From the Desk of John Rourke – December 31st, 2014
Bought a new camera for my wife. Hopefully this will lead to some better photography here on MSO. Expensive but the difference in picture quality is amazing. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ I am really […]
Month: December 2014
Some Thoughts on SOLAR and WIND POWER VULNERABILITIES
RE: Questions in response to Prepping for Seniors article by Coach The typical off grid system consists of a PhotoVoltaic (PV) array (solar cells); diode back charge protection that may be incorporated in the […]
From the Desk of John Rourke – December 30th, 2014
I just recieved several of the new Hexmag AR 30 round magazines. Haven’t shot them yet but the feel and appearance of them are impressive. The surface texture provides excellent gripability and they have a […]
When “The Fan” has a date…..
by GrammaMary December 5, 2014, at age 63, I received a layoff notice from my long term employer. It was not a surprise. At several points over the last 8 years outsourcing of our […]
Rourke’s Weekly Recommendations
Every week I throw out a few recommendations on things such as movies, books, knives, flashlights – all kinds of stuff. Some of these are not related to preparedness whatsoever – rather, just stuff I […]
From the Desk of John Rourke – December 29th, 2014
Being sick sucks. Last four days – feel just terrible. Really don’t feel like writing much. Hope it goes by soon. Emergency rooms, doctor offices and Urgent Cares all across the country are packed as sickness […]
Have You Thought Of?
By “The Coach” (Contributing Editor) How well have you thought out what to bring/pack with your gear should you have to evacuate or bug out of your residence in an emergency or imminent major disaster? […]
35 Manual Kitchen Tools and Gifts for Peppers
By K.I. I ran across a post on one of the blogs I get digests for titled ‘35 Manual Kitchen Tools and Gifts for Peppers’. Now, being as I collect kitchen gadgets and other tools, of […]
Book Review: Tools for Survival by James Wesley, Rawles
I can remember back in my early childhood going out to my fathers shop and looking at all his tools. These pieces of metal and wood were mysterious devices that allowed my dad to work […]
PANDEMIC: WHO WILL SAVE US
A couple nights ago I began thinking about what catastrophes might occur that would affect my loved ones and me. Some on my list might happen because of where we live, while others could […]
From the Desk of John Rourke – December 26th, 2014
Hope everyone had a great Christmas yesterday. If you are heading back to work today – well, hopefully you have the weekend off. I used a vacation day today. Looking forward to a few more […]
Unlimited Access to Communications of Every American
By The Coach, Contributing Editor Recently I received information that Congress passed a bill, before leaving on their 2014 Christmas recess, which gives federal law enforcement the legal authority to have unlimited access to every […]
Berkey Sport Bottle Review
One item that in the past I was severely lacking was water purification. Due to the expense for water purifying equipment – I relied on having the ability to boil water, add bleach, as well […]
From the Desk of John Rourke – December 24th, 2014
Be safe out there folks. Many of you will be out doing some last minute shopping – traffic will be heavy and patience difficult to find. Let’s make it through to spend Christmas with our […]
Terrible Tuesday……
My interest in survival began on September 10, 1979. On that day a massive tornado, actually 4 tornadoes coming together to form a monster, hit Wichita Falls, Texas. My wife had asked me over and […]
From the Desk of John Rourke – December 23rd, 2014
This thing with Sony is troubling. I think it is pretty easy for many of to sit back and say they should stand up for themselves and release “The Interview”. Of course I believe they […]
Rourke’s Weekly Recommendations
Every week I throw out a few recommendations on things such as movies, books, knives, flashlights – all kinds of stuff. Some of these are not related to preparedness whatsoever – rather, just stuff I […]
From the Desk of John Rourke – December 22nd, 2014
Over the past week guest posts have been pouring in for the current guest post contest. Due to this I am going to extend the contest for several days so I can get them all […]
The Reason For The Season
By The Coach – Contributing Editor We are now in the Christmas Season of 2014. My entire family are Christians. I make no apologies for saying that and am VERY proud that we practice […]
Prepping for Seniors
By The Coach, Contributing Editor I wrote this article for senior citizens who are just getting started in prepping. This article is NOT written for someone who has been prepping for years. However, you may […]
Our Grandchildren, Our Future!
By “The Coach” (Contributing Editor) Our grandchildren and children are our future. If we do not teach them what they need to know, other people will, but it may not be what you want them to […]
FIREARMS WEEK: Tips for a budget AR build
By J Dobson I doubt there is a more popular weapon system available today than the modern sporting rifle, or AR. They can be had in many different calibers and configurations, more accessories […]
Training Day: 3 Tips to Gain Tactical Advantage during Martial Law
By Cherie Chinese General Sun Tzu wrote in “The Art of War” that battles with your opponent are predetermined long before the action begins. Intelligent war tacticians only fight winnable battles, whereas the fool just […]
FIREARMS WEEK: How many magazines?
This question is pondered just about as much as “How much ammunition should I store?“. Over the past several years I have changed my mind on this and much of that changing I directly attribute […]