Category: Self-Sufficiency

Letter Re: Yet Another Article Touting “Mobility” for Survival

Dear Jim: See this piece on Survival Preparedness as: “The Ultimate “Contrarian” Investment for 2007 — Be Prepared” The author knows a lot about economics (excellent web site), but one can certainly critique his “Batman in the Boondocks” or “mobile refugee” survival strategy. Regards, – OSOM JWR Replies: I’m dismayed to see such strategies proposed again and again, usually by folks who have never actually attempted to fill–much less actually shoulder–their “everything that I’ll need” backpack. It is incredibly naive to think that anyone can “head for the hills” with just what you can carry, and survive for an extended …


Letter Re: 12 VDC Wall Outlets and Power Cord Connections

Jim, For anyone using 12 VDC in their vehicle or home, you should strongly consider using Anderson Power Poles. Compared to the standard cigarette lighter plug, these are far more reliable and safer. (Cigarette lighter plugs have no uniform rating, and can melt if used for high [current] load applications.) These connectors come in ratings from 30 Amps (A) to 350 Amps. The 30A size is the de-facto standard for Ham radio operators now, and the larger sizes are what you see used for things like large battery racks in computer rooms and tow truck jumper cables. They are easy …


Letter Re: Clothes Washing Without Grid Power

Shalom Jim: Recently my wife and I have started looking to replace our old [clothes] washer and dryer machines with something more energy-efficient. Since we plan on converting to solar photovoltaic panels in the future what do you suggest we do now? 1.) Lehman’s sells an AC +/ DC operated washer. Is this (DC) feature conducive to solar technology? 2.) What are you and your family doing for your clothes washing needs? B’Shem Yahshua HaMoshiach (In the Name of Yahsua the Messiah) – Dr. Sidney Zweibel   JWR Replies: 1.) With a PV power system, using a DC motor clothes …


Letter Re: Enlightened Survivalism Article in The Energy Bulletin

Jim, The comments in today’s SurvivalBlog concerning my ‘Enlightened Survivalism’ article that was posted on the Energy Bulletin that ‘this more likely qualifies as preaching to the choir’ is exactly why the article was not sent to yourself for posting on SurvivalBlog. I tried ‘preaching to the choir’ as you put it with my post to you ‘Considerations for Longer Term Survival’ that you posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2005. It would seem that many have still not really got to grips with its contents particularly: ‘What about food when the “Year’s Food Supply” is gone? What about your water …


Your Mind is Your Primary Tool for Survival, by Warhawke

Let me tell you a little story. It was January 1978, my sister was 8 and I was 11, and we were standing in front of the window in my parent’s front room. Outside the world was being covered in ice, or at least the slice we could see from there. The trees, the streetlight, the cars, even the recent snow had a pretty sheen that we thought was beautiful. Mom and Dad didn’t seem to share our enthusiasm, but heck, we knew that the old fogies didn’t know what cool was. Then of course, the lights went out. No …


The Self-Suffcient Retreat, and “Working the Kinks Out”

I’m often asked about the ideal location for a retreat. Every locale has its pros and cons. But in general any area that is well removed from major population centers and that has fertile soil, a long growing season, and plentiful water should give you far better chances of pulling through that the average urbanite or suburbanite. A more overriding concern is what you do with your retreat, and how soon you get it truly “squared away.” Having one or two years of food storage is commendable, but in the event of a full scale TEOTWAWKI, what will you do …


Letter Re: Peak Oil and Self-Sufficiency Web Sites

Mr. Rawles: I very much enjoying reading your blog. Keep up the good work. Here are two articles that you might find interesting: How to Plan for [Post] Peak Oil on a Limited Budget http://www.survivingpeakoil.com/article.php?id=limited_budget Very simple plan on what you need at bare minimum…attitude and mind set. Our Village http://www.survivingpeakoil.com/article.php?id=our_village “A few years after the Soviet Union collapsed, I spent some time living in a small Russian village where my wife’s side of the family owns a house…” – S.H.


