Letter Re: A Well-Rounded Skillset Requires Both Range-Based and Force-on-Force Training

Jim, I agree with a recent post, Front Sight offers excellent training, and will get the beginning shooter to feel comfortable with their weapon and build in quick and automatic malfunction clearances, but it has shortcomings that all range based training classes share. By default, range based handgun training teaches us: 1) Stand still while you shoot 2) Use two hands when you shoot 3) Focus on the front sight This type of shooting is a very specialized form of shooting. It is perfect when you are: 1) Target/competition shooting 2) Shooting at the edge of your accuracy range from …


Product Review: AmericaStone Knife Sharpener

Several months ago, I received a sample product that languished on the back off my desk, just for the lack of time available to test it. This is a novel sharpening stone design, dubbed the the AmericaStone. It was not until this weekend that I finally had the chance to try it out. And now I’m glad that I finally did. In the modern parlance, it is “way cool“. Let me start by saying that the AmericaStone is the best compact knife sharpener that I’ve ever used. For my test, I used my current primary everyday carry pocketknife, a tanto …


Letter Re: TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery

James, In general, [the recent medical articles are] great stuff to have on your web site. However, it is really best for trained and knowledgeable medical and paramedical people to get involved in medical and surgical issues rather than looking at these as Do-It-Yourself projects! With all due respect to your many readers with far greater mechanical intelligence than I have, the Almighty engineered the body and sustains it in a more complicated manner (beyond human comprehension) than the best human conceived and built retreat plan! As soon as you finish a course of antibiotics, drink yogurt, (fermented) buttermilk, or …


Economics and Investing:

Gerald Celente Predicts Economic Armageddon by 2012. (A hat tip to Reader P.D. for the link.) OBTW, take it as a warning sign if you hear that Gerald Celente has moved from New York to say… Wyoming. From D.V.: Goldman Sachs’s Cohen Predicts More Bad News on Banks Items from The Economatrix: Our New National Currency: The US Fuffle IBM to Cut 5,000 US-based Jobs, Shift Work to Emerging Markets Wall Street Turns Cautious But Logs Third Weekly Advance Failed Bank: Omni National Bank, Atlanta Georgia Lendman: Obama’s Latest “No Banker Left Behind” Scheme “Nobody can be confident that the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

In the “Why am I Not Surprised?” Department: Clinton targets assault weapons. “US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she’ll be arguing for tougher gun controls as part of efforts to help Mexico fight violent drugs cartels.” Okay, so let me get this straight: Hitlery says that we should give up our Second Amendment rights in order to stop drug gangs from misusing guns in Mexico. What is next? Giving up our First Amendment rights, in order to stop libel and slander in Canada? (They might use American-made typewriters and bullhorns, dontcha-know…) OBTW, here is the none-too-subtle spin on this …



Letter Re: A Carrington Event Space Storm–A Natural EMP Equivalent

Jim- New Scientist magazine article recently published an important article titled “Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe.” The article outlines possible scenarios for the risk of solar storms that could severely damage national grids and vital electrical and electronic systems. The effects would be catastrophic and devolve societies into a desperate survival situation for individuals. One quote from the article: “Over the last few decades, western civilisations have busily sown the seeds of their own destruction. Our modern way of life, with its reliance on technology, has unwittingly exposed us to an extraordinary danger: plasma balls spewed from the …


Letter Re: Barnyard Junk: The Things that You Do and Don’t Need for TEOTWAWKI

Jim Much has been written in all the various books, discussion groups and forums about acquiring the best G.O.O.D. bag, BOVs and medical kits. Much has been said about what garden seeds to get and the best lead delivery systems to have. There’s been endless discussions about setting up the most survivable retreat and packing the maps to help get you there. …But I recall very little talk about what you don’t need. I’ve lived on the family farm all my life. I’ve also spent a great deal of time delivering survival supplies to Indian Reservation all over the US. …


Letter Re: An Impromptu SurvivalBlog Meet-up at Front Sight

There was a bit of a ‘covert’ Survivalblog gathering at Front Sight recently. Along with Tim R & Tantalum Tom I was also in attendance earlier in March. I have two grown sons, both of which had expressed a desire to have a handgun for home defense. As a law enforcement officer and former SWAT team member I am familiar with the operation of and responsibility with owning a gun. I am confident in my training and ability to defend my home and family through that training. My two sons, however, had barely even held a gun, let alone fired …


Economics and Investing:

HPD sent this: Geithner plan will rob American taxpayers: Stiglitz Kevin A. recommended a piece by Bill Fleckenstein over at The Silver Bear Café: Got gold? You’re right on the money. Here is a quote: “We are attempting to print our way to prosperity. That can’t be done, any more than we could speculate our way to prosperity during the stock bubble or borrow our way to prosperity in the real-estate/credit bubble.” Jeff K. suggested: Bernanke Inserts Gun in Mouth. Jeff’s comment: “We disagree on inflation versus deflation [in the next few years], but one must take notice when a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Cheryl noticed this over at Steve Quayle’s site: Growing Food in Times of Scarcity    o o o Thanks to regular content contributor HPD for sending this: America’s Abandoned Cities    o o o Vasiilly e-mailed me to mention the Still Tasty web site, where there is lots of data on the shelf lives of various foods.    o o o Currie sent a link to an interesting PDF at a web site in Canada that describes how to used cooking oil for fuel.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The net effect of the failures in banking is that a lot of people have less money than they expected they would have a year ago. This is bad enough, given our habits and practices of modern life. But what happens when farming collapses? The prospect for that is closer than most of us might realize. The way we produce our food has been organized at a scale that has ruinous consequences, not least its addiction to capital. Now that banking is in collapse, capital will be extremely scarce. Nobody in the cities reads farm news, or listens to farm …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 21 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing Round 21 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for …


TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery–Part II: Skin Infections, by Dr. K.

Introduction The skin has three layers. 1. The epidermis is the outermost layer. It protects our bodies from the environment and has pigment cells. 2. The dermis is the middle layer, and it contains hair follicles, sweat glands, oil glands, and capillaries. 3. The hypodermis (or subcutaneous layer) is the inner layer, and it contains layers of fat that provides cushion and insulation for our body… some more than others. Any of these layers can become infected, in whole or in part. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, that minor scratch could lead to a painful death. Knowledge is vitally important. Understanding …


Letter Re: TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery–Part I: Ingrown Toenails

Jim: In Part I of his article, Dr. K. mentioned some options on do-it-yourself cautery. My suggestion is to consider buying new tips [not contaminated by solder metals and rosin] and a butane soldering torch for times when no electricity is available. For example, see: Pro-120 Tectra Tools UT-100 TS600 Regards, – Craig W.