Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader “Alfie Omega” flagged this new article: Gas at $6 per gallon? Get ready. (Congress has an expensive “solution.”)   o o o Sean M. forwarded us this one: Solar Shingles Could Power Tomorrow’s Homes. Sean’s comment: “It would difficult to keep these clear in the winter in snow country. But it is discrete, so you won’t be screaming ‘Hey, I have power’ to anyone passing by.”    o o o For those of you that asked about promotional clips for the upcoming Sarah Connor Chronicles television series, for some reason they were removed from YouTube, but are still available …



Note from JWR:

Today’s first letter is from a gent who has been a friend of mine for 23 years. The “Doug Carlton” character in my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” was loosely based on him. (Most if the characters in the novel were drawn directly from friends of mine, or composites thereof.) We went to college together and were in the same ROTC program. Upon graduation, he became a U.S. Army helicopter pilot and served in South Korea. He now works in the civilian transportation industry. Among other things, “Doug” is an expert on practical concealed handgun carry, since he has …


Two Letters Re: Tourniquet Pros and Cons

Jim, I’m afraid you’re out of date on tourniquet use. It’s been a couple years since we were in the Army, and the world in general has shifted gears on tourniquets. In Iraq and Afghanistan, [we read] “no iatrogenic injury has been reported, even with tourniquet times up to 8 hours.” (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 76th annual scientific congress.) US Army literature on the subject has indicated that if the limb can be saved, it can still be saved three hours after a tourniquet is applied (U.S. Medicine, May 2005) Tourniquets got a bad rap, probably deservedly, in WWII. …


Letter Re: Real Life Gunfight Experiences

Hi Jim I found the article about real gunfights, earlier this week, very interesting. I happened to run across this video of a real gun fight between quite a few law enforcement officers s and one guy with a battle rifle. I am no gun expert, but it sure taught me a few things: 1) Never take a handgun to a rifle fight 2) Take cover. These guys just walked out the door and got shot. 3) Riding on the hood of a car is not a good tactic. All the best, – Kurt


Odds ‘n Sods:

U.S. Economy: Housing Starts Drop; Slump May Persist. Notice how the 20% slump in housing starts in the western U.S. was buried in the article? After reading the entire article, I think that it would be better titled “US Economy: Housing Market Enters Death Spiral.” But of course I’m the pessimistic type.   o o o China sells more US T-bonds. I’ve said it before: the U.S. Dollar is doomed.    o o o From MayoClinic.com — West Nile virus: Signs and symptoms    o o o Our friend Tom at CometGold.com sent us this: Bear Stearns Staving Off Collapse …



Note from JWR:

We are now halfway through the special two week “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” Six Pack Sale. For any orders postmarked on or before June 30th, I’m offering a box of six autographed copies of my novel “Patriots“, packed in a well-padded USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box, for $93, postage and Delivery Confirmation tracking label costs paid, to any US or APO/FPO address. That is just $15.50 per copy! And again, I pay the postage! Payment options include USPS money order, AlertPay, GearPay, or PayPal. Our AlertPay address is: rawles@usa.net Our GearPay address is: rawles@usa.net Our PayPal address is: …


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 …