Note 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 …


Finding Community – Part 2, by Jim Fry

Suggestions on how a survival community might enlist new members. The lights have gone out. It may be years, if ever, before they come on again. You haven’t seen a banana, orange or avocado in a long time. Of course that’s not surprising since there hasn’t been an open grocery store in a long while either. You have heard rumors that the death toll from disease in China and India is in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even in the billions. But you don’t really know, because you haven’t heard a thing from Washington or the State Capitol in quite …


Three Letters Re: Some Comments and Some Personal Experiences in Haiti

Sir: I thought that you and your family might be encouraged by the following: There was an extraordinary occurrence in Haiti on February 17th. Here is a blog entry with a YouTube link about a nationally declared three days of fasting and prayer in Haiti. Amazing grace. The final sentence in the entry is the most sobering: “The only sadness that I feel today is for our nation. While a nation that has long been under Satan’s domination is turning to God with total commitment, our nation, founded on Godly values, has rejected God and is rapidly trying to forget …


Letter Re: The Art of Humping a Pack

Sir, In the articles concerning Humping a Pack, I observed comments about not using wool for foot wear. I would strongly disagree for a few reasons. My reasoning is based on over 16 years of active and reserve military experience in the Infantry, and from my experiences as a teenager helping Lane County (Eugene, Oregon) in the mid 1970s. Wool is a superior resource. 1) Unlike synthetics, Wool socks can be repaired. 2) Wet Wool unlike synthetics still maintains up to 80% of its heat retention value. Granted, wet wool weighs a lot. 3) Wool does not burn and melt …


Economics and Investing:

Economists: Another Financial Crisis on the Way. (Thanks to “Straycat” for the link.) Fronm Brett G.: Greenhouse Gas Taxes to Push Gasoline to $7 a Gallon? Items from The Economatrix: Stocks Falter After Drop in Pending Homes Sales US Economy Continues to Slow Pending US Home Sales Fall 7.6% in January Investing In Gold: Protection From Runaway Inflation Karl Denninger: Speculative Premium and Why the Markets Will Crash Darryl Robert Schoon: Will the US Devalue the Dollar?


Odds ‘n Sods:

“Luddite Jean” thought that a nuclear bunker listed on eBay.uk might be of interest to British readers of SurvivalBlog. Jean’s comments: “It’s a bit small, but in the UK, there is no restriction or planning permission needed for underground buildings.”    o o o Louisiana police envision TEOTWAWKI in their cities: Bossier sheriff launches ‘Operation Exodus’. Thanks to “B9” for the link.    o o o From Cheryl: US Gun Owners Buy 14+ Million Guns in 2009–More than 21 of the World’s Standing Armies    o o o Marko marked this one for us: Quake mission casts the [Chilean] army …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“… [M]any gun owners readily concede that their right to keep and bear arms is “not absolute” and is subject to “reasonable” regulation. This concession to moderation or reasonableness is fatal to the right. Yes, there are people who should not have guns. However, the point of the Second Amendment is precisely to deny government the power to decide who those people are, just as the point of the First Amendment is to deny government the power to decide what you may read and hear. Rights are not reasonable, and are not to be made reasonable, because government itself is …


Notes from JWR:

The situation in earthquake-ravaged Chile is still quite tenuous. SurvivalBlog reader “Zed” suggested that I mention this article from the BBC’s Stephen Mulvey: Chile earthquake: Why do people loot. And don’t miss this related article: Chileans protect, feed themselves after quake. Doesn’t this sound a lot like “a neighborhood watch, on steroids”? The conjecture about societal breakdown in SurvivalBlog that was once castigated as “fanciful” is now sounding quite plausible. Get the gear, and get the training, folks. Be ready, willing and able to dispense charity and to help restore order and re-establish free commerce, if and when things go …


Airguns for Survival, Jock Elliott

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An air rifle or air pistol can be a really useful tool for anyone who needs to collect game unobtrusively while trying to survive. I write a regular blog on airguns for www.airgunsofarizona.com . So here’s “Uncle Jock’s” take on why you might want to include an airgun in your survival kit. Here’s a quick summary of the key advantages of airguns: Tack-driving accuracy – High-end air rifles are among the most accurate projectile launchers on the planet. For example, Olympic match air rifles can literally put pellet after pellet through the same hole at 10 meters, and field target …


Letter Re: Disturbed by the After Armageddon Docudrama

Dear Mr. Rawles, I fully enjoy your site and have been reading it daily for some time now.Only yesterday did I follow the link to the You Tube video, After Armageddon. And only yesterday did the question dawn on me: Following any disaster, what percentage of survivors would be forced to leave their homes? In twenty years of practicing preparedness, I’ve never given the question any thought! Sure, I am well prepared and sited in a very rural area flush with abundant water, fish and game, mature hardwoods and other natural resources. I’ve a modest farm with large gardens, we …


Economics and Investing:

C.M. suggested this alarming opinion piece by Niall Ferguson that ran in the Los Angeles Times: America, the fragile empire–Here today, gone tomorrow — could the United States fall that fast? Items from The Economatrix: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Don’t Go Wobbly on Us Now, Ben Bernanke The Sovereigns and the Serfs Peter Schiff: Don’t Bet on a Recovery The Financial Battle For The Middle Class: Underemployment At 20%; 38 Million Americans On Food Stamps; Little Hiring; Can It Be A Recovery With No Jobs For This Long?


Odds ‘n Sods:

I was doing some research on behalf of reader Dan K. about temperature stability for medications that are buried in waterproof containers, and I came across this useful map, which is probably already familiar to many gardeners.    o o o Ready Made Resources is running a semi-annual 25% off sale on Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans. They are offering free shipping on full case lots. These foods are delicious, compact, and have a 30 year shelf life. There is now just 10 days left for the sale, so order soon!    o o o Courtesy of …



Note 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 …


The Realities of Interpersonal Combat: How Are You Preparing?, by Officer Tackleberry

I will start this article with a question: What are you doing on a regular basis (i.e. daily) to prepare yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, and most of all, spiritually, to not just survive, but prevail during a violent encounter? This is a question I ask myself on a regular basis.  I have also posed this same question to my hand-to-hand combat students. There is no question that interpersonal violence will be fact of life for many in a post-societal collapse.  But, it is a reality in today’s society that many people (i.e. sheeple) choose to ignore. Depending on your source …