Odds ‘n Sods:

Bill N. mentioned that The Discovery Channel has a new show titled Doomsday Bunkers, that premieres on March 7th.    o o o Geoff S. sent this: Arctic doomsday vault grows a few seeds bigger    o o o Fighting drugs and border violence at Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: What about the ranger’s M14 rifle, Yogi? (Thanks to Tim J. for the link.)    o o o Reader Prepper At Large (PAL) mentioned that the HTTrack Website Copier is available to archive uncopyrighted web page content (including out-of-copyright and freeware online books) for offline viewing.    o o …



Notes from JWR:

Ready Made Resources’ sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods begins today (Thursday, March 1, 2012). They are offering 25% off and free shipping on case lots. The sale ends on March 14th, so order soon. Unlike most Mountain House dealers, Ready Made Resources actually keeps a substantial stock on hand at their Tennessee warehouse, and they are even willing to re-pack to create variety cases upon request, if you are placing a small order. — Today we present another two entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: …


Securing Your Data and Online Communications, by A.F.S.

If you are a frequent visitor to SurvivalBlog then I do not need to explain why the subject matter may be of importance. There are several previous posts that cover somewhat related information that I will reference and expand upon. First, the disclaimers: I am not a data security expert. I could not blind you with science nor expertly baffle you with Bravo Sierra. However, I have been directly involved in the Internet related software business for almost 20 years. I have spent many hours a day for almost two decades using the internet and watching it evolve. During that …


The Defensive Pistol, by W.R.B.

Introduction: My purpose in writing this piece is to further ones knowledge on the subject of the defensive pistol as a survival tool.  To say there is one best gun or best caliber would be ignorant of the facts. To quote Ignatius Piazza of Front Sight: “Any gun will do, if you will do.”  There is more to it than just the gun. I will focus on what I have learned during the course of my life as to what the role of the defensive pistol is or would be in a SHTF situation, what types of weapons and calibers …


Letter Re: Are You Ready for City Sewer Backups?

Mr. Rawles, Some fellow bloggers and I  discuss  prepping ideas on a discussion forum. One subject that came up (pardon the pun) was sewer problems. I am in a small town that has a sewer system. We got rid of the septic tanks and pits back in the 1980s. I was young at the time and remember being a curious kid watching the houses being plumbed into the street sewer mains, and some houses had a special valve  (called a back-flow prevention valve, or check valve) installed into the system and others didn’t. I asked the workers why, and they …


Economics and Investing:

The latest spike: St. Louis Fed Adjusted Monetary Base (BASE). With massive monetization still underway, the key question is :at what point will come the transition from deflation to mass inflation? I suspect fairly soon… ‘Plan for an economic 9/11’: Analysts warn Americans to buy guns and gold, predicting market crash and street riots within a year Home prices fell in December in most US cities. Survey: Prices fell in 18 of 20 US cities in final months of 2011, prices back to 2002. (Thanks to C.D.V. for the link.) R.C. sent this: S&P declares Greek ‘selective default’ after bailout …


Odds ‘n Sods:

R.C. sent this: The home guard: Police suggest 30 thorny bushes homeowners could plant to discourage ‘lazy’ garden thieves    o o o Bummer: Wyoming narrowly defeats measure to prepare for apocalypse. (Thanks to Rex for the link.)    o o o DIY 1911 Carbine, M1 Carbine Grenade Launcher, Commie Insurgents    o o o Randy in Maine wrote to mention that his local Home Depot store is now selling Gamma Seal bucket lids (in black only) for $6.47 each. Please note that all Gamma Seal lids are certified food grade, but that many of the orange HDPE plastic five …



Note From JWR:

Today we present another entry 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 $275 …


My Vacation in War Torn Yugoslavia, by C.N.

My family is from the former Yugoslavia and it had been a family tradition to go back and visit the homeland of my grandparents. Unfortunately for me, by the time I could go, my father had passed and I found only one cousin willing to do it again. As luck would have it, it was the summer of 2000 and I thought the war had been long over. It was only recently I discovered that the horror continued right up until just before my arrival there.   After a short stopover in Frankfurt, we boarded a smaller plane to Zagreb. The …


Ebola for Beginners, by Jeff R.

CentOre’s February 7, 2012 article “Signs of the Times: What are the SHTF Tipping Points?” briefly touched on one point that I would like to expand on: Ebola and Marburg viruses.  I am not a physician–I’m not even in the medical field, but I have had the occasion to learn a little more about these viral hemorrhagic fevers (or VHFs) from a research project while pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management. The information available on this subject is constantly changing and involves advanced knowledge in a number of scientific disciplines, so what I can provide is just sort of …


Economics and Investing:

James K. was the first of several readers to send this piece in the usually Pollyannaish McNewspaper: Three doomsaying experts who foresee economic devastation ahead G.G. suggested this: Extreme couponers push some retailers to tweak the rules. Reader C.D.V. sent these four article links: Credit Card Debt Nears Toxic Levels George Osborne: UK has run out of money More bad news: U.S. water bills to triple. (Yet another good reason to move out to the country and build where you can use spring or PV-pumped well water.) Cue the dark, foreboding Beethoven music: Iran Moves Further to End Petrodollar, Announces …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael W. mentioned: Eight Home Remedies that Actually Work    o o o A surprisingly good article, coming from Canada’s notoriously leftward-leading Toronto Star (a.k.a. Toronto Red Star or Toronto Krasnaya Zvezda, by its detractors.): Why Costco is preparing for the end of the world. (Among others, the article quotes JWR.)    o o o K.A.F. flagged this: Mystery virus kills thousands of lambs    o o o Urban farming in Detroit gets the documentary it deserves. (Thanks to Matt L. for the link.)    o o o Martin sent us this: The World War Three Files.