Self-Sufficiency Gardening in Climate Zones 8 and 9, by David G.

Unemployment is rampant. The government is bankrupt. Foreclosures are everywhere. And one day soon, you may find your local grocery store has closed and shut off your supply of Hot Pockets. Most of us have never had to grow our own food. Those that have grown their own generally do it as a hobby – or as a way to get a vine-ripened tomato without selling a kidney.. Climate zones 8 and 9 [found in much of Arizons, parts of Florida, and the regions at the north end of California’s Central Valley] are not a gardening paradise. If you go …


Letter Re: Seasonal Reminder: Popcorn Tins for EMP-Proof Storage

Jim, Just a quick note to those interested in obtaining a simple cost-effective Faraday Cage-like enclosures to protect small to mid-size electronic devices. As has been mentioned in SurvivalBlog before, the large steel cans of popcorn sold at the large box stores this time of year make great EMP-proof storage containers. After emptying the popcorn just place your electronics into the can and place the lid on top. No need to ground the container. I place my Fluke multimeters, spare Solar charge controllers, spare handi-talkies and mobile radios in these tins. Thanks for all you do. – Larry D.


Economics and Investing:

Central Banks Dollar Liquidity Only Prolongs The Euro Debt Crisis. J.B.G. sent this: Desperately Seeking Capital: Berlin May Have to Nationalize Giant Commerzbank. By way of Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit comes this: China to Prepare for Social Unrest. Jim Rogers: US Falling Into ‘Deeper Trouble,’ Faces 2013 Depression. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) G.G. sent this: Anxious Greeks Emptying Their Bank Accounts Items from The Economatrix: MF Global Proves Enron-Era Accounting Lives On Central Bank Intervention:  Much Ado About Nothing Analyst:  Earnings Outlook May Be Deteriorating Rapidly Analysis:  BofA Close To Its Limit For Share Issuance


Odds ‘n Sods:

Andrew Price (who is well-known for his Dryad Bushcraft and A-Z Bushcraft web sites) plans to make a film in New Mexico: TEOTWAWKI – a fictional documentary. I’ve corresponded with Andrew since before the days of SurvivalBlog, so I can vouch that this won’t be a typically Hollywood hatchet job.)    o o o Camping Survival has added a new closeout items section, with some amazing bargains.    o o o F.G. flagged this: Disaster preparedness leads the way in holiday shopping this Christmas season.    o o o Consider the recent headline from Japan about the Eight Ferrari pileup. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“There will be a sad day comin’ For the foes of all mankind They must answer to the people And it’s troubling their mind Everybody who must fear them Will rejoice on that great day When the powers of dictators Shall be taken all away. There’ll be smoke on the water On the land and the sea When our Army and Navy overtakes the enemy There’ll be smoke on the mountains Where the Heathen Gods stay And the sun that is risin’ Will go down on that day.” – Red Foley, Smoke On The Water


Note from JWR:

I ‘m pleased to announce that we’ve added yet another prize to the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, starting with the recently-started round: A FloJak F-50 hand well pump (a $349 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. This new prize brings the combined value of the writing contest packages to around $5,000 per round. (The total varies, depending on the number of Honorable Mention prizes awarded.) Many thanks to FloJak.com and to their parent company Stone County Ironworks for their generous support of SurvivalBlog!


Taking The Gap–Your Move to The American Redoubt

I will soon be interviewed by John Jacob Schmidt on Radio Free Redoubt. The theme of this podcast hour will be “Taking The Gap”. My goal is to exhort listeners to re-prioritize their finances and set a goal–with a date attached–to make the move to the American Redoubt. (This region includes Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.) I urge preparedness-minded Christians and Jews of all races and from all walks of life to make the move, soon. I sincerely believe that the American Redoubt the will be the safest and most free place to live in North Americas in …


Letter Re: Advice on 5.7 x 28 Uppers for AR-15s

Mr. Rawles: I would be interested in your comments on the AR-57 conversion for AR-15s and its potential use after SHTF. – Mike K. JWR Replies: Mostly for purposes of experimentation, I bought both rifle and pistol AR uppers in the 5.7×28 caliber. (I own just one “Pistol ” marked AR lower, sans buttstock), and also have a 10″  5.56 barrel for it.) En toto, I have put nearly a thousand rounds through my two 5.7 uppers. I found that the pistol upper in 5.7 functions well, but the rifle upper in 5.7 jams frequently for some reason that has …


Letter Re: Budget Prepping in the Suburbs

JWR: Kevin’s article on budget prepping touched me to the core. We all began the journey, at the begriming, with all the problems/challenges of those young or older and the common denominator of the demands of family/job/time/location and the most important limiting factor: fiscal resources.   Please bear with me while I lay the groundwork for this subject, throughout my prepping learning curve of about 55 years which started when I was about five years old,  began with my parents trying to spoon feed me information as a young child, with their own prepping experience, which they never thought of themselves as being …


Economics and Investing:

Abracadabra! Bankrupt Cities are Suddenly Un-Bankrupt! (Or Not) Jim Rogers: “You Should Own Silver” G.G. sent this: Italy PM unveils sweeping austerity package. Buried down in the article’s fine print: Cash transactions of more than €1,000 are banned. Items from The Economatrix: Eurozone Debt Crisis Worsens As Financial World Holds Breath Over Pending Financial Apocalypse Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks $13 Billion Undisclosed To Congress Audit Of The Federal Reserve Reveals $16 Trillion In Bailouts Web of Debt – How Banks And The Federal Reserve Are Bankrupting The Planet


Odds ‘n Sods:

Tina R. sent a link to a recent Dilbert cartoon that has a some biting commentary, presumably about the ongoing OWS protests.    o o o As Christmas is approaching, please don’t neglect worthy charities, such as AnySoldier.com. Please send our deployed troops your prayers, good wishes and tangible support. UnderArmor brand synthetic T-Shirts (made in both Army and USMC regulation colors) are a sure bet.  If a soldier receives too many, then the excess will be the ultimate barter item, in summer months.    o o o California demographic shift: More people leaving than moving in.    o o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“A lot of people think that what is going on is a bailout for the  eurozone.  It’s not; it’s a bailout for the banks on both sides of the  Atlantic. It’s not a coincidence . . . last night Standard & Poor’s downgraded credit ratings for about 20 major banks, including  banks like Bank of America [and] Morgan Stanley.” – Peter Schiff


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 38 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 …


Buying Land in the American Redoubt, by G. in Virginia

I have been involved with the buying of land and homes since I was able to carry a hammer or a two by four. While I have worked many different jobs, I have always returned to my love of real estate over the years. Currently, I own several houses, and my proudest achievement, is the acquisition of 40 prime acres in Montana! This is after almost a year and a half of searching in The American Redoubt for the piece I wanted at the price I wanted with the restrictions I wanted. Now that I have my slice I would …


Letter Re: How to Make Lye Soap

As a former soap company owner and operator, I enjoyed the article on soap making (How to Make Lye Soap, posted on November 30, 201.) However, for safety’s sake, I would like to caution your readers regarding some of the statements made in the article: 1. The author’s instructions say to “Heat the water to 110° F. Add the lye to the water.” This is a dangerous suggestion. The chemical reaction caused when lye combines with water causes even room temperature water to heat up almost to the boiling point. Starting with overly-warm water could (and probably would, depending on …