Category: Traditional Skills/Fieldcraft

Adapt to Survive, by Elizabeth B.

You are incredibly mistaken if you think you can store up enough to see you through bad times. You are wrong, dead wrong. When I say store up, I’m talking, food, provisions, tools, barter equipment, and whatever. The key to survival will be adaptation, just like in nature. Those who survive will be those who can readily adapt to a changing environment. I know many of you are sitting on little mountains of barrels, cans, packages and feel like you have an edge. Simply put, you will not be able to squirrel away enough. What happens when the stash runs …


Letter Re: Useful References on Metalworking

I recommend two books to help our readers understand metalworking. They might never need these, but they’re at least useful for understanding what’s involved:. 1. Wayne Goddard’s $50 Knife Shop 2. The Modern Blacksmith And if you want to go a step further, there’s a nice compendium called “Useful Farm Implements”, though I suspect we’ll just focus on more immediate books like “Gardening When It Counts” though I personally recommend not using animal protein powder as a soil and feed amendment [as recommended in that book]. Prions, ya know? On a more personal note, I remain stunned that the economic …


Letter Re: A Useful Heated Steel Color Emission Chart

Dear Jim, That chart that you posted on Saturday only applies to steel alloys. At a given temperature, oxidation will show those colors. The brighter colors are incandescent colors that are emission, not absorption colors. This is a good reference for heat treating metal, but only works if you know the alloy in question. It is actually best to use that chart on overcast days or in shadow. Bright sun will generally cause one to excessively heat in the incandescent range, leading to red-shortness, cracks, decarburizing and burning. – Michael Z. Williamson


Letter Re: A Useful Heated Steel Color Emission Chart

Dear James: I came across this table in a reference book and thought it may be useful to everyone. Note: This chart should not be used as a guide to combating fires. Remember all fires are dangerous, and you should call the fire department, if that is a possibility, when you see flames. All degrees are in Fahrenheit below. Yellow 450 degrees Fahrenheit Brown to Purple 550 degrees Fahrenheit Blue 600 degrees Fahrenheit Faint Red 900 degrees Fahrenheit Dark Cherry Red 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit Full Cherry Red 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit Salmon 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit Lemon 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. White 2,200 …


Letter Re: Recommended Sources for Gardening Hand Tools?

JWR, Preparing for our first garden, other than large pot/barrel gardening, next year. Headed down to our local ranch/farm supply store to pick up some gardening tools, e.g., shovel, rake, hoe, pick, etc.; figured they would be a bit cheaper this time of year. But what I found for sale just floored me. I can’t imagine anyone who had real work to do using any of the products available. The shovels had one tiny rivet holding the blade to a skinny wooden handle; it looked like if it were dropped it would break. The other tools had the same appearance. …


Letter Re: The Depression of the 1930s–Why No Societal Collapse?

Hi Jim, I really enjoyed reading your novel “Patriots”. I’ve read a few other books also, like “Lucifer’s Hammer” and I have to admit that they spurred me to buy a 22 LR [rimfire rifle] as a starter. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking of our current situation in this country and it occurs to me that every generation has things going on that is very concerning. But in particular was thinking the Great Depression should have been a good example of things going to h*ll. Yet there was not this great meltdown where people needed to go to …


Three Letters Re: The Savvy Barterer

Hi Jim: That first paragraph touched a nerve, because it was so truthful for me. My senior year in college everybody went to Ft. Liquordale. I went to Marrakech. Amazing experience. And boy did I get burned on some of the things I bought there. Some by as much as 1,000%. But the learning experience I came away with was priceless. The negotiation skills I learned there have become by far my most valuable business tool. That experience really made me think. On one hobby web site where I have collected much feedback my favorite one of all is “He …


The Savvy Barterer–References, Skills, and Tools for TEOTWAWKI Barter

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One of my long-standing Precepts is that every prepared individual should be ready for both barter and dispensing charity. Today, I’ll be briefly discussing barter. Being ready to barter is not just a matter of having a pile of “stuff” to barter. While barter and charity logistics are important, what is even more important is what is between your ears. A Bazaar Experience Bartering takes practice. Dickering is an acquired skill. Short of buying yourself a plane ticket to Marrakech, I suggest that you start attending gun shows, garage sales, and flea markets. Learn how to haggle. One of my …


Preparing for Survival Retreat Perimeter Defense, by O.F.

