Day: September 21, 2006

Notes From JWR:

To generate some cash for an upcoming major purchase, I have reduced the prices on many of the guns, gun accessories, and books in my mail order catalog. Please take a look. The bidding is now up to $155 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a fully tested and recently professionally calibrated U.S. government surplus Civil Defense CD V-717 fallout survey meter with remote sensing capability. The meter was donated by Ready Made Resources (one of our first and most loyal advertisers). This auction ends on October 15th. Please submit your bid via e-mail.


Letter Re: Advice on Storage Foods Not Requiring Cooking

Dear James, My wife and I work long hours and hardly ever cook. We would like to store food but don’t want to rely on anything that has to be cooked. Any suggestions? Thank you, – M.P., Fort Lauderdale, Florida JWR Replies: Although their per ounce/per calorie cost is higher, there are a couple of approaches that I can suggest for your situation: retort packaged cooked entrees (including U.S. military”Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) entrees, and freeze dried Mountain House entrees. Neither require cooking. The retort packaged entrees are “heat and eat.”, while the freeze dried entrees are “just add …


Letter Re: Swords and Bows for that Dreaded Multigenerational Scenario

Dear Jim, I agree there are crossbow-type weapons that are very powerful. However, 1,200 lbs draw weight is not a typical crossbow. That is a later period steel-proded piece, and were typically used with a pavise (portable shield), two assistants and infantry in support. A good many were dolly mounted. Payne-Gallwey’s book was written in 1886, when it was still believed that a longbow was at most 70 lbs of draw, and that the stories from the Hundred Years War were exaggerated. We have since found archaeological evidence that supports the longbow. (Not to mention all the dead crossbowmen at …


Letter Re: The Developing Oil and Gold Price Divergence

Jim, This is just my opinion, based on years of observation (rather than facts and figures) but I think I know where most of this is coming from. Politics. The oil companies are thriving under Bush/GOP rule and so they’re playing their part like they so often do, rolling back the source of so much anger and irritation (gas prices) and giving the false sense that things are “getting better”. I fully expect them to rise again, quickly, right after the election. Bush and company will restart their massive theatrical performance of real and implied violence against oil producing nations …


Odds ‘n Sods

In response to the recent posts about off-road capable campers, Doc at www.bigsecrets.cc mentioned some very well made utility trailers, ATV trailers, and camper trailers–all in the same unit. He highly recommends them.    o o o Economist Dr. Gary North comments on the debt burden for the next generation. Sobering stuff.    o o o Once again, BATFE agents have re-interpreted both their agency’s standing rules and Federal law, as it suits their fancy. This time a field agent decided that a rifle parts kit, less a receiver, constitutes a “firearm.”


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is in the nature of government to grow like fungus. The framers of the Constitution set out bottles of bleach and sponges, and left general indications of where the general populace could get more if they wanted. These days, most people are arguing whether they want black mildew or pretty shrooms." – Xander Opal