Note from JWR:

It is gratifying to see that the SurvivalBlog readership is still growing steadily. Please continue to to tell your family, friends, and co-workers about this blog. God willing, reading SurvivalBlog will motivate them to get “squared away” logistically. Their increased preparedness could help save many lives: their own, yours, your friends, your neighbors, and your loved ones. So it is in your own best interest to spread the word! We will be announcing the winner of the first SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest on December 1st. The writer of the best article will win a four day course certificate at Front …


CONEXes, Not Rolexes

In person at guns shows and at public speaking engagements, as well as in e-mail, I often have folks mention some of the odd, if not bizarre things that they have purchased for their survival preparations. They run the gamut: Ostentatious: The reader that blew virtually his entire preparation budget on a brand new BMW 4×4 SUV Impractical: The gent who said that he owns just one firearm: An AR-15 with five 100-round Beta C-MAGs, a rail-mounted white flashlight, a rail-mounted IR flashlight, PAQ-4 laser target designator, a Gen 3 PVS-4 starlight scope, bipod, and a pseudo-M203 (37mm) flare launcher. …


The Great Debate–Puru Saxena Explains the Fed’s Interest Rate Hikes

Don’t miss the article titled The Great Debate by Puru Saxena which recently ran in The Daily Reckoning. In it, Saxena refutes the widespread belief is that the Federal Reserve is currently increasing interest-rates to “control” inflation. Here is an excerpt from his excellent article: “The grim reality is that the modern day central banking IS inflation…and the quicker we get used to this idea, the better. The deflation scare is nothing more than a decoy, which the central banks use in order to continue with their money-printing (inflationary) program. Still not convinced? Then, consider the greatest fabrication, the Japanese …



Note from JWR:

I have again expanded the SurvivalBlog Glossary. It is now much more comprehensive–with many more technical entries. And for the benefit of our overseas readers, I have added a lot of acronyms that are already familiar to most Americans.


Letter from G.F.L. –Reply to L.C., Re: On Gold, Silver, and Barter

Mr. Rawles: The following response is not intended to be insulting, but I fear it must inevitably come across as such. L.C.’s ignorance is so astonishing in its breadth and depth that I do not know how else to address it. I therefore apologize from the outset for what follows, but understand that this is all intended in the sincere hope of increasing understanding and not some sort of “I know more than you do” contest.  L.C. wrote: “I was moderately concerned for the first time reading your blog this past week in regards to the post on Gold and …


Letter Re: States Plans for Asian Avian Flu

James; I was looking at the Texas State Department of Health and Human Services home page this morning and saw a link to their state plan for a flu pandemic. I thought our fellow readers might like to take a look. Probably would be a good idea for us all to see what each of our states have in mind for us. Here is the URL: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/influenza/pandemic/ Long Life, – “Overhill”



Note from JWR:

Today we feature another entry for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The deadline for entries is November 28th. Get your entry in soon ! The writer of the best article will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight! (An up to $2,000 value.)


Intelligent Consumerism for the New Survivalist by “A. Friend”

Reduce, re-use, and recycle. This article addresses intelligent consumerism for the new survivalist. You’ve heard it many times before: you get what you pay for. As consumers in a global economy we have more choices than ever, but perhaps not as many wise choices. Imported junk fills the shelves of many stores and being a smart consumer is not as easy as knowing a few brand names. Once upon a time you had a general sense of quality by the brand name of a product but the new global economy has made brand names largely irrelevant outside their use as …


Clarification on Pre-1965 Silver Coins

There was an interesting thread of conversation over on The FALFiles Forums about the U.S. 90% silver coinage that was minted up to 1964. The thread began: > Talk about coincidence, I was given two silver quarters im my change from a local McDonalds [the] day > before yesterday. I knew there was something good in all that change as soon as she dropped > it into my hand by the distinct difference in sound the old coins made, the cashier never batted an eye. >I got one 1965 quarter in very good shape and one 1942 quarter that looks …



Letter Re: More on Survival Communications and Six Meter Propagation Oddities

Howdy Mr. Rawles! One frequency [band] that I have had good results from has been 6 meters. This frequency is really unique. It may not be suitable for every situation, however its properties can be of use. It has the ability to become a national frequency when the E layer of the atmosphere is active. I have talked to HAMs from Washington state, to San Francisco, California down through Texas, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Haiti, parts of South America, Vermont and above the Arctic Circle in Canada, [and] among adjacent states. Lets just say I am …



Note from JWR:

Pardon me for getting off topic “chasing rabbits”, but I will be posting some more articles and letters on secure communications, encryption, and privacy in next the couple of days. Encryption and cryptanalysis have been interests of mine for many years–even before I was an ASA officer. I hope that you can appreciate the utility of secure communications in retreat planning and in organizing survival teams. If not, well then humor me…