Big Picture Water and Irrigation Considerations, by Terry Wyoming

As background, I am a water rights attorney with multiple engineer degrees who formerly worked as a drinking water treatment plant operator.  Given that water is a preppers most precious resource, there is no lack of advice for preppers about water treatment, storage, and procurement.  Despite this, very few people truly understand where their water comes from and the factors that influence the availability of water in rivers, lakes, and streams. However, this information is crucial for planning water supply and retreat locations. Below are some important considerations regarding water sources and delivery. Some of this is information specific to the …


Letter Re: Rip Ammo Marketing

Dear Editor, This email is in response to the R.I.P. bullet paragraph seen on your blog. It is, as you suspected, limited in performance due to the nature of its design. I imagine the developers of the RIP theorized they could take the principles of bullet fragmentation (effectively demonstrated from 5.56mm ball ammo within certain distances) and apply them to a pistol caliber. The lethal effectiveness of bullet fragmentation relies heavily on its velocity upon impact. Since pistol rounds don’t travel nearly as fast as a rifle round, they depend on the summation of bullet mass, rather than speed, to …


Letter Re: Salt Carton as a lid on Canning Jar

In Thursday’s Odds n Sods, you mention using the top of a salt carton in the top of a canning jar to create a pour spout. This will work, but I do not go through much salt, and the salt pour spouts don’t seem to be in good shape when I am finished with the carton. Also, this does not really seal the jar as tightly as I would like. I saw somewhere to use the top of milk and juice cartons with the screw on lid. I go through a couple of these a week. I cut the top …


Letter Re: Prepper Primer

Hello all! I’ve been a reader for a couple of years now, but really wish I had found this site a lot earlier. The prepper primer posts are, hands down, the best comprehensive posts for beginning preppers. They are not so technical that interest wanes, but they give a great overview of important aspects of survival in a SHTF scenario. I am going to have my teenage son read them. There is one item I would like to address, however, and that is the bit about the backroads of rural America. The true backroads are the unpaved and poorly marked …


Economics and Investing:

We are now training our children to depend on the Government for Savings as well. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is trying to introduce legislation that will create universal savings accounts for children and provide the first $500 for it. Items from The Economatrix: U.S. Currency Weak And About To Crash–Karen Hudes We’re Going To Be Hit With A Tsunami Of Inflation-Peter Schiff US Stock Market-To-GDP Ratio Favored By Warren Buffett Points To Imminent 50% Crash Home Builder Confidence Plunges In February


Odds ‘n Sods:

As expected, weapons manufacturers have created a new AR-15 design that is compliant with New York’s “Safe Act”. – RBS o o o P.S. sent n an article showing that Ohio National Guard Training Envisions Right-Wing Terrorism. Apparently documents show that a training drill last January envisioned a mock disaster where Second Amendment supporters with anti-government opinions were the domestic terrorists. I understand the desire to vary training requirements, but either these people have no common sense or they are deliberately demonizing the most loyal patriots. o o o JBG sent in this link detailing the slow trickle turned surge …



Notes from HJL:

Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Today’s entry is written by a student from Québec with some humor. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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, Two …


Cold Weather Survival, by S.F.

I was born and raised in Québec City, Canada. For those who don’t remember their geography class, Québec City is located about 160 miles northeast from Montréal. Considering the latitude and the very special climate (mainly caused by the sudden widening of the Saint-Lawrence River), one could call the city the northernmost “major” city in North America. Winters are comparable to those in Norway, yet we get more snow, on average. They get about 31 inches of snow in Oslo; we get 124 inches. I call that a difference. Just check Wikipedia to see if I’m right. Then, let’s take …


Three Letters Re: Keeping Warm in an LP/OP

Dear Hugh, Regarding Heating Concern in LP/OP, as a long-time member of the military with extensive deployment, outdoor, and survival experience, here is my humble response to the reader’s query on keeping warm in an LP/OP. LP/OPs come in all shapes, sizes, and budgets. I’ve typically seen LP/OPs in three levels: hasty, intermediate, and advanced. Regardless of which one is manned, they all share two traits– clear fields of fire/observation and keeping the soldier alert. Having frozen my backside off more than I have wished and as it addresses your question head on, I will focus on the latter. Exposure …


News From The American Redoubt:

Cowboy Euphemisms– Krayton Kerns, DVM, Montana State Representative HD #58 o o o $225,000 payout to man mauled by police K-9 – RBS o o o Ore. woman survives 18 hours with hand stuck under hood of truck o o o Tom Kitchar So. Oregon Waldo Mining District : presentation to Idaho Legislature 2/7/14 on Suction Dredge mining video. – Mark o o o Boise, Idahoe has their very own Cheerleader with Downs syndrome. A true inspiration to others.


Economics and Investing:

B.B. sent in this article on the Bullion Baron: Soros Reloads SPY Puts, $1.3B Bet On S&P 500 Decline o o o Bob also sent in this follow up to “Singularity” that asserts that the models are not working. In this article, Robert Samuelson – no darling of the economic right to be sure – provides an assessment of applied economic theory and finds that economists don’t really know what’s going on and can’t really predict where we are headed. This act of self analysis and honest reflection is somewhat refreshing…..even though – as in yesterday’s article/blog – there is …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Washington Times reports that the NRA’s ‘American Rifleman’ surges to top 25 magazines in America knocking ‘Maxim’ from the list. – G.G. o o o Hands off our children, Big Brother, Patrice Lewis’ latest on ‘Common Core’. o o o California’s Gun Confiscation Program Hits Firearm Owners Hard. As part of its ongoing efforts to defend gun owners from malicious and improper prosecutions, the foundations recomends: Never consent to a search Exercise your right to remain silent Contact CGF’s Help Hotline through the online form at www.calgunsfoundation.org/hotline or call (800) 556-2109, open 24/7/365 If you need immediate legal assistance, …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“They’ve (the government) took our silver, They’ve took our gold. They’ve took th’ silver certificates all in. And we ain’t got a thing except our gover’mint on it. There’s all we got t’back it up. It just left us, by granny, with a piece a’paper; an’if we lose our gover’mint, it’s all dead anyhow just th’same as gover’mint bonds. We’re all broke. If th’gover’mint go broke, we ain’t got a thing in th’world.” – Hillard Green, sometime between 1968 – 1970 as part of Foxfire.


Guest Article: LRP Rations, The Survival Food of the Pros, by Thomas Baldrick

Maybe you wear a Peyton Manning jersey. Maybe you gulp Gatorade during your outdoor activities. Maybe you like Lowe’s because they sponsor Jimmy Johnson’s #48 car. If you’re one of the millions of people who commonly buy into the products of the top professionals, you might have an appetite for Long Range Patrol Ration Entrees. After all, LRP Rations are the survival food carried on long range missions by U.S. Military Special Forces members. The name Long Range Patrol Rations tells you who the intended military target was for this food. Today, current examples of Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units …