Month: March 2011

Note from JWR:

For those that have asked: Yes, the SurvivalBlog archives on CD-ROM are indeed fully searchable in both the HTML and PDF versions. (Both formats are included on the CD-ROM.) And Yes, the archives also can be sorted by categories, in HTML. (So for example, you can see just the articles on Earthquakes, or just the articles on Gardening.) The CD-ROM is optimized for modern laptops, but could conceivably be used on other devices if they have the requisite processing horsepower. It is now orderable through Lulu.com, for $19.95. Even without an Internet connection you will have all of SurvivalBlog’s archives …


Useful Tidbits on Radiation and Journalists–The Season of Isotopes and Misanthropes

Many readers have been sending me questions about radiation. One, from a reader in Los Angeles asked: “Mr. Rawles, Should I sleep in my basement for the next few weeks?” Please don’t over-react, folks. I must state, forthrightly: 1.) The gamma emitters at the Fukushima reactors (and more importantly, their spent fuel ponds) are a long, long way from America. 2.) In my opinion, the only significant risk to health here in CONUS is possibly a chance that a bit of radioactive dust (with isotopes like Strontium-90 or Iodine-131) could end up deposited on pasture grasses and then subsequently become …


Pat’s Product Review: Smith & Wesson Model 329 Night Guard Revolver

Make no mistake, I really like .44 caliber handguns, and in particular, .44 Magnum handguns. I still remember getting my first .44 Magnum handgun, back in 1974. Like many guys, I loved the Dirty Harry movie series, with Clint Eastwood. So my first .44 Magnum was a S&W Model 29, with a 6.5″ Barrel. I can still recall the first cylinder of ammo I fired on the gun shops indoor range – my hand stung! Before reloading another 6 rounds, I noticed that the grips on the Model 29 had cracked – on both sides – from the recoil. Luckily, …


Two Letters Re: Sailboats as Alternative Bugout Vehicles

Dear Jim, One huge disadvantage of sailboats is that one must comply with the firearm/weapon laws of every port one plans to visit.  This means in most cases, nothing larger than a pocketknife, and not even flare guns in some jurisdictions.  I would be uncomfortable with this in peacetime.  In a SHTF scenario with no coast guards to interdict pirates/smugglers/desperate refugees, I’d consider it suicide. The alternative is to carry credible weapons in violation of local laws.  This is a poor survival tactic.  If you are entering, or arriving from, a nation in distress, expect that your boat will be …


Letter Re: An Approach to Medical Supply Storage

Mr. Rawles, I thought you might want to mention a product with your readers. I must admit that I am kind of a gear head and am constantly trying  to come up with better ways to organize and store my preparedness supplies. The one storage issue that I have always been indecisive about was how I wanted to store my medical/trauma/surgical supplies. There are lots of great professional bags and military medical cases out there, however their cost just didn’t seem reasonable to me or my budget.  One day while checking out the latest and greatest tools in my local home improvement store I came across what I …


Letter Re: Comments on OC Pepper Spray

Mr. Rawles, Your books are truly eye openers. Thanks for your work in the preparedness field. Regarding your recommendation of getting OC with at least a 12% concentration, as an OC instructor, I recommend that buyers ask: “12% of what?” A 12% concentration of a 250,000 Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) spray may prove ineffective. The true test of an OC spray is the SHU rating. I recommend a minimum 2,000,000 SHUs. The concentration only affects recovery time. The 5% is great for training. You should recover in 15-20 minutes. Anything over 10% is great for application to the faces of …


Economics and Investing:

New at The Daily Bell: Bill Bonner on the Failing US Bond Market, the Coming Hyperinflation and the End of the Dollar Reserve System Mike H. spotted this: Russia: quake boosts used car prices Items from The Economatrix: Strong Economic Data Points to More Hiring   Stronger Economic Reports Help Stocks Rebound   Geithner Worries Japan Will Dump Treasuries to Raise Cash  Unemployment Rises In Nearly All Metro Areas   The World’s Best Gold Experts:  “Buy And Hold” 


Inflation Watch:

Reader Bryan E. reports: Wholesale prices rise 1.6% due to biggest jump in food costs in over 36 years. Reader Greg C. notes: “I live in the Tampa Bay area in Florida.  Today I went to a fast food restaurant to grab a quick lunch and noticed a sign saying they would only put tomatoes on your sandwich if requested.  Curious, I inquired about it and they said that a case of tomatoes went from $20 to $50 due to the freeze in Mexico.  That got me to thinking.  If even low levels of fallout hit the farms from Japan, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns civilian disarmament cabal is now facing trial: Monticello mayor indicted. He is accused of selling fake Nike shoes, Timberland boots, counterfeit music, and pirated movies. (Well, at least it wasn’t something more serious such as bribery, misappropriation of campaign funds, corruption, extortion, mail fraud, wife beating, influence peddling, felony theft, child pornography, attempted child sexual assault, child enticement, conspiracy, money laundering, perjury, assault, fabricating evidence, and filing false tax returns–like the others. Yes, these are the sort of people in Mayor Bloomberg’s “crime fighting” group.)    o o o A reminder …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another three entries for Round 33 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. as well as a guest article by an old friend. The prizes for this round 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 $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …


Sailboats as Alternative Bugout Vehicles, by StudioMan

As we have all seen, the last few months has seen its share of really large natural disasters, on all of our major continents. Thru the Internet I was able to watch the hurricane that hit Australia via the numerous surf cameras available along the coast. It was amazing to see them drop out one at a time, while some of them that were on the edge of the storm never went down. A few of the web cams were attached to buildings overlooking breakwaters, or in marinas where you could see the sailboats and yachts being tossed around by …


The Will to Survive, by Chris H.

The “will to survive” is the most important survival tool you will ever have. It is more important than a year supply of food, a Swiss Army knife, or a Bic lighter. What good would a lighter be if you have no desire to make a fire? How can a signal fire result in a rescue if you have lost all hope that it will and don’t bother building one? How can your next meal keep you alive if you are unwilling to go and find it? The most common factor identified in stories of extreme survival situations is the …


Three Related Disasters (Part 1), by Joe Refugee From Tokyo

Day One Just another day for an American ex-pat in an office in a skyscraper in Tokyo, or so it seemed. There was a nice view in several directions, offering a chance to see a real panorama of the city. In just a few minutes, that view would include large fires and streets packed with cars and people walking. The reason, of course, is it was 11-3-11.   The first inkling of trouble was a minor feeling of movement, and this lasted for perhaps a minute, and then things got worse. The shaking got to where it was time to …


Letter Re: Misconceptions on CDV-Series Radiation Meters

Jim, There’s a lot of folks around the country who bought surplus Civil Defense radiation meters. What they don’t understand is the CDV-715, CDV-717 and CDV-720 meters WILL NOT measure background radiation and are useless if they are watching for increased radiation from Japan. Only the CDV-700 will measure background radiation. According to an LAFD document: “Radiological survey instruments, if available, are recommended for initial entry to the site. Before entering the accident area, determine the background radiation level using the CD V-700, or a similar survey instrument.” Background radiation levels cannot be determined using the CD V-715 or other …