Letter Re: Alternate Short Term Sources for Drinking Water

Jim, An inexpensive way to store a couple hundred gallons of water is simply in install an extra water heater. Electrics are cheap (a couple bucks a gallon), and don’t even need to be electrically connected. The fresh water continually flows through, and can be drained down for short-term needs during an interruption. If installing in new construction, it’s even easier, and an electrical connection means that you have hot water in the event of a natural gas interruption. Plumbing and valving should ensure that the tank can be gravity drained, and that either heater may be taken out of …



Note From JWR:

As you can see from our new ClustrMap web visit tracker, there are now SurvivalBlog readers all over the world: http://clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=https://survivalblog.com&type=small&clusters=yes&map=world BTW, it appears that we will have a new foreign correspondent, in Brazil. I’ll have more details about that in the next few days. Thank you for making SurvivalBlog such a rapid success. Please keep spreading the word. One awareness tool that has been proven to work well is a “fortune cookie” paper strip that you can hand out at public events such as gun shows, ham radio swap meets, first aid courses, et cetera. Or you can “carelessly” leave …


Letter Re: Katrina’s Aftermath: Lessons Learned

Mr. Rawles: Well, it seems that Katrina and friends have amply proven what you and many, many other survival writers have been saying for a long time. 1. You cannot depend on any governmental agency to look out for you and yours. Not federal, not state, not county and certainly not local. You have to be fully responsible for looking out for yourself and for your loved ones. It also proved what I have always felt about FEMA‘s vaunted 72-Hour home survival/preparedness kit. 2. A 72-Hour (three day) Kit simply does NOT cut it, at all Anyone who plans on …


Letter Re: Alternate Short Term Sources for Drinking Water

Jim– Instead of water barrels a previous contributor mentioned in fashioning a water supply setup, surplused water heaters can be used. (1) They usually are sound, only have failed heater systems–just need flushing; (2) They are already fitted with correct interior piping and external pipe fittings; (3) If you can get one tank in the sun (make an insulated box–plans are everywhere), presto, a pre-heater for the hot water tank and a savings on your heating bill; (4) If you can get these tanks elevated, you should be able to get a little bit of extra pressure for draining off …


Two Letters Re: Barns, Barn Designs, and Fire

Jim: I was reviewing the Blog. this morning and saw the letter on “Barn Designs and Fire.” As a retired Lieutenant from the Fire Department I would like to make a suggestion! A 250 Gallon fuel oil tank filled with water, in a house attic or barn attic, can be piped to use a{n automatic] fire sprinkler system. Don’t forget to reinforce the weight! Use a pendent sprinkler head rated for the normal high temperature the area will receive and the temperature that you would want the head to go off. Use and a sidewall sprinkler heads for along side …


Letter Re: Do You Know Where Your Gardening Seed Comes From?

Memsahib: I have a question concerning heirloom seeds. My question is how long can a seed be stored in ideal conditions and still produce a viable plant? I am currently not at a position of having more then a very small garden, but I would like the security of a stockpile of seeds stored with me in case I need them in the future. what is a realistic storage time frame? and also what would be considered an ideal storing environment? Once the plants are harvested what is the best way to remove and prepare the new seeds from the …


Letter Re: Defensive Shotguns on a Budget

Sir, WRT the recent posts regarding “Defensive Shotguns on a Budget”, am I the only one that GREATLY prefers the Remington 870? Guess it is probably a Pepsi versus Coke type thing, but I have owned many different brands over the years, and the 870 series is what I find to work best for me. I found a few interesting discussions on the topic online at some of the links listed below, but I would suggest to everyone that if possible, try actually shooting a few different models before making a decision. I learned that lesson the hard way once …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A popular new bumper sticker: I’d rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than ride in a car with Ted Kennedy.   o o o U.S. brings back the venerable .45 ACP — at least for Special Forces Operators. http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/2006251215.asp   o o o A fairly definitive piece on Iran’s New Euro-denominated Oil Bourse: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CLA20060210&articleId=1937   o o o Now H5N1 is in Germany, Austria, and Iran: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-02-14T223300Z_01_L09218784_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU.xml&rpc=22 …and in Southern Russia: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/15/060215162126.c9uj06hd.html   o o o Doc at Big Secrets recommends this Water Well tutorial: http://www.lifewater.ca/


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The paper money disease has been a pleasant habit thusfar and will not be dropped voluntarily any more than a dope user will without a struggle give up narcotics… I find no evidence to support a hope that our fiat paper money venture will fare better ultimately than such experiments in other lands…" – Nebraska Congressman Howard Buffett, 1948 (The father of Warren Buffett.) As quoted in Financial Reckoning Day.



Letter Re: Alternate Short Term Sources for Drinking Water

Jim: Seeing the following got me thinking: “JWR’s Comments/Recommendations: Mr. Sierra is typical of most suburban survivalists in that he is tied to a Big City job. I recommend that he store at least 100 gallons of water” Have you mentioned the need for people to flush their hot water heaters twice a year? This minimizes the mineral buildup and provides a fine source of drinkable water. Putting some chlorine in the toilet tanks does the same thing. This kills bacteria and upon cleaning twice a year, provides more drinkable water. I have seen systems where people have strung together 55 …


Letter Re: Barns, Barn Designs, and Fire

Hello James, I have had the heart rending experience of watching my neighbor’s barn burn to the ground a few days ago. His livestock fleeing out of it, in desperation… I don’t think they all made it. This brings up many topics of discussion. In moving to the country, it is easy to use an old building like it was designed to handle new demands, (i.e.- specifically power consumption, hot temp equipment storage, etc…). Somewhere in your archives the topic of fire protection came to mind. I hate to admit, but it did not sink in like it did seeing …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Army Aviator recommends upgrading the plugs on pump action shotguns with fluorescent ones. He notes: “I did this on all of my shotguns and I like the idea. I’ve never actually shot a tube empty but a couple of times it was comforting to roll the weapon and not see fluorescent yellow.”    o o o Take the opportunity to read (and copy) the Hirsch Report on Peak Oil before it disappears again.  See: http://www.energybulletin.net/12772.html    o o o Another entry for the “ingenious, but stupid” file, on some storm drain denizens: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060204-9999-7m4encamp.html    o o o As previously …