Letter Re: Getting Real About Unarmed Combat

James: R.G. wrote a great article! I really appreciate his emphasis on the fact that when you fight hand to hand you will most probably be injured – he who is injured the least “wins”, but in reality you both lose. It needs repeating over and over, that the best strategy is to avoid potential confrontations – don’t be in the situations or places where confrontations are likely to occur.  As that is not always possible or predictable, second best is to disengage or run away (and keep an exit route on your situational awareness radar).  As that is not …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Upon hearing that I live in bear county, new acquaintances and distant relatives often ask me: “Do you carry pepper spray?” My answer: No, I carry lead spray. The fact is that .45 ACP beats .10 Capsicum.    o o o A reminder that another Sustainable Preparedness Expo will be held on September 30, 2012 in Spokane, Washington.    o o o H.L. sent this potential preview of the disintegration of America’s cities: Gangs of Aleppo: The Arab Spring succumbs to post-state violence    o o o I noticed that CampingSurvival.com has added Future Essentials Long Grain White Rice to …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …


Getting Real About Unarmed Combat, by R.G.

Before I get to my take on unarmed combat, I want to make a few points: First, if you are totally unarmed at any time before it hits the fan, and especially after, you are not taking survival, or life seriously; and you are probably already screwed because your enemies will not be unarmed. Second, the last I checked this isn’t “the middle weight champion of the world blog”, it is “SurvivalBlog” which should be a real clue as to what you look for in an unarmed combat skill set. Third, I readily admit I have never killed a person …


Letter Re: 1,000 Bottles of Water on the Roof

JWR, I’m a big fan of the site. You have very smart contributors. I learn a lot. What I’d like to add to the “1,000 Bottles of Water on the Roof, by James C.” post is a simple suggestion:. If you are concerned about water purification, storage, etc. and you’ve fiddled with the thought of brewing your own beer, I would humbly suggest that there are many ways that this hobby can kill two birds with one stone.   If you are set up to brew your own beer you will also have the following advantages:   1.       You can …


Letter Re: Lentils: The Super Food of the Prepper

Dear Mr. Rawles, I’m a fan of lentils from way back.  Some things I didn’t see in the article and the follow-up letters are: 1. Lentils can indeed produce intestinal gas like beans or most other legumes. However this can be significantly reduced by introducing a single peeled whole carrot into the lentil dish when cooking.  Remove the carrot before serving the lentils.  No, I do not know why it works.  I just know that it does. 2. Brown/Green lentils have the same cooking time and temp as brown rice. 3. Red lentils have the same cooking time and temp …


Economics and Investing:

Some elements in this piece by Monty Pelerin will sound familiar to SurvivalBlog readers: The Role of The Government in The Economic Crisis Zero effective policy and stalling QE3 – Why QE3 will have little financial impact if implemented. Deposits at US commercial banks quickly approaches $9 trillion. G.G. sent this: Household income is below recession levels, report says. Also from G.G.: Unilever sees ‘return to poverty’ in Europe Items from The Economatrix: Why We Are on the Brink of the Greatest Depression of all Time The Truth About Gasoline Price Volatility US Capital Goods Orders Decline Most Since November …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I will be a guest speaker (via teleconference) at CharlottePrepCon, on Saturday, September 8th.    o o o JRH Enterprises is having a Labor Day weekend sale on night vision and thermal imaging devices. This includes their popular Third Generation Pinnacle Autogated AN/PVS-14 Night Vision Monoculars brand new with five year warranty for $2,695, and the Upgraded Version of the PVS-14 new with five year warranty at $3,095. Thermal Imaging Units are also on sale as low as $1,925 for a FLIR Scout.    o o o F.J. liked this Lifehacker video: DIY Paracord Fishing Kit Bracelet    o o …



Notes from JWR:

Today we wish a happy birthday to Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch, formerly of the 5th Special Forces Group. (He was born August 29, 1947.) Now that you are 65, Gary, you can finally draw your full retirement. God knows, you’ve earned it, along with the deep gratitude of our nation. I salute you. — Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will …


Practical Handgun Carry, by Sarah in Texas

Five years ago, I got my Concealed Handgun License. Here in the Great State of Texas, concealed carry is the only legal kind for the average citizen; without the permit, you can’t carry in public. (Your vehicle and home do not count as “public,” incidentally.) Last week, my new CHL arrived in the mailbox, meaning that I’m good to carry for another five years. In a post-SHTF environment, being armed everywhere you go is a good idea. We can’t predict exactly what our society will be like, but we know that violent people are not going to decide that they …


Practical Non-Martial Arts Training and Learning How to Survive, by OMK

All too often those of us who have been in the martial arts leave behind the non trained person in our conversations and training advise. I would like to highlight a few areas for those that have no formal training and how they might approach a fist to fist conflict. This is not intended to be all inclusive for no article can cover every aspect of a fight; what I do want to cover is a few make are break concepts for those that have never trained or are just beginning to train. The motivation to write this article comes …


Three Letters Re: Lentils: The Super Food of the Prepper

JWR: I have a couple of comments on the recent lentil article. Brad mentioned: “Mannaharvest.net sells 25 lb. for $24.70” Restaurant Depot (which I learned about on SurvivalBlog) sells 25 lb bags for about $13. They also have 25 lb bags of many other beans for similar prices. JWR mentioned: “Lentils can harden in long term storage, just like beans. This limits their practical shelf life to about eight years.” Since we store what we eat and eat what we store, using up lentils before they harden is not a problem. We empty the large bags into quart canning jars …