Brewing Beer: A High-Demand Barter Craft

I think it’s safe to say that most of us don’t have beer on our survival checklist (It’s not on my list of 20 survival essentials). And while it’s true that securing items like water, food, and shelter should be prioritized above enjoying a cold beer in a survival situation… mastering the art of fermentation sure would be a handy skill to have when the SHTF. You see, alcohol is a constant throughout history. At this moment, beer is ranked as the third most consumed beverage on earth, coming in just behind tea and water. Suffice to say, beer would be […]

5 Bug-Out Vehicle Essentials

Whether or not you think of your family car as a “Bug-Out Vehicle,” in the event that your family needs to evacuate quickly during a crisis… it is one. Advanced survivalists put tons of blood, sweat, and tears into the fine art of crafting “the perfect B.O.V.” These vehicles have 4-wheel-drive, all-terrain tires, winches, snorkels, reserve tanks, etc… As a “car guy,” let me be the first to say that I greatly respect all of the ingenuity and innovation that those BOVs represent. Still, you’ve got to start somewhere. And the change in your mindset, the way you think about […]

The 2013 Ammo Forecast

If you live in an urban area, you probably experienced a scene much like this photo the last time you went to purchase ammo. No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you… those ammo shelves really have been picked clean. Beginning in late 2012, consumer demand for ammunition hit historic levels in the US. Retailers and manufacturers simply weren’t prepared for the spike and the result has been a rash of nationwide shortages and panic-buying. Or, as Hornady Manufacturing puts it: “The current political climate has caused extremely high demand on all shooting industry products, including ours. Empty retail shelves, long backorders, […]

Did The Bitcoin Bubble Burst? Or Did Someone Pop it?

Any seasoned investor will tell you that what goes up in a hurry is likely to come down the same way. And to the surprise of very few in the investing community, the incredible boom in Bitcoin prices over the last few weeks — when the decentralized cyber currency traded at highs of $266 — ended just as dramatically. As of today, Bitcoin is trading at around a much more reasonable $75. There are a number of reasons for the bursting of the Bitcoin “bubble,” as it is still considered an experimental currency. But the main reason for the current […]