Today is the birthday of the late R.J. Rummel. October 21, 1932 – March 2, 2014. He was was professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii. He spent his career assembling data on collective violence and war with a view toward helping their resolution or elimination. Rummel coined the term democide for murder by government (compare genocide), and his research suggests that six times as many people died of democide during the 20th century than in all that century’s wars combined. He is best known as the author of: Death by Government: A History of Mass Murder and Genocide Since 1900.
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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest
Today we present another entry for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
- The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
- A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 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. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
- DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
- Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
- A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
- American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
Second Prize:
- A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
- A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
- Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
- Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit. This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag. The value of this kit is $220.
- An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).
Third Prize:
- Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
- A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
- Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
- A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!
Round 91 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
So I’m building a house.
Rural acreage in the middle of nowhere.
It will have a basement, but… do I put in a bunker as well or is that a waste of money?
That will depend on your exact location and needs. Population and density matter. A grid of potential threats matter. If you don’t anticipate a threat requiring a bunker, it wouldn’t be cost effective. Do you anticipate a major weapon strike? Keep in mind that for threats such as mobs, you will have an air intake they can attack, and that you must keep clear otherwise. Bunkers are a significant investment for specific applications.
Put in a tornado/storm shelter. Tell no one, use it as a root cellar and storage for your long term food supply. Set up the shelves so that they could easily be used as bunk beds with room for all family members. Build in a fresh air access with a hand powered fan that runs through a filter. Make it roomy enough for a long term stay. I think in the long run these choices will make you very happy.
If you can afford it, I would recommend that you build it. It is better to have one installed in new construction than to retrofit. It being under the home makes for better access when time matters.
Will it withstand a wildfire, tornado, hurricane, or gunfire, better than the home above it? Flooding risk? Does it have better thief security than a regular basement?
So many folks mean to put one in, but never get around to it later…
Better to have one and never need it, than to need one and not have it…
Think of it as insurance, or risk management. You have it but hope you never have to use it.
I agree with Oneguy, except
1) make sure it has good drainage so it doesnt get groundwater seeping in,
2) make it twice the size you think you want it to be
3) make it your good storage room for all those long term things
4) set up a solar panel with sealed batteries and LED lights inside
and most importantly
5) make it twice as big as you think you want
You will never, ever, complain about making it too big.
We are putting together thoughts about building one here for ourselves.
best wishes
I’m in a rural county (29/sq.mile) in a rural state. No nearby military bases or nuclear power plants. Six miles north of the county seat, population 10,000. I was born & raised there and am related to 30% of the county, including many of my neighbors.
I moved away for decades but I’m moving back. Sister & Mother still live there.
And The Night Letters Begin
Posted by NC Scout
Oct 21, 2020
https://www.americanpartisan.org/2020/10/and-the-night-letters-begin/
https://gab.com/Matt_Bracken/posts/105072744697683243
Those Night Letters appear to be showing up in a wide variety of areas. I’ve seen reliable sources discussing them in New Hampshire and North Carolina. Hand delivered. This may indicate some level of coordination, though I question whether they are being delivered by people in the affected neighborhoods or, which seems more likely, outside agitators.