Month: July 2007

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 11 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. (Worth up to $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. Round 11 ends on July 31st. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Older Chevy 4X4s: The Ideal EMP-Proof Survival Vehicles, by Vlad

The ideal survival vehicle is a 4×4, 3/4 ton made by GMC or Chevrolet. They are easy to work on, old enough to be cheap, new enough to get parts for and, tough enough to last. My 1976 GMC 4×4 3/4 ton pickup has 300,000+ plus miles. Maintenance = reliability. It has V8 350, 4 speed standard shift, 4.10 axles, dual-range transfer case, manual hubs. In Low range first gear I have crept up and down icy mountain roads with perfect confidence — and V-bar chains on all four wheels. Between the steel line from the gas tank, and the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

InyoKern flagged this piece about Mexico from The Oil Drum. InyoKern’s notes: “The graphs in the comments section are nails in the coffin, too. Have a look and read the comments. Its rather nauseating because its [coming] so soon. We thought we’d have a year or two before things got weird there, yet conditions for collapse in Mexico are getting pre-emptive. “   o o o Charles G. sent us this: Manhattan [New York City] parking spot going for $225,000. Charles comments: “Note the 3rd to last paragraph: ‘Some people are buying parking spots even if they don’t own cars, …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We are steadily asked about the age at which to teach young people to shoot. The answer to this obviously depends upon the particular individual; not only his physical maturity but his desire. Apart from these considerations, however, I think it important to understand that it is the duty of the father to teach the son to shoot. Before the young man leaves home, there are certain things he should know and certain skills he should acquire, apart from any state-sponsored activity. Certainly the youngster should be taught to swim, strongly and safely, at distance. And young people of either …



Two Letters Re: Advice on a Budget Rifle Battery for Retreat Security

Jim, I agree with you but I’d like to mention a few rifles. 1st one is the stevens 200,essentially it’s a savage with the accutrigger as seen on the new savages. they are running locally around $250. Also why not scope an Ishapore arsenal Enfield, that 12rd mag would be nice in my mind and being an enfield is going to be pretty fast to fire. lastly what about the the the mosin snipers going for $350? while not a .308, the 7.62x54mm will get the job done and the ammo is cheap enough that a couple thousand rounds could …


Letter Re: Some Observations on Self-Sufficiency and Retreat Security

James, I greatly appreciate SurvivalBlog and the solid, thoughtful info it contains, and have printed out numerous posts for future reference. It seems for many the ideal is having a bug-out location, so perhaps readers could glean some useful information from my experience owning and operating a fair-sized ranch, one of the goals of which is to be as independent as possible. Specific observation on particular issues: WATER Top of the list, everything else is secondary. If you don’t have indoor water for cooking, bathing, toilets, etc., the quality of life quickly plummets. Try hauling all of the water you …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader “Hawaiian K.” mentioned this article on a sub-prime mortgage woes in Britain. K’s comment: “We have a tendency to think of the sub-prime meltdown as being an American phenomenon when it’s happening in Great Britain too.”   o o o It’s not even vaguely related to survival or preparedness, but I found this news story weird, wacky, and wonderful: Oregon man takes lawn chair up to 13,000 feet, travels 193 miles    o o o Sounds like something out of one of those survivalist novels: Desperate times in Zimbabwe – A country at the end of its tether. You …



Note from JWR:

A gent recently e-mailed me to ask “How can I help support SurvivalBlog?” Here are eight things that you can do that will help us stay afloat: 1.) Whenever you contact any of our advertisers, please mention that you saw their ad on SurvivalBlog, and encourage them to continue advertising here. 2.) Get a voluntary 10 Cent Challenge subscription, and renew it annually. (99% of readers don’t subscribe. You’ll be one of the few that do.) And if you are a Secret Squirrel, just mail me a $5 bill, with no return address, or a fake return address. 3.) If …


Letter Re: Advice for Preparedness Newbie

Hey Guys. I came upon your site, and all I really had to say, was “Wow”. I suppose I’m not the best candidate to be a survivalist. I’m 21, I rent my apartment, have a mountain of student loans, and work as a waitress. My friends are mostly of the classic female-materialistic variety, and have no immediate concerns beyond a swimsuit sale at PacSun. Anyway, I’m an avid reader. I began to develop an interest in the term “Peak Oil”. I read several articles, and conducted a few small studies of my own. The fact that many of the articles …


Letter Re: Dick Proenneke–A Modern Day Pioneer in Alaska’s Bush Country

Mr Rawles, I saw the link to the anchorage daily news about alaska and I thought that you or your readers might be interested in a man named Dick Proenneke who basically left his life behind in the {Lower 48] states and lived alone in the Alaskan bush for about 30 years. Yes, he did have some outside support, and a few visitors a year but the man was amazingly resourceful. There is a documentary he filmed himself that actually shows how he made his own cabin by hand with no power tools, he makes not only the table and …


Odds ‘n Sods:

More than 50,000 turkeys on a farm west of Mount Jackson, Virginia tested positive for Avian Flu antibodies. It is a less virulent strain than H5N1, but still cause for concern.   o o o By way of SHTF Daily: US mortgage problem fears spark sell-off. Mark my words: A credit collapse could trigger a major recession or perhaps a depression. This is your last chance to sell off any rental or “spec” properties. Get out now, before it is too late. Ditto for stocks. The chain reaction has most likely begun. The real estate collapse is the precursor of …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We might think of dollars as being ‘certificates of performance.’ The better I serve my fellow man, and the higher the value he places on that service, the more certificates of performance he gives me. The more certificates I earn, the greater my claim on the goods my fellow man produces. That’s the morality of the market. In order for one to have a claim on what his fellow man produces, he must first serve him.” – Dr. Walter E. Williams


Notes from JWR:

In my post last night about the upcoming US Federal restrictions on iodine products, I neglected to mention that in addition to Polar Pure and KI, Ready Made Resources also stocks Betadine and other Povidone polymer products. These aren’t listed in their web page catalog, but are available if you place a phone order. (In the US and Canada call: 1(800) 627-3809.) The high bid is now at $250 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a batch of 10 brand new original Imperial Defence SA-80 (AR-15) steel 30 round rifle magazines. The auction ends on Sunday, July 15th.