Year: 2005

State By State – South Dakota

South Dakota: Population: 754,800. Population Density: 9.78 per square mile (Rank 16 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 77,100 square miles (rank 16 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $618/yr. (rank 46 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $380/yr. (rank 42 of 50. ) Crime Safety Ranking: 4 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 69%. Per capita income: $25,958 (rank 34 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 12 of 50. Plusses: Very low population density and crime rate! A low “total tax burden” of 8.9%. Low car insurance rates. Minuses: Cold winters and a short growing …


From The Memsahib: Lessons from the “Little House on the Prairie” Books

All of the books in the "Little House on the Prairie" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder are great reads for all ages. Many lessons can be gleaned from their pages. (The books are much better than the sappy television series.) Laura’s "Pa" was an eternal optimist. When he saw the luxuriant prairie grasses he assumed the soil was rich and good for farming. But he did not realize that those plants were designed to survive in the Dakota territories’ weather and its pests and and that cultivated grains were not. He did not foresee the devastating storms and pests that …


Letter Re: Kudos for SurvivalBlog Advertisers and Advice on North Carolina’s Retreat Potential

I appreciate the link on Captain Dave’s site. I have read your book [Patriots ] ’till the pages are falling out. I have been visiting your blog every day since it was first mentioned on Captain Dave’s. I just wanted to give you a quick A1 “Attaboy” on your advertisers. I have used JRH Enterprises starting in the mid-late 90’s when he was still located in Jacksonville Florida, and he has ALWAYS been a source of good information, honesty, and good deals. If he does not have it he can tell you who does. Bruce Hemming (Buckshot’s) has been a …


“Doug Carlton” Re: Military Logistics Versus Individual Retreat Logistics

I just read Army Aviator’s post on the helmets, et al. He brings up some good points, and perhaps even ones that he didn’t intend to. Just because the Army does things a certain way, doesn’t make it the right way for a survivalist. The main difference is that the Army has a long logistics capability and an individual’s will vary so much that even things that may work for one group, might not work for another. An example is the tarps used on the 5-ton trucks. For the Army, the plastic tarps are a better system to use. They’re …


Letter from “The Army Aviator” Re: Dual Fuel Carburetors for Generators

Dual Fuel Carbs for generators generally aren’t available any more. Also, Onan references below also include Kohler’s. Onan Generators 4.0kw to 7.5 kw are a good selection when combined with a Trace SW4024 inverter package. I run my generator two hours a day and have electricity 24/7. (Generators are best run with a full load for maximal service life and fuel economy.) I’ve noticed that many people think of having a generator and when the grid goes poof, cranking up the genny and life goes on. That dog doesn’t hunt. They usually use a ton of non-essential electricity.and that simply …


Letter Re: Watch Out for Martial Law

Hi Jim, Thanks for doing a great job on SurvivalBlog… very informative, easy to follow and obviously attracting some pretty bright folks. Having spent nearly 40 years “working” for Uncle Sam in a variety of military and civilian posts (I retired as a senior IRS field agent), I have a deep-seated mistrust of the feds. We, The People, are one episode away from martial law and the end of the United States Constitution. As retired General Tommy Franks put it… “the worst thing that could happen” is if terrorists acquire and then use a biological, chemical or nuclear weapon that …


Book Recommendation — “C.Z.” Recommends: Bacteriological Warfare: A Major Threat To North America

I recommend getting a copy of the book "Bacteriological Warfare: A Major Threat To North America" by Larry Wayne Harris (Registered Microbiologist and a Christian) ISBN 0-9647860-5-2 Why do you need this book? Here is an example: Chapter 13 is on Preparation of Veterinary & Agriculture Antibiotics for Human Use. This chapter has dose charts for using six of the most commonly available veterinary antibiotics. Used copies are often available through Amazon.com from private sellers.


Letter from a New Yorker Re: Two-Faced Politicians

Jim, I get a chuckle out of your terms “When the Schumer Hits the Fan” and “Schumeresque.” I am unfortunately, stuck with ol’ Chuckie [Schumer] as a Senator. The biggest laugh is, as you may know, we have a CCW permit system here [in New York.] Schumer is very anti-gun. A state trooper told me years ago, he was accessing the permit log and found that Schumer himself has a permit, and there were, at the time, two guns listed on it. He couldn’t say what [models] they were, but there were two. Probably more, by now!!


Letter Re: Clarification on Oregon Gun Laws

Hi Jim, Just read your review of Oregon for retreat potential. Good write up. But your reference to the face to face transfer for firearms is slightly inaccurate. AFIK only those transactions between private parties at a gun show must be papered. Those done in other ways (i.e. newspaper ad, garage sales, private sales between friends, etc.) can still be done without paperwork. I’m an NRA instructor and active range safety officer and try to keep up on the laws and haven’t heard of that getting through yet. Though some in the state house would like to make things more …



Note from JWR:

Please spread the word about Survival Blog. Your mention of this blog at Internet Forums and/or on radio talk shows is greatly appreciated! Today, I’m covering Oregon, the 14th of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.


State By State – Oregon

Oregon: Population: 3.4 million. Population Density: 35 per square mile (Rank 9 of JWR’s top 19 states) (The highest density is in the northwest part of the state. It is much lower elsewhere, particular eastern 2/3rds of the state.) Area: 97,000 square miles (rank 10 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $704/yr. (rank 35 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $343/yr. (rank 47 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 18 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 65%. Per capita income: $27,660 (rank 25 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 10 of 50 (tied with Washington). Plusses: No …


Letter Re: First Hand Account from New Orleans

The following comes to us from a SurvivalBlog reader who was deployed with a WMD/Hazmat Team to New Orleans, very soon after the hurricane struck. Cellular phone difficulties and 15+ hour work days kept him from making reports to SurvivalBlog as he had originally planned. James: I’m very sorry that I couldn’t make contact [while there] and keep you all up to date with the Katrina Deployment. I rotated out of New Orleans yesterday and made it home it time for my daughter’s 16th birthday. Quite an emotional ride, to say the least. Katrina…wow…First I want to say thanks to …


Letter from “Dr. Buckaroo Banzai” on Living Debt Free and Retreat

Shortly before Katrina hit I eliminated all of my unsecured debt. At the moment we have just the mortgage and two car payments (aside from utilities and insurance payments.) We put a 48 month plan into action. Every month we ‘bank’ a percentage of our income, roughly $1,000 USD a month. At the moment it’s going into the safe and we are entering month 3 and are at $2,000 and right on track. Our car payments will be done before the 48 months are up and 100% of that will then also be going towards our new home/retreat. We are …