Letter from “Hawgtax” Re: New Years Resolutions

Merry Christmas All, As 2005 draws to a close, I look back and ask myself “Am I better prepared than I was at this time last year?” Quite honestly, a lot of what I accomplished was attributable to “SurvivalBlog.com”. A fine bunch of folks who trade practical information. Anyway, here’s what I did/added during 2005: 1. Installed a wood burning stove in the house. 2. Insulated and dry walled the outbuilding which functions as reloading area, ammunition storage and shop. A separate room within a room provides climate controlled food storage area. (8 below zero this morning outdoors, but in …


Yahoo Story: Wood Stoves Back in Vogue Ahead of Costly Winter

Perhaps it is the sharp memory of Hurricane Katrina working on the collective psyche, but the mass media is finally starting to warm to the concept of greater self-sufficiency. Take, for example, this story that recently ran in Yahoo: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051019/lf_nm/bizfeature_woodstoves_dc_1


From The Memsahib: Countryside and Small Stock Journal

Another issue of my very favorite magazine just arrived and I wanted to tell you all about it. It is “The magazine of modern homesteading”: Countryside and Small Stock Journal. Unlike most magazines out there, C&SSJ has a very low ad to content ratio. It doesn’t waste page space with lots of pretty photos or other fluff like the other “country” magazines. And it is written by the subscribers. C&SSJ is 130 pages full of practical information! The Nov/Dec.2005 issue contains full length articles about purchasing and using a masonry stove, how to build a “cut back” thermostat to reduce …


“Rick Smith” on Blacksmithing as a Valuable Trade

Introduction In a truly long-term TEOTWAWKI scenario, the ability to fashion and shape metal will become critical. If you can work with metal, you will be able to make tools; repair, fashion and heat treat gun parts; fabricate household, farm and mechanical implements of all shapes and sizes; and have a valuable trade to generate income or barter for goods and services. On the frontier west, no town was complete until it had a working Smithy. To start into blacksmithing, you need two things: tools and information. The good news is that you can make many of your own tools …


From The Memsahib–Moving Back to the Land, “Successfully”

In the 1970s there was a well-publicized “Back to the Land” movement. Hundreds of thousands of America’s young generation wanted the freedom of self-sufficiency. But most of them eventually returned to urban life. We can analyze their failures to avoid making the same mistakes. Happily, someone else has already done this for us! Eleanor Agnew’s book Back From the Land is a fairly detailed analysis of why the “Back to the Landers” went back to the big cities. Here is a summary of some of the conditions that led to their failures: 1. The realities of rural life were much …


From The Memsahib: Lessons from the “Little House on the Prairie” Books

All of the books in the "Little House on the Prairie" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder are great reads for all ages. Many lessons can be gleaned from their pages. (The books are much better than the sappy television series.) Laura’s "Pa" was an eternal optimist. When he saw the luxuriant prairie grasses he assumed the soil was rich and good for farming. But he did not realize that those plants were designed to survive in the Dakota territories’ weather and its pests and and that cultivated grains were not. He did not foresee the devastating storms and pests that …


Letter Re: Koyaanisqatsi–and Getting Back In Balance

James, I debated for four or five weeks about whether or not to write an email to you, as I know that you must receive too many already, and others probably offer information and mine only offers praise and thanks. I finally decided, that everyone could use encouragement and praise, so here goes… I read your novel [Patriots] for the first time many years ago, several times since, and have worked it into my 5-6 book current reading stack. It was my first exposure to another way of viewing the world, and it alone, was responsible for opening my eyes …


Letter Re: Best Grain Grinder on a Budget?

James, A request for your comment on best hand powered grain grinder for us poor folks. The Back to Basics? The Corona? (The Country Living is $350!) – D.J. JWR Replies: A hand grain grinder is an important tool to have on hand. They are essential for grinding corn and wheat, which are of course indigestible unless ground. (Soaking wheat in water overnight to make “wheat berries” will suffice, but flour is what you’ll need for most recipes.) If you can possibly afford one, buy a Country Living mill. They work well hand powered, and they are also set up …