Odds ‘n Sods:

Aside from some overtly political Quote of the Day blog entries, I do my best to downplay political issues in SurvivalBlog. This is primarily because the blog has an international readership. (After all, what interest would someone in France or Indonesia have in American politics, any more than I would have an interest in theirs?) But I do make an exception for the border control issue. Clearly, lax border security could be the modus operandi for terrorists, possibly with weapons of mass destruction. So that makes this political issue also a survival issue! If you are concerned about border security, …




A Full Scale U.S. Dollar Panic Before November?

The news wires were abuzz last week about the global credit squeeze. Bankers are unwilling to make loans when they can’t calculate risk. What risk? Here is a big one: Many of their clients have derivatives exposure, which means that lenders can no longer calculate their credit worthiness. In the banking world, the standard “safe” answer to any loan question in the absence of data is almost universally no. I surmise that if this situation gets any worse, governments may step in and make loan guarantees. (Meaning that the taxpayers would shoulder the risk instead of the bankers.) That may …


Letter Re: Food Reserves and Summer Kitchens

Hello James, Not long ago, our friends at FEMA destroyed six million MREs, (which we taxpayers had purchased at a cost of $40 million). Why? Because of storage conditions. Now this is an extreme example: FEMA placing food products in unrefrigerated containers under the Gulf Coast summer sun. But it does serve to illustrate that no matter how large one’s pantry may be, to avoid turning that food into so much garbage, you have to monitor storage conditions. Our “summer kitchen” at our home/retreat occupies a 200 square foot area in one of the outbuildings. This room is double insulated …


Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators?

Jim: A short comment on using any power source without a governor to drive a generator. While it will work, it will not maintain a constant voltage or frequency under varying loads. I am 69 years old and have watched people build “tractors,buzz saws, water pumps etc” over the last 60 years using car or truck engines. Usually with very little luck. A tractor has a decent governor and will maintain a near constant RPM from about 10 % to 100 % load. Old tractors often used oil pressure to control RPM, don’t know about the modern ones as mine …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Courtesy of SHTF Daily: Israeli website causes panic in NY. I’ve warned SurvivalBlog readers before: The DEBKA files material is predominantly gray propaganda that originates from the Russian Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti (FSB).   o o o Reader J.D. recommended this vendor for knives: The Outlaw Knife Shop. I haven’t done business with them yet, but they seem to have a great inventory!    o o o I’ve been told that there are just a couple sets left for the outstanding Medical Corps “Medical Response in Hostile Environments” field medicine course. It will be held on August 24-25-26 at the Ohio …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as a result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." – Ludwig Von Mises


Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators?

James: If my military 6×6 troop carrier‘s engine will run on multi-fuel (diesel, gasoline, mothballs, etc.) Why can’t someone make a generator that would connect to the power takeoff (PTO). That way I have a generator that runs on any fuel, and will go anywhere. Perhaps one of your readers could explain why this should be added to my list of really dumb ideas. – DAV JWR Replies: If the engine can be set to a moderately high RPM with the load of generator for extended periods of time, then it isn’t a dumb idea at all. PTO generators are …


Letter Re: GMRS Versus 2 Meter FM Transceivers–a Field Test

Jim: I recently went for a drive with both my Uniden GMR 1058 handheld radio (GMRS/FRS [band, and according the manufacturer’s literature] boasting a 10 mile range) and my newly-acquired ICOM IC-V85 FM [2 Meter band] Transceiver. I had my wife (with one of each as well) on our porch and here are my results. As I drove though the hilly and wooded terrain, immediately the GMR radio was picking up other kids and families and taxi drivers also talking. At 1/4 a mile the sound quality became unintelligible and communication was impossible. If no one else was on the …


Letter Re: A Nearby Wildfire Was My Preparedness Wake up Call

James: Don’t know if the callow-youth angle is of interest to your readers, but I dashed this off after a recent wildfire alert: This evening around 5:30 there were reports of a fire very near my home. Wildfires around here can get interesting quick, especially this late in the year with plenty of dry fuel waiting around. I thought we might have to Get out of Dodge and so I ordered the wife to pack up the paperwork and prep the munchkin for a few days field trip. Error. Wife does not respond well to orders, and she judged the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Russell suggested this article on The Nightmare German Inflation (circa 1922-1924) You will note some strong similarities to the hyperinflation in present-day Zimbabwe, as described by Cathy Buckle. And, BTW, if the Federal Reserve over-reacts to the current credit crunch, they could crash the US dollar, too.   o o o Dave S. recommended a web page at the C. Crane radio web site, on preparedness.    o o o Frequent contributor Ben L. sent this: Fifty percent of U.K. drivers cannot read a map. If you find your family’s map reading skills lacking then spend a few weekends orienteering. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The totalitarian states can do great things, but there is one thing they cannot do: they cannot give the factory-worker a rifle and tell him to take it home and keep it in his bedroom. That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer’s cottage, is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there.” – George Orwell



Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale?

Dear Mr. Rawles, I noticed that Missouri is not listed as one of your top 20 [states ranked as] desired retreat locations. Please tell me why you think Missouri would be unsuitable. Is there any possibility of meeting like minded people on your Survival Blog? Thanks so much for your help. Sincerely, – Marie R. JWR Replies: I consider Missouri unsuitable mainly because of its population density. It is also down-wind of some nuclear targets. So if you plan to stay there then I recommend that you construct a fallout shelter (like the ones that Safecastle builds), and have plenty …