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. …



Letter: Social Media Intel During an Emergency

HJL, I am a long time reader and understand JWR’s recommendation against the use of social media. The recent snow storm that has crippled the roads in major southern cities has proven a positive of social media that I hadn’t fully realized. With a “friends” list of over 1,000 (who are mostly just acquaintances) I was able gain valuable intelligence down to the neighborhood level. Friends reported on road closures, traffic jams, people in need of help and their location, people providing help, and businesses that were open and taking in those that were stranded. This sharing of information undoubtedly …



Odds ‘n Sods:

U.S. Scalia Says Internment Ruling Could Happen Again– K.R. o o o More from the Ukraine: Ukrainian protestor kidnapped, CRUCIFIED and has part of his ear cut off before being dumped in a forest after a week of torture – T. o o o AF Cheating Scandal Grows to 92 Missile Officers o o o S.F. sent in the link to this excellent explanation: No Country for Old Fishermen o o o R.I.P. – the results are starting to come in. Here is a pretty good independent test that attempts to replicate FBI tests. Part 1 Part 2 Videos of …



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 …