There may come a time when a survival retreat will need to be defended, and a properly prepared perimeter will be key to the success of the defense. While many survival-minded individuals and retreat groups have likely considered the possibility of a defense scenario, many are at a loss as to how to plan for such an situation. If the time comes, a well-thought, methodically planned perimeter defense will hold up better than simply having “a bunch guns and ammo.” Fighting positions offer several advantages during perimeter defense. Proper positions allow the defenders to observe possible threats with reduced risk …


Letter Re: Machining–Making the Gears that Drive Industry, Agriculture, and Transport

Greetings Jim and the SurvivalBlog Family, First of all, prayers sent for Memsahib’s recovery and your family’s well being. At one point in my rather varied list of jobs to fill in while unemployed I found myself employed in a family owned machine shop. I reproduced drafted copies of gear drawings and specifications from previously made orders for the guys in the shop to manufacture the gear orders. I got a real education on just how gears and similar ‘small’ parts are made and I picked up a few skills that have helped me over the years in maintaining my …


Letter Re: Becoming a Food Warrior

James: I appreciate your web site. It suits me right to the ground. I’d like to be an occasional contributor. Congratulations on your fastidious maintenance of this meaningful site. Just like farming isn’t it. Guerrilla food shopping (part one) I’m no conventional warrior, I couldn’t force myself to take a life, but I am a survivalist. Not to put too fine a point on this: I am a food warrior. As I write this, one of our battles is escalating food prices, isn’t it? What can we do as individuals to protect ourselves? Plenty! We aren’t hostages you know. Not …


Replace Your FUD with Preparedness Action–a Pre-Crash “D” List

All of the recent economic news may be overwhelming to some. This has left many people virtually petrified by Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD). Don’t be a proverbial “deer in the headlights.” I strongly encourage you get past your anxiety uncertainty and instead of sitting around glued to CNN, wringing your hands and saying “ain’t it awful”. Replace that angst with action. Get busy preparing. Here is my suggested Crash Countdown “D” List, for folks that are already fairly well-prepared: 1.) De-Hummelize Sell off any collectibles that are not family heirlooms. The worst offenders here are the mass produced “limited …


Letter Re: Home Canning and Stocking Up

Dear Sir, I would like to thank you for your time and effort in providing a “one stop shop” for such a large volume of information. Principally due to your site, my family and I have begun to increase the size of our pantry with both purchased food/supplies and other materials as well as increase the amount of food we are home canning. One observation I have made in all our preparations is the amount of food (from local gardens, backyard fruit trees, farmyard orchards) that goes to waste in our area. It is amazing the amount of produce on …


Letter Re: Some Thoughts on Practical Preparedness — Things That Work

Jim: To follow-up on the last two e-mails that you posted from me, here are some random thoughts that I’d like to share on preparedness for when the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF): Use an eyeglasses “leash” (lanyard) to prevent the loss of glasses and reduce the risk of damage. Buy janitorial-size rolls os toilet paper, without perforations. Each roll is 1,000 feet long, and a box of 12 rolls measures about two feet square. These take up just a fraction of the room required to store the same length of toilet paper in standard household rolls. Use a kiddie-type …


Letter Re: A Resource on Make-It-Yourself Backpacking Gear

Hello, I came across this web site and thought I’d send you the link to a page at Backpacking.net: Make Your Own Gear! I can’t even sew my shirt buttons back on, but maybe it would be of use to other readers. [JWR Adds: Don’t miss the individual plans in the left hand bar.] By the way, I gave your novel a good review on Amazon.com. Most everybody did. But I included a motivational quote in it that really means a lot to me. I heard it from an Amway tape many years ago: “I will do today what others …