Category: Retreat Logistics

Letter Re: Positive Feedback on the “Rawles Gets You Ready” Preparedness Course

Mr. Rawles: I just wanted tell let you know how much I have enjoyed your “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. It was very informative and is going to really help my family get prepared for whatever may be in our future. I recently purchased the “SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog – Volume 1” and the Rawles on Retreats and Relocation book also and those were equally wonderful. The amount of information in your course was outstanding and has really jump started our family’s preparedness program. The covering of “A years supply of everything” angle was a unique approach …


A Matter of Will, or a Matter of Inventory?, by George L.

I really enjoy sitting down and watching movies. What the radio once was to us as Americans, I believe the DVD player has become to us now. On any night of the week, people are gathered together watching movies together. That being said, The Usual Suspects is one of the most interesting movies around. I should warn you before I go further that it is not for the squeamish, or the easily offended. The subject matter is coarse, and the movie is unapologetically rough. However, there is one particular exchange that sticks with me to this day, and it’s been …


Letter Re: Storing Ammo in Cans–Should I Leave it in the Cardboard Boxes?

Hi Mr. Rawles, I’m currently reading and enjoying your fine book Rawles on Retreats and Relocation as well as a few other publications (such a Boston’s Gun Bible, by Boston T. Party), and actually have a rather simple question for you. At present, I am in the process of trying to prepare an urban retreat at our home in Orange County (in the PRK). Until we can early-retire and move to our newly acquired land in either Montana or Wyoming, we are stuck here because of our jobs. In any event, with regard to the subject of long-term ammo storage, …


Poll Results: Why are You Preparing to Survive?

Here is the first round of responses to this question: Those who are well educated enough to see a societal collapse of some sort or another in the making fall into two groups, the merrymakers and the preparers. The merrymakers don’t see life worth living post-SHTF, so they live it up now. We on SurvivalBlog are the preparers and have chosen to survive, but why? Our children? To rebuild civilization? Because the collapse will only be temporary? Because we can and we’re stubborn with a stronger than normal will to survive? The following is just the first batch of responses. …


Letter Re: Fuel Storage for Survival Retreats

Sir: Just a note on long term fuel storage. I have discovered that fuel both diesel and gasoline stored in 33 gallon plastic drums with the bungs tight has lasted in excess of five years without a stabilizer. The food grade blue drums have white gaskets in the bungs that have swollen slightly but have not deteriorated. The plastic drums were stored inside 55 gallon steel drums and shaded from direct sunlight. My observations are that the plastic drum expands and contracts (collapses) with the fuel. My assumption is that, with no air breathing, the problems of water condensation, evaporation, …


Two Letters Re: Storing Oil and Lubricants for TEOTWAWKI

James, Very interesting discussion of storing motor oil and other lubricants here! Here is the burning question that perhaps yourself or the throngs of Survivalblog readers could answer. Does detergent or synthetic motor oil degrade over time to be less effective than non detergent motor oil or does it just degrade enough that it might not meet the original American Petroleum Institute (API) rating? It sounds like detergent and synthetic motor oils may only degrade compared to the original API rating and not actually become less effective than non-detergent oils. If someone plans on driving an Audi 1.8T post-TEOTWAWKI then …


Advice on Sealing Your Primers and Acquiring Spare Springs by Teddy Jacobson

I live in a world of reality. I think beyond normal events as its better to prepare now in order to care for the handgun that you will rely on for the protection of life and property. The following are a list of my priorities I feel have become a necessity. No one should ever carry ammunition [in a “carry” firearm”] unless they first seal their primers. I like to use bright red nail polish. Take a box of ammo and paint the entire primer and the lettering on the rear of the case, let it dry completely, when it …


Fuel Storage for Survival Retreats, by Flighter

The world runs on petroleum. Imagine a post-apocalyptic period when the local gas station is closed, and has been for two years. How will you carry out your daily activities? Generate electricity? Pump water? Plow your garden, or fields? All of these can be done by hand, and have been for thousands of years. Modern life has given us tools to help with these chores, and we can store the tools, and the food for them, for quite awhile. Gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, Coleman® fuel, and other petroleum products – all can be stored. For long term survival …


