Category: Field Gear

Letter Re: Questions on Short Term Survival in an Urban Office Building

Dear Mr. Rawles, First off, I just want to say that I really appreciate what you’re doing with your blog site. I’ve learned so many useful things and feel that I am beginning to have a basic understanding of how to prepare for and live in and a survival situation. Second, I’d like to give you a quick bit of background about myself so you can hopefully help me with my dilemma/question… I am a young adult working on the 9th floor of a large building in Manhattan [on Long Island, New York City, New York]. I do not own …


Letter Re: Making Alternatives to Commercial Chemical Light Sticks

Hi Jim, I just read your novel “Patriots” and studied the Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, and both are excellent. [In them,] you talk about chem lights (otherwise known as glow sticks) for in your car for changing tires, handy around campsites, and what not. The shelf life on these, as you mentioned, is very short (couple of months in a car [in a hot climate]) and they are not cheap (or maybe just I am cheap). I found this video on making an LED version of them that is reusable. Seems to me like a good idea for …


Letter Re: A Girl Scout Troop Leader Wants to Get Her Girls Prepared

James: The Boy Scouts of America have an Emergency Preparedness merit badge that hits a lot of good points. There is a lot of redundancy on the web concerning this merit badge, but it does broach some basic concepts aimed at a youth’s perspective. Sincerely, – Bill in Austin, Texas


A Girl Scout Troop Leader Wants to Get Her Girls Prepared

We recently got an e-mail from a Girl Scout troop leader, describing how she wants to start a project making 72-hour “bug out” bags for the troop members. Her goal is to get her troop members better prepared, yet not tip-off their parents to her own level of preparedness. She wants to avoid making herself look like some sort of “preparedness nut” or “whacko”. The important thing to keep in mind is that terminology and phrasing are crucial to how people form opinions. Do not use terms such as “Bug Out Bag” or “Get Out of Dodge Kit” or “Survival …


Letter Re: Some Thoughts on Practical Preparedness — Things That Work

Jim: To follow-up on the last two e-mails that you posted from me, here are some random thoughts that I’d like to share on preparedness for when the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF): Use an eyeglasses “leash” (lanyard) to prevent the loss of glasses and reduce the risk of damage. Buy janitorial-size rolls os toilet paper, without perforations. Each roll is 1,000 feet long, and a box of 12 rolls measures about two feet square. These take up just a fraction of the room required to store the same length of toilet paper in standard household rolls. Use a kiddie-type …


Letter Re: A Resource on Make-It-Yourself Backpacking Gear

Hello, I came across this web site and thought I’d send you the link to a page at Backpacking.net: Make Your Own Gear! I can’t even sew my shirt buttons back on, but maybe it would be of use to other readers. [JWR Adds: Don’t miss the individual plans in the left hand bar.] By the way, I gave your novel a good review on Amazon.com. Most everybody did. But I included a motivational quote in it that really means a lot to me. I heard it from an Amway tape many years ago: “I will do today what others …


Letter Re: The Approach of Tropical Storm Hanna Was a Wake-Up Call

Sir, I used to think of myself as “Mr. Preparedness.” I read the blogs and often went shopping for preparedness supplies. Then tropical storm Hanna came to the Carolina coast and I realized just how ill prepared I really was. I didn’t even have my medicines in order. Also, I had no reserve of cash in small bills ready to go. Nothing was packed. It took some time to get all my things together. Had this been a real emergency, I would have been in trouble. Sir, you mentioned in a previous blog the importance of having that bag already …


Four Letters Re: Pistol Holster Recommendations for Women

Jim, Bill from Ohio has a number of great observations about carry issues for females. Among the issues he mentions about hip holsters built for men: 1) Because of a woman’s hips they tend to cause the butt of the weapon to dig-in to a woman’s waist 2) Because women have hips, upon which they wear their belt they have less room to lift the weapon before it impinges into their armpit. 3) Because of factors 1 and 2 the FBI cant further complicates a natural draw for women. I’d like to mention a holster made by Blade-Tech that addresses …


Letter Re: Pistol Holster Recommendations for Women

Dear James, The recently given today about pistol holsters is fine….fine for men! And this is in no way criticizing the author – I just wanted to make a few continuation points on this subject that I think need to be addressed, in order for your readers to develop more well rounded preparations. What often gets neglected in the firearms world is the plight of women. Women, in general, are not taken in to consideration when it comes to weapon and equipment design, and are usually talked down to by many in the industry, especially counter persons in gun shops. …


Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations

Howdy Mr. Rawles! Before I begin, I’d like to offer my congratulations on your fine novel being republished. I’ve read it once myself, then again to my family (I hate television, reading is good family entertainment) which should be considered high accolades in itself. Currently my copy is in the Pacific Northwest, bound for the midwest next, as it continues to travel the country within my circle of friends. I read the posted letter by R.P. on 26 August, and associated recommendations on holsters, slings, and web gear, and thought I’d offer some discussion on the matter: The main reason …


Letter Re: How Much Ammo to Carry?

Hello Mr. Rawles, You are a great man for what you do! You have shaped my life in many ways and most certainly opened my eyes to many things, and for that thank you. I have recently started my own small TEOTWAWKI preparedness group of like-minded Christians. We have standardized our gear but I have no idea how much ammo we should carry on our web gear, and if we should have a combo of rifle and pistol ammo. We have a lot of ammo stockpiled but we are wondering about patrols and other times when we would need to …


Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations

Jim, Long before the current trend in drop-leg holsters, we used some in Army Aviation to clear the armor on the seats in some specific aircraft. The one I flew had more armor coverage, and frankly even a drop-leg wasn’t going to work, so the shoulder holster was the way to go for me. Tanker wear shoulder rigs, as well as desk jockeys for the very same reason. Your pistol needs to be out of the way to do your primary job. That’s the Army though. Just because Big Army does it, or uses it, it doesn’t mean it’s really …


Night Operations–Gain the Tactical and Psychological Edge, Even Without the Aid of Night Vision Devices, by Pete C.

Sometime in the future, in a post-TEOTWAWKI environment, your retreat group may decide to send out small teams to conduct either reconnaissance or security patrols. They may want to collect information on what is happening at the nearest town or confirm/ disprove the accuracy of any information (rumors) previously attained. Whatever the mission, these teams must function as a cohesive unit every time. Their success or failure will depend on everyone’s ability to operate during darkness or periods of reduced and/ or limited visibility (to include rain, fog, snow, etc.) even if they do not have the aid of night …


Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations

Jim, Love ya brother, but low rigs are not necessarily”Mall Ninja.” A coupe of circumstances warrant them; First, body armor like US military issue Interceptor Body Armor (IBA). Having a pistol on your hip when wearing IBA/rack gear is not fun. The gun and gear is always gimping you and hanging up, especially when you’re in and out of vehicles. Second; when you’re wearing a BDU or ACU type top that isn’t tucked in. Again, it’s constantly binding or hanging up and, unlike an open front vest, digging up under the top to get at the gun and then trying …


Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations

Dear Mr. Rawles, I just read “Patriots” and “Tappan On Survival“. Both were greatly helpful and entertaining as well. Can you recommend any type of web gear to have ammo, handgun and rifle at the ready, both at home and on the farm? I see our military forces with all kinds of web equipment configurations, most notable is the hand gun in a thigh mounted holster. Front Sight taught me to shoot from a belt mounted holster and discourages shoulder holsters. It seems to me that a shoulder holster has a place, especially in a vehicle. Any thoughts on tactical …