Letter Re: Christmas Ideas for the Prepper

Every year I seem to be caught in the same dilemma. What to get the kids for Christmas. Being the divorced father of three kids presents many challenges. First I am always upstaged, which does not matter to me, I am not trying to buy my kids affection. Second, today’s kids get almost whatever they want, if they have a job to save for that Ipod touch or new Blackberry then all the power to them. This year however I am taking a different approach. I have a 20-year-old daughter living in the big city. An 18-year-old daughter living with …


Economics and Investing:

At The Daily Bell: The US $200-Trillion Debt Which Cannot Be Named. “Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff says U.S. government debt is not $13.5-trillion (U.S.), which is 60 percent of current gross domestic product, as global investors and American taxpayers think, but rather 14-fold higher: $200-trillion – 840 per cent of current GDP. ‘Let’s get real,’ Prof. Kotlikoff says. ‘The U.S. is bankrupt.’” Dollar Printing Feeding China Inflation Pimco likens US to ‘Ponzi’ scheme KAF sent this: HSBC Accused of Silver Manipulation Trigger Points, Black Swans, And Other Unpleasant Realities. (Thanks to K.T. for the link.) Gerald W. sent this: …



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It is not what a man gets but what a man is that he should think of. He should think first of his character and then of his condition for if he have the former he need not worry about the latter. Character will draw condition after it. Circumstances obey principles.” – Henry Ward Beecher, American Abolitionist (and brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe)


Note from JWR:

Today we present two entries for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, 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 500 round case of …


ARs as Survival Combat Weapons, by Dan in Missouri

There are a lot of varying opinions on what make up the best combat weapons for a TEOTWAWKI situation.  My group has chosen the AR-15/M4 platform as our battle rifle, and I’m going to explain the why.  For various reasons, some people have a negative opinion on the AR-15 platform, and I’ll address that as well.  Finally, I’ll show that all rifles aren’t created equal and what you need to do to any rifle to make it function like one of the best. First, let’s look at the intended role for a battle rifle.  I believe this is an area …


Are You Prepared for Firefighting?, by J.T.F.

Situation – You’ve either bugged out to your bug out location (BOL) or – You’ve bugged in or – You’ve bugged out to wilderness. or – You’re living at your retreat because “sumpthin bad dun happened sumwhere”. After a couple of days, you’ve settled in, you’ve set whatever level of security you can establish, you’ve started adjusting to living the primitive life. Suddenly you smell smoke. If you’ve bugged in – the house/apartment next door is on fire. Or the vegetation up wind from you is on fire – grass, brush, woods, whatever. If you’ve bugged out or living at …


Guest Article: 12 Steps to Fire Proof Your Family, by The Survival Mama

Disasters can show up anytime, and leave little time in the moment of crisis to prepare with any sense of organization. The worst time to prepare is when you receive a reverse 911 call, or a knock at the door from a police officer ordering an evacuation of your home. This list is meant for residents of a suburban area located near an undeveloped forested area. This list was put to the test during a wildfire that consumed over 4,600 acres within a five-hour period, fed by winds sustained at 55 m.p.h. and gusting to 70 m.p.h. No matter where …


Product Review: Video: Backyard Food Production Systems For a Backyard or Small Farm, by Michael Z. Williamson

Backyard Food Production Systems For a Backyard or Small Farm is a great video and useful resource. Not only is it based on a lot of research, but on more than a decade of home farming in central Texas, which is certainly one of the tougher environments in America to farm in. Very clearly narrated and demonstrated. It’s a little handheld and shaky at the beginning, which emphasized the small scale involved, but professionally filmed and edited after the intro. This is a farm for a family of four, run very efficiently and productively. It starts with a chapter on …


Economics and Investing:

“Crisis is an Opportunity”: Engineering a Global Depression to Create a Global Government From The Telegraph: Greece reignites Europe debt woes And Harry is so humble, too: Reid: But for Me, We’d Be in Worldwide Depression Brett Arends: Warning: Retirement Disaster Ahead Items from The Economatrix: Durable Goods Orders Rise, Business Spending Cools Stocks Fall Amid Questions About Fed Plan Northfolk Southern 3Q Profits Soars As Shipments Rise Gerald Celente: The Economy, Wars, What’s Next? Night Of The Living Fed China Ministers: Dollar Printing Out Of Control


Inflation Watch:

The Monetization of Lumber National 17.5%, California 22% Global Food Crisis Forecast As Prices Reach Record Highs Fed looks set for new round of monetary easing From Zero Hedge: A Quick Glance at Real World Inflation The chart says it all. The official hedonic-adjusted inflation figures are laughable. Federal Reserve Asset Buying May Reach $2 Trillion, Goldman’s Hatzius Says


Odds ‘n Sods:

Electromagnetic pulse impact far and wide. (Thanks to Chet for the link.)    o o o I’ve been mentioning Peak Oil in SurvivalBlog since 2005. Here is a scary bit of confirmation that oil supplies may indeed reach their limit in this century: Alaska’s untapped oil reserves estimate lowered 90 percent    o o o F.G. liked this one: The Toyota Pickup – Why U.S. Special Ops Units Prefer it



Note from JWR:

I must address a Federal Regulation. Consider this my annual statement: Per FTC File No. P034520, I state for the record that I accept cash-paid advertising. To the best of my knowledge, as of the date of this posting, none of my advertisers have solicited me or paid me to write any reviews or endorsements, nor have they provided me any free or reduced-price gear in exchange for any reviews or endorsements.


Back to the Basics–Heating, Cooling, and Water All in One, by Mike C.

Description A quick “how to” system that will gather air on one end, run it underground, and output it to another system that collects the moisture from it in order to produce drinking water while altering the temperature of a living structure to a level that can sustain life.  Please note that every house, landscape, and geographical location can be vastly different than the next and it’s therefore impossible to give a thorough how to, independent research must be conducted by the reader. Introduction Preppers have the amazing talent of separating need from want in life, and the need factor …