Category: Field Gear

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 …


Letter Re: Using 20mm Ammo Cans as Contingency Caches

Hi Jim, After reading “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” a second time (and this time tabbing the pages) and making note of the ROTC cadet’s story, I acquired some 20mm-sized ammo cans. I thought I’d put together at least one contingency box [for an underground cache], in the event of losing everything else, due to being overrun by bad guys, etc. First off, instead of pavement/roadway emulsion, I took two of these cans to a Line-X [spray-on bed liner] shop, to have them painted with their material. They were happy to help, since they were shooting a metal surface with …


Letter Re: Advice on Preparedness for Travelers?

Jim, Thank you for dispersing such a wealth of knowledge on your blog. My prayers are with your family and for the Memsahib’s recovery. I concur with D.J.’s post on Third World Experience. Having done mission work in Central America, Australia, and Nepal I have seen a broad range of austere environments and it truly does open your eyes to have a more prepared mindset. Being in Nepal during the onset of a small civil war brought to my attention the need to be prepared while travelling. Other than the obvious G.O.O.D. kit within arm’s reach while overseas what are …


Letter Re Binocular Recommendations

Sir: For our possible retreat security, you’ve written a lot about communications gear, intrusion detection devices (like Dakota Alerts), night vision gear, guns, and even observation post [construction]. But I haven’t seen your recommendations on binoculars. What model/brands [do you] recommend? Thanks, – Ray V. JWR Replies: I generally recommend 7×50 binoculars for retreat security at fixed sites. For patrolling, I prefer 7 power binoculars with smaller objective lenses–perhaps 7×42 or even 7×35, for lighter weight. If your retreat is out in open plains country, you might want more magnification and larger objective lenses. (Perhaps even a large 30×50 monocular …


A Practical Guide to the Recon Patrol, by TMC

Okay, the stuff has hit the fan, you have made it to your retreat, and you are geared up, stocked up and ready to survive. Inner security has been established, with LP/OPs located at likely avenues of approach. You at some point will start to wonder what else is out there, how far away it is, and what it means for your group. You might want to start implementing the recon patrol. While I could write what may very well be a small manual on the subject, I will just put out the basics that will point you in the …


Four Letters Re: Vision Care, Post-TEOTWAWKI

Hi Jim, Acting on a recommendation from another reader, I’m happy to report that quality of the six pairs of eyeglasses purchased from Zennio Optical are good. These glasses are surprisingly inexpensive and only cost $150 for all six pairs, which is less than the typical cost of one pair [from most other sources]. The ordering process does require some thought and time to measure your current pair, yet a variety styles and sizes can be ordered insuring that at least one pair will be satisfactory. I’m happy with all six pairs and at those prices felt bold enough to …


Letter Re Preparing for a Dam Breach

Howdy Mr. Rawles, The article written by A.B.S. is very well written and gives one a lot to think about. There is an item for one’s Bug Out Bag (BOB) that I find useful in flood prone scenarios, but is rarely mentioned: A Personal Flotation Device (PFD). A PFD or ‘life jacket’ for each member of your party with their BOB in flood prone areas or situations is cheap insurance to keep you afloat. Granted, when you are in the drink, things are already going wrong, but staying afloat would be a key to staying alive! Also do not forget …


Arthropod Borne Diseases, by A.B.S.

Recent attention on the West Nile Encephalitis outbreak has brought the need for more education and awareness to the threat of insects transmitting diseases to both humans and the livestock we use for food. Unfortunately most people are fixated on the West Nile problem and continue to ignore the myriad of other pathogens that can be transmitted by insects and other arthropods in North America. Most of the pathogens that are transmitted by arthropod vectors are of low virulence and due to exposure most of us have developed an immunity to them long ago. Unfortunately, with the migration of much …


Letter Re: The Importance of Pistol Holster Selection

James: Thanks for the response! I didn’t expect my letter to hit the web page. I agree about the belt and my wonderful wife just got me a new black dress belt from Mitch Rosen gun leather (a bit over a hundred bucks but well worth it) as my original one was looking worn and (her word) ‘ugly’. I always carried a Surefire [flashlight]- I’ve still got my original [Surefire Model] 6P from when they first came out. I’m [working] in an office (where guns are banned) now but always have the 6P on my belt next to my cell …


Letter Re: The Importance of Pistol Holster Selection

I ‘lurk’ a lot and by doing so, learn a bunch but a discussion came up in another environment and made me think and I wanted some feedback so here goes… In responding to someone who planned on getting a hand gun as a part of their survival planning and was seeking advice I said this: This topic however hits home as I’ve been in training over 20 years and am still a certified ‘pistol’ instructor. I spent a lot of time doing law enforcement, corrections officer and even civilian hand gun / shotgun training. With that said, getting a …


Letter Re: Satellite Images and Your G.O.O.D. Route

Hi James, While they are still available, now might be a good time to use one of the satellite image sites (like Google Earth) to download and print out detailed satellite images of planned bug-out routes. Having those images with you during a bug-out strikes me as a great way save time and energy by knowing exactly where important survival-related features are located. For example, my own route includes a stretch of rather barren territory with no lakes or streams shown on the topo map, but the satellite images show ponds and small reservoirs too small for inclusion by the …