Letter Re: Do-It-Yourself Campfire Starters

Dear Mr. Rawles, First thank you and thank you again for your wonderful web site. I feel I have learned so much by reading it. I developed lots of important ideas good not only for emergencies but for more “mundane” preparedness. I want to share with you and your readers how I make simple and inexpensive fire starters for the fireplace, grill or campfire. I get a pound of Gulf Wax [canning paraffin] ($3 dollars per box) and melt it in a mason jar in a pot of boiling water. I then take finely shredded office paper (free) and stuff …


Economics and Investing:

John R. sent a Seeking Alpha article with some confirmations of my warnings to SurvivalBlog readers since 2006: Derivatives: The Real Reason Bernanke Funnels Trillions Into Wall Street Banks. Here is a quote from the article: “Of course, Bernanke tells the public and Congress that the reason we need low interest rates is to support housing prices. He doesn’t mention that $188 TRILLION of the $223 TRILLION in notional value of derivatives sitting on the Big Banks’ balance sheets is related to interest rates. Yes, $188 TRILLION. That’s thirteen times the US’ entire GDP, and nearly four times WORLD GDP.” …


Inflation Watch:

America’s inflation alarm is growing ever louder, (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) News from formerly Merry Olde England: Staple Food Prices Fastest Rise in Five Years . Corn’s rally feeds a ‘global food fight’ Kraft says more price increases ahead


Odds ‘n Sods:

We are happy to welcome our newest advertiser, Missouri Storm Shelters. They have some innovative designs (pre-fabricated, bolt-together, and poured concrete), competitive pricing. They ship their metal shelters nationwide.    o o o Finally! Atlas Shrugged (Part 1) will come to theaters on April 15th.    o o o A recent post over at the Paratus Famila blog, is great reading: Country Wisdom.    o o o Curiouser and curiouser: The leaked campaign to attack WikiLeaks and its supporters. (Thanks to David D. for the link.)


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Americans are in the process of ruining themselves. They are transforming assets into liabilities, trading the real wealth that was built up over generations for the quick fix of debt. The ‘equity’ they own in their homes has fallen to its lowest level since the government began tracking it in 1965. The asset – the home – has been replaced by mortgage debt.” – Bill Bonner (Editor of The Daily Reckoning)


Notes from JWR:

Brother, Can You Spare a Terabyte? I’m still searching for an offshore server where we can house a mirror site for SurvivalBlog. The plan is that it will be automatically updated daily, fully mirroring the blog. Our current dedicated server in Utah (with the fine folks at NetFronts) works great. It is currently humming along nicely with 99%+ up-time, processing about two terabytes of SurvivalBlog bandwidth monthly. NetFronts has exceptional customer service and I have no plans to change my relationship with them. I anticipate that a SurvivalBlog mirror site will use just a fraction of the bandwidth of that …


Packing Your Bug Out First Aid Kit, by J.V. in Tacoma

The contents of a bug out first aid kit should not only contain band-aids and other such dressings for minor wounds.  The bug out first aid kit should also contain a vast amount of items in various classifications to be discussed below.  The use of these items has been historically documented, however care should be used in their administration and these items should be used only as a last result when no other means of medical care are available.  Persons should use these items if death is imminent and the risk of using these items would not sufficiently out weigh …


The Truth About Survival and TEOTWAWKI, by T.H.

If you are reading this, it is because you are already aware of many of the events that you may think could be the catalyst for TEOTWAWKI.  Many think it will be something that quickly turns the whole world upside down and causes the Golden Horde to attack your retreat, threaten your family, steal your food supply and rape, pillage and burn the neighborhood;  all by tomorrow night. It’s something envisioned on a national rather than regional or local scale. Some attempt the overwhelming task of preparing for the national event.  More prepare for the regional or local event.  Most …


Being Prepared: A Tale of Two Hurricanes, by N.D.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita In August of 2005 Hurricane Katrina had slammed into the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi.  I really don’t need to tell you the destruction and subsequent aftermath of that storm as it is well documented for all to see.  We had lived in New Orleans for sixteen years and had moved to Houston five years prior to Katrina so were used to living in hurricane alley. We thought…. September of 2005, a month later, the Houston area was threatened by Hurricane Rita.  Rita was the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. The paranoia at the …


Three Letter Re: Using Tea Candles for Urban Low Light

Dear Sir,   I’ve been making “permanent” candles for years, using empty cat food cans, pipe cleaners, and store-bought paraffin wax. The cans are quite stable and, because of their volume, the wicks don’t “float” until they’ve been burning a long time. Rotating candles solves that problem. The wicks don’t burn up – they wick – unless you touch them and knock the built-up carbon off them. If that happens, you can easily repair them using lint from a clothes dryer – a good thing to have anyway. The candles must be fed to keep ‘em burning and to adjust …


Economics and Investing:

Pierre M. sent: Egypt Crisis Puts Spotlight on Weakness in US: El-Erian A few industries are bucking the trend and doing well in the recession. The newspaper article from Montana highlights one: Bitterroot Valley ammunition makers see ever-growing demand. Don’t miss the comments on buyers’ concerns about “the world falling apart”, near the end of the article. (A hat tip to Mara for the link.) More mainstream media feel-good journalism: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The World’s Battle With Inflation But Were Afraid To Ask. From their standpoint, inflation is a good thing. As if we’re supposed to …


Odds ‘n Sods:

“Word” mentioned some Kalashnikov training videos by a former Spetsnaz soldier who knows his stuff: Saulius “Sonny” Puzikas. I should mention that I take exception to his advocacy of taping magazines together, end-to-end. When you drop to a prone firing position (as you often must, if you value your skin) then there is a huge risk of either fouling the downward-facing magazine with mud, or bending its feed lips. Bad idea!    o o o Fred the Valmetmeister flagged this interesting article: Feds: Mobster fugitive captured in rural Idaho.    o o o Mark. G. in Michigan sent us an …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 33 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 $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady …


A Key Concern and a Preparedness Strategy, by Patrick E.

I have been an avid SurvivalBlog reader for a couple of years now, and I have been a lifelong prepper, although never like I am now.  Through this blog and other excellent sources, I have gained immeasurable information and comfort, and the feeling that by the grace of God and diligent effort, I am finally obtaining a level of preparedness which ensures a very good chance of providing safety and security for my family and me through whatever the future may bring.  Though I have made many personal preparations, I don’t feel that I have done enough to help others …