Month: May 2007

Letter Re: How to Harvest, Process, and Store Vegetable Seeds

Jim: I read with interest the comment that seed should be dried to 2% instead of 5%. In the PDF article that was referenced to support the 2% claim, the only research that was done was conducted on the small onion seed. My effort to document this 2% value using the internet was not successful. The only other research data that I found on the internet recommends a moisture range of 6% to 13%, which is pretty close to the research values generated by Dr. James Harrington (the individual mentioned in my original article). The research I found on the …


Letter Re: Mercenaries a Post-TEOTWAWKI Threat

Jim, I think this will be the greatest. two-legged physical threat we will face during a TEOTWAWKI situation. Not terrorists. Not UN troops. Not marauding bands of looters. Not even KKK members or Neo-Nazis. It will be Mercenaries. Mercenaries like the Blackwater USA security group hired by our government leaders as “security contractors” in Iraq. Mercenaries that are not held under Congressional or Military review, not held liable for their actions, and have no territorial or family ties like National Guard units. This YouTube clip, and this one [show who I’m talking about.] Read about the Thirty Years’ War in …


Odds ‘n Sods:

In reference to my recent mention of the recently-introduced Arctic Cat diesel ATVs, reader Keith in Texas reminded me that several other makers also produce diesel engine “Utility/Side By Side” ATVs. These include Bobcat (the Toolcat 5600 B-Series), Club Car (the XRT 1500), Kubota (the RTV 900) and John Deere (the Gator HPX 4X4). Many of these models have hydraulic-powered attachments which can add to their versatility. And it is noteworthy that the Kubota three cylinder diesel engine used in several of these models is known for its reliability.   o o o Any readers that own a Saiga (AK) …



Notes from JWR:

Today we welcome our latest affiliate advertiser: Life Gear. They sell a nifty pre-packaged three day kit in a backpack, lanterns, flashlights, and much more.Please give your patronage to our paid banner advertisers first. If they don’t have exactly what you are looking for, then consider our Affiliate Advertisers. When you shop with our affiliates via our links, we get a little piece of the action to help support SurvivalBlog. Thanks! Congrats to Chris D., the high bidder in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction that ended last night. (The auction was for a pre-1899 Mauser rifle.) A new auction begins today. …


Letter Re: How to Harvest, Process, and Store Vegetable Seeds

Jim: [I recommend an article on seed storage available in PDF. Here is a brief summary:] “Storing seeds by immersion in CALGLY is a simple and cost-effective method for enhancing medium- or long-term longevity of orthodox seeds at ambient temperature.” CALGLY is easily made from readily-available chemicals – Calcium Chloride and Glycerol. The article gives instructions on how to prepare it. Also, note that this study shows that 2 percent moisture content is the optimum for seed viability. (The article by “Grandpappy” on May 11 [incorrectly] stated that below 5% will kill the seed.) Regards, – Stephen M.


Letter Re: A 250 MPG Bicycle Gasoline Engine

Jim, This is an unusual bike engine that uses standard gasoline (no oil mixing!) and delivers something in the neighborhood of 250 MPG, with a top speed of about 25 MPH. It might be just the thing to turn one’s emergency bike into a viable vehicle, despite hills to climb. Although the tank will only hold about 23 miles worth of fuel, it’d be a simple matter to carry extra fuel to get one 50-to-100 miles. While probably not the perfect way to “bug out”, it’d be nice to have motors like this on hand, “just in case”. – Hawaiian …


Letter Re: Employment as a Gunsmith, Both Before and After TSHTF

Mr. Rawles, I am a new reader of your blog. One of my co-workers recently told me about it and I am hooked. I never knew there was such a large gathering of like minded people. The reason for this e-mail is to ask about gunsmithing courses. Being new to your site I may not be looking in the right direction. If this is a subject that has not been covered can you or any of your readers recommend an online or correspondence course? Thank you. – Randy G. JWR Replies: I have not yet covered this topic, so here …


Letter Re: Retreat Locale Recommendations in Northern Idaho?

Hi Jim: Well a momentous time is upon me. After long conversations and deliberations, my dear wife has herself brought up the idea of relocating to Idaho. We’re planning a trip up to check things out. Wondering if you have any recommendations for areas to see, like the sub-20,000 population town with mixed economies. I’ve just started my information gathering and was hoping to get input from you on good areas to consider housing in. – Eric JWR Replies: I wish you the best on your upcoming move. First, my congratulations! You represent one of the less than 5% of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Countrytek mentioned: More mass fish kills, in the upper Midwestern states. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is blamed.   o o o KT sent us a link to video from Taurus, hyping their “Judge” .45 Colt/.410 shotshell revolver. This revolver might sense for folks in bear country. And bear country is also often grouse or ptarmigan country. So this whompin’ big revolver might be practical in several ways. I certainly wouldn’t want to make it my primary self-defense handgun (versus two-legged predators), but it does offer some interesting possibilities. As for the Taurus marketeer’s suggestion of using The Judge as a counter-carjacking …



Letter Re: Questions from a Newbie–Where Do I Start?

Mr Rawles- I’ve been a reader of your blog for maybe the last nine months or so and I know I need to stop reading and get to doing something. So I was wondering if you could advise me on where I should start my preparations. I’m a city boy so I don’t have many of the skills that I think would be useful in a TEOTWAWKI situation. I don’t know how to shoot or farm or fix a diesel engine. While I could start buying equipment in order to be prepared, I think that the first thing I should …


Letter Re: Feedback on JWR’s “Pulling Through” Movie Screenplay

Hello Mr. Rawles, First, let me preface by saying I am not anyone in the movie industry nor am I anyone in the publishing field. I am simply a citizen who happened upon your movie script – “Pulling Through” – and wanted to give you some feedback on what I thought of it. That said, I read it the other day and was totally hooked from the first scene onward. You began it with such an urgency, that to me, it was like the old Lay’s potato chip motto of “ya can’t eat just one”. What I mean by that …


Letter Re: Advice on Sealing Your Primers

Hello Jim, I’d like to chime in with my experience on [sealing ammunition primers–a topic raised by Teddy Jacobson.] If you’re looking for a sure fire way to protect your ammo under the worst possible conditions, you can’t do better than George and Roy’s Primer Sealant. The sealant is nitrocellulose based (the same as military and commercial ammo makers use), rather than lacquer based. I was a distributor of the sealant for a number of years and part of our sales pitch was that if you sealed your bullets with George and Roy’s, you could throw the ammo in a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The U.S. recession is here: Wal-Mart posts worst sales ever as US retail figures slump   o o o Hawaiian K sent us this web link with more on CCD: One beekeeper claims that using smaller comb foundations shows success in fighting Varroa and Tracheal mite infestations.    o o o KT found us this article: Council on Foreign Relations on U.S. Dollar: “An Absurdity… Supported Only by Faith”    o o o Rob at $49 MURS Radios told us that he has created a page detailing how to use an external antenna to increase the range of both MURS …