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, …


Making Water Safe to Drink, by Paratrooper John

There’s a lot of information available on how to make water safe to drink.  That’s a good thing because water is one of the most important parts of our survival and comfort.  My goal in this article is to organize and describe some of these methods in a way that is interesting and easy to read. I have included a few internet links to more detailed step-by-step descriptions and how-to videos created by others. Although important, I’m won’t go into all the diseases and problems that can be caused by ingesting contaminated water. Just know that there is some bad …


Letter Re: Barter, Post-TEOTWAWKI–An Update

Dear SurvivalBloggers: Please re-read my December 2011 article on “micro stores” following TEOTWAWKI. Pay particular attention to the proposed stocking list. Enough water has gone under the bridge since then–I’ve had plenty of time to think some more about it, plus I received some quality feedback from SurvivalBlog readers–that I thought some updating might be useful and in order. Here goes.   There were several premises I used as a basis for recommending your considering a “micro store”: Yes, the situation might get bad (less than comfortable)–but (IMO) will be something less than grim–following some sort of catastrophic “meltdown” event, especially if you live in a smaller, conservative metropolitan …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Paracord Belts

Sir: I’ve made a few paracord belts and would like to mention that not all paracord belts are the same. Some have fancy weaves and really look neat. (That was what I did with my first try.) But after completing that project I realized that in the event of that envisioned emergency, I would have to build a campfire, make some coffee and sit on a log for a considerable period of time undoing the braid of the belt and tying pieces together. What if I needed the paracord in a hurry? What my friend had fallen to a precarious …


Economics and Investing:

R.B.S. sent this: Why cash is losing its currency Also from R.B.S.: Money moves five doomsayers are making now New Ideas on Pensions: Use States. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Gary North:  Will Helicopter Bernanke Become Hurricane Ben? Gold Prices Near Two-Week High After Fed Comments Wall Street Dips, But Winners Gain As Quarter’s End Nears Consumer Confidence Wanes, Inflation A Concern


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large mentioned this fascinating TED talk: Kevin Slavin: How algorithms shape our world    o o o Pierre M. sent this food for thought: Global Temperature Trends From 2500 B.C. To 2040 A.D.    o o o J.B.G. sent this news from England: Fuel strike: pumps go dry as ministers provoke a panic. [JWR’s Comment: Politicians often make blithe statements without considering their consequences. At any given time, the average car’s gas tank is only half full. The unfilled portions collectively represent a huge reservoir. There are about 34,300,000 cars registered in the UK. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It is painfully difficult to decide whether to abandon some of one’s core values when they seem to be becoming incompatible with survival.  At what point do we as individuals prefer to die than to compromise and live?  Millions of people in modern time have indeed faced the decision whether, to save their own life, they would be willing to betray friends or relatives, acquiesce in a vile dictatorship, live as virtual slaves, or flee their country.  Nations and societies sometimes have to make similar decisions collectively.” – Jared M. Diamond, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, 2005


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 …


Key Questions For and About Your Children, by M.D.M.

Preparedness is a lifestyle and a state-of-mind. You never know what disaster or emergency will befall you, it could be something you cannot possibly prepare for, for me and my family the times we have had to use our bug-out-bags were not related to national emergencies, but to family and local emergencies. I’m not saying not to prepare, I’m saying to prepare in ways you may not have ever thought to do, and these tips I have learned over the years could help someone else. These are not so much extrinsic items for survival, but intrinsic necessities. When you have …