Category: SurvivalBlog

Letter Re: From a USFS In-Holding in Colorado’s High Country–Snowed-In!

Mr. Rawles: I just wanted to send you a thank you note for your novel “Patriots”, your “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course and for SurvivalBlog.com. We’ve been having a winter weather adventure, which I’ve chronicled in this thread at The Claire Files. If I hadn’t found SurvivalBlog.com some time back in late 2005, it might have been a very different story than the mainly humorous tale I was able to relate. Catching up on some of your entries that I missed over time, I found one that was particularly pertinent to our situation. On February 14, you did a …


Letter Re: Supporting SurvivalBlog

On the Yahoo discussion group survivalretreat, the other two moderators and I recently posted a very boiled down and simple philosophy: “The more who prepare, and the better they each prepare, the better off we all are. We welcome people to join us as survivalists.” I hope this is your attitude as a survivalist, and if you think about it, wouldn’t this be an incredibly wise policy for any government to take. It would make its citizenship stronger, less needy, and more resilient to against any catastrophe or hard times. The best part is, it’s free. This is merely information, …


Letter Re: Supporting SurvivalBlog

Jim, I’d just like to exhort readers to invest whatever modest sum they can in helping to keep SurvivalBlog up and running–stepping up to the Ten Cent Challenge or whatever other means of providing support they feel up to. There’s nothing else of this type and quality out there on the web, and if folks think that anyone can live on the paltry ad fees you collect for the site, then they are obviously not aware of the details. It’s to all of our benefit that you have given this your best shot–committing your full attention to making sure your …


Special Note from JWR:

The folks that sell preparedness products have reported a sales slump for the past several months, as Americans have gone into “cocooning” mode and curtailed their discretionary spending. (On everything, it seems, except big screen televisions.) Consequently, that has meant that several of our advertisers have scaled back their advertising budgets. We presently have room for several more advertisers, including a special “nailed up” top of the ad stack position–that is, an ad that will stay fixed above all of the scrolling ads. If you contact any potential advertisers, please ask them to get a SurvivalBlog banner ad. My advertising …


Book Excerpt: “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”

In response to a request to Matthew from Indiana, who wanted to know what my novel was like before ordering it, the following is an excerpt from the first chapter of the expanded (33 chapter) edition of my novel “Patriots”: On the last day of October, the Grays found that their phone was still working, but only for local calls. When they tried making long-distance calls, they got an “All circuits are busy now” recording, at all hours of the day or night. The next day, there was message advising that “All circuits will be restored shortly.” Two days later, …


Letter Re: 10 Cent Challenge Subscription Renewal Reminders?

Jim, I just had to scan through tons of e-mails to see when I last contributed [to the10 Cent Challenge]. I just wanted to stay current because I sincerely appreciate the information you convey. It would be very helpful if you would just send out a little reminder as my year anniversary approaches so I can stay up to date. Once again, thanks for your wonderful blog! – Andy JWR Replies: Thank you for your continued support. It is very much appreciated. But as much as I value it, I don’t e-mail our 10 Cent Challenge subscribers, bugging/begging them to …


Two Letters Re: The Novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”

Jim, I recently received the updated version of “Patriots” a couple days ago. At first I was just going to read the new chapters, but after seeing that you gave it an overall update, I decided to just read the whole thing. So far I have been very impressed. (The two new chapters alone were worth the price of the book.) Not to mention the way everything else was updated. Way to go! You have done a very good job with this new edition, and I have already ordered a few more copies to have on hand as gifts. I …


Letter Re: Doubling Up on a SurvivalBlog 10 Cent Challenge Subscription

Jim, I’m enjoying the blog so much that I want to double my contribution. How would I do that? An additional PayPal subscription? I wish that more folks would join on. Best Regards, – MP in Seattle JWR Replies: I’m glad to hear that you find the blog useful and informative. A double subscription would be greatly appreciated, but that would be above and beyond the call of duty. The easiest method is simply to start a second subscription, via the link at our Ten Cent Challenge page. A second subscription won’t cause any paperwork confusion, since I don’t send …


