Oil and Lubricant Storage in Retreat Planning

Several of the recent letters on barter and charity items mentioned motor oil and chain saw fuel mixing oil.  That reminded me about a subject that I’ve meant to address on the blog: key considerations of oil and lubricant storage.  It is important to think through all of your oil and lubricant needs–everything from motor oil and transmission fluid to firearms lube. Figure out what you use in a three year period, and stock up.  Then anticipate what you might need for barter and charity, and stock up even more. Because most families do not store any substantial quantity of …


Letter Re: Insider Tip On Asian Avian Flu

Mr. Rawles: Today one of the honchos at [name deleted], a major east coast Medical Center where my wife works told her that a epidemiology research group has finished a modeling study that predicts, based on the mutation rate of the Avian Flu, that sometime within 18 months it will become transferable in human-to-human contact. (Whereas now it goes only from birds to humans.) – "Mr. Not For Attribution"


Poll Results –What are the Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity?

Here is the second increment of responses to our barter/charity items poll.  Please keep them coming, and I will post subsequent increments in the days to come.  Many thanks! Teresa suggests: Having recently survived in central Louisiana (the place where all the Katrina and Rita people evacuated too) I have paid attention to what items disappeared from store shelves first. This is a list from my area… Baby formula Baby Food Diapers Gas Cans Ammo and guns –the Wal-Marts in the area refused to sell any guns or ammo once the levees broke. This freaked everyone out so the hunting …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I’ve run across some interesting news stories on the Internet in the past few days… President Bush’s recent Asian Avian Flu speech: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/11/1/120104.shtml http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/01/D8DJLB180.html http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/01/D8DJPD9O0.html H5 Asian Avian flu virus (but thankfully not the dreaded H5N1 Strain) has been found in wild birds in Canada: http://www.breitbart.com/news/na/051031210450.5y8rg6u2.html Some interesting commentary by Jason Hommel on the emerging silver shortage: http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_05/hommel102505.html On the absurd heights of the Housing Bubble. How about buying a small, run down, flat top house in a bad neighborhood for only $1.2 Million?: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9870962/




Poll Results –What are the Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity?

Here is the first increment of responses to our barter/charity items poll. These have been received in just the first 24 hours of the poll. BTW, please keep them coming, and I will post subsequent increments in the days to come.  Many thanks!  There are some real gems here, so read closely: B.A. suggests: Sealed bags / canisters of handi-wipes Matches / lighters Knives [think Mora skinners here] 2-cycle oil and chainsaw files and chains Kerosene and wicks Watch-caps / stocking caps New socks and underwear [especially for children] Common caliber ammo [.22LR being tops] Small bolt-action .22LR rifles [CZ …


Recommended Documentary: “The Next Plague” on The History Channel

One our readers recommended the documentary: The Next Plague, about the Asian Avian Flu threat. This show is currently in the repeat cycle on The History Channel. It features interviews with WHO officials and Dr. Michael Osterholm. You are probably already familiar with many of the details contained therein, but if noting else, it serves as media substantiation that the Asian Avian Flu threat is real.(Just in case you have any friends/neighbors/relatives that won’t believe what you say until they “see it on television.”


Letter Re: Retreat Manpower/Security Requirements

Hi Jim. Your survival blog is wonderful! Reading it every day has already helped me become more constantly focused and working on preparedness. I have recently made some overtures about forming a retreat group to a few family members who are like minded with me on preparedness. One suggested topic for your survival blog that would be helpful to me, and probably many others, is a discussion on the number of people necessary to operate a retreat in a TEOTWAWKI situation. You did speak on that in Patriots, which was very helpful. Some questions are: (1) Is there a minimum, …


Another Letter from John in Iraq–Re: RPGs and the Recent Iraqi Elections

Hi Sir, Sorry I haven’t been writing much. Since the elections my schedule’s been a bit out of kilter. Speaking of the elections… My platoon was guarding a polling place the week leading up to the big day. I hear it was a success elsewhere, but here in scenic Ar Ramadi it was a bust. My polling station received three voters, one of whom was disqualified as a raving lunatic who just wandered in. AFAIK ~200 people voted here, with ~190 of ’em being the Shiite poll workers who don’t live here. This city just loves Saddam. I hope they …


Letter from Daniel Ward in Afghanistan Re: Operation Christmas Stocking

Hi to all: We at Camp Eggers are embarking on a bold mission for Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan (CFC-A), Office of Security Cooperation – Afghanistan (OSC-A), and Task Force Phoenix – all of which are located in the capital city of Kabul, Afghanistan.   Please help us meet our goal to put a Christmas Stocking in the hands of each military service member and civilian attached to the military forces in Kabul, Afghanistan this Christmas. There are approximately 1,200 personnel in the three commands listed above. We are asking for small donations (money orders) to be sent by November …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.”  Deuteronomy 12:10-11 (KJV)


Poll: What are the Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity?

Everyone seems to have their own opinions about what are the best items to keep on hand for post-TEOTWAWKI bartering. I did mention a large variety of barter items in the Barter Faire chapter of my novel Patriots  (The chapter titled: “For an Ounce of Gold.”) Of course many of the same items are important to keep on hand to dispense as charity. Since two heads are better than one, and by extension 5,000 heads are better than two, I’m taking a poll:  Please e-mail me your lists of preferred barter and charity items, and I will gladly post them. My …


Radiation Protection Factors for Dummies – by L.H.

When building a homemade fallout shelter in a basement, or on a cement slab inside the first floor, it is important to understand halving thickness and protection factors. First of all, after a nuclear detonation, there will be light, heat, and a blast wave. This essay assumes that you will be out of that target area, with your home and roof intact. If you are close to targets, you may need better shelter than this improvised model. At the end of this essay I will list a few sources showing target maps, fallout maps, blast areas, etc. Fallout is the …


Letter from “Fred the Valmet Meister” Re: Low Compression / Low RPM Stationary Engines

Jim: I just discovered these cool “Hit and Miss” gas engines made in the 1920s and 1930s by Maytag. They were used to power washing machines. Very simple engine; maybe one horsepower. You start it with a foot pedal that leverages a gear to spin the crankshaft to get it going. What a wonderful little engine for a remote location.  These could be used to power the washing machine or even run a small generator to charge up a bank of 12 volt batteries. I noticed that there are currently several for sale on eBay and they even have leather …