Month: July 2010

Notes from JWR:

To those who have asked, the anticipated release date for the first sequel to my novel “Patriots” is September of 2011. The manuscript has been submitted, and the editors at Atria (a division of Simon & Schuster) are now working on it. It will be It is tentatively titled: Veterans: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse. Unlike most novel sequels, the storyline of “Veterans” is contemporaneous with the events described in my previously-published novel. Most of this first sequel takes place in Arizona and New Mexico. There is also major sub-plot about a U.S. Army officer who is …


Why Not Carry the Big Gun?, by Steve Collins

Carry the gun you want to fight with if you have to! What ever happened to carrying actual fighting guns? If I never see another article touting a ‘lightweight, easy to carry all day’ such and such, I’ll be ecstatic. When a fight comes, I want a chunk of gun in my hand, not some featherweight Mattel toy. I’m not going to tell you how to live your life, or what you need to carry. Some people simply can’t carry a bigger gun by virtue of the fact of where they work or they live in an Non-Permissive Environment (NPE) …


Letter Re: The Importance of Garage Sales in Preparedness

Mr. Rawles; I thought I’d share this little bit of excitement from my corner of the world, that can serve as a reminder on the importance of scavenging yard and garage sales. So, I’ve wanted a grain mill for about a year and a half. Because they’re dead useful and I’m growing corn and amaranth in the garden this year. I was really lusting over the Country Living Grain Mill, because it seemed, well, awesome. But $395 plus shipping, plus extra parts was a little out of my reach. I’m a single girl tied by employment to the suburbs, so …


Letter Re: Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up

Hello Jim, I just wanted to comment on the article, Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up. I have been stocking up on most of the items Scott mentioned for my own use, but had not considered them for barter. I’ll be looking at them differently, now. One which I have given thought to bartering is tobacco. Your readers can forget stockpiling commercial cigarettes, they will go stale, shortly. As Scott mentioned, you’ll need to know how to roll your own, or purchase an inexpensive rolling machine. Cigarette tobacco can be bought …


Two Letters Re: The Essential Gun for Survival

Jim, I absolutely concur with Cory M.’s article extolling the benefits of the .22 RF cartridge. If you are limited in the number of firearms you can own or can afford to own, there are two options using the .22 of which everyone should be aware. A multi-barrel long gun (sometimes called a drilling) was one of my first firearms. The Savage .22 RF in combination with a .410 shotgun (aka 22/410 over under), makes a great hunting firearm, and when using a rifled slug in the .410 shotgun, a pretty effective defensive tool. The other is the ubiquitous Black …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. was the first of several readers to mention this New York Times article: Crisis Awaits World’s Banks as Trillions Come Due. Be ready folks. We could be on the precipice of a global debt implosion that will make the current crisis seem small, by comparison. I’ve warned you before, folks: be ready for bank runs. Here is a quote: “Banks worldwide owe nearly $5 trillion to bondholders and other creditors that will come due through 2012, according to estimates by the Bank for International Settlements. About $2.6 trillion of the liabilities are in Europe.” From David W.: Historian warns …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. liked this PDF: Guide to Sustainable Utility Free Living    o o o After eight months of R&D with military contractor, KI4U is exclusively releasing a new product, The RADSticker™. This is an inexpensive, peel & stick postage stamped sized, instantly color changing radiation dosimeter.    o o o Mike H. mentioned a Daily Oklahoman newspaper editorial: Americans are petrified about their future.    o o o Kelly D. flagegd this: Top 10 Public Health Disasters of the 20th Century.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The next amendment is,’A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.’ One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish their purposes without resistance, is, by disarming the people, and making it an offence to keep arms, and by substituting a regular army in the stead of a resort to the militia. The friends of a free government cannot be too watchful, to overcome the dangerous tendency of the public mind to sacrifice, for the sake of mere private convenience, this …


Notes from JWR:

The recent Agence France-Presse article “Apocalypse now? In US and abroad many are prepared” was a bit of mixed bag. To begin, I must mention that I hardly deserve to be called “the patron saint of survivalism”. Only one man deserves that title: Mel Tappan. The article included a biting subtext that I’ve seen before from statist journalists. It sounded condescendingly anti-survivalist and anti-Christian. (One data point: The journalist’s name is Sara Hussein. That is one of the reasons that I declined to do an interview for the article. I suspected that it might be a hatchet job.) I should …


The Essential Gun for Survival, by Cory M.

At least one firearm chambered in .22 Long Rifle (LR) rimfire should be part of every survival plan.  If you do not currently own a firearm or if a .22 is not part of your current arsenal it should be high on your “next to buy” list, if not at the top.  The .22 is essential to your TEOTWAWKI preparation.  From providing food for the family to [marginal] self defense, the .22 will work for you.  Here are a few reasons the .22 LR is so important to your preparation and survival. Practice Whether or not you are currently familiar …


Letter Re: Finding a Job in Depressed Economy

Good Afternoon, Jim, What can Christian people do if they have lost their income when the economy crashed in October 2008 and they still have limited funds? I am a professional and the market I serve is in decline. Suggestions? I have applied to hundreds of jobs with no reply. Thanks, – Paul S. At this point, the prospects for economic “recovery” seem remote, especially with the planned tax increases (January 1, 2011) and the inevitability of higher interest rates. I recommend that you start your own business, in something recession/depression proof. Look through the 75+ SurvivalBlog articles in the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader E.B. was the first of several readers to mention this article that has some TEOTWAWKI implications: Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in three-month span.    o o o F.J. spotted a useful piece on emergency kits for cars.    o o o B.B. sent this article that shows that the First Amendment and the Second Amendment go hand-in-hand: Federal judge orders Osceola County sheriff to issue gun permit. (And to attend a course on the First Amendment.)


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The concept most fundamental to long term disaster preparedness, in retreating, is having a safe place to go to avoid the concentrated violence destined to erupt in the cities. When you have a growing apprehensive awareness that the time grows short for you to relocate away from areas of greatest danger, then choose [where you will live] carefully." – Mel Tappan


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 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), D.) A 500 round case of …


Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up, by Scott in Wisconsin

If the power grid fails for a weekend, dollar bills will always be accepted.  And I think it’s a good idea to keep at least $500 on hand in your home, in $5 and $10 denominations.  If the stores are open, but their credit card machines are not working, you’ll still be fine. But what happens if things really fall apart?  It’s easy to imagine a time when cash will no longer be king. What if an EMP knocks out all our electronic infrastructure?  If you’ve read “One Second After,” you get a feel for how quickly all our technology …