Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for …


Is it Enough?, by Axman

I remember the Great Gas Crises of the 1950s. I filled several metal five-gallon cans with gas and put them behind the seat of my 1941 Plymouth 6-cylinder Business Coupe. I got 21 miles per gallon with that peppy little car! When Kennedy’s Cuban Missile Crises came about I dug a foxhole in my Mother’s back yard — which she later filled in and used as a flower bed. Then the Cold War with Russia, where we rattled ballistic missiles at each other. I actually built an above-ground fallout shelter out of a retired metal dumpster and a piece of …


Letter Re: Some Practical Lessons From Daily Concealed Carry

Jim, I am on my third concealed carry license and have been carrying at least one concealed weapon every day for about 15 years. I have learned a number of lessons I thought I would share with AceHigh and any other recent CCLs holders among your readers. First, choose a gun you can carry all the time because a small gun in your hand is worth two big guns back in your safe. Wearing a gun only sometimes means that you will sometimes be unprepared. Wouldn’t you feel really stupid I the one time you needed your gun you didn’t …


Two Letters Re: Bug Out Vehicle Cooling Systems for Extreme Emergencies

Jim, In his recent contribution, “The Oddshot” stated that leaving a thermostat out of an engine is an unacceptable option: “So why not just leave the thermostat and blanking sleeve out entirely? Because the water will flow, unrestricted, and very fast through the engine and radiator. Too fast to pick up the heat from inside the engine, too fast to get cooled off in the radiator.” I mean no offense to him, but this is an incorrect assertion. A coolant can never flow “too fast to pick up heat” or “too fast to get cooled off”. It is true that …


Economics and Investing:

Now this is downright sinful: Woman Cashes in Rare U.S. Double Eagle $20 Gold Coins for Face Value. I’m glad to see that the bank teller was fired. Parenthetically, it has now been 76 year since gold coins were taken out of public circulation in the US. At the time, the difference between he value of a $20 bill and a $20 gold piece was small. But today, the enormity of FDR‘s grand larceny scheme is apparent. Perhaps that is the greater sin that should have been highlighted in this news article. (Thanks, BTW, to Josh for the link.) D.D. …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ah-ha! Just as I suspected: The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S. (Thanks to Ryan at the TSLRF blog for the link.)    o o o From Cheryl:: There Was Ammo on These Shelves…    o o o Bill N. flagged this: Conservative activists detained and harassed by TSA for merely carrying cash



Notes from JWR:

Five Days to Book Bomb Day! This is a brief reminder to please wait until April 8th to order your copy of the new edition of “Patriots”. That will be our “Book Bomb” day. Many thanks for making the new edition such a success. Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice …


Disaster Preparedness–Of Lists and Preparation in Depth, by Ed C.

I would like to offer my own experiences in the hopes that they may provide some small amount of practical advice to others. Here in Oklahoma, of course, we face tornadoes, but many do not realize we have also suffered from paralyzing ice storms – three within the past ten years. Lessons gleaned from practical experience are: Have inventory lists; Have ‘Oh-Schumer Lists’ of items and chores for each type of contingency situation (tornado, flood, ice storm, etc.) Prepare ‘in depth’ for each major need, such as heat and light, food, water, shelter, and protection Calmly think through scenarios on …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. & Mrs. India

Mr. and Mrs. India Ages: 34 & 33 SOs: Three children 6 and under Profession: U.S. Military Serviceman Background: He: Grew up in Florida, raised in a self-reliant family, attend and commissioned from a military educational institution, married his sweetheart, completed pilot training, and is currently stationed at his sixth military installation. She: Grew up in Idaho, raised by a self reliant and second amendment loving family, moved off to school, took work as a nanny, worked as an accountant, is currently a loving mother and supportive military spouse. For the most part she lives the self reliant lifestyle with …


Economics and Investing:

A couple of years ago, I created the acronym MOAB (for “Mother of All Bailouts”). I predicted that once started, it would “continue to grow uncontrollably”, but even in my worst nightmares, I didn’t fully anticipate this headline: Financial Rescue Approaches GDP as U.S. Pledges $12.8 Trillion. I have trouble imagining the enormity of one Trillion US Dollars. That is quite a pile of money. But $12.8 Trillion? To borrow a line from Bart Simpson: ¡Ay carumba! JHB forwarded a link to this government psychology site: A Guide to Getting Through Tough Economic Times. But I have a much better …


Odds ‘n Sods:

G.G. was the first of more than ten readers that sent this article from The Detroit News: To urban hunter, next meal is scampering by, about a 69-year old retiree who hunts raccoons for a living in Detroit. Her is a quote: “Today people got no skill and things is getting worse. What people gonna do? They gonna eat each other up is what they gonna do.”    o o o D.S. sent us this link, on how farmers made tools over 100 years ago.



Bug Out Vehicle Cooling Systems for Extreme Emergencies, by The Oddshot

Vehicles break down. It’s a fact of life. Most breakdowns can be avoided by following a good schedule of preventative maintenance or with a couple of well thought out modifications. But, try as you might, failures can and will occur, even to the best of us. Anything can put you on the side of the road. Ever run out of gas? Have a flat tire? Bad universal joint on a drive shaft? Charging system go bad? This one happened to me just a few weeks ago. To get an idea of what can go wrong, just drive to work. Look …


Note from JWR:

Today we present the first entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills …