The Great Disconnect, by “IRVM”

The recent SurvivalBlog letters regarding wolves illustrate something that has interested me for a while. This is a phenomenon that might be called “The Great Disconnect”. “The Great Disconnect” is defined as the increasing number of people who lack the ability to distinguish between reality and their own beliefs. These are people who reject out of hand anything that conflicts with their internal world-view, no matter how out of touch with reality that view may actually be. I have no idea what percentage of the population falls into the ‘disconnected’ category, but judging from what I see on the Internet, …


Letter Re: Shocking Facts About Wolves, by Steven UP

Dear Mr. Rawles, I would like to point out an error in Bonehead’s letter posted on SurvivalBlog on 6/30/06. He states that one ton of red meat is equivalent to two elk, which is false. Let us assume that the average bull elk weighs 1000 pounds (an optimistic assumption, but let’s run with Bonehead’s numbers), the average cow weighs 600 pounds, and the average calf weighs 300 pounds. Roughly 40.1 percent of an elk consists of edible muscle so that the average bull would provide 401 pounds of meat, the average cow 241, and the average calf 120. Thus one …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The EIA projects energy consumption will increase by 71% by 2030. SurvivalBlog reader John Adams asks: “Think there will be enough to go around?”    o o o Wiggy’s (one of our first and most loyal advertisers) has put their famous Pack Boots on sale at 25% off, for as long as they last. They currently have sizes 7 to 15 in stock. They also have their new summer weight sleeping bags on sale for just $100, with a compression stuff sack. These bags weigh just two pounds and stuff to just a 6″ by 7″ space. They are the …




Letter Re: James Kunstler at Midwest Renewable Energy Fair

Jim, As a regular reader of Survival Blog, I thought others might like a “field trip” report from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s (MREA) Energy Fair held this past weekend. This is an annual event hosted in central Wisconsin and it has had a growing number of attendees; last year’s fair drew over 10,000 and this year it was expected to draw ~17,000 people over its three days. In my mingling, I encountered people who had traveled from as far as New mexico, southern Oklahoma, Kansas, and many from Wisconsin and bordering states. The fair is a collection of vendors, …


Letter Re: Self-Winding Watch Recommendation

James, I’ve been living with a Seiko 5 military style mechanical movement (self winding) action watch for about 6 months now. I and am convinced they are one of the better deals going right now in a quality, metal, watch that will never need batteries. Overstock.com currently has these for under $100. They’re very hard to find here in the U.S.A., and tend to sell out rapidly. The only negative item I can list about these watches is that they need to be worn daily, as the the self-winding power “reserve” won’t last beyond 24 hours without wrist movement. I …


Two Letters Re: Shocking Facts About Wolves, by Steven UP

Jim- Unlike anyone else that has written, including Steven UP, I have lived in Western Montana my entire life, save a few travels around to world. I also grew up hunting and fishing here (we were, well, poor when I was a kid. I think I was eleven before I ever ate a beef steak. I thought red meat came form the woods in Fall!) As to the primary concern of wolves over-running farm in a SHTF scenario, that will be the least of your worries. As to the idea that elk and deer populations are being decimated by wolf …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader Jim K. suggests stocking up on this mondo tire sealant.    o o o Ready Made Resources, (our biggest advertiser) is brokering the sale of a very hard to find upgraded P-10 self-contained NBC shelter. He is selling it on behalf of an acquaintance. When sold new, these shelters sell for $100,000 with all of the options included in this one, such as the 1,000 gallon water tank and Level 4 protective entry door. (Cutting torch and .308 bullet proof!) These very rarely come up for sale in used condition, so don’t miss this chance to buy one …




Three Letters Re: Recommendations on Hardening a Garage Door?

Hello James, In reading D.A.B.’s query about hardening a Fiber Board Overhead garage door, several thoughts come to mind. All have additional questions that need to be asked. It sounds like his main concern is for the attack of his door with power tools, namely… Chainsaw. I’ll get to that in a few minutes. How many people don’t lock the [connecting] door between their home and their garage when at home or away? When you go to get your vehicle serviced, go to work, shopping, parked in your driveway,….where is your overhead door transmitter??? A quick break of the glass, …


Three Letters Re: Recommended Guns for Left-Handed Shooters?

Jim: Some of us just ignore our left-eye dominance and train to work with it instead of training out of it. 😉 I don’t have much trouble with mine. Kit @ Forevervain.com   Hi Jim, I am cursed with being a Left Eye Dominant, Right Handed shooter. To further confuse things, I shoot pistols Right Handed and rifles Left Handed. After getting back into the gentlemanly sport of firearms in 1999 and doing much research, I looked for guns with ejection paths that did not scare me. I found that although Benelli has Left Handed models available, their Right Handed …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Ready for a North Korean EMP Attack?    o o o Jason in North Idaho mentioned S-Meter.com: Some Great Ham Radio Info and Forums    o o o Is silver becoming more rare than gold?    o o o Lots of SurvivalBlog readers patronize Northern Tool & Equipment, one of our biggest affiliate advertisers. The great news is that for our readers in the UK, we just signed an affiliate agreement with Great stuff. Check them out. If you place an order, we get a little piece of the action. Thanks. o o o Mr. Bravo mentioned A fascinating piece …