Pat’s Product Reviews: Columbia River Knife & Tool’s “Ultima” Knife

One of my favorite knife companies is Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT). They offer a wide variety of cutlery, at affordable prices. You get quality for your hard-earned dollars, and that means a lot to me. CRKT was started by two former executives from Kershaw Knives. CRKT is now solely owned by one of those executives, Rod Bremer, who I delight in calling a friend. You should see some of the e-mail exchanges between myself and Bremer, you’d think we totally hate one another – truth be told, if one of us started talking nice about the other, we’d …


Letter Re: An Alternative to Waterbricks

Hi Jim,    I saw the recent link in SurvivalBlog to the review of Waterbricks. As a beekeeper I use proprietary 5 gallon 180 degree heat tolerant plastic containers for mixing and feeding sugar syrup to my bees during various times of year when there is no nectar flow.    These containers have a ¾ inch threaded bung in the cap that will accept a plastic valve/faucet which costs $2.75 each (you must ask for them)  and there is a smaller cap and provision for a vent to allow fluids to flow easily.  At $8.75 each they are about half …


Letter Re: Stocking Up on Grains and Legumes

James,      I was wondering if you could comment on one aspect of Sky Watcher’s method of filling buckets and removing oxygen.  She suggests putting the dry ice in the bottom of the bucket.  I have always heard that you should put the mylar bag in the bucket, then fill the mylar bag with grain.  Once the bucket is filled, then place a chunk of dry ice on the top of the grain and let it sublimate.  Once it is the size of a nickel then you seal the bag and  then seal the lid.     Since CO2 is heavier …


Economics and Investing:

Forbes Predicts U.S. Gold Standard Within Five Years. (Thanks to C.D.V. for the link.) C.D.V. also flagged this: PIMCO raises bet against U.S. government debt. Jerry Robinson: Meet the System That Will Collapse the U.S. Dollar. Items from The Economatrix: Slumping Oil, Commodity Prices Halt Stock Rally Gasoline Futures Tumble as Demand Slides Don’t Buy A House in 2011 Before You Read This We’re Nowhere Near a Top in Gold A Word on Precious Metals Corrections


Odds ‘n Sods:

In harmony with my suggestion to seek out prepper friendly churches, I learned that Pastor Chuck Baldwin has already assembled a list of patriotic “Black Regiment” churches.    o o o Nanny State Maryland: Controversy Over Suspension of Two Easton High Lacrosse Players. (A hat tip to Pierre M. for the link.)    o o o The Bulgarian edition of my book book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” has just been printed. There are publishing contracts in place to produce editions in nine languages, including German, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Russian. (But thusfar, …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"…There is no nation on earth powerful enough to accomplish our overthrow. … Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing." – Daniel Webster, June 1, 1837


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 34 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 Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and …


Preparedness in Megalopolis by John C.

One thing to be said of modern life, you generally wind up living where the work is. Money can be very good, for example, when you’re working as a government contractor in the Washington, DC area, so that’s a plus. The bad side of this lifestyle, though, is that you’re planted squarely in Megalopolis, with guaranteed chaos and congestion during any catastrophic event, severely hindering your ability to get home from work or to evacuate the area.  Those who commute into cities or live in high population areas can relate, as evidenced by what normally might be a 1-hour commute …


A Simple Plan For a Procrastinating Wannabe Prepper

Dear Mr. Rawles: I first became introduced to the survivalist movement in the 1970s when I read Howard J. Ruff’s books Famine and Survival in America (1974) and How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years: a Crash Course in Personal and Financial Survival (1979). These books dealt mainly with financial preparations but also pointed out the need for food storage, security, and other preparations that would benefit you and your family in emergency situations. I did take allot of his advice on financial investing but ignored his chapters on all of the other advised preparations like food storage and …


Letter Re: Notes on Shooting From Inside Vehicles

Mr. Rawles: The recent PTR-91 post  by F.B. mentioned damage to a windscreen by ejected brass. I sometimes shot both rifles and pistols from moving vehicles during training exercises. The purpose of this vehicle based shooting was primarily to teach the futility of such. What a wonderful way to ventilate an innocent tax payer. Sometimes my passenger would shoot while we were on an Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC). Driving was even more challenging when dodging hot brass. (Yes, the passenger was shooting through either side window – rifle only, not pistol for these were judged too hard to control …


Economics and Investing:

Greg C. was the first of several readers to send this: Irish Bombshell: Government Raids PRIVATE Pensions To Pay For Spending. (A trend coming soon to America?) Wall Street View from the Dollar Vigilante, Jeff Berwick. Berwick asserts that The Canadian Dollar’s fate is tied to the U.S. Dollar. Check out his Dollar Vigilante blog. (Thanks to Dan S. for the video link.) Smithfield CEO: Higher Food Prices Are Here To Stay. (Thanks to Kelly D. for the news tip.) Europe prays for Easter rain in worst drought for a century Items from The Economatrix: China Buying Silver Overnight Home …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. mentioned: Resilient Community: Microgrids    o o o G.G. sent an item for the No Surprise Department: Gun Shows Don’t Increase Crime, Study Finds    o o o F.J. sent this: Buy your own Irish Island for the price of a family home    o o o A reader sent this: Waterbrick Review: Multiuse 3.5 Gallon Containers That Fit Where #10 Cans and 5 Gallon Buckets Don’t. At $16 each, I only recommend them for city dwellers, and of course they aren’t a substitute for owning a proper water filter.    o o o The latest in the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We’re gonna have to relearn the skills we’ve forgotten. We’ve become like helpless babies pushing the buttons of our fancy technology whilst distancing ourselves further everyday from the reality of what it actually is to be human.”  – Francis Magee as Callum Brown in Survivors Season 1, Episode 1, 2008. (Screenplay by Adrian Hodges and Terry Nation. Based on the novel Survivors by Terry Nation.)


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 34 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 Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and …


How to Get Truly Prepared, by Ryan M.

There is a distinction between being ready and prepared. In my own personal journey I have found myself often in need of guidance. I know what it is to be prepared and what it means when you find out that you should have had or brought this or that. As a former US Marine and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) combat veteran I have done my fair share of getting both myself and others ready. Having lists of what is needed and training to be conducted was an asset that I had overlooked and perhaps even taken for granted. “Higher ups” …