Notes from JWR:

Today is the 234th anniversary of the British surrender following the Battle of Vincennes at Fort Sackville in what is now Indiana. This 1779 battle is is notable for at least four reasons: The actions of Colonel Clark and his company-strength unit of men endured considerable hardship in a surprise march across the flooded and frozen Illinois prairie and yet defeated a numerically superior and fortified enemy force with small arms, primarily rifle fire alone; the flatboat carrying artillery support from Fort Pitt/Pittsburgh down the Ohio River and up the Wabash failed to arrive in time for Clark’s attack and …


Back From South Sudan — A C.R.O.S.S. Ministries Update from Micah Wood

I am blessed. It was very apparent during the trip that I had many people, and people fervently praying for me and that they were praying to a holy and sovereign God who answered. So thank you. And my wife thanks you too!  To elaborate, it was frankly terrifying leaving my family in Idaho and going to a country half way round the world that had so many unknowns and is reported to be overly violent… not knowing if I would come back or not. But we serve an awesome God. In Him I put my trust and got on …


Announcing the Auction of a PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope to Benefit C.R.O.S.S. Ministries

Today we begin a benefit auction of a brand new AN/PVS-14 Gen 3+ Night Vision Scope. All proceeds (100% of your bid) will be donated to C.R.O.S.S. Ministries. (A very worthy Christian ministry that is sharing the Gospel of Christ in South Sudan. Their outreach method is unique: They are teaching rural villagers tactical marksmanship, water treatment, and firefighting skills, free of charge.) The monocular is one of these. (The same model that we use here at the Rawles Ranch.) These night vision scopes normally retail for around $3,600. (Although Ready Made Resources sells them at the discounted price of …


The Federal Reserve’s Inauspicious 100th Anniversary

The year 2013 marks one significant anniversary that will probably be soft-pedaled by the mass media: December 23, 2013 will be the 100th anniversary of the exclusive private banking cartel known as The Federal Reserve–America’s central bank. I detest this organization. It isn’t Federal (not any more “Federal” than Federal Express), and it has no real Reserves. Lex Mala, Lex Nulla The Federal Reserve Act was improperly implemented as an act of congress. Properly, it should have been promulgated as a Constitutional amendment. Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution dictates: “No state shall make anything but gold and …


Pat’s Product Review: Maxxeon WorkStar 2000

Way back before computers completely took over our lives, life seemed a lot simpler. If it were up to me, I’d live without computers, microprocessors, cell phones, texting, e-mails and tweets (whatever that is). I long for the time when cars were more simple to work on, I used to love tinkering with my own cars, improving on them, repairing them, and just playing around with them. Heck, I even worked as a dune buggy mechanic in Hawaii for a time. Today, with all the computers running cars and trucks, I can’t hardly figure out anything on new vehicles, you …


Letter Re: Non-Hybrid Seeds at COSTCO Stores

Jim, While perusing the Costco web site, I noted that Costco is now stocking “Preparedness Storage Non-GMO Garden Seeds” — and they’re non-hybridized, which makes them good for saving seed in a true survival situation. The bucket contains 24 varieties of seeds, including the “usual suspects” like corn, peas, tomatoes, and carrots as well as some more unusual plants like eggplant, swiss chard, cabbage and kohlrabi. Just finding it interesting that it seems like prepping has gone totally mainstream, and that Costco is leading the charge! Best, – S.J. JWR Replies: In my Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course, I describe …


Letter Re: So-Called Totally Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in South Africa

Sir: Regarding your recent link to the US News article: “Doctors Struggling to Fight ‘Totally Drug-Resistant’ Tuberculosis in South Africa”, I would like to comment.   As an infectious diseases research scientist with a specialty in tuberculosis (TB) the term “Totally Drug Resistant” peaked my interest, considering the World Health Organization (WHO) does not recognize this term.  To express the resistance to anti-TB drugs, we use very precise terms, where multidrug resistance (MDR-) represents resistance to two specific drugs, isoniazid and rifampin, and extensively-drug resistance (XDR-) is resistance to any of the second line drugs and one of the injectable …


Letter Re: Bitcoin Update

Mr. Rawles, Thank you for your site and all that you do.  I haven’t seen anyone mention on Survivalblog the recent price rise in Bitcoin.  It is a good time to turn any coins into tangible items.  I would like to recommend Fastcash4bitcoins.com I used the service for the first time about two weeks ago just to see if it was for real I selected the pay me with a check option and was paid out on 5 bitcoins.  I can happily say I received and cashed the check three days later.  Now that I had some more confidence in …


Letter Re: How Racially Tolerant is the American Redoubt?

Hello sir. I am a sheepdog that is very aware and nervous about the way things are progressing. I have been a prepper for a while. It’s a side effect of my upbringing and career. I have been researching whether it is realistic and feasible for me to relocate to the American Redoubt. I am a black American, although I am really just an American like you! I see a lot that I like, however I am worried that a black man (light skinned, but still, LOL) would not be generally welcome in that region and/or have to be constantly …


Recipe of the Week:

Mandy’s Dried Fruit Cookies   3/4 C mashed / pureed bananas 1/3 C vegetable oil (the higher the smoke-point the better) 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 C oat bran 1.5 C oatmeal 1.5 C dried fruit in small slices or dice (may be a mix) 1/2 C raw nuts or seeds (may be a mix)   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix bananas, oil & salt together first. Work in bran, then oatmeal. Finally fold in fruit & nuts/seeds. Use a TBS measure or scoop to place dollops of dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake 20-25 min. or …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. sent us a link to some clueless punditry from The Economist crowd: More Inflation Is the Cure for the Fed’s Impotence. The Fed is locked in to ZIRP and endless monetization (“Quantitative Easing”) because the service cost on the Treasury debt would be unsustainable if interest rates were to rise. When inflation resumes and interest rates do jump, it will be Game Over. The Dollar will crash, interest rates will run up past 15%, and the economy will stagnate. Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Avent. At this point the Fed is irretrievably stuck until Der Tag, when …


Odds ‘n Sods:

L.M. sent: You’re a SEAL Stranded in Hostile Territory: What’s in Your Survival Kit? JWR Adds: Not mentioned in this article were three items that have been carried by many special operators on selected mission since around 1990: An international telephone calling phone card, a credit card, and a passport. These are musts if an operator walks out of enemy territory to a neutral country where they can then buy a plane ticket home. (Yes, this has been done, but I’m not at liberty to mention the particulars.)    o o o An associate of mine spent hundreds of hours …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 45 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) 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 …