A Concentric Circle Preparedness Plan, by Second Hand Lion

As a professional project manager for a large international corporation, my position requires me to mitigate the risks of unknown variables that can alter the success of large and small projects. Donald Rumsfeld quote that ‘we don’t know what we don’t know” comes to mind. It is my job to insulate our company from cost overruns, time delays, or catastrophic project failure by identifying those variables and reducing their impact. These principles of project management applied to small personal events to those effecting us globally has led me to recognize some concerning trends in the preparedness community. My observations have …


Two Letters Re: Cycling into TEOTWAWKI

Good Morning Jim, I would like to add my wholehearted support to the article “Cycling into TEOTWAWKI” by Mine T. I have been an enthusiastic Cyclist for many years, and consider a well set up bicycle to be an excellent option for bugging out, when staying where you are is not an option. I also believe a bicycle will give urban preppers a considerable advantage to those attempting to get out of dodge on foot, or even by four wheeled vehicle. A bicycle can go just about anywhere, so the option of riding out of a city along footpaths, railway …


Economics and Investing:

Those #&%*#^@ derivatives! JPMorgan exec disregarded warnings on portfolio risk MC in Florida suggested this Zero Hedge article: Japanese Pension Fund Switches to Gold for the First Time Ever B.B. sent this: U.S. has Two to Five Years Before Financial Meltdown. Items from The Economatrix: Bank Runs Hit Greece. (Another news article quotes Greek President Karolos Papoulias: “[Greek Central Bank chairman] Provopoulos told me that of course there’s no panic but there’s great fear which can evolve into panic.”) As Europe’s Economic Outlook Darkens, US Risks Grow Oil Drops a Fourth Day on Rising U.S. Supplies, Greek Elections S&P in …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another preparedness conference has been announced. These have been popping up like mushrooms this year. This one is near Portland, in Oregon City, Oregon. (That fun cliff-dwelling city with an elevator that connects its two levels.) PREPARE 2012 will be held at the Oregon City Pool Conference Center, 1211 Jackson Street, on Saturday, June 23, 2012, from 6-to-8 in the evening. The organizer of the event is Scott McSorley of Cascadia Preparedness Disaster Consulting.    o o o The Poster Boy for Bad OPSEC: Preppers do their best to be ready for the worst    o o o K.A.F. …



Note From JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 40 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 …


An Introductory How To Guide to Wild Herbal Medicine, by P. Farms Mike

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional.  All advice given in this article should be discussed with your doctor before attempting to use them.  Please be cautious that all plants that you use have been properly identified before using them medically. After a societal collapse, no matter the cause, store bought medicine will disappear.  If you are like my wife and I you have stored up medicines along with your food, water, and all the rest.  However, if the collapse will be long term then sooner or later you are going to run out of medicine.  About a year ago, …


Cycling Into TEOTWAWKI, by MineT

Cycling has many facets that could attract people preparing for the time when the comforts we have been so accustom to are no longer available. Pick your scenario for the drastic change in our future and a bicycle might be able to handle some of the chores that a computer controlled fossil fuel vehicle may no longer be capable of. If the family car is incapacitated, how will you get from point A to point B? But one can’t expect to just shell out some money on a human powered urban assault vehicle, and one day just pick it up …


Three Letters Re: Commercial Storage Space Thievery

Hi Jim, To follow up on the recent letter on Commercial Storage Space Thievery, I had a very similar experience with my storage locker.  I have a locker from Public Storage in Saratoga, California and had the very same thing happen.  I checked out my unit one night and another lock was on the unit.  I had the Sheriff come by and they did the usual.  The problem I am having presently is the insurance company hasn’t really done much and its been three months [since I discovered the theft.]  I had all the receipts from Amazon.com and Costco.com so …


Letter Re: Deep Concealment Holsters

Dear Field Gear Editor: I respectfully disagree with the use of the  Deep Concealed Carry Holster for most people who carry concealed firearms.  Gun fights happen in seconds and taking the time to rip open a shirt and cross draw may not be fast enough to survive.  However, anyone carrying a concealed  firearm should be well versed  in the concept of situational awareness and be prepared well in advanced that the use of a weapon may be needed.  Another problem with a cross draw in a highly stressful situation is the heightened possibility of muzzle flashing  someone other that the …


Economics and Investing:

The latest coinage debasement news, this time from The Philippines: Coin hoarding soon a crime? JWR’s Comment: With orchestrated currency inflation there comes the inevitable day when seigniorage costs advance to unacceptable levels, and the metallic value of any given coin greatly exceeds its face value. Rather than doing the honest thing–knocking a few zeroes off their paper currency–governments often resort to bans on coin melting and coin exportation. Anti-hoarding laws are much less common in First World countries as there are typically no limitations on the amount of a currency that someone holds in an ostensibly “sound” currency regime. …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A reminder that a Self Reliance Expo will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 18th and 19th. There should be a half dozen SurvivalBlog advertisers with booths there.    o o o AmEx sent this: Science Journal Could Give Recipe For Deadly Avian Flu Virus    o o o Kevin S. sent a link to an interesting fringe Libertarian “Second Realm” manifesto. (“Crypto-Anarchy, Tradecraft, TAZ and Counterculture.”) Coincidentally, Kevin also sent this piece from The Von Mises Institute: The Philosophy of Ownership    o o o Grace mentioned this over at Mac Slavo’s SHTFPlan blog: Emergency Preparedness: How …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"This world is an uncertain realm filled with danger. Honor undermined by the pursuit of power. Freedom sacrificed when the weak are oppressed by the strong. But there are those who oppose these powerful forces; who dedicate their life to truth, honor, and freedom. These men are known as Musketeers". – Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers, serialized March to July, 1844.


Note From JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 40 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 …


Alternate Food Storage: A Week in a Bucket, by ChemEngineer

Food Storage has been talked and written at length, but equally important are the logistics of Food Usage when it comes time to break out that food and begin using it. To store the food that way that it will be used, I’ll put “A Week in a Bucket”. It takes some meal-planning and some smaller packages to be able to store “A Week in a Bucket”; but when it comes time to use these pre-planned, balanced diets, opening one bucket at a time is much preferred to opening a bucket of beans, a bucket of rice, a bucket of …