Odds ‘n Sods:

I’m pleased to see that John Jacob Schmidt is continuing to produce his weekly Radio Free Redoubt podcasts, each Sunday evening. There are now 10 archived shows. While not affiliated with any of my ventures, Radio Free Redoubt is nonetheless a great way for people to share ideas and information on relocating to the American Redoubt, and issues of interest for those living in the region.    o o o Chris D. suggested this: Five Reasons Why American Riots Will Be The Worst In The World    o o o More Nanny State meddling: Anonymous Call to New Animal Abuse …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 36 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.) …


How To Butcher a Squirrel, by B.T.

It would seem these days the world in which we live is anything but predictable. Who is to say you will always be able to run down to the corner gas station and fill your tank? Or drive thru your local fast food chain for a quick fix, when those hunger pangs kick in? In the event of an economic crash or other disaster, food and other supplies may be very hard to obtain. You may not be able to make your regular trip to the local Wal-Mart or other grocery store. Store shelves will go bare very fast, and …


Review of the Grover Rocket Stove, by F.J.B.

If you are a “prepper” in the same vein as I am, you look for equipment that is built to last. When a new product becomes available that looks to be substantially better than the one you have, you closet the old gear and purchase the new. This makes for a lot of closeted gear, but time is short and having gear that will last you a lifetime is a must. I have been using rocket stoves on and off over the last 30 years. On, when I’d have a new stove, and off, when the stove either rusted or …


Letter Re: Tire Bale Bastions and Houses?

Hi, Doing some research on earth domes and I’m seeing a new trend, tire bales. These are 5 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 2.5 feet tall. They weigh 2,000 pounds apiece. They are environmentally friendly, being sold for $25-35 a unit plus shipping. I’m planning on using them around the houses perimeter as I feel they are much less expensive and more durable than a masonry wall. Covered in concrete or adobe they won’t be an aesthetic issue either. I was wondering what your opinion of them would be as a ballistic barrier/wall? Keep up the great work. – …


Two Letters Re: A Folding Kayak as a Survival Vehicle

Jim, Today’s submission on Kayaks as survival vehicles is good but the statement, “Often in a hard shell boat the majority of your effort is spent simply paddling, trying to keep the boat upright!” isn’t really accurate. It might be true of some sporty river kayaks but certainly not of modern hard-shell sea kayaks. A number of years ago I spent three days kayaking among several islands in Puget sound. It was a guided trip and except for one time on a placid river, it was my only time in a kayak.  I found our tandem kayaks remarkably stable in …


Economics and Investing:

The shorts must be screaming, about now: Gold shoots past record $1,800 an ounce. When I last checked, the silver-to-gold ratio was at 45.4-to-1. Again, if you have the vault space, this is a great time to ratio trade out of your 1 ounce gold coins, and into silver bullion coins. (Such as pre-1965 American “junk” silver.) Michael W. sent this: A National Debt of $14 Trillion? Try $211 Trillion More of The Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB)?: Government considers turning foreclosures into rentals G.G. sent this: Ron Paul: “Gold Is Not A Bubble” From K.A.F.: Economic Uncertainty Leading to …


Odds ‘n Sods:

File under Emerging Threats: DIY Spy Drone Sniffs Wi-Fi, Intercepts Phone Calls. (Note that if hackers can do this, so can Uncle Sugar.)    o o o New NASA Data Blow Gaping Hole In Global Warming Alarmism    o o o This looks captivating: MedCallKits™ + 24/7 Telemedicine Line     o o o Bob G. mentioned an excellent video by “Okie Prepper” on using calcium hypochlorite for water purification    o o o Birmingham riots: three men killed ‘protecting homes’. There is something especially pitiful about seeing disarmed citizens attempting to defend themselves ( A hat tip to Laura C. …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 36 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 …


A Folding Kayak as a Survival Vehicle, by Jann B.

The vehicle I am about to describe does not often come immediately to mind when one thinks of a survival vehicle to be of use during troubled times but bear with me.  The vehicle I have in mind requires no fuel, and no mechanical upkeep. Additionally it offers significant stealth mode and is totally silent. If one is in or near an urban setting such as the San Francisco Bay area or Manhattan or Seattle then this survival vehicle will grant one the power to disappear from the crazed urban crowd scene almost immediately.  No, I’m not talking about some …


Gold Medal Marksmanship, by 10x Shooter

This article is intended to assist our fellow preppers with marksmanship. I have realized that with all the new interest in the prepper movement we have those that have never handled a firearm among us!  I will start at the very basic level to help form a good foundation to build upon. For some this will be too basic or boring, however, they may see something of use. Some of this will also be story telling. I want the reader to get the “feel” for shooting, not just the science. If you are new to firearms or less than an …


Letter Re: Making Your Own Fuel Briquettes Making Fuel From Waste

Hi Jim; I stumbled across the idea of fuel briquetting while on an appropriate technology web site and have found the idea is very popular in the developing world, particularly in areas where wood for fuel is scarce. Most of us are familiar with the formed charcoal briquettes used in barbecues, and you can use charcoal in this type of press, but practically anything burnable can be used to create briquettes: straw, grass clippings, rice hulls, paper, sawdust, leaves, animal dung… use your imagination! The end result will look different depending on your source material, but all will get the …


Letter Re: Converting a Standard American Home Into a Hardened Retreat

Mr. Rawles, I read CentOre’s article with great interest and believe he and his group are well on the way to success.  I have a possible solution to what he listed as his greatest issue: “A more realistic problem in our area involves the numerous one ton, four wheel drive, jacked up trucks.  Our goal for them remains to slow or delay their progress within reasonable shooting distances. “ May I recommend a classic defense that has been in use against infantry and cavalry for centuries and motorized vehicles more recently called the abatis.  I think this fits in perfectly …