Month: July 2011

Oral Rehydration Solutions Revisited, by Dr. Bob

The following is the “Simple Solution” –  Home made Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) Recipe Preparing 1 (one) Liter solution using Salt, Sugar and Water at home. Mix an oral rehydration solution using the following recipe. Ingredients: Six (6) level teaspoons of Sugar Half (1/2) level teaspoon of Salt One Liter of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled – 5 cupfuls (each cup is about 200 ml.) Preparation Method: Stir the mixture until the salt and sugar dissolve. Oral rehydration will make the difference between life and death with many serious diarrheal illnesses.  Please make sure you have this formula somewhere …


Letter Re: The Versatile Closet Door Shoe Rack

Jim: I just wanted to drop an alternate product use suggestion. In my gun closet I have a mesh over-the-door shoe organizer that mount to the doors by hooks. When I swing the door open to get to the gun safe I have loaded magazines in easy to grab and recognizable rows in the shoe holder. I also keep other small parts like extra scopes, bipods, and other detachable items in the compartments.  It is four pockets across and six down, for 24 total pockets. Each pocket will easily hold two loaded AK magazines or three AR magazines.  This gives …


Letter Re: New Survivalist Movie “Phase 7”

Mr. Rawles, I am writing to tell you about an amazing movie I just saw titled Phase 7. I saw it at our local AMC theater and realized it was only doing limited showings in limited cities. My interest peaked, I watched the trailer and saw that it was an apocalyptic genre movie about surviving a viral outbreak. I gathered up the wife and headed out. I was amazed to see a low budget film that was all about survival! The main character is a thirty-something city boy slacker who has a pregnant wife. As things begin to unravel, his …


Two Letters Re: Dairy Goats 201 – Birthing Kids

James: This is my first time writing to SurvivalBlog. We have been raising goats and sheep for five years. Country Lady’s comments in Dairy Goats 201 – Birthing Kids are pretty much on the money. We have had to pull stuck twins, bottle feed when one of our ewes’ had 1/2 of her bag go dry(she had twins) and have lost sheep to pneumonia and a goat to bloating. We raise our sheep and goats for meat on the table. My wife read every book about sheep and goats that she could. It was a good information source, But in …


Economics and Investing:

Gold to Rise on $14.3 Trillion U.S. Debt Limit Increase Bob G. spotted this: Europe’s Contagion Effect: Prepare for a Global Economic Collapse Ron’s Paul’s speech on the Federal Debt Ceiling John T. sent this: How to make sense of the gold-to-silver ratio Chris D. recommended: The Symbolic Nature Of Money Dr. Gary North’s comments on debt-based money and its alternatives. Items from The Economatrix: Gold Could Hit $1,700 By the End of the Year:  Analyst Fitch Reiterates Warning on U.S. Credit Rating Iran Opens Oil Bourse — Harbinger of Trouble for New York And London? Economy’s Spring Slump Could …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Geoff S. sent: Farm Thieves Target Grapes, and Even Bees    o o o A final reminder that the deadline for the Ready Made Resources Preparedness Video Contest is July 26th. Instructional (nonfiction) videos on any topic related to family preparedness are sought. The prizes are a brand new Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) complete Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight with a combined retail value of more than $1,400. Please keep your privacy in mind when you create your videos. (Don’t mention any surnames or towns). You may post up to …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and …


Dairy Goats 201 – Birthing Kids, by Country Lady

A few months ago, SurvivalBlog posted my article entitled “Dairy Goats 101” which described some basics of goat ownership.  This follow-up article will take you through the five kiddings that we recently experienced.  Let me start by emphasizing what many others have stated on Survival Blog:  Book learning is not enough – you must  practice survival and self-sufficiency skills.   Don’t just read about having livestock, get out there and buy some animals and gain experience immediately before you need to rely on these animals for food. To get into milk production the does must give birth.  We waited until February …


Simple Prepping for the Suburban Home, by Keep-it-Simple Suburbanite

Our family lives in an average house on an average lot near the edge of an average midwestern city.  While we have two evacuation invitations and are looking into purchasing “camping land”, our primary plan is to shelter in place.  From the very beginning, JWR’s “blinding flash of the obvious” has been the watchword in my quest for simplicity.  Limited time, space and resources have led to some streamlining that might give others a few helpful ideas. Garden Have you ever felt overwhelmed and intimidated by all the great gardening advice you read here on the blog?  If so, why …


Pat’s Product Review: Taurus 800 Series Pistols

Many years ago, when I was living back in Chicago, Illinois for a couple of years I was working as the Investigation Manager for a large detective agency, that had offices all over the USA. As an extra duty, I also maintained the company-owned firearms that our armed security officers used. We had well over 200 armed security officers in our Chicago office alone, and most of them were armed with company-owned Taurus .38 Special revolvers. I used to keep a supply of spare parts on hand, as those guns were breaking with regularity. Truth be told, I spent more …


Avoiding Heat Injuries, by Dr. Bob

As it is affecting so many of us right now, seems like a good time to give you some information about heat-related problems and preventing heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Heat Exhaustion most often occurs when people work or play in a hot, humid place and body fluids are lost through sweating, causing overheating of the body.  Usually a person is dehydrated to some degree, from mild to severely.  The person’s temperature may be elevated, but not above 104 degrees.  Now, most of us can go inside a cool down either in air-conditioned vehicles or homes.  Even the movies are a great …


Letter Re: The Thinning of The Horde

Dear SurvivalBloggers, After reading “The Thinning of The Horde” by Matt B., I would like to make aware the realization that if TEOTWAWKI were to happen during the winter months, which may be as long as five months in the northern tier states, the Transportation Departments (state or local) will not be plowing roads making them impassable by most vehicles. I can imagine the local Good Samaritan plowing out a neighborhood, but in the urban areas, most people do not own plows. In rural America, the distance between neighbors is sometimes measured in miles. A foot of fresh snow would …


Two Letters Re: How Does Your Garden Grow? (After TSHTF)

Hello JWR, I enjoyed the recent SurvivalBlog article titled “How Does Your Garden Grow”. I like the idea of gardening, but it takes time and a lot of trial and error. I have pursued sprouting as another gardening method. It’s easy to do. I bought my seeds and sprouter from Sprout People. – Ken S. Hi James,   We have spent six years getting our garden established and working. Fenced and footed in concrete. Electric wire around the outside to keep out the raccoons. An above ground watering system to each of the 16 plots. Four raised beds 24 inches …


Economics and Investing:

Entschuldigung, but doesn’t this sound a bit inflationary, for the U.S. Dollar?: Audit: Fed gave $16 trillion in emergency loans to foreign banks. Worth reading: How Capitol Hill Is Pushing the U.S. Economy to the Edge. (Thanks to Sue C. for the link.) Chris H. suggested this: Gold shines, but silver is the moneymaker. Economics Professor: “[We’ll Have] a Never-Ending Depression Unless We Repudiate the Debt, Which Never Should Have Been Extended In The First Place” (Thanks to John R. for the link.) K.K. sent this: Silver Update: Caught in the act, “The Comex is a completely and utterly corrupt …