From Mike Williamson: Some Useful DIY Home Power Technology Web Links

The following links will be of interest to anyone interested in do-it-yourself (DIY) power generation and 19th Century technology. Most of these come from Lindsay Publishing. [JWR Adds: They are also one one of my favorites!] : Generator and Inverters Wood into Charcoal and Electricity (although the generator design is at best a temp make-work design while you scrounge to build a better one). Gas Engines and Producer Gas Plants DIY Wind Turbine Power Plant (The best DIY design out there, although you might find a cheaper copy elsewhere). DIY Machine Shop (This is a Gingery design, not suitable for …


Letter Re: Prefabricated Garden Sheds as Instant Shelters and Storage Spaces for Retreats

This article is not intended to promote the Tuff Shed brand per se. Any of Tuff Shed’s products can be built from scratch. This is just one way to obtain “instant” shelter at a reasonable price. Tuff Sheds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. For the sake of this discussion I will limit myself to the rather plain-looking Tall Ranch Tuff Shed model because, unless you happen to be short of stature, you will probably need a tall shed. In Portland, Oregon the Tall Ranch model is available in sizes ranging from 6’x6’ to 16’x24’. This idea …


Letter Re: California’s Absurd Weapons Control Laws

Hi Mr. Rawles, I live on the sinking Titanic that is California, where this morning one of our co-workers failed to come into work and we could not reach him. We finally heard from him. He had just got out of a night in jail by posting $1,500 bail. Why? Because after a car accident last night, he consented to a police search of his vehicle where they found, of all things, a blackjack. Yes, an old-fashioned small club like the bad guys used in the Bugs Bunny cartoons. Years ago he found it in another state and had carried …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

Mycroft sent us this: Pandemic is here: Time to panic? Now, H1N1 is in Africa New Flu Strain Has Pet Owners Worried Former Marine Claims Illness From Mystery Vaccine “Target 5 [a television news team] has discovered that an alarming number of U.S. troops are having severe reactions to some of the vaccines they receive in preparation for going overseas. ‘This is the worst cover-up in the history of the military,” said an unidentified military health officer who fears for his job. A shot from a syringe is leaving some U.S. servicemen and women on the brink of death.’”


Economics and Investing:

Nick Taleb declares: ‘We’re in the Middle of a Crash‘ (Thanks to GG and A.W., the first if several readers to send that link) John W. notes: Seven more banks closed “and it’s not even Friday yet…” Ray G. sent news that unemployment at a 26-yer high: U.S. job losses spike in June, dampen recovery hopes From Cousin Bill: New York City Apartment Sales Down More Than 50% FDIC Proposes Tough Investor Guidelines For Failed Banks Items from The Economatrix: Obama Confident in Economic Recovery Despite Jobs Report Prime Mortgage Delinquencies Up 260% The Monumental Cap and Trade Outrage (video) …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers wrote to say that The Discovery Channel will debut ‘The Colony’, a post-pandemic urban survival reality series on July 21. It will be interesting to see how the politically-correct Hollywood crowd will tiptoe around the topic of firearms used for self-defense. I suspect that they’ll create the absurd artifice that neither the looters nor the Colony defenders will have guns available. (I noticed that one clip showed a miscreant being ineffectively blasted with a fire extinguisher .As if that would so badly frighten the goblins, that they’d never come back. The folks in Hollywood, it seems, can only …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 23 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350. Third Prize: A copy of …


Practical Survival Trapping, by Jason C.

There is nothing more soothing to the soul then quietly enjoying a stroll through the woods, forests, and outdoor areas of this great countryside. And having a rifle or shotgun over your shoulder for the chance opportunity at a squirrel, deer, dove, or pheasant is nothing short of perfection for many of us. However, in a survival situation, a hard day of hunting with nothing to show for it is not only depressing but can be downright dangerous. A person in a survival situation must conserve their energy at all costs. Any activity that doesn’t produce something towards the goal …


Letter Re: A Distaff Prepper’s Comments on an Appleseed Shooting Weekend

Mr. Editor, I just wanted to let you know I attended my first RWVA Appleseed shoot last weekend and it was a great experience. I found them from their link on SurvivalBlog. I learned how to use a sling and fire from different positions, among other things, and over all improved my mastery of my rifle. It was well worth my time for the weekend and I will be attending another one in a couple of months. Another nice feature of the Appleseed program is ‘women shoot free’ ! So husbands can bring their wives (children shoot free too, up …


Letter Re: Brumby Compressed Air-Powered Well Pumps

Dear Captain Rawles, Are you perchance familiar with Brumby Well Pumps? They work using compressed air and are being manufactured in Australia. From what I can tell, this is a good idea if you can get compressed air to the pump. This leads to the next question: Is there a practical way of operating an air compressor with either a wind turbine or a mechanical means not requiring the grid or a gasoline engine of some sort? When I lived in Germany I saw a number of old Volkswagen air-cooled engines that had been converted to serve as air compressors. …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

Map: US swine flu by state (Thanks to JP for that link) A/H1N1 Swine Flu Tamiflu Resistance Spreading British Medical Association Warns Parents Against “Swine Flu Parties” UK: Girl, 9, Dies in Big Surge of Swine Flu Cases Swine Flu Outbreak Worsens in Argentina New England Journal of Medicine: Spread of a Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Via Global Airline Transport


Economics and Investing:

Reader Wayne S. sent us a link to an interactive map with three “toggle” views that gives some very useful and interesting information for anyone looking to relocate. Wayne notes: “It’s truly amazing to see that most of the states that have done the best job managing their budgets are also the same states that infringe upon personal liberties the least…. Coincidence or not? As you have said many times on your blog, ‘vote with your feet!’” Reader HPD suggested this piece by Thorsten Polleit: Inflation: What You See and What You Don’t See From frequent content contributor GG: U.K. …