Category: NBC

Two Letters Re: Radon Poisoning

Jim, After reading a few more snippets about Radon poisoning and checking a few sources via Internet. I hypothesize that this may be another hoax along the lines of “global warming”. There are more medical professionals saying lung cancer is [caused by] diet or smoking and general abuse of the body. If Radon has been present and naturally occurring since God created the earth, then its being blamed for illness is similar to skid-marks being blamed for car-wrecks. Global warming is increasingly being proved a hoax by the most respected meteorologists and climatologist’s who say the minute temperature changes have …


Prepare or Die, by J. Britely

Throughout my life I have been caught unprepared several times and while nothing seriously bad happened, it easily could have.  I have been lost hiking.  My car has broken down in very bad neighborhoods – twice.  I have been close enough to riots that I feared they would spread to my neighborhood, been in earthquakes, been too close to wildfires, been stuck in a blizzard, and have been without power and water for several days after a hurricane.   I managed to get myself out of each situation, I thanked God, and tried to learn from my mistakes.  I could have …


Letter Re: North Dakota as a Retreat Locale

Jim, I couldn’t help but enjoy and giggle at the article that painted North Dakota so empty, old, and bleak. I am proud to be a North Dakotan, and find living here a blessing. “Brutal climate”, well it is the debt we North Dakotans pay to live in a beautiful land, with solid people, and raise our children in a nurturing environment. Young, strong, very well educated youth are our best export . Of course grain, oil, and livestock are good too. And, I regularly see youth returning back to good ole North Dakota for the quality of life once …


Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in Alaska

Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only those books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges and universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if you aren’t a student. If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for books from home, then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan. What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF? There’s no guarantee it will survive. …


Storm After-Action Report and More Thoughts on Western Washington as a Retreat Locale, by Countrytek

Introduction I’m a life-long Western Washington resident – except for five years in Kansas & two in Berlin while in the U.S. Army. I’m the great-grandchild of Washington pioneers. I love this state – the ocean, mountains and fertile valleys – but what it has become — not so much. This past weekend, (November 30 – December 1, 2007), the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state was hit by an arctic front from the Gulf of Alaska, dropping 3-6″ of snow in our area. The weather folks told us not to worry, that it wouldn’t last long, because we had a …


Letter Re: Updated Nuclear Targets in the United States

The recent post [on nuclear targets] that mentioned the prevailing winds reminded me that Weather Underground posts graphs of historical weather data, including wind direction. Because the chart is for the calendar year, the seasonality of the wind in a different region can be determined. For instance, compare the hot south summer winds in Dallas, with the summer ocean winds in Los Angeles, and the northwest fury in Missoula, Montana. Even Eugene, Oregon and Boise, Idaho, despite being close to the same latitude, have different wind trends. OBTW, if you know the local airport code, you can just alter the …


Letter Re: Updated Nuclear Targets in the United States

Jim, This letter is in response to your posting today regarding potential nuclear targets. Overall, a very good question by DFer, and your wise and reasonable response is much appreciated. As one of the few people on the Internet who actually discuss potential US nuclear targets, based on historical government documentation, I’m glad to see you and a few others (Shane Connor, Joel Skousen, etc.) not letting this important point of history be forgotten. It’s another visit to an old post of yours in June of 2006. Lawrence’s response in that post was “old 1960s era targeting maps will still …


Letter Re: The Upright Spike in Technology Dependence–Changing “Grid-Down” from an Inconvenience to TEOTWAWKI

Jim: I had to laugh when I read this in your recent SurvivalBlog article: “Well, let’s just hope that Boise, Idaho is not a nuclear target. That way, presumably Micron Technology can re-seed the world with chips. (That is, if they will still have a fab facility in Boise. Most chip makers are in the process of outsourcing their fabs. Many of them are being offshored to China .)” I’m a mid-level manager in the computer industry. In the past month we have interviewed two engineers currently employed by Micron Technology. They are looking for jobs because “the place is …


Letter Re: Updated Nuclear Targets in the United States

Jim, In support of some research on retreat locations, I wanted to learn more about the locations in the CONUS of our strategic nuclear weapons. Guesswork at best, but the older FEMA maps are certainly obsolete, or wrong. A link from late 2006 describes the probable locations and density of the current nuclear arsenal. It is thought that the sites in California, South Dakota, and Virginia have been eliminated, and that the ballistic missile submarine base in Bangor, Washington has been expanded significantly. The next link describes the stockpile (and its reduction) and illustrates the probable nature of the projected …


Letter Re: Some Steel Canning Possibilities

Mr. Rawles, Given the recent discussion about canning, it seems like sealed tin cans would make an effective Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) barrier. Why not can some inexpensive FRS radios, small transistor radios, and other electronic items in a standard soup-size can? Can some lithium batteries, and you’ll be all set. By the way, it would probably be a good idea to make sure that the lid and can have good electrical contact. Some cans might be lacquered/coated, so it might be wise to check the lid/can continuity with an Ohm meter. Regards, – JN-EMT JWR Replies: That is a great …


Letter Re: Using NBC Markers to Augment Retreat Security

Mr. Rawles, I think that some attention should be paid to implementing psychological deterrents as a measure of improving retreat security after The Crunch. As food and water sources are depleted in the cities and the surviving population begins to mobilize you will more than likely see refugees passing through your retreat locale. These people may be armed and will be tough as they have survived to this point, but mentally they will be tired. When they approach your compound they will view fences, antipersonnel barriers and armed conflict as obstacles that can be defeated. The point is to try …


Perspective on the EMP Threat: Looking Back at Starfish Prime, by David in Israel

James, Since there seems to be big interest in the nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effect, SurvivalBlog readers might want to see some footage about the Starfish Prime test, [a part of Operation Dominic, a series of tests intended to test nuclear weapons effects in space], which knocked out some power substations on Oahu, Hawaii, around 800 miles away back in 1962. Video clip 1. Video clip 2. – David in Israel


Letter Re: Underground Storm/Fallout/Vault Shelters

Jim, You know we respect you. You’re at the top of the survivalist food chain because of your relevant knowledge and for your impeccable integrity. Those qualities draw respectful, serious readers to SurvivalBlog, and their contributions, in turn, to the cause of preparedness and your blog’s content are first rate as well. Needless to say, we’re very pleased that Safecastle is associated with you and can help sponsor the work you’re doing for the folks of this nation. You know that Safecastle is all about crisis preparedness. For most folks, they know us by our Buyers Club (that club ad …


Letter Re: Information Security Considerations When Selling a House with “Special Features”

James, Thank you for the SurvivalReality.com web site. I check the listings regularly, hoping for my own retreat purchase in the future. The Bunker Home Retreat caught my eye since I’ve been to Pueblo Colorado many times. The bunker sounds very well designed and built. But the aerial views show exactly where the home is located, including street names. I don’t see how anyone can consider the bunker as secret, or “stealth” any more. Also, the seller includes a picture of the hidden entrance plainly open in broad daylight right in the middle of his front yard. I can only …


Letter Re: Counting the Potential EMP Attack Casualties

Jim, I don’t understand why the discussion on your blog regarding EMP assumes only ground based and aircraft altitude detonations. It seems to me an equally likely attempt will be a ballistic missile detonation at maximum altitude, such as with a Scud or Chinese one, launched from a freighter off the east or west coast of the US. Al Qaeda is known to own a fleet of freighters which are not well tracked (stolen in hijacks or even purchased outright). Iran, North Korea, Syria, and [Dr. A.Q.] Khan’s rogue network are all working hard to develop a nuclear capability and …