Letter Re: Asian Avian Flu Radio Show Archives

J.R.- Just got the chance to listen to some of the Ark Institute radio programming archives from this October. It might be a good idea to remind people those audio files are still there to enjoy. Still just as topical today as then. – R.S. JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that. For details on how to hear the webcast archives, visit the Republic Radio web site: http://mp3.rbnlive.com/Geri05.html.  The interviews that you mentioned were conducted on October 15th and October 22nd.


Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?

Sir: I’d read your post in SurvivalBlog about body armor – someone had asked for some recommendations. I own a small company and my employees wear armor, I’ve worn armor for ten years… And there have been some upheavals recently that those looking to acquire used body armor need, desperately, to be aware of that weren’t addressed in your answer – which was adequate but I felt needed elaborating on – so here goes! WHAT BRAND OF BODY ARMOR SHOULD YOU AVOID WHEN BUYING USED… Both Second Chance and Point Blank are facing bankruptcy and major lawsuits associated with some …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Odds ‘n Sods: A source for greenhouse construction kits: http://www.growerssupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&division=GrowersSupply    o o o After an outbreak of H5N1 in India, the government killed all poultry within 10 kilometers of the affected town. If NAIS succeeds, our government here in the U.S. will know exactly what animals you have and where you are. If they decide to they can just come and take or kill your livestock. See: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\02\26\story_26-2-2006_pg4_14 and www.NoNAIS.org    o o o I recently discovered that WorldNetDaily columnist Vox Day has his own blog:  http://voxday.blogspot.com




Advice on Grain Mills

I’m often asked for advice on grain mills. Having stored wheat and corn necessitates having a good quality durable grain mill. Electric-only mills are not recommend because they will of course become useless ornaments once the power grid goes down. An inexpensive hand-cranked mill will such as the Back to Basics Mill  or Corona Mill might suffice for a short term disaster, but in the event of TEOTWAWKI you will want something built to last. I started out with a Corona mill in the early 1980s. It was a lot of work to use! It seemed like I burned as many calories …


Book Review: The Weapon by Michael Z. Williamson

The Weapon is a science fiction novel by Michael Z. Williamson. (481 pages. ISBN 9-781416-508946  Published by BAEN Books.) This is sort of a “intra-quel” storyline to Williamson’s novel Freehold, which I previously reviewed. (See my Sunday, February 12, 2006 post.) Like Freehold, this novel is a fast-paced Libertarian think piece. It is a tale of interplanetary colonization, set some 500 years in the future. The descriptions of the bureaucratic totalitarian central Earth government are contrasted with the “Freehold” colony planet, Grainne. The main character is a Grainne special operations soldier that is sent on a “deep cover” mission to Earth. …


Letter Re: First Hand Observations on the Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans Bus Evacuation

James: I was a bus driver for the evacuation of the New Orleans Convention Center and figure that I should put my two cents in worth.We drove straight through from Ohio to a staging point (LaPlace) in New Orleans and were escorted to the Convention Center. This was on Saturday morning around 9 a.m. New Orleans time about a week after the dikes let go. We were lucky not to be in the first wave that came into the Super Dome earlier in the week as we heard they were still ordering parts to repair the busses that got busted …


Letter Re: Rifle Recommendations for Canada

Hello Jim, I just wanted to clarify a few points on C-68 and current Canadian gun control laws. There is a 5 round limit on box magazines for semi-automatic, centrefire long guns. There is also a 10-rd limit on magazines for handguns. No grandfathering for magazines or individuals. So that’s why the Lee-Enfield magazines are unaffected. The only exception to the rifle magazine capacity limit is for the M1 Garand. As well, I believe the wording of the law, or at least legal precedent, has it that the magazines only have to be neutered in such a way that it …



Note From JWR:

If you know any soldiers that are deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Columbia, or The Philippines, please let them know about SurvivalBlog. In coming weeks, we will be covering a wide range of topics that will be of interest to them including body armor, IEDs, counter-sniper shooting, MOUT, and night vision equipment. Today we feature another great entry in Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!)  The deadline for entries for Round 3 is the last day of …


The “Field Kit” Approach for Organization, Preparedness, and Survival, by Christian Souljer

When trouble comes and you are required to re-locate, there may not be time to try to find, organize and then pack your emergency gear. Just the stress of an emergency situation alone can keep you from thinking clearly enough to gather and pack all you might need. Getting your gear ready in advance can minimize this problem. Over the years I have developed a system in which I assemble “Field Kits” for my outdoor and emergency equipment and supplies. This allows me to keep my stuff organized and ready for future use. I assemble the kits with items needed …


Letter Re: Predicting the Timing for an Economic Crash?

Hi Jim! All things considered, what is your best “guestimate” on when this economy will crash or the SHTF ? – M. in Montana JWR Replies: Sorry, but I don’t have a crystal ball. All that I know is that with the massive debt accumulations (both Federal and consumer debt), the real estate bubble, and the burgeoning trade deficit, the U.S. economy is highly unstable. Other factors like international terrorism and the Asian Avian flu are totally unpredictable variables. The bottom line: Just be prepared, and be prepared soon.


Odds ‘n Sods

The USGS the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is an excellent resource when you are looking for specific areas on a map: http://geonames.usgs.gov/ You will want the underlined part–click on it: United States and territories. Enter the name of the place you want and the state (or any other information you have). It will give you several choices.    o o o Safecastle (one of our advertisers) is running a special on Mountain House #10 (1 gallon) cans of freeze dried foods at their on-line store–48 cans for $789 and free shipping. That’s a good deal, but for SurvivalBlog readers, …