JWR - The article written by Tom H. contains some dangerous advice and overlooks some important issues. He wrote: "Next, cut the receptacle end (female) off the 120 VAC extension cord and install the replacement 120 VAC plug (male)...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 18, 2009 07:54 PM
When it comes to natural and man-made disasters, I’ve seen my share, and each was a learning experience. Although diverse in type, all of them shared a common factor: a dire impact on the human populations they affected. That...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 6, 2009 11:25 PM
Many of the very informative articles that have been written, talk about Getting Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.), plotting alternative routes, allowing for problems along the way, practising packing the vehicle and having fuel and supplies at en route stop-over...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 4, 2009 05:53 PM
SurvivalBlog's Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson found an amazing story that illustrates the anarchic situation in Somalia: Somali Pirates Open Up a "Stock Exchange". Mike pointed out this quote: "Piracy investor Sahra Ibrahim, a 22-year-old divorcee, was lined...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 3, 2009 09:25 PM
This is for the Ladies: take the lead on frugality to finance your family preparedness! Below are things I do and have done, some for years, some for only a few months. You’d be amazed at how much starts...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 28, 2009 08:20 PM
Brits put Cold War bunker on preservation list: U.S.-built fortress left obsolete by fall of Berlin Wall becomes landmark. (Thanks to Mike H. for the link.) o o o Do you have one of those great folding bicycles? Now...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 8, 2009 09:03 PM
Sir, Here is a list of the food suggestions that we made for our kids families. This list only deals with the food and not any implements or utensils needed for preparation and consumption. We already supplied them with...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 25, 2009 05:45 PM
I am unable to make my home self-sustaining. So, unfortunately, my family will probably become refugees in a true SHTF scenario. My focus presently is in becoming desirable refugees rather than shunned refugees. The key is minimizing any negative...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 18, 2009 06:35 PM
Once you realize the importance of being prepared for coming hard times, you may ask yourself, “How can I possibly prepare for any scenario? This is an insurmountable undertaking.” The more you ponder this, the more the reality of...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 6, 2009 06:45 PM
Many of you could be faced with the unique challenge of crossing a river during any number of “The End Of The World As We Know It” (TEOTWAWKI) scenarios. I have pre-positioned a respectable stock of supplies at my primary...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 24, 2009 05:55 PM
Introduction Imagine this situation: All of the media outlets have gone to commercial-free coverage. They are reporting that the Dow has dropped 2,000 points and trading has been suspended on Wall Street. The Chinese, along with other countries have transferred...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 8, 2009 10:33 PM
[Introductory note from JWR: I normally send detailed letter replies only to their intended recipients, but in this case, I thought that this letter was a great example of terrain and obstacle analysis,a s well as "outside the box" planning,...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 31, 2009 09:55 PM
Part 1 - Introduction History will repeat itself, for history has shown, that history will repeat itself. Unfortunately my wife is not interested in history. She is, however coming around, and now I pass my knowledge on to others...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 4, 2009 10:15 PM
Tibetan Yaks in America? Why yes, about 5,000 of them, and growing. Why yaks? They are the most versatile animal whether you operate a retreat with livestock or plan to Get out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) Yaks can be yoked...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 2, 2009 05:15 PM
Ebola in Pigs New Health Threat o o o New on the market: Stay Alert caffeine chewing gum. (Obviously, this is something only for short-term emergency situations--like staying awake during the second half of a non-stop 800 -mile G.O.O.D....
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 30, 2009 10:54 PM
Hello Mr. Rawles; I just found your blog site and have not read all the postings yet. One thing I have not seen is a go bag for the dog. If one has a purse mutt, a carrier with supplies...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 27, 2009 07:19 PM
Hello Mr. Rawles, Thank you for taking the time to reply to my previous e-mail. I must confess your original post on your blog and your reply left me feeling somewhat bothered and a little defensive. I have been mulling...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 22, 2009 06:35 PM
Hello Mr. Rawles, I love the Blog! Here is a tip for those readers who would like to save money and their backs by following Carla's soap recipe. Since I have a cat, I have been using the bargain...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 19, 2009 06:59 PM
Dear James Regarding Matt R.'s letter, I have been a survivalist and self-sufficient minded person most of my adult life. I live at my retreat in a prime western state. I have been reading your site for the last...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 7, 2009 08:49 PM
Jim: The figure [cited by "Feral Farmer"] of 100 square miles per hunter-gatherer can't be correct. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles). So, at 100 square mile per hunter gatherer, would only...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 1, 2009 08:22 PM
Dear Editor: John M.'s letter was excellent, polite, and to the point. The following are my rules for townies: 1. If your water comes out of a faucet or a bottle, and you can not safely walk to a...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 29, 2009 11:05 PM
James - We think along similar lines, as my wife and I relocated to Central Idaho in 1995, raising and homeschooling our four children here. We're electrically functioning off the grid, engage in animal husbandry, grow what vegetables we...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 28, 2009 09:23 PM
I think as a boy my favorite stories were always about epic journeys or quests. I always saw myself as the lone hero; bravely making his way through a barren landscape overcoming impossible obstacles and having fantastic adventures along...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 12, 2009 10:51 PM
I've been working on getting prepared for about 20 years now. During that time, I've collected a large amount of information. Let's face it, there's a lot of information out there, and to this day I'm still collecting. I currently...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 22, 2009 08:52 PM
Jim, In regards to stocking up on prescription medicine your readers may want to use the book "Wilderness Medicine" by William Forgey, M.D. as a good starting point. A couple of other "beginner books" are "Where There Is No...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 18, 2009 09:46 PM
The following are the first batch of responses to our survey about areas that might be bypassed by looters and refugees, WTSHTF: There are many islands off the east coast that in my opinion would be avoided by most and...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 1, 2009 07:56 PM
James, Our family recently found your book and blog. We are working diligently to prepare. One question I have not seen addressed: What do you think about sending a child to college? We are a conservative, Christian, home schooling family....
