Category: Vehicles

The Scottish Snowstorms of Winter 2010-2011

In November, it started to snow in the British Isles.  I remember this date well because on the way to Edinburgh from Manchester, my car hit a patch of black ice and skidded at roughly 60 miles per hour. The car was wrecked; I staggered away unhurt.  I wasn’t the only one to have a nasty accident on the first day and I was certainly one of the lucky ones.  There were many injuries and deaths on the first day. Matters only got worse over December.  There was an unprecedented level of snowfall in Britain.  The roads were jammed up, …


Letter Re: Storing Spare Vehicle CPUs for EMP Preparedness

Mr. Rawles,   I recently have been going through the PCM/ECM/ECU vehicle engine/transmission control module nightmare. And it is a nightmare. Dealers typically won’t warrantee or allow return/refund on the vehicle computers unless they perform the diagnostics first. That’s a couple hundred bucks right there, before you get to buying the computer – which in my case for a 10 year old truck was $480, before sales tax. Then you have the labor to install it. Oh, and only the dealer can program it.   So I started snooping around on Google.  Using the search terms “remanufactured PCM” and “remanufactured …


Letter Re: Observations From a Canadian Farmer

Hi Jim:  I have been reading SurvivalBlog.com for several months now and have found it very interesting.  I purchased a 640 acre farm in 1970 in the Little Clay belt in Northern Ontario and started from scratch.  I was 25, not married and knew no one in the area when moved from a large urban city, six hours drive away.  It was daunting and I learned a lot of lessons the hard way.  Since I used up all my cash I also had to work out to make ends meet. Here are some of my thoughts in no special order: …


Two Letters Re: Storing Spare Vehicle CPUs for EMP Preparedness

Sir: Most computerized gas engine vehicles built before 1996 (OBD-I) have a permanent computer memory module called a Mem-cal or PROM (programmed read-only memory) which can be stored indefinitely or used as-is from a parts house or junkyard. OBD-II vehicles, generally 1996 and later, all use the writable E-PROM which requires a specialized program and equipment to re-write. Also, the newer the OBD-II vehicle, the more computers it is likely to have. However only the module(s) for the power train are mission-critical. E-PROMs are more delicate than the older PROMs and sometimes require “re-flashing” to restore functionality. Obviously, the older …


Letter Re: Storing Spare Vehicle CPUs for EMP Preparedness

JWR,   Thanks for the great blog and everything you do for us.   I was at my local Ford dealer getting some work done and ask the service manager about computer modules for my 2006 F250 diesel. He told there are three different modules; engine, fuel and transmission. I ask how much they cost and he told me “a lot” but they are fairly simple to install, basically unplug the old and plug in the new one. What he told me next I hadn’t thought about and had not read; the computer modules must be programmed to work. Also …


Prepare and Practice Often, or Pay The Price, by J. in the Great White North

I want to relate a story that happened to me this past week that I think will be instructive for many SurvivalBlog readers. My journey into prepping started about a year ago, when my eyes were opened after reading a contrarian economist’s books about the fragile state of our economy, and the impending implications that will inevitably result if our world continues to operate on tomorrow’s dollar and with a Nanny-state mentality. The very same day I finished his latest book, I went to my local bookstore to find similar titles that could augment what I’d already read.  This is …


The Golden Hours, by Brad H.

The three main factors in determining who lives and who dies WTSHTF are situational awareness, overcoming inertia, and dumb luck. The first two you have some control over. The third is always going to be beyond your control, except for Divine intervention, so don’t worry about it. If you are at mid-span on the Golden Gate Bridge when Al Qaeda sets off a nuke in San Francisco, or “The Big One” hits. In such cases, acceptance of God’s will is all you have to do to prepare. For those who are lucky enough to not be killed immediately when disaster …


Letter Re: Prepping Paid Off in Midwest Snowstorms

JWR: As you know the Midwest experienced a large snow event this past Tuesday and Wed that left many people dealing with a large amount of snow and the associated problems that come with a large scale storm. I am fortunate that I was able to be safe with my family due to my preps however many were not as fortunate. This storm was predicted for several days and beginning as early as Sunday 1/30/11 the shelves at the local stores were getting thin. By Monday night there was large swaths of empty shelves and staples such as Bread and …


Two Letters Re: Prepping Pays Off in Midwest Winter Storms

Hello, I just wanted to write you about an experience I had recently. First of all I own a very dog eared copy of your novel “Patriots“ that was given to me by someone who I look up to a lot. This individual was the first person to expose me to the “bug out” bag concept. As a result I’ve always been a preparedness type of girl. In high school and college I always kept provisions for myself wherever went and as a result I’ve been able to rise to the occasion many times when things got tough. As a …


Prepared? I Hope So, by C.W. in Arizona

Those of us who wish to be prepared for whatever may lay ahead, are always faced with unique situations and challenges.  Those challenges may include such things as: lack of funds, a difficult location, non-supportive or elderly or disabled family members, your age or stage in life, etc. The list goes on and on. However, is it imperative to find solutions and make plans?  I think so!  While my situation is a little unusual, I count myself as truly blessed to be one of those individuals who knows the time to be prepared is now, rather than later.  I am …


The Survival Trunk Gun by J.S.

There are plenty of forum postings and articles online on the subject of “trunk guns,” but I haven’t seen one that is survival or SHTF specific.  Many postings on SurvivalBlog detail a prep list and/or their B.O.B. list their firearms but rarely describe those carried in a vehicle on an ongoing basis. This is where the legal disclaimer comes in, right at the beginning.  I’m not a lawyer or firearms-related legal expert.  Do not assume anything mentioned herein is legal where you live or travel, I take no responsibility for illegal acts that stem from this article.  MOST parts of …


Two Letters Re: Big Rig Survival

Mr. Rawles,    I enjoyed reading R.E.V.’s letter on preparedness for truckers. My husband and I are truckers as well, and we have done a lot of thinking about what we would do in a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation. Being 500 to 1000 miles away from home means a whole different set of requirements for a “Get Home Bag”. R.E.V. did a great job, but I feel there are a few more points that should be touched on. The first is how quickly diesel can become scarce. Having seen how rapidly truck stops in a given area can be drained …


Big Rig Survival, by R.E.V.

Virtually everything you use, have or need with the exception of the air you breath has at some point in its life been touched by a truck (aka Big Rig). Without the estimated 3.5 million truck drivers, America as we know it literally stops.           In an emergency, whether it is natural or man made, preparedness for the truck driver is paramount. A Hurricane Katrina like situation or a economic crash as portrayed in JWR‘s novel “Patriots” allows the prepared truck driver to not only survive but possibly prosper and contribute to the revitalization of our homeland.           Big Rig …


Letter Re: Railroad Routes for G.O.O.D. Ways Out of Town

Jim, While you and other readers have touched on some of the safety and legal concerns regarding the use of railroad tracks as G.O.O.D. routes, I’d like to add a couple of points.   My wife and I live in a city surrounded by major rivers, so my plan assumes that in an emergency situation it will be difficult – if not impossible – to get a vehicle across any of the bridges out of town.  Thus, we have to be prepared to travel roughly 100 miles on foot. A couple of years ago, as I was planning the route my …


Letter Re: Railroad Routes for G.O.O.D. Ways Out of Town

Jim,     Thanks for your help and support for all of us that are closet preppers working our daily grind but having this subject always in the back of our mind.  My job takes me to the west side of Washington state weekly and I live on the east side in a rural setting.  I know I am not alone with the thought of “how am I going to get home” if a sudden event happens.   As you have talked about, railroad lines are an option.  One can purchase a railroad atlas online that is helpful in thinking …