Odds ‘n Sods:

H.L. liked this piece at Alt-Market: Off-Grid Refrigeration    o o o Dick Morris Reveals How Obama Will Kill The 2nd Amendment On July 27    o o o Not particularly preparedness-related, but this collaborative music video site is amazing: The Johnny Cash Project    o o o Peter S. recommended two new e-books: The Survival Doctor’s Guide to Burns and The Survival Doctor’s Guide to Wounds    o o o The United Nations will convene next week for agreement on a “Small Arms and Light Weapons” Treaty. Please contact your Senators and insist that they do not ratify the …



Note from JWR:

Today we present a lengthy entry for Round 41 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 …


Living With Photovoltaic Power, by D.P.

So, you’ve been wondering if you should be buying some photovoltaic (PV) panels to avoid the darkest of ages? And you have some specific questions: – how many panels do I need? – which type of panel do I need? – what’s it going to cost? – what about an inverter? – what can I actually get done with my energy? In this post I will try to answer these questions, having gone through the process myself in the last few years. My hope is that by relating my journey, it will help some of you make the right decisions …


Letter Re: American Redoubt Relocation Climate Questions

James, My question is on the American Redoubt.  It’s late in the game, but I’ve got to get out of Southern California.   What do you think of eastern Montana as a place to settle down?  Are the snows as bad as the Western part of the state?  My parents used to have a place 7 miles outside of West Yellowstone, and they said it was the coldest spots in the continental U.S.  Is the eastern part of Montana like that?   I’ve been watching what’s going on in America, and even I’m getting shaken.  I need to go where …


Economics and Investing:

The hindrance of global debt – Spain accelerating to major bailouts and bond markets react. Eurozone stock markets in major decline. David B. sent this: Fed Plans Dollar Devaluation, New Evidence; Why Now? G.G. suggested this: David Stockman: “The Capital Markets Are Simply A Branch Casino Of The Central Bank” (Includes a link to an insightful video interview of Stockman.) Also from G.G.: San Marino falls victim to the eurozone crisis Items from The Economatrix: Greece Now in “Great Depression,” Says PM Is Vegas Signaling the Consumer is Folding? Europe’s Systemic Collapse…And What it Means for Us and You Wall …


Odds ‘n Sods:

H.L. sent this profile of delusion: 55 Percent Of Americans Believe That The Government Will Take Care Of Them If Disaster Strikes. The article includes this frightening statistic: “53 percent of all Americans do not have a 3 day supply of nonperishable food and water in their homes.”    o o o G.G. flagged this: A Nation That’s Losing Its Toolbox. Thankfully, SurvivalBlog readers are regaining forgotten skills, with plenty of hands-on experience in our gardens, in our wood shops, and under the hoods of our vehicles.    o o o How to stop a massacre    o o o …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 41 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 …


Buying Inexpensive Groceries in Small Towns, by Sarah in Texas

The “extreme couponing” movement is fascinating. In larger communities than mine, people can combine coupons, sales, and store policies (like double- or triple-coupon days) to walk out with free or dirt-cheap groceries, hygiene items, and other goodies. When you’re trying to build a survival stockpile, every dollar matters; it’s great to get a years’ worth of toothbrushes for the entire family for just a few dollars, for example, and to stock up on canned vegetables for twenty cents apiece. However, I live in a small town. This rural part of Texas includes a Wal-Mart Supercenter, a local grocery store, and …


Some Myths About Seeds, by M.J.E.

I keep coming across misinformation on some of the prep sites I’ve encountered and thought it would be helpful to set some things straight with regard to seeds, seed storage and growing food and other useful plants. Here are some myths I’ve encountered and my attempts at clarification. While the misinformation may not endanger you, it can prevent you from using all resources available or create some false expectations. Myth 1: If you save seeds from hybrid plants (commercial seeds, not heirloom), you’ll starve. Seeds from hybrid plants, in my experience, will not fail to grow – they’re just not …


Letter Re: Vehicle Radiator Ballistic Protection

James: In your novel Patriots, you describe a 1968 Ford Bronco getting its radiator shot out. The only reason that the radiator was put in the front of early cars was because they did not have effective water pumps in the beginning, water flowed through and was cooled. 90% of the air that cools the radiator comes from under the bumper. You can totally block off the upper portion without any overheating issues. So a series of slats if you do not trust it, could be welded behind the grill if you wanted to. If you are still afraid of …


Letter Re: Observations on Post-Tornado Cleanup

James, We have been volunteering at the remains of a home of a prepper here in Ohio for the past two weekends.  Their home was destroyed by a tornado.  I have some simple suggestions that you might incorporate into your future work.                 1.  Store / Organize photos and documents in Ziploc bags.  In this case, they had the preverbal box of pictures stored on the second floor of a three story 1860 brick home with brick interior walls located flood plain.  The tornado remove the upper story plus half of the second floor.  The box of pictures was found …


Letter Re: Prepare to Share

I have been reading your articles for quite a while now and I have a comment on the article Prepare To Share. This has been a difficult subject to deal with. I have been prepping for 2 1/2 years. At times my wife thinks I’m going a little over board. Last winter when we had such mild weather ( I work on heaters) we lived off the food I had stored due to the lack of work and income. This was eye opening and it has set my resolve to store more for the coming problems while I have work …


Economics and Investing:

Reader B.B. sent this: 8,753,935: Workers on Disability Set Another Record in July; Exceed Population of 39 States Federal Government’s Debt Jumps More Than $1T for 5th Straight Fiscal Year More mainstream media Pollyanna nonsense: Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Housing Bust Is Over. (Thanks to C.D.V. for the link.) Sue C. sent this: US poverty on track to rise to highest since 1960s J.B.G. suggested this article: Blaming the Spanish victim as Europe spirals into summer crisis Items from The Economatrix: Five Banks Fail, 2012 Tally at 38 Gold Shaping Up for a Major Uptrend Gary North:  Central Banks …