Month: October 2006

Note From JWR:

The high bid is still at $75 in the current SurvivalBlog benefit auction, It is for a scarce autographed first edition copy of the book Survival Guns by Mel Tappan. The auction ends on November 15th. Please submit your bid via e-mail.


Letter Re: Walking Sticks for Self Defense

James: Regarding walking sticks, I’d suggest folks look at two sites. One would be Cold Steel, where they can assemble a pretty stout, flexible and lethal combo from their waxwood poles, their Bushman knives, and steel sections applied to the staff near the ends. The Bushman’s sheath can be leather or parachute cord “strapped” onto the staff, and when needed be affixed to the end and voila! … staff becomes spear. Alas, they no longer have the staffs on their site, but the Bushmans are there, and the rest is a simple exercise in measurement and a half-hour of handiwork. …


Letter Re: MURS Radios and Microphone Connections

James, Your MURS supplier [MURS Radios] has an excellent product. Regarding inconspicuous microphones and earpieces: We’ve been using this gentleman’s products for the last 5 or 6 years and been very well pleased. About halfway down the page is the Stealth 3-Wire Surveillance Kit, which is what I use. About the only thing I’ve found that I like better is the combination earpiece mike where you talk thru your ear but it definitely has problems in high noise environment and we had trouble with them in helicopters. Every time you open your mouth, the rotor/engine/wind noise overrides your voice. Darned …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Hawaiian K notes: “One of the most practical skills an outdoorsman/survivalist can practice is knot tying. There is a terrific site that shows you exactly how they’re done (they show examples of around 75 specific knots) via clearly photographed animations.    o o o From WorldNetDaily: Investors warned of post-election disaster. The Gold Anti-Trust Action organization’s Bill Murphy claims that the Plunge Protection Team may have plans for a weaker dollar, after the U.S. mid-term election in early November.    o o o Bob at Ready Made Resources mentioned that he is available for free consulting (with no purchase …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 7 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If you want a chance to win Round 7, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 7 will end on November 30th. Remember that the articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Selecting Barter Goods, by Warhawke

In a post-TEOTWAWKI world just about everyone realizes that paper money will become useless (unless you can get enough to use as insulation for your house) and there has been much discussion of gold, silver and other items for barter in these pages. I have devoted a great deal of thought to this subject and I would like to share a few of my ideas on the subject with you. I’m going to try to be fairly short on details here in order to keep the length of the article manageable. Keep in mind that what I am discussing here …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 7 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If you want a chance to win Round 7, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 7 will end on November 30th. Remember that the articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Herbal Survival Medicine by KLS in Ohio

Here in the U.S. we have grown up in an age where hospitals and family clinics are an accepted, common place necessity. Our medical professionals with their full range of antibiotics have the best triage training in the world. If you’re in a car accident in the U.S. you are most likely to survive if you make it to a hospital. They’ll fix you right up! But they aren’t well equipped in preventing disease. As in Jim’s novel “Patriots” when the character ‘Mary’ used herbs such as Comfrey to treat their wounded, we may not have access to modern medicines …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I recently drove down most of the length of Idaho on Highway 95. Many of the Idaho stretches of this highway would be classified as a “secondary road” in most other states. But it is Idaho’s only north-south corridor–the equivalent of California’s Highway 5. It connects two economically distinct regions. Southern Idaho is economically tied to the humble potato, and adjoining Utah. It is on Mountain Time. Northern Idaho is economically tied to logging and to the easternmost portions of adjoining Oregon and Washington. It is on Pacific Time. Highway 95 is so pitifully under-engineered that it earned the nickname …




Letter Re: Conjecture on North Korea’s Intentions

Mr. Rawles: In looking at the situation that has unfolded over the past month in North Korea, I see two possible paths that North Korea could be headed towards. Path one is the atypical playground bully turned armed robber who has become accustomed to people putting up their hands when confronted, only he has had the misfortune to run into someone who has attended a Front Sight course and carries a full frame 1911… ’nuff said. The game is up, and the robber just soiled his boxers. If this is the case, we won’t be having any more trouble from …


Letter Re: Handgun Caliber Selection–Advice on .357 SIG and .40 S&W?

Jim: Had any experience with .40 S&W and .357 SIG? I’m trying out a .40sw conversion and a .357 SIG conversion for my KelTec P-11. Oughta be wild with a 14 ounce frame handgun. Just wondered if you’d shot either and what your thoughts were. I know, they are both uncommon calibers. But this is just for funsies. I am still mainly .22,.45, .223, .308 & 12 gauge. I’m just doing this on a lark. Gotta do a lark once in awhile to keep the perspective. Neat thing about the KelTec. (A cheap but well built gun) is to change …