Today we present another article for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. If you want a chance to win, start writing and e-mail us your article soon. Round 5 ends on July 31st.
In our circle of survivalist friends we need hard skills. Just knowing that the proverbial Schumer is going to hit the fan is not enough. Depending on the severity, preparing for the worst-case scenario may involve a library of skills. Being diverse on skill sets is an advantage. My own list of skill sets are diverse, the advantage is, realizing it is never diverse enough and constantly branching out. Very few Electricians are Gunsmiths. Very few Farmers are Paramedics. Very few Chemists are Ranchers, and so on. To maintain an even balance of capabilities, I have taken the liberty to …
"Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer." – Charles Caleb Colton (1780 – 1832)
James: In a recent e-mail, you suggested considering selling my house and renting for a period of time, or at least until the real estate bubble stabilized. [JWR’s replies are in-line, in bold text.] 1.) Do you still recommend doing this? Yes, if you are living in a bubble region that is likely to see steep house price declines. The big question now is: can you find someone willing to do this? A year ago or even just six months ago, it would have been fairly easy, since the market was still rising. Now, with prices falling, it might be …
Dear Jim: I recently purchased a Motorola SX 700 Radio. Inside the package is a notice regarding [U.S.] Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing. It states that if you operate on GMRS frequencies you need a license from the FCC. Channels 1-7 and 15-22 are GMRS. What about channels 8-14? Do I need this license? Or can I use Channels 8-14? Thanks. – J.H. JWR Replies: Your assumption was correct. No license is required in the U.S. for transmitting on Family Radio Service (FRS) channels. (Channels 8 to 14). But you must have a GMRS license issued by the FCC to …
James, You need to take a look at this link. It is an online version of a very rare book (Power Up) that shows how to make standard battery conversions of many military items, something that could come in handy one of these days. Best Regards, – Jim K. JWR Replies: This link works well in Firefox, but Netscape some other browsers have conflicts, so you may have to turn off Java to see this page properly. Once there, click on the link for any particular piece of military equipment. This is indeed a great reference!
Mr. Rawles: One point to note with Doc’s observations as a home repairman. I had my hot water heater short last week. If a repairman had come to my home, he would have walked past my garden and wood pile, had to go down the stairs past one ammo cache and rifle, 12 cases of Mason jars, around bags of old clothes waiting to be used for quilts, past various toolboxes, a chest freezer, lanterns, a grain mill and workbench, et cetera. But, instead, I went to the hardware store, bought a thermostat, and made the repair myself. I would …
Al Jazeera (not well known for unbiased reporting) comments on Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and Syria–all making distinct moves away from the U.S. Dollar. o o o Michael Z. Williamson pointed us to a Box 0′ Truth evaluation .223 and .308 versus body armor. As I often say, a handgun is just a portable tool to buy time to get you back to your rifle. o o o Back to the Bunker: The Washington Post reports on FEMA’s Continuity of Government (COG) plans.
"Tyranny is always better organized than freedom." – Thomas Paine
Today we present another article for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up up to $2,000!) If you want a chance to win, start writing and e-mail us your article soon. Round 5 ends on July 31st.
In Boston T. Party’s excellent novel, Molon Labe, the central character, James Wayne Preston, writes an inspiring letter on page 45 to his father outlining the issues he sees requiring separation to build a common community of free people in Wyoming. A better plan doesn’t require moving to one state for a political revolt. For those who are not Christian, please bear with me for a moment. You will quickly identify many of these organizational principles as essential for all group dynamics of individualists freely associating with each other to achieve specific goals. God’s plan of true Church organization does …
Dr. Geri Guidetti of The Ark Institute recommended reading these transcriptions of interviews with subject matter experts on Asian Avian Flu. The interviews were part of a program that was aired in Canada last year. Geri also recommended this recent article from The Guardian newspaper in England on the origins of the viruses. It points finger of blame at intensive agriculture. o o o Allstate is dropping most of its earthquake insurance policies, throughout the U.S., as a part of a larger move to reduce exposure to catastrophic losses. o o o Fred the Valmet-meister sent me a …
“Rule #2: Never go ANYWHERE that YOU are considered a source of food.” – Wild Bill McKay, Bill’s Book Of Life
Raccoons are like a fat pig when it comes to cooking them. The best way for mid size and smaller coons (under 15 pounds) is to roast them. Now the trick to cooking coons is to have the meat above the heat so the fat can drip down.For example, use a barbeque grill or place it in the oven on a grill above a pan to catch the grease. Cut as much fat off as you can, cook allowing most of the grease to melt off. Apply a light coating of barbeque sauce. Now you have some great eating. Now …
Dear Jim: I would like to ask if anyone has done a serious re-calculation of the old 1980s FEMA data, taking into account decommissioned nukes on both sides (US and the former USSR). I’m talking in particular about the Bruce Beach maps that we all know and love. (Hats off to Bruce). The point is many of these targets no longer exist, and many of the missiles that targeted these targets no longer exist. I also worry about a shift from military and industrial targets to civilian population centers, as we essentially saw with the 9/11 attack – directed at …