Letter Re: “German Silver” and Silver Purity

Jim: German-silver is a Brass – or in the family of brass thereof anyway just like bronze – don’t catch me out with too much details as an expert will tell me how far off I am on that statement! Regardless, “German silver” has NO silver at all, it is to varying degrees of composition depending on its intent etc, basically: copper, from 50% to 61.6%; zinc, from 19% to 17.2%; nickel, from 30% to 21.1%. Developed by the way by the German scientist Geitner. There is a related alloy called Tuetenag (see the German connection???…which is very “gold” looking …


Letter Re: Spare Tires and Mostly Full Fuel Tanks

Jim, one thing that you might have people keep in mind is the primary vehicle’s spare tire as well as their TEOTWAWKI vehicle. It has not happened to me but look at all the people on the road who have flat tires thinking that they have a spare and then that spare is useless because it has no air. (Or it is missing.)Your spares should be checked for air at consistent intervals as well as checked physically checked at least twice a year. Another good idea that I have seen mentioned is keeping at least the gas tank half full. …




On Gold, Silver, and Barter

I am often asked in e-mails about gold and silver coins and their value, both in the present day and their eventual worth (post-TEOTWAWKI) for barter purposes. The basic unit of measure for most of us that are in preparedness circles is the $1,000 face value bag of circulated U.S. silver coinage, minted in or before 1964. (Some folks mistakenly call these coins “Pre-’64”, but properly they should be termed “Pre-’65.”) 1964 was the last year that 90% silver coins were minted for circulation in the U.S. All of the dimes and quarters minted from 1965 onward are “clad” copper …


Richard S. Goss on Free Education (Or at Least Cheap)

The old saying is that if you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Being a proponent of a self-reliant lifestyle like most readers of SurvivalBlog, I find it is sometimes costly to get the training we need to make ourselves better informed. Being basically frugal (read: cheap) I’ve searched out some ways to get the knowledge I wanted without a large outlay of money. My first stop in my hunt for knowledge was at the Human Resources office at my place of employment. I discovered that there were several American Red Cross (ARC) first aid and CPR classes offered. The …



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” – Psalm 91:1-4, KJV


Note from JWR:

I’ve had many request for sources for my novel. It has been out of print since December of Aught Four. Prices have crept up to around $40 per copy, due to their scarcity. However, I’m glad to report that there are a few dealers that still have a few copies of Patriots available. These include Survival Enterprises and Fred’s M14 Stocks. As of this writing, the latter is currently offering a great three book package deal: Patriots + Enemies Foreign and Domestic + Boston’s Gun Bible, all for $50. Please mention SurvivalBlog, regardless of where you buy your books.


David in Israel on NBC Defense

Back to fun gadget related survival instead of the drudgery of feeding livestock and stockpiling boring buckets of hard red winter wheat. 🙂 Israeli gas masks must be very carefully selected, old canisters especially before 1993 when the bad mask scandal broke are worthless (Gulf War vintage masks were worthless toys.) Even then gas masks are not a one size fits all thing, they must be sized seal tested with banana [oil] scent and irritant smoke. Israel is one of the few places where a gas mask is a warranted purchase (but we get them provided along with an atropine …


Letter Re: Sambucol for Asian Avian Flu

Jim, Your link to the Sambucol page recommends 4 tablespoons daily for flu treatment. That equals one-half bottle (4oz./120ml bottle) each day per adult. Say you have 2 adults and 2 grown children, all being treated for symptoms. That equals 2 bottles per day. Readers may want to get right on this. Drugstore.com gives free shipping on $50+ orders. They are currently out of stock but promise delivery of Sambucol with two week order fulfillment.




Letter Re: Survival on a Budget

Dear Mr. Rawles, I really enjoy your blog and novel “Patriots“. I am someone who is on a tight budget, yet as made some progress in get myself prepared for tough times. I have found the best approach is small, but constant movement toward my goal. Take food storage, for example. I began by purchasing a few extra canned goods (>$20 worth) at the grocery store during my weekly shopping, and just kept repeating. Over time, I have built-up a food reserve that could sustain my household for several months. I make sure all of the items in my reserve …