Two Letters Re: Some More Good Things Prompted By SurvivalBlog

Jim, For a few months now, I’ve been thinking about sending you a note along the lines of Redmist’s recent post. His post inspired me to get off my hands and start typing. I discovered SurvivalBlog in September of 2005–just a week or two after Katrina knocked the stew out of the Gulf coast. Around the same time I was blessed to work at a relief distribution center in Gulf Port, Mississippi for five days. In March of this year, my wife and I accompanied my son on another five-day trip with the church youth group to do reconstructive work …


Letter Re: Access to SurvivalBlog Archives?

Jim, I stumbled across your Survival Blog today. Wonderful service you provide! Read some of archives…excellent! Question: It looks like the SurvivalBlog archives start in August of 2005 but cut off in April of 2006. Are there any more recent posts that I can access? Thank you. – J.U., COL, US Army (Ret.) JWR Replies: Welcome! Yes, all of the posts that are more recent are now fully searchable by key word, or can be browsed by categories, or can be browsed in monthly Archives. (See the categories, monthly archive links, and Search window, down under the ads, in the …


Letter Re: Some Good Things Prompted By SurvivalBlog

Jim, The following are some things SurvivalBlog.com has prompted me to do since I began reading it: I’ve had no debt for 20 years, but my meager holdings are now about 1/3 precious metals. Is lead considered a precious metal? 🙂 My freezer is full of elk, whitetail deer, and caribou. I added to my long-term foods during your Safecastle special, but I’m now reviewing the viability of my existing stocks. Like the realtor’s mantra of “location, location, location”, a survivalist’s creed should be “Rotate, rotate, rotate. “ A 10 KW Generac generator is ready to be wired to my …


Letter Re: Invitation to a Blog “Carnival” on Preparedness and Survival

Hi Jim, I’ve been a sometime reader of your blog since last year, and wanted to invite you to submit an article for the first issue of the Carnival of Preparedness & Survival. If you are willing, you can also extend the invitation to your readers. I can’t promise to use everything that’s submitted, but some of your readers have had interesting things to say, and I’d like to have as much variety as possible in this Carnival. Best Regards, – D.S. Rawles     Disaster Preparedness   SurvivalBlog   Blog Carnival   The Bugout Bag


Letter Re: SurvivalBlog RSS Feed

Hello James, Last week you mentioned publishing content in the MobiReader format so that it is accessible to readers using PDAs or cellular phones with text windows. I have not used that software specifically, but would like to bring pRSS Reader to your attention. pRSS Reader is a free RSS reader that runs on Windows Mobile devices, and is the software I use to read SurvivalBlog daily. You may want to suggest this option to your readers who prefer to read the blog on a mobile device. The software will automatically check for updates to the blog at a configurable …


Letter Re: Everyday Savings Via SurvivalBlog

Jim: Just the other day, on the thread concerning watches, another SurvivalBlog reader posted a link to a Japanese firm [Higuchi.com] that sold watches. I took a look around their site, and found, to my surprise, that the watch I had been pining for was 1/3 the cost of the same watch purchased from a USA dealer, shipping included. Needless to say I whipped out my debit card and did the deed. But it occurred to me, over the short existence of SurvivalBlog I have run into bargains for items that I would normally purchase – unrelated to survival or …


Letter Re: Ten Cent Challenge

Jim, I have been reading SurvivalBlog from the beginning. I have made several contributions early on, and signed up for the 10 Cent Challenge some time ago. The real reason I am sending this email is to publicly ask everyone who is a regular reader of your blog to sign up now for the Ten Cent Challenge, if you have not already done so. I cannot imagine the huge empty hole that would be left if for some reason you discontinued your blog due to lack of support. I sincerely believe our country at some time will face one or …