Year: 2013

Letter Re: The Quest for Safety: Is Jackson County, Florida America’s Ideal Retreat Locale?

Jim, I recently noticed your recent comparison of Jackson County, Florida, with Lewis, County, Idaho, and the follow-ups posts. I hope I can add some additional information since I attended high school in the county and have many relatives living there. Just as a point of reference my mid-1970s High school graduating class had less than 60 people and only five of them attended and graduated college. I know of only one of those people who still lives there. Youth tend to move away if they can. As poster Kathi indicated, the county is rather closed to outsiders. The only …



Odds ‘n Sods:

An interesting novel has just been released that includes some outdoor survival and tactics tidbits: Marine One Down! (It is available in paperback and quite inexpensively for Kindle and Nook readers.)    o o o The folks at KnifeUp have created an updated reference web page on state knife possession and carry laws for the US. This data was researched in 2013, so it is current. But of course it is wise to check your state’s legal web page. Their web site also has some useful product reviews.    o o o In the midst of America’s acute ammo shortage, …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 47 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) 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 C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Deep Winter Prepping, by Ronald in Alberta

I live on a small ranch in Northern Alberta, Canada. I’m approximately a half hour drive to the nearest small town, and the winters here can be tremendous. I’ve always taken a slightly different approach to preps than most of my American counter parts, because most energy, food, shelter, water and defense advice floating around the Internet is not cold weather viable. In this short paper I will attempt to relay to you, the reader, the importance of being ready for winter in all aspects of survival. This is a short collection of some thoughts and experiences I’ve had living …


Letter Re: Stealth Wood Cutting and Splitting with Electric Tools

James, I wanted offer some praise to J.J.S. and is thorough submission titled Heating with Wood 101. I’m following his lead and wanted to offer your readers some additional ideas on wood processing with some stealth after TSHTF. Running a 50cc chainsaw and a 34-ton log splitter is all fine and dandy when there’s no one around meaning to do you any harm but its completely inappropriate in a TEOTWAWKI situation. If you are lucky enough to have a renewable energy source its advisable to switch to electrical tools because they are so quiet. Either of the big box stores …


Letter Re: How to Survive a Serious Burn

Mr. Rawles, I always read your site with interest, especially the medical advice that is written by Dr. Koelker and others, as this is my area of expertise. Dr. Koelker’s article regarding burn care made very brief mention of a technique called hypodermoclysis as an alternative method for intravenous infusion of fluids in the event of a severe burn. Essentially, hypodermoclysis involves using a regular IV catheter to infuse fluids into the patient’s subcutaneous tissue. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a replacement for IV fluids in the case she uses as an example. It appears that the maximum amount of fluids …


News From The American Redoubt:

There has recently been some discussion in the blogosphere of Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground laws. To clarify: All but one of the five American Redoubt states currently have solid Castle Doctrine (right to defend your habitation) laws on the books. These include strong protections of the rights of homeowners and house renters in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. There is also a modified form of the Castle Doctrine in force in Washington as well as a location nonspecific Stand Your Ground law. But Oregon’s law is presently ambiguous. Their “duty to retreat” law enacted in 1971 was partly overturned …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Camping Survival 23% off sale on all Backpackers Pantry Freeze Dried Foods ends on July 28th, so order soon.    o o o Mike Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large) wrote to mention: “Due to publishing deadlines, my novel Freehold originally came out only in paperback.  A decade later, there is finally a signed, limited edition hardcover scheduled. Anyone interested should place a pre-order as soon as they can, since this will be a one-time press run.”    o o o Max is back! It appears that Mad Max: Fury Road is now in post-production and will be released in the …



Does America Need to Build New Misprison Prisons?

You may have heard about the BHO administration regime’s expanded “Insider Threat Program,” which amplifies Executive Order 13587, published back in 2011. After a brief flurry of media attention earlier this month, this has been thoroughly soft-pedaled. (“Nothing to see here, move along.”) But these new policies have been laid down and the penalties for noncompliance have been established. Without an act of Congress, these policies are now effective. Rather than re-hash the details, I will quote the first part of a well-written McClatchy News Service article: “In an initiative aimed at rooting out future leakers and other security violators, …


How to Survive a Serious Burn, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

How large must a burn be to kill you?  How is a burn fatal anyway?  Is there anything you can do to improve your odds? Lacking an emergency response system, you’ll be on your own if you cook yourself on a heating pad, or catch your clothes on fire, or spill hot coffee down your pants while driving.  What would now be referred to a burn unit for specialized care may require home treatment when it’s the only option. Without skin, you die.  The danger of burns is related to the function of the skin.  Normally the skin “keeps the …


Pat’s Product Review: Ruger SR45

No mistake about it! The .45ACP is still one of America’s favorite cartridges, and there are many different handgun platforms that shoot this popular round, and for good reason, it is a proven man stopper. I recently reviewed the Ruger SR1911C hand, and I love the 1911 platform, however, it is not the only one that catches my attention these days. One problem I run across with .45 ACP handguns that carry a lot of rounds is that, they are too fat for my hand and trigger reach is a bit of a stretch for me – which means I …