Category: Emerging Threats

Letter Re: Warning of Massive Solar Flares?

Jim: After reading several articles on EMP in the form of a CME/solar flare, my understanding is that we would have hours or even days in which to prepare for such an event. Although I imagine that a massive CME would still cause damage to our electrical grid, I would also think that many homes could be disconnected from the grid and electrical equipment shielded in metal containers before the CME reached us. Any thoughts? JWR Replies: Yes, there will be 12+ hours of warning, but do not depend entirely on the mass media. At times, they seem clueless about space …


Letter Re: A Spare Parts Travesty Underscores Americans’ Lack of Self-Sufficiency

Hi Jim,   I managed a good day today even though I had to negotiate the land mines of our modern technological civilization. Here is my tale of woe: I needed a mechanical device. Went to Sears and bought the largest sized engine/self propelled mower they had spring of 2010. Platinum level. Used it one year. It up until recently has been a great machine that starts easily. By far perhaps the best mower I ever owned.   This Spring I began mowing again. The self-propelled system fails. Disassembly via detailed parts guide in owner’s manual easily accomplished. Complete owners …


There is No Magic Wand, by Grace H.

Some of the very earliest memories I have of wanting to be a good prepper come from stories about my Scottish grandmother.  They lived in Sunderland, England, during both World Wars, had eight living children, were poor as church mice, and fed anyone who was in need because of the bombing raids.  Apparently, her theory was to add more water to the soup pot and another cup of barley.  My Dad told me that she said that the sign of a good housewife is a well-stocked pantry, ready for all emergencies.   As a child I read First Aid manuals …


The Unrealistic Mentality of the Modern Survivalist, by Bryan R.

I am guilty of falling into the “Wolverines!” mindset from time-to-time, that being the image of going toe-to-toe with the insidious foreign invasion force and setting up ambushes to destroy the evil occupiers or perhaps having to confront droves of hostiles, be they urban gang-bangers, local looters, or some other such group of less than savory individuals. The modern survivalist seems to be rather obsessed with the idea of a total collapse of all centralized authority to the point where society is little better than Somalia, although historical precedent doesn’t give much credibility to this theory. The idea of a …


Surviving Foreclosure, by Cindy D.

I know there are a lot of intense feelings out there about people who have had a foreclosure.  I wanted to write about my experience to help others that may be facing the same situation. Even though I may write this very simply and factually, it was a very emotional and devastating time in my life. I learned a great deal but don’t want to ever go through it again. I want to preface my story with a little background. My husband and I have been married for 28 years and have always been fortunate enough to pay our bills …


Letter Re: Peak Oil and the Real Value of the Dollar

Dear Jim,   For the last 70 years, the dollar’s value has evffectively been pegged to oil. We can thank FDR for that, since he removed Gold from backing the dollar. I suppose it worked out okay, but now we have a problem. The oil is running out. You’ve seen it at the gas stations, and the price of Brent crude is $124 per barrel, and domestic USA crude is $112 per barrel. The USA only produces 5.5 million barrels per day (mbpd). The balance of the 19 mbpd is imported, mostly from Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and Nigeria (not Saudi …


Letter Re: RC Aircraft Possibilities

James Wesley: I fly radio-controlled (RC) aircraft, and the Switchblade is a definite possibility. As you can tell from the video, there is a lot of computer generated “help” going on there, but the concept is solid, the technology to do this is already readily available and has been for some time. It’s just a matter of time until somebody completes the package. The problem is, for an aircraft that small, the maximum payload I could see might be around a pound, maybe slightly less. But a pound of C-4 could put a distinct “dent” in your day! Lately, the …


Watch The US Dollar Index — A Dollar Panic May Be Ahead

I’m often asked about my mentions of the US Dollar Index in SurvivalBlog, and about the Dollar Index ticker link at my Investing Recommendations page. This foreign exchange (FOREX) market index is often mentioned by its shorthand names (“USDX”, “DX”, or less commonly, “USDI”). It measures the value of the U.S. Dollar (USD) relative to several of our country’s major trading partners. Although the mix has changed over the years, presently the index gauges the value of the U.S. Dollar versus six currencies: the Euro, Japanese Yen, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Swedish Krona and the Swiss Franc. The USDX was …


Two Letters Re: Confronting Those Who Plan to Rob Others, Post-Collapse

JWR: I read with interest the recent letter that included this: “I  fully realize what a hungry man will do to feed his family and have even been told by a law enforcement officer that he don’t need to store food. He said that he could take it for his family so they don’t starve. I know he has a large arsenal and I get his drift.” This fallacious and frankly un-Christian belief that the writer encountered is not unique.  I was discussing the need to obtain an emergency food supply with a couple of  lads who work at the …


33 Ways to Encourage Atlas to Shrug

Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel “Atlas Shrugged” is enjoying renewed popularity following the release of the new Atlas Shrugged movie. Rand’s story describes a group of American industrialists that lose patience with onerous regulation and taxation, and “shrug”–disappearing from their normal lives to relocate to a hidden valley called Galt’s Gulch. While this tale is fictional, it has some strong parallels to modern-day America. And despite the fact that Ayn Rand was an atheist and favored legalized abortion, she was a good judge of both character and the inevitable tendencies of elected governments. When I consider the regulatory and tax burdens …


Letter Re: Controlling Post-TEOTWAWKI Food Odors

Sir, A point I would like to make to those that are living in a city, suburb or rural setting: If you are in a TEOTWAWKI scenario, then I am guessing you have read much of what is here and hopefully feel somewhat ready to take care of you and yours. I would suggest that unless you are able and willing to feed a whole neighborhood–I for one, am not–then please realize what smells have to do with your survival. If you go out your door on any given day you will note what is cooking or burning within a …


Letter Re: My Experience With Social Collapse

People often discuss what would happen in a societal collapse and I wonder how many people have actually experienced one.  My experiences came from living in a foreign country…California.  19 years ago this month, I was living in Long Beach, California after my separation from the US Navy.  I was working in the medical field and came home one Wednesday around noon as usual for my early work hours.  The day was pretty uneventful with the exception of one little item.  The great state of California in all of its infinite wisdom had handed down a verdict of “Not Guilty” …


Letter Re: Sanitation in Grid Down Situations

Hello James,   I read the recent article on survival for apartment dwellers and I hate to burst a bubble but a major factor was left out: SANITATION. It’s incredible domino effect is truly mind boggling!   Back in 1999 I was involved in writing a white paper for the government on the effects caused by no running water.   I am afraid I know what I am talking about and it’s not a pretty picture.  In 1998 in Auckland, New Zealand there was a lengthy power failure that in turn led to several days without water and what happened …


Letter Re: Bacteria-Infected Meat in U.S. Supermarkets

JWR,   I thought I’d pass this along for your consideration to publish this link: Quarter of Meat Supply Contaminated With Drug-Resistant Bacteria. This article may be alarming to some of our population, but to most of your readers I suspect it is not a surprise and many have even known or anticipated such an anecdotal report as we’ve been observing an increase in drug resistant bacteria for some time.    What I took away from this article is the benefit of the extreme care it takes to not only raise animals for consumption (apparent source of pathogens) but thoroughness …


Three Related Disasters (Part 3), by Joe Refugee From Tokyo

After the first few days, it was possible to get some idea of what had happened. The initial numbers of fatalities had been fairly low, and it was hard to know how many had survived in the coastal towns. As the phone systems and many roads there were devastated, a big effort was going to be required just to scope out the damage. Sadly, it became clear that well over 10,000 lives were lost. In terms of life in Tokyo, though, it was electricity and basic supplies useful during disasters that became somewhat hard to come by. The other major …