Planning for Training, by B.D.

When you’re training, your main goal should always be to improve tactical and technical proficiency.  Combat is a contest of skills and abilities, and without tactical & technical proficiency you’ll surely lose this contest, going from survivalist to speed bump before you know it.  Let’s start by defining these terms.  Technical proficiency is obtained from the experiences you gain from training whatever equipment you plan on using, whether it be an AR-15, a field dressing or a compass, to name a few.  Tactical proficiency is best gained through experience training with your team, such tactical movement exercises, drills for reacting …


Survival: The Five I’s That Might Keep You Alive, by Dino

Survival: The Five I’s That Might Keep You Alive, by Dino If you read the title carefully, you’ll notice the word might. Regardless of preparation, situations sometimes spiral out of control faster than we can react to the. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario of indeterminate cause, all the plans in the world go out the window, literally in some cases. Ask any senior military officer about mission planning, and invariably they will tell you that from the time a briefing starts until it ends, the situation has evolved to make the plan need adjusting. The film industry has some of the …


Two Letters Re: Prepping Pays Off in Midwest Winter Storms

Hello, I just wanted to write you about an experience I had recently. First of all I own a very dog eared copy of your novel “Patriots“ that was given to me by someone who I look up to a lot. This individual was the first person to expose me to the “bug out” bag concept. As a result I’ve always been a preparedness type of girl. In high school and college I always kept provisions for myself wherever went and as a result I’ve been able to rise to the occasion many times when things got tough. As a …


Letter Re: Multi-Lens Eyeglasses Sets

Dear Sir,        Just to let you know during the last few days we have received an overwhelming number of responses to an online customer survey we performed from SurvivalBlog online readers since your brief mention in the Odds n-Sods section of your blog about our “Multi-Lens TEOTWAWKI Vision System“.   We asked your readers what we could to earn their business and what they felt we could do to improve our packages in hopes of making them more accessible to everyone.   Your readers provided us some profound feedback to which we have quickly responded to. Here is what we have done …


Two Letters Re: First Aid Kits Are Not Enough

James Wesley; As a First Aid instructor trainer (I teach teachers how to teach First Aid) for Emergency First Response Corp., a subsidiary of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) , I read with great heartache the letter “First Aid Kits are not enough” and felt deeply for it’s author. We teach the importance of self reliance in an emergency situation because there are times, like the one so eloquently shared here, that EMS just isn’t coming. I applaud his courage and level-headedness. One of the things I ask my students is if they have a “well stocked” First …


Economics and Investing:

‘Too Early to Declare Victory’ Fed May Not End Bond Buying. (Thanks to Jonathan C. for the link.) Phil F. flagged this: Which will it be, inflation or deflation? Maybe neither, maybe a run B.B. suggested: Bernanke, BLS Lie About Inflation: Dr. Doom Faber Former Treasury Secretary is A-Scared; Should You Be? Items from The Economatrix: Stocks Mixed a Day After the Dow Tops 12,000   Oil Prices Fluctuate On Egypt, Growing US Supplies   Winter Storms Expected to Slow US Economy Slightly   Gold and Silver Set to Resume Upward Trajectory   Donald Trump:  Things in the US Could …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Texas imposes rolling blackouts as mercury drops. (A tip of the hat to Sue C. for the link.)    o o o DocLiberty and Yishai both recommended this gem: The Real Life Civilization-Building Kit. “For two years, a group of engineers has been working on the Global Village Construction Set, a collection of 40 DIY machines that can build a small, modern civilization anywhere with sun, soil, and water. Sounds like hard work.”    o o o Kevin W. suggested this CNN piece: A scene of violent chaos in Cairo. Kevin’s comment: “What lesson can be learned by preppers? Violence …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Saturday was indescribable. Nothing that I write can describe the utter state of lawlessness that prevailed. Every Egyptian prison was attacked by organized groups trying to free the prisoners inside. In the case of the prisons holding regular criminals this was done by their families and friends. In the case of the prisons with the political prisoners this was done by the Islamists. Bulldozers were used in those attacks and the weapons available from the looting of police stations were available. Nearly all the prisons fell. The prison forces simply could not deal with such an onslaught and no reinforcements …


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 …


Buy It Wholesale–Free Food Now and Free Food Later, by P.O.

I wanted to share with my fellow preppers a way to rapidly increase your food storage. Yes, it’s legal and for real!  I have no sales pitch and nothing to gain out of this, I’ve been doing this for almost a year now and the results have been just amazing.           My wife and I started a Farmer’s Market in our community almost three years ago.  The following “system” I have developed since then has come from our experiences there as well as my almost 20 years in restaurant management.  It can easily work for you with minimal effort.  Please …


The Psychology of TEOTWAWKI, by J.P.C.

Many are preparing with physical items for “The End”. This aspect is extremely important, but what good will it do you if you are mentally weak? In survival situations research has shown that on average the mental willingness to live equals roughly 50% of your survival chance. This is based upon the individual, whether already mentally weak or strong, the type of situation, and the duration of the situation that the individual is in. Some people are very wise, strong, prepared, or a combination of all, but will not make it passed the initial phase of a catastrophe due to …


Two Letters Re: First Aid Kits Are Not Enough

Sir, I very much appreciated reading the recent article about an adventure in wound care during a blizzard. It was chilling! Hope your wife has made a complete recovery! In my many defensive firearms classes with John Farnam, he has held forth the many virtues of the Israeli Battle Dressing (IBD) and its fantastic ability to control hemorrhaging. Had your wife severed an artery, the IBD may have been to only thing that would have saved her, at least would have been the best solution. The IBD has the ability to quickly apply a lot of preferential pressure on a …


Letter Re: Post-TEOTWAWKI and Off-the-Grid Entertainment

Dear James,   Thank you for the excellent work you do for those that listen and hear your guidance.  I’ve been an avid reader for many years and moved my family from urban Michigan to a full-time retreat property in the woods of North Idaho largely on recommendations here on SurvivalBlog.   Reed’s article on pastimes really should include the card game of cribbage. Any game, like chess, which has survived pretty much intact for many hundreds of years must have something good doing for it!   Adding cribbage is as simple as investing in a quality board and taking a few minutes to learn …


Economics and Investing:

Forecaster predicts the next crisis Bob Chapman: A Nation Exclusively Run For Corporate Interests. (Thanks to John R. for the link.) G.G. sent this: Egypt and the growing problem of global inflation. John also mentioned a guest post over at Zero Hedge: The Road to Madness Is Paved With $100 Bills Your Cheat Sheet to the 11 Countries Which Could Follow Egypt’s Lead Huge Winter Storm Threatens Wheat, Cattle Items from The Economatrix: Nine Signs that the Price of Oil is About to Soar Beyond $100 a Barrel   Less Than a 3% Drop in Asset Values Could Wipe Out …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael H. sent a link to some useful New Madrid Seismic Zone graphics.    o o o Norman in England sent: 10 Things That The Egypt Riots Can Teach Us About What Happens When Society Breaks Down    o o o Tim R. suggested this photo essay: Protest spreads in the Middle East    o o o J.B.G. sent this: Bill would require all South Dakota citizens to buy a gun. It appears the legislator’s intent is to illustrate that the government can’t force anyone to buy any product–even health insurance.    o o o Tamara K. (of the View …