Year: 2017

SurvivalBlog Resources: Retreat Security

Introductory Note: The following is another in a series of articles by JWR that will link to some of the thousands of archived SurvivalBlog articles and letters, grouped topically. Today, we address the broad issue of retreat security measures. In my estimation, many preppers have a tendency to over-buy on their gun budget and under-buy on their night vision and intrusion detection budget. I would much rather own just a few guns and have a full complement of other key retreat security gear. After all, humans can’t see well at night with un-aided eyes, and we can’t be vigilant 24 …


Two Letters Re: My Family Preparedness Plan, by R.S.

Hugh, As the article observes, silver will be more useful in small denominations. My question is: How will sellers recognize that “junk silver” has more than face value, and how will that value be determined? – RJB HJL’s Comment: Junk silver has the advantage of being widely recognizable, and the smallish value as well as the wear and tear that it already has makes it harder to counterfeit. It certainly has a distinctive look to it and is easy to evaluate. It will not take long for that value to be recognized and established. As to what that value is? …


Economics and Investing:

Illinois Revenue Freefall: Fiscal Year-to-Date -8.1% and Worsening. Sadly, my state of Connecticut seems to be going down the same path! Now they are talking about a HUGE tax on our hospitals! – H.L. o o o Time To Hedge State Reserve Funds With Gold. Excerpt: “Financially prudent individuals set aside surplus funds to protect against unforeseen expenditures. This way, when faced with loss of income, house repairs, car trouble, or anything else, they will have a buffer against unanticipated downturns.” – H.L. o o o Stores Are Closing at a Record Pace as Amazon Chews Up Retailers. Sad. Soon …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader T.N. joined in the conversation of EMP and our nation’s difficult-to-replace power transformers with this impressive news item from 2015 about one of the huge transformers being delivered to southern Utah: Huge transformer to arrive in Monticello Monday. This certainly puts the problem in perspective! o o o Showing once again the futility and pointlessness of gun control laws: Neighbor used homemade air gun to kill Lehigh County mom -Will we outlaw plumbing supplies next? – T.P. o o o Map showing why Europe will be extinct These maps show how fragmented Europe is and why the European …



Notes for Friday – April 07, 2017

April 7th is the birthday of Colonel Bob Denard (born 1929, died October 13, 2007). He had an amazing life as a mercenary, including four attempted coups in the Comoros. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 70 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, two, or …


The Human-Powered Veggie Garden- Part 2, by J.A.

Deep Digging and Rock Removal The second round of digging is the hardest work of the whole project. The process is much like the first round, except the goal is to be able to bury the whole head of your shovel in loose soil when you are done. This time, if you hit a rock in the process of achieving that, it has to go. As you back up, some of the rocks will expose an edge you can get under with the shovel. This is where buying good tools, and sharpening your shovel is really going to pay off. …


Letter Re: My Family Preparedness Plan, by R.S.

Hugh, The best books I have read concerning an EMP are Lights Out by Ted Koppel and Collapse You’re On Your Own by Kay Mahoney. One is fiction, and one nonfiction tells us all we need to know about a terrible event. The first book examines the reality of our delicate electronic infrastructure and how easily it can be shut down. The second book tells the story of the aftermath of an EMP on regular, small town folks, like us, and how we might handle the calamity. I like my electricity and the comforts it provides to me and my …


Economics and Investing:

From Hubert Moolman: Gold and Silver Boom or Bust – A bit heavy on the charts but interesting nonetheless. o o o OPEC’s No.2 Goes Rogue: Plans 600,000 Bpd Oil Output Increase. Despite talks of an OPEC extension, Iraq, which is OPEC’s second-biggest exporter, has plans to boost crude production to 5 million bpd by the end of the year. o o o I listened to a sermon one time about the phases that many organizations go through. There is the time of passion in which men and women of great passion do extraordinary things and the organization grows like …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Over at SHTFPlan.com: These Two South Carolina Lawmakers Are Planning to Create Survivalist Communities Across the Country o o o Nathan, over at The Price of Liberty blog recommended this fascinating article at Gun Culture 2.0: The Problem with Averages in Understanding Guns, Violence, and Crime (Take 2) o o o I was doing some web wandering and found this interesting company in Tempe, Arizona: Prepper’s Discount – JWR o o o If this report is anywhere even close to true, we are very near the bottom of the slippery slope: Judge Openly LAUGHS At Bundy Ranch Defendants Rights – …



Notes for Thursday – April 06, 2017

This is the birthday of Lowell Thomas o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 70 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, 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 …


The Human-Powered Veggie Garden- Part 1, by J.A.

A small amount of land, in some cases as little as half an acre if managed correctly, could supply a bountiful vegetable garden even without the luxuries of fossil fuel-driven technology or animal power. The key to the survival of an individual or a family who is either under-prepared or through the course of events is somehow unable to use any fossil fuel-driven technology or animal power is being able to quickly produce edible crops on the ground that they have using nothing but hand tools. The methods necessary to do this are inexpensive to implement, physically rewarding, and beneficial …


Letters Re: My Family Preparedness Plan – Part 1, by R.S.

SurvivalBlog had an overwhelming number of people write in about this article. We’ve tried to pick a few of the letters Reader PWS has a pretty good grasp of the whole EMP issue: There is much mythology around EMP. Based on testing done by the Congressional Commission To Assess The Threat of EMP To the U.S., only about 6% of the national light vehicle fleet will be EMP-ruined. The main problem for most will be fuel. Second, EMP will not damage solar panels in a significant way. Some suffered up to 10% degradation but kept working just fine. The charge …


Economics and Investing:

After having great success in finding silver half dollars, the intrepid young “Silver Searcher” is still at it. Most recently he found a bank in Oregon that had $2,800 in Eisenhower (“Ike”) dollars available. He really should be searching more carefully, for rare date coins. – JWR o o o When the broader markets crash, the value of the precious metals will really take off: Massive Stock Correction To Send Metals Surging & Elites Lose Control o o o What I learned about the US real estate market this week o o o Short And Sweet: Fed’s New Policies A …