Category: G. O. O. D.

Letter Re: Survival Kits and Salt Storage

Sir: I came to the survivalist mindset by the strangest of all possible paths – a literary one. I would probably be considered more of a “self-reliantist” than a survivalist, but I see that as a fine point. I’ve always been the sort of guy who has wanted to know how to make things from scratch, and I’ve learned a lot in my planning efforts. I’ve been slowly compiling an encyclopedia of important skills and knowledge that is now in excess of 1000 pages and includes things from the most primitive tasks to the light-industrial. I thought I might offer …


Letter Re: The Herd Instinct on Highways in TEOTWAWKI

As a professional road service mechanic I see all manner of stupid human tricks on a daily basis. I live in the north east and find it sad but comical how people react to adverse road conditions. This has been a fairly mild winter for us Yet I have been caught in the tail end of three multi-car pileups due to snow/ice. Now my service truck is prepared in the extreme tools, fuel, maps for my area of operations (AO), food, and water. So these were just minor delays for me until I plotted an alternative route. Now cut to …


Letter Re: The “Third Way” Approach–A Forward Base En Route to a Remote Survival Retreat

James Wesley: With respect to “Marc in NJ”‘s comments posted on 3/6/07 – He recommends that if one is a bachelor, then getting an apartment/condo near work (in the city) to use as a forward base, then have a truck to haul things. If you’re going to do that, why not go with a motor home/RV and rent a spot at a mobile home park ? No need to pack, just be on your way. Might not work in really big cities where such places are hard to find, or you may have to do some interesting negotiations with a …


Letter Re: The “Third Way” Approach–A Forward Base En Route to a Remote Survival Retreat

JWR, I have been reading a longtime reader of your blog since it started, and wish to thank you for writing your novel “Patriots”, which I have read cover to cover many times and has helped me on my way to becoming a prepper. In response to Paul’s letter for a forward location between your retreat and current home I have some ideas as well as some other good info I feel your readers could benefit from. Now the plan of having a forward location by Paul is a somewhat good idea but like you pointed out a bit flawed.My …


Letter Re: Unimog and Pinzgauer 4WD Vehicles

Jim, I have been an admirer of these surplus military vehicles ever since I saw them for sale at ‘Major Surplus’ in Gardena California. They are certainly stout. I’m sure they would make a great off-road multi-purpose vehicle but if I was going to use it for any thing else, i.e. Highway, town use I’d be more inclined to just drive a nice American made 4×4. Why? Why bring attention to yourself? If you want to tell the world, your neighbors and total strangers that you are survival oriented and that you may be in the possession of firearms and …


Letter Re: The Eastern Canada Gasoline Crisis

Hi James, It’s interesting to look at what’s going on here in Ontario. The gasoline [filling] station near my office has been out of gas for two days, and others have been out for varying amounts of time. A friend of mine delivers fuel to gas stations, and was telling me what is happening: 1) There is a rail strike at CN Rail. This has prevented refineries from receiving shipments of the additives needed for diesel and gasoline. 2) There was a fire at one of the Ontario refineries, cutting production significantly. This fire occurred on February 15, and by …


Letter Re: The “Third Way” Approach–A Forward Base En Route to a Remote Survival Retreat

Hi Jim, While I value your insights on location, I think you have overlooked one possibility. That is to have your final destination be some 300+ miles away from any major metropolitan areas as you so aptly describe, but then I would add for those people who feel that they need it, a forward base of operations. This would consist of a small cabin, rental unit, or lot with a trailer and a storage shed that would be used as a forward base of operations and a leaping off point to go to their final destination. It would be located …


Letter Re: Kanban: America’s Ubiquitous “Just in Time” Inventory System–A Fragile House of Cards

Dear Jim: Your web site is excellent. A few thoughts on Mark’s e-mail on JIT delivery.(Posted on February 25th.) (1) For 34 years my job has taken me over the interstate highway/parkway system in New Jersey and Metropolitan New York City. Any accident, no matter how minor, affects traffic flow in both directions; the actual “event” and the “rubber neckers” slowing down to watch from the opposite side. Under the best conditions, the Staten Island Expressway (I-278) slows to a crawl approaching the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. (2) The two major north/south routes in New Jersey are the New Jersey Turnpike …


Letter Re: Who Needs a Hummer H1?

