Lacto-Fermentation–Enlisting Trillions of Microscopic Allies in Your Fight for Survival, by Gospel Guy

In a world with no power from the electrical grid how can perishable foods be stored? Drying and canning are common solutions but are not suitable for all foods. Canning in particular is troublesome due to its dependence on access to industrial supply chains for new lids or seals, the need for precise control of temperature and time, and its consumption of large amounts of energy. The easiest, cheapest and most overlooked method of food preservation is by lacto-fermentation which has the advantages of making the food more digestible and neither precise measurements nor exacting temperature controls are necessary. Lacto-fermentation …


Letter Re: Storing Treet Brand Canned Meat

Mr. Rawles, First, I would like to say thank you for honoring our Lord in your work. Thanks also, for writing your novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”. It is excellent. I have been recommending it to all of those I love. As I have been preparing for a while, I have been more often cooking my prep food and trying to adjust to that life style. I have been caching “Treet“. It is a canned [spiced luncheon] meat that has a consistency similar to bologna. I have been storing Treet rather than Spam, because it is supposed to keep …


Odds ‘n Sods:

More than a dozen readers mentioned this prominent mainstream media mention: Energy fears looming, new survivalists prepare. This was an Associated Press wire service article also ran in the Washington Post, on Fox.com, and in daily papers across the nation. It is no wonder that all of the long term storage food vendors are getting deluged with orders. Some of the Sheeple are awakening.    o o o From one of my distant cousins across the Atlantic: Dr. Kate Rawles: Why the climate change debate has gone wrong    o o o And from Tom Rawles, one of my more …



Letter Re: Retreat Options for a 20-Something with Cash Savings

Hello Jim, I’m a 26 year old guy living in the city in Washington [state]. I’ve been watching the world deteriorate over the past five years, and suspect it will get worse faster. For a long time, I’d simply resigned myself to dying young. It didn’t really bother me (probably because it was not at hand.) But recently I’ve been thinking that I might have a chance, and anyway I’ve never liked this “labor for dollars” way of life. I’ve saved up $140,000 and about 3-to-4 year’s worth of stored food. I have very low expenses, no debt, and no …


Letter Re: Resources on Packing Lists and Procedures from Expedition Planners

Dear Editor:: I have followed SurvivalBlog for some time now and find it very interesting and helpful. I believe your readers may be interested in the two following listed [PDF] articles about planning and execution of “expedition” type bicycle travel and motor vehicle travel. While not specifically “SHTF” planning, both go into great detail on selection, supplies, planning, and actual execution of trips in (or “on”, in the case of bicycles) both forms of travel and are not the typical “give me my bullets ‘n beans” articles so prevalent on other web sites. Desert Expeditions [This PDF was already mentioned …


Letter Re: A Clash of World Views–Socialism Versus the Libertarian Ethic

Mr. Rawles: [Your frequent quotes from conservatives such as Thomas Sowell and Austrian School economists] blithely ignore the reality of corporatism, authoritarianism, predation, and entrenched elites. We’ve had our grand experiment in deregulation and the magic of the market, and it’s now perfectly clear where it got us. Why don’t you look up a good quote on the definition of an idealogue [sic] — someone who won’t let go of pretty delusions even when the real world proves the idealogy [sic] wrong. This is where the right wing is today. They want yet more of what has driven this country …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Hawaiian K found us this: Energy Watchdog Warns of Oil-Production Crunch–Daily 12.5 Mil Barrel shortfall by 2015    o o o Eric flagged this article: More go off-grid as economy tanks    o o o Reader N.L. mentioned that an on-line Volunteer Safety and Survival Reference is available for free download. It is an updated and expanded version of “The Universal Survival Handbook” published in 1979, by David A. Nuttle,    o o o Jack B. sent us this: Soaring oil prices may end dollar global status – Study


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Various kinds of ideas can be classified by their relationship to the authentication process. There are ideas systematically prepared for authentication ("theories"), ideas not derived from any systematic process ("visions"), ideas which could not survive any reasonable authentication process ("illusions"), ideas which exempt themselves from any authentication process ("myths"), ideas which have already passed authentication processes ("facts"), as well as ideas known to have failed- or certain to fail- such processes ("falsehoods" – both mistakes and lies).” – Thomas Sowell


Note from JWR:

Please continue to spread the word about SurvivalBlog. There are still a lot of preparedness-minded folks that have not yet heard about the blog . Links in your e-mail footer and/or at your web page or blog page would be greatly appreciated!


A Beginner’s Guide to Essential Oils, by Paul C.

Any basic care kit in a WTSHTF scenario would be lacking if it did not include several essential oils. Aromatherapy has been used since ancient times for medical and religious purposes; its proponents have included Galen (personal physician to Marcus Aurelius), Avicenna (an Arab physician at the turn of the first millennium) and Rene Gattefosse (the father of modern aromatherapy). Essential oils are mentioned in Chinese medical texts dating back over 4,000 years; they were utilized by the Egyptians to embalm their dead. When the Black Death (bubonic plague) ravaged Europe during the Middle Ages, aromatherapists were largely unaffected (probably …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Courtesy of Bob G.: Are You Watching the Food Riots? – Global civil unrest over skyrocketing food prices gives us an unpleasant glimpse at what human nature can do.    o o o Paul D. and Zac both sent us this: ‘Squawk Box’ Guest Warns of $12-to-$15-a-Gallon Gas    o o o From reader Frank S: An Oracle of Oil Predicts $200-a-Barrel Crude    o o o Another from Frank S: Today’s food crisis isn’t a blip


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If socialism, a scheme of mediocrities rather than men of proven ability, is financially unworkable, what happens when the United States is at last socialized by confiscatory income taxes and strangulation of industry in the British manner? Without a capitalist nation to produce wealth, civilization may expect chaos.” – Economist Dr. Karl Fuerbringer (Austrian school)


Note from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. is now at $600. This big auction is for any of you that are gun enthusiasts. It includes 17 items: A four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate, which was kindly donated by Naish Piazza of Front Sight (worth up to $2,000), a $200 gift certificate from Choate Machine and Tool Company (the makers of excellent fiberglass stocks, folding stocks, and shotgun magazine extensions), $450+ worth of full capacity magazines from my personal collection including five scarce original Ruger-made 20 round Mini-14 magazines, and an autographed copy of the book “Boston’s …


Letter Re: The Supply of Battle Rifle Parts Kits in the US is Drying Up

Jim: In a recent post, you wrote: I recommend HK91 clones because they are presently less expensive than M1As, and their spares are much less expensive. An M14 parts kit (everything but the receiver) is around $750, if you can find one. But you can buy a G3 part kit for under $250.” Please tell me where I can buy $250 G3 parts kits. They have all dried up. $400 to $500 if you can find one. I’m needing a couple. Thanks, – Craig W JWR Replies: The last gun show that I attended (late last year) had a table …