Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 16 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win two valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificates. (Worth up to $4,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Round 16 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entries. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Physical Preparation–How to Survive When Your Gear Doesn’t, by T. Davies

There is a lot of information online and in print about what gear to have on hand if the worst happens, tons and tons about how to store food, fuel, etc. There is even a plethora of information on how to get food and build shelter in the extremes. All of this leaves out some crucial elements. In this article you are going to see how to prepare your body and mind for working without equipment in adverse or even brutal conditions. the steps involved are extremely labour intensive. What you do with it is up to you. If you …


Letter Re: The SurvivalBlog 10 Cent Challenge

Mr. Rawles, Over the past few months some relatives and I have been reading SurvivalBlog.com. However, we have been “SurvivalBlog Voyeurs”, lurking in the cyber-shadows, benefiting from usable information while failing to contribute to the 10 Cent Challenge [voluntary subscription program]. Well, we shall lurk no more! The next time I am in town, I pledge to mail you my contribution, and my son-in-law says that he will do the same. Thank you for your generous site, and I would encourage others who benefit from the information here to do the same: Support SurvivalBlog. It is the site that brings …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Jack B. forwarded this: Wheat disease threatens supplies.    o o o Reader KBF found a mainstream media article that has good general advice and great links for food cost savings: Tips for taming rising grocery prices.    o o o  Frustrated owners try to unload their guzzlers.    o o o Oil surpasses $125 per barrel ahead of US driving season.



Wars, and Rumors of War

I got a hoax press release on Friday about Chile declaring war on Peru. But meanwhile, there are lots of real wars gong on. Fierce fighting has broken out in Lebanon. And to top it off, crude oil spiked to an all-time high of $126 per barrel, in part because of tensions between Venezuela and Columbia. In the midst of all this war news, the ongoing global grain shortage crisis is likely to cause additional civil wars, and possibly cross-border wars. It is all too clear that we are living in very dangerous times. Let’s call them fragile times. In …


Letter Re: Advice on Stocking Up on Batteries

Sir; I was wondering: How many batteries should I store for all my radios, flashlights, smoke detectors, and so forth? I’m also planning to get night vision goggles, soon. I assume rechargeables, right? If so, what kind [of rechargeables], and who has the best prices? – T.E. in Memphis. JWR Replies: I recommend buying mainly nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Stock up plenty of them, including some extras for barter and charity. Unlike the older Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) technology, NiMHs do not have a “memory” effect. (The diminished capacity because of the memory effect has always been one of the …


Four Letters Re: Advanced Medical Training and Facilities for Retreat Groups

James In response to BES in Washington’s comment on Paramedics and EMTs I must say that I agree when it comes to workaday medics. A great benefit to having the years of training as a paramedic is that it earns you some credibility. My advice to paramedics and long time EMTs is to speak to your training officers and EMS directors and find out if your supervising physician or another doctor would be willing to mentor you in surgery[, though observation]. I had the opportunity starting with my paramedic internship to make relationships with quality doctors who wanted to mentor …


Letter Re: EcoBeam Construction for Ballistic Protection

Hi Mr. Rawles, I read your reply reharding “EcoBeam Construction for Ballistic Protection”. Three years ago, a friend of mine and I shot a concrete wall until we made a nice size hole in it. This was just to see how much small arms fire it could take. [We used handguns.] Here is a web page I made about it with photos. Readers will get a idea what you meant about sand and and gravel being better at stopping small arms fire than even reinforced concrete. Take care, – Wes


Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric mentioned that Rock Port, Missouri is the first US city to be 100% [net meter] wind-powered.    o o o Burma death toll worse than Tsunami. We may never have an exact count, but the previous estimate of 100,000 dead may have been a huge understatement. And to make maters worse: UN halts aid to Myanmar after junta seizes supplies.    o o o I found an insightful article by Devvy Kidd linked over at the Bull (Not Bull) blog site: Do You Have a Plan?    o o o A reader in Iraq mentioned that US Marine Corps …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Remember the ancient saying: ‘[Si] vis pacem – para bellum’ – if you want peace – be ready for the war. Within the whole history of our civilization, no one disproved it. So let the weapons be not the means of terror, but the way to defend peace, democracy and law. I wish you all health, success and fruitful work. With best wishes,” – Mikhail Kalashnikov


Note from JWR:

The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $270. This auction is for four items: A FoodSaver GameSaver Turbo Plus heavy duty food vacuum packaging system (a retail value of $297) kindly donated by Ready Made Resources an autographed copy of : “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation”, an autographed copy of “SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog”, and a copy of “The Encyclopedia of Country Living”, by the late Carla Emery. The four items have a combined retail value of around $395. The auction ends in six days–on May15th. Please e-mail us your bids, in $10 …


Book Review: “Surviving A Disaster”, by Tony Nester

We were sent a review copy of “Surviving A Disaster – Evacuation Strategies And Emergency Kits for Staying Alive”. This slim paperback (just 57 pages) is a basic overview and introduction to Getting Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) It was written by Tony Nester, a wilderness survival teacher in Arizona. Nester has also written the books “Practical Survival” and “Desert Survival”. The book covers Bug Out Bags (BOBs), basic first aid kits, home evacuation gear, water, food, and so forth. It is mainly written about preparedness for evacuation in the case of a short-term natural or man-made disaster, not TEOTWAWKI. However, …


Letter Re: As It Was in the Days of Noah

Dear Mr. Rawles, I recently read your novel “Patriots“, which was a very positive experience. For more than a year I have read most anything I can get my hands on concerning survival, as I started feeling led by God in the direction to prepare for something…not knowing what the something may actually be. I recommend buying the “Forever” postage stamps, as a hedge against inflation. [JWR Adds: This is the last week to buy the “Forever” stamps before the upcoming rate increase.] Hurricane Katrina gave my family and I just a small taste of what I am afraid we …