Jim, I was browsing around by way of “Steyr Puch” (long story) and came upon the following URLs. My oh my, I thought; “I won’t need an H1 Hummer after this.” (The topmost link has some 4×4 prices at around $10,000+). Okay, they’re gasoline/electronic ignition, but look at those those prices [versus $30,000 for a commercial HMMWV H1]. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Steyr+Puch&btnG=Google+Search http://www.eurotruck-importers.com/pinzgauer.htm http://www.staufferclassics.com/pinzgauer.html Regards, – Ben L. JWR Replies: Even though getting spare parts for European military surplus trucks can be a problem here in the States, I’m a big believer in Pinzgauers and Unimogs. At the current surplus vehicle prices, you …


Active Preparedness Planning: Identifying and Mitigating Threats, by Paul C.

Here is my approach to actively preparing for disasters: 1. Identify potential threats. 2. Gather quantitative and qualitative information on impact. 3. Identify which threats are the most likely. 4. Identify critical needs for survival. 5. Estimate outage time that can be tolerated. 6. Compile resource requirements. 7. Identify alternatives. 1. Identify potential threats. Threats will come from two main areas: man-made or natural. Man-made threats include labor strikes, riots, fires, chemical spills, terrorism, and vandals. A labor strike might mean that garbage collection or that public transportation stops. Urban riots have hit cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, and …


State and Federal Lands–Poor Choices for Short Term Retreat Locales

I often have people ask me if state or Federally-managed forest land or BLM land would be a viable place to take temporary or long term shelter in the event of of a societal collapse. There might be exceptions, but my blanket assertion is no, that is a bad idea for even a temporary retreat locale. Here is my rationale: Access: Access is a huge issue. Public lands are intended for visits, not residence.Odds are that if you make camp on state or Federal land, men with badges and guns will arrive within a couple of weeks and forcibly send …


Letter From David in Israel Re: Blue Water Sailing as a Retreat Option?

James: Anyone near any body of salt water should consider purchasing something like the Navy/Coast Guard [approved] Manual Reverse Osmosis Desalinator (MROD) They are sold on eBay and as far as I know are only made by PUR. They can provide drinkable water at sea for one to two people with quite a bit of work but PUR also makes a larger bicycle pump model. I have tested mine in both the Med (not as salty as ocean) and the Salt Sea (the saltiest water in the world). More salt just means more work. A creative person might make a …


Blue Water Sailing as a Retreat Option?, by CMC

1

Coming from a Southern family and having hunted as a child and adult, and having backpacked the Smokies, I would not want to depend on a mountain man scenario for survival during TEOTWAWKI. I want to walk a bit further with this. Most particularly consideration of a sailing vessel and the ocean as a way of survival. I seriously question the concept of mobility, particularly mobility at sea. I remember Sun Tzu said something to the effect that “when the army of maneuver meets the army of the fortress, the army of the fortress generally looses.” But I think that …


Letter Re: Urban Freeway Traffic Gridlock in a Disaster

James; As Bob B. from the Seattle area stated, the gridlock of freeways is a huge issue, especially in Seattle. I had the unfortunate experience of being on the 50th floor of a large building in Seattle during the earthquake of 2000, and again on Sept. 11th, 2001. I was more prepared for the latter. in the aftermath of the earthquake, I became acutely aware of the fact that Seattle is an island: bridges to get in and out of the city that cross both Lake Washington, and Lake Union. And while there, the entire freeway system is elevated. Not …


Letter Re: Urban Freeway Traffic Gridlock in a Disaster

Jim- Reading your excerpt from “Patriots” (I do have my own copy of the prior edition) reminded me of an episode in and around Seattle a few winters ago. Just before the afternoon commute, a rainstorm passed through and with the cold weather, created a black ice condition on the Interstate-5 freeway. Several fender benders clogged up the freeway in both directions and it took some time for tow trucks to make their way through the tie-up. Eventually they had to give up because people, sitting in their cars with heaters, wipers and radios on and engines idling, didn’t realize …