Letter Re: The Best All-Around Dog Breed for a Retreat?

Note from JWR: The following letter is a reply to the excellent series of informative letters on various dog breeds that ran in December of 2005. Refer to the SurvivalBlog Archives for those letters. James: I would like to mention the cur breeds as dogs that could be useful in a retreat situation. The Blackmouth cur, mountain cur, catahoula, and blue lacy would all make good choices. These were the original homestead dogs, used by the pioneers to work livestock, hunt and trail game, and to protect the family from Indians, bandits, and wild animals. These breeds are still common …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader M.W. recommends: http://www.trackertrail.com/survival/fire/cokeandchocolatebar/index.html   o o o A reader wrote to mention that in a controlled, independently reviewed study published in the Journal of Trauma, a comparison of Traumadex and Quickclot in a porcine model (severed femoral artery) showed that Quickclot was much more effective.   o o o Several long term storage food sellers report that storage food sales have been brisk–even to the point that there are now shortages of some varieties of freeze-dried foods. A lot of customers are citing concerns about the Asian Avian Flu, especially after the segment about how to prepare for a …



Letter Re: David in Israel on Fire Suppression and Fire Fighting

Greetings JWR, A few words about the article that David sent you on fire suppression: While I admit my wildland fire fighting experience is limited, as a member of private forest industry we do a lot for fire prevention. My associations with fire run deep. David recommended talking to state and Federal forest entities…look up your local private industry forester. Often these people are happy to give advice and know contacts of people with the equipment and knowledge to do the work at reasonable rates. First, do not wait to make a clearing around your house…make one around your property. …


Letter Re: Questions on Petromax Lanterns (and Clones Thereof)

Mr. Rawles: I was researching lanterns a couple of months ago and came across information that it is possibly hazardous to use gasoline in Petromax type lanterns. http://lampguild.org/QandApage/archives/Q0002790.htm http://lampguild.org/QandApage/archives/Q0001491.htm http://lampguild.org/QandApage/archives/Q0002492.htm http://lampguild.org/QandApage/archives/Q0002487.htm I also found that Coleman makes a “kerosene only” pressure lantern http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/subcategory.asp?CategoryID=1025 and two British companies make kerosene pressure lanterns Tilley http://www.tilleylamp.co.uk/ and Vapalux http://www.bairstowbrothers.co.uk/vapalux/index.htm. The Vapalux lamps carried in the USA by Garret Wade http://www.garrettwade.com. Best Wishes, –  C.H.


Follow-Up Letter From “Shooter” Re: The Draw Technique, or “Shooter’s Five Steps to Keeping Ten Fingers”

Jim, I should probably put a disclaimer at the top of my next article. Let me say that “B.B.” is right. We should all be aware of our local laws and regulations with regards to use of lethal force. That being said, as Instructor Greg told me last night, armed citizens will probably draw their weapons more times than they will shoot them in a potential lethal force encounter. It is my hope and goal in writing these articles for the Survivalblog readership that we all operate under the same fundamental techniques. Not that I want to re-invent the wheel, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The folks at “Big Secrets” have updated their web page on alternative shelter. See: http://www.bigsecrets.cc/shelter.htm  Most of these techniques will not meet building codes, but should suffice “When the Schumer Hits the Fan.” (WTSHTF) and you have precious few alternatives to house refugees in a hurry.     o o o For some interesting commentary on precious metals, including some substantive details about those rumors we’ve been hearing about another gold confiscation, see: http://www.conspiracypenpal.com/columns/paper.htm  Note: I have not yet had the opportunity to listen to any of the MP3 files, so I cannot vouch for Mr. Steele’s background or his …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth…For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past. Let us not, I  beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer." – Patrick Henry, 1736-1799


David in Israel Replies to Letters Re: On Suture, Staples, and Glue for Wound Closure

The letters stating that only trained people should suture wounds are absolutely correct, you must be trained and it definitely falls into the category of a “skilled intervention.” Clearly, I did not stress this enough. A good way to get an basic level (non-skilled) orientation to using medical skills is ride along with fire and EMS, Hospitals may allow observers in the ER and other wards if you can find a good reason. A good way to form a relationship with health care providers in this situation is to do research for writing a book. After the releases are signed …


Letter Re: Questions on Petromax Lanterns (and Clones Thereof)

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Greetings Mr. Rawles, I may be able to offer a bit of information on the Petromax lantern to the readers. I purchased one prior to Y2K. I have used mine off and on during power outages over the years. One thing to remember about the Petromax is that their startup procedure is a bit different than Coleman lanterns. So any new owner must read the instruction manuals from cover to cover, and make sure anyone who would be charged with operating the lantern be fully aware of the startup procedure. A bit of a funny story was when we were …


Letter RE: The Silver ETF and Uranium

Jim, I am a professional financial planner and portfolio manager and I share your feeling that the price of silver is going up. However, I do not believe that the Silver Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) will be approved in the near future. The problem is that there is not enough physical silver readily available to be able to fund it at any reasonable level. In other words, approval of the ETF would be way too disruptive to the market at the current time and I think the regulators realize this. I got the impression from reading your post today that …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Like gold, U.S. dollars have value only to the extent that they are strictly limited in supply. But the U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press (or, today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost…A money-financed tax cut is essentially equivalent to Milton Friedman’s famous “helicopter drop” of money.” – incoming Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, Deflation: Making Sure ‘It’ Doesn’t Happen Here (Remarks to the National Economists’ Club, Washington, DC, Nov 21, 2002)


Note From JWR:

We will be announcing the winner of Round 2 our non-fiction writing contest on February 1st. The prize is a four day course certificate at Front Sight. I greatly appreciate your e-mails, folks.  Please keep them coming.  They are what make SurvivalBlog great.  Your collective knowledge is phenomenal.


More About Silver’s Imminent Price Explosion

Yesterday on SurvivalBlog (27 Jan.06) , I posted my take on the Iran situation and correlated it to the precious metals market–and silver in particular. Since then I’ve had two different readers e-mail to ask why I’m so sure about an imminent jump in the price of silver.  Here is some useful background: World silver inventories have fallen to less than 600 million ounces–far below the 1.4 billion ounces that was on hand in 1991. The silver market is incredibly thin compared to the gold market. That is one reason that silver prices trend to be more volatile that gold …


Paratus Farms Project Update

Here is an update on my retreat community land deal in the Inland Northwest: We could not come to agreement over terms of the sale. The seller has decided he wants a cash offer.  If the situation changes, I will post an update. At this point, all that I can hope for is that a "white knight" will step forward and take over the project, or lend me the cash needed. But for now, the land development project is on the back burner.