Letter: Getting First Aid Supplies Tax Free

Hello, I just found a neat, and new to me, way of purchasing first aid supplies with pre-tax dollars that I thought I would share. For some years now I have taken advantage of my company’s Flexible Spending Account (FSA) program. For the unfamiliar, an FSA is money withheld from your paycheck that allows you to purchase eligible items with pre-tax dollars and is offered by many employers. If you have regular vision, dental, or copay expenses, it’s a great way to pay for these things. As I had more money withheld than I had spent this year, I wanted …


Bugging Out With Young Children- Part 1, by MPB

The concept of bugging out is an integral part of preparing for an uncertain future. I won’t list them here, but there are dozens of reasons why it may be necessary to leave your home/homestead on very short notice. Page after digital page has been published online addressing this subject… some of it quite good and some of it good for nothing more than a laugh. But there is one aspect of bugging out that I think has been largely overlooked in the survival community. It is the special considerations needed when bugging out with young children. My focus in …


Letter Re: Trump’s Presidency: A Replay of the 1980s

JWR: Trump is savvy. He will split the bankers if he is aggressive in eliminating Dodd Frank. Reinstatement of Glass-Steagall may also be perceived as favorable by many main street bankers as less regulation will be necessary. He will need to win over that chunk of the banking world as he has planned to go after the “Carry Trade” exemptions, which will alienate investment bankers. The FDIC is not on the investment banker side of things. I am trying to remember what it was like in the 1980s when Reagan’s policies took hold. I think it comes again. Without a …


Recipe of the Week: Turnip Whip, by G.L.

Ingredients: 4 turnips, peeled and quartered 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 Tbsp minced onion 1 Tbsp salt Water 1/4 cup light cream 2 Tbsp soft butter or margarine 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper Directions: Combine turnips, potatoes, onion, and 1 Tbsp salt in a slow cooking pot. Cover with water; then cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Drain well. Mash; then add cream, butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Beat until fluffy Makes 6 servings. o o o Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest …


Letter Re: Copper as an Ebola Killer

Dear Hugh, After reading the letter and the attached article, I was interested in the feasibility of having copper contact surfaces, such as doorknobs or push plates. JW mentioned copper plating, so I did a quick search and found this video. I thought this might interest people because of the ease with which you could plate items, and my guess is a majority of readers would be able to do this with supplies they have on hand. Regards, RM


Guest Article: Surviving A Collapse: The Gold and Silver Game, by Capt. William E. Simpson II

Do Americans really need to worry about a financial collapse in world money markets leading to national rioting and chaos? History shows it has happened before in many countries around the world and many so-called experts say we do, but they are leaving out the most important details. Of course, when the media voices the opinions of the “experts”, that alone builds some worry into financial markets. Some astute observers may ask if this is by design and if by doing so they intentionally create niche markets for the products and services they sell related to gold and silver hedges …


Two Letters: Contaminated Water in Corpus Christi, Texas

Mr. Rawles and Mr. Latimer, As you may have seen in the news, the city of Corpus Christi has, yet again, been the subject of contaminated water. Over the last ~18 months, Corpus Christi has had a series of problems (five or six water boil notices, no drink advisory, et cetera) with the municipal water supply related to E.coli, low chlorine, high chlorine, and most recently chemical contamination Indulin AA-86 Asphalt Emulsion. I began reading/following the SurvivalBlog several years ago and at a minimum keep a “go box” action packer for hurricane evacuations, et cetera. I have a small amount …


Bees: Security Guard or Grocery Store?- Part 3, by J.P.

Finding Bees: Before and After SHTF (continued) You can take a piece of an active hive and wire it into a frame in your hive. (Suit up and use a little smoke, which makes bees think their hive is on fire and they have to eat all the honey to save it). If you pay close enough attention and can access the comb, you will find that some comb cells have what look like tiny grains of rice in them. Using a strong flashlight helps to see them; these are new bee eggs! The best spots to take have flat …


Letter: Copper as an Ebola Killer

Dear Hugh, This research has been around for nearly a decade, but it is only beginning to surface. The purer the copper, the stronger the effect. Pure copper, or a 95 percent alloy, will kill 99.999 percent of everything within 30 minutes. Naturally, corporations are making copper alloy fixtures for hospitals that are 60 percent copper! Readers can do some of this at home by taking sheets of copper and cutting it into push plates for doors, covering countertops, etc. However, it is extremely difficult to find copper doorknobs, except for cabinets. Perhaps taking regular doorknobs and having them heavily …


Bees: Security Guard or Grocery Store?- Part 2, by J.P.

Uses for Bees: Security On the topic of prepping functionality, let’s discuss a topic outside of the traditional bee box; le’s talk about a human home’s security. Yes, it is usually a good idea to protect your hive to keep it safe, but what about the bee’s owners? Are they protected? I have noticed very quickly, since raising bees, the level of fear they invoke in humans. (I’d also like to make a suggestion that human-bee relations can be best improved with a 40-60-inch tall solid fence approximately four feet in front and also to the side of hive entrances; …


Letter Re: Air Raid Sirens

HJL, I was having dinner with a friend of mine and we were discussing preps and situations with some humor added. I mentioned being “overwhelmed”. He just smirked and said, “I have my air raid siren.” Huh? He smiles and says psy-ops! “If I set off my air raid siren, no matter who you are, you’re going to say, ‘Oh, Schumer, what door did I just open and can I escape it?’. People hear an air raid siren and they immediately think you have an army with a lot of troops coming.” It’s not a bad idea. Here’s what he …


Bees: Security Guard or Grocery Store?- Part 1, by J.P.

When I first woke up to the reality of what we, as humans, are being subjected to on a daily basis, I was indeed in a state of panic. With people killing innocents left and right, genetic “Franken-food”, the poisoning of food and water due to negligence, life can seem real heavy real fast. That feeling of fear was the turning point for me, telling me that I needed to slow my life down and enjoy the wonderful gifts that the Lord has granted us, humans, here on earth. One marvelous gift that has been granted upon us is the …


Two Letters Re: WaterBOBs and Reservoirs

Mr. Latimer, Just an FYI that I saw the WaterBob on Amazon. Not sure if it is indeed “discontinued”, but it’s still for sale–it looks like. I have one. Thanks for your blog. I have received good info on it to help my family prepare for all sorts of scenarios. – MHC o o o Thanks to JWR’s post, I just ordered two WaterBOB’s from Amazon for $40. I checked and the Reservoir cost was about $75 for one. The WaterBOB is a one time use. Not sure that’s the case for the Reservoir. I assume the supply of WaterBOBs …


Trekking for Survival, by G.U.

I have to admit that I have watched one or more movies or movie shorts with an apocalyptic theme. Often the survivors (or survivor) are either walking or driving along a barren road, through a barren town, or through the country side. Sometimes, they will have some gear, maybe a backpack, a bottle of water or canteen, and maybe a gun or some kind of club. In some cases, they are well organized and have a compound of sorts, but eventually they have to take to the road for supplies or to find others. In most of the movies, there …


Letter Re: Hurricane Experience

Friends, After reading the contribution about hurricane preparedness, I would like to recommend the bathtub liners for water. We were without water for three or four days. We barely tapped one. I feel that we could have gone six weeks with what the two afforded us. I also keep one full outside contained in a 95-gallon horse trough. There were no problems noted. I so appreciate what all of you do. Thanks. – A. Reader JWR’s Comment: (The WaterBOB bathtub liner is no longer in production, but The Reservoir is comparable.)