Letter Re: Recommended Guns for Left-Handed Shooters?

Mr. Rawles: One of my sons is left handed. Which guns do you recommend I buy for him? (I’m talking here both hunting and self-defense.) With Thanks, – L.B.T. JWR Replies: I recommend that your son try shooting several different models and that you then buy him whatever he is most comfortable with. First, as with all members of your family, you should check to see if you son is right or left-eye dominant. Cross-dominance is a problem that can take considerable training to overcome. If your son is “left eyed” and/or he is not comfortable/fast/accurate shooting right handed, then …


Letter Re: Recommendations on Hardening a Garage Door?

JWR, I am finally getting to build a house out on my retreat property. First st on the agenda is the 25′ x 40′ steel storage building that will give us secure storage for materials, etc., and then I will build a garage/shop. The issue that has us stumped is how to harden the garage door against someone being able to “work” at getting in while we are away at work all day. A chainsaw would chew right thru the normal fiber board panels and no one is close enough to notice the noise. So far we have thought of …


Letter Re: Indian Reservation Boundaries a Determining Factor for Retreat Locales?

Hi Jim, Excellent web site! Regarding the recent discussion on living near or in a reservation, I have a couple of informed comments. I have been living near the Navajo Nation, and working in the Navajo Nation for about one year. I am of Caucasian descent. Here’s a couple of observations: 1. Native Americans seem to have a subtle racism/dislike for whites … when TSHTF, I am sure that they will draw together, and whites will find themselves an “outgroup.” 2. Most reservations and reservation residents, even though proclaiming sovereign status, are actually very dependent on the US government for …




Letter Re: Updated Nuclear Weapon Targeting Data?

Hi Jim, A couple of things for you. First, nuclear target data, from www.armscontrolwonk.com Though it’s not nearly as cool as the real thing (much less with the effects computer), a scanned version of the 1977 edition is available online either as a single PDF or broken up by chapters. The 1957 edition is also available. 1977 as a single PDF 1977 divided by chapter 1957 as a single PDF Second… I’ve just received thousands and thousands of pages of new nuke, civil defense, sheltering, Soviet military history, very interesting field manuals and more. The stack is over four feet …


Letter Re: An American Source for Canned Bread

Mr. Rawles, My the Lord bless and keep you and yours. In response to your mention of the Japanese bread in a can. I found [a similar] canned bread locally (through a friend in West Virginia) at a “Martins Grocery store.” They are mostly a Northeastern U.S. operation. The canned bread is made by B&M (the same company that makes the beans) for about $2.65 a can if I remember right. Tried the Bread and Raisins and it must be kept moist and it is best (IMO) warm and with butter. It is very good, but I have no idea …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson recommended this 24 Hour World Disaster Map.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader Fred the Valmet-meister mentioned this essay by Pat Buchanan, about the decline of General Motors.    o o o David in Israel Recommends: “Start stocking up on UV resistant plastic sheeting which can be purchased from garden and many hardware and farm stores. This sheeting can be used to collect rainwater, patch a roof, make solar still, and build greenhouses. It can last up to three years in sunlight.” JWR Adds: One of the major brands of semi-transparent polyethylene plastic is “Visqueen.” For longest …



Note From JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction (for a fully stocked M-17 Advanced Medical Bag/Rucksack) has advanced again, to $255. Special thanks to the fine folks at Ready Made Resources, who kindly donated the kit. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on the last day of June.


Guns for Unobtrusive Backpack Stowage

I recently had a consulting client on the hurricane prone Gulf Coast of Texas ask me about what he should do about his firearms in the event of a natural disaster. He was concerned that in a “worst case” his family might end up as refugees at an emergency relocation center. Guns could be a contentious issue in the event that officials order that refugees be disarmed “for their protection.” (It has happened before, and it might happen again.) In my younger days, before I had land of my own, I had considerable experience with backpack stowage of rifles. I …


Letter Re: My Portable Solar Power System

James, I thought I would just write a quick note, you and your readers may be interested in the portable solar power setup I built for using my Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine on extended camping trips. See: http://mtoal.dyndns.org/solar Regards, – Hannibal JWR Replies: Folks with chronic health conditions (for example sleep apnea, diabetes, or dependence on medical oxygen) definitely need to plan ahead for TEOTWAWKI. I commend you both for your ingenuity and your foresight. BTW, you must be one burly dude to carry that battery box. Put that thing on wheels and save on chiropractor bills!


Letter Re: David in Israel on “When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer” Syndrome, and Building a Post-TEOTWAWKI Shelter

Hello James, David in Israel has done a great job sparking original thought in certain topics of discussion. I really like his log home ideas. I have one problem with it is: Today’s generation! I don’t think very many of us could muster up enough fortitude let alone man power to fell trees, drag to the site, de-bark and notch them, lift them into place and head from there, (without modern technology, equipment, and power). I grant him that he was talking about a smaller shelter which would be more feasible. His comments have made me think about creating a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Be sure to check out my new “big box” preparedness course. The special pricing for SurvivalBlog readers ends on July 4th.    o o o From Bulgaria: Lightning strike kills 70 goats, but their goat herder survives    o o o One of my favorite science fiction films, The Quiet Earth has finally been released in a Region I (North American) format DVD. (Heretofore it was only available in PAL format.) The movie has some disturbing sequences, but it is a thought provoking piece. (This is not a children’s film!) The DVD is now available on Amazon.com and eBay.com.    …