Letter Re: Irma – After Action Report

HJL, As Alfred E. Neuman say’s, “What? Me worry?” I live in North Central Florida, so usually by the time a hurricane reaches us, it’s dwindled in strength. Having read Mr. Rawl’s blog for many years, I do prepare. Oddly, this time around, employers let most of the employees leave work Friday, even though the event wasn’t expected until sometime on Saturday. It ended up being later. Guess hurricanes work on their own schedule. Friday, I went to Walmart to do some last minute stock ups. Tarps were gone. Water was gone. Camp stoves were gone. Batteries were still in …




Letter: Thoughts on Prepping, Harvey & Irma

HJL, Thanks in part to my experience learned from living through Hurricane Dolly years ago and also thanks to this Blog my family and I were mainly prepared by the time Harvey hit. ( We live in the Houston Metro Area). We shared our knowledge with neighbors and like everything else, some listened, some asked for help and info and some…well…they already knew everything. We came through everything very well. However a few things stand out:




Earthquake and Power Out Experience in the Philippines- Part 1, by S.B.

This was my experience with a mild earthquake and a power outage in the Philippines. Amazingly nothing was damaged by the quake. I expected some things to tip over. Latest reports say it was a 6.5 quake. The epicenter was about 15 miles away. It was stronger than other quakes I have experienced here in the past eight years. Also, immediately after the main quake, there was a long slow side to side rocking motion for several seconds. I never felt that before. We also had 10 or more aftershocks. A local man who is about 50 said it was …




Survival To Go, Revisited- Part 4, by JMD

We have revisited my survival supplies carried on the go in travel, by airplane or otherwise. It’s been an extensive list. Now, let’s look at how we might use these in a survival scenario. Survival Scenario So let’s take a look at how this kit can support you in a potential travel survival scenario. Let’s say you’re traveling on business in New York City when the power goes out. You pull out your radio and start scanning to figure out what’s going on. You hear bits and pieces on various Ham, CB, and radio channels. Suddenly, you realize that a …




Survival To Go, Revisited- Part 3, by JMD

Today, we are continuing with the revised list of items to carry for survival when traveling, carrying a pack on a flight or otherwise. We are in the midst of going through the content of the main zippered backpack compartment. We’ve covered solar panels, light shelter, lighting, clothing, water, food/energy, and now we’re moving on down the list. Main Zippered Backpack Compartment (continued) “Repair” pouch (because something always breaks when you’re traveling): Assorted sizes of zip ties, including reusable ones, twist-tied together. 8′ of regular paracord 6′ of steel wire 20’ of 400lb Kevlar line 20′ of 1″ Gorilla tape, …




Survival To Go, Revisited- Part 2, by JMD

We are revisiting what I carry when I travel for comfort and survival. We are looking through my items, as they are organized by their location in my pack, which is a 28 liter Red Rock Outdoor Gear Assault Pack. We’ve gone through part of the pack. Let’s continue on, looking next at the pocket that considers our airport security requirements. Top Front Pocket Pouch- Ready to Remove At Airport Security The next pocket is the small top front pocket (the one with the American flag patch in the picture). This holds things that I’ll need to pull out and …




Survival To Go, Revisited- Part 1, by JMD

Several years ago, I was fortunate to be able to share my experiences and recommendations on being prepared while traveling on SurvivalBlog (Survival To Go Part 1 and Part 2). However, as most of us know, being prepared is never a “one and done” situation. You have to constantly reassess the threats and risks you face. Adjust your preparations, approaches, and skills to stay aligned with your current situation. The goal of this article is to share how my approach to travel preparedness has adapted in the last three years. I based my approach  on how my personal situation and …




Letter Re: Getting Ready For The Long Walk

Good Day Sir, I writing to you to make amends for an error that was included in a recently published article entitled “Getting Ready For The Long Walk, by Lone Wolf and Cub” on the blog. In the article we discussed a scenario, in which persons may have to walk at least partway to their retreat. In the article, it was incorrectly stated that a tourniquet can be placed on for two days. The correct answer is tourniquet removal should be considered in two hours. My COC recently has informed me the upper limit should be of eight hours. I …




