Three Letters Re: Advice on Bear Protection?

James, Thought I would pass on some advice that I received while I was stationed at Eielson Air Force Base just south of Fairbanks, Alaska . During “newcomers” orientation, we were told by the local game warden, that “playing dead” might work with a grizzly, but if they decide to charge you, “playing dead” won’t save you. They are coming to kill you and won’t stop the attack until you are. I remember reading about an Alaskan couple who tried to escape a black bear attack by climbing up on the roof of their cabin. It had a lean-to type …


Two Letters Re: Tourniquet Pros and Cons

JWR, You were right on with your advice as far as setting tourniquets. One thing that I totally fail to understand when it comes to some of my preparedness oriented brethren is their desire to mickey mouse/improvise a solution when one already exists. Also, thanks for the recommendation on TraumaDEX, it looks to be as good or better than some of the other offerings, and wow is it cheap! ($11/50 applicators). While all of these gizmos are neat, just like in your novel “Patriots” there was someone there with honest to god medical training. While becoming an RN or LVN …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Minnesota’s “Code Ready” preparedness campaign urges deep larders   o o o Reader BWN sent us a link to fairly detailed plans for a slow sand water filter.    o o o I recently updated my Pre-1899 FAQ and Mauser Bolt Rifles FAQ. Both are available (along with many others that I authored or co-authored) for free download at my FAQs Page



Note from JWR:

The first item today is a long article by Grandpappy, who you may remember as the winner of Round 10 of the the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. We greatly appreciate his willingness to share his knowledge with us. OBTW, get your entries in for Round 11. 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. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies …


Bicycles for Emergency Transportation, by Grandpappy

Unlike horses and other farm animals, bicycles do not require any food, or water, or pasture, or daily care. They also don’t generate any garden manure and that could be either a plus or a minus depending on your situation. And a bicycle is ready to go the instant you need it, even if an EMP blast disables other modes of transportation. A bicycle can be stored for decades with just a little oil on its chain and on its other moving parts. In the event of a serious worldwide catastrophe, a bicycle may become extremely useful in two important …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Rourke sent us the link to this PDF: The Day After Action in the 24 Hours Following a Nuclear Blast in an American City. In this study, Harvard and Stanford professors recommend a return to constructing bomb shelters and an active Civil Defense program in the U.S. (Rourke’s comment: “Geez, these Harvard and Stanford professors are sounding like survivalists!”)   o o o SurvivalBlog reader”Mr. Bill” kindly created more convenient single-file PDFs with chapter bookmarks for three crucial medical references that are now in the public domain: NATO Emergency War Surgery, Where There is No Dentist, and Where There is …



Note from JWR:

I’ve had inquiries from two SurvivalBlog readers in England about my current Six Pack Sale for autographed copies of my novel “Patriots.” Yes, I’m extending the sale offer to SurvivalBlog readers in England. The cost for a six pack mailed to England would be: $121 USD (£61 GBP) via Priority Mail, or $142 USD (£72 GBP) via Express Mail. OBTW, I would actually prefer it you sent your funds via PayPal in Pounds Sterling, so that you don’t have to pay for the currency exchange. And I can certainly use the Pounds in my PayPal account, since I often buy …


Letter Re: Advice on Bear Protection?

Mr. Rawles, I may soon have the chance to take a job with the USGS in coastal Alaska. It will involve some field work, mostly in summer months. What should I carry for defense against bears? Pepper spray? A magnum revolver? For guns, if it makes any difference: I am in my late 30s, I’m 5’11” and weigh 220. I have fairly large hands. Thanks, – Future Cheechako JWR Replies: We live in bear country here at the Rawles Ranch. (Brown and black bears.) It is also mountain lion, moose, and wolf country, but bears are our biggest concern. By …


Two Letters Re: Questions on Blood Clotting Agents

James: See this link for a PDF that provides a short article by two medical doctors concerning the different clotting agents. Anyone contemplating a [blood clotting agent] purchase should read the article. – Bill N. Dear Mr. Rawles, I may be “just a dentist,” but hopefully I can offer some insight into the gentleman’s question regarding ferric sulfate as a coagulant. He is correct that it is a coagulant. I use it every day in a 15.5% aqueous solution to control minor intraoral bleeding (modern dental impression materials and tooth colored filling materials don’t do well in the presence of …


Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Swimming Pool Chlorine for Treating Drining Water

James: I enjoyed reading through these pages describing how to build a biological sand filter for water: It appears to be a great, low tech solution for treating contaminated, diseased or otherwise unclean water for drinking. The “download” link gives very good construction directions, certainly within the abilities of most survival minded people.- jr


Odds ‘n Sods:

SF in Hawaii recommended this article on midwifery in austere circumstances: Border Patrol Learns “Emergency” Childbirth .   o o o Linked at Drudge: New age town embraces dollar alternative. This trend has implications for post-collapse local economies, based on barter.    o o o Sean M. suggested this article from one of Guns & Ammo‘s spin-off magazines: What Really Happens In A Gunfight? The conclusions from twenty-five years of lethal force investigation.