Category: Related Sites

Letter Re: Recommendation for the Cool Tools Web Site

Hello – Survival Blog readers might be interested in the Cool Tools web site and e-mail newsletter. The site was originated by Kevin Kelly, who edited Whole Earth Review in the 1980s and also put together several versions of The Whole Earth Catalog, Cool Tools offers one new “Cool Tool” per day. Far from just being gadgets, a Cool Tool “can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or web site that is tried and true.” All submissions are reader reviewed, they are not just regurgitations of product literature. There are good recommendations in many categories that might …


Letter Re: Advice on Food Storage and Preparation

Hi James: Thanks for publishing my past essay and thanks again for what you do on your SurvivalBlog. Your web site and the consequent path I’ve traveled since I began reading here has put me in contact with many folks who are pursuing similar courses of action; to take personal action to be prepared, and when possible to discuss and work with others to secure a survivable future. Please advise me on some of the best and up to date books you’ve found on food storage. Being new to this line of endeavor, I feel our family needs some better …


Economic Climate Change: The Long Winter May Begin This Summer

I’ve had several consulting clients contact me in recent weeks, all with notes of fear in their voices. They realize that something is horribly wrong with the economy, but they cannot properly isolate and articulate the problem. I haven’t been able to calm them, however, because to an extent I share their anxiety. In my estimation, the “something wrong” that we sense is nothing short of a monumental shift in the economic climate. America is clearly headed for a recession. Most economic recessions are simply a product of the business cycle. These recessions are relatively mild and they often last …


A Reminder About The Mental Militia (TMM) Forums

Just a brief reminder that SurvivalBlog does not host its own discussion forum. We recommend a third party forum site: The Mental Militia (TMM) Forums. They have kindly invited SurvivalBlog readers to join them. I don’t have my own forums, simply because administering them would be a huge time sink. Back in 1998 and 1999 I was a volunteer moderator at a Y2K forum for Dr.Gary North. That was incredibly time consuming. Keep in mind that TMM forums are peopled by fellow freedom-loving folks that come from a wide variety of political, social, and religious backgrounds. These include some anarchists, …


Letter Re: A Hearty Letter of Recommendation for Todd Savage

Dear SurvivalBlog.com and SurvivalRealty.com Readers: I wanted to take a moment to thank Todd Savage for the outstanding work that he did for my family helping us become familiar with Northern Idaho and helping us find the perfect retreat. Todd helped us discover Idaho in its entire splendor, helped us manage our expectations properly and never led us astray. Initially, we had some good ideas on what to look for in a retreat having read both the novel “Patriots” and [JWR’s nonfiction book] “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation” more than once. Nonetheless, we weren’t 100% sure what we wanted in …


Prepare or Die, by J. Britely

Throughout my life I have been caught unprepared several times and while nothing seriously bad happened, it easily could have.  I have been lost hiking.  My car has broken down in very bad neighborhoods – twice.  I have been close enough to riots that I feared they would spread to my neighborhood, been in earthquakes, been too close to wildfires, been stuck in a blizzard, and have been without power and water for several days after a hurricane.   I managed to get myself out of each situation, I thanked God, and tried to learn from my mistakes.  I could have …


Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in Alaska

Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only those books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges and universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if you aren’t a student. If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for books from home, then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan. What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF? There’s no guarantee it will survive. …


Letter Re: Advice on Resources for Canadian SurvivalBlog Readers?

Hello Jim, I am wondering if there is anyone here in Canada doing the great work that you are doing? I have just introduced my husband to the idea of getting prepared. I don’t know if I’ve seen one too many movies or if I have a premonition, but I would like to devise a plan sooner rather than later. I am also looking for a place to escape to, if we (probably) have to get out of our area (which is just on Lake Ontario ). We are thinking that we should go north. I live less than 30 …


What to Expect at an Appleseed Shoot, by MKH

Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RWVA) Appleseed Shoot. What in the world can that possibly be? Well if you don’t know, you need to read on. What you can learn from those “Revolutionary War Vets” could save your life! The Appleseed Program is one that is dedicated to preserving our American heritage as a Nation of Rifleman. So what is a Rifleman? The RWVA web site tells us that “The obvious answer is that a Rifleman is an individual with a rifle and the skill and experience to use it, presumably well.” But let me tell you from experience it is …


Letter Re: Invitation to a Blog “Carnival” on Preparedness and Survival

Hi Jim, I’ve been a sometime reader of your blog since last year, and wanted to invite you to submit an article for the first issue of the Carnival of Preparedness & Survival. If you are willing, you can also extend the invitation to your readers. I can’t promise to use everything that’s submitted, but some of your readers have had interesting things to say, and I’d like to have as much variety as possible in this Carnival. Best Regards, – D.S. Rawles     Disaster Preparedness   SurvivalBlog   Blog Carnival   The Bugout Bag