Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Earlier this year, SurvivalBlog reader David Wendell launched a video blog on bushcraft skills call Bushcraft On Fire. He has already posted more than 80 practical “how-to” video segments, and has gathered more than 1,100 subscribers. I recommend subscribing. Good stuff!    o o o Reader Jeremy N. mentioned that there are some great storm surge survival tips in Dr. Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog: Tropical Storm Fred is born; storm surge survival misconceptions    o o o Sept. 11th Coast Guard Training Exercises Spark Confusion in D.C.    o o o Thanks to Craig W, for this PDF: M4/M4A1 Carbine Reliability …

I just heard that my writings were mentioned on page 60 of the latest issue of Popular Mechanics magazine. It had been 10 years since they last mentioned me. To get more PM ink, I suppose that I need to write more about gadgety stuff in SurvivalBlog.    o o o Flesh-eating Superbug Killed Dad in Just Four Hours    o o o Huge Solar Storm Could Hit Earth Again    o o o Super-soldier exoskeletons ready for troop tests in 2010. (Thanks to FG for the link.)

This article from Virginia was picked up by our local newspaper: Fed-up Smokers Grow Own Tobacco    o o o Yet another use for baling twine: The Baling Twine Knife    o o o Reader “Yankee Doodle” sent this: The vegetable gardeners of Havana.    o o o If you’ve ever wondered how you can archive the educational videos you find online: How to Download and Save YouTube Videos to Your Computer    o o o Wired magazine: ‘E-Bomb’ Doomsday Conference. (A tip of the hat to Tom R. for the link.)

New frugality is the new normal, by necessity; Even if shoppers’ willingness to spend returns, ability likely to be constrained for years    o o o 1,000,000+ Guns Added to American Homes in August    o o o GG flagged this: Rejecting Tech, Some Opting for Human Power    o o o Gary Marbut gets his five minutes of fame on CNN: 2009 HB 246 Montana Made Firearms Bill

FG spotted this: Ammo demand remains Sky High. Here is a quote: “On delivery days at the Bass Pro Shop in the Silverton, 20 to 30 customers will line up for the store to open, said Keith Rainey, an assistant manager in the hunting department. ‘They call us up every day to find out when the next load is coming in,’ Rainey said. ‘If you don’t get there early, you don’t get any bullets.’    o o o Mark D . sent this: Veggie Vandals: community gardens deal with theft    o o o As they say in Southern China: …

Cheryl mentioned: 13 Tips On Cutting The Family Budget    o o o I made the mistake of spending more than a half hour on the phone with this journalist who promised me that he was sympathetic to the preparedness movement, and would write a favorable article. Either he was disingenuous, or his editor thoroughly re-wrote the piece: The new survivalists: Oregon ‘preppers’ stockpile guns and food in fear of calamity. Oh well, at least they spelled my name correctly. Oh, and don’t miss the lengthy comments section. It shows how ultra-liberal Portland has become.    o o o Reader …

Michigan State Fair Ending After this Year Items from The Economatrix: Cerberus to Ban Withdrawal From New Hedge Funds for Three Years. Note: JWR warned us about hedge fund redemption suspensions, two years ago! So You Just Squandered Billions…Take Another Whack at it Soft Number Folly (The Mogambo Guru) Scam H*ll Ahead (The Mogambo Guru) Americans’ Income Slump Biggest on Record The Renminbi as the World Reserve Currency (Pt. 1) Hit Me Again (The Mogambo Guru) Video: Peter Schiff on CNBC Fast Money Small Retailers Feel Sharper Pinch Loan Sharks Circle Credit-Starved Consumers Mike Whitney: Band-aids for the Recession John …

Marko liked this Lifehacker article: Build a BBQ Smoker for Under $50.    o o o JRH Enterprises (one of our most loyal advertisers) is running a Labor Day special on new 3rd Generation PVS-14s for only $2,995. This is a great price, so I’m buying one! The sale ends on September 8th.    o o o Ticketing tiff ends with courtroom gunfire.    o o o Two radio towers in Washington state toppled. Possibly the work of eco-terrorists. (Thanks to FG for the link.)

America’s Breadbasket Drying Up (What the article doesn’t explain is that half of this drought is political–since California Aqueduct water has been diverted from many farmers. California’s water politics are Machiavellian.)    o o o When is a nickel not just five cents? By chance, I got a fine condition 1944-P War Nickel in change at the local US post office today. (These are 35% silver, with a current melt value of about 90.1 cents per coin, their numismatic value is a bit higher.)

Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, sent this interesting article from The Atlantic: In Case of Emergency. The new FEMA Director wants American citizens to take charge when disaster strikes. Here is a key quote: “‘We need to change behavior in this country,’ he told about 400 emergency-management instructors at a conference in June, lambasting the ‘government-centric’ approach to disasters.”    o o o There is a great thread of discussion is in progress, over at TMM Forums: Use of antique or classic tractors for gulching    o o o A remake of Red Dawn? Reader B.H. sent us …

Norman in England recommended this article about a solo documentary filmmaker’s experiment in the Yukon: Fifty days and nights in the wilderness. Note that even in warm weather he reached the psychological breaking point in just seven weeks. This adds credence to my assertion that going solo, playing “Batman in the Boondocks” wouldn’t work for 99.9% of the population. Please make realistic plans, and establish a well-stocked and fairly self-sufficient retreat. It takes faith and friends to survive!    o o o From DD: Continued l.os Angeles fires double in size. And, speaking of the fires, here is a YouTube …

Our friend Tamara posted a link to an article that illustrates that a very large quantity of ammunition can be stored in a relatively small, waterproof space.    o o o Failing Camouflage 101: Robbery suspect spray-paints face for disguise, dies. He should have listened to the warnings of his Greek girlfriend, Anna Phalaxis. 🙂    o o o Readers that enjoy finding coupon bargains might find the Coupon Chief web site worth bookmarking. This site is one of the better ones. (There are several others that you can quickly find with a web search,and the links at this SurvivalBlog …

A reminder that the new Surviving Disaster series premieres on Spike TV on Tuesday, Sept. 1st. Meanwhile, I’ve been enjoying The Colony, on The Discovery Channel (via online streaming–I don’t own a television.) Four full episodes of the latter are still available online.    o o o Eric S. sent us this every useful link: How to Move Heavy Objects with Simple Tools    o o o Bill would give president emergency control of Internet. (Thanks to H. for the link.)    o o o Ben M. flagged this: Fresnel Lens Solar Distiller. JWR Adds this Proviso: Keep in mind …

Thanks to Damon for sending this: More Sun for Less: Solar Panels Drop in Price    o o o From TLG: Potato blight confirmed in Dane County, Wisconsin    o o o Survivalists, Town Clash Over Craftsbury Road. There are two lessons to be learned here: 1.) OPSEC, 2.) Fully research any right-of-way and easement issues before buying a retreat property! Unfortunately, the body of case law that has accumulated on prescriptive easements does not bode well for the new land owners. If a road is used “openly and notoriously” with continuity for many years–in this instance for 150 years–then …

“Use Enough Gun” Department: Alaska man kills attacking 900 lb. Grizzly with .454 Casull revolver (Thanks to FG for the link.)    o o o Frank S. mentioned a video report on the propane re-filler techniques that were previously described in SurvivalBlog.    o o o I encountered an interesting thread of discussion in progress, over at TMM Forums: Bartering with Alcohol and Cigarettes. (I don’t use either, so I have no expertise. Nor do I approve of them. But for those of you that do, I offer this link.)