Year: 2006

Letter Re: My Portable Solar Power System

James, I thought I would just write a quick note, you and your readers may be interested in the portable solar power setup I built for using my Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine on extended camping trips. See: http://mtoal.dyndns.org/solar Regards, – Hannibal JWR Replies: Folks with chronic health conditions (for example sleep apnea, diabetes, or dependence on medical oxygen) definitely need to plan ahead for TEOTWAWKI. I commend you both for your ingenuity and your foresight. BTW, you must be one burly dude to carry that battery box. Put that thing on wheels and save on chiropractor bills!


Letter Re: David in Israel on “When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer” Syndrome, and Building a Post-TEOTWAWKI Shelter

Hello James, David in Israel has done a great job sparking original thought in certain topics of discussion. I really like his log home ideas. I have one problem with it is: Today’s generation! I don’t think very many of us could muster up enough fortitude let alone man power to fell trees, drag to the site, de-bark and notch them, lift them into place and head from there, (without modern technology, equipment, and power). I grant him that he was talking about a smaller shelter which would be more feasible. His comments have made me think about creating a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Be sure to check out my new “big box” preparedness course. The special pricing for SurvivalBlog readers ends on July 4th.    o o o From Bulgaria: Lightning strike kills 70 goats, but their goat herder survives    o o o One of my favorite science fiction films, The Quiet Earth has finally been released in a Region I (North American) format DVD. (Heretofore it was only available in PAL format.) The movie has some disturbing sequences, but it is a thought provoking piece. (This is not a children’s film!) The DVD is now available on Amazon.com and eBay.com.    …



Note From JWR:

You may have been wondering what has been keeping me so busy for the past two months. I’ve been working on two projects: The first is a new expanded edition of my novel. That should be available in August. The second has been editing the first of what will be a series of courses and nonfiction books. Jake Stafford (you’ve seen some of his letters and articles on SurvivalBlog under a pen name) spearheaded this project. It is a family preparedness course that is now available for ordering. It features my guidance on stocking up a family for a year–everything …


Letter Re: Why Christianity? and Recommendations on the Great Lakes

Mr. Rawles, I just finished your novel (“Patriots”), after a marathon reading session that consumed my entire weekend. It was marvelous. I loved every aspect of the book except all of the religious references aimed towards Christians. Can a man of your obvious intelligence really believe that “being a good Christian” elevates someone morally to a higher level than perhaps a Muslim, Jew (yes you showed respect in the book for [a Jewish character’s] beliefs, but…), or myself a fence riding atheist? I want so much to believe in god, but it appears that god has abandoned this world. Secondly, …


Letter Re: Indian Reservation Boundaries a Determining Factor for Retreat Locales?

James, In your posted list of ‘Recommended Retreat Areas‘ you address Indian tribal government as a ‘minus’ because of an extra layer of bureaucracy only for Oklahoma. Doesn’t this apply to each and every state which contains reservations? Your top 12 recommended states all have reservations on them. Might not that Indian Nation independence be a benefit? Or, since my knowledge on Indian Tribal Lands and their political position being quite slim, might I just be missing some very basic information which would lend one to see the true position? I have been doing some research but haven’t uncovered anything …


Two Letters Re: .50 BMG Rifles

Jim: Those willing to pay a top price for .50 BMG rifles should look at the EDM Arms Windrunner, which bests the Barrett for accuracy, and takes down to a 4-foot-long case (heavy) for more discrete transport. It is also is available in .338 Lapua. They can sell you a “.338” [marked] receiver, which is unlikely to be a banned caliber, and a .50 BMG bolt and barrel. [Based upon the Form 4473] the feds will know only that you have a .338 rifle, and not that you also got some 50 caliber parts along with it, to make your …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Colorado drought continues.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader J.N. mentioned Congressman Bartlett’s 2005 Peak Oil Presentation to the U.S. Congress. (The video takes a lot of bandwidth, but a PDF transcript with views is also available.)    o o o FEMA Wasted $1.4 Billion in Hurricane Katrina Aid    o o o Buckshot (of Buckshot’s Camp) mentioned a couple of specials: His “Misadventures” book is currently available with free postage. If you order both his Misadventures book and his new Survival manual, they will cost just $21 with free shipping. Retail on the book is 13.95 and the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The only purpose of a government is to protect a man’s rights, which means: To protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, an agent of man’s self defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force. The only proper function s of a government are: The police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud from others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective laws. – John …


Note From JWR:

Get your entries in for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. If you want a chance to win, start writing and e-mail us your article soon. Round 5 ends on July 31st.


Letter Re: Asian Avian Flu and Waterfowl Migratory Flyways

1) I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but there is a map of “Waterfowl Flyways of North America” (put mouse cursor on icon in lower right corner and click to enlarge). This shows the routes that migratory ducks and geese follow when they return to the southern USA in the fall after mingling with Eurasian migratory birds in the subarctic over the summer. 2) That is, the map shows the primary routes along which Avian flu would be transmitted into the USA: a) Coastal bays like the Chesapeake and Delaware on the East Coast and San Francisco on …


Two Letters Re: David in Israel on “When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer” Syndrome, and Building a Post-TEOTWAWKI Shelter

James: G’day, just a quick comment on David’s well reasoned article. Ragnar Benson has a good set of plans and quite well written instructions on building an “A” frame cabin, from scratch, along with a list of kit you will need to make it easier contained in the book ‘Living Off the Land in City and Country’. We used it as the basis for our ‘holiday cabin’ (that’s what we tell our friends/relatives) and it seems to work quite well even after five years of weathering the varied Australian seasons. It is a bit more involved than a simple lean …


Letter Re: .50 BMG Rifles on AR-15 Receivers

Dear Jim: I was reading Boston’s Gun Bible last night and he recommended purchasing a 50 BMG rifle because he believes that it is most definitely at the top of the “too be banned list.” 1.) Do you think that the .50 cal. is an intelligent purchase for a survival scenario? 2.) Boston mentioned a 50 BMG AR-15 conversion package where the .50 caliber upper is used on an AR-15 lower receiver to convert it to a [single shot] .50 BMG. (And, no FFL is required.) What is your opinion of this system? (The approximate cost is $2,000 for a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Mat the Prop Wizard sent a link for another great article from Make magazine. This one describes emergency arc welding, using automotive batteries. Cooool! I had heard this technique described by some off-road jeep rally buddies, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen the details in an article.    o o o Rourke mentioned that the Sci-Fi Channel is getting into the act, with their own “Countdown to Doomsday”–with numerous Doomsday Scenarios    o o o Independent Petroleum Geologist Jeffrey J. Brown’s commentary: “Has oil peaked?: Yes”    o o o The Homeland Security Department says that The …