Letter Re: Recent Ohio and Michigan Tornadoes

Good Morning Jim, Well the Schumer Hit The Fan here in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan this past weekend with a rash of tornados. We lost seven lives and countless buildings in the area. Tornados are a scary reminder of how quickly bad things happen and how a survival / preparedness mind set is important. One case in particular caught my attention that prompted this quick message from me. One man lead his family to the safety of his basement before the storm hit. While waiting the power went out so he went upstairs with his dog to start his …


Letter Re: Refilling Small Propane Cylinders

Jim: One-pound propane cylinders are easily refillable if you use a couple of tricks. A filling adapter is available for under $20 from [Harbor Freight and other merchants. You need a full 20# cylinder as the "donor". Place it in a warm place or in the sun for a couple of hours. Chill the empty one-pound cylinders in your freezer. Join the cylinders. using the filling adapter. The filling procedure is that you invert both of the joined cylinders and open cylinder valve. Refills take about one minute each. Regards, – Rob S.


Economics and Investing:

Several readers sent this: U.S.’s $13 Trillion Debt Poised to Overtake GDP: Chart of Day Brett G. sent us this: Experts: Europe to Push US Back Into Recession Mac F. liked this essay by Monty Pelerin: Worse than a Depression Complexity and Collapse: Empires on the Edge of Chaos by Niall Ferguson. (A hat tip to Thomas P. for the link.) Laura Bassett reports: Disturbing Job Ads: ‘The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered’ (A hat tip to Simon J. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Central Bank Gold Holdings Expand at Fastest Pace Since 1964. (Why do central bankers …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A bad portent of future lawlessness, in hard times: The End of Empathy. “A University of Michigan Study of nearly 14,000 college students has found that they have less empathy than college students did during the 1980s or 1990s. In fact, today’s college students scored about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts did 20 or 30 years ago.” (A hat tip to Rebecca S. for sending this link.)    o o o Jeff B. flagged this troubling news story: Mystery Crop Damage Threatens Hundreds of Acres.    o o o Reader James C. pointed us to a YouTube …



Announcing a New Preparedness Television Show in Development — Seeking Prepper Families

I have been asked to be the primary on-air subject matter expert for a new reality/documentary television series that is now in development. This should be an awesome show! It will be a great way to get people not just thinking about family preparedness, but going that crucial step further and actually training and preparing. My involvement in the show will be as its narrator/commentator, critiquing and making suggestions on how the families can improve their preparedness, in voice-overs. Here is their preliminary “Casting Call” announcement: Are you a self-sustainer, survivalist or a squared away preparedness family? Do you have …


Letter Re: Advice on Storage Food Shelf Lives

Mr. Rawles: There is so much in your blog about stocking up, and it is appreciated, I can tell you. But I haven’t seen all in one place any big reference on how long I can expect things to last. Some of the “shelf life” info out there [on the Internet] is unrealistic. (Do they pull these numbers out of the sky?) This info is also scattered on dozens of websites, not all in one place. Can you recommend any one good reference? Is that info in any of your books? Thanking You In Advance, – Lydia. J. JWR Replies: …


Letter Re: Small Propane Cylinders on Sale at Wal-Mart Stores

JWR, I noticed that the 1-pound propane cylinders are currently on sale at “2 for $5” at Wal-Mart stores. This is the equivalent of paying $50 for a 20-pound tank, which are normally between $40 and $50. The economies of scale have made these 1lb. propane cylinders relatively inexpensive, and they have numerous benefits [in some applications] that you don’t get with the larger 20-pound cylinders. One of these 1-pound cylinders will run a Camp Chef oven for 7 or 8 hours for baking bread. – Jeff M.


Letter Re: Two-Legged Snow Mobility

Mr. Rawles, This letter from Friday 4 June, plus a few other recent articles, prompted me to chime in with a plug for cross-country skiing (alternately, nordic skiing) for the preparation-minded individual. Cross-country skiing’s benefits for preppers include: – An alternate method for getting from A to B in adverse conditions – An outstanding physical workout – Another way to get outdoors in the winter – An inexpensive activity for couples and families R.M. in Iowa wrote a very interesting and thought-provoking letter about having to solve a winter mobility problem. There are winter situations in which snowshoes are not …


Letter Re: Fit to Survive, Part Two: All the Other Stuff

JWR, First, this is a great write up with some excellent ideas. It certainly raises awareness about the need for physical training. However, two quick clarifications need to be made. 1. Re: “The stronger you are the faster you can run, the further you can jump, and the harder you can hit.” This depends on which type of strength you’re referring to. For example, low repetition heavy squats will develop only slow twitch muscle fibers. The meat-head you see at the gym who squats 700 and benches 500 is probably the slowest guy in the room. To run faster, jump …


Economics and Investing:

Frequent content contributor R.B.S. sent us this: How a Bursting Housing Bubble in China Could Slam the U.S. Also from R.B.S.: China Freaks Out The World By Announcing Restrictions On Export Of Metals Crucial For National Defense Chad sent us this: Hungary warning heightens sovereign-debt fear; Default concern rises as new government says predecessor lied about finances G.G. suggested this interview: Jim Rogers on Currencies and Inflation Items from The Economatrix: Gold’s Record-Breaking May Madness The Central Banker’s Dilemma No. European Nations Preparing to Slaughter the PIIGS Student Loans: Another Debt Crisis Brewing Four-Day School Week Due to Budget Cuts …


Odds ‘n Sods:

NASA reports: The Sun Has Reawakened. (Robert R. was the first of several readers to send me this link.)    o o o Brian B. and SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson both mentioned this video clip of a new robot-deployed bangalore torpedo.    o o o Ferd spotted this practical link: Build a Simple Off-Grid Laundry Machine    o o o North Korean Envoy Says War Could Erupt Soon



Notes from JWR:

The special sale price for the Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course will be discontinued on June 21st. So order yours, soon! — Today we present another entry for Round 29 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 …


How to Get to Your Retreat, by Tony Y.

You have spent large amounts of time and money getting prepared for the day that we all hoped would never come.  You have found a retreat, kept it stocked and have been prepared to leave when TEOTWAWKI strikes.  It’s now here, but have you prepared how to get to your retreat? One of the most critical tasks for survival in TEOTWAWKI is getting to your retreat in a safe and efficient manner.  I was a US Army soldier who completed two year- long tours in Iraq working convoys.  I have written the following for civilians with no military or tactical …