Year: 2009


Notes from JWR:

We’ve completed the judging for Round 25 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. And the winner is… First Prize goes to InfoRodeo for “The Dumpster List” posted on October 31st. He will receive: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.), and C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from …


Ladies’ Needs in TEOTWAWKI–Thinking Beyond Menstrual Supplies, by Jeanan

I’m kind of a weird woman, not really a “girly” girl. I grew up on horseback, helping my Daddy out in his oilfield service company shop (my job was to clean old parts), and playing cowboys and Indians out with my brother. I like my guns and my motorcycle now, and I’ve been preparing for a SHTF scenario for almost a year. My career is also kind of weird, I repair musical instruments. School band instruments, flutes, clarinets, saxophones, that sort of thing. My husband is also an instrument repair technician, and we began our own business about seven years …


Letter Re: The Best Defense Show on The Outdoor Channel

James, I have been soaking up your web site for the last month now with great respect, thank you for this wealth of knowledge. You may or may not be aware of a television show that is on the outdoor channel called “The Best Defense” they have completed their second season earlier this year. The first season was all about personal self defense, awareness, and they reviewed a lot of handguns. The second season is the “survival” series covering topics from HazMat, forest fires, earth quakes, civic unrest, to economic collapse, some group and team development, and they moved into …


David in Israel Re: Distilled Spirits for Barter

James, When I was in the US I stored taxed Everclear and the less expensive off brand of 190 proof grain alcohol in new non-breakable Nalgene laboratory plastic containers since it could be used for festive food/drink or various medical purposes and is still useful as a stove fuel (alcohol stoves only) or primer for kerosene and diesel fuel stoves. Currently I keep a few bottles of methanol poisoned ethanol paint thinner for my ultra light stove and priming the heavy fuels stoves. For those with the cheap hard liquor food grade charcoal filtration will remove the nasty volatile organics …


Two Letters Re: Securing Bedroom Doors Against Home Invaders

James, As a fireman, my point of view may help Dan M. JWR’s reply about home construction is spot on which makes it possible for us to get in and out of rooms to search for victims and escape if egress is blocked. Combining the mentality of preparedness and firefighting has been difficult for me as I would hate to trap anyone in or out of my house in a fire or collapse that would happen before TEOTWAWKI. I know that fires and collapse from an earthquake, flood, or landslide are all qualifying TSHTF events, which is what we are …


Economics and Investing:

GG sent this: Far from being a safe haven, the dollar is the likely source of the next financial crisis Also from GG: We must get ready for a weak-dollar world Items from The Economatrix: UAE to Back Banks Amid Dubai Meltdown Professor Advises Underwater Mortgage Holders to Walk Away From Mortgage (Back in August, 2005, JWR warned us that these walk-aways were coming.) Furious Investors Warn Dubai it Will Never Raise Another Penny How Much Longer Can the Dollar Defy Gravity? South Africa’s Golden Age Coming to An End Senator Opposes Bernanke’s Renomination Few Signposts Mark the Road to …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Jim B. sent a link to a BBC story about a British prisoner of war who smuggled himself into Auschwitz during WWII. It includes some interesting observations on cigarettes as barter items.    o o o Courtesy of Captain Bill and Bayou Renaissance Man, a The Daily Mail piece about a British couple who demonstrated what not to do when your house catches fire.    o o o SurvivalBlog regular Bill Buppert sent a link to a study on the effectiveness of current camouflage patterns. Bill’s comments: “One of the keenest bits of advice is contained in paragraph 4.b. in …



Notes from JWR:

Today is the last day for the 33% off sale for the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course. Order yours before midnight, eastern time! — Today is also the last day of the 25% off sale on canned Mountain House foods at Ready Made Resources. They are offering free shipping on full (“unbroken”) cases lots. But because of the higher handling costs, if you “mix and match” cans within cases, shipping will be charged.


Letter Re: Treadle Sewing Machine Conversions

James Wesley, I am not much into sewing but I know ladies who are. For them I have modified some newer sewing machines from electric motor to the foot powered treadle sewing machines. Some of these ladies are off grid and one just likes the fine control the treadle gives her. Bases can be found in many antique stores. These bases are often missing the machine itself and have been made into tables. Look for one with the treadle and crank assembly still in place. Removing the electric motor from the sewing machine and replacing it with a pulley for …


Two Letters Re: Mountain Money Isn’t

Captain Rawles: While in the US Navy as a diver, Temporary Attached Duty (TAD), to a British Mine sweeper for a couple weeks, I was amused to find their toilet paper to have the consistency of wax paper. And on each square was printed, “Property of the British Government”. Needless to say, I still have half a roll of it around here somewhere. I felt compelled to show it to our sailors for a chuckle. – Chester Dear Mr. Rawles, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! My prayers are with your family this year especially. I came in late on …


Letter Re: Securing Bedroom Doors Against Home Invaders

Dear Mr. Rawles, I will try to keep this short. Hopefully my question might come in handy for a number of your readers. First, thank you for your site and your publications. I am almost finished with “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” and am about 50 pages into your “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course. So far I am loving them both. I am reading quickly through them first and next my wife and I will study them thoroughly together, adapting the information and creating our “list of lists.” Now, I have …


Letter Re: Distilled Spirits for Barter

Hello, Here is a “barter material” idea your many readers may find of interest. I am located in Kansas City and, after telling friends who are also into “survival” my idea it caught on such that one liquor store here is suddenly the largest reseller of this liquor in North America. I have friends who, for their store of barter items, have stockpiled extra food, ammunition, guns and other items people would want in a breakdown of society. But they are all items that may only have a storage life of a few years, takes up a lot of room …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

China Disease Expert Warns of H1N1 Mutation. (Link courtesy of Jack E.) WHO reports mutations of Mexican flu. (Thanks to Andre for the link.) The rest of today’s flu news items are all courtesy of Cheryl (aka The Economatrix): Ukraine Death Toll Reaches 388 Fatal H1N1 Cluster in Texas Raises Pandemic Concern Swine Flu Cases Fall in US But May Rise with Holiday Travel D225G Ukraine Norway Link and China Spread H1N1 Re-Infections Raise Pandemic Concerns Ukraine Dead Approach 400, D225G Spreads H1N1 Changes in D225G and D225E in Norway One Million Iranians Confirmed With Swine Flu. At least 140 …