Two Letters Re: Survival Bikes

Mr. JWR: A suggestion for the old bike tubes when they need to be replaced; cut out the stem and slit them along the inside of the tube curve, all the way around.  Lay it inside the wheel and nestle the new tube inside it.  You now have an additional rubber layer between the new tube and the puncture threats of the road. – Adventane Dear Mr. Rawles, I have “lurked” for several months on your site and have learned a great deal from it. Regarding Banjo’s article about survival bikes, he did not mention these solid rubber inner tubes, …


Economics and Investing:

Bernanke’s Eternal ZIRP of Bliss: Fed Says It Will Keep Key Interest Rate Near Zero Until Jobs Come Back. [JWR’s Comment: That may be the goal, but if Uncle Sugar keeps on prodigiously buying its own bonds, then the global market may have other ideas about the direction of American interest rates.] And QE-4-Ever: The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced that it will launch a fourth round of quantitative easing (“QE4”) Foodstamps Soar By Most In 16 Months: Over 1 Million Americans Enter Poverty In Last Two Months Items from The Economatrix: Startling Look At US Job Demographics By Age …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Adam B. mentioned that the dramatic difference in population density between the eastern and western United States is apparent in this new NASA satellite photo montage. The American Redoubt is largely a dark patch in this photo, which is a good thing. On a similar note, reader Will G. mentioned this zoomable map: NightlightMap.com.    o o o Ken B. suggested this article: Thinking about backyard poultry?    o o o Reader G.K.C. set a link to a video clip of Senator Durbin (Democrat of Illinois and Senate Majority Whip) recorded last summer wherein he confuses the Right to …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“True, you still have butch T-shirts – ‘Don’t Tread On Me,’ ‘These Colors Don’t Run’ … In my own state, where the Democrats ran the board on Election Night, the ‘Live Free Or Die’ license plates look very nice when you see them all lined up in the parking lot of the Social Security office. But, in their view of the state and its largesse, there’s nothing very exceptional about Americans, except that they’re the last to get with the program…” – Mark Steyn


Notes from JWR:

For just today (12/12/12) Camping Survival is giving away a free 50-foot hank of paracord with each order. — 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 …


Your Ultimate Survival Binder, by Mia M.

  Most of us are aware that the world is full of “WHAT Ifs.”   “What if… my house catches fire, and I have to get out quickly?”   “What if… my purse or wallet is stolen?”   “What if… my family is separated, and I need help finding them?”   One of the most useful items in a well-prepared survivalist’s inventory can help in almost any disaster scenario… and is simple and inexpensive to acquire. We call ours the “Bug-Out Binder,” but you can give yours any name you choose. The best part of an Emergency Binder is that …


Letter Re: Making Our Bug Out Bags Work: Shaving Weight

James, First, thanks for the great blog.  I wanted to take a minute and let the readers know of a great way to test what it is like to be stressed and carry a load of 40 plus pounds for an extended period of time.  Last weekend I participated in a GoRuck Challenge.  The premise is based on Special Forces type training where participants (max of 30 per event) act as a team to accomplish any task that the cadre gives them.  There are a few requirements, the most notable being that each person 150 lbs or more must cary …


Two Letters Re: How to Thwart Nigerian Scammers: Demand Proof of Life

James,  Another variation to watch out for is when the scammer asks you to pay using an escrow account supposedly managed by Amazon or eBay.   A too good to be true add is found, you respond, the scammer/seller tells you he sells using an eBay escrow account. The merchandise will ship to you after you send a check to Escrow. The scammer directs you to a link sent in the scammers/sellers email that appears to be an eBay site.   The scammer creates the illusion of security using a brand like eBay with some official looking legal contract showing how …


Economics and Investing:

Peter Schiff: Many Other Cliffs Await the US Economy Jim W. suggested this from Alasdair MacLeod: Short squeeze ahead? Gold futures market heading for crisis. Yishai sent this:Insane: Liberals Contemplate $1 Trillion Platinum Coin to “Solve” Debt Limit Issue R.B.S. sent this from Oregon: Overdue Portland sewer bills to become property tax bills The World’s Strangest Currencies Items from The Economatrix: The Straw That Breaks The Euro’s Back:  Euro Crash Imminent? Amid “Cliff” Stalemate, Main Street Deteriorates Triple-digit Recession, AAA Loss Loom For UK


Odds ‘n Sods:

There Are Now Approximately 3 Million Preppers In The United States, Why Are They Hated So Much?    o o o Reader Jordan B. sent: US intelligence study sees possible fight ahead over water, food    o o o Where building codes collide with common sense: Watauga County ‘mountain man’ fighting to keep his nature camp open. (Thanks to James S. for the link.)    o o o Reader Rodger E. mentioned a new aluminum Side Saddle shell holder is available for Mossberg 500 and 590 owners. They cleverly use a Picatinny-style rail, for mounting.    o o o 12 …



Notes from JWR:

Update: A reader near Fort Sill, Oklahoma should jump on this big lot: Auction for 21 Pallets of Razor Wire. This variety of wire is more expensive (and effective) than traditional concertina wire. The auction ends at 5 p.m. EST on December 12, 2012. — 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 …


Survival Gear Packing 101, by Jim G.

I’ve been reading a lot lately about types of bags and the many different options for BOBs that are out there. A staple of all prep web sites is the gear list and there is no shortage of suggestions on what you should have with you. What I’m not seeing is how to stow your gear. I’m not talking about the actual packing of your bag. I’ve actually seen an article or two about this, tips like keeping the heavy items low and close to your back, use of ditty bags, or packing your rucksack in a columnar system. What …


News From The American Redoubt:

Reader T.K., who lives in the Tri-cities [Richland, Pasco and Kennewick] region of Washington wrote to mention that local credit union, HAPO, is ordering in $2,000 in nickels for him with no fee charged. “I’m simply taking $2,000 out of my account with them and they are giving me $2,000 in nickels. It is going to take a week for the order to go through and they asked me to have some kind of bins to put them in but other than that they had no issues with me getting a bulk shipment of nickels. Yet another reason to live …


Economics and Investing:

US citizens leaving the country to avoid stiff tax bills Euro Area Pushed Into Recession as Trade Slows, Spending Drops Jim W. suggested this: Research Shows ALL Paper Money Systems Failed Items from The Economatrix: How To Prepare For The Coming Gold Crunch Oil Trades Near Three-Week Low as ECB Cuts Europe Growth Outlook More US Service Jobs Heading Offshore The World’s Economy Is In Peril, The Government Knows It