Year: 2007

Letter Re: Coastal Southeastern Alaska as a Retreat Locale

Mr. Rawles: I have to take issue with your abuse of Alaska in your [Recommend Retreat Areas page] location recommendations. There is a substantial area in Southeast Alaska that has none of the downsides you cite. I speak from experience and on the ground knowledge that affirms that the Wrangell-Petersburg area of Southeast Alaska is The absolute best location to be in the U.S. bar none. We have gambled everything on it and were absolutely right. We are not earthquake nor Tsunami prone. The biggest recorded tsunami here was not noticed. The fault lines all go out to sea South …


Letter Re: Cell Phone Coverage Maps as a Tool in Choosing Retreat Locales

Greetings, Jim: Several times you have mentioned using “lights of the night sky” [satellite] pictures to show where people are centralized ([assuming that a greater concentration of] people = trouble) in choosing where not to live/retreat. I have another suggestion: the maps of cell phone companies of their cell coverage. Cell phone coverage means lots of people or major travel routes. if a person wants to find a place to get away from people then looking on the no coverage area of cell phone maps is one tool to use. thanks for a great web site and great books. – …


Odds ‘n Sods:

“T” recommended this article on “Chameleon” weapons, over at Noah’s DefenseTech blog.OBTW, the comments that follow the article include some interesting links.   o o o RBS sent us this unusual survival story: Man survives after nearly being sucked out of plane    o o o Rob at Green Mountain Gear mentioned that he currently has a special on HK91/G3 Alloy magazines in new, unissued condition. Rob notes: “Some of them might have slight handling marks from moving around the world over the years. The first 20rnd magazines I pulled look simply awesome! Hit them with a little degreaser and …



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 runs for two months, ending on the last day of July. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival …


Reducing Your Sound “Footprint” by Countrytek

I’ve been lurking about SurvivalBlog for about six months now, and have found a lot of useful information hereabouts. There are lots of good tips about securing your retreat and making it less visible. One thing I have noticed though is that there appears to be a blind spot. Why go to all the trouble to screen your retreat location from view and practice nighttime light discipline if you are going to announce your presence far and wide audibly? One thing I’ve noticed lately is there is a lot of discussion on stocking up on two-cycle and bar oil for …


Three Letters Re: Chainsaws and Long Term Gasoline Storage

Dear Mr Rawles, After reading Edventures’ letter about there not being any diesel chainsaws available, I had a thought: why not combine an electric chain saw with a small, portable, diesel generator? Besides solving his fuel problem, he would also have a mobile power source that could be used to operate other devises. It’s just a thought. Best Wishes, – James K. Sir, Saw the letter about chainsaws and how stored gas didn’t work well in them. There was some question about the availability of diesel chainsaws and how they aren’t made anymore. ([Since they are] heavy and [have] slow …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The book currently at the top of my reading stack is: “Bulletproof: A History of Armored Cars and the Colorful Characters Who Ran Them, Rode Them, and Sometimes Robbed Them”, by James L. Dunbar and Robert Grant Kingwell. A fascinating book to read, but a bit expensive to buy for a personal collection, and not likely to be used as a reference. So try to get a copy through your local library, as I did. (Here in the hinterboonies my family takes full advantage of the inter-library loan system.)   o o o Rourke sent us a link to a …



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 runs for two months, ending on the last day of July. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival …


Guns for the Small Statured Shooter, by Steve in Iraq

When we are planning our choice of arms for TEOTWAWKI, most men will choose those arms that they think will best suit their spouse or significant other (SO), usually without consulting them first. Let me tell you, it will cause you nothing but problems if you follow that path! The best course of action is to let the SO pick their own equipment; if this isn’t feasible for whatever reason, then downsizing the gun will be required. Remember, we are planning for a situation that will not allow us to return to the local gun emporium on a whim! Also, …


Letter Re: Resurgence of Movies and Television Shows with Survival Themes

JWR, [Regarding the recent mention in SurvivalBlog about the resurgence of movies and television shows with survivalist themes,] I am a more than a bit of a movie buff, and I recently discovered that one of my favorite movies has been re-made. The sci-fi classic novel “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson finally gets the big budget and big star treatment it deserves in this third adaptation. Due for release in US theaters on December 14, 2007, the movie “I Am Legend” stars Will Smith. This post-apocalyptic thriller may be best remembered by SurvivalBlog readers from it’s earlier incarnations. Namely, …


Letter Re: Five Years to Just 50% of the Current U.S. Oil Supply

Dear Jim and Family, I have bad news. An analyst with an oil background did a study on the oil producing nations and found they would stop exporting 50% of their oil in around 5 years, averaging decline of 10%/year to total world oil exports. The USA is 60% dependent on imported oil, and is currently growing 7% of our needs via ethanol (corn). As we’re in the process of losing Mexico at 15% per year and will see them encounter some social breakdown in 11-17 months time due to loss of exports and tax revenue for their social services, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

One of my heroes is is economist John Mauldin. He publishes a free e-newsletter that I consider a “must read” for anyone that closely follows investing and economics issues. In his most recent “E-Letter”, John commented on the Bear Stearns sub-prime debacle (That I’ve also discussed.) Here is a quote:”The Center for Responsible Lending estimates that 2.2 million borrowers who got subprime loans since 1998 either have lost or will lose their homes through foreclosure over the next few years. This includes one of every five borrowers who got subprime loans in 2005-06, a default rate unmatched in the history …


Jim’s Quote of the Day

"The international monetary order is more precarious by far today than it was in 1929. Then, gold was international money, incorruptible, unmanageable, and unchangeable. Today, the U.S. dollar serves as the international medium of exchange, managed by Washington politicians and Federal Reserve officials, manipulated from day to day, and serving political goals and ambitions. This difference alone sounds the alarm to all perceptive observers." – The Late Dr. Hans F. Sennholz