Month: December 2010

Letter Re: Advice on AK, SKS, and Mosin Rifles

Mr Rawles,   I’ve read through your section on firearms and have a question about the rifles.   As I’m very much on a budget, I am looking to add one or two self defense rifles for the TEOTWAWKI type scenario.  I’ve been looking into the AR rifles and find that they are ungodly expensive.  I’ve found some Bushmasters that seem to be in good shape for around $800, but these were chambered in .223, which seems like a fine personal defense caliber, but is not versatile enough to use to kill game, should you have the opportunity.  The .308 …


Letter Re: Walking Sticks for Self Defense

Dear Editor: That sidearm on your hip may have a lot of admirable qualities, but so long as rule of law is still in effect here in the US, there are some places you simply can’t take it. On a plane, for example, or into a Post Office (which is where folks tend to “go postal”). Further, even if you are armed, there still could be a problem with an attacker who is relatively close. Several sources assert that, at 21 feet an armed, fast-moving attacker could close the gap and fatally assault you with a knife, sword, or blunt …


Letter Re: Cooking Beans and Canning Meat

Dear Mr. Rawles:   In response to Marie H.’s essay on canning beans and meat, I’d like to add a few thoughts.   The ability to preserve food through water-bath and pressure canning is, in my opinion, one of the most important of the domestic arts survival skills there is.  But as every experienced canner knows, the Achilles heel of canning is maintaining a supply of lids.  The problem with the everyday canning lids you find at the grocery store is that they must be discarded after every use.  Oh sure, I’ve experimented with reusing lids with some success, but …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. recommended: The road to a US insolvency crisis F.J. liked this piece by Simon Black: Disappearing Bank Accounts. The article begins: “If you don’t have money outside the computerized banking system, you should do so now. You just never know when the system is going to go down.” Randy F. suggested this book review: The Penniless Billionaires: A Tour of Inflationary Eras Past and Present Items from The Economatrix: Cutoff of Jobless Aid Would Lower Economic Growth   Happy Holidays?  28 Hard Questions It Would Be Great If We Could Get Some Real Answers To   The Gold Standard …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric J. sent us the link to this fascinating article: Iowa’s hardest years: Stories from the farms during the Great Depression    o o o For anyone that missed hearing it live, here is the link to the podcast of my recent two hour Q&A interview on the EMPact America show.    o o o Steve K. sent this video: Nigel Farage (United Kingdom Independence Party President), Representative Member of the European Union speaks about Turkey’s admission to the European Union. Steve’s comment: “Sounds like our immigration policy here in the United States. Listen to the results that are anticipated.” …



Note from JWR:

Just 10 days left! The Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course is only rarely offered at a discounted price. Until Monday December 13th, the publisher is running a special sale. Don’t miss out on the chance to get a copy for yourself, or to give one as a Christmas gift. — Today we present another entry for Round 32 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 …


Cooking Beans and Canning Meat, by Marie H.

We have beans, perhaps hundreds of pounds of beans. How exactly am I going to eat these? Nutritionally beans are great. Logistically though, they are a tough sell for the average, inexperienced bean cookers. For example Bernie has his big cast iron pot, some wood, and a bag of beans. After working all morning getting his camp fire set up, he pours his beans into the pot with water and maybe some salt, and waits, and waits. And stirs, feeds the fire, and waits. It has been four hours, the kids are looking hungry. “Is it done yet?” they ask. …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Long Term Storage Foods

James Wesley; I have been following your blog for a little over a year and have always been one to stockpile items that I know we will use, having lived nearly all of my life (less four years of college and two years of my working life) in a rural location. You simply buy things in bulk, so you don’t need to run into town to get that one thing. Growing up Mom always kept a full pantry (and still does though the kids are all grown and married and live elsewhere), a root cellar, etc. We have continued that …


Letter Re: As Simple as Changing a Tire

Jim: I read with interest and nostalgia the post about flats. I grew up in an area of poorly maintained gravel roads,and hauling scrap metal for extra cash. Flats were a fact of life. Those days aren’t so far behind me as I recently learned. But thanks to the school of hard knocks I was prepared. So here’s a tip from a pro, carry a tire plugging kit plugging kit in your vehicle. Usually you will notice a tire going down long before it’s flat, and you can often plug it on the vehicle. Contrary to what most tire shops …


Letter Re: The .357 Magnum: An All-Around Survival Cartridge

Mr. Rawles, I have been reading your blog for a couple of years now and it is something I look forward to every day. I have even persuaded my wife to open her mind and start preparing as a result of many of the articles on SurvivalBlog.   Regarding the article on the .357 Magnum, I agree with most of what the writer had to say regarding the performance of the round. But there are a couple of  points I feel compelled to make.   1) To take advantage of the ballistics he refers to in comparison to other cartridges (specifically, I …


Letter Re: Limitations of Square Foot Gardening

Jim: I too had a problem getting vermiculite here in Houston.  There was no way that I was going to pay that much in small bags for as much as I needed.  I then got a tip to look for it under insulation as used in new construction.  I found a local firm that sold it in very large bags for $7.50 each, cash.  My 10 bags totally filled up the back of my F-150 pickup truck. You can get your materials from salvage.  My raised beds came from my fencing that was blown down by Hurricane Ike.  The size …


Two Letters Re: Mushrooms: Surviving Survival Food

Dear Editor: The submission by Roy H. on mushrooms bothers me on a survival skills level.   It bothers me because mushrooms are a poor source of calories.  Just 4 calories for the white button kind ranging up to 22 for Portabella mushrooms.  They’re mostly air and spores.  Yes, they have lots of vitamins in them – but I could spend all day foraging for mushrooms and end up expending more calories than I gain.  Let’s assume I find enough to pay me back for finding them, if they’re the white caps we’re familiar with and I spent 1 hour …


Economics and Investing:

The latest video from the NIA is excellent: The Day the Dollar Died Regular link contributor B.B. sent this: Holidays about survival as jobless benefits end Also from B.B.: Russia’s central bank to invest reserves in Australian dollar. Reader J.B.G. sent this: Jeb Bush: Some States Already ‘Bankrupt’ Items from The Economatrix: The Euro Game Is Up   Euro, Stocks, Spanish Bonds Fall On Concern European Debt Crisis To Spread   New Phase Of Debt Crisis Striking Now!  Despite Rescues!   Global Sovereign Debt Default Bankruptcy Bailout And Contagion Risk Assessment   Huge Drop In Credit Card Users 


Odds ‘n Sods:

Tim. R. was the first of several SurvivalBlog readers to mention this: 10 Skills Needed to Thrive in a Post-Collapse World    o o o Jeremy C. sent this item: Madison County [Indiana] to evict man from camper.    o o o Simon J. mentioned: The R2B2 pedal-powered kitchen appliance concept.    o o o Reader Don W. forwarded this: Mystery Surrounds Cyber Missile That Crippled Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Ambitions. Oh and speaking of scary computer technology, Laura C. sent this: Race Is On to ‘Fingerprint’ Phones, PCs    o o o Captain Bart sent this news from England: Millions …