Eclipse Traffic: This is What a Bug Out Would Look Like

Oregon Traffic Here in Oregon, because of this eclipse thing, people are flooding into the state. They expect at least 1.5 million to arrive here…tens of thousands already arriving since yesterday! Today, on Oregon Highway 26, from Prineville, OR for 15-miles east, they closed the road – it is bumper-to-bumper traffic, nothing is moving – vehicles are running out of gas….with no place to go… Gas stations in Bend and Redmond Oregon are already out of gas…don’t know if they will get another delivery of fuel in the next day or two… In our area,  gas prices went up 30-cents …




Lifetime Disaster Assessment, by M.B.

Coming To Grips With a Life Changing Event If you live long enough, you will undoubtedly face a life changing event. These events are not easy to plan for. And even if you know one is on the horizon, they always seem to catch you by surprise. I refer to these life changing events as sentinel events, because once they happen your life will be forever changed. While I’ve practiced and taught strategic planning and business development in several different industries, including pharmaceutical sales and hospice/rehab/long-term care senior healthcare, I have survived several sentinel events in my own life. I …




Letter: Violence in Charlottesville

HJL, JWR, Readers of SurvivalBlog, My current hometown of Charlottesville, VA suddenly found itself thrust into the headlines. My home is less than three miles from the site where the events occurred. From my 4th floor apartment balcony I watched the state police helicopter hover for hours. It eventually disappeared from view as some unknown event caused it to crash. Readers of SurvivalBlog are well informed; I will not rehash the events of the weekend of August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville. But I will add that all parties involved in this “rally” came prepared for a fight. What you probably …




Getting Ready For the Long Walk- Part 3, by Lone Wolf and Cub

Today, we are wrapping up this series. We’ve already discussed the importance of prayer and are looking at what we need to take with us, most recently discussing first aid and medical supplies. We’ll continue with a few health care notes and move on with other items that need to be prepared and ready to go when it’s time to head to your retreat. Preventive Measures Against The Triad of Death The “triad of death” is the condition were your patient has hypothermia, excessive blood loss, and acidosis, which is a condition where the body is unable to clot. This …




Getting Ready For the Long Walk-Part 2, by Lone Wolf and Cub

Yesterday, I introduced my public service announcement directed especially for city dwellers and provided details for Stage 1, which is “facing your fears”. You must recognize God and your Christian duty to provide first for your family. You should also focus every resource toward purchasing farmable land in your name so that you and your family don’t become part of the Golden Horde, trying to get out of a city that resembles one filled with zombies in the Walking Dead. Stage 2 The Preparation. Begin With Prayer Begin with a routine of morning and nightly prayers. Only by the Providence …




A Quiet Life: How to Lower Your Profile or Go Fully Off the Grid

Part of my work life in most weeks involves consulting phone calls.  The majority of my clients are in the U.S. and Canada.  Not surprisingly, many of my clients have questions for me about privacy.  These questions are generally along three lines:  1.) Buying guns privately, 2.) buying land privately, and 3.) how to avoid paper trails on storage food purchases.  In this essay,  I will try to address all three of those topics, as well as a few related points. One of the key concepts herein is Going Analog.  But first, I’ll mention completely dropping off the grid. Going …




Letter Re: Approaching Grand Solar Minimum

HJL, I have recently heard about the grand solar minimum and am wondering if you guys have any thoughts on it? It seems to have some pretty serious implications regarding more extreme weather and how our climate is changing (which it always has been). I live on the gulf coast so preparedness for me has always been important due to hurricanes. My question is: out of all the climate hype that we have been inundated with over the last decade or so, is this something to really be taken seriously? It is wise to stay prepared nonetheless, however if the …