Odds ‘n Sods:

More reports from the storm last week in the South East: Police: Man stole cars left during Atlanta storm – K. o o o M.W. sent this in: backup handcuff key The site also includes this statement “I would advise taking great caution in how you intellectually approach an item like the TIHK. The argument that an inanimate object is bad because bad people can use it to do bad things sounds very familiar. That is not the logic of liberty.”– Good Advice. o o o A Self Reliance Expo will be held in Mesquite, Texas, at the Mesquite Convention …



Notes from HJL:

Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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 cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value), A $300 gift certificate …


Composting to Maintain Sanitary Conditions and Nurture Crops, by G.M.

One of the many important problems confronting people in a SHTF situation is maintaining adequate sanitation. Clean water, soap, personal hygene, toileting, and kitchen waste will all need to be addressed. I am going to describe some of the things we do on our 1/4 acre suburban homestead to control waste and feed the plants we use for food. It seems to me that having an established system in place to deal with waste before SHTF is better that trying to cobble something together when all kinds of urgent needs have to be addressed in an emergency. A good composting …


Guest Article: Why Prepping Leads to Peace of Mind, by S.L.

I got a clue about prepping on Feb 9, 1971, when I was rolled out of bed at 6am by the Northridge-Sylmar earthquake. Shortly following that unique event, the National Guard came through the neighborhood announcing immediate, mandatory evacuation because the Van Norman earthen dams were expected to collapse and send a 30-foot wall of water into the Sepulveda detention basin through our suburban neighborhood. I was 13 years old; my siblings were 10 and 9. This was a pre-cell phone, pre-ATM era. We camped out at a public park with thousands of others for 24 hours before we could …



Letter: Recent Experiences from a Southwest LEO

HJL- I am an LEO in the Southwest. I had a few experiences recently I thought the readers of the blog would be interested in. First, our Police Department recently switched to Federal Flight Control Buckshot. All I can say is, “WOW”. For those not familiar with it, instead of a wad opening up like a tulip at the front, fins pop out at the back so the shot cup crown stays intact and round. It makes a huge difference. We were seeing all nine pellets within 5-6″ at 25 yards, and honest 8-10″ groups at 40 yards. We were …



Economics and Investing:

K.F. sent in this link that explains some of the mechanics of rampant inflation. —- B. sent in this link about 10 Characteristics of Debt Free People, noting that: “There is a lot of directed activity for preppers and folks who just want to be more self-reliant generally, but it frequently is a set of broad statements without any implementing recommendation’s. This article is short but provides some real psychological and practical steps and might be of interest to your readers. I personally believe this to be the most important and the first step because it provides the freedom of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

State Dept. Webcast Features Guest Who Called Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice ‘Uncle Toms’ – P.M. o o o The latest episode in a disturbing trend we are hearing more about: Corrupt state crime lab chemist ruins countless lives by falsifiying evidence – B.R. o o o B.B. sent this in: New Google patent suggests automatically sending your videos and photos to law enforcement. Notice that there is no requirement that the event being logged is an illegal activity, only that multiple videos be posted with similar timestamps and geolocation. o o o Another Off-Grider Shutdown: History Channel’s Mountain Man Targeted …



Notes from HJL:

I’m publishing a couple of odd and ends letters today that I’ve received over the past couple of weeks that I need help from our readership on. Today we present two entries for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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 …


Trading Posts of the New Frontier, by TCG

We have all heard the stories of the panicked rush on grocery stores by the unprepared masses at the onset of an emergency. Within a matter of a few hours even a so-called superstore can be picked clean of all worthwhile supplies. We all accept this as an inevitability when the SHTF, and this is why we prepare. Many may not know, however, that even after the shelves at the local store are bare there are still more resources that I believe will become available after TEOTWAWKI. As soon as I was old enough to work I started bagging groceries …


Learning Prepper and Barter Skills at Your Local Dump, by N.J.

Everyone these days is trying to budget and spend their hard earned money wisely. One place I found that I was able to spend a very limited amount or get items for free is at the local dump. It is a great place to accumulate items you could use in a SHTF situation. This may relate only to individuals living in suburban or city areas. There may be one in your county; it is important to find out if there is. If you have not been to your local recycle center or dump, you owe it to yourself to check …


Letter: Communications Radios

Hello Sir, In an effort to get our neighbors in the valley to keep in touch in case of emergency, what type of radios would you recommend? We are roughly under five miles apart with hilly, somewhat cliffy topography with a lot of brush at an elevation of just under 7,000′. I used to use Spilsbury “backcountry radios” between outfitters and air taxi services in the Idaho wilderness, but those are fairly spendy set-ups and hard to find. I doubt the neighborhood will opt for hams either. Any other options? You’re recommendations or those of experienced readers would be appreciated. …