Year: 2005

Letter Re: “Get Back Home Kit” Packing Suggestions

Hello Jim, My work requires a fair number of road trips during the January to May time periods each year. Should the balloon go up while I am away from the homestead, I could be facing a 1,000 mile waltz to reach home and hearth. My first choice will be to use the vehicle and cut the distance as much as I can. If forced to travel on foot, I give myself every advantage, carrying the following supplies in the vehicle: CLOTHING Waterproof, insulated, COMFORTABLE hunting boots COMFORTABLE walking shoes Extra socks Insulated long underwear Wool shirts Gore-tex BDU pants, …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We’ve arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology.   We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology.  This is a prescription for disaster.   We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces.” – Dr. Carl Sagan



Recommended Region: The Carson Valley (Douglas County, West-central Nevada)

This area occupies the most prosperous county in Nevada (this statistic is skewed by Lake Tahoe basin residents in the county), and is an agricultural valley (mostly beef ranching) generally surrounded by mountain ranges. Just south of Carson City (the state capitol, population 50,000) it offers ideal off-the-grid solar climate with ample Sierra snow melt feeding the Carson River and sustaining aquifers. The county building department is a relatively non-intrusive rubber stamp, and the public schools have significantly higher academic standards than the norm. Douglas County is among the most conservative in Nevada, with registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats two-to-one. Residents …



Flexible (Amorphous) PV Panels

I just heard that Global Solar flexible amorphous photovoltaic (PV) power panels (See: http://www.308systems.com/) are now available through Ready Made Resources. Amorphous PV panels are superior to he monocrystaline for many applications. Their greatest advantage is that they allow “graceful degradation.” A bullet hole through a monocrystaline panel usually means that it is history. A comparable hole through an amorphous panel (depending on how its individual cells are wired) usually means just a 5% loss in power. Be advised, however, that monocrystaline panels have an almost indefinite useful life, whereas amorphous panels lose some of their efficiency over time.



Letter Re: Tritium Sights and Night Vision Devices

Jim, What are your thoughts regarding tritium nights sights giving away your position to someone using Gen III or better night vision? – Gung-Ho JWR Replies: Thanks, Gungie, you raised an important point! Even first generation starlight (electronic light amplification) devices can detect the illumination of tritium sights. For someone looking at you through a starlight scope or NVGs, if you are holding a pistol in your hands that is equipped with fresh tritium sights, then it will give the same visual impression as if you had a penlight shining in your face. If holstered, this usually isn’t an issue, …


Letter from Dr. Sidney Zweibel Re: Recommended Ammunition?

Dear Jim: Congratulations on your blog’s tremendous success! I will continue to pray to Yahweh for your continued blessings. I have a few questions on the weapons topic that I would appreciate your learned response on. 1.) I certainly understand your opinion on the .223 round, but for those of us that currently possess weapons chambered in .223 what type and load of .223 would you recommend? Are you familiar with the Hornady 60 gr. Spitzer cartridge? 2.) What manufacturers and types of rounds do you recommend for the .45 ACP? Are you familiar with the Hornady FMJ flat-point? 3.) …




Recommended Region: The Show Low Region (Navajo County, Northeast Arizona)

This mountainous region of northern Arizona (Navajo County) http://www.co.navajo.az.us/ is becoming popular with retirees. Statistics (for Show Low): Average high temperature in August: 83.7. Average low temperature in January: 22.7. Growing season: No precise data, just “Short.” Average snowfall in March: 17.8”. Advantages: Well removed from the high crime rate regions of southern Arizona. Disadvantages: Downwind from nuke targets in California. Grid Up Retreat Potential: 3 (On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best) Grid Down Retreat Potential: 5 (On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best) Nuclear Scenario Retreat Potential: 7 …


Letter From “A. Microbiologist” Re: Asian Avian Flu

Jim: Cipro is an antibiotic, as such it is only useful for bacterial infections. If you developed pneumonia during the course of the flu infection Cipro might be an okay choice. From what I have read most people that die from avian flu are dying from respiratory failure far before they would get pneumonia. Recommending Tamiflu is a better choice but resistant strains to this are emerging, and this is the most common stockpiled drug so more resistance is likely to occur. Relenza is an even better option, but it is much more expensive. I would recommend that all your …


Letter Re: Retreat Potential for The Eastern States–Pennsylvania

Dear Mr. Rawles: Thank you for providing a fine forum for those of us who value self-reliance and preparedness. My current professional situation requires that we live in a notoriously liberal city in the northern People’s Republic of Kalifornia. My wife and I laugh frequently at being the true minorities in our city – an independent Christian family with children where the father is a net provider of jobs. We are working actively on a relocation plan and hope for implementation within a few years. Pennsylvania is a state which may not appear interesting when considered in the aggregate, as …


Two Letters Re: Retreat Potential for The Eastern States–Virginia

Mr. Rawles, I’ll take you up on your offer to sing the praises of an eastern state as a retreat. Give me Virginia any day. We have excellent gun laws–shall issue for CCW; open carry; no restrictions on private transfers; no gun registry; and no waiting periods. H*ll, we can open or concealed carry in the state capitol building! (Except that open carry is now restricted to CCW permit holders.) Last year we got rid of local pre-emption, which drove the commies in Fairfax and Arlington counties nuts. We are a bit close to DC, so the a**hole population is …