JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

29

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the focus is on Wuhan Virus prepping. (See the Instructional Videos section and the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

A Guide Book of United States Coins 2020

o  o  o

Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America’s Progressive Elite

o  o  o

Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World’s Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes

o  o  o

Fahrenheit 451

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

6

“As I went down in the valley to pray
Studyin’ about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way

Oh fathers, let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
Oh fathers, let’s go down
Down in the valley to pray”

– Doc Watson, lyrics to “Down In The Valley To Pray”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 11, 2020

February 11th is the birthday of the late Burt Blumert (born February 11, 1929 in New York City, died March 30, 2009). He is pictured at the left in this group photo. Blumert once owned Camino Coin Company. Dr. Ron Paul also once owned the same company.

—

We are now down to less than 300 of the waterproof EMP-resistant SurvivalBlog 2005-2019 archive USB sticks.  This will probably be our last batch available in 2020. If you want to order a few, then don’t hesitate!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 87 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,

Round 87 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Fighting My Flinch: The Mantis X10, by The Novice

16

I tend to flinch while firing handguns. I recently tested the Mantis X10 Elite Shooting Performance System to see if it would help. My shooting improved significantly. Here is my story.

The Offer

On October 22 and 23, 2019, SurvivalBlog was kind enough to publish my article My Continued Handgun Search. In that article I wrote about my search for the ideal handgun for me, and mentioned my struggles with trigger flinch while firing handguns in self-defense calibers.

The next day, Mr. Rawles forwarded an e-mail he’d just received from Mantis to test and evaluate their X10 Elite Shooting Performance System. I accepted the generous offer, and four days later received a package in the mail.

Opening the Box

Mantis X Training AidThe system seemed to be very well packed for shipment. A sturdy shipping box snugly encased an even more sturdy product box. The product box contained a zippered case (which was also sturdy) resting in a foam cutout. The case itself contained the various elements of the system resting in still another foam cutout. The odds of the system being damaged in shipment seem extremely low.

The product box has a quick start guide with three simple steps: download the “MantisX” app on your smart phone, attach the sensor to your firearm, then open the app and follow the instructions. To my surprise and delight, I noted that the system is made in the USA.

Attempting Installation

My “smart” phone is not very smart. It is a first generation Motorola G. It was intended primarily for emerging markets when it was introduced back in 2013. Although it was also sold in developed markets as a low-cost option, it tended to be under-powered even back when it was first introduced. The intervening years did nothing to improve its performance.Continue reading“Fighting My Flinch: The Mantis X10, by The Novice”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

11

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the burgeoning growth of Idaho’s population. Thankfully, there is still plenty of elbow room! (See the Idaho section.)

Region-Wide

I was humbled to see that this got considerable international press coverage: Homesteaders, catastrophists run for the hills to flee US uncertainty

o o o

Ecological survey: Fire and land cover change in the Palouse Prairie–forest ecotone, Washington and Idaho, USA

Idaho

State’s growth a major concern for Idaho residents.  Here is a key quote:

“The average age of new arrivals was between 35 and 39 years old, which is younger than those who have lived in the state longer.

The study also found that those who have moved to Idaho have slightly more education than those who have been in the state for 11 years or more. 46 percent of those who have moved to the state in the last 10 years have at least a Bachelor’s degree, compared to 37 percent of those who have been there for longer.

It also found that those new arrivals are most often Republicans, making up 59 percent of those new to the state.”

o o o

Like it or not, here’s what Realtors project for the Boise housing market in 2020. A snippet:

“The national trade group representing real estate agents has a prediction about Boise home sales and prices for 2020:

They’ll grow faster than anywhere else among the nation’s 100 biggest housing markets.

Realtor.com ranks Idaho’s capital city No. 1 in its latest annual list of the hottest markets, released Thursday. Last year, Boise ranked eighth.”

o o o

A new listing at SurvivalRealty.com: 40 acre property in Idaho with views of Lake Pend Oreille.
o o o

DSV was the first of several readers to send us this: Read the Gun Control Letter Sent to by Sandpoint Idaho’s Mayor Shelby Rognstad

o o o

Folks in the Boise region who are looking for a precious metals dealer should consider Money Metals Exchange. They are located in Eagle, Idaho.
Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 10, 2020

1

February 10th is the birthday of Zvi Zvika Greengold (pictured at left, born 1952), a Centurion tank commander who was one of Israel’s most notable heroes of the Yom Kippur War. He was awarded the country’s highest military honor, the Medal of Valor.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 87 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,

Round 87 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

SIG Sauer P320 Compact 9mm – A Fresh Look, by Pat Cascio

3

A couple years ago, I reviewed the then new SIG Sauer P320 9mm handgun, that had been recently adopted by the US military – all military forces. And, to be sure, it was and still is an outstanding choice for our military handgun. The military wanted a modular handgun, that could be easily changed from one configuration to another – and in reality, I believe SIG Sauer was the only competitor to submit a truly modular handgun. Save the hate mail, please. I believe the Glock submission would have been an outstanding choice as well.

