Novelist Michael Z. Williamson sent us a link to a PDF on Combat Loads in Afghanistan. Mike's comments: "It shows march, approach and combat loads of troops in Afghanistan, for reference for building bug out bags. Obviously, a civilian bag will be lighter on batteries and ammo, and heavier on food, water and shelter. But this is a handy reference for comparison."
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A pointed history lesson from the Von Mises Institute: Inflation and the French Revolution--The Story of a Monetary Catastrophe
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From The Chicago Tribune: Layoff fears part of 'new normal' -- Affluence, college education no protection from job market that cycles quickly through workers. Every family should develop a home-based business that they can fall back on, in hard times.
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I spotted an interesting thread over at The Oil Drum with some observations from Uganda, on improvised battery charging. My comment: Every family should at the very least have a small photovoltaic panel and a "jump pack" battery, for recharging small NiCd and NiMH batteries. (See the recent thread on SurvivalBlog for sources.) As a minimum, you need to be able to recharge batteries for your MURS walkie-talkies, intrusion detection sensors, and night vision gear. These are essential for retreat security!
