Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) …


Ultimate OSPEC in Your Underground Shelter–Or Just Do Your Best, by Charles D.

I needed a road trip to clear my mind and consider my G.O.O.D. route while on a road trip.  My Saturday journey was west on I-70 from Denver on a sunny fall day.  Around 60 miles up the hill from Denver is the gateway into the Colorado Rockies which is the Eisenhower / Johnson Tunnels that cross under the Continental Divide into the Summit County. These tunnels help avoid the winding but beautiful Loveland Pass that is often closed due to snow and poor conditions in the winter. They send the Hazardous Material trucks over the pass when the road …


Letter Re: Buying Spare Deep Cycle Batteries

Mr Rawles, In the past I have read articles on people wanting new batteries on hand such as car, tractor and deep cell as part of there preparedness plan. one of the problems was they were unable to purchase dry batteries without the sulfuric acid in them. I recently had to purchase  a few new sets of batteries for my tractors and learned that John Deere stocks their batteries dry and when you purchase them, they add the acid and give them to you. I’m sure you could buy them from them dry. Now where and how you would get …


Two Letters Re: A Different Perspective on Packing a Bugout Bag

Jim: F.J.’s BOB article was dead on – Kudos!   We tend to approach things head on as opposed to tackle out problems at angles.  Why do I say it this way?  I challenge any of your readers that have issue, first, in a calm environment to take a pleasant – stress free hike in both the summer and the winter.  Leave on a Friday afternoon, and come home on a Sunday.  Be somewhat adventurous – Hike in Friday night, set up camp, then Hike 10 to 12 Miles Saturday.  Then Sunday Hike out another 6-8.   Pick a date …


Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. flagged this: Many States Already Worried About Running Short The descent into the abyss continues: Unable to pay bill, Michigan city turns off lights K.A.F. sent this: Guatemala’s trash ‘miners’ risk lives to find gold Charley S. forwarded this link: ‘He has a right to speak,’ said the cop to the banker Items from The Economatrix: Economy Picks Up But Hiring Outlook Stays Cloudy Retailers Report Solid Gains In October Greece In Turmoil Over Debt Plan, Markets In Limbo Oil Prices Rise On More Encouraging Economic News


Odds ‘n Sods:

G.G. flagged this: Five days later 435,000 still remain without power in Connecticut    o o o When seconds count, the police are only 30 minutes away (in downtown Detroit):  DDOT Drivers Refuse To Work: ‘They’re Scared For Their Lives’. Thanks to Todd G. for the link.    o o o Just a few preps would have meant the difference between life and death: Couple Found Dead Two Hours Before Power Restored. (Thanks to C.Z. for the link.)    o o o Largest Sunspot in Years Observed on the Sun. (Thanks to Bret S. for the link.) And speaking of …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Once the euphoria of the initial announcement faded and as people have begun to closely examine the details of the European debt deal, they have started to realize that this “debt deal” is really just a “managed” Greek debt default. Let’s be honest – this deal is not going to solve anything. All it does is buy Greece a few months. Meanwhile, it is going to make the financial collapse of other nations in Europe even more likely. Anyone that believes that the financial situation in Europe is better now than it was last week simply does not understand what …


Notes from JWR:

We’ve recently expanded our Amazon Store pages, with lots of new items including tools and optics. Check it out. If you click on one of our Amazon links and then “click through” to order ANY product from Amazon.com (not just the ones listed in our catalog), then a modest sales commission will be generated to support SurvivalBlog. Please shop with our our paid advertisers first. (See the ads in the right hand bar of the main blog page.) But if they don’t have what you are looking for, then you can shop via our Amazon store. Please keep our store …


Getting Home in a Crisis Will Require Gear and Fitness, by Vin F.

My family is the most important thing in my life. I sometimes ask myself, what will I do if there is some event that will leave me stranded away from home? Maybe the event is minimal and my vehicle works, I just drive home. What if it is something more serious like an EMP disables my vehicle and I have to walk home, would I be able to make it home to take care of my family. This is why I have a Get Home Bag (GHB) and I try to keep myself physically fit. My main concern is the …


Four Letters Re: A Different Perspective on Packing a Bugout Bag

Greetings to you Mr. Rawles, Thank you for the blog, which is much appreciated here in the UK. I wanted to share just a few lines on the matter of bug-out-bags (BOBs) in the light of my recently re-established contact with some friends in Libya. A discussion of the politics there would not be appropriate for your site, though I would ask you and your readers to consider the possibility that they may have been lied to by the mainstream media and their bankster chums. My friends, decent, middle-class people (an engineer and two doctors) had no involvement with politics …


Two Letters Re: Uses of Thermoses and Hot Water Bottles

Sir: Stanley no longer sells replacement gaskets for their older thermoses, but a large industrial O-ring will suffice. Find a hardware store with a large selection of O-rings and you’re good to go. In fact you can often find old Stanleys very cheaply at thrift stores or garage sales simply because they no longer have a good seal. – DB in Oregon   James, Just a quick note with some info that might help. One liter liter/quart Lexan Nalgene bottles (an presumably other brands, though I haven’t tried them) make great Hot Water Bottles when filled with boiling water and …


Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. flagged this: Yes, There Will Be a Student Loan Bailout M.A. sent this from over at SHTFPlan: They’re Trying to Fool You Into Believing That Inflation Is Not a Problem S.B. recommended this by Charles Hugh Smith: Democracy Is Tolerated Until It Threatens Global Markets. Yishai sent this: Hoard Peanut Butter as Prices Soar: Four Stocks to Benefit Items from The Economatrix: Central Banks Top Up Gold Reserves 19 Facts About the Deindustrialization of America that Will Make You Weep Unemployment and Crime


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Thomas S. sent the link to this fascinating piece: The 20 Cheapest Zip Codes In America.    o o o I usually file public statements by Dianne Feinstein under Vapid Transit, but this one must go under Hegelian Dialectic: Feinstein Uses ‘Fast and Furious’ to Make Case for National Gun Registration. (First, the Federal government creates a problem, then they re-assign blame, for their ultimate goal–bigger government.) And BTW, the “94,000 guns” figure is both specious and laughable. They ran traces only on the guns that they thought might have come from the U.S. There were hardly any traces …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Let’s do some quick math. If you add up the value of every stock on the planet, the entire market capitalization would be about $36 trillion. If you do the same process for bonds, you’d get a market capitalization of roughly $72 trillion. The notional value of the derivative market is roughly $1.4 quadrillion.” – Graham Summers, The One Market The Fed Doesn’t Want You To Know About


Notes from JWR:

Do you have any favorite quotes that relate to preparedness, traditional skills, economics, or individual liberty? If so, then please e-mail properly attributed quotes to us and they will likely be featured as Quotes of the Day. (We’ve now archived more than 2,200 quotes.) Thanks! — Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) 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 …