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 23, 2009 06:19 PM
Mr Rawles, I have been reading Survivalblog for a couple of years now and want to thank you for providing such a wonderful resource. I also participated in the April 8th Amazon book bomb and just finished reading "Patriots:...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 21, 2009 10:22 PM
We all know that many Jews saw the handwriting on the wall in a pre-WWII Germany, but failed to leave, or could they not leave? There was obviously a window of opportunity for most to leave but why did...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 14, 2009 09:13 PM
Dear Mr. Rawles, First, I would like to commend you on your "Patriots" novel. It is a "must read" for any American who believes in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. I bought the book a few months ago and...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 10, 2009 09:49 PM
I wish to present an alternative prep situation that I have not really seen talked about on your blog and at other other sites. First a small bit of biographical background and anecdotes to explain my reasons for what I...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 6, 2009 06:12 PM
Sir, Thanks for SurvivalBlog and the efforts you put into it. I have read your online information over the years, going back to just before Y2K. Your insights, common sense and information diversity are great indicators of what it...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 5, 2009 09:34 PM
Jim Much has been written in all the various books, discussion groups and forums about acquiring the best G.O.O.D. bag, BOVs and medical kits. Much has been said about what garden seeds to get and the best lead delivery...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 27, 2009 08:22 PM
James, Thanks for the extensive resource that is your web site. I am fairly new to prepping but was raised in the deep south so I have a lot of related experience. One thing I've noticed in most lists regarding...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 20, 2009 11:22 PM
Hello Mr. Rawles; First and foremost, thanks for the site, the info is invaluable and a must read every morning I am writing to add a few simple thoughts (perhaps state the obvious) on the subject of survival vehicle...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 20, 2009 11:16 PM
We may soon depend on all of what we have learned over the years. Putting all of the threads of knowledge together into a tapestry of self-sufficiency, and survival capabilities, is part of the lifelong quest for our family’s...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 18, 2009 10:25 PM
Dear Mr. Rawles: It might prove worthwhile to put a copy of your latest property tax bill receipt as (proof of ownership of your retreat property) in your "Get Out of Dodge" (G.O.O.D.) ready kit. For example the county...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 12, 2009 11:17 PM
Adam W. suggested this bit of preparedness humor from Germany: Urban Camouflage o o o Dale B. found this: How safe is your safe deposit box? And speaking of bank boxes, Dale also found in the UK's Sun newspaper:...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 8, 2009 08:51 PM
"Health care" in America - while having "evolved" - leaves much to be desired i.e. cost, effectiveness, government restrictions of natural medicines, deaths caused form "modern" medicine, control and pharmaceutical greed to name just a few. in the blaring...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 7, 2009 08:06 PM
Sir: We live at our retreat full time in a very rural county in Virginia. Without going into detail, I've had conversations with the locals and my sense is that the road signs will disappear if things where to...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 7, 2009 08:01 PM
Mr. Rawles, I appreciate everything you do to keep everyone working toward preparing. To that end I would like to supplement your notes with a product I have been using for a few weeks now that have greatly improved...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 5, 2009 04:45 PM
In these trying times when civilizations are at the brink of disaster and many people are already in personal collapse, we should look back through history to find out how to salvage what we have and how to survive...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 28, 2009 08:57 PM
Jim, Situational Awareness has a number of definitions, from the rather complex to the "simple". They include: The process of recognizing a threat at an early stage and taking measures to avoid it. (Being observant of one's surroundings and...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 17, 2009 12:04 AM
Jim: The gentleman that wrote to say that he wants to rent his property out for bugout situations should read the [first hand] observations posted on [the aftermath of Hurricane] Katrina. [This was written by someone that sheltered dozens...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on January 25, 2009 08:37 PM
James, I finally have my bugout location found and purchased. Plan to start building a small home there later this year. Cabin first, house will wait till I see how the economy runs. On the east coast, as I have...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on January 24, 2009 09:21 PM
Dear Jim: I'm a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber with an idea that may help folks with their storage items. I was out the the shed looking for my box 'o bullets to catch up on some reloading and came...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on January 21, 2009 10:10 PM
Hello Jim: Well, the weather hits for the Pacific Northwest keep on coming and lessons still need to be learned. As I type this, the entire Western Washington region is cut off. That’s right! All three open passes across...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on January 10, 2009 07:08 PM
JWR, Thanks so much for Survival Blog. It's been an invaluable resource to me and my family as we prepare for what's coming. This is the first time I've ever emailed you, but it's with a question that I...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 27, 2008 05:43 PM
