Day: January 20, 2009

Note from JWR:

The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $350. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes:: 1.) A “be ready to barter” box of full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original Austrian FN-FAL steel 20 round magazines, with cartridge counter holes, 10 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (all Colt made!) alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Excellent condition original Glock Model 19 9mm 15 round pistol magazines (early type, with “U” notch), and 2 …


Lessons from Peru on Third World Living, by Tantalum Tom

I hope this can be useful to people who want a perspective into the Third World way of life. I recently had the chance to interview two people from Peru. One is a man who grew up in the Andes with no electricity, dirt floors, etc. who worked his way to becoming a geography and history teacher. The other is a former Peruvian Special Forces soldier of 15 years. My mother in law’s input is also dispersed throughout this article. Although I have little respect for modern reporters, I found out how difficult it can be to interview someone. When …


Letter Re: Feedback on FoodSaver Vacuum Packing Systems

Mr. Rawles, My wife and I have been regularly using [the V2830 Foodsaver that was purchased during the recently-ended sale], and we love it! I thought you might want some feedback that could be valuable to your readers. We have #10 cans of freeze dried food (as I’m sure many of your readers do). The disadvantage to opening a can to eat some is that once you open it, the clock starts ticking on how long it will stay fresh. Our solution? We use wide mouth mason jars, pour the #10 can’s contents into the jars, and use the V2830 …


Letter Re: Advice on Two-Way Radio Communications

Jim, CB is potentially a good choice for folks that are not licensed amateur operators if they use directional antennae and phase the antenna for horizontal polarization instead of the normal vertical antenna. I am thinking base to base operations here. Using antenna with horizontal polarization can attenuate signals transmitted by a vertical antenna by 20 dB. Every 3dB of attenuation cuts the signal by 1/2 so that would be 1/64th or slightly less signal power! [JWR Adds: The means very low probability of intercept by anyone outside of your private family or survival group “horizontal antenna network”! That suggestion …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The fine folks that operate Everlasting Seeds have announced special pricing for US military veterans, disabled veterans, and especially financially distressed disabled veterans. (Click on the”Veterans” button in their left-hand menu.) Thanks for supporting our veterans in such a tangible way!    o o o Eric sent us a link to a list of products containing peanut butter that have been recalled by Kellogg’s    o o o More economic bad news, starting with three items from Formerly Merry Olde England: RBS loses £28billion in a Year as Darling warns British economy will collapse if second bank bailout fails — …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed – where the government refuses to stand for re-election and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once." – Alex Kosinski, US Federal Appeals Court Judge