Considerations for Building and Equipping the Underground Room You Need, by Jim O.

My wife and I lived in place with no underground  rooms (such as a basement of a cellar) since we have been married.  As I have matured and my desire for disaster preparation has increased, I began to realize the importance of having an underground room for storage (particularly food storage and other things necessary for survival in the event of a short term or long term TEOTWAWKI) and protection from disasters such as heavy storms, tornadoes, nuclear activity, etc.  My career in construction, specializing in masonry and excavation, made this goal one that was easily attainable and I would …


Economics and Investing:

Courtesy of reader J.D.D.: Why the U.S. can’t inflate its way out of debt Some Tough Love from the editors of Der Spiegel: Built on a Lie; The Fundamental Flaw of Europe’s Common Currency Larry T. suggested this Powerline piece: Buy Gold. Items from The Economatrix: Why Italy Faces a Derivatives Time Bomb Why California is Doomed Double Dip is Coming in 2011 Welcome to the United States of Iceland Big Ax Looming at FDNY: More than 1,000 Layoffs, 62 Fire Companies to be Closed It’s Going to Implode, Buy Physical Gold Now $2,000/oz. Gold by the End of the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

John at SurvivalistBooks.com sent us a link to an interesting article on American preppers, from a French newspaper: If the sh** hits the fan, they are ready for it.    o o o Chuck sent me this: Hard Times Turn Coupon Clipping Into the Newest Extreme Sport    o o o Tomorrow is the last day in the Ready Made Resources 25% off sale on Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans. They are now offering free shipping on mixed case lots, as long as you order in increments of full cases! Get your order in by midnight, eastern …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, [and] his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. – Psalm 149:1-4 (KJV)


Notes from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 27 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 HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of …


Survival Slingshots, by Brian W.

When one thinks of a slingshot, the image of the forked stick and rubber band hanging out of the back pocket of Dennis the Menace is usually what comes to mind. Often overlooked in the survival community, the slingshot can be a valuable addition to any survival kit or day pack. For all intents and purposes, the best tool for taking small game that a survivalist can have, in my opinion, is a .22 pistol. Until very recently, though, it was illegal to carry them into state parks. To those who are not up to date on local and state …


Letter Re: The Daylight Savings Time Home and Survival Checklist — Renew Your Preparedness Measures

Dear JWR, On March 14th at 2 a.m. it is the Daylight Saving Time change time in most of the US. So now is a very good time to check some things that you haven’t thought about in a while. I’m sure you heard the Public Service Announcements to change the batteries in your smoke alarm and to test them. That is certainly a good thing to do, but is that the only thing you should do this time of year? Grab a pen and paper and let’s look around your home. Batteries and Battery Powered Equipment Since you’re changing …


Economics and Investing:

Trent and J.D.D. were the first of several readers to send this: Faber and Mish: We’re Doomed and Washington Can’t Do Anything About It A.P. sent us some more gloomy news: World faces a day of financial reckoning Canadian dollar likely to trump US greenback: experts. More FDIC Follies: Four more banks bit the dust in the past couple of days. Items from The Economatrix: OPEC Raises 2010 Oil Demand Forecast US Sales Tax Rates Hit Record High US Dollar Gains as Rating Agencies Warn on Europe Toledo, Ohio Likely to Face “Fiscal Emergency” Robbing The Old to Pay the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Paul D. recommended this article from The Guardian: How food and water are driving a 21st-century African land grab.    o o o From E.M.B.: Energizer Battery Charger Comes with a Software Backdoor. Yikes!    o o o There are now just three days left in the Ready Made Resources 25% off sale on Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans. They are offering free shipping on even mixed case lots. These foods are delicious, compact, and have a 30 year shelf life. Order soon!    o o o Cheryl sent this news: Wyoming Governor Signs Sovereignty Resolution. This …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“As I looked at my two young sons, each with his gun, and considered how much the safety of the party depended on these little fellows, I felt grateful to you, dear husband, for having acquainted them in childhood with the use of firearms.” – Elisabeth Robinson, narrating in “The Swiss Family Robinson” by Johann David Wyss


Notes from JWR:

I will be a guest on Lan Lamphere’s Overnight A.M. talk radio show this evening, for two hours. If you have the time, please listen in. — Welcome aboard! Greetings to the thousands of new SurvivalBlog readers who found the blog after hearing my recent three-hour interview on Coast-to-Coast AM. For those that missed it, you can find an audio link to the interview here. It is also archived for free streaming download–but just for the next week–at KSFO’s web site. (You’ll need to select Thursday 10 to midnight and Friday from midnight to 1 a.m.) I recommend that folks …


It is All About the Means of Production, by Mark. B.

From the beginning of time, ownership and control of quality farm land and raw materials have been closely associated with wealth creation and prosperity. What can you grow or raise? What resources and commodities do you own and control? How much metal, stone, glass, and wood do you own? Do you have the means, knowledge, tools and skills to produce valuable items from this land and these raw materials? As America was settled, the pioneers knew very well the fundamentals of non-electric, independence away from the city and just how critical natural resources were to survival. If a parcel did …


Letter Re: Confronting Kleptocracy–Identifying the Looter Mentality

Dear Mr. Rawles, I would like to make a few comments on your post titled “Confronting Kleptocracy – Identifying the Looter Mentality”. Although my education and profession are in medicine, I have been long interested in social anthropology particularly as it applies to the average “citizen” confronted with a breakdown in modern society. As you are well aware, our society exists by means of a fragile web of precisely balanced interconnected dependencies. This web was not created overnight but has developed over several generations. At present we enjoy life at a time where the poorest people in our modern culture …


Economics and Investing:

Over at Zero Hedge, Tyler Durden asks: Is The Federal Reserve Insolvent? (He’s warning that monetization is the logical next step. So beware of inflation ahead!) Ben in Tennessee sent us this from The Market Oracle: The Coming Dark Ages. GG suggested this one: Bernanke’s Dilemma: Hyperinflation and the U.S. Dollar. Also from GG: Doug Casey on Surviving Financial Apocalypse Now Items from The Economatrix: Are Unemployment Benefits No Longer Temporary? Jobs Outlook May Be Too Optimistic Public Pension Funds are “Going to Vegas” National Debt to be Higher than White House Forecast, Says CBO Senate To Pass Jobless Aid, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Marjory of BackyardFoodProduction.com is co-hosting a “Sustainable Living Meetup” in southeastern Idaho on Thursday March 18th. This is a chance for preppers to to meet, network, and share resources. (If you attend any event of this nature, of course all the usual OPSEC provisos apply. For example, I wouldn’t recommend mentioning your surname to strangers.) The meeting will be held at the Aurasoma Conference Center in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, starting at 6:30 pm. Marjory says: “Bring a potluck item that you have grown, or just like to eat.” For further details, contact Marjory through her web site.    o …