Odds ‘n Sods:

Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods suspends sale of semi-automatic rifles from stores nationwide    o o o K.A.F. spotted this: Luxury Living… with a twist! (He converted a dumpster.)    o o o F.G. sent some surprising news from England: The most violent country in Europe: Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S.    o o o F.G. also suggested: How to Repack and Store Your AR Ammunition    o o o SurvivalBlog’s own Editor at Large, Michael Z. Williamson liked this review: Wilderness Belts: On the Battlefield, and In Your Life



Notes from JWR:

This is the birthday of Charles Wesley (born 1707 – 29 March 1788). He wrote more that 1,700 hymns. My middle name was chosen in honor of the Wesley brothers. (My family has a strong Reformed tradition.) — Today is also the birthday of Jørgen Haagen Schmith (born 1910, died October 15, 1944). He was better known under the codename Citron, was a famous Danish resistance fighter in occupied Denmark. His exploits were dramatized in the movie Flame and Citron. I pray that I’m never put in the same difficult position that Schmith was in. Wars of resistance are rarely …


Security Issues for Preppers, by R.H.

I have nearly thirty years of law enforcement experience. That experience was gained as a local police officer, a deputy Sheriff and finally as a state trooper.  The last decade or so of my trooper career was spent as a crime scene investigator for a state police agency.  I only tell you this for you, the reader to weigh the opinions and statements that will follow.  This experience serves as my only true “skill” as I’m a terrible carpenter, plumber, cook, welder, gardener or nurse!  What follows is my small contribution to the “how to” lessons for a prepper that …


Letter Re: Self-Defense and Stress: You are Your Own Last Line of Defense, by Jessica B.

James: Jessica B wrote a good article entitled “Self Defense and Stress” and to add to what she wrote about the lack of articles on “…that moment that you find yourself in a stressful, self-defense situation and how to overcome it,” Col. Cooper’s “Four Conditions” immediately came to mind. That great man not only gave use the “Four Rules” for firearms, but the “Four Conditions” for mental preparedness for self-defense, both of which are as perfect as simplifying the complex can be. I assume they have been discussed before, but are worth repeating. From Father Frog’s web site, a good …


Letter Re: Automotive Preparedness

The author has laid out many very important ideas regarding keeping one’s vehicle(s) in working order and having the tools and know how to do repairs “on the fly”. I’d like to add one very important consideration – the MANUFACTURER and vintage of your vehicle. It hit me like “a ton of bricks” when the author mentioned his vehicle was a 1995 Chevy 1500.   I had one!  Without a doubt it was the worst vehicle I’ve ever owned. Brakes were worthless off of the showroom floor. By the 62,000 mi mark when I finally traded it the metallic blue paint had peeled …


News From The American Redoubt:

Take a look at these cell phone coverage maps — note the big gaps in the American Redoubt. Bad news? Well, for some of us who want to “get lost” it isn’t! (Here at Rawles Ranch, it is a looong drive to the nearest cell phone signal.) If nothing else, these maps certainly tell you something about the low population density in the Redoubt and some other hinterboonies regions. Think of these regions as the last frontiers in the Lower 48.    o o o Panel says hunting could help manage grizzly bears. Hunting grizzlies could become legal in three …


Economics and Investing:

From Chris P.: Food and fuel shortages in war-torn Syria.  Regime targeting bakeries and farmers. “Twist” Redux: Fed to Launch New Bond Buying Program to Ease Fiscal Cliff Fears B.B. liked this Peter Schiff interview: Majority Doesn’t “Have A Right To Steal My Money Just Because They Voted For It” Why The Fiscal Cliff Is Set To Crush The Middle Class With 50% Tax Rates FEMA trailers to the rescue! (a month or two late): U.S. Rep. Pallone: post-Sandy temporary housing plans in N.J. to start following talk with FEMA director Items from The Economatrix: New Fed Metrics, QE4 Won’t …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A link courtesy of The Woodpile Report: Mysterious radiation event of 774 might be (a little) less mysterious. A solar flare 20 times more powerful than the oft-cited Carrington event! (How do you like your microcircuits? Regular or extra crispy?)    o o o Bob Owens: The terror of the anti-liberty movement. (Thanks to G.S. for the link.)    o o o H.L. was the first of several readers to mention this news story: Florida nears 1 million permits for concealed weapons. [JWR’s Comment: In the 1980s and 1990s many hand-wringing editorialists loudly predicted that crime rates would skyrocket and …



Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of Simo Häyhä (born 1905, died April 1, 2002), was the world’s most successful sniper. Using an iron-sighted Mosin–Nagant in Finland’s Winter War, he had an astounding 505 confirmed sniper kills. — In addition to two articles of my own, today I’m posting a piece by our Medical Editor and a product review by Pat Cascio. Please note that they are both volunteer editors. Their efforts are greatly appreciated!


Of Wolves, Bureaucrats, Biologist-Activists, and Assorted Parasites

I’ve come to the conclusion that our worst imaginings of Canadian timber wolves (purposefully introduced to the Lower 48 by do-gooder bureaucrats in 1995) might have been insufficient. To those of us who live in the rural west, these land sharks are well known for their fanged depredations on sheep, cattle, deer, elk, and moose. But their greater menace–at least to humans–might actually be in the form of a tiny tapeworm that they carry: Echinococcus granulosus. This tapeworm was endemic with these wolves, long before they were introduced. Tapeworm cysts have been identified in both Idaho and Montana in recent …


Debasement is Still Inevitable: Another Year for the Real Cupronickel Nickel?

I’ve been warning SurvivalBlog readers about the debasement of the nickel for several years. It now costs the U.S. Mint 11.2 cents to produce each nickel, so debasement seems inevitable. After a two-year study, testing 80 different alloys, the United States Mint’s findings on alternative metals were announced on December 14, 2012. In essence they’ve said: “We need more time.” Here is the key line from the report summary: “The Mint has made significant progress and, at this time, has concluded that additional R&D is necessary before it can recommend any changes to the current coin composition.” Here is a …


Last Minute Medical Prepping, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Soon enough we’ll know whether December 21, 2012 portends a cataclysmic event. One approach regarding how to prepare is to consider what might kill you in a day, in a week, in a month, or a year.  Your preparations will vary depending on your health now and how long you expect to live without the prospect of professional medical care. The most common life-threatening conditions that can kill in a day include acute allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), heart arrhythmias, pulmonary embolism (blood clot to the lung), various severe traumas (gunshot wounds, excess blood loss, cervical fracture (broken neck), and of course, …


Pat’s Product Review: M14 Juggernaut Rogue Bullpup System

I’ve been a huge fan of the M14 rifle system, ever since I was in Basic Combat Training in the US Army, way back in 1969. The .308 Winchester cartridge is the most popular long-range sniping round in use today. The military version is the 7.62 NATO – and they are not exactly the same round – the .308 Winchester round is actually a little bit hotter than the 7.62 NATO round is – not a big difference, but still a difference. When I went into Basic Combat Training, I was a mere 135 pounds – when I finished Basic, …