Letter Re: Some Transportation Alternatives

Hi Mr. R.: I worked in a bike shop for five years up until two years ago and my better half continues to work in a bike shop to this day. I have to say having a road (or “racing”) bike for when the SHTF is a really bad idea. Road bikes are kind of like the sports cars of the bicycling world. They are not meant to beat upon, you run over or hit the wrong thing on the road or whatever–even gravel–and you could be walking. They eat tires and tubes. I have changed hundreds, maybe a thousand or …


Economics and Investing:

Adam B. sent: An agency-by-agency guide to Obama’s budget. JWR’s Comment: That doesn’t look like much “deficit slashing”, to me! By way of Ol’ Remus at The Woodpile Report comes a link to some food for thought by Charles Hugh Smith: Why Is Gasoline Consumption Tanking? Why I’m Taking Gold Double-Eagles On My Next Trip To Utah Over at The Daily Bell: Now EU Kicking Spain Out of EU? Items from The Economatrix: There’s Talk of an Exit – But Default Would Have Catastrophic Consequences Japanese Economy Shrank in Fourth Quarter The Economy Relies on the Suspension of Disbelief Greece …


Odds ‘n Sods:

AmEx (American Expat) sent this: Report: Russia Nuclear Disaster Narrowly Averted In Submarine Fire    o o o Over at Alt-Market: Going Off Grid – Montana Style!    o o o South Carolina bill would make home invasion a specific crime. (Thanks to Sue C. for the link.)    o o o Alan H. pointed me to a portable, easy to build 8’x12′ greenhouse for under $150. JWR’s Comment: Ah yes, hog panels, 101 uses…    o o o My wife Avalanche Lily alerted me to to an object lesson that went viral: The Dad Who Shot Up His Daughter’s …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“A wild boar stood under a tree, and rubbed his tusks against the trunk. A fox passing by asked him why he thus sharpened his teeth when there was no danger threatening from either huntsman or hound. He replied, ‘I do it advisedly; for it would never do to have to sharpen my weapons just at the time I ought to be using them.’ To be well prepared for war is the best guarantee of peace.”  – The Fables of Aesop


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Making Your Own Gear, by Caleb E.

Our society today–the society that I grew up in–no longer has a need and in many cases no longer has the desire to be self-sufficient. As the recent turmoil expanding across these United States and across the globe is proving every day, most people would rather have some central authority provide everything for them. There are a few who adhere closely to and act upon the belief that their well-being is only granted through their own hard work, knowledge and preparation, and they are known adequately as “Preppers”. The Prepper mindset revolves around the idea of self-reliance or self-sufficiency, recognizing …


Letter Re: Surviving The Cold

Dear Mr. Rawles: n reference to the recent SurvivalBlog article “Surviving The Cold”, by The Other D.B.: It is never repeated enough: wet cold kills.   The advice to test your rain gear with a garden hose is priceless. A piece of kit that I have found invaluable exercising or working in the cold is the Neck Warmer / Head Wrap. This is a simple tube of stretch polypropylene or polyester fleece or wool.  Critical to better protect the vascular area where you lose the most heat–our head and neck. You can see some examples at these three vendor sites: SpecOps …


Letter Re: How to Make Homemade Dog Food

Captain Rawles, I wanted to add my two cents to the award-winning December, 2011 SurvivalBlog post How to Make Homemade Dog Food. This post was great to educate people on the fact that it wasn’t that long ago that dog food wasn’t purchased at the store and that the store bought “dog food” really isn’t that great for “man’s best friend”. I learned this after getting my third dog. The other two did great on store bought dog food, and in fact, my Lab lived for almost 15 years on the cheapest dog food from Wally World. When I bought …


Economics and Investing:

It is coming soon, folks! Obama: Let’s Save Money by Making Coins with Cheaper Metals G.G. flagged this: On the Dole: A fifth of all Americans Moody’s Cuts European Sovereigns Feds shut down Amish farm for selling fresh milk. (Thanks to Michael W. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Tail Events, Isolation, New Normal Oil Falls Toward $100 Ahead of US Supply Data Greece Faces Further Obstacles in Bailout Deal US Market Shakes Off Greek Worries and Advances


Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. suggested this: What Most Gun Nuts Get Wrong    o o o File under “Emerging Threats”: Medieval Weapon at Center of Beating Case. This adds new meaning to the expression “Getting medieval” on someone.    o o o SurvivalBlog’s Pat Cascio flagged this: Pentagon May Oust Troops Involuntarily to Meet Reductions in Budget Plan.    o o o Reader E.B. sent this news from Canada: Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge    o o o For those of you that are trapped in cubicles and reading SurvivalBlog on your lunch hour, this video clip is guaranteed …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a …


Canning Protein, by Taressa

Home food preservation is an important part of my food storage program.  I decided that if it can be sold in a can in the store, then I should be able to put it up myself, in jars.  I buy dry goods such as rice, pasta, potato flakes and dry beans and use a canner to store them in large #10 cans, as well as vacuum sealing with the “FoodSaver” jar lid port.  I’ve also hit a few sales after the holidays to buy a supply of candy to vacuum seal in jars for a time when a little comfort …


Survival Gardening: A Cautionary Tale, by Cindy M.

I am writing this to encourage you to do with gardening and food preparation what we are encouraged to do with all of our prepping, practice, practice practice, your life depends on knowing that your plan will work!  I don’t know if this will even qualify as a survival article but if nothing else maybe it will help some, like me, who need that little kick in the pants to start practicing our survival plans.  Maybe some of our mistakes, outlined in this article, will help you avoid them and experience a more successful first year of gardening than we …


Letter Re: A Do-It-Yourself Freestanding Shelf Cold Frame

JWR: A key to survival will be having a handy way to start seedlings any time of the year, or perhaps to even have a micro-greenhouse for Winter vegetables.  A cold frame is great for this and you can make one for yourself very easily  My wife and I have been starting a lot of seeds recently and I thought I would pass on a simple homemade cold frame idea I had.  This cold frame requires no tools and only about an hour to assemble.  If you buy the materials, you can purchase everything for about $100.   I started …