Month: August 2006

Two Letters Re: EpiPen–Another Item for the Retreat Medical Kit

Jim: I also wanted to send you a comment about the Epi pen. The injection of epinephrine (“Epi”) is in large part an informed decision that with a little experience or training is an easy call to make. Epinephrine or adrenaline is only to be used when there is a directly life threatening emergency so most of the concern with cardiac stress is overruled by the overriding need to have a open airway. Children can survive amazing amounts of epi without stressing their hearts so in a life or death airway case give the pen. Benadryl is also on the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

It is nice to see the prices of both silver and gold bouncing back. I holding by my prediction that after the current summer doldrums the precious metals will see a strong rally this Fall. For those of you that took my advice and sold your spec or vacation house at the top of the market and invested the proceeds in silver: hang on! By late 2007, the dollar will go down versus many foreign currencies, silver will go up substantially, and house prices will go down substantially, especially in the most overheated markets. Those simultaneous moves will be a …


Jim’s Quote of the Day (230 Years Ago, Today):

"The hour is fast approaching, on which the Honor and Success of this army, and the safety of our bleeding Country depend. Remember officers and Soldiers, that you are Freemen, fighting for the blessings of Liberty – that slavery will be your portion, and that of your posterity, if you do not acquit yourselves like men." – George Washington (General Orders, 23 August, 1776)


Four Letters Re: Uses for CONEXes at a Retreat

James: We used some CONEXes to build a workshop. We built a wall halfway down the box with a door in it, insulated the front half, and put in power and air conditioning. It works fine, [but] the back half gets really, really hot. I’d recommend painting the container a heat reflecting color, try to put it under some trees out of direct sunlight, build some kind of roof over it or something to cut the heat like trellis planted with vines. We use the Rough Neck RV roof mounted air conditioners. I would recommend cutting a hole in the …


Letter Re: Canned Coffee Beans

Hi Jim I have gone through the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course twice now and find it to be very good data and will be using it extensively in my preps. Since I am a coffee drinker, I started thinking about how I could store coffee and where I could purchase whole beans in cans. I then thought of a friend of mine that owns a espresso cafe that I go to daily and it turns out that for her espresso and espresso drinks, she uses Illy coffee from Italy. Illy is about as good as it gets and …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Mark Steyn in Australia comments on global demographics: It’s breeding obvious, mate.    o o o Regarding the recent question on Ethanol blends long term storage–here is part of the answer. SurvivalBlog reader Shawnee contacted the makers of PRI-G gas stabilizer to ask about how it works with ethanol blends. This was their reply: “Our initial experience with ethanol blended gasoline has been very positive. PRI-G not only provides enhanced stability to the blend, but protects on lubricating value as well.”    o o o The USDA has not replied to the query about small farmers and NAIS submitted by …




Two Letters Re: The Ethanol Debate

Jim: Regarding the following snippet in Odds ‘n Sods: As quoted by our friend Bill Bonner at The Daily Reckoning: writing in Fortune magazine, Lester Brown notes that ethanol is not only a waste of money, if taken up widely, it would actually mean starvation for many of the world’s poor people. “The grain required to fill a 25-gallon tank (with ethanol) would feed one person for a year,” Brown writes. I was under this impression too. Don’t get me wrong I think its a waste of time and resources, but ethanol doesn’t have to be [derived from] the grain. …


Letter Re: An Amazing Tale of Survival: Nine Months Adrift in the Pacific

Dear Jim, I think this would be a good story to link to on SurvivalBlog. Three fishermen survived on a 25 foot boat for nine months at sea, doing drastic things to ensure their survival. Two of the men on the boat died because they didn’t have the will to live (there were originally five on the boat.) As a sea kayaker who takes safety very seriously, it is a sobering story. Take care, – C.R.


Two Letters Re: EpiPen–Another Item for the Retreat Medical Kit

Sir, Excellent advice on the EpiPen, but its worth mentioning an adequate stock of Benadryl should also be on hand. The EpiPen treats the symptoms of anaphylactic shock but Benadryl or a similar antihistamine will treat the cause. (Which is of particular importance if a doctor is not available.) Bee stings are the most common culprit for anaphylaxis, but it can also be caused by food allergies, latex allergies, and others. Here is a site with some information on Benadryl, side effects and administration instructions Respectfully, – Patrick R   Jim: Epi can kill if not used correctly. The key …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader “Desert T” notes: “I came across this item at the Smith & Wesson web site while researching something else. Rather steep price, but I found the marketing strategy interesting.” JWR Adds: Just the ticket for traipsing around Alaska.    o o o I recently heard about an interesting vendor called Civil Defense Supplies. They stock and eclectic line of storage food, first aid gear, commo gear, night vision gear, 72 Hour Kits, and so forth. I should mention, however, that I have not yet done business with them.    o o o Reader Sid near Niagara Falls spotted a …



Letter Re: Retreat Locale Recommendations in Texas

James A couple of comments about K.A.D.’s Retreat Locales in Texas. (posted August 17th.) I largely concur with his well thought-out findings, though the recommended counties in the Hill Country such as Gillespie and Kerr have seen a huge increase in population in recent years, along with corresponding increases in land prices. A much better area, in my view, is further north and west, with far lower populations. But water is key in any part of the state west of I-35; with it, the area approaches ideal; without it, you’ll find yourself living in a desert. There are springs, but …


Two Letters Re: “Ural” Russian Motorcycles with Sidecars

Jim, I have been riding BMW motorcycles for about 10 years. I have seen a few of those Urals around, and every one with first hand knowledge says they are not as dependable as the Beemers. But– the design is pretty simple, and they are not hard to work on. My Beemer has 86 K miles on it, and I had to replace a starter, and a coil. That’s it. I guess the big question with the Ural is, does it have points ignition, or electronic? This would be my first concern, now. I have been entertaining the idea of …