Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …


Observations on Bugging Out By Foot, by J. Smith

I simulated bug-outs on foot in a variety of environments in order to test gear, test myself, and to learn from that single best teacher: experience. I walked with various loads, pack configurations, and equipment through stretches of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. I walked on every type of road imaginable, from the shoulder of bustling interstates to rural roads with a stripe of grass growing in the middle. I walked on railroad tracks, by rivers, in desert, mountains, forests, prairies, and more. In more than a month, I walked around 200 miles while testing various …


Two Letters Re: Dealing with a Genuine Pain in the Rear

Thank you for your wonderful service,  and Merry Christmas! On the subject of Hemorrhoids, my favored,and very effective,  treatment for this problem is tincture of witch-hazel (Hamamelis  Virginiana) It grows plentifully in damp woods in central Appalachians—maybe elsewhere, I simply cut a bunch of the small twigs, stuff them in a jar, and add alcohol. I prefer drinking-grade ethanol, as it is the least toxic of the alcohols. After a couple of days steeping, I begin using it by soaking a small pad of toilet paper or cotton , and pressing it to the affected area a couple of times …


Letter Re: A Nation of Glass

James, I had the same problem that Matt in the Evergreen State did with my doors.  I inherited a house from my family here in The Tar Heel State and after my recent marriage, my wife and I decided to make it our home for a few years.  It was a typical warbaby house, built in the 1940s and remodeled a time or two.  It has a mix of plaster/paneling/drywall walls, a handful of fireplaces, and lots and lots of glass windows and doors.  In fact, when I moved in all someone would have to do to take a stroll …


News From The American Redoubt:

Pro-liberty, survivalist community of thousands planned for North Idaho. (Thanks to reader B.F. for the link.)    o o o The Bakken Oil Boom: Moving “Back Home” to Montana?    o o o The Fastest-Growing States in America (and Why They’re Booming)    o o o Police: US Sen. Crapo arrested, charged with DUI    o o o The scope offerings from Night Force Optics (in Orofino, Idaho–deep in the Redoubt), just get better and better.



Odds ‘n Sods:

What Does It Mean to “Prepare for the Economic Collapse”?    o o o Space Fence program moving forward    o o o Legally Make Your Own Gun.    o o o T.M. recommended AirWaterice.com as a supplier of reverse osmosis systems.  T.M. notes: “The unit is easy to assemble and top quality.  This is small American company, I would like to support the owner.  I do not have any financial ties to him.”


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Have I then no work to work in this great matter of my pardon? None. What work canst thou work? What work of thine can buy forgiveness or make thee fit for the Divine favour? What work has God bidden thee work in order to obtain salvation? None. His Word is very plain and easy to be understood, ‘To him that worketh not, but believeth in Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.’ (Rom. 4:5). There is but one work by which a man can be saved. That work is not thine, but the work of …


Notes from JWR:

As we celebrate Christmas, I wish all SurvivalBlog readers the joy of the knowledge of Salvation and eternal life, through Christ. May the love of Christ Jesus be with you all! — SurvivalBlog’s once lengthy queue for Recipes of the Week is running low! Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!


Pat’s Product Review: Zero Tolerance ZT0560 Folder

It’s no secret that I like big knives, especially folders. While I can get by with small/medium sized folders, I’d take a larger folder over a smaller one if I were out in the boonies, and all I had was a folding knife instead of a fixed blade knife. I still remember when Kershaw Knives started their newest division known as Zero Tolerance (ZT) and their goal was, and is to produce folding and fixed blade knives meant for serious military and law enforcement use – knives that can take a real beating and keep on going. If you’re in …


Letter Re: A Nation of Glass

James, After the Sandy Hook tragedy I got thinking of my own personal security . From limited information in the press the perpetrator came though the window because the doors were locked . After  sending a few rounds through the tempered glass , the glass pulverized and he simply stepped though and started his killing spree . Question , where was the window located ? If it was a side-light to the door then it would be a double paned tempered glass window . Question, if it was a side-light window why no laminated wire mesh? That would have slowed …


Letter Re: Dealing with a Genuine Pain in the Rear

Mr. Rawles, I would like to comment on the recent article by P.S. in Virginia on the sensitive (pun intended) subject of hemorrhoids.  I would suggest the use of arnica montana or just Arnica.  It comes in gel, cream, and sublingual tablets and acts as a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent.  Don’t use the topicals on open wounds.  I am not in the medical field, but my chiropractor/nutritionist recommends it and I have used it for this very purpose and for others.  I purchase mine from Puritan.com, but it is available at many local health food stores, amazon.com, etc.  I have …


Recipe of the Week:

Mike W.’s Stir Crazy Cake I have seldom found a cake recipe this easy not to mention tasty as well. This is called Stir Crazy Cake and I found it in a small book sponsored by a cigarette company that purported it to be “Chuck Wagon” cooking. I will pass it along as it stands for all to enjoy. For the cake itself– 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup cocoa 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup cooking oil 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups cold coffee (or cold …


Economics and Investing:

Sound familiar? Cash Is King: Printing of $100 Bills Soars With Farm Bill Stalled, Consumers May Face Soaring Milk Prices. (Thanks to Michael W. for the link.) K.A.F. sent: Hungary bars foreigners from buying farmland Items from The Economatrix: 20 Signs That The US Poverty Explosion Is Hitting Children And Young People The Hardest, etc. The End Of US Dominance In 2013 Federal Spending, Rising Inventories Mask Much Weaker Economy The Current “Fiscal Cliff” Situation Is A “Worst Case Scenario”