Four Letters Re: Storing Oil and Lubricants for TEOTWAWKI

Jim: I run synthetic motor oils in all of my vehicles, it’s barely any more expensive any more and it reduces engine wear, especially on tight-tolerance Japanese motors. Mobil (for example) recommends a 5-year shelf life for unopened quarts, but I wonder if any of your readers have any more info on whether this is CYA on Mobil’s part or, failing that, a lead on long-shelf-life synthetics? Also, speaking of oil, if you’re looking for very high mileage on diesel trucks (and I know we all are), bypass oil filters are the holy grail. A quick explanation, they’re very fine …


Letter Re: Safety of Storing Ammunition in a Gun Vault

Jim, Sorry if you’ve covered this topic before. First off, I’d like to thank you for the information on your blog. I bought a gun safe yesterday, and thanks to Bruce H.’s question a few weeks ago about the effects of an EMP on a safe’s electronic lock, I didn’t make the mistake of buying one with such a lock. (I’m close to Nellis AFB and somewhat close to the Nevada [nuclear] test site) After I got done putting in my guns, family heirlooms, coin collection, etc., I put 500 rounds of .223 in the safe, too. I figured that …


Letter Re: Lead From Car Batteries–Can it Be Recycled Into Cast Bullets?

JWR, In relation to the question about casting bullets from battery lead: There are a few things you need to keep in mind when dealing with things like old batteries and such. The first is, when lead-acid cells are drained, the metallic lead is converted into lead sulfate. So the ideal battery to use for this is one which is fully charged. I suppose it is technically possible for you to take an uncharged battery, and cook the plates down with a dry base such as sodium hydroxide (mineral wood ash–pour water through wood ashes, remove solids will give you …


Storing Oil and Lubricants for TEOTWAWKI

The recent discussion of firearms lubrication reminded me about a subject that I’ve meant to address again in SurvivalBlog: oil and lubricant storage for your retreat.  It is important to think through all of your oil and lubricant needs–everything from motor oil and transmission fluid to firearms lubes. Calculate what you use in a three to five year period, and stock up.  Then anticipate what you might need for barter and charity, and stock up even more. Because most families do not store any substantial quantity of oils and lubricants, they will make an ideal barter item in a long …


Letter Re: Best Sources for Extra FN-FAL Magazines?

Hi James, I am looking at purchasing some FN-FAL (metric) magazines and would like to know which are the best ones to buy? – John Y. JWR Replies: As I mentioned in my FN-FAL/L1A1 FAQ, nearly all of the government issue 20 round metric FN-FAL magazines on the market were made on Belgian (FN) tooling, and work fine. (Such as Israeli, Brazilian, Argentine, et cetera.) Even used FAL magazines work fine if they have no dents. Since they are the most fragile part of the rifle and a large number of magazines might be needed WTSHTF, I now recommend buying …


Letter Re: How Do I Prepare Rice and Coffee for Long Term Storage?

Dear Sir, Perhaps there is a food storage site you could direct me to which would answer my questions. I know how to store most things (wheat, salt, etc.) but wonder if there is a way to store brown rice (I’ve heard it could go rancid) and how do you store coffee (my LDS friends who have helped me with putting things in #10 cans don’t drink it, of course.) I’m assuming that storing coffee beans would be superior to storing ground coffee. When you get it at the store, sometimes it’s vacuum sealed. I can do that with my …


Letter Re: Livestock at Your Retreat

Mr. Rawles: Just a few tips on the livestock side of things, in response to Samantha’s piece on Livestock at Your Retreat: – Your Mile May Vary (YMMV) on pasture needs. On the coastal plain, two acres per head of cattle will do quite nicely in most area. But in more “brittle” areas, such as the high plains, the East slopes of the Rockies, West Texas, etc, you will find yourself needing considerably more land than two acres per cow. (Check with your Agriculture college or county extension agent.) Hereabouts, one acre of good land will provide both grazing and …