The Business of Survival: A Look at Growing Trends and 2012, by Scott D.

Introduction This is going to be a landmark year for survivalism. There are a myriad of important societal, political and economic events on the radar that are fueling an expansion of interest in ‘being prepared’. Worldwide economic uncertainty, global political tension with Iran, an election year in the United States, and the approaching social phenomenon associated with December 21st, 2012 all loom. A decade’s worth of catastrophic events including terrorism, large-scale weather disasters and public shootings have only served to bring public uneasiness to a boil. More people are reacting, as sales of food stocks, firearms, and outdoor survival gear …


Letter Re: A Practical Utilitarian’s Take On Firearms and Calibers

Mr. Rawles, I really enjoyed the SurvivalBlog article by Kyrottimus, titled A Practical Utilitarian’s Take On Firearms and Calibers. I appreciate his expertise and experience.  I commend his list of Must-Haves for the AR-15 or M4gery, and would like to respectively suggest one more item to add to the McFarland 1-piece gas ring, the Bravo Company Gunfighter charging handle, and the Magpul B.A.D. Lever.  The Defender D Ring should be an addition to your AR-15 rifles.  After listening to John Farnham sing the praises of this little device, it should be a serious consideration on a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW). The Defender …


Letter Re: Key Questions For and About Your Children

James: In regards to M.D.M.’s article, I’d like to add something to his Question #4, There is no reason to smother a baby or toddler to keep them quite as in that M*A*S*H episode mentioned. I learned an old Indian trick years ago, when my kids were young and restless. All a mother needs to do is blow lightly in the child’s face when they start fussing and about to cry. This blowing lightly momentarily takes their breath away, and they stop fussing, and concentrate on breathing, It doesn’t take much blowing lightly in their face, and they soon drift off …


Economics and Investing:

Sean B. spotted this in The LA Times: More municipalities betting on pension bonds to cover obligations. Note that the “pension obligation bonds” that they mention are actually derivatives. Jim Rogers & Peter Schiff Agree, U.S. Treasury Crisis In 2013   Truth About $6 Gas, $200 Oil and the Quest for Energy Independence   2012 the year of the short sale – Short sales over 50 percent of all MLS inventory in Southern California. Items from The Economatrix: Americans Angry As Gas Nears $4 Durable Goods Orders Hint at Weak First Quarter Gas Prices Expected To Continuously Increase Through Summer …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Designer’s sleeping bag coat transforms – and warms – Detroit’s homeless. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)    o o o Over at Alt-Market: Cold Weather Bug-Out Survival Lessons    o o o Insane Michigan government announces plan to destroy ranch livestock based on hair color and arrest hundreds of ranchers as felons    o o o Reader Jake K. wrote to mention that those who scoff at the risk of high population density should look at these maps: This is the Most Densely Packed City in the US. Get thee to the Redoubt!    o o o Speaking of …



Note from JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 39 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 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a …


Preparation Could Mean Survival, by D.S.A.

Some people say you can’t prepare for every situation.  I say, you can because every situation has one common element that can and will hurt you outside of the event itself: other people.  Lets face it, if you die in a storm, a nuclear/biological/chemical event, or terror attack, then you are dead.  There is nothing from stopping God’s will.  You don’t prepare for those events, you prepare for surviving those events.  There are many events, (and not far-fetched crazy extreme events) which people should be prepared to deal with to protect themselves and their families when it’s over and you …


A Practical Utilitarian’s Take On Firearms and Calibers, by Kyrottimus

I’ve been working as a firearms and ammo salesman (and thusly, a consultant) in a storefront gun shop in northwestern Montana for the past few years now. My firearms experience far predates my time there in other gun-related industries. However, I have had the benefit of learning a great bit more (and still am) regarding firearms, ammo and the unique perspectives and applications of the end users. The day I stop learning is the day I stop breathing. I get asked all the time, “What’s better, an AK or AR?” or “Mossberg 500 or Remington 870?” or currently the most …


Letter Re: Those Looking For Leadership

Jim, My family and I greatly appreciate all the work you have put into Survival blog and the wealth of knowledge of your readers. I would like to share a situation that happened to me recently. My family has been preparing in some fashion since around Y2K and have really stepped up the pace in the last four years since we found SurvivalBlog. We are hearing God’s calling for us to move to the American Redoubt from behind enemy lines, okay he is no longer calling to us in the quiet voice more like yelling to us: GET TO SAFETY! …


Economics and Investing:

Naïveté, Incroyable! U.S. House Panel Approves Bill Limiting Swaps-Regulation Reach. Do the congresscritters think that they are now somehow getting a handle on the derivatives market? (Thanks to J. McC. for the link.) Debt Bubble: Why “Too Big To Fail” Banks Still Face Much Trouble Ahead   Fed Policy: Ben Bernanke is Warming Up His Helicopter Items from The Economatrix: Housing Market Recovery Hits Pothole The Great Recession of 2007 Never Ended, We are in Fact in a Depression 10 Reasons Why the Reign of the Dollar as the World Reserve Currency is About to Come to an End Crude …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Mojopie was the first of several readers to send this link: Doomsday dating sites: ‘Don’t face the future alone’    o o o Frank B. mentioned this over at Washington’s Blog: The Government Spends Trillions On Unlikely Threats … But Won’t Spend a Billion Dollars to Prevent the Very Real Possibility of Global Nuclear Catastrophe    o o o Another round for lead ammo ( Thanks to Ron G. for the link.)    o o o Ian R. flagged this: Ottawa opens up emergency drug stockpile. JWR Asks: And after that reserve is depleted?    o o o Reader Pierre …



Note from JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 39 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 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a …


Post-Apocalyptic Healthcare, by Dr. Daniel Stickler

I first began prepping about two years ago so I am fairly new to this.  In those two years I have been fairly aggressive with my education and training on the topic with much of my real world education coming from reading blogs.  I have found an area where there is a great deal of misinformation and limited preparedness so it has prompted me to address this topic since it is the one area where I possess a skill set that I can share.  The topic is healthcare after the SHTF.  I think it is difficult for any of us, …