Note from JWR:

Living here in the hinterboonies, our daytime radio reception is pitiful, but our nighttime reception is fantastic. (The Rawles Ranch is in an isolated “electromagnetic quiet zone.”) To make up for the lack of daytime reception (since we get less than a half dozen daytime AM stations and no FM stations), I have turned to Internet radio for entertainment during the day, and shortwave radio listening at night. I am particularly fond of a listener-sponsored Internet streaming audio service called Folk Alley. Great stuff, albeit with a perceptible liberal slant. At least they don’t shy away from playing gospel bluegrass …


Book Excerpt: “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”

In response to a request to Matthew from Indiana, who wanted to know what my novel was like before ordering it, the following is an excerpt from the first chapter of the expanded (33 chapter) edition of my novel “Patriots”: On the last day of October, the Grays found that their phone was still working, but only for local calls. When they tried making long-distance calls, they got an “All circuits are busy now” recording, at all hours of the day or night. The next day, there was message advising that “All circuits will be restored shortly.” Two days later, …


Letter Re: The Next Pandemic: Starvation in a Land of Plenty

Sir: Seeing the discussion regarding the gentleman who loaned a flashlight and leaf blower to his ungrateful neighbors, I’d thought I’d share my method of loaning out items. First off, never loan out primary tools. I have three sets [that I’ve designated – mine [primary], for friends, and a lower quality set for loaning. If you’ve never borrowed from me before and I don’t know your “borrowing character”, then you get the cheap set of greasy, grimy tools or the flashlight with weak batteries. If you return them in the state that you borrowed them, you get to borrow them …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Steve P. flagged this “must read” article by Doug Hornig: Climate Change Revisited    o o o From BlogIdaho: Why Cops Shoot Guys with Knives (Warning: Some graphic photos, not for the squeamish!) BTW, shallow slashing wounds to the torso of the type shown are not often fatal. It is either wounds to the neck or deep penetrating wounds to the abdomen (typically angled upward, from just under the ribcage) followed immediately by lateral motion of the blade tip that are the real killing wounds. (The latter is what one of my Army training NCOs referred to as “massive surgery …



Letter Re: Junk Shop Survival Tools

James, I read Nuclear War Survival Skills [by Cresson Kearney) several years back and have read and re-read the book on a regular basis. In fact, along with your novel “Patriots” (acquired 5 months back) I have loaned out and gifted copies of each to family. All were ‘struck’. After realizing the need for expedient and planned shelter, but lacking the real buying power that I desired, I set about securing many of the hand tools that I had previously overlooked, i.e. tools that were essential according to Cresson: Picks, Shovels, etc. Lowes and other stores didn’t stock old world …


Two Letters Re: The Next Pandemic: Starvation in a Land of Plenty

Mr. Rawles: Your “The Next Pandemic” article and he responses to it that you posted really got me thinking. If it all hits the fan, how can I possibly hand out charity to refugees without them just taking it all, by force? Once a bunch of people are in your house, or even in your front yard, they have the advantage. I really want to be generous and charitable, since it is my duty as a Christian. (I have more than 2 tons of wheat, rice. and other stuff stored, for example.) But I don’t want to get cleaned out …


Letter Re: The Last of the $49 MURS Radios

Hi Jim, Just an FYI, the remaining stock of these units [the Kenwood handheld 2 Watt MURS transceivers] is dwindling fast. I expect the $49 special to be available for only one to two more months. I have not yet found a suitable replacement product that can be sold for less than $100 and are MURS certified. On another note, I want to pass along that the customers that have been referred from your site have been excellent folks. Its been a pleasure to deal with them and they have all prompt in their payments and very reasonable to deal …


Odds ‘n Sods:

“OSOM” sent this From Doug Casey’s newsletter: a very readable article on the French Revolution’s hyperinflation and the corruption and misery it bred. OSOM’s comment: “History doesn’t repeat exactly – but it sure looks like it’s rhyming.”    o o o There are just 19 days left in the big “Container load sale” at Survival Enterprises. All of the storage food items are “first come – first served.” The prices are less than half of retail. Survival Enterprises can take all major credit cards, PayPal, cash, gold and silver coins, but no checks or money orders. All orders must be …



Note from JWR:

The first piece presented today is another article submitted for Round 8 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 will 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. Round 8 will end …


A Minimalist 50 Mile Hike in the Smoky Mountains, by Albert J.

It was the summer of 1980. I’d read Robert Ringer and John Pugsley books on surviving coming economic collapses. Both taught how you should prepare yourself for such events. In another year I would finish graduate school and start living the 9 to 5 dream. Ha! So this summer it was time to do a little survival training and think on these things. I decided to hike part of the Appalachian Trail through the Great Smoky Mountains. Being a minimalist anyway and having read much of H. David Thoreau and about a Greek philosopher, Diogenes, I wanted to carry as …


Two Letters Re: Veterinary Antibiotics

James: Re: the assertion: “Two weeks after the expiration date, these agents can and frequently do become nephrotoxic” No, they always are nephrotoxic – it is dose related. The above statement is just plain wrong. Mis-dosing causes renal failure – which is an equally valid concern for do it yourselfers using vet abs – but not the d**n expiry date – I thought we had put the tetracycline debate to rest – in the 80’s it composition was unstable – it broke down 6-12 months post-expiry date and became potentially toxic from the degradation products of the binder. Since late-1980s, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Aaron in Florida noted: “The Official Department of the Army Publications and Forms web site has a tremendous number of manuals and information in PDF format.” I should also add that anyone associated with the Army (Active, Reserve, Guard, retired, army civilian employees, and even defense contractors) can get an Army Knowledge Online (AKO) account, which will give you access to even more manuals.   o o o UN Report on Climate Change “Will Shock the World”    o o o Airman JB and Joe from Tennessee both forwarded this one: Doctors fear TB strain could cause a global pandemic …