As with many new firearms that come on the market, there are times when there might be some problems, no matter how much a firearm might be tested at the factory, before being released, it isn’t until the guns get into the hands of the consumers, where problems might arise. So, SIG did a voluntary recall (“upgrade”) on the early P320 handguns – and it is still in effect – no charge for the upgrades. It had been reported that if the early-production P320 was dropped at a certain angle, it could fire the round in the chamber. So, SIG jumped on the problem, and made improvements. All of the M17 handguns delivered to the U.S. government had these improvements, or they were immediately retrofitted.

I recently picked-up a new version of the SIG Sauer P320 Compact 9mm and it came from the factory with the upgrades. A quick look is needed: We have a smaller trigger, that has a 35% light trigger pull, there is an upgraded disconnector and sear as well. All of this contributes to a much better trigger pull, and a safer P320. This upgrade is free and SIG will even send you a shipping label, so it doesn’t cost you anything to have the gun upgraded. And in most cases, you’ll have the gun back in about 2-3 weeks. [JWR Adds: My upgraded P320s  were eachreturned with a kind 35% off coupon for my next purchase at the SIG USA store.]Continue reading“SIG Sauer P320 Compact 9mm – A Fresh Look, by Pat Cascio”

Letter on the Wuhan Virus, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

22

The following are my comments to the SurvivalBlog article Post-Exposure Prevention (PEP) Protocol, by JJ in MI.

This is great to be considering post-exposure treatment. Our protective gear is likely to be *less than perfect*, and if we know we’ve been exposed we need a Plan B!

This study supports the use of PVP-I as an antiviral, although I do wonder about swabbing my nose with it!

Thinking in terms of what we can do *on the scene* when we realize we’ve been exposed, I’m wondering if it would be more convenient to use a Betadine spray, into our mouths (don’t spray your face or lips!), followed by a swig of water from a bottle, with gargling for a minute. Remember to NOT SWALLOW this!!!!

It seems to me that time is of the essence once exposed. The sooner we can gargle and swish the better, right? For my own family I’ve made up some saline nose spray bottles with two drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract and about 1/8 of a teaspoon of Xylitol. Supposedly the Xylitol helps wash microorganisms from your nose. I’d rather carry this solution in my pocket than Betadine that might ruin my clothes if it leaks. And I can use it immediately and discretely while in public.

As far as re-using an N95 mask goes, one of the dangers would be putting it back on if it really DOES have the virus on the outside. You’re putting it very near your eyes and would have to be *extremely* careful (goggles first).

Since the viruses don’t foul the mask like pollution or smoke or fallout would I don’t see why they couldn’t be re-used. But exposure to strong ultraviolet light might sanitize them better (sunlight, for as long as possible). I’m thinking that some N-95 mask – even re-used – is better than no N-95 mask, IF it comes to that.

Don’t spray the mask with liquids (diluted bleach comes to mind) or bake them – the mask works by having a huge network of *fuzzy fibers* to attract tiny particles as they make their way through. If the fuzzies get clumped together by being wetted (and dried) they aren’t going to work.

(The masks don’t actually block viruses – they’re too small to be stopped – but viruses in the air are usually embedded in tiny saliva droplets that are large enough to stop, although some free viruses will be caught by the fibers because of an electrostatic attraction.)

There are filter masks in the pipeline with copper and silver fiber elements, but best I can tell they’re not for sale yet…

Here’s my two cents for supplements that help with viral infections. My family is already taking some of these:

Vitamin A

Quercetin

Andrographis

Astragalus (immune stimulant)

Olive Leaf

Selenium

N acetyl cysteine (NAC)

Vitamin C
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3659258/

Guaifenesin (thins mucuous and makes bronchial cilia row faster to clear lungs better)

When treating a sick family member remember: this virus affects people’s respiration and that could require positioning them on the bed face down.

And, by the way, you can buy oxygen concentrators online via eBay, if you’ve got that kind of budget…

Last idea: Treating a sick family member at home (should professional medical care be overloaded) could burn through all of our N95 masks. This might be a better solution (and I can tell you from personal experience it’s more comfortable!):

It’s a powered filter hood. I’m guessing that with a little ingenuity preppers could improvise a 110v household power supply to run the motors so you’re not going through expensive C123 batteries!

Thank you JJ in MI and everyone else for your ideas! God have mercy on us all.

Hope this helps.

Trust God. Be prepared. We can do both!

Recipe of the Week: Dried Apricot Pie

This week’s recipe is for a Dried Apricot Pie. It is a recipe excerpted from the scarce book Nine Hundred Successful Recipes, by Lulu Thompson Silvernail. This book, from my own book collection, was published in 1923. A recent change in U.S. copyright law now puts most pre-1925 books in the public domain.

