Month: October 2005

On Gold, Silver, and Barter

I am often asked in e-mails about gold and silver coins and their value, both in the present day and their eventual worth (post-TEOTWAWKI) for barter purposes. The basic unit of measure for most of us that are in preparedness circles is the $1,000 face value bag of circulated U.S. silver coinage, minted in or before 1964. (Some folks mistakenly call these coins “Pre-’64”, but properly they should be termed “Pre-’65.”) 1964 was the last year that 90% silver coins were minted for circulation in the U.S. All of the dimes and quarters minted from 1965 onward are “clad” copper …


Richard S. Goss on Free Education (Or at Least Cheap)

The old saying is that if you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Being a proponent of a self-reliant lifestyle like most readers of SurvivalBlog, I find it is sometimes costly to get the training we need to make ourselves better informed. Being basically frugal (read: cheap) I’ve searched out some ways to get the knowledge I wanted without a large outlay of money. My first stop in my hunt for knowledge was at the Human Resources office at my place of employment. I discovered that there were several American Red Cross (ARC) first aid and CPR classes offered. The …



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” – Psalm 91:1-4, KJV


Note from JWR:

I’ve had many request for sources for my novel. It has been out of print since December of Aught Four. Prices have crept up to around $40 per copy, due to their scarcity. However, I’m glad to report that there are a few dealers that still have a few copies of Patriots available. These include Survival Enterprises and Fred’s M14 Stocks. As of this writing, the latter is currently offering a great three book package deal: Patriots + Enemies Foreign and Domestic + Boston’s Gun Bible, all for $50. Please mention SurvivalBlog, regardless of where you buy your books.


David in Israel on NBC Defense

Back to fun gadget related survival instead of the drudgery of feeding livestock and stockpiling boring buckets of hard red winter wheat. 🙂 Israeli gas masks must be very carefully selected, old canisters especially before 1993 when the bad mask scandal broke are worthless (Gulf War vintage masks were worthless toys.) Even then gas masks are not a one size fits all thing, they must be sized seal tested with banana [oil] scent and irritant smoke. Israel is one of the few places where a gas mask is a warranted purchase (but we get them provided along with an atropine …


Letter Re: Sambucol for Asian Avian Flu

Jim, Your link to the Sambucol page recommends 4 tablespoons daily for flu treatment. That equals one-half bottle (4oz./120ml bottle) each day per adult. Say you have 2 adults and 2 grown children, all being treated for symptoms. That equals 2 bottles per day. Readers may want to get right on this. Drugstore.com gives free shipping on $50+ orders. They are currently out of stock but promise delivery of Sambucol with two week order fulfillment.




Letter Re: Survival on a Budget

Dear Mr. Rawles, I really enjoy your blog and novel “Patriots“. I am someone who is on a tight budget, yet as made some progress in get myself prepared for tough times. I have found the best approach is small, but constant movement toward my goal. Take food storage, for example. I began by purchasing a few extra canned goods (>$20 worth) at the grocery store during my weekly shopping, and just kept repeating. Over time, I have built-up a food reserve that could sustain my household for several months. I make sure all of the items in my reserve …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by dictatorship." – Alexander Fraser Tyler, 18th century Scottish historian, The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic


Note from JWR:

Two million page hits and 74,000 unique views! That is not bad for a blog that is just over two months old. I greatly appreciate your support, folks! Please continue to tell your neighbors and like-minded friends about SurvivalBlog. Your support of the blog via T-Shirt/gear sales and classified ad placements are also greatly appreciated. Also, please mention SurvivalBlog whenever you contact any of our advertisers.


“Buckshot” on Commercial Fur Trapping Versus Survival Trapping

In a TEOTWAWKI situation, being able to trap game is a very vital skill. The fresh meat would be a welcome addition to your stored food. But you may not want to alert others to your location by shooting. Trapping is a labor-efficient method of filling this vital need. It is useful to understand fur trappers so that you don’t end up competing with them. A fur trapper’s goal is to get as much fur as quickly as he or she can. The goal to hit the hot spots hard and fast and beat the competition. Some guys run 2-to-3 …


Letter from “Dr. November” on Disinfecting Water

As far as disinfecting water, rather than bleach I’d recommend calcium hypochlorite (available as swimming pool chlorine or shock.) It’s somewhat cheaper, easier to use, doesn’t taste quite as bad (it’s what the military uses in large disinfection systems), and if you get a pool water test kit (the basic one) you can measure the residual chlorine. Just mix some calcium hypochlorite with water in a plastic squeeze bottle and add to the water you want to disinfect: Take a small sample out with the test kit and get something between 5 and 10 ppm (7-8 ppm is ideal.) A …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Survival depends a great deal on a person’s ability to withstand stress in emergency situations. Your brain is without doubt your best survival tool. It is your most valuable asset in a survival situation. It isn’t always the physically strong who are the most effective or better at handling fear in emergency situations. Survival more often depends on the individual’s reactions to stress than upon the danger, terrain, or nature of the emergency. To adapt is to live.” – Chris Conway, in The Attitude of Survival