Day: February 25, 2008

Note from JWR:

The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction lot is now at $60. The auction is for three items: a 120 VAC/12 VDC BedFan Personal Cooling System (a $99 retail value), kindly donated by the manufacturer, a Thieves Oil Start Living Kit (a $161 retail value) donated by Ready Made Resources, and a copy of the latest edition of “The Encyclopedia of Country Living” by the late Carla Emery (a $32 retail value). The auction ends on March 15th. Please e-mail us your bids, in $10 increments.


Letter Re: Tradeoffs of Various Retreat Designs

Hi Jim What are your thoughts on the advantages of basements for cool storage, elevated construction for flood protection, sod roof/earth contact for insulation versus steel roofs for water collection? Perhaps some of the SurvivalBlog readers may wish to submit hypothetical retreat layouts with advantages and disadvantages and why they would choose a particular layout design. Regards,- JG JWR Replies: A sod roof or earth-berming creates some contradictions in retreat design goals, most notably that they typically block the defender’s view of one entire flank. This can be partially mitigated by properly placing supplementary defensive positions. Sod roofs are also …


Letter Re: Guinea Fowl for Bug Control in Your Garden

Hi Jim, In an e-mail, you had asked me “can guinea fowl can be kept in the garden or do they exhibit the same characteristics as chickens?” Our guineas free range into our open gardens all summer. They will eat small shoots, such as garlic and chives, and they do eat bean plants so we do need to protect them while young. They don’t seem to bother either tomatoes or squash/pumpkin plants. Once the garden plants reach mature height, they tend to leave them alone. I think they go after the small plants early in the season because there is …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Overseas Retreat Destinations

James Since I happen to be one of the people who made the decision to relocate overseas I hope have a useful take on the topic. Other than people who have a direct familial connection with the place they are planning to relocate to I generally am against overseas relocation. The only exception that I would consider is New Zealand but that is only if you have a skill that they are in need of right now and you fit their criteria. Leaving your familiar surroundings, culture, and language is very difficult even if you have the money to smooth …


Odds ‘n Sods:

RBS flagged these two articles: Price of bread rising on wheat shortage and Wheat prices could defy a recession. Remember what I wrote about investing in productive farmland?    o o o Also from RBS: As Economy Slips, Yacht Sales Skyrocket. Of course, a portion of the buyers could be buying some of the smaller yachts as a G.O.O.D. contingency.    o o o Another sign of the times. Catalytic Converters Stolen. (Of course, with platinum at $2,169 per ounce, one can understand the temptation.) Thanks to Josh W. for finding that article.    o o o Seven readers sent …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Anyone who clings to the historically untrue – and thoroughly immoral – doctrine ‘that violence never settles anything’ I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and of the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and …