Month: May 2010

Letter Re: I Thought That I Had a Clue

Jim, The recent submission by K. in Florida left me scratching my head in disbelief. I don’t know if his wife thinks shaving her legs after TEOTWAWKI will be important, but I absolutely don’t intend to shave mine. Nor do I think spare car parts will be important. Folks are thinking in terms of Pre-TEOTWAWKI rather than Post-TEOTWAWKI. This way of thinking is just plain wrong, IMHO. Let’s face it, we can only imagine how things will be. We don’t know how things will be. But I seriously doubt that anybody will be needing replacement parts for his car — …


Economics and Investing:

Craig S. spotted this bit of chartistry: Dollar Primed for Collapse by End June. Yes, the US Dollar is presently artificially strong. But we are looking at a study of relative weaknesses. All the major fiat currencies are in a race to the bottom. Don’t make the foolish mistake of swapping from one un-back currency into another. Instead, swap into tangibles! Brian B. and Jon M. were the first of several readers who sent this: US money supply plunges at 1930s pace as Obama eyes fresh stimulus. The money multiplier effect works in reverse, as credit collapses. But at some …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Here at the Rawles Ranch, and in our vehicles, we’ve standardized with Anderson Power Pole connectors for all of our 12 VDC radios and accessories. We mostly use their 30A Power Pole Connectors. These genderless connectors have been adopted by most Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) organizations and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARE ) organizations. They are vastly superior to the bulky “cigarette lighter plug” connectors, which have a bad habit of popping loose, unexpectedly. In our experience, one good source of Anderson Power Pole connectors, cables, and adapters is PowerWerx.com. Aand another good source is Quicksilver Radio Products. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"There is no country in the world where so many provisions are established for them; so many hospitals to receive them when they are sick or lame, founded and maintained by voluntary charities; so many alms-houses for the aged of both sexes, together with a solemn general law made by the rich to subject their estates to a heavy tax for the support of the poor. Under all these obligations, Are our poor, modest humble and thankful? And do they use their best endeavors to maintain themselves, and lighten our shoulders of this burden? On the contrary, I affirm that …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: First Prize: 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.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com. (A $275 value.), and D.) A 500 round case …


I Thought that I Had a Clue, by K. in Florida

So since the balance of power change in the Federal Government I thought I was sitting pretty good for my ability to survive a possible TEOTWAWKI . Man was I so wrong. I have learned in the past three months that I am so far behind that if The Collapse happens in 20 years I will still not be as prepared as I thought I was. Yes I have some basics and am a bit off of the beaten path, but there is still so much more that I am not ready for. Let me explain. I have lived in …


Letter Re: “One Second After” — A Book Review with Some Advice

I have been reading the novel One Second After by William R. Forstchen. I just finished it. Whew, what a heavy book. I decided to write it up as a “lessons learned” book review. A couple of you may be wondering why I sent this to you. Well, I just thought of you and know you to be like-minded … I think. That is, concerned about what the future holds for us as a nation, as crazy and uncertain as things are getting in the world. I’ve been following the elctromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat for a couple of years now …


Letter Re: A Simple But Effective Firearms Caching Technique from Afghanistan

CPT Rawles: While there are many potential methods to emplacing a cache of supplies, I wanted to provide some insight into a very simple but very effective cache method that I have saw during a recent deployment to Afghanistan. Most Afghans rely on the karez system for getting water for survival and watering plants. For an aerial view of what the karez system looks like, look at Michael Yon’s photo essay on water in Afghanistan. The lines of holes dug in the ground are the karez system. Some of these tunnels are very deep in order to get to the …


Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s Poet Laureate George Gordon (“G.G”) flagged this article by veteran prepper/economist Howard J. Ruff: Gold and Silver Insurance Also from G.G.: Italy Banning Cash Transactions Over €5,000 As Latest European Austerity Package Revealed One more from G.G.: Number of the Week: 75% Chance of Greek Default Moody’s Reiterates U.S. Spending Risks Credit Rating Jim D. suggested this article by Mish Shedlock that illustrates the incredible depth of California’s budget crisis: California to borrow next 20 years worth of bottle returns. Items from The Economatrix: Falling Home Prices Stir Fears of New Bottom Consumer Confidence Up Again Factory Orders And …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Just 24 hours left! Safecastle (one of our most loyal advertisers) is running a special sale that ends May 29th, with 25% Off All Mountain House #10 Cans, and free Shipping to the Lower 48 States. There are additional freebies, depending on the quantity that you order. (See their web page for details.)    o o o Reader Steve H. spotted a fascinating “heat” map with some implications for picking retreat locales: World’s most and least touristy places. Steve’s comments: “This is an interesting map that could give some insights into less visited regions for retreat location planning and determining …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include: First Prize: 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.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com. (A $275 value.), and D.) A 500 round case …


Moving to a Small Town as a Retreat (And Why it’s Good to Do it Now), by Bryan B. in Alaska

Two years ago, I was a busy guy. I worked 50-to-60 hour weeks as an equipment and auto mechanic in south central Alaska. I was a Dad, delivery driver and taxi for the family, and maintenance man for our aging trailer. We lived a couple miles from a town of 15,000 on a .75 acre lot with a mobile home. My decent pay barely paid all the bills and fuel costs of going to work. To top things off, I had just “woke up” to what was going on and had no idea how I was going to prepare for …


Letter Re: Automated Budgeting Tools for Preppers

Hi James, One of the pages on my web site has to do with budgets. It’s a short page, and takes into consideration that there are four basic pay periods for individuals not working under contract (IRS Form 1099 workers). On it, I’ve included four spreadsheet files that are Excel compatible. These are blanks, with calculations that carry over from month to month, and are not too involved. I wanted them to be useful for people that have basic computer skills, but feel uncomfortable with traditional budget software packages. I also included a link to OpenOffice, which is an open …


Letter Re: Caring for Babies in TEOTWAWKI

Hello Mr. Rawles, What a fine blog you have! I read with interest the entry Caring for Babies in TEOTWAWKI. I respond to the part about breastfeeding your infants. The author makes many excellent points about the tactical advantage of breastfeeding infants as opposed to relying on formula, including the potential to feed other members of your family. If you are successfully breastfeeding when the balloon goes up, it would be very advantageous for your family to have a battery operated breast pump, simply to collect more milk. The author also included a very touching video of a woman acting …