Category: Retreat Logistics

Letter: Relocation in Advance of SHTF

HJL, I always assumed that as long as I was somewhere far far away with a one year supply of food and water, if you just wait it out, then you could have your pick of relocation areas and homes as most of the population would be gone. Am I missing something here? Why go to all the trouble NOW of relocating and setting up the BOL that you might in fact have to abandon, when you can just hunker down with some good paperbacks and videos and wait it out? HJL’s Comment: The concept of relocating now is designed …


Letter Re: Amazon Discussion

Hugh, Another great Amazon tool isn’t really Amazon at all. To determine whether today’s price is the best price, copy the item’s URL and go to camelcamelcamel.com. There, you’ll be able to see a historical chart of the item’s price and set up a notification when the item reaches the price you’re comfortable with (not only on Amazon but with third party sellers as well, if you’re so inclined). Camelcamelcamel.com is a great tool, if you don’t need to buy it today, for those items that may be more costly and in your budget at a lower price. – Dayzymom


Letter Re: Shopping on Amazon

Hugh, In addition to the information in this article I would like to mention that there are many free Kindle books at Amazon as well at archive.org that are in the public domain. You do not need a Kindle (or Amazon Prime account) to download and read these books, you can read them on your laptop/desktop computer with the free downloadable Kindle PC reading app from Amazon. If you use the shipping option that gives you a 99 cent credit usable on Kindle books or digital audio products it has been my experience that the length of time between ordering …


Three Letters Re: Amazon

HJL, I really enjoyed Sarah Latimer’s article on using Amazon. Although I use it quite a bit, I still found some of her shopping tips helpful. Regarding caveats about shopping, the biggest one I have found is the item price is cheap but the shipping cost is outrageous. Here is a quick example, note the cheapest one doesn’t have free shipping. [Editors note: These prices/shipping do not seem to be from Amazon Prime. Mrs. Latimer strongly urges SurvivalBlog readers to sign up for Prime. If you just order 10 or 12 items a year, it will probably pay for itself.] …


How to Use Amazon for Economical Purchasing- Part 2, by Sarah Latimer

How to Locate/Shop for Items The main principle here is database searching functions. There are literally millions of products available through Amazon, and it would take almost forever to read through their entire list of product offerings, especially since there are duplicates made available by multiple vendors. You want to find exactly what you are looking for as quickly as possible and find the best value, however you define that in your particular situation. Sometimes, it is for a disposable in which case the least expensive item may do the trick. Other times, it is critical that the item endure …


Letter Re: Realities to Off-Grid

Hugh, Just wanted to share that the bucket toilet seats don’t last long, only about five months. You need to build a wooden box and put on a real toilet seat. You will get a build up in the bucket over time and bleach doesn’t clean it. Pour boiling water over the sides and bottom and it will come out clean and odor free. Laundry done by hand will need a place to drain, since you can’t wring it out as well as a machine. You can use a wringer, but it doesn’t do well for jeans and sweat shirts, …


How to Use Amazon for Economical Purchasing- Part 1, by Sarah Latimer

Like many SurvivalBlog readers, I don’t live in the city. It is far from convenient for me to shop for any kind of specialty item because of the travel distance usually required. Even basic groceries to the “local” store requires a bit of a drive and is kept to a maximum of about three times a month. My in-person shopping is typically done about once a month in bulk and takes most of a day to make the trip to the city, do the shopping, and then make the journey home. Not only is my time valuable but the trip …


Maintaining Your Household in the Post-SHTF World- Part 1, by S.T.

Today I washed clothes the easy way: I placed the clothes in the washing machine, added homemade laundry soap, and turned it on. When the washer was done, I transferred the clothes to the dryer and turned it on. When the dryer was done, I removed the clothes from the dryer and folded everything. While my automatic washing machine and automatic dryer are working, I am sitting here typing this. I do this three times every week– once for my family, once for my father who can not navigate his basement stairs, and once for my aunt who also can …


Project Management for Preppers- Part 2, by B.F.

Let’s focus on techniques you can use. Project management is sometimes compared to a three legged stool. The legs are Time, Cost, and Quality. All three need to be kept in balance so that the stool doesn’t fall over. Another way of saying this is that you can have a project good, fast, or cheap; pick any two. There are a lot of tools available for your use, when you want to design a project. Many are computer based, some are free, and some are expensive. Projects and project management has been around for quite a while, even before we …


Project Management for Preppers- Part 1, by B.F.

Project management is the art of getting things done. “So what?” you may ask, “I have been getting things done all my life!” Well, that’s probably true, but the use of project management techniques can help ensure that you get things done on time and at the cost you allocated for the work. We all have more demands on our time than we have time available to accomplish those demands. Sometimes there are also external factors, such as weather, expiration of permits, and others, that can impact our need to get things done in a timely manner and to get …


Letter Re: Google Maps Measurement

HJL, Google maps has a neat feature that lets you measure distances on their maps by zooming in to the features you want to measure, right-click over the point of the start of the measurement then select “measure distance” then left-click the next point of measurement. You can continue to add segments to the existing measurements or simply right-click again and select “Clear measurement” from the menu. This is handy to get rough range estimates to neighboring properties or terrestrial features that may aid in range finding. This does not mitigate the need to actually observe the landscape in person. …


Garden Planning Tips- Part 1, by Sarah Latimer

Well, spring has sprung, the bulbs are coming up, and plants are showing signs of life around us. My daffodils are coming up, the hyacinth are blooming, and lilacs budding. I am yearning for fresh fruits and vegetables from our garden, though we have plenty left from last year’s crop. The surplus is mostly stored in freeze-dried and dehydrated form in either vacuum-sealed jars or mylar bags, but we still have a good amount in the freezer waiting to be eaten or freeze-dried. There are also still some vegetables, like carrots and onions, stored in cool, sandy soil through the …


How Two People Can Build A Fully Functional Bug Out Cabin For About $10,000 In Just Two Days, by S.T.

There are many builders of sheds that are available all over the U.S. I picked this builder as an example because their products are available in my area and I have seen their products in person. This builder also offers free delivery and setup in my area. Make sure that the exterior paint color and roof color you choose will blend in with the area where your cabin will be placed and will not stick out saying “I am here, so please come and get me”. First, pick your size of ***LINK to http://www.backyardoutfittersinc.com/products/treated-buildings/lofted-barn-cabin-playhouse/***shed. Some options are: 12′ X 28′ …


Letter Re: Observations of An Old Alaskan Bushrat

Hi Mr. Rawles, I just ran across your site and have been browsing it. Your Precepts of Survivalist Philosophy are superb. Best is that you are a 100% sold out Christian. You may find a few observations of interest, from one who has lived extensively off the grid. First, some background. I grew up in a tiny community with the surf out my front door and a thousand-year-old forest that stretched for miles in back. My father grew up on a homestead and trapline among the Sarcees of the Alberta Rocky Mountain foothills. He never had a pair of shoes …


Letter: Ammunition Versus Silver for Barter

Dear Editors, So here is my ten cents worth… I believe in buying silver bullion now, but dumping it when spot silver hits $30, $40, or $50 per ounce. If you are buying now, then a $20 per ounce (or more) gain per ounce is far better than most any other investments. In fact, I would be happy to sell my bullion at $3 below spot, when silver is $40 an ounce! Remember, if things get really bad, you can’t eat gold or silver. In my estimation U.S. pre-1965 silver coinage is apropos for what I would call the intermediate …