I’ve been taking time off for a few days as I do every 9/11. Here’s a bunch of links that I think are useful but never got around to writing full posts about:

I have always maintained that the collapse of America will look more like Argentina than Patriots. After a news report about the plague of strong arm robberies on ATM users Ferfal at Surviving in Argentina posted his 12 tips to safely using ATMs. My wife and I used some of these precautions in NYC.

Gabe Suarez writes about the utility of pistol caliber carbines as opposed to rifles and pistol which is well worth a read if you are thinking of a gun purchase.

Viking Preparedness has an article called Hunker Down which supports my view that bugging in is the only way to really survive an emergency. I don’t agree with his pessimism, but I do take issue with the optimism of the people who think they will pack a bag, run off somewhere and survive in a alien environment.

Rasch Outdoor Chronicles has a two part post on hog hunting guns. With the explosion of feral hogs in this country the ability to put down one of these creatures should factor into your gun and ammunition purchases. This feral hog drift map shows where they are concentrated, but you’ll notice that hogs have been spotted in NJ and New Hampshire and many sightings in Michigan. Part I. Part II.

Cat Ellis has a podcast up on how to make the materials necessary to make candles, including information on processing beeswax and making wicks from wild cotton.

Outdoor Life has a online piece called The Predator Boom which gives you information on which predator populations have grown to sizes big enough to begin to threaten wild game populations, and you.

Via Modern Stronghold there’s a article in the Marine Corps University Journal on Feral Cities (starts on pg 50) that talks about how cities go feral. New Orleans after Katrina is included in the list of feral cities. Well worth a read to see what planners expect from our large cities in the event of a collapse and to give you an idea of how to prepare for living near one. Frankly Chicago is quickly becoming a feral city.

Here’s a video I found on what a raccoon snare should look like. Raccoons are a pest that you’ll need to deal with, can be eaten (but are disgusting) but more importantly the skin can be sold or traded. The prices on the fur market are pretty depressed and I believe will remain so for some time but you can still get $5-25 dollars per skin depending on quality. Get a book or DVD on fur handling and a good skinning knife. If society devolves as some suspect furs will be a valuable commodity and raccoons will be a dangerous nuisance that gardeners, pet and livestock owners and people with children cannot afford to keep around.: