Letter Re: Communications in Times of Crisis

Hi Jim, In response to letter “Re: Communications in Times of Crisis”, I am a communications specialist and an electronic engineer with nearly 30 years in communications. Here are a few corrections to a very good post – some minor, some not: Typical UHF connectors will have approximately 0.5 dB loss, not 1.5dB (get rid of them if they do!). Many times it is preferable to buy your coax cable with installed connectors. There are a number of ham radio suppliers that will professionally install (and waterproof with sealant and heat shrink) good quality connectors to custom length cables. The …


Letter Re: Preparedness on a Very Tight Budget

Mr. Rawles I could not agree more that water and lots of it is the place to start for preparedness on any budget. I purchased DOT/UN/FDA certified closed-top 55 gallon drums which are made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) from my local Pepsi Bottler for 15 dollars each. I try to buy the white ones that contained lemon lime flavoring syrup so my water doesn’t taste like Dr. Pepper etc. They also sold me 15 and 5 gallon containers which I use to store rice, beans and other dry goods. The best deal I have found for purchasing bulk rice …


Letter Re: “Rambo” Actor Sylvester Stallone Talks TEOTWAWKI and Burmese Genocide in Interview

Jim: In the February 2008 issue of Soldier of Fortune magazine, Sylvester Stallone is interviewed in reference to his newest “Rambo” movie (scheduled for release on January 25th) which should shed some light on the ongoing persecution of the Karen [tribe] people by the Burmese government. He is quoted as follows: I really want something heartfelt, that’s about flesh and blood, and about how cruel man really is, if left alone. I believe that we’re not that far removed from being truly uncivilized. We say we’re civilized, but it wouldn’t take much, a breakdown in law enforcement, removal of the …


Letter Re: Inoculation Recommendations

James, Mike in Seattle made a good point on tetanus vaccine. Another consideration is that most emergency departments give Diphtheria/Tetanus if you come in with broken skin and you are ‘out of date’ on your Tetanus. If you go to your regular doctor, though, you should be able to get Diphtheria/Tetanus/Adult Pertussis (Whooping Cough). Most adults who were only vaccinated against Pertussis as children have little or no immunity. Pertussis is not as likely to kill you as an adult (unless you have underlying respiratory disease!), but it can sure take you out of action for a few weeks, and …


Letter Re: Ladies’ Supplies for Preparedness

Mr. Rawles, I’m a woman, and you know what that means – if I’m not currently pregnant, I’m going to bleed once a month. I know, you’re a guy, maybe you haven’t thought of this – but disposable menstrual products can be scary expensive. It can also be hard to discreetly dispose of them while moving fast, and they’ve got to be changed fairly often if you’re a heavy bleeder. It might be a good idea for women concerned about the future to invest in some form of reusable menstrual protection. I’m thinking specifically of a cup, such as DivaCup …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Frequent contributor Michael Z. Williamson flagged an article about H5N1 Asian Avian Flu. It is still not easily transmissible, but remains a cause for concern.    o o o The Bricklayer in Detroit sent us a link to a “must read” piece of commentary on the perilous state of the global credit market.    o o o A reminder: the special sale on pairs of 35 gram pouches of CELOX being offered by Safecastle Royal is ending soon. Be sure to get your order in ASAP, since the manufacturer’s pricing goes up in January 2008,    o o o More …



Note from JWR:

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Coping With Inflation–Some Strategies for Investing, Bartering, Dickering, and Survival

Statistics released by the Federal government claim that the current inflation rate is 4.3 percent. That is utter hogwash. Their statistics cunningly omit “volatile” food and energy prices. The statisticians admit that energy costs rose by more than 21% since last December. They also admit that Finished Goods rose 7.2%, and “Materials for Manufacturing” rose a whopping 42% , with a 8.7% jump in just the month of November. When commodities rise this quickly, it is apparent that something is seriously out of whack. Meanwhile, the buying power of the US Dollar is falling versus most other currencies. Not surprisingly, …


Letter Re: A Significant Wheat Shortage is Looming in the US

Mr. Rawles, I found an interesting and alarming article from CattleNetwork.com on grain supplies. Especially note these parts: “In fact, export sales of U.S. wheat are beginning to look like panic buying. Overseas buyers are purchasing ahead anticipating the U.S. will run out of wheat, which is exactly what may happen for hard red winter and white wheat. Wheat exports simply can not be sustained at current levels. Either price will have to increase more to ration the remaining supply or, as was rumored in grain markets this week, the U.S. government will step in to embargo further wheat exports.” …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SF in Hawaii suggested a deer hauler (such as item # QW-223606 sold by Cabela’s) as a cross-country bug-out option. It would certainly allow someone to carry three or four times as much weight as they could in a backpack.    o o o Stephen in Iraq e-mailed us a link to a Bloomberg article: Wheat Price Surges Above $10 for First Time on Supply Concerns . Stephen’s comment “Notice this paragraph: ‘Higher food prices are forcing some Italians to eat at soup kitchens and threatening unrest in China, where a stampede at a supermarket sale of cooking oil killed …



Note from JWR:

The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $170. The auction is for a scarce original 1980s-vintage Heckler und Koch 19mm Emergency Flare Launcher (EFL) aka “Notsignalgerät“ from my personal collection. It comes with three magazines and 28 scarce original German 19mm flares–10 red, 10 white, and 8 green. Together, this package is worth approximately $400. It is not classified as a “firearm” under Federal law. (Consult your state and local laws before bidding.) Sorry, no overseas bids will be accepted for this auction. This auction ends on January 15th. Please e-mail us your bids, in …


Letter Re: Preparedness on a Very Tight Budget

Mr Rawles, Having read your reply to S.’s letter “Preparedness on a Very Tight Budget” I must say you made my day! It made me realize that I am much better off than I thought and on the right track. I am one of those weird (smart?) people who was raised in the city, but for some reason, never belonged. From earliest childhood, I was always “preparing” long before I really knew what for. In other words, I was not your typical “raised in captivity” child. I learned to sew at nine, and spent a lot of time making sleeping …


Three Letters Re: The Sovereign Deed Scheme–Can Someone Just Buy Survival?

Jim, I enjoyed reading article you recently linked entitled “Is Survival Only for the Rich?” The company’s idea to provide “we’ll save you if you pay us enough” services is nothing new. Private security firms swooped down to protect the estates of their ultra-rich clients in New Orleans after [Hurricane] Katrina hit. Here is but one article covering that subject. This being said, I don’t think one should be critical of the very wealthy for making such arrangements. Who wouldn’t want the ability to have Blackwater protect your home as the Golden Horde approached? Unfortunately, this is not an option …