Letter Re: Advice on Communications Scanners

Dear James, I was talking to my neighbor today and he showed me his Uniden Bear Tracker 800 scanner, a now discontinued model. That got me to thinking that I probably should get one for emergencies. But the thing is I don’t know what you should look for in a police scanner. Also I’m on a budget and I’m not willing to spend more than $100 on a scanner, but most cost quite a bit. That’s why I’m looking for a reasonably priced scanner, though I’m having problems finding one. Any recommendations or help would be gladly accepted. Regards, – …


Letter Re: Simulation of Pandemic Influenza – Preparedness Implications

Jim, I appreciate everything that you and your readers are doing to help change the mindset of people around the world. I was reviewing the May/June issue of a health care trade magazine that contained a report on a simulation carried out in Philadelphia at the start of this year dealing with pandemic influenza. While much of the discussion was relevant only to health insurers, the scenario that served as the simulation is detailed below. Readers can draw their own conclusions of the type of things that they should prepare for. The following is exerted from: Raymond, A.G. (2008). Pandemic …


Letter Re: Ammo Types and Storage Ratios for a Precision .308 Rifle

James I have a friend wanting my advice. He has a Glock [Model] 22 [.40 S&W] , an AR-15 [5.56mm NATO], a Ruger 10/.22 [rimfire] and a Remington 700 VTR [bolt action .308]. He has 5,000 rounds for the Glock, 10,000 rounds for the AR and 6,000 rounds for the 10/.22. He has no .308 semi-auto rifle and [says that he has] no plans to acquire one. He wants to lay in a supply of around 2,000 rounds for the Remington 700 VTR. It shoots under 1/2 MOA with 168 grain Federal Gold Medal Match, and around 1 to 1-1/2 …


Odds ‘n Sods:

WB in Texas mentioned a book review of the now-classic $50 and Up Underground House Book, written from the perspective of a reviewer that has actually built one of his own.    o o o Jack B. flagged this article from Pakistan: Oil-fired budget to skyrocket inflation. Jack’s comment: “Economic woes in Pakistan are just another red flag in the soon to be world wide crunch! Like ripples in a global pond, country after country reverberates with like stories.”    o o o Eric found this article from the UK: It used to be deer poaching, now rural gangs move …



Note from JWR:

The re-launch of SurvivalRealty.com (our spin-off web site) is now in progress. If you are looking for retreat property, then check it out! OBTW, if you know of anyone that has a retreat-worthy property for sale, please let them know that free ads are available for the first month, and thereafter, they will cost just $1 per day! Both real estate agents and “For Sale By Owner” advertisers are welcome.


Letter Re: Help With a Non-Preparedness Minded Spouse

Dear Jim and Memsahib, I have been discussing preparedness lately with several of my close friends. One of the things that has aided me in winning friends over to being preparedness minded is your book. Usually, once loaned to a guy, the fellow sees how plausible something like that really is and they begin to prepare. The problem is this; overwhelmingly we find have trouble with our wives. My wife, for example, says please don’t talk to me about that stuff; just tell me to get in the car when its time to go and I’ll go. She tolerates my …


Letter Re: The Five Minute Bank Run

Dear Mr. Rawles: I wanted to tell you a personal experience I just had at the bank that scares me to death. If you think a bank can last a few days during a bank run, then you will be very surprised by my story. I wanted to withdraw $10,000 from a JP Morgan Chase Bank branch in a local Houston [, Texas] suburb. Chase is the second largest bank in the US and Houston is the fourth largest city in the US. I went in and said: “Can I please have my money?” The teller disappeared for 10 minutes …


Letter Re: The US Tax Giveaway Economic Stimulus Charade

Mr. Rawles, On June 27, 2008 the following Associated Press headline was on Yahoo Finance: After-tax incomes and spending show big gains. “The millions of economic stimulus payments gave a massive jolt to household finanances (sic) in May, sending after-tax incomes up by the largest amount in 33 years.” Q: Does borrowing money from the next two generations, while saddling our grandkids with principal and interest repayment obligations to foreign countries really now count as “after tax income”? A: Not to regular SurvivalBlog readers. Regards, – Kevin A. JWR Replies: Those with the Big Government mindset would answer: “Oh, but …


Letter Re: Victory in the DC v. Heller US Supreme Court Decision–With Some Reservations

Hi Jim, I was just reading your very excellent SurvivalBlog [post on the Heller decision] this morning. A great site you have. Regarding Mr. Gura, don’t be too hard on him because he appeared to throw machine guns under the bus at oral argument. I believe that Gura made a tactical decision not to discuss machine guns because he knew that, for now, the machine gun issue was a loser of an argument, and would distract from a more important first step: getting the Second Amendment declared as an individual right. Now that the court has declared (as those of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers mentioned this “must read” article from England: ‘The Archers’ brings the idea of a self-sufficient community to the fore    o o o My brother sent me this link: Something May be Wrong with the Sun–and the Weather Could Get COLDER    o o o Hawaiian K. and Steve spotted this over at the Kitco forums: US meltdown within weeks?    o o o There are now just three days left in BulletProofME.com’s special sale on Interceptor Body Armor and Kevlar helmets, just for SurvivalBlog readers.



Letter Re: Kudos for the WRSA’s Medical Training

James, I would like to recommend to anyone looking for medical training in grid down austere environments to attend the 2-1/2 day course offered by Western Rifle Shooter’s Association (WRSA). My wife and I recently attended their course in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho this past weekend, and found the course informative and thought provoking, considering ing the times ahead of us. Hands-on training in suturing, wound triage, and trauma wounds were a plus to our animal husbandry skills. Another great aspect is [meeting] the like-minded people that attended this event. The Western Rifle Shooter’s Association is scheduling more clinics this …


Letter Re: Lessons From Grandpa–Firewood Cutting for Seasonal Employment

Good morning, Mr. Rawles. Thank you for your good work. I have reciprocated by being a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber from a while ago. I wish to correct an item from today’s SurvivalBlog entry – while otherwise a very, very nice article – Lessons From Grandpa–Firewood Cutting for Seasonal Employment, by JSW The author says “a Pickeroon [a.k.a. “Peavey” or “Cant Hook”] which is glaringly incorrect; they are three separate and unique tools. A pickeroon is a short-handled hookeroon – which is a single straight pick about six inches long set at a 90 degree angle from the end of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader KT mentioned that Mike Kemp’s analysis of the Heller Second Amendment supreme court ruling has been posted at the Staying Alive blog.    o o o Hawaiian K. recommend a web site with some tips on survival cooking.    o o o I ‘ve discussed cartridge and shotshell adapters several times in SurvivalBlog. Henry sent me a link to the web site for a maker of some high quality shotshell adapters: Gaugemate. They make them with integral extractors, and more simple (and less expensive) “push out” models.    o o o Kevin A. flagged this article for us: Commodities …