Letter: Charity and Red Dot Sights

Dear Editor, We had a line of storms blow through with extraordinarily strong winds, blowing trees down over multiple counties. We were blessed to have family, friends, and a church member help clean up the limbs and fallen tree on the family place. When lunch time came, I had to run to the store and get some food to feed everybody. This gave me a great idea: Along with the food you put back, include a portion for one or two meals for around ten people, so that you can feed whoever comes to help out. A spaghetti dinner for …


Guest Article: SHTF Intelligence – Getting Started- Part 2, by Samuel Culper

This is the second article in a series about using intelligence for preparedness. I’m starting from square zero, in order to introduce a new crop of Americans to the concept of using intelligence, to prove that there’s a need for intelligence, and to get readers quickly up to speed on how to incorporate it into their security planning. After getting caught up to speed, if you’d like to gain a deeper knowledge and put theory into practice, a book entitled *SHTF Intelligence will show you the way forward. You can find a small homework exercise here. In the first article, …


Letter Re: Wifi At a Discrete Distance

It’s better to find an adapter with antenna port. This is a high-powered single-band adapter or a dual band (I’d recommend the 5Ghz band if possible, but it is still a bit rare) with RP-SMA connection. Then add a good antenna; the omni is probably equal to the Yagi. If there isn’t interference and is dual band but this Yagi will pull in from a longer distance. If you can get two and get a connector, you can put it “in the middle” like in a tree and point one at the source and one where you are using it, …


How Do You Find A Good Survival Retreat Property?, by D.R. in TN

With global economic instability rising and personal security issues taking center stage in the U.S., consumer demand is increasing for remote properties that offer security and the ability to be self-contained. This could include providing your own electric power, drinking water, food, and personal protection. In other words, it’s the ability to live independently, in a self-sufficient manner, with renewable resources far from urban chaos.  Are you looking for a remote survival property? Think very seriously about it. We did, and what follows is a checklist of considerations for finding a survival retreat. It is the culmination of a four-year …


Letter Re: The Profile of Wounding in Civilian Public Mass Shooting Fatalities

Dear Sirs, I read the excellent study (“The profile of wounding in civilian public mass shooting fatalities“) linked from SurvivalBlog on 7/30/16. The only criticism I have is the premise that civilian public mass shootings (CPMS) victims could receive prehospital care within 10 minutes and trauma center care within 60 minutes of injury. As we have seen in events such as the Orlando and Paris Bataclan nightclub capers, these goals are sometimes stymied. Insights I gleaned from the study are as follows: Blindly following an algorithmic approach to trauma care may lead you to select the wrong algorithm for the …


Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

Reader J.B. recommended the Hardy Boys series: I’ve been reading the Hardy Boys series aloud to my children (three boys, one girl, ages 4,7,8,10), and I think I enjoy them as much as they do. Not only entertaining, it is quite refreshing to read how they solve problems with only their ingenuity and their bare hands. The boys are smart, funny, hard-working, and chivalrous to their young lady friends. They respect their parents. They know when and how to fight, build a fire, and track animals and people. They take the blame when necessary and work hard to make their …


Letter Re: Wounding Patterns

My disagreement with this report is more on the reasons behind rather than the method of the training. I believe in self care first, then buddy aid, then medics (EMTs), and then the hospitals. Prepping needs to hit all of these levels in regards to supplies and training. If the conclusion of the report is that tourniquets are not useful in an active shooter situation, then I think civilian medical training might have lost the reason the military emphasizes the tourniquet in its training. This report states the current medical training emphasis on hemorrhage control for civilians is over-rated in …


Recipe of the Week: Oven-Roasted Vegetable Medley, by L.H.

This isn’t so much a recipe, but a guideline – a very forgiving guideline – that basically works every time. It’s a wonderful method for cleaning out those bits and pieces in the refrigerator crisper drawer that might otherwise go to waste, and super easy to adapt to your family’s size and tastes. And did I mention that it’s a pretty healthy and delicious way to add more veggies to your family’s diet? Ingredients: 3-6 c. assorted vegetables, cut into similarly-sized pieces, about 1”x1”, or about the size of a medium broccoli or cauliflower floret (and don’t stress too much …


Letter Re: Sodium Hypochlorite Liquid

Dear Hugh, I recently came across some Sodium Hypochlorite liquid at the big orange box store. It is 10% solution for swimming pools. It is packaged in one gallon plastic containers with two bottles to the box. The regular price was eight or ten dollars but they had it on clearance for $1.83. I have seen people talk about using this stuff in powder form for purifying water and I’m wondering if the liquid will work the same or if it is too hazardous and troublesome to store and maintain. It says 13oz per 10,000 gallons of water will give …


Letter Re: Sawyer Water Filter Additional Information

Hello, I would like to add some information about the Sawyer water filter. One of the readers mentioned that the Sawyer filter use to be 1,000,000 gallons, and now it’s 100,000. Those are two separate filters. The 1-million gallon filter is the larger version. The 100,000 gallon is the mini version, which I personally have used since it came on the market. I do a lot of hiking, backpacking, and exploring in the outdoors. I like to carry my Camelback for ease of drinking and carrying my water. What I recommend is to buy the Mini Sawyer filter, cut the …


Letter Re: Keeping Children Safe

Hugh, The author did not explain that during emergencies, public schools will sometime remove children from the school and relocate all the children to a safe location. The local school should have the predetermined safe location address. (Obviously, if there is a big fire at the school or other emergencies, the school does not leave the children in the school or school yard.) You might want to mention this fact in some added on information by the SurvivalBlog editors. During Red Cross training at work, the Red Cross representative asked everyone in the room (100 people) if they know the …


July in Precious Metals by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainseville Coins where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. What Did Gold Do in July? The usual summer doldrums in precious metals were nowhere to be seen in July. Gold started the month on the right foot, rapidly hitting prices not seen since March 2014. Silver prices also accelerated right out of the gate to hit a 22-month high. Stocks reversed their declines in …


Letter Re: Getting to Your Children

Hugh, This is very good information, but if I, as a police officer or a designated reporter (nurses, doctors, teachers, and the like), found someone with lots of observations and detailed notes and maps about the movement of children, I would be considering whether to assert control for some questioning, since some parents are legally restrained from contacting (kidnapping) the children – male and female, and this is exactly what a predator pedophile needs. The absentee parent is in an awkward position, and God help them if there is conflict of any sort. A casual comment of frustration can tip …


Getting To Your Children and Keeping Them Safe: Help For An Absentee Parent- Part 2, by J.C.

For older children, there are a variety of ways you can help them. The first is exposing them to the outdoors and teaching them the skills and knowledge you have learned. Do not rely on teachers, schools, or other adults to make sure they are prepared. Even if you have limited time with your children, small things can help. Every child should have some type of bug out bag at their main residence. This bag should cover these main categories: water, food, shelter, signaling, communication, and protection. Make sure that all items are age appropriate and they know how to …


A Timely Book Review from TM in Arkansas

Gun Control in the Third Reich: Disarming the Jews and “Enemies of the State”, by Stephen P. Halbrook. ©2013 Stephen P. Halbrook Published by The Independent Institute, Oakland CA ISBN: 978-1-59813-161-1 Hardback; also available in Paperback and via Kindle. 246 pages, 12 chapters, bibliography, and index. “Gun control”, a politically loaded term for citizen control, seems to be an unrelenting topic for discussion and the rhetoric has grown more heated in recent years. Every time somebody goes wacko and sets out to settle differences of opinion or exact revenge with a firearm, there are new calls for “gun control”. The …