Year: 2007

Ponies for Survival, by Jen’s Hens

Horses will be quite handy in a survival situation to be pack animals, to ride, to do farm work, and many other things. But horses eat enormous amounts of food and generally are not surefooted. So how are you going to have pack animals, riding animals, and farm workers? Well, ponies of course! Ponies are smaller than horses no taller then 14.2 hands high so they are easier to handle, they are more surefooted then horses, and eat a lot less than horses. (One hand equals four inches.) Horses (Especially Draft horses) require high quality feed, but ponies can easily …


Letter Re: Hurricane Preparedness, by MFA

Jim, Well written article especially for a “newbie” to hurricanes in Florida. However, I must take exception to the one item that MFA ignored: a standby generator! Life after a storm in Florida without a generator can best be described in two words: “absolute misery.” Without going into details, a generator will mean the difference between an Absolutely Miserable Time and a manageable Difficult Time. Personally we have a Honda 6500 [6.5 KW] electric start generator to use during the storm to provide power for lights, television Weather News and to keep the refrigerators and freezers running. After the storm, …


Letter Re: Firefighting Equipment for Rural Homes and Retreats, and Comments of Geothermal Heating

Hi Jim, I thought it prudent to add a bit to Mr. Savage’s fire fighting equipment article. It touches two topics worth mentioning. In the article, Mr. Savage recommends a fire truck, bladder, tank, etc… for firefighting. I have no problem with this unless it is winter. Trying to pump this much water on as “as need” basis in the event of a fire is obviously not going to work as well. Storing the water in a “non-potable” type container clearly marked, one could add the appropriate amount of RV antifreeze to the tank to keep from bursting your firefighting …



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Far from being grateful defenders of the system from which they have profited, the children of capitalism tend to turn against it. Thus it is that radicals and even revolutionaries almost always stem from the middle and upper classes rather than the working class or the poor, in whose name they presume to speak. And thus it is that what is called liberalism today is increasingly identified with the more, rather than the less, prosperous sectors of American society. – Norman Podhoretz, editor, Commentary, Harvard Business Review, 1981


Note from JWR:

Notes from JWR: We’ve finished the judging: The First Place winner for Round 10 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is “Grandpappy” for his article “How to Harvest, Process, and Store Vegetable Seeds”, which was posted on May 11th. Congratulations! He is being awarded a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000!) The Second Place award goes to Freeholder, for her article “Raising Goats for Self-Sufficiency”, which was posted on May 26th. She will receive a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I …


Letter Re: Batteries for Long Term Storage

Jim:: A note about future trade items. Large conventional lead-acid batteries. They are necessary for starting most vehicles, tractors, etc. They are necessary for off-grid solar electric systems, et cetera. The problem as I see it is – long term storage. Most batteries come filled – and degrade over time regardless if you use them or not. Some companies are willing to sell batteries dry – for long-term storage – but even that comes with a problem. Most batteries offered for sale as “dry” have actually been filled once, charged, and then drained – thus the common term of “dry …


Letter Re: Constructing a High Efficiency (Low Current Draw) Refrigerator

Hi Jim There was an article on your blog a few weeks ago about converting a chest freezer into a low wattage refrigerator. I decided to make one of these as it is a great idea. I purchased a 7 cu ft freezer at Home Depot for $200 and then bought this device (the Johnson model) and that was all that I needed. I first used it as a freezer and put a Kill A Watt [current monitor] on it. It averaged 1.13 KW per 24 hours. I then used the thermostat and used it as a refrigerator and tested …


Letter Re: Advice on Engine Oil for Motorcycles

Jim: Regarding the letter on motorcycle engine oils, you are correct about most motorcycles using a wet clutch and the need for extra additives in the oil, but there are a couple of other issues of importance. First off, cars use a separate oil supply for engine and gearbox, which allows the oil manufacturer to customize oils for each application. Motorcycle engines on the other hand usually use a common supply for both, which means that motorcycle oils need the additives in them for both engine and gearbox applications. The problem is that being in an engine destroys the additives …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I noticed that spot silver and gold have broken out of their narrow trading ranges. It is unusual for metals to make a big move like this at this time of year. (Summer has traditionally been a quiet time for the precious metals markets.) So this move might foreshadow a frantic market this coming Fall. As I often say: 1.) Silver will considerably out-perform gold in this bull market and 2.) Buy on the dips!   o o o The new Western Rifle Shooters organization is having their first rifle training event in Kooskia, Idaho on July 7-8.    o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, – Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he …


Letter Re: Relocating to Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho

Jim, When I sell my place in Coeur d’ Alene, I will be looking to relocate in the Bonners Ferry area. Is there anything that I should be aware of? Are there any areas to avoid other than property near the railroads?. Thank You and Best Regards, – John JWR Replies: I highly recommend the Bonner’s Ferry area as a retreat locale. Railroad tracks are indeed a key issue in both Bonner County and Boundary County. (It is confusing to first-time visitors to the area, but Bonner’s Ferry is in Boundary County.) It seems that most of the private land …


Four Letters Re: Raising Goats for Self-Sufficiency

Jim, Perfect timing on this article by Freeholder, as my wife and I were literally talking that day about getting goats! That alone made me think that I need to hang out here for a while. I’ve gone through a lot of the posts on here, and I’m very thankful to have found your place! I’m in Iraq right now, for the 3rd time, this time I’m working in the Embassy. I retire in five years, and the wife and I can’t wait to move to our rural home! I’m lucky, I’m married to a woman who is very self …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Australian Researcher warns about Mass Human Extinction from Global Environmental Collapse   o o o Radio ‘Screams’ Forecast Dangerous Solar Storms    o o o Reader Michael W. mentioned that he will be running one of the lines at the RWVA Appleseed in Bloomington Illinois this weekend. (June 2-3, 2007.) He said that he’d love to meet any SurvivalBlog readers who can attend. This is a great opportunity to learn to shoot an MBR well, or increase your score on the AQT if you are already a rifleman. The cost is just $70 for the weekend, free camping and genuine …