David in Israel on Flashlights and Batteries

For a non tactical flashlight (momentary/click button on bottom) I prefer the Underwater Kinetics flashlight. These use four size AA batteries.They are widely used as firefighter helmet lights and survive well, even in fire/ground abuse environments. I try to keep everything standardized to AA and have a large stock of NiMH and lithium-ion rechargeables around. For long term kit storage the comments about 9 VDC lithium is right on, AA lithium batteries are also available in the camera section and can be expected to last much longer in storage than alkalines. I try to avoid CR-123 tactical and laser gear …


Letter Re: Shelf Life of NiMH Batteries?

JWR, There have been a few posts about batteries lately and a question I have been unable to find an answer to is: Do Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries have a limited storage life before they are put into service (receive their first electric charge)? It would be nice to know if I can buy a quantity and store them away until needed. I’ve not seen this addressed anywhere and maybe you know or one of your readers knows the answer. Regards, – Keith JWR Replies: That goes beyond my base of knowledge.  Would any readers care to chime in …



Note From JWR:

Note from JWR:  Please help boost the worldwide readership of SurvivalBlog. We now have readers in 40+ countries!  (See:  http://clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=https://survivalblog.com ) Please tell all of your friends and relatives that live overseas about the blog, especially ex-pats, and deployed military service members. And for those of you in the corporate world, please tell your co-workers that are at off-shore centers. Thanks!


Letter From David in Israel Re: Fire Protection for Log Homes

James, In response to The Army Aviator: Sodium silicate a.k.a. waterglass might be able to make wood water resistant. I would treat a shingle and then test it with a blow torch. I am a big proponent of Barricade gel which is the same dry gel which is in baby diapers. (See: http://www.barricadegel.com/ ) It was available in a home protection kit and is probably the next best thing to a house-sized fire shelter but for a much lower price. The only problem is that Barricade needs to be sprayed on around 24 hours before the flames come. Otherwise it …


Letter Re: Seeking Advice on 27 Year Old Storage Food

Jim, I apologize if you’ve already covered this in previous archives – I searched several, but not all, of your blog archives. I did see your comment, “Wheat stores for 20+ years…” I have a LOT of wheat purchased in 1979 after reading Howard Ruff’s “How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years.” I have other items – Navy and other types of beans. It is by Neo-Life, “NEST” storage, “Nitro-Guard” protection – it was stored in #10 cans purged with with nitrogen. So it is all 25+ years old. I have been storing this stuff in my basement, which …


Letter Re: Advice on When to Sell Silver?

Dear Mr. Rawles, I read on The Claire Files that you think silver will be going to $40 an ounce. My spouse and I can’t agree when we should sell our 8,000 ounces of silver. I think we should hang on to it all until it gets to $20 and ounce then sell. But my spouse thinks we should start selling now. What do you think? By the way, we purchased most of it at $5 an ounce in the form of 100 ounce bars. We also have about a bag and a half of “junk” silver dimes.- F.L. JWR …


Odds ‘n Sods

I’m down in Reno this weekend for the The Big Reno Show. Quite a gun show! All quality gear–no flea market Schumer. I dropped by the table run by Darryl Holland (of Holland’s of Oregon), and sent him home a Browning A-Bolt bolt action rifle for “the usual” treatment:  I have him thread the muzzles of all of our hunting rifles with 1/2″ x 28 threads for a Holland’s muzzle brake. The same threads can also be used for Smith Enterprise Vortex flash hiders. This way the rifles can serve double duty as tactical guns. I highly recommend that you …



Letter Re: Question on Dried Foods Versus Dehydrated Storage Foods

Jim, Is there any difference between dried food and dehydrated food, and if there is, what is the difference? – G.P. JWR Replies: I’m glad that you asked that, because it is often a point of confusion. Although semantically they mean the same thing, the difference is that “dehydrated” storage foods typically are dried to a greater extent than typical dried foods–such as the raisins and other dried fruits that are sold at your local grocery store. However, due to their lower moisture content and because they are usually sold in sealed, nitrogen-packed, cans makes them store for several years …


Letter Re: Alternative to Creosote for Preserving Wood?

James: I have taken a leave and am now caught back up on the blog. I was away and talked to my wife every night and she always stated that I must be going crazy not reading SurvivalBlog every night! She was right! Upon returning home, did I return my calls, e-mails, or mail first,.hardly, it was a crash course of GBID (get back into Dodge) mentally by reading what I had missed on Survivalblog. A few topics have arisen that I wanted to comment on (FWIW). FENCING/CREOSOTE/TELEPHONE POLES- I have had the benefit of picking the pocket of an …


Letter Re: PTR-91 Clones of HK91 Rifles, and Set Trigger Modification

Mr. Rawles: In answer to the question from Steve (posted on March 9, 2006, the PTR-91 clone is considered one of the best on the market, I have original 1980s versions of the factory HK91s and I think that they compare well. Williams Trigger Specialties provides a modification I would highly recommend. I have the set “paddle” trigger on all of my HKs and the work is excellent and the results are amazing – a crisp set trigger breaking at 4 pounds. Lower than the 5 to 6 pounds advertised. Worth every penny. Their site: http://www.williamstriggers.com/page4.htm They state: “WTS PSG1 …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Rourke mentioned this cool site about hidden storage and passageways. (Best viewed with a broadband connection.) See: http://www.hiddenpassageway.com/    o o o A firm in Utah that offers the ultimate in off-site records storage–inside a solid granite mountain: http://www.perpetualstorage.com/index_home.htm    o o o Bulk ammo shortage?  See; http://urbansurvival.com/week.htm    o o o Doc at Big Secrets  (www.bigsecrets.cc) recommends this site on how to build your own small battery charging generator: http://theepicenter.com/tow02077.html    o o o Talk radio host Steve Quayle cites this piece from the Washington Post:: http://www.stevequayle.com/News.alert/06_Money/060309.retirement.fund.html    o o o SurvivalBlog reader “gman” recommends this source for inexpensive …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.”- Justice Louis D. Brandeis, U.S. Supreme Court Judge. Source: Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. United States, 277 US 479 (1928)


Note From JWR:

Don’t forget to send you entries for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a “Gray” (first-timers) four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!) The deadline for entries for Round 3 is March 31, 2006.