Year: 2007

Note from JWR:

The high bid is now at $235 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a for a new-in-the-box Hydro Photon UV Light SteriPen Water Sterilization System with solar charger and pre-filter, kindly donated by Safecastle, one of our most loyal advertisers. This very popular water sterilizer product package normally sells for $225, plus postage. See the details on the SteriPen and solar charger here. As a bonus for this auction, I’m also including three autographed books: Rawles on Retreats and Relocation, SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog – Volume 1 and my novel: “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”. (Together, these books …


Letter Re: Will Things Get a Bad as Described in “Patriots”?

James: I have been a SurvivalBlog reader for nearly a year. It is my favorite blog, by far. I got a [voluntary] 10 Cent Challenge subscription after about the first month (and I’m about to renew). But it wasn’t until last month that I got around to purchasing a copy of your novel [“Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”]. I had been avoiding it because I’m not the sort that reads novels. They are mostly a waste of time. But I thought that I’d make an exception and get yours, since it had such a high rating on Amazon. It wasn’t …


Letter Re: A Commercial Fueling Network (CFN) Card Lock Account as a Preparedness Measure

Mr. Rawles, I have been considering sending you this note on fuel, so I’ll tag on now. I work for a very large pipeline/oil company and I am in management. My family & I have been in this business for nearly 30 years. I run diesel pickups and use a CFN card as well. The real point I want to share is that when we may no longer get gasoline or diesel fuel, there are hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles around in which fuel can be “obtained” with a hose or pump [in the cited absolute worst case situation.] …


Odds ‘n Sods:

AVS sent us this from Snopes.com, confirming an “urban legend” as factual: Tampons are indeed used as wound dressings in Iraq.   o o o Ed L. suggested this piece from Bill Fleckenstein at MSN Money Central: Central banks are stealing from the average citizen    o o o Subprime Crisis: Can It Happen In Britain, Too?


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Because Roman civilization perished through barbarian invasions, we are perhaps too much inclined to think that this is the only way a civilization can die. But if the lights that guide us [morally guided public institutions] ever go out, they will fade little by little, as if of their own accord.” – Alexis de Tocqueville



The Basics of New Zealand’s Firearm Laws, by SurvivalistSam

New Zealand firearms laws seem rather restrictive when compared to those in the USA but they are generally liberal when compared to Australia’s. In New Zealand one can own normal firearms such as shotguns and rifles with a normal A class Firearms Licence but for pistols one must acquire a “B” endorsement to that licence. Even then one must join a pistol club and partake in shooting events at least 12 times a year. You must also never fire a pistol in any area that is not an approved range and you must store it in an appropriate safe that …


Letter Re: Trading Post or General Store

Jim: While keeping your profile low at the beginning of TEOTWAWKI makes perfect sense during the time period if and when the bandits and masses are looting. Once the dust settles, and the survivors begin to recreate a semblance of civilization, then the trading post, and it’s natural evolution, the general store will come into being. 1.) If you are in a remote location, you may not be well-suited to running such an enterprise, but if location permits then consider the benefits of providing this service. Consider also that as a SurvivalBlog reader, you already likely have a base of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Another attack by Al Qaeda on the United States is “inevitable”, the head of the National Counter Terrorism Center says.   o o o One of the folks over at The Claire File Forums pointed out the Our Cool House web site, describing the construction of an earth-bermed a super-energy efficient house.    o o o Sid C. forwarded this link to a humorous video clip: Some survival retreats in Texas will not have a shortage of venison.



Note from JWR:

Anyone looking for a survival retreat in North Carolina should see the new listing at SurvivalRealty.com for a 130 acre parcel called the Rolling Meadows Retreat. OBTW, we are actively looking for more retreat property listings in the eastern US. Note that our ads are free at SurvivalRealty.com for our first few months of operation!


Letter Re: A Commercial Fueling Network (CFN) Card Lock Account as a Preparedness Measure

Sir: I work for a truck company and came up with an idea that may be useful to others out there. We fill our trucks up with diesel at Commercial Fueling Network (CFN). We do this for a couple reasons such as it is more cost effective and low key. From a city survivalist point of view its a great location to acquire fuel in two situations. One would be the natural disaster scenario where one is trying to flee the city only to find that regular stations are out of fuel. At this point they could divert low key …


Letter from David in Israel Re: QRP Radio Kits

James While the tuna tin theme is cute, for the price there are much better QRP rigs out on the market than I see at the QRPme.com web site. (Theirs are about the worst). The kits they shown here all look like they have the smallest transistors possible and are only able to make miracle DX on very special occasions as I suspect they would be hard pressed to kick out a whole watt. The other downside is that they are not transceivers just transmitters. I still think the best deal for the money is from Small Wonders. There is …


Odds ‘n Sods:

As mentioned in The Drudge Report, a pronouncement has come from the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, conclave: Fed Acts to Limit Credit Crisis Fallout. Meanwhile, we read: Bush Outlines Aid for Mortgage Holders. I don’t think anything that they do at this point will stop the debt bubble from bursting. This just the beginning of a huge financial debacle that will play out in the months and years to come. As I’ve said before, the macroeconomic implications are huge. I should also mention that I’m presently waiting for the other shoe to drop: commercial real estate. There were lots of foolish …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“A gimmick is a brilliant solution to a non-existent problem. A gadget is what you use to solve a problem you didn’t know you had. A gizmo is what you use to solve a problem when you don’t have the know-how or skill to do it yourself. A tool is what you use to get real work done.” – R.H. Ruana, member, American Bladesmith Hall of Fame