Category: Retreat Groups

Letter Re: Advice on Finding a Preparedness-Minded Spouse

Dear JWR, I am a middle-aged female, single and have no children. I recently relocated to an area that I believe to be “safer” than where I had been living previously. I had hoped to meet others who were awake to the realities of life once I settled here, but much to my disappointment and amazement the natives seem to be “clueless.” So I find myself in a very difficult if not dangerous situation. I may likely find myself alone when the SHTF. I have searched endlessly for a message board or the like in which I could communicate with …


Letter Re: Suburban Survival

Hi Jim and Family, I truly enjoy reading your survival blog and learn from it daily and weekly. However I believe you are skipping over a topic that would benefit your readers….most of your readers. I would think that most of your readers who check out and read your site on a daily basis do not have a remote retreat in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, or Wyoming. Most of your readers I’m sure live like me in American Suburbs, trapped and looking for a way to get out but in the mean time prepping for what we all know is …


Letter Re: Dispensing Charity in the Midst of a Societal Collapse

Hello Mr. Rawles, Perhaps you and the readers could help me sort through an issue I’ve been wrestling with for some time. From what I’ve read in the archives it appears that some of your readers are struggling with it also. For almost two decades I have been preparing for the SHTF scenario I believe is inevitable, given our country’s course. I have read about the need for Christian charity during the difficult time that will come and as a Christian I agree. Many suggest that you should store extra food and necessities and dispense them during difficult times. Good …


10 Practical Tips to Survive TEOTWAWKI, by Heghduq

As I read SurvivalBlog there is much on how to build things and various preparations. I have gleaned a plethora of information on many subjects. I have implemented many into my preparations. There are some modifications to many of these that I wish to cover in this article. These are basic and simple to achieve with a little creative thinking on your part and can be done by anyone who wants to keep it simple. Preparing for any emergency or disaster or even TEOTWAWKI is a daunting task in and of itself. I wish to pass on a few pieces …


Letter Re: The Importance of Stocking Up on Batteries

James: I have been corresponding with an infantry soldier (E-6 [pay grade]) in Iraq named Ray that I met through AnySoldier.com. BTW, thanks for running that free ad for them on SurvivalBlog. All those “forgotten” soldiers need our real support–not just a “Support Our Troops” yellow ribbon magnet on the backs of our cars. In the last 8 or 9 months I have sent more than 30 “care packages” in [Priority Mail] Flat Rate boxes to [AnySoldier.com addressees in] Iraq and Afghanistan. In our e-mails, one of the things that Ray mentioned a couple of times really impressed me: It …


Book Excerpt–Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse

Geographically distinct units were formed from the Northwest Militia, as planned, late in the April of the fifth year. To avoid confusion amongst the local citizenry that they protected, they designated those at the original retreat as “Todd Gray’s Company” and those at Kevin Lendel’s house as “Michael Nelson’s Company.” The responsibility for patrolling was divided along a line east-west between the retreats. Todd Gray’s Company was to patrol the northern half of the sector, while Michael Nelson’s Company patrolled the southern half. Separate CB channels were assigned to each Company for locals to use to contact either Company. On …


Letter Re: Buying a Better Retreat Property Versus Buying More Survival Gear?

Mr. Rawles, I live in northern New Hampshire and have been “prepping” for the last year. We will be staying in this area for various reasons that I have come to accept. However, my wife has agreed to consider a property in this same small town that would make a substantially better retreat. We currently own 16 acres but on a main state road. We are able to live off of this 16 acres, but my concern is from a defensive standpoint: It is too close to neighbors and the main road, and is just too accessible. We have almost …


Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity

Mr. Rawles: I am writing concerning the letter in which the gentlemen suggested using Enfield 2A Ishapores for Barter/Charity. In my opinion, you would be better off buying an SKS than an Enfield 2A Carbine. The SKS is cheaper at $179.95 (at AIM Surplus) compared to the Enfield at $229.95, and it comes with a bayonet. The SKS can be easily modified to accept 30rd magazines which are easily available, whereas the Enfield is limited to 10 rounds and the magazines are hard to come by. I have not been impressed with the ProMag Enfield 2A magazines. None of the …


Letter Re: A Nearby Wildfire Was My Preparedness Wake up Call

James: Don’t know if the callow-youth angle is of interest to your readers, but I dashed this off after a recent wildfire alert: This evening around 5:30 there were reports of a fire very near my home. Wildfires around here can get interesting quick, especially this late in the year with plenty of dry fuel waiting around. I thought we might have to Get out of Dodge and so I ordered the wife to pack up the paperwork and prep the munchkin for a few days field trip. Error. Wife does not respond well to orders, and she judged the …


Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale?

Dear Mr. Rawles, I noticed that Missouri is not listed as one of your top 20 [states ranked as] desired retreat locations. Please tell me why you think Missouri would be unsuitable. Is there any possibility of meeting like minded people on your Survival Blog? Thanks so much for your help. Sincerely, – Marie R. JWR Replies: I consider Missouri unsuitable mainly because of its population density. It is also down-wind of some nuclear targets. So if you plan to stay there then I recommend that you construct a fallout shelter (like the ones that Safecastle builds), and have plenty …


Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity

Sir: What are your thoughts on getting 10 of the Enfield 2A.308 carbines for barter/defense or would you go with the AK? Thanks, – F. JWR Replies: The .308 Enfield is a fine choice. They are ideal to hand out to neighbors (one way or the other–be it via barter or charity) after TSHTF. The beauty of a bolt action is that folks are more likely to aim carefully rather than just “spray and pray.” OBTW, be sure to get one spare magazine of each of those Enfields, while they are still available.


Survival for the Disabled, by Hegh

To survive one must be physically fit! This statement has been said and written over and over, time and again. To say that Survival is for this group of individuals exclusively has strong weight when it comes to a TEOTWAWKI scenario. How ever I would disagree with this assessment. Granted, total invalids could pose a problem but that is not the focus of this article. The focus is on those individuals who are disabled but can still function to some degree and contribute to a TEOTWAWKI scenario. During the fall of the twin towers on September 11th there were 31 …


Water Considerations for WTSHTF, by Terry M.

When prepping for WTSHTF, many times we focus on how much dehydrated food we have stored. While dehydrated foods can have a very important part in our plans, we have to remember that almost all that food needs water. Water you may not have accounted for in your plans. The following quantity figures were taken straight from the Walton Feed web site, a very popular source of dehydrated foods. Feeding a family of four Breakfast: Pancakes = 2.5 cups water Milk = 1 quart water margarine = 4 Tbsp water egg mix = 3 Tbsp water per egg (4 times) …


Letter Re: Advice for Preparedness Newbie

Hey Guys. I came upon your site, and all I really had to say, was “Wow”. I suppose I’m not the best candidate to be a survivalist. I’m 21, I rent my apartment, have a mountain of student loans, and work as a waitress. My friends are mostly of the classic female-materialistic variety, and have no immediate concerns beyond a swimsuit sale at PacSun. Anyway, I’m an avid reader. I began to develop an interest in the term “Peak Oil”. I read several articles, and conducted a few small studies of my own. The fact that many of the articles …


Letter Re: Convincing the Unconvinced that TEOTWAWKI is Possible

Jim: To the young man having trouble getting his parents to prepare for disaster, I have some suggestions that may help. These ideas can be easily modified to fit other relatives and friends too. First, lead by example. Whenever you, personally, do have money, no matter how little, spend a bit to stock up on something you, personally, use. It can be something as inexpensive as a toothbrush, or a bag of potato chips, whatever. Store it in a clear bin somewhere prominently in your room. As your parents see that it is so important to you that you spend …