Letter Re: Buried Cache Retrieval

I recently found an old issue of American Survival Guide magazine (now defunct), with an article that described a cache that had been buried 20+ years earlier, and how well it had fared. Extremely well so the article went, but the land and landmarks had changed over that length of time and it almost wasn’t recovered. For long-term storage like that, remembering where you stashed your cache could be a concern. You might find that a fire has removed all of the trees, and erosion removed any other landmarks you may have used for a benchmark. Or the area has …


Letter Re: Observations on Winter Storm Nemo

Mr. Rawles, In the past few days, I have noticed many articles and threads from preppers regarding the northeast and our recent  snowfall. The general feeling is that we (from New England/New York) did not learn anything from Hurricane Sandy, and were again caught unprepared. Multiple news clips and sound bites  seem to support this. What the rest of the country seems not to realize, is that empty grocery stores, power outages, and blocked roads are a way of life here in New England, and have been for as far back as we can recall.  The prepper community is always speculating …


Four Letters Re: A Prepper’s Guide to EMP

Jim: That was a very good article by Chris C. to get people up to speed on EMP threats and mitigation, there is one very simple thing to add that was shared with me by a former military contractor who was involved in EMP work.   While it’s possible to protect equipment in place with shielding, grounding and specialized electronic components, the most economical solution is to store spares.  This has the advantage of protecting (remember, “two is one”) with backups from ANY type of equipment failure, EMP or otherwise.  This method uses readily obtainable and very economical materials.  There’s …


News From The American Redoubt:

A Montana television station’s regular programming was interrupted by news of a zombie apocalypse…    o o o FAA Releases New Drone List. (Note that there are just a few airports in the American Redoubt, compared to other parts of the country)    o o o Oregon-collared wolf killed by Idaho Hunter    o o o I heard that Armageddon Armory in Nampa, Idaho still has some firearms inventory available, and they just took delivery of a large batch of TAPCO polymer magazines. Many gun shops across the country have empty shelves. So it is nice find one that still …


Economics and Investing:

Putin Turns Black Gold to Bullion as Russia Outbuys World Reader Jim W. sent: Silver Coin Dealers and the New Premium Paradigm The coming pension crisis: States face a $3 trillion funding gap. Only about 10 percent of Americans now covered by pensions. G.G. sent: Americans Are Tapping Into Home Equity Again Venezuelan Devaluation Sparks Panic. (Thanks to R.C. for the link.)


Odds ‘n Sods:

MagPul Industries issues a Colorado legislative alert and says “we may have to move.” Needless to say, they would be enthusiastically welcomed here in the American Redoubt!    o o o Chris G. sent this: Department of Homeland Security Raids Gun Collector Who Didn’t Violate the Law    o o o Nuts! Jericho creator confirms Netflix in talks to revive series    o o o A reader mentioned a mail order company that is worth checking out: 1st Army Supply.    o o o Anthony Wile of The Daily Bell recently interviewed constitutional lawyer Edwin Vieira about his new book …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“They’re not going to tell you [that a collapse is coming]. You’re going to have to see it for yourself. [During the Tequila crisis], the Mexican government affirmed they would not default, that they would not devalue, almost daily. The day after they said “we won’t devalue,” they devalued by 60%. The government’s never going to tell you that it’s going to happen. “Greece’s Yunker said recently, ‘When it becomes serious—you have to lie’. These guys are never going to tell you the truth, because they can’t tell you the truth. Their job is to promote confidence, not to tell …


Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of the late Burt Blumert (born February 11, 1929 in New York City, died March 30, 2009.) He once owned Camino Coin Company. (Coincidentally, so did former congressman Dr. Ron Paul from 1984 to 1996.) I was a Camino customer before the turn of the century. I can remember Burt personally helping me dolly out my first purchase of 100-ounce Engelhard bars. That was back when they cost just $580 each. Those were the days. (The same bars now sell for more than $3,200 each.) — Today’s first feature article is by our Back Country Editor, …


Why Your Doctor Won’t Help You Prepare–And What You Can Do About It, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

This past week I had a pharmacy call me about a multi-year prescription I had written for a fellow prepper.  The pharmacy would not fill the prescription, and didn’t even know if was legal.  At first they told the patient I would have to write a note regarding the purpose of so much medication, and that the drug might not even be good beyond a year.  On further consideration, they informed him that he would have to get a new prescription written for a smaller amount.  It seemed they did not even want to keep the written prescription in their …


Winter Survival Tips, by Mat Stein

Note: This article is adapted from my book When Disaster Strikes: A Comprehensive Guide for Emergency Planning and Crisis Survival Tips for Surviving Outside in Extreme Weather and Subfreezing Temperatures Every year people get lost in the backcountry near where I live in the High Sierras, and end up spending one or more unplanned nights outside in the snow and extreme cold. Some of those folks live to tell the tale, and some of them don’t. Hopefully you will never need to spend unexpectedly long hours outside in extreme weather, but in case you do, here are a few tips: …


Pat’s Product Review: Blackhawk’s Gideon Knife

I believe I first started writing about knives for Knives Illustrated magazine back around 1994. Since that time, I’ve probably had the opportunity to test literally thousands of knives, both fixed blade. folders, and out-the-front knives. Most knives I’ve tested are really pretty good blades. If something is junk, I just won’t waste my time writing about it because folks don’t want to read about junk! Once in a while, something new catches my eye, and I sit up and take notice, when it comes to knives. Blackhawk Products caught my eye with their Gideon drop point fixed blade knife. …


Plan B: Key Phrases to Memorize for Citizens’ Reservation of Rights

I’ve posted numerous articles and links in SurvivalBlog that emphasize the importance of remaining silent whenever you are contacted by law enforcement officers. I strongly recommend that before reading the rest of this post, you take the time watch this lecture: Don’t Talk To The Police, and take it to heart. I’ve heard from several readers who say that that they’ve been pulled over by police officers on “fishing expeditions”. The officers refused to let the motorists go, even though it was obvious that no crime had been committed. These readers did everything right. They presented their identification and proof …


Letter Re: Advice on Joining the Canadian Army

Hello James,   Over the last number of months I have really enjoyed reading articles on your survivalblog.  I like to thank you for all the good and commonsense information.   What are your thoughts on joining the army?  I have a 16 year old son who has his mind set on joining the Canadian armed forces. I like the fact that he is willing to serve his country, but as a Christian is it wise to expose yourself willingly to crude and foul language and other foul behavior. I spoke to a Canadian veteran and told me that you are as a Christian on an ”island” on …


Letter Re: U.S. Army Recipes Available Free Online

Jim, I have been building a library of preparedness-related documents to store on a DVD data disc. In my search for cooking recipes, I found this web site: U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps School: Food Service Publications & Links The page contains a link to a ZIP archive of recipes use by the Army — about 100 MB of indexed recipes of all types. A direct link to the ZIP file is here. Watch ‘Yer Top Knot and Keep Your Powder Dry, – The Wyoming Geezer


Letter Re: Report on the Dulles Gun Show

This afternoon I went to the 3 day gun show (Friday 3-8 and all day Sat, Sun) which began on Friday at 3PM.  Being retired it was easy for me to go but clearly a very large number of people left work early to get ahead of the Saturday morning crowds. So we all got the Friday afternoon crowd instead! Parking in a disabled slot, a gentleman in security noted that I was a 100 percent disabled Veteran and allowed me to walk straight in rather than wait in either of the two lines which went at least 500 meters …