Category: Traditional Skills/Fieldcraft

Letter Re: Survival Electronics and the Lowly Vacuum Tube

James: This is in response to an earlier letter where a reader asserted that his knowledge as an electronics engineer will be of little use after TEOTWAWKI. He is wrong, we will not abandon all the technology invented over the past 100+ years. Say for example we are hit with the big solar event, several EMPs and most solid state electronics are destroyed. One component that will survive is the vacuum tube. There will still be means to generate electricity here and there that will not be affected, hydroelectric generators will still spin, steam turbines, some of these can be …


Letter Re: Another Instructables Reader

Hi Mr. Rawles, Instructables.com is one of five web sites I visit on a daily basis (second to yours, of course), and I love seeing links to it from your blog.  I don’t know if you’ve seen the following entries, but they’re certainly handy in a pinch: Emergency Duct Tape field stretcher Paracord Rifle Sling Paracord Bandoleer Of course purpose-built stretchers, slings, and bandoleers would serve one best; but once the Schumer hits the fan, the next best thing might just be made from stockpiled duct tape and parachute cord! Best Regards, – Skip H.


Letter Re: Beyond Outdoor Survival

James,     As someone who has taken multiple week-long backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains, I noticed a couple of things in this article that I would like to address.  The first is the author’s advice on mountain shelters.  First of all, if you do decide to pick a cave for shelter please be aware that mountain lions are plentiful in the mountains and one may have already decided to make that cave its home.  I have literally walked within feet of a mountain line that was laying in its den in the middle of the day, a very unnerving …


Beyond Outdoor Survival, by Sarah M.

As a homeschooler, I enjoy reading books about survival techniques. I have to admit that I have never been in trapped in the jungle, stuck on Mount Everest, or lost in the desert (sometimes we homeschoolers do tend to get a little rambunctious and we wish we could just get lost for one day, just to test our knowledge). Nevertheless, I do know of many stories I could tell. But, that’s not why I am writing. I am writing to help homeschoolers (or other people who have some time on their hands) realize that they have an opportunity to prepare …


Survival Electronics, by M.B. Ham

As an electronics and computer engineer for the past 30 years my personal skill sets are of limited but interesting value after TEOTWAWKI. Given that there may be very limited electricity, and/or the fact that CME/EMP may destroy most electronics devices, the need for these skills may be rare. I feel that these skills will be mostly useless unless you are part of a sustainable group of retreatists that have electricity and devices that use it. I plan to be part of such a group, and so I am planning ahead to make sure that my skills can be applied …


Letter Re: An Antique Well-Drilling Blog

Hi James, I’ve been putting together a blog illustrating well-drilling methods and machinery called The Jack Line. Although I’ll cover early powered drilling machinery at some point, the emphasis right now is on hand-powered well drilling and hand-built drilling machinery. I hope people can find it useful. There is much more material to be added as time permits. – Jeff B.


Two Letters Re: The Disappearing Road Quandary

James Wesley, I’d like to turn the author of the article and others on to Calumet Industries. I’ve purchased the “PSP” from them in the past and had a good transaction. I was purchasing them for a slightly different reason – as bridging planks. The PSP is heavier gauge steel dating back to WWII and are a lot stronger than the more modern temporary road bedding. I cut off the connection tabs along the side and welded on some tubing lengthwise on the sides to further strengthen the planks. These are now strong enough to construct a short bridge to …


Letter Re: Meat Canning Experience

James,                   People frequently refer to losing power in freezers as good incentive to keep freeze dried food on hand.  My family found out the hard way that your freezer full of meat can be canned with excellent results!  I awoke one Friday morning and headed downstairs to get ready for work.  I noticed a glow in the basement and, knowing that there were no lights that were supposed to be on, went downstairs to check it out.  Somehow, the night before, the upright freezer door had either not been shut securely or had come open.  Our store of …


Life Without Electricity in a Semi-Tropical Climate, by Lynn M.

We are preppers. I love reading the prep/survival books. There’s so much information out there and so many people involved in prepping now, there’s just no reason to not do it! We learned from experience that you can never be over prepared. Since 2004 I’ve learned how to store food for the long term, how to filter water (okay, I’ll give credit to my Berkey on that one), I’ve learned about bug out bags and how to build a fire with a flint, but what I learned the most from was living for more than two weeks without electricity after …


Letter Re: Downsizing Your Oversize Wool Sweaters

Dear Editor, SurvivalBlog has recommended stocking up on wool sweaters from thrift shops.  I took your advice, went to a thrift shop, and found lots of cheap sweaters in perfect condition, cashmere no less, that were hopelessly too big, as well as one baggy Merino sweater.  Since cashmere is very warm, as well as comfortable, I decided to make them fit, and bought them anyway.  First, I turned them inside out (to reduce pilling) and put them in the washing machine on Delicate cycle, Hot water, without soap.  A couple of the sweaters shrank to the right size just from …


There is No Magic Wand, by Grace H.

Some of the very earliest memories I have of wanting to be a good prepper come from stories about my Scottish grandmother.  They lived in Sunderland, England, during both World Wars, had eight living children, were poor as church mice, and fed anyone who was in need because of the bombing raids.  Apparently, her theory was to add more water to the soup pot and another cup of barley.  My Dad told me that she said that the sign of a good housewife is a well-stocked pantry, ready for all emergencies.   As a child I read First Aid manuals …


Letter Re: Grow Your Own Sourdough Starter

Hello, Sourdough is indeed not only a solution to not having yeast to make bread, it is superior. I would like to offer some help to get started in this quickly. For me the learning curve was steep, but now I can easily make sourdough from scratch, with no mail order starter. Obviously if there comes a time when you can not mail order starter, such a skill could serve you well. First, the idea that yeasts are floating around in the air, and form the foundation for fermenting sourdough is an old wives tale. Natural yeasts and probiotics occur …


How to Winnow, De-Hull, and Clean Your Own Home-Grown Grains, by Notutopia

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I thought I’d share some of the options available on de-hulling grain, for others, who are embarking on raising their own plot or field of grains and then plan to long term store their harvests. This information is also relevant to processing many varieties of grains, seeds and hulled legumes. Processing Overview There are several separate steps to the processing of grains to get them ready for storage, if, they are to be utilized for human consumption and not just for replanting as field seed. These steps include:  Harvesting or cutting the grain stalks, upright stacking the cut stalks and …


Tangible Investments for the Future, by Donald V.

Until recently, I had been confused on how to invest my savings, in anticipation of future currency inflation.  Our family is truly blessed by the Lord and we have a small farm that is our retreat.  We have also made stocking up on beans and bullets a regular and routine practice; for which I am very thankful.  While these items allow me to sleep at night; especially after reading the news, any extra that we put away will likely be used for charity; and thus I do not feel that these items are an investment and in a true schumer …


Letter Re: Why Store Wheat?

Mr. Rawles: I’ve been reading SurvivalBlog exhaustively for several days, and I don’t understand why people store wheat as part of a long term food storage plan. Since yeast is not a long term storable commodity, it will not be available to make bread.  That means that the buckets of stored wheat can be used only for sprouts or as a cereal dish, which is rather unpalatable.  Our food storage plan is centered on rice, pasta, and beans instead of wheat.  Am I missing something? Why store hard wheat?   Thanks for your help,  Michael  JWR Replies: Yeast can be stored for up to four …