Category: Retreat Security

Two Letters Re: How Long Can You Tread Water?

Dear CPT Rawles: The article “How Long Can You Tread Water?” was indeed a scary analysis of the advent of either an EMP attack, or a natural sun storm which would create the same series of events. There is no doubt that our society would come unglued in many parts of the nation. There is also no doubt that eventually, urban gangs will fan out across the countryside in search of food, women, drugs, liquor, weapons and gold. If your farmhouse is in their avenue of advance, it will be taken. As in all military activities and survival of TEOTWAWKI …


Two Letters Re: How Long Can You Tread Water?

Mr. Rawles: I have been reading your site for over two years now and have two of your books. I have a growing concern on what is going on in the world and working to prepare myself and my family for what the future may or may not bring us. I eagerly await the next day postings of SurvivalBlog each and everyday and look forward to what your other readers bring to the table. I took great interest in “How Long Can You Tread Water?” by Tom S. but more in the initial response. I am sure there will be …


Letter Re: Equipping my My G.O.O.D. Boat

A couple of points bothered me about Doug W.’s plan to G.O.O.D. with his boat. First, his idea about using logs to keep out intruders in his retreat anchorage has one possible flaw. According to Murphy’s Laws of Combat, anyplace too difficult to get into will be too difficult to get out of! Next, I am no sailor, but I’ve been around the ocean and I’ve seen some horrific storms. I saw no plan for riding out bad weather, unless these bays are very sheltered. Next is that unless tied up close to shore, sitting at anchor in the middle …


Equipping My G.O.O.D. Boat, by Doug W.

I live on a 42 foot boat and have no access to a land-based defensible position here in the northern part of Puget Sound. In order to prepare my wife and me for the coming collapse we have had to adapt and innovate our thinking a little bit. Because we live on the water between two major population centers we believe that when the stuff hits the fan people will not be viewing an escape by water as a viable alternative they will be looking for land with house and food so we may be under the radar for awhile …


Letter Re: How Long Can You Tread Water?

Mr. Rawles: Regarding the recently-posted article on EMP, while some of what Tom S. says is true, some of it is just plain silly. The results of a nation-wide EMP pulse would be catastrophic to be sure. Banking, communications, even food supply would in fact be disrupted. But to suggest that well organized gangs with armored vehicles would be systematically destroying farm homes and lake cabins is simply preposterous. Please consider: 1. If fuel production is halted, no one is going to get further than one tank of gas outside the city limits. 2. If fuel is still being produced …


How Long Can You Tread Water? by Tom S.

Noah may have questioned God about why he should build such a big boat.  To quote the comedian Bill Cosby, God might have asked: “How long can you tread water?” In the event of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) burst 250 miles above Kansas or a super solar flare, the loss of the electrical grid would stop almost all food production and importation in the USA.  Some estimate there is, at any given time, more than 1,000 pounds per capita of food in consumable form available in the USA.  Unfortunately, it is very poorly distributed and will not be available to …


Letter Re: Surviving A Home Invasion Robbery

Dear Mr. Rawles: I am intrigued by the fact that almost all the responses to the recent post on surviving a home invasion robbery focused on material issues such as doors or the proper firearms for home defense. All of these were intelligent, well-reasoned — but off target. Napoleon said, “The moral is to the physical as three to one.” Susan and Mike had the most important survival factor: courage. As soon as Susan realized what was happening, she decided to fight, rather than submit and hope for the best. She ran for Mike and attempted to close the bedroom …


Three Letters Re: Surviving A Home Invasion Robbery

Good Day James Wesley, I’ve been learning from your site for years and today became a Ten Cent Challenge subscriber.. Thank You! I too was struck how easily a standard residential entry doors can be opened either by lock “bumping” and even more easily with a stout “kick”. When I retired last June, one of my first projects suggested by my darling wife was to replace all entry doors to our 1959 brick veneer ranch style house with attached garage. We wanted at minimum insulated, solid core, steel doors but also spent quite quite a bit of time looking/considering the …


Three Letters Re: Surviving A Home Invasion Robbery

James: First thank you for your site; helping others and spreading the word of Jesus Christ. A few years ago I came across a company called Armor Concepts and their product Door Jamb Armor. After watching video on their site, I decided to purchase three sets for every entry door to my home. I’m 100% positive that no one will kick in my door – in fact, one of their videos shows how hard it is to bust the door in even with a police battering ram. I’ll admit it’s not the most decorative, but I can almost guarantee very …


Surviving A Home Invasion Robbery, by Susan G.

On August 2nd, 1997 I had the hardest choice in my life to make, that was to survive.  Masked men wearing camouflage and carrying guns kicked my front door in at 12:40 am.  I was sitting about five feet from the front door waiting for my son to arrive home for the evening.  I heard my doorknob jiggle.  I thought it was my son trying to get his key in the door.  I made it within two feet of the door and stopped because I had not heard him set his car alarm.  With one kick from a 299 pound …


Some Hope for the Low Budget Survivalist, by D.L.

You’ve heard it before, “Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”  That principle can be, and should be, applied to every facet of your survival preparations.  It applies to the possession of material items such as food, weapons and first aid.  It applies to your skills such as how you find your food, use your weapons and administer first aid. It applies to your physical abilities such as endurance, speed and agility.  It applies to your state of mind such as courage, honor and ingenuity.  And, of course, it applies to …


You Versus the Perps, their Lawyer, and the D.A., by P.J.

I’m writing anonymously because I’m facing misdemeanor charges for spraying a trespasser with mace. Our county has an anti-self defense district attorney. Being next to three fraternities, I’d been having problems with trespassers; this was third time I saw them. (There was evidence of past intrusions; I’d videotaped it and will submit as part of my legal defense.) To prep, I’d purchased a mace-pepper spray-UV dye compound in a canister about the size you see for bear, with a range of 20 feet or so. I saw two trespassers in the side lot from the kitchen, where I leave lights …


Letter Re: Learning From an OPSEC Failure

Letter Re: Learning from an OPSEC Failure Hello Mr. Rawles, The shopper who had a badoperational security (OPSEC) experience at the grocery store is not alone. Here in Canada I had the same thing happen to me in a slightly different way. It was a tax free weekend at a major store and I stocked up on everything subject to both provincial (state) and federal sales tax. Big (12%) savings on every item that wasn’t food. I provision a family of seven, I wait for these weekends. For the first time I noticed I was stared at by other shoppers …


Letter Re: Learning From an OPSEC Failure

Dear Mr. Rawles, I read your site daily and am very appreciative of your work and that it is from a Christian perspective. Thank you so much. I wanted to relay a personal operational security (OPSEC) failure that happened last week that your readers may learn from. My Husband is gone on an extended business trip and before hand I had convinced him to allow me to “prep” for his being gone. We have several young children and I didn’t want to have to go shopping regularly. While my Husband is not a prepper, he is slowly listening to me …


Letter Re: OPSEC and Pattern Analysis

Dear SurvivalBloggers: The concept of operational security (OPSEC) is simple. You conduct yourself in a way that doesn’t give anyone the impression that you’re doing anything out of the ordinary. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It’s not. Everything you do and say is an indication of the things that are going on in your life. Most importantly, people tend to operate in predictable patterns. It’s called a rut. When you get into one, you define who and what you are. If someone has an interest in you, all they have to do is watch and establish that pattern. If you make …