Letter Re: First Aid Kits Are Not Enough

I have been a prepper for a while and I have always regarded my current location in rural West Virginia a safe place for WTSHTF. However I failed to recognize it’s vulnerabilities in the time before that happens. To set the stage I live just west of the Shenandoah Valley, the nearest hospital is 20 miles away over a mountain chain in Virginia, a 45 minute drive during good weather. It had been snowing for two days and this route happened to be closed to all but emergency vehicles. The other hospital was a two hour drive away, again, snowed …


Three Letters Re: Bypassing the Internet Kill Switch

Hello Mr. Rawles! Long time reader here, but had taken a break from most blogs for almost a year as I focused on generating alternative sources of income. I have an important question for you. How will we access the Internet after the government shuts off “the switch“? Would we still have access via dial up possibly? I’m on broadband now and its been a long time since I’ve used dial up service. I’ve used Ubuntu Linux the past 4, almost 5 years now and I know many old dial up modems do not work well in Linux/ (At least …


Letter Re: The Caliber of SurvivalBlog Advertisers

Sir: Just a short note to provide feedback on your advertisers. First, as a retired engineer who always dealt with verifiable data, I am always initially skeptical of product claims and hype. However, since I have, over the years, started buying materiel, I have found that your advertisers provide not only great products, but also outstanding service. I now have come to trust any company I see on SurvivalBlog. Looking back, I have spent approximate $14,000 in the last three years getting my family prepared. From your advertisers, I have purchased books, seeds, food, gear, water filters, barrels, grain mills, …


Economics and Investing:

Egypt and Tunisia usher in the new era of global food revolutions G.G. flagged a piece by veteran investing guru Richard Russell (of Dow Theory fame): The Dollar Has Lost All Stability And Is Ready For A Crash B.B. sent this: Why the Smart Money is Trading Dollar Bills for Hard Assets Items from The Economatrix: All 100 Oz. Bars of Silver Gone in a Matter of Days Davos 2011: Roubini Says G-20 Has Become G-0   America Faces Biggest Deficit in History   Federal Reserve Concerned Over US Job Creation   UK Retailers Cut 10,000 Jobs Last Month   …


Inflation Watch:

Rocky Mountain Power asks for 13.7% rate hike Reader Steve C. pointed us to a blog written by Barry Ritchie, a missionary in Honduras. Ritchie mentions that staple foods like rice and beans have nearly quadrupled just in the past year. Steve’s comment: “Food inflation is most certainly on the rise, and apparently even faster in those areas where folks can even less afford the increase.” The Downsizing of America:  Manufacturers Learn Creative Methods of Repackaging Inflation  


Odds ‘n Sods:

Here is a must read piece by Dr. Gary North on family relocation when war is on the way: Moving How Far Out?    o o o A company is offering a unique “Multi-Lens TEOTWAWKI Vision System“. These unisex eyeglasses includes complete sets of left and right scratch resistant prescription lens ranging in fine diopter increments from – 1.0 up to – 5.0 diopters.    o o o Here it comes, just as I warned: BATFE Study On The Importability Of Certain Shotguns. I believe that it was no coincidence that the ATF document featured a picture of a Saiga 12 shotgun. That is …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If only I had some grease I could fix some kind of a light,” Ma considered. “We didn’t lack for light when I was a girl, before this newfangled kerosene was ever heard of.”   “That’s so,” said Pa. “These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraph and kerosene and coal stoves – they’re good things to have, but trouble is, folks get to depend on ’em.”  – Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter (Which describes the harsh winter of 1880-1881 in the Dakotas.)


Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 …


Realistically Raising Chickens for Meat in a Survival Situation, by B.R.

As both an organic, pastured chicken farmer and someone very interested in preparing for any possible future disruption in the food chain, I have given much thought to what it would take to keep my flock going if everything went to heck in a hand basket. Eggs or Meat? Over the past several generations, chickens have been selectively bred to either grow fast and put on lots of meat quickly or crank out eggs like a Pez dispenser. The problem with this specialization of breeds is that it has created fragile, problem prone chickens. The modern breeds require high octane …


Letter Re: Question About Eris (Planet X) Tidal Forces

Dear JWR,   I will present some facts and allow you to draw your own conclusions.  Having been in Army Intelligence, I am certain that you are capable of analyzing data and arriving at multiple possible scenarios of likely outcomes: 1.)     There are currently 9 [well-known] planets in our solar system; 2.)     According to physicists, objects of greater mass attract objects of lesser mass (same goes for planets); 3.)    On October 31, 2003 a new , 10th planet (Planet X [also known as Eris]), was discovered outside our solar system, but traveling towards it in an elliptical orbit; 4.)    See …


Letter Re: Increasing Preparedness Planning Through the Rules of Three

JWR,   SAA Joe makes some good points in his article. He states however that “Hopefully 3 minutes without oxygen is self explanatory.  You have to breathe to survive!” then offers no solutions to a scenario where that may become a problem.   Scenario: You are stuck in traffic on the interstate due to an overturned tanker truck a few hundred feet in front Of you when a cloud of unidentified gas starts rolling towards your car from the overturned tanker. What do you do?   Scenario: You are at home which is located ¼ mile from a heavily used …


Economics and Investing:

Bryan E. noted that Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has proposed a list of budget cuts that will total $500 Billion dollars in savings. “The Houston Cannonball” mentioned a link at Zero Hedge for a map of the dozens of riots in recent weeks across the globe that can be attributed to price hikes as well as a few price hikes in the US. Sue C. sent this: Budget deficit to hit $1.48 trillion. The congresscritters in Washington D.C. now have us swimming in red ink! Items from The Economatrix: Mike Ruppert:  The Beginning of Systemic Failure Regulators Shut Down …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent a link to this photo montage: Ancient Defense Tower Becomes a Sleek Home    o o o Analysis: Egypt shows how easily Internet can be silenced.    o o o Reader J.M.C. sent the CNN piece: Utah Base Lockdown. J.M.C.’s comment: “Scooby-Doo says: ‘Rutro!’”    o o o I was pleased to see that SurvivalBlog was just ranked #1, among survival blogs.    o o o Chris Matthews: Obama Plans Separate Gun-Control Speech



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 …