Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 10 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 $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I might again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. If you want a chance to win the contest, start writing and e-mail us your article for Round 10, which ends May 30th. Remember …


Information and Communication Capabilities for Preparedness, by NC Bluedog

Dear JWR: My wife and I use a “thinking process” concerning preparedness that I would like to share with you and your readers, as well as expand upon one of the items. We organize our thoughts and actions along the line of tiers of necessity for survival. This is analogous to the oft-quoted “beans, bullets and band-aids” strategy. The first tier is absolutely critical for survival and consists of air, food, water, shelter and security. This not only includes physical items such as stored food and weapons for security but also knowledge such as gardening and tactical/strategic planning. The second …


Re-Write of the Austere and Survival Medicine Book

Hi James, I’ve decided to embark on a re-write of the Austere and Survival Medicine book. I know a number of MDs and other health professional read SurvivalBlog. If you think it appropriate would you mind posting a request for chapter authors on your blog. We will be starting with the existing book with the goal of adding more “how to” to the book and by popular demand also making some of the advice even more austere and primitive. The goal is to empower non-medical people to prepare medically for major medium and long term disasters. Once again the book …


Letter Re: Fire Fighting Tools and Skills for Retreats

Dear Mr. Rawles, Recently a fellow posted asking about firefighting options. If he wants advice about firefighting and resources to do so, he might want to look into joining his local Volunteer Fire Department (VFD). Fire departments are the first ones (along with law enforcement) to be summoned to any natural or man-made disaster. For this reason, almost all fire departments (including the VFDs) prepare, trains themselves for disaster! 75% of the fire departments in the United States are manned by volunteers. All [of them] are always looking to add men to their rosters. While one might think that all …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Bigger than you think: The story behind the recent U.S. pet food recall.   o o o Political Correctness run rampant: Anti-gun zealots oppose Navy SEAL memorial statue.    o o o Reader Ben L. mentioned that he came upon a “do it yourself” solar-power web site. Ben says: “Personally, the 40 watt/Xantrex XPower 1500 rig (most all the equipment in a case with attached cart) looks darn good.” OBTW, similar pre-packaged systems are available from Ready Made Resources. (A loyal SurvivalBlog advertiser.) They even offer free consulting on system sizing and design!


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, it’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is going to hit as hard as life, but it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward; how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done." – Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa (Rocky VI)


Notes from JWR:

Happy Easter, everyone. Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection have meaning for me. My prayer is that it does for you, too. Today we present another article for Round 10 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 $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I might again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. …


Nuclear, Chemical or Biological Disaster Preparedness, by Brian A.

One of the recent phrases the media has used almost to exhaustion is, “dirty” bomb. A dirty bomb, or radiological dispersion device (RDD) is basically an explosive device with some element of radioactivity attached, or some other means of distributing radioactive particulate matter. When detonated, it releases radiation in the form of dust or debris, which is harmful mostly when inhaled, or introduced into the body by other means, (eyes, open cuts, etc.). The main terror use of such a weapon would be to contaminate emergency services workers responding to the initial blast. In the 1990s, Chechen rebels reportedly placed …


Letter Re: Build-It-Yourself Pocketknife Kits

James: I just wanted to pass along my experience with KnifeKits.com. I purchased their FLX-25 frame lock folder kit. As a beginner, I found this kit to be an excellent little project. It took me only about 20 minutes to put it together and I had a nice rugged (and repairable) pocket knife. (I wish it took longer to build as I was having so much fun!) The blade sharpened up very nicely and it has been a great pocket tool ever since. I ended up buying another five-pack of this kit which came out to be $16.25 per knife …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader RBS sent this: Solar radio bursts interfere with GPS. His comment: “This is just one more reason why one should not place faith in modern technologies.” Have a map and compass as backup and know how to use them.   o o o From The Herald Sun: Australian scientists warn of dust bowl disaster    o o o The Army Aviator mentioned two web articles, the first from Reason on the Hit and Run: A Missouri legislator is seeking restrictions on the sale of baking soda.The other was this news story: Present to Michigan Kids Its not long after …



Notes from JWR:

I took the advice that was offered by Gus in Alabama, and had #1 Son replicate the “Search Posts on SurvivalBlog” window up above the scrolling ad bar. I hope that folks find this helpful. Today we present another article for Round 10 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 $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I might again be sending out a …


Prepping for Children, and Teaching Them Preparedness, by RSC

Perhaps the most difficult demographic group to prepare for is children. Their needs are constantly changing as they age, grow, and learn. The sheer number of variables involved can be mind boggling, but with enough planning and foresight all their needs can be met. We have eight children under the age of 12 still at home (with three grown and gone), so this is something we have given much thought to. If you are of child bearing age and still have your God given equipment, you must prepare for infants. Even if you have stocked birth control, it is not …


Odds ‘n Sods:

My mention yesterday of South African military surplus 7.62 mm NATO ball ammo prompted several readers to write me to ask for my recommendations on surplus ammo dealers. I recommend: AIM Surplus, Cheaper Than Dirt, Dan’s Ammo, J&G Sales, Midway, Ammunitionstore.com, Natchez Shooter Supply, and The Sportsman’s Guide. Of these, the last that I heard that had any South African 7.62 mm NATO was Cheaper Than Dirt, but they now seem to have dropped it from their catalog. But you might want to give them a call to ask if they still have any left on hand.   o o …