Eight Letters Re: Selecting a Martial Art and a Dojo

Hi Jim and Family, Many, many years ago I was an assistant martial arts instructor. I had studied several Chinese styles along with Japanese Kendo. I was making inquiries about instruction in my area for my daughter after being out of that area of study for over 30 years. The self defense instructor I was talking to said that for the best ‘out of the gate’ use of martial arts for practical street self defense was Ju-Jitsu, but to watch the style you want to learn. Basically the styles of Ju-Jitsu are quite similar but some are less suited for …


Letter Re: “Ed’s Red” Mix-It Yourself Firearms Bore Cleaning Solvent

Dear Jim, WD-40 is a poor lubricant and a lousy gun cleaning solvent. (“WD,” incidentally, means “water displacing.”) While it may have some utility in removing moisture, that’s about where it’s value ends. Aside from being a poor lubricant, it also tends to oxidize and gum in short order, making it a poor choice. Anyone interested in bore solvents should consider making a gallon of “Ed’s Red.” (C.E. “Ed” Harris was a chemist and technical editor for the NRA’s American Rifleman magazine. He devised a modern equivalent to the old Frankfort Arsenal Nitro-solvent Gun Cleaner No. 18. as detailed on …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I just noticed that WhataCountry.com (not one of our advertisers, but a very reputable firm that I’ve done biz with for 15 + years) currently has reconditioned AN/PVS-2 Starlight night vision scopes on sale for just $476 each. The PVS-2 is an older bulky design, but genuinely “bomb proof.” When you call, tell Yasha that Jim Rawles sent you.    o o o The inventory of unsold houses in Phoenix, Arizona is now at 50,000 and climbing. For comparison, in January of Aught Five, the inventory was only around 5,000. I predict that house prices in the English speaking world …




Letter Re: Source for Gardening Books

Jim, This site has a lot of how too books on many subjects and I have found their books too be first rate. http://www.storey.com/ In particular for vegetable gardening these two. Seed Sowing and Saving. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible Even after 30+ years of gardening and 10 years with a greenhouse this is the book I still read in the winter getting ready and refer too all summer long. With the new bigger greenhouse and a small coal stove this coming winter will be the first time I will try to grow food all winter long. It will be fun …


Letter Re: Chain Link Fences for Incremental Retreat Security

Mr. Rawles, Recently the I had the occasion to put in a new chain link fence on my property and while I would have preferred something in the 8-to-10 foot range negotiations with my wife led me to use a more standard fence size of waist high. After calling to get quotes for an install to compare what it would cost me doing it vs. professionals I made my trip to the local Non super store hardware store. While purchasing the components the fine elderly gentleman gave me some pointers and repeatedly pressed upon me the importance of installing the …



Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader SF in Hawaii mentioned that when buying watches from international stores, the international versions are not always honored in the states for warranty work.    o o o #2 Son is instigating getting the whole Rawles family enrolled in martial arts training. Parenthetically, I took Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do, and foil fencing in college (20+ years ago, so I’m more than a little rusty.) In the interim, I’ve mainly studied “The Way of the 1911.” Looking at all of the many martial arts now taught in North America, I’m leaning toward Ju-Jitsu, for its versatility. The Memsahib is …



Note From JWR:

Today we present an article for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. It highlights the views of the multi-millenial collapse scenario crowd. (The latest iteration of the Roberto Vacca/Club of Rome/Coming Dark Age view espoused back in the 1970s. I’m not quite so pessimistic, but it is certainly food for thought. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, (worth $149) generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If …


Thinking the Unthinkable, By Norman Church

Editor’s Note: The following lengthy speech was given at the “Peak Speak 2” Peak Oil conference, held on July 15, 2006 at Bedzed, Wallington, UK. Introduction Oil depletion is just the first of a series of resource crisis humanity is about to face because there are just too many of us! This century we will face peak resources, period. There are many fascinating and exciting renewable energy developments. Wind turbines, solar energy, geothermal, biomass, wave and tidal power schemes which are all important energy sources for the future – and could at least help keep the electricity grid going to …



Letter Re: Push or Pull Carts For All-Terrain Hauling

Mr. Rawles, I’m interested in building a supplies carrier for moving larger loads over distances. Sort of a trailer for humans. I have nothing specific in mind other than using discarded solid wheels from wheelchairs. They are quite sturdy. I have access to discarded wheels at no cost. My questions involve use of materials – welded steel (heavy), aluminum (expensive and hard to scrounge), PVC (durability) and, of course, the size. Two wheels or four? Ideal dimensions? Do you have any suggestions or a reference that might be helpful? I realize there are many variables and the largest would be …


Letter Re: A Method For Growing Potatoes in Tire Stacks

No matter how deep our deep-freeze is or how well stocked our pantry, our food stockpiles are good for one thing: to keep us alive until gardening/bartering/hunter-gathering kicks in. Living as we do on the high, arid plains of Wyoming, my wife and I have been working to establish a system of gardening that requires little water and can produce crops in the sandy, alkaline soil. After several years and a myriad of techniques, we stumbled onto a system that works. For lack of a better term, it’s the Goodyear Garden. Here’s our tater recipe: Gather unto yourselves a few …