Letter Re: Advice on Storage Food–Quantities, Shelf Lives, and Sources

Mr. Rawles; I’m chagrined to say that I found your blog rather late in the game–just two weeks ago, when a friend at church mentioned it. (We had been talking about the banking panic.) Your blog was a real eye-opener. So now I’m just plain overwhelmed and definitely feeling “behind the power curve.” I have a lot of catching up to do. How can I get smart on preparedness in a great hurry, especially about [storing] food? Will food from the grocery supermarket do? Do I need special containers? One of those vacuum sealing things? What about mice? I’m a …


Letter Re: A SurvivalBlog Reader’s Relocation to the Interior of Alaska

Dear Jim – Thank you for the note and I think its the least we can do to support such a worthy web information source. I’ve learned a great deal reading your archives and I’m doing my best to try and promote a self-sufficient lifestyle for our family. We have chosen to live in interior Alaska for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is a steady job, but not without serious consideration. We are very well aware that we’re at the end of the food chain up here and things are a bit more expensive (and can …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader FFF found this for us: Great Depression holds lessons for surviving tough economy    o o o Several new retreat properties have recently been added to our spin-off site: SurvivalRealty.com.    o o o Susan Z. recommended this piece of commentary by Adrian Douglas: Bond market collapse is imminent. My own opinion is a bit different: I think that bonds will hold up for several more months, since so much money is presently being yanked out of the equities market by both individual and institutional investors. They need to re-invest that money somewhere. In the long run, however, bonds …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The current rescue plans, which will force governments to issue more debt, print money and flood the markets with liquidity, will flare up inflation after the crisis is over and will create worse problems. We’re setting the stage for when we come out of this of a massive inflation holocaust.” – Investing Sage Jim Rogers


Note from JWR:

Just one day of bidding left! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $770. The auction for a large mixed lot that includes: A Special Mixed Vegetable Case-Six #10 Dehydrated Food Cans (Retail Price $105.95) This special Mixed Vegetable Case contains six #10 (96-ounce) cans–one can of each of the following: Mixed Vegetable Blend, Green Beans, Sweet Garden Peas, Mixed Peppers, Potato Dices, and Sweet Potatoes and a EZ-Towels 10 Pack Combos (10 bags of 50 towels. Retail value: $99.95). These items were donated by Jan at Healthy Harvest Foods. An assortment of world class loose …


Letter Re: Getting Adult Family Members Home in Times of Crisis

Greetings, Mr. Rawles, I need advice and I trust you implicitly in survival matters. Here’s my issue: I live in the country north of Tampa, Florida. Good dirt, well water (and well bucket), dogs, garden, silver coins stashed away. We are ready for whatever happens. My 27 year old daughter lives in Austin, Texas. We have discussed her bugging out to come home, or to her grandmother’s home in Southwestern Alabama. She is preparing her bugout pack today, and waiting to hear from me to tell her to come home. My question is this: At what point do I tell …


Letter Re: Another SurvivalBlog Reader’s Experience at Front Sight

Jim, I noticed your recent post about Front Sight’s 2009 schedule. A friend and I just returned from the four-day defensive handgun course and one-day CCW course. We did the “Get a Gun” and train package. I’d like to give you a little summary of the experience, in the hopes that some of your readers might be encouraged to train. My experience with shooting started at age 10, with my first .22 rifle. By age 19, I was a USMC rifle expert, and in the 17 years since then, have done a fair amount of recreational target shooting. I’ve always …


Letter Re: The Icelanders’ Tangibles Shopping Spree

James, Check out this article that I found on Bloomberg.com Icelandic Shoppers Splurge as Currency Woes Reduce Food Imports. It looks like Iceland is in deep Schumer – running out of food. This reminds me of your warnings regarding Hawaii and Alaska – though the same problem can happen in the lower 48 on a grander scale, since we no longer produce enough food. It is time to move my family back to Montana! Best to you and yours.- Stewart R. P.S.: Back in 1999 I bought several Wiggy’s brand sleeping bags. Those bags are wonderful. JWR Replies: We can …


Letter Re: Everyday Carry Pocketknife Recommendation?

Jim Like you, I’m constantly trying to find out what the best knives are. There are so many, at so many different prices, that it is easy to get sidetracked. With the articles my friend Phil Elmore and I write at The Martialist, we have gone through hundreds of knives over the years. Some great, some are not so spectacular. Let me tell you about the ones I have grown fond of. Not all of them are cheap, but many are. 1. CRKT Grant Hawk D.O.G. [deadbolt over grabstep] Lock. Its an open body, easily sharpened folder with a strong …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Portfolio.com reports that “unlimited dollar funding” has now been promised by the G-7 to re-liquify the credit markets on both side of the Atlantic: Flood the Zone. Just as I warned, the MOAB knows no boundaries. The destruction of the dollar via mass inflation now seems inevitable. Get out of your dollar-denominated investments immediately. Shelter your assets in practical tangibles, ASAP! Now, on to more economic news and commentary, courtesy of our stalwart Economic Editor: Manic Monday: Dow Roars Back After Worst Week Ever — Morgan Stanley Gets $9 Billion Lifeline — Sovereign Bancorp In Talks With Spain’s Banco Santander …




Letter Re: Finding a Like-Minded Spouse

JWR – I have read through all of your archives, and your Finding Like-Minded People in Your Area [static page]. From a recent personal experience, I thought maybe it might help to note that the site www.FarmersOnly.com is an online dating-type site that caters to: “Farmers, Ranchers, Ag Students and all of Agriculture Horse, Livestock Owners and all Animal Lovers Cowboys, Cowgirls, Rodeo Fans and Country Wannabes” I recently signed up and, unlike the mainstream sites, they give you a three day “try it before you buy it” period. Also, unlike the mainstream sites, their membership fees are reasonable for …


Letter Re: Machining–Making the Gears that Drive Industry, Agriculture, and Transport

Greetings Jim and the SurvivalBlog Family, First of all, prayers sent for Memsahib’s recovery and your family’s well being. At one point in my rather varied list of jobs to fill in while unemployed I found myself employed in a family owned machine shop. I reproduced drafted copies of gear drawings and specifications from previously made orders for the guys in the shop to manufacture the gear orders. I got a real education on just how gears and similar ‘small’ parts are made and I picked up a few skills that have helped me over the years in maintaining my …


Odds ‘n Sods:

David V. sent us the link to some commentary by Bob Chapman on the derivatives threat: The Quadrillion Dollar Powder Keg Waiting To Blow. David also sent us the link to this piece by Porter Stansberry: How AIG’s Collapse Began a Global Run on the Banks    o o o Several folks sent us this “must read” piece by Bill Bonner: The Next Crisis Will Be Over Food. It begins: “The United States is now a net importer of food, we read recently. If we understand that correctly, there is no longer enough food Made in the USA to feed …