Odds ‘n Sods:

Some scientists claim: Climate change inaction will cost trillions    o o o SurvivalBlog readers D.W., T.P., R.S, and “Hawgtax” all mentioned this story: Wheat stockpiles at a25 year low. My advice: Stock up, while wheat that is already in the supply chain is still inexpensive!    o o o From Newsmax: President Bush signs ports security bill. This law is aimed at stopping terrorists from secretly importing nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons into the United States inside one of the 11 million shipping containers that enter the nation each year. Most of these are currently not inspected.    




Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"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)




Note From JWR:

The bidding is now at $200 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.




Two Letters Re: The Ultralight Bug-Out Bag, by Hawaiian K.

Mr. Rawles: I really liked Hawaiian K’s ultralight article but was disappointed that no links were provided as to where we can find some of the gear recommended. Any chance Hawaiian K or you could provide that info. I am just starting out with this preparedness stuff and really don’t know where to look. Regards, Wayne [After I forwarded Wayne’s e-mail, Hawaiian K. sent the following speedy reply:] Jim, Sure! For people who like to save money and learn how to make the gear themselves, try these sites: Gossamer Gear Backpacking.net My philosophical approach to “retreating” is that one should …




Letter Re: Ammunition Handloading Basics

JWR, Sid mentioned the Lee Loader package in a recent letter. While I think the Lee Loader is an ideal addition to any survival reloading kit, it does have some caveats that were not mentioned in Sid’s letter. While the Lee Loader is a great system due to it’s simplicity, one of it’s great problems is its simplicity. Most die sets are two dies for bottle-neck and three for straight wall. The Lee Loader combines steps into one. What I believe the biggest shortcoming of the Lee Loader is, there is no good way to measure gunpowder reliably. While it …




Odds ‘n Sods:

In a recent issue of the Sovereign Society A-Letter, Eric Roseman noted with alarm that the credit derivatives market is now has a massive $26 trillion (with a “T”) dollars in play. This market has more than doubled in size over the last 12 months. Roseman says that he fears that the derivatives market has become a virtual time bomb. I concur. Someday, possibly in the near future, the market will start making big swings and the hedge traders are going to get blind-sided. Losses could be in the hundreds of billions or even the trillions, making the recent $6 …







Notes From JWR:

Today we welcome our newest advertiser: CivilDefenseSupplies.com. Be sure to visit their site an check out their wide range of products, including 72-Hour Survival Kits, Communications Equipment, Emergency Foods, Lighting, Emergency Water, First Aid, and Night Vision Gear. Welcome aboard! Because I will be traveling on behalf of a consulting client, I will not be taking any new mail orders from October 24th to November 8th. Thanks for your patience. During this time I will of course still be making my daily blog posts. (I’ve never missed day, and I don’t intend to!)




Storing Coal for Home Heating at Your Retreat

James; One thing I haven’t seen discussed at SurvivalBlog is coal. It is an excellent survival fuel. I would recommend purchasing ten tons of coal for your survival retreat. When the SHTF, you would basically have over a three year supply of energy, with no trees to chop. Best of all, there are no storage problems. You can leave it in a pile, or bury it in a hole. It will keep and will not degrade. Coal is very cheap. If possible, get a low sulfur anthracite coal. However, if your budget is tight, you can get a higher sulfur …




Letter Re: Ammunition Handloading Basics

Jim, I just got an order I sent for a couple days ago. 240gr. .44 cast bullets. It is my first time dealing there, but they look great, everything they are supposed to be. I got them from http://www.prettygoodbullets.com/ They also have .38, .40, and .45. I have been reloading for years, mostly pistol calibers. A good way for a newbie to start would be with a [hand held] Lee Loader. It is low-tech, and slow, but quality ammo can be made this way. All that is required besides the components, (primers, powder, and projectiles) is a soft mallet, and …




Odds ‘n Sods:

“Its called a cricothyrotomy not a tracheotomy…” I’ve noticed the new Jericho television series has sparked some interesting threads of conversation at The FAL Files, AR-15.com, and many other Internet forums. SurvivalBlog’s frequent content contributor Rourke has even started a Jericho-dedicated Yahoo discussion group. Check it out. OBTW, we don’t own a television here at the Rawles Ranch, so don’t ask me my opinion about the series, or anything else on television for that matter. (We only watch “Elk-evision”, from our porch.)    o o o The Seattle Post Intelligencer newspaper published a recent “scare tactics” article by Tom Paulson …







Note From JWR:

Today’s first article is a forwarded piece, penned by John Farnham, a well-respected firearms instructor in the U.S. His school is just one of a handful that I consider qualified to teach truly. practical firearms shooting. (Based upon personal experience my favorite is Front Sight. I haven’t yet attended any of Farnham’s training, but I’ve heard that it is great.)




What If?, by John Farnham

What if? Here is the “What if?” question that is silently circulating among federal agencies: Israel is currently fighting, as far as it is concerned, for its very national existence. Few in Israel don’t believe that every, last Israeli ( man, woman, child) in the entire county will be casually massacred, in place, when Iran/Hezbollah successfully invades. When that happens, all of Western Europe will do little more than scratch itself! Israel has not a friend in the world, save the USA, and the UK. Curious that the same people who don’t think the United States should be fighting terrorists …




Letter Re: A Positive Experience at Front Sight

Mr. Rawles: I just got back from a Two Day Defensive Handgun course from Front Sight. I contacted them after reading about their school at your blog, and they said that their best advertising was by ‘word of mouth’ , and if I was interested, they would give me a free two day course, so naturally there was no way I could refuse. I attended from 6 to 8 Oct. and was awed by their professionalism. A truly unique experience. I have nothing but great comments for the school. Thank you for the info. Please feel free to quote me …