Lulu Thompson Silvernail’s emphasis in this book was recipes that included hard red winter wheat flour. This entire recipe book is just part of the extensive bonus content that is included in this year’s SurvivalBlog archive waterproof USB stick.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups stewed (reconstituted) dried apricots
  • 3 teaspoons butter
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • Standard pie crust ingredients
Directions

‘Stew apricots until perfectly tender, then run them through either a sieve or colander. Boil with enough water to keep apricots juicy and not too dry when done. After apricots are taken through sieve or colander, measure two cups. Add the sugar and mix both together. Line pie pan with pastry, give the bottom the flour treatment necessary. Add the apricots and butter. Roll crust very thin for top covering.

Bake in quick oven for first ten minutes, then bake more slowly for the remainder of the time. Sugar may be spread over top crust of pie before placing in oven, making a crispy sugar crusted top. Bake about 25 minutes.

SERVING

Serve hot or cold.

—

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

36

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we again look at 80% receivers. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

For those of you of the Chartist persuasion: Gold Price Exclusive Update Shows Sector Cycle Is Down

o  o  o

Palladium: This Is What a Run on the Bank for Precious Metals Looks Like…

Economy & Finance:

CNBC reports: Private payrolls soar in January, the best monthly gain in nearly 5 years

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: California Is Losing More Jobs To China Than Any Other State

o  o  o

Cyptogon reports: Jeffrey Epstein’s Mystery Bank Came Alive After His Death

o  o  o

Will the Coronavirus Cause a Global Recession?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 9, 2020

February 9th is the birthday of Major George Charles Nonte Jr. (Born 1926, died June 30, 1978.)

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 87 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,

Round 87 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Infectious Disease Protection, by S.A.D.

49

In this article I will describe how to protect yourself and your family from corona virus and other infectious diseases.

The current outbreak of the novel coronavirus is causing widespread concern and response by public and health authorities. In this article we will cover the following:

  1. What is coronavirus?
  2. How does it spread?
  3. Official response and recommendations for protection
  4. Practical, common sense recommendations for individual protection.
What is coronavirus?

The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a member of Coronoviridae family. There are currently 16 full genome sequences of the virus published[1]. It is an enveloped RNA virus, one of the largest RNA viruses. The enveloped in this case means that the core of the virus (called a capsid) is surrounded by a lipid membrane with integrated viral surface protein. It is important to note that the integrity of the lipid envelope is vital for the ability to infect host cells. When infection occurs, the virus penetrates the host cell and begins to replicate itself (multiply). Eventually, the new viral particles, or progeny virus, is released from infected cell and go on to infect new cells or are released in the environment.

The 2019-nCoV causes respiratory illness similar to the common cold although it has much higher mortality rate. The symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath. Right now, the information about incubation period is limited, CDC believes that the symptoms can appear between 2 and 14 days after exposure[2], although clinical guidance estimates incubation period of about 5 days (4-7 days in 95% cases)[3].Continue reading“Infectious Disease Protection, by S.A.D.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

30

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, I’m only featuring four article links. All four of them are important reading.

Wuhan Aerosol Transmission?

Reader M.M. spotted this, over at China Daily, that seems to indicate aerosol transmission. Shanghai officials reveal novel coronavirus transmission modes. JWR’s Comment:  If this is true, then unless you have a virtually limitless supply of N95 mask for use at home, then the only safe areas in the event of a global Wuhan pandemic would be very lightly-populated regions. Read between the lines, folks. Oh, and for those of you who live in or near Jackson Hole, Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene, Glenwood Springs, Gardnerville, Steamboat, Breckenridge Sun Valley, Kapaa, Summit Park, Hot Springs, and Fredericksburg (Texas): You may now expect to the early arrival of your millionaire part-time neighbors off season, this year. Don’t be surprised to see them shopping heavily, for groceries. M.M. also noted: This might explain these video clips.

Good News on Wuhan Transmission?

Reader A.D. sent this good news: Study claiming new coronavirus can be transmitted by people without symptoms was flawed

Collapse: Lessons From Bushfires in Oz

C.B. sent this: No food, no fuel, no phones: Bushfires showed we’re only ever one step from system collapse

The article begins:

“This summer’s bushfires were not just devastating events in themselves. More broadly, they highlighted the immense vulnerability of the systems which make our contemporary lives possible.

The fires cut road access, which meant towns ran out of fuel and fell low on food. Power to towns was cut and mobile phone services stopped working. So too did the ATMs and EFTPOS services the economy needs to keep running.

In a modern, wealthy nation such as Australia, how could this happen?

In answering this question, it’s helpful to adopt “systems thinking.” This approach views problems as part of an overall system, where each part relates to each other.

In other words, we need to look at the big picture.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”