Month: April 2007


Letter Re: Fire Fighting Tools and Skills for Retreats

Sir: The recent piece in SurvivalBlog outlines many of the advantages of belonging to a Volunteer Fire Department (VFD). The VFDs in many areas have women as members as firefighters and support. The VFD that you join will let you network with other folks who care about their home area. The good training is just one of the many perks. You will most likely get to know your local police officers. And if you live in an area that prohibits scanners in cars, as a firefighter you might be able to have one legally. Having scanners lets you know what …


Letter Re: Advice on EMP Protection for Electronic Gun Vault Locks

Jim: I haven’t noticed this discussed on your blog, or any other for that matter. Is there anyway to protect a gun safe that uses the electronic key pad instead of the standard dial combination lock from electromagnetic pulse (EMP)? I wasn’t thinking along those lines when I purchased it several years ago. I enjoyed “Patriots” immensely and will be re-reading it soon. Thanks for the terrific blog. – Bruce H. JWR Replies: I mentioned this about a year ago in SurvivalBlog, but it is worth repeating: A steel gun vault body itself makes a decent Faraday cage. (Although a …


Letter Re Buying the Right Cookware and Knives for Long Term Preparedness

James, I am a recent (6 months) reader and learner from the SurvivalBlog and I really do appreciate all the work and information that you have shared with the world. Thank You! My survival preps are going slowly but steadily, and thank God I purchased a few cases of 308 for my M1A before the prices went ballistic. Now for the meat of the subject. I notice that you have a ton of information on retreats but something that I notice is a lack of kitchen information, which is a must. If you don’t have good cooking utensils, then all …


Odds ‘n Sods:

More on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), mentioning beehive population losses up to 70%: Mysterious disappearance of US bees creating a buzz   o o o Remington Arms has been sold to Cerberus Partners    o o o From the new, improved, Democrat party-dominated U.S. Congress: A bill to create a “Department of Peace and Nonviolence.” George Orwell saw it coming. Don’t miss Section 102, which includes: “(5) analyze existing policies, employ successful, field-tested programs, and develop new approaches for dealing with the implements of violence, including gun-related violence and the overwhelming presence of handguns” Gee, I always thought that handguns …



Note from JWR:

The high bid is still at $425 in the current SurvivalBlog benefit auction for several items (including an EMP-proof antique radio, four books, and a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course) that are being auctioned together as a lot. The auction ends on April 15th. Just e-mail me your bid. Thanks!


Letter Re: Advice on Military Surplus Bolt Action Rifles

Jim, You have spoken convincingly of purchasing pre-1899 firearms. I have noticed a flood of older rifles on the market for the last few years, all at seductively low prices, even if some [that are post-1898] must be “registered.” I looked through the topics on the Blog site but could not find the answer to what I am about to ask. Would you care to offer comparative opinions on the older rifles readily available (Mosin-Nagant, Yugoslavian Mauser, Turkish Mauser, etc.) on the market today. Thanks, – B.A.C. JWR Replies: I generally prefer pre-1899 Mauser rifles. The Yugoslavian M48 Mausers currently …


You Might Just Be a Survivalist If…

Reader Ken. M. found the following on the highly recommended Daily Reckoning Discussion Board and thought you might enjoy it: You might just be a survivalist if… – You can’t put your groceries in the trunk of the car because its already jammed full with emergency kits, first aid supplies, and fully-stocked BOBs. – You have emergency rations for your pets, and view your pets as potential emergency rations. – You know the news three days before it hits the mass media. – You have back-up plans for your back-up plans. – You’re convinced you’ve been exposed to so many …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Polk mentioned a recipe from, of all places, Black-Rifles.com, for do-it-yourself yogurt.   o o o S.F. mentioned this from Milspecmonkey.com: Videos from the recent SHOT show, demonstrating the Lula magazine loaders, and MagPul’s fully ambidextrous gas piston-operated lightweight .223 with quick-change barrels. Meanwhile, Bushmaster has introduced their own gas-piston operated AR-15 variant. (Which would be my choice if I owned a .223.) Oh, and in related news, the U.S. Army won’t be replacing the M4–or even retrofitting with HK-416 uppers.    o o o An income tax in Florida? One of just nine U.S. states without a personal income …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 10 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. This one is bit short, but still eligible for consideration. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I might again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. If you want a chance to win the contest, start writing and e-mail us …


Three Liabilities Addressed: Refrigeration, Sanitation, and Fuel, by James D.

One of the biggest problems for the survivalist is the lack of refrigeration, since the cost in energy is just prohibitive, especially in the multi-generational scenario. Normal refrigeration uses an electrically driven compressor to compress a refrigerant (a liquid that boils at room temperature) turning gas to a liquid. For the survivalist, ammonia is the refrigerant of choice, and at the proper pressure (since it is normally a gas), it will act as a refrigerant, although other chemicals may be added to improve performance, including water and salts. When the liquid boils it will cool the surface that the refrigerant …


Letter Re: Advice on Storing E85 Ethanol Fuel

Jim: As far as I know, [modern] E85 vehicles [with fuel flash point sensing] can run on pure ethanol (E100 fuel). You can assume there will never be a commercial supply of E100, though, since someone would inevitably try to drink the stuff.As you note, alcohol is hygroscopic, and “If enough water is absorbed, the alcohol separates from the gasoline and goes into solution with the water.” For E85, “enough” is around 20%, so this generally isn’t going to be a problem. – PNG JWR Replies: Even E10 (10% ethanol) blended gasoline is highly hygroscopic and can absorb 50 times …


Letter Re: Just Three Days to Relief, Post-Disaster?

Jim: I read a good posting on the blog [by Bryan A.] that unfortunately made me chuckle. Those of us who are first responders (cops, firefighters, etc.) will confirm that the usual mantra of “three days” of preps is excessively optimistic. In fact, FEMA is quietly (or not so, depending on who you ask) telling folks a minimum of ten days. In a briefing last year by a major Puget Sound USAR director, he stated that in his opinion, 10 days is minimum. This is an actual Region 10 director, contrary to what the government says (who did respond to …