Note from JWR:

The high bid is still at $210 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a for a new-in-the-box Hydro Photon UV Light SteriPen Water Sterilization System with solar charger and pre-filter, kindly donated by Safecastle, one of our most loyal advertisers. This very popular water sterilizer product package normally sells for $225, plus postage. See the details on the SteriPen and solar charger here. As a bonus for this auction, I’m also including autographed copies of three of my books: Rawles on Retreats and Relocation, SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog – Volume 1 and my novel: “Patriots: Surviving the Coming …


Two Letters Re: Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security

James, Here in Iraq the Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) threat is very serious. Obviously at home we won’t be able to set up the complex entry points seen on a US Forward Operating Base (FOB). However a lesson can be taken from the Iraq Outposts. At the Combat Outpost (COP) where I am stationed (Joint US/Iraqi Army); the entry is well defended. Using HESCO barriers to create the lane, the ‘gate’ is simply a 2 1/2 truck with armor plate welded on one side. This truck is parked across the entry way. This can be quickly moved and …


Letter Re: Waterproof Storage of Blackpowder

Jim: All black powder attracts water. Before a hunt or shoot, I empty the powder in my horn into a shallow earthenware bowl, then set it in the oven warmed to about 200F for a few hours. My stock of powder is in the airtight cans I bought it in. black powder is one of the few products that has not been noticeably improved in the last 250 or so years. It also does not ever deteriorate in storage as long as it’s kept dry. The Lewis and Clark expedition carried their powder in lead boxes which were soldered shut. …


Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles

Sir: A recent entry on your blog from ‘Tanker’ gave the link to a video on the Lifehacker web site. The last video he mentioned was made by a poster named KipKay. I have been a fan of KipKay’s for several months. He posts regularly on Metacafe.com. Incidentally, for each video he is paid and he has made approximately $55,000 from his creations. He has several videos that may be of interest to your audience. Below are the links and a brief description of each. Please decide if any of these merit inclusion on your blog. His official web site …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From Money and Markets, (by way of SHTF Daily), Marty Weiss provides this sage analysis of the real estate market and the liquidity crisis: Final Warning!   o o o Stephen C. in Iraq mentioned this piece from The Economist: The agonies of agflation: “As oil prices stay high, wheat prices hit an all-time peak of over $7.50 a bushel for December delivery at the end of trading in Chicago on Thursday August 23rd.”   o o o I just heard about a blog dedicated to “Survival, Preparedness, News, and Resources” vis-a-vis the Asian Avian Flu: Bird Flu (H5N1) Daily


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One’s right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections.” – Justice Robert H. Jackson (1892-1954), U. S. Supreme Court Justice, West Virginia Board of Education vs. Barnette, 1943


Letter Re: Purchasing Modern Firearms Without a Paper Trail

My Rawles, I am recently new to your SurvivalBlog web site. I have thoroughly enjoyed trying to catch up and read the thousands of posts. While I have always felt the need to be prepared for any eventuality, I have recently began more intensive preparations up on food, ammo, water and learning every thing (like making soap) that I can. I have grown up around guns and hunting my entire life. Of the four guns that I have, 12 gauge, 16 gauge, .22 [rimfire] rifle and 9 mm pistol, I have only purchased one myself: the 9mm pistol. The other …


Letter Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source

Dear Mr. Rawles I have read your novel [“Patriots”] (several times) although I do need to get the [latest] expanded edition. And I finally talked my wife into reading it. I loved it–by far my favorite book of all time. Okay onto my two cents. I just thought it might be a good idea to mention to everyone the value of going to your local garage sales. I work third shift and have been able to find quite a few good deals over the past years. This year I really focused on survival needs and I think I did okay. …


Letter Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals

Jim- I’ve got a plain, white, lidded bucket of coins (that’s the way the dealer packed them for me) on the floor of my guest bedroom closet. Above it is an old daypack with vital papers and bugout money. The closet, like most folks’, is full of shoes, coats, caps. I’m counting on [Edgar Allan Poe’s] The Purloined Letter idea. My thinking is that the Bad Guys will go first for the master bedroom–and that’s where I’m well prepared to meet them. On the other hand, if I have to bug out quickly, I will have these things ready to …


Letter Re: Resources for Researching Retreat Locales

Hi Jim, My wife and I will be moving to Montana in the near future. While researching a location for our future home, we found the following links to be especially helpful for state tax and cost-of-living comparisons. Overall Tax Burden by State State Income Tax Rates State Sales Tax Rates Cost of Living Comparison Sincerely, – Jeff H. JWR Replies: Thanks for sending those very useful links. I just added them to my Retreat Areas web page.


Odds ‘n Sods:

DAV mentioned this story that might portend a market change: Russian government takes over gold mining sector   o o o Some analysis from Steve Schifferes of BBC News: Financial crises: Lessons from history. I disagree that government intervention is the best solution. Inevitably “market intervention” ends up being a wealth transfer from one group of citizens to another, to the detriment of the former, and to the benefit of the latter. In the context of the current liquidity crisis, “intervention” will probably be in the form of loan guarantees which will put taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of …



Note from JWR:

As promised, I have again put “six packs” of my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” on sale. The price of a box of six is now just $90, postage paid. (You’ll get six autographed copies for $90, delivered, via Priority Mail Flat Rate box, mailed to anywhere in the Unites States, including APO/FPO addresses.) This sale ends on October 31st. This is your chance to buy some extra copies for Christmas presents.


Two Letters Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home

James Before building a house with a walk-in vault, for years I stored firearms and ammo in an old soft drink vending machine. Bought the non-working machine for next to nothing, removed the guts, and had a cheap gun safe (if necessary, a locksmith could re-key an old machine for a few bucks). It held a lot, had an excellent locking system, would be hard to break into, but best of all was invisible. Placed in my garage and later a barn, with a few tools and old boxes stacked on top, no one ever gave it a second look. …