing for Bankruptcy as Soon as Next Week – DSV o o o Iconic CA Company Carl’s Jr. Flees ‘Golden State’ for TN. The Republic of Kalifornia is getting closer to …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: The Homeowner’s Advocate: Tips From A Contractor for Dealing With Contractors (The Advocate Series Book 1) How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease Movies: Army of Crime (a slightly fictionalized account of Armenians and other minorities in the French Resistance during World War II.) Dazzle: The Hidden Story of Camouflage (Documentary) (available through Amazon Prime) Television: Shogun The War – A Documentary Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Music: Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever Mark Isham: Vapor Drawings Instructional Videos: A great video: 900 Watt Van Conversion full walkthrough (full time …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Fellow blogger Ol’ Remus mentioned this thought-provoking essay over at The Price of Liberty (edited by MamaLiberty): When will the Fifty States break up? o o o Edward Snowden on Vault 7 NSA Spying tools, IOS, and Samsung at the CeBit in Hanover Germany tech conference. JWR’s Comment: This one hour and 22 minute interview is worth watching. Don’ t miss Snowden’s comments on metadata, HTTPS, intentional vulnerability of the Internet Of Things, the vulnerability of cloud data, Quantum Sweep, and the loss of faith in government institutions. o o o How To Get Kicked Off Fox News in 5 …



Notes for Tuesday – March 21, 2017

On this day, in 1778: Just three days after Hessian mercenary forces assaulted the local New Jersey militia at Quinton’s Bridge, the same contingent surprised the colonial militia at Hancock’s Bridge five miles from Salem. In what became known as the Massacre at Hancock’s Bridge, at least 20 members of the militia lost their lives, some after attempting to surrender. The Loyalists reputedly exclaimed, “Spare no one! Give no quarter!” as they stormed the occupied house. Judge Hancock and his brother (both Loyalists) were bayoneted in the melee by the attackers even though they were both staunch supporters of the …


Equestrian Survival For Bugging Out, Recon, Rescue, Projection of Force, or Hunting- Part 1, by R.M.

Assess Your Horse’s Capabilities and Temperament We all love to think of our horses as part of the family. Some might love their horses. Let me begin by saying that before you do an overnight or longer trip away from all the comforts of home, you need to honestly assess your horse’s capabilities and temperament. Temperament is key here. I am careful to choose the horse for the job. I prefer traveling far with my dog as well. He is a great scout, level headed, and loves to ride. He often hunts for himself, but I always bring food for …


Letter Re: RS’s Story

Hugh, I read RS’s story with interest in the March 18th entry. It seems like it’s one of those situations that slowly snowballs out of control but thankfully had a happy ending. Personally, I would have called either the police or a tow service from the lodge to get into the “locked” car (although it turned out to be unnecessary), but I am mostly writing to suggest that RS invest in a couple of those FRS radios from the big box store or Amazon. While they don’t get nearly the range advertised, it may have allowed for communication during the …


News From The American Redoubt:

What do you think would happen to you if the government found out that you’d booby-trapped your property with a lethal device and your neighbor’s 14 year old boy and his dog happened upon the device, killing the dog and injuring the boy? You would be crazy to think there would be no jail time there, wouldn’t you? What if it were the government that had planted the boobytrap on public land and didn’t notify anyone? – HJL (Link sent in by reader P.M.) o o o Bonner Co. declares state of emergency after flooding, road washouts. (Warning: Auto-start video.) …


Economics and Investing:

Trump Market Euphoria Impacts Precious Metals Demand: Plummets In West, Surges In East Excerpt: “There seems to be a percentage of the alternative community that are convinced that Trump will actually put the U.S. back to the way it was in the 1960’s. And that is, back to a manufacturing powerhouse with high-paying jobs. While this would be a wonderful thing to do, the continued disintegration of the global oil industry, just won’t allow it to happen.” o o o More impact from the Fed targeting higher interest rates: Gold Price Strengthens As USD Comes Under Fire o o o …


Odds ‘n Sods:

NCRenegade posted this great meme about the release of the first increment of Wikileaks Vault 7: Nothing More To Say… JWR’s Comment: I was amazed to see how quickly the mass media dropped coverage of Wikileaks Vault 7. The implications of the revelations were huge. This was a story much bigger than Watergate, yet it was as if they collectively said: “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” o o o Worldwide Day of Prayer for the nation of South Africa is scheduled for April 22nd. Please pray for peace, brotherhood, an end to violent crime, and good …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.” – Thomas Paine