Letter Re: Celiac Disease: The Gluten-Free Prepping Challenge

We are a family of survivalists and almost all of us are gluten free, some out of necessity and some by choice.  Here are some thoughts and resources for gluten free food.   Later this year, there is a Gluten Free Expo convention in Sandy, Utah starting October 12.  If you can’t attend, check out the vendors page (there are many) to identify other resources for gluten free food.   Augason Farms has #10 cans of food that are certified gluten free, including oats.   It’s a great company and easy to talk to them on the phone.  If you want …


Economics and Investing:

Japan posts record trade deficit while real estate values go deep into the 1980s. US has decade long collapse in real estate values in spite of record low mortgage rates. The path of two lost decades in US real estate values is looking very similar to Japan. Ben in Nevada sent this: The price of cooking the books (Describes inflation statistics fraud in Argentina) In tough economy, people turning in rare, unique items in for cash G.G. flagged this: A new recession seems inevitable Items from The Economatrix: False Recovery 2.0:  It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like 2011 Jim …


Odds ‘n Sods:

T.S. recommended a video that may be a glimpse of TEOTWAWKI: Syria: the horror of Homs, a city at war    o o o G.G. flagged this: Toy Guns Becoming A Criminal Offense?    o o o Several readers sent this: Ice To See You: 30,000-Year-Old Flower Revived. (Perhaps Scrat had the right idea.)    o o o Fred K. wrote to mention: “Here is the link to the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy which is available for viewing on line for no cost. Obviously when the Internet goes down this will be of no value, but for now, …



The Mainstream Media’s Blatant Anti-Preparedness Bias

It seems that any time that there is a crime that involves someone who lives outside of city limits and that owns guns or that lives with any degree of self-sufficiency, then they are immediately branded as a “survivalist.” This label gets slapped on regardless of whether or not the perpetrator has had any training or inclinations toward survivalism. The outlaw Claude Dallas was a prime example. Dallas was an eccentric 19th Century anachronist rather than a survivalist. But the mainstream media uses the label “survivalist”, almost by default any time that a criminal flees into a National Forest, if …


Pat’s Product Review: The Stronghold Haywire Klamper

Don’t you just hate it when someone comes up with one of those “gee, why didn’t I think of that” inventions? I know I do! And, what is amazing is, the product under review here, the Stronghold Haywire Klamper, is also one of those “wow, is that simple” inventions.   Have you ever had a radiator hose break under the hood of your car? I know I have, on quite a few occasions over my 60+ years on this earth. Or, have you had a hose clamp let loose on you, and in your e-box, you have every size hose …


No More Thyroid Meds…Now What?, by Dr. Bob

At the request of a reader via e-mail, we will review the topic of thyroid disease from a survival perspective.  Levothyroxine is the most frequent medication that we are consulted about at Surviving Healthy.  Thyroid supplementation is the one of the most frequent prescription medications currently prescribed here in the US.  There is a huge debate about which supplementation is better, why some fail Synthroid, why some only respond to Armour thyroid, among other debates.  Those are beyond my scope as a Family Practitioner, and this article will not add to the confusion of these issues, but will instead address …


Letter Re: Lexan for Bulletproof Windows

Dear James, I have recently purchased raw land to build my retreat. Soon I will begin building a home, and wish to equip it with windows which can resist small arms fire. I can obtain Lexan in 1/2″ thickness, and my question is, will I need two pieces of glazing in each window, or three (or more)? I do not think it likely that I will be shot at with anything larger that .50 caliber. Your thoughts on the matter are most welcome. Thanks, – Zoomer JWR Replies: To begin, I must warn readers that acrylic Plexiglas and polycarbonate Lexan …


Letter Re: The SKS: A Battle Rifle on the Cheap

Hello James, Just a short article for the financially stressed who want a battle rifle. Not all of us can shell out $1,500 to $2,500 for the latest battle rifle with $800 to $3,000 worth of optics on it. But there is hope for us. Here in the south, you can usually pick up a good used Norinco (read Chinese) SKS for $150. (But I’ve heard that they cost more, elsewhere.) I have one that I found that was in excellent condition. These are very reliable weapons with chromed chamber and bore. One with some surface rust may go for …


Economics and Investing:

Diana sent this little history lesson: When the $1 Note Was Silver-Backed Cable TV show ignites modern-day Alaska Gold Rush. Thanks to R.B.S. for the link. Loyal content contributor R.B.S. sent this: In tough economy, people turning in rare, unique items in for cash Items from The Economatrix: Pawn Stars:  Five Household Items With Hidden Value Iran Threatens To Extend Oil Embargo Analysts Warn Oil Could Pass $200 on Iran Tensions 8 Reasons Why the Greek Debt Deal May Not Stop a Chaotic Greek Debt Default


Odds ‘n Sods:

On Thursday, March 1, Matt Bracken’s first novel Enemies Foreign and Domestic will be put into Amazon Kindle’s free library, for a period of only four or five days. Mark your calendar, and tell your friends. BTW, I highly recommend Matt’s novels. His latest novel, Castigo Cay, is another page-turner.    o o o Diana was the first of several readers to send this news from The American Redoubt: Wyoming House advances doomsday bill. “State representatives on Friday advanced legislation to launch a study into what Wyoming should do in the event of a complete economic or political collapse in the …



Recipe of the Week:

R.G.’s Cinnamon & Spice Cookies Here is an old family favorite.  This fits right in with SurvivalBlog as it stores well and travels well. 4 cups of flour 1 1/2 cups of sugar 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 5 egg yolks 1 egg white (set additional egg whites aside) 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice 1 cup of honey, warmed Sift dry ingredients on a board or in a bowl. Add eggs and enough honey to make a medium stiff dough. roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch rounds …


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 …


Do It Yourself Gunsmithing, by Charles M.

Much has been written about what particular guns are best for home defense and SHTF, but I haven’t seen much about taking care of these weapons when gunsmiths are not around.  Let’s look at what typically causes firearms to fail.  As a gunsmith, the main cause of firing malfunctions I see is dirt.  This can be crud built up from dust collecting in oil forming a grease-like substance, or rust, or build-up from burned powder (carbon), or residue from the casings or shells. The second most encountered problems stem from magazines, or broken or weak springs.  Lost pins or screws, …