Letter Re: Comments from a Like-Minded Virginia Prepper

Sir: I found your blog about a month ago. I received a copy of your novel “Patriots” from Fred’s M14 Stocks and have probably read the thing about 20 times. It sits by the bed. I sometimes just pick it up, open and begin reading. Good stuff. I am a former police officer (10 years) with sniper training, construction company owner( I have built everything except a church) CPA with many years public accounting and have military experience (like you in Military Intelligence. I was what is now known as a 98C [- Signals Intelligence Analyst]). I shoot a lot …


Three Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet

Mr. Rawles: Firstly, I must say I have found your site informative and have implemented many of the ideas/suggestions listed on it. Regarding the most recent post regarding crucial fats in the diet, I must say it was informative but I felt it left out a very viable source of animal fat: The Groundhog. While it may be a rodent, it only eats plants and an occasional insect. The meat is good but greasy since groundhogs actually hibernate. This means later on in the year they will have stored up a large amount of fat which would be of very …


Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future?

Sir: I have pondered your recent posts about stocking up on ammo. I’ve decided to spend $6,000–the same that I spent last year on storage food, a wheat grinder, and heirloom gardening seeds–to buy some ammunition to squirrel away. That will pretty well tap out all of my available cash. I’ll mainly be buying mil surplus rifle ammo (.223, 7.62×39 and .308) plus some civilian pistol ammo–mostly .45 auto, for my two Glock 21s and my Glock 30. But I’m also taking your advice from a post earlier this year and buying 300 rounds of .40 S&W, even though I …


Odds ‘n Sods:

HikerLT, DAV, and Mark B. all forwarded this gem (by way of the Drudge Report) from The Daily Telegraph: China threatens ‘nuclear option’ of dollar sales. Mark’s comment: “This is why trade deficits are a strategic and political liability! The American people have virtually put their economic future and well being in the hands of the Chi-coms!”   o o o Chris S. sent us a news story link that illustrates the signs of the times: Lead stolen from church roofs to ship to China   o o o I have updated my Links page with a new section on …



Notes from JWR:

Don’t miss out on the special $99.95 sale for my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. This is the first time that it has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. The sale ends tomorrow, so place your order ASAP! Today we present another article for Round 12 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. …


Survival for the Disabled, by Hegh

To survive one must be physically fit! This statement has been said and written over and over, time and again. To say that Survival is for this group of individuals exclusively has strong weight when it comes to a TEOTWAWKI scenario. How ever I would disagree with this assessment. Granted, total invalids could pose a problem but that is not the focus of this article. The focus is on those individuals who are disabled but can still function to some degree and contribute to a TEOTWAWKI scenario. During the fall of the twin towers on September 11th there were 31 …


Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators?

James, Farmer John asked for some input on his Chevy Sprint engine project. I had a Sprint years ago, along with several other very-small engine autos – including a 1969 Subaru 360, Fiat with an 850 cc engine, a two-stroke-cycle DKW, and even a car with a 650 c.c. Royal Enfield motorcycle engine. The Subaru had a two-stroke-cycle gasoline engine with 25 horse. On an absolute flat highway at 55 MPH and no wind, it could get 65 MPG. My Sprint could get close to 50 MPG on a flat highway, and dropped to the high 30s on highway with …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader Chuck accurately notes that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is in a predicament. At this juncture the Fed can neither raise nor lower interest rates without powerful macro level repercussions. Chuck mentioned that Mad Money host Jim Cramer made a passionate plea to Ben Bernanke to consider cutting interest rates that would in turn help the market and the people who are losing their jobs on Wall Street. More liquidity via lower interest rates might mean a brief respite for the battered US residential real estate market as well as the equities markets. But if Mr. Bernanke lowers …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Half an hour. [Pack just] one bag, plus the guns. I’ll make pancakes.” In the next scene: “Every family has rules, and we had ours: Keep your head down. Keep yours eyes up. Resist the urge to be seen as important or special. Know your exits.” – Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Pilot episode screenplay by Josh Friedman.)


Note from JWR:

The publisher’s special $99.95 sale for my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course ends in just two days. This is the first time that it has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. I’m not sure if and when the sale will ever be repeated, so get you orders in soon! If ordering by mail, be sure to have your letter postmarked no later than Wednesday, August 8th.


Letter Re: Advice on Generators?

JWR: A few comments in regard to fuel choices, in response to what is posted on your web site. There is mention of the legal difficulty of getting a 1,000 gallon tank of diesel installed at a homesite. I guess I have to ask, what is the difficulty? I’ve lived in several rural areas in the northeast, and it’s never been a problem here. Where I live now in central New York state, anybody can have up to 1,000 gallons per tax-map parcel without any interference, permits, etc. Many homes in my area have dual 275 or 500 tanks inside …


Letter Re: Charity Begins at Home–At Least in the U.S.

Jim, As usual, I found this article [from London, Ontario, about national differences in charitable giving] while browsing something unrelated. I read through it, thought you and possibly the blog readers might benefit from it. I offer a small text extract, to whet your whistle: “Brooks also found a strong and specific correlation between political ideology and charity. In both the United States and Europe, conservatives who believe in limited government are far more likely to make charitable contributions than are liberals who think government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality. Note the irony: Liberals who support the governmental …


Letter Re: Late Blog Posts and Supporting SurvivalBlog

Mr. Rawles: About noon on Friday, I was starting to write a mean e-mail, because y’all were late in the putting up the blog posts for the day. You see, I’ve been a daily reader of SurvivalBlog since about April of 2006, and I’d gotten used to you putting the posts up like clockwork, right around (or before) midnight for the next day. It has become my habit to read the blog while having my morning coffee and waiting for my employees to arrive. (I run a lawnmower and power tool shop in a fair-sized city in Georgia, and I’m …