Letter Re: Survival Dollars, by Wolverine

Jim, I would like you to consider adding additional ways to earn extra “Survival Income” to Wolverine post on Survival Dollars. One, is an addition to his collecting and selling scrap metal. I take a five gallon bucket with me to the outdoor range in the Sumter National Forest and collect all the brass I can between shooting sessions. The best time is Sunday afternoon, to get all the weekend shooters left. In 4-5 weekends I filled a five gallon bucket and maybe 1/3 of another and made $87. The other weekend income job I have is putting out and …


Letter Re: Five Watt Folding Photovoltaic Panels

James: I see that Northern Tool is a SurvivalBlog sponsor. A particular item you might want to recommend is this: It is a 5-watt folding solar panel for only $39. I have several, I think they’re incredibly good for a BOB or other uses. They’re about the size of a paperback book, even lighter, and produce enough power to charge batteries fairly quickly. It’s an incredible deal for anyone who is concerned about losing power. My family keeps one or two in each of our BOBs. Highly recommended! – Bill JWR Replies: That is a great item. But so that …


Letter Re: Railroads Tracks and Right of Ways as Bug-Out Routes

Jim, Just came across a site showing 1948 Rand McNally Railroad Maps of different states in the U.S. I’m always looking for alternate routes of travel around choke points and finally found something of possible use. Granted it’s 1948, however, I think there are still a lot of tracks out there. Some I know have been removed but have been turned into hiking trails and such. http://trains.rockycrater.org/pfmsig/atlas.php Hope this is useful. – Larry in Kansas


Letter Re: Sun-Blocking Clothing

Hi Jim, In SurvivalBlog 07/07/06, SF in Hawaii said:”(choose) hats and lightweight but sun blocking clothes over sunscreen.” I am a “Prototype Caucasian” who sun burns in 15 minutes (EEK!). In fact, without gloves, my hands burn while just driving my car here in Connecticut. I am a BIG proponent of sun blocking clothing, and have been very pleased with my purchases from Sun Precautions. Their clothing beats sunscreen, hands down! – Douglas in CT


Letter Re: Rebar as a Chainsaw Stopper in Wood Frame Construction

Jim, I have a friend that is getting ready to build an outbuilding in his backyard. It is basically going to be a finished “shed.” We were talking about how to harden it, and I made the suggestion to drill half inch holes through the [vertical] 2x4s and run rebar through them [horizontally]. This would at least make it a little harder for someone to use a chainsaw on the walls. Is this an old idea, or did I come up with something new? – Gung Ho JWR Replies: That is a great idea! The expense of buying enough rebar …


Odds ‘n Sods:

David in Israel Recommends: When purchasing a proper long life bicycle don’t even consider Wal-Mart or other big box stores. Your local bike shop has proper mechanics tools and trained staff who can help you find a bike to meet your needs. tell them that you have always considered a long bike trek in Mexico or some third world nation and will need durable components. A cheap Chinese import bike will usually turn you off from cycling before you even get started and the component life span is not very good. Your cycle is much like your rifle a proper …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is to-day, can guess what it will be to-morrow.” – Alexander Hamilton


Note From JWR:

My thanks to the many SurvivalBlog readers that ordered my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course during the recent pre-publication sales promotion. I have noted it as an indication that I may eventually be able to make a living at freelance writing and blogging. My next task is to get the expanded edition of my novel “Patriots” into print. I recently signed a contract with a new publisher. I am hopeful to begin shipping orders for the book in September or October. (It all depends on the publisher’s book production schedule.) I’m posting the following article that I penned as …


Do It Yourself Bulk Food Storage: Buckets, Oxygen Absorbers, Desiccants, and CO2

From what I’ve heard letters and e-mails, most SurvivalBlog readers already have a food storage program, but most of them would like to move on to the next step: buying and storing foods in bulk. To save money you will probably want to buy rice, wheat, and beans in 50 pound sacks. Sacks are problematic, since what you really want is a vermin-proof, moisture proof container that is air tight and preferably evacuated of oxygen. Those are the keys to true long term shelf life, and none of them are provided by a cloth, paper, or woven plastic sack. The …


Letter Re: Advice on Setting Up a Precious Metals IRA

Dear Jim: I am in the process of converting my U.S. Dollar-based Individual Retirement Account (IRA) into a precious metals IRA. 1.) Do you recommend it to be based in silver? Silver bars or Eagles? 2.) Or do you recommend (based on current prices,etc.) it to be in gold? Gold bullion or Eagles? 3.) Or do suggest a combination of both metals? If so what percentages and what types? Thanks again for you considered opinions. B’Shem Yahshua HaMoshiach Sar Shalom (In the Name of Yahshua the Messiah Prince of Peace) – Dr. Sidney Zweibel JWR Replies: If the storage fee …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader “Keiser” mentioned that SustainableLiving.org has some interesting commentary on the economic implications of a long term oil shortage.    o o o David in Israel Recommends: In the event of a power grid outage a hand crank cellular phone charger (available on eBay) can keep you talking. At least as long as the fuel lasts for the generators at the cell towers. (And not all of them have backup power.)    o o o It is good to see that the spot price of silver has bounced back to the vicinity of $11.35 per ounce. I expect that …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Weapons compound man’s power to achieve; they amplify the capabilities of both the good man and the bad, and to exactly the same degree, having no will of their own. Thus we must regard them as servants, not masters – and good servants to good men. Without them, man is diminished, and his opportunities to fulfill his destiny are lessened. An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.” – Col. Jeff Cooper


Note from JWR:

As promised, the following is a report from SurvivalBlog reader who "Imbedded" for the duration of the United Nations Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). This gentlemen, who prefers to remain nameless, is working inside the UN headquarters building for an NGO with full access to the conference–not just a protestor out of the front steps. We appreciate his perspective.


SurvivalBlog Insider Report from the UN Small Arms and Light Weapons Conference

My experience at the UN’s Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) was very informative. To begin, it is important to note that the idea behind this conference is a follow-up on the 2001 conference’s Program of Action (POA). This being the case, the 2001 conference, like this one, is about Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons – not about Legal Small Arms (not about civilian possession or ownership). Basically put, the 2006 Conference was to Implement the 2001 POA – not add to it or subtract from it – as agreed in 2001 by all signatories (the U.S. …


Letter Re: Pre-1899 Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R Rifles and Ammo

Jim, Concerning the Polish 7.62x54r ammo question: I have shot several thousand rounds of it through my PKM machine gun without a single misfire. The accuracy has pleasantly surprised me as well. As yet, I have shot little of it through my MN [Mosin Nagant] bolt rifles but have not had any problems there so far. Czech, Russian, Polish, Chinese have all been fine. The only 54r ammo that has been a consistent problem is the Albanian. Crimp is not done properly making it nearly impossible to load into Russian belts and feed into my PKM and SG-43 Goryunov. It …