Three Letters Re: The Art of Humping a Pack

Hi Jim, In Section 2 – Packing, Blake in Arkansas talks about using 1 gallon Zip-Loc bags for packing items. This is an excellent idea which I have used over the years in my sea-kayaking camping trips. However, another way of evacuating the air from these bags is to use a straw. Method: With bag ready for closure, insert a straw into the Zip-Loc bag. Zip the bag up to the straw. “Press” out as much air as possible (not smash). Then, use the straw to suck out the remaining air from the bag. Remove straw, and zip closed. Voila! …


Economics and Investing:

GG flagged this: WTO says global trade shrank 12 percent in 2009, biggest collapse since Second World War From Brian B.: Head of IMF Proposes New Reserve Currency – ABC News Another from GG: American reliance on government at all-time high Items from The Economatrix: Manufacturing Grows in February, Jobs Gauge Rises January Spending Increases But Income Growth Slows January Construction Spending Slides IMF Says New Reserve Currency to Replace Dollar is Possible Mish Shedlock: Short-Selling Restrictions “A Great Indicator of Imminent Market Crashes” Temporary Hiring: A Different Kind of Signal Jobless Benefits Begin Ending on Sunday


Odds ‘n Sods:

Garnet sent this one: Gun fans cheer Starbucks’ policy    o o o In case you missed it in the theater, the DVD of Roland Emmerich’s 2012 mega-disaster movie is scheduled to be released today.    o o o Ready Made Resources has launched a semi-annual 25% off sale on Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans. They are offering free shipping on full case lots. These foods are delicious, compact, and have a 30 year shelf life. There is now less than two weeks left for the sale, so order soon!    o o o Teresa F. sent …



Note from JWR:

I’ve received a lot of e-mails from readers about the big Richter 8.8 earthquake in Chile, and and the fears of subsequent tsunamis. The death toll is now above 700, and climbing. Here is a quote: “Chilean state television reported that 209 inmates had escaped from a prison in the city of Chillan after a fire broke out, while the president-elect, Sebastien Pinera, reported seeing some looting while flying over damaged areas. He vowed ‘to fight with maximum energy looting attempts that I saw with my own eyes’.” Much like the recent earthquake Haiti, it illustrates that the world can …


Letter Re: Purchasing an Antique Firearms Battery

Jim, In a previous post you mentioned that Chilean 1893 Mauser rifles were not safe to fire [standard commercially-loaded] .308 [Winchester] because of excessive chamber pressure, but that these were safe to fire 7.62x51mm NATO. In your Antique Firearms FAQ you reference antique Mausers that have been converted to .308 [Winchester]. Can you recommend some antique Mausers that are safe to re-barrel for .308? I ask because I’ve had a difficult time finding 7.62x51mm hunting rounds. Thanks, – Dylan F. JWR Replies: The rifles that I used for those .308 Winchester,. 6.5 x 55, and .257 Roberts conversions were Turkish …


Five Letters Re: The Art of Humping a Pack

Hello Mr. Rawles, Blake’s recent post on the fine art of “humping a pack” is much appreciated. I’m a bit of a backpacker, but have never been subjected to the rigors of “forced humping” for Uncle Sam. I’ve found that I rapidly become an unhappy camper when my pack weight exceeds 45 pounds. Thanks go to Blake for his service to our Country! The magic (but painful) blister remedy to which he referred is Tincture of Benzoin (sometimes abbreviated Tr. Benzoin). This mixture of specific tree resins in alcohol, and it’s cousin, Compound Tincture of Benzoin, are used in health …


Economics and Investing:

JDD sent this: Greenspan: Worst Financial Crisis Ever, Including the Great Depression. Blunt words: Bernanke delivers warning on U.S. debt. (Thanks to A. H. in Tucson for the link.) GG suggested this, over at Seeking Alpha: Something Very Strange Is Happening With Treasuries Kevin S. sent us two interesting map links: Bank Failure Map and Interactive Job Loss Map


Odds ‘n Sods:

NPR reports: Solar Storms Could Be Earth’s Next Katrina. (Kudos for R.T.K. for sending the link.)    o o o The folks at Medical Corps are holding another one of their excellent three-day Combat/Field Medicine School courses, April 30th through May 2nd. The class will be held near Caldwell, Ohio at the Ohio State University Extension building. Contact: Chuck Fenwick at 740-783-8009 for details.    o o o Former New Orleans Detective Pleads Guilty in Katrina Shooting Cover-up. That investigation is just scratching the surface. I’m not sure if all of the bodies that were buried after Hurricane Katrina were …



Letter Re: Cost-Effective Emergency Water Treatment

Hello Sir, I’m an avid SurvivalBlog reader. I noticed that in your latest book (“How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”) you mention avoiding any type of pool shock containing ingredients other than “Calcium Hypochlorite” . While searching around for calcium hypochlorite I couldn’t find it at my usual shopping locations and started searching around about “Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione” and “Trichloro-s-triazinetrione” as they seemed to be available in abundance in my area. My local Sam’s Club had the following types of “Pool Shock”: 1.) Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione hydrated 99% Available chlorine 55.5% 50 pound bucket of granules …


Six Letters Re: Empty Hand Survival

Mr. Rawles, I have black belts in two different styles of martial arts: Okinawan Karate and a form of Japanese Jiu-jitsu. I can say without a doubt though that studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts (grappling and kickboxing) is bar none the best and most effective way to learn to fight and made my previous training largely irrelevant. You don’t need years to become effective in grappling styles as I’ve seen people with six months of training take down and submit much larger opponents who were fighting as hard as they could. In addition to this, the focus on …


Economics and Investing:

Jeff Recommended an article over at George Ure’s site on the plight of a surveyor, which is a macrocosm of the national economy: And the Bottom Line Is? Don’t like the record number of foreclosures? Well, ban them! See: Obama May Prohibit Home-Loan Foreclosures Without HAMP Review This comes from Pravda, so I’m naturally dubious: China has confirmed the intention to purchase 191.3 tons of gold from the International Monetary Fund at an open auction, Finmarket news agency said. (Thanks to J.D.D. for sending the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Sultans of Swap: Explaining $605 Trillion of Derivatives Common Sense …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Matt B. notes that the residents of Hawaii (reacting to the recent tsunami warning, following the Chilean earthquakes) seem to have ignored the Boy Scout’s Motto…..it just goes to show how out of the blue emergent circumstances can catch all of us who ignore preparations unaware. Imagine your family at home and you ‘waiting in line at the super market’ because you were not prepped for the most likely event to disrupt civility. Reader M.M. echoed Matt’s sentiment: “Even if this is a big nothing for the state of Hawaii, it should be a wake up call to everyone. Get …