Year: 2006

Letter Re: Ladies Supplies for TEOTWAWKI

Mrs. Rawles: In the event of long-term TEOTWAWKI, a few questions come to mind – how did women deal with menstruation? I know this subject may be distasteful; but, reality check! Can a survival group stock up on enough toilet paper and “sanitary napkins”? Maybe telephone books will suffice for toilet paper, but what about “tampons” etc? In my experience, most “primitive” societies just let Nature take its course. Are our women (and men) prepared to do the same? What are your ideas? It’s coming! The Memsahib Replies: We stock up on them just like we stock up on the …


Letter Re: Perpetuation of Corrosive Ammo Cleaning Mythology

Jim, Please stop the perpetuation of dangerous [(to equipment)] mythology regarding cleaning firearms after shooting corrosive ammo. It’s not magic. Not understanding how to clean your guns or why can seriously and dangerously corrode guns in a matter of hours. The text from Mike’s letter to SurvivalBlog is italicized: Cleaning after corrosive ammo. It depends on how much moisture the gun is exposed to how quickly it needs cleaned. In my safes with “Golden Rod” heaters I have no trouble for one to two weeks. Sitting in the garage in Ohio’s notorious humidity, a few days seems the maximum. Of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Gold Price Rally is No Flash in the Pan: “Gold fever rages on despite the metal’s 24 percent jump in a month to 26-year highs followed by an even faster retreat. “This is a serious bull run. Those people who think it’s a bubble ready to burst might be disappointed,” Tony Dobra, director of global commodity derivatives at Standard Chartered Bank, told Reuters.    o o o A home security tip, from one of those infinitely-forwarded e-mails: “Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in …



Note From JWR:

Starting the month, I will be mailing free autographed copies of my novel “Patriots” as “Blinding Flash of the Obvious (BFO) Awards:” These are for anyone that e-mails a letter or article for posting on SurvivalBlog that includes what I deem to be a particularly brilliant, novel, or useful concept. There is no set schedule–I will make BFO Awards on just as the mood strikes me.


Letter Re: The Importance of Storing Salt for Preparedness

Jim, Here is an absolutely fascinating article about gorillas and salt that I came upon whilst browsing the Foxnews.com site. I seem to remember an article on your blog, not too long ago, discussing pretty-much the same thing. This is something which might prod your readers all-the-more to stock-up on [blocks, bags, and boxes of] salt. – Ben L. JWR Replies: Unless you literally live next to a salt marsh, I cannot overemphasize the importance of storing salt. The Memsahib and I formerly lived in the Upper Clearwater River Valley of Idaho. In that region, deer and elk would walk …


Letter Re: Everyday Savings Via SurvivalBlog

Jim: Just the other day, on the thread concerning watches, another SurvivalBlog reader posted a link to a Japanese firm [Higuchi.com] that sold watches. I took a look around their site, and found, to my surprise, that the watch I had been pining for was 1/3 the cost of the same watch purchased from a USA dealer, shipping included. Needless to say I whipped out my debit card and did the deed. But it occurred to me, over the short existence of SurvivalBlog I have run into bargains for items that I would normally purchase – unrelated to survival or …


Letter Re: “Jericho” TV Series Airing This Fall

James, I was surprised to see that CBS will be airing a drama this fall called Jericho. Here is what the show is about: “Things are quiet and peaceful in small-town Jericho, Kansas, but when a baffling explosion occurs in the distance, Jericho’s residents are plunged into social, psychological and physical chaos. No one knows what to think, and fear of the unknown takes over the town, especially because its isolation cuts it off from outside help. When nearly everything they know seems gone, will the residents of Jericho band together to face their unfamiliar and mysterious new world?” Here …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Zimbabwean government debt and currency hyperinflation have progressed to super nova stage: “Zimbabwe’s domestic debt has trebled, from Z$15-trillion to nearly Z$43-trillion, casting a pall over any prospect of economic recovery. Latest central bank statistics show the public debt was Z$42.9-trillion on June16, up from Z$21-trillion on June 2 and Z$27-trillion on June 9. The country’s debt has continued to skyrocket against a background of deteriorating macroeconomic fundamentals and the socioeconomic situation. The central bank’s overnight accommodation recently stood at 850%, the inter-bank rate at 693.3%, and treasury bill yields at 510%.” Wow! This sounds like something out of …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Most civilization is based on cowardice. Its so easy to civilize by teaching cowardice. You water down the standards which lead to bravery. You restrain the will. You regulate the appetites. You fence in the horizons. You make a law for every movement. You deny the existence of chaos. You teach even the children to breathe slowly. You tame." – Frank Herbert, Dune


From David In Israel: On Sheltering from Katyusha Rocket Attacks

James Our friends who live in Tzfat (also spelled Safed, Sfat, Sfas, etc.) recently came to stay with us to get away from the rockets which lit Mount Meron on fire and landed all around them shaking their house and breaking the window over my friend as he shopped. They are returning home still a bit shaken but feeling better after a two day break. They have been under 122mm Katyusha rocket fire. They have some Russian, Iranian, and Chinese stuff in Lebanon like the Fajjar-5 which has a range of 45 kilometers. The Israeli Saar-5 corvette Ahi-Hanita was struck …


Letter Re: A Practical PV-Powered Well Pump and Cistern System

James: I appreciate your web site, lots of good thoughtful info and no armchair commando nonsense. I rarely post on this or related blogs, but I’ve just installed two complete solar water systems and can perhaps add a bit to the backup-powered water discussion. A solar system is tailor-made for supplying water, IMHO, because instead of storing electricity in batteries for nighttime use, it stores water in a tank for use on demand, no inverters, no batteries, no fuel. Simple and effective. Both systems use Grundfos submersible pumps and two solar panels of about 170 watts each. One system pumps …


Letter Re: Brass Recycling

Jim, Just a note regarding Bill K.’s fired cartridge brass recycling idea to raise extra cash – it is a good money making idea with the continuing rise in the price of copper and other metals – our gun club here in North Carolina paid all its property taxes last year on the recycling of fired brass left after shooting events. The club insists that if the shooters don’t wish to take their fired brass home, they spend a few minutes between relays when the line is clear to police up brass and put them into specially marked/painted ‘brass buckets’. …



Two Letters Re: Do It Yourself Bulk Food Storage

Jim: Excellent information on storing dry goods for long-term. I have just a bit of advice to all out there: use foods from you stores in your every-day life. I’m not advocating depleting your stores; rather consuming and replacing them as part of your daily life, thus rotating your stock as well. (This is recommended, however, ONLY after you have acquired your long-term goal (i.e.one year supply, two, etc.). You will benefit in at least four distinct ways from this:1.) your stores will always have a maximum useful shelf-life, as they will constantly be rotated; 2.) you will probably experience …