”Wherever you go, there you are." And hopefully so are your clothes. Therefore it is vital to think of your wardrobe as part of your survival gear on a daily basis. It’s not good enough to have a closet full...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 9, 2008 10:05 PM
Are you really ready to meet the challenges of a TEOTWAWKI situation? I think often about what may happen if I have to move myself and my family over a long distance of rough terrain through a hostile environment...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 6, 2008 08:24 PM
Knowing that a survival situation will be most likely without medical help - one of my first thoughts is - make sure I have some essential oils. What are essential oils? Think herbs, with the important oils all "juiced"...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 5, 2008 08:02 PM
For most of us who don’t live at a retreat [year-round] our plan is to G.O.O.D. When the time comes we plan to load up our bug-out vehicles and head to our own “Shibes Meadow” as the family in the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on December 3, 2008 07:42 PM
Jim, Thank you for the blog and all the great info you put out. I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask you, but first a little info about myself. I am a 40 year old...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 22, 2008 11:40 PM
Mr. Rawles, I completed reading your novel "Patriots", I just finished reading "Rawles On Retreats and Relocation", I'm about to read the "SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog" book and I'm going to order the "Rawles Gets You Ready"...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 17, 2008 09:26 PM
Dear Mr. Rawles, I am writing to ask for your advice and for your charity, and also because I think this subject may be of interest to many of your readers. I discovered your web site a week ago...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 27, 2008 09:49 PM
Jim, Some of us may be stuck within the city limits until 'the last possible moment' before an event such as WTSHTF. Can you suggest a day-to-day procedure or strategy to now follow for monitoring specific and reliable news outlets...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 25, 2008 08:44 PM
James: I have a question about cars: In making your G.O.O.D. vehicle, which would be considered safer, a modern car with front and side airbags, a modern car with airbags and a roll cage, a modern car with airbags...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 17, 2008 09:47 PM
I'll begin with some positive news from an Australian newspaper, by way of reader Kevin A.: Fifty Reasons To Thank NASA o o o FerFAL (SurvivalBlog's correspondent in Argentina) recently posted some quotes and commentary on Gabe Suarez's description...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 4, 2008 10:31 PM
There may come a time when we are no longer afforded the luxury of dialing 911 to receive prompt emergency medical care within minutes. You yourself may be faced with a sick or injured loved one, having nobody to...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 2, 2008 06:13 PM
Mr. Rawles, I have a retreat in northern lower Michigan were I have begun staging my Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) supplies. I have several containers full of non-hybrid vegetable seeds, and a large amount of staples (wheat, corn,...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 27, 2008 09:47 PM
James; This might interest your readers. I am considering buying compact, high-calorie emergency food bars for long term storage of food. I know they are not "real" [nutritionally complete] food but they easily moved and taken along, they have...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 21, 2008 11:41 PM
Jim, Thank you for dispersing such a wealth of knowledge on your blog. My prayers are with your family and for the Memsahib’s recovery. I concur with D.J.’s post on Third World Experience. Having done mission work in Central...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 13, 2008 12:30 AM
JWR, Some waste vegetable oil (WVO) information for you: My 2001 Excursion 4WD runs on WVO, and I'm presently in the process of converting my recently acquired 1996 Ford F250. For my first conversion, the Excursion, I bought a...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 9, 2008 09:43 PM
Reader KAF suggested this piece over at Pajamas Media: Ask Dr. Helen: Preparing for Disaster — Prudent or Paranoid? It sounds like she might have been reading SurvivalBlog. o o o Steve N. flagged this article: Iran threatens to...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 7, 2008 11:42 PM
We've completed the judging for Round 17 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First prize goes to Thomas G., for his article "The Tomato Rebuild--Machining Technology is Crucial to Modern Society". He'll receive two valuable four day "gray" transferable Front...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 1, 2008 01:15 AM
Jim: If you don't want to mess with mixing gas and oil in a 2-stroke bike engine, try the 4-stroke engine at BikeEngines.com. I've got one and it runs like a champ, at a couple of hundred miles per...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 25, 2008 11:49 PM
Mr. Rawles, As you may remember from our profile we recently moved to new residence in luxury community in South Texas because of a job loss in the Pacific Northwest. Last week my wife and I learned of the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 24, 2008 11:47 PM
Good Morning: What's your opinion about motorcycles for personal transportation in the tough times ahead? Obviously much better on gas but I wonder if I would be more vulnerable to public disturbances? I live in a very rural area...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 22, 2008 09:13 PM
Hi James, While they are still available, now might be a good time to use one of the satellite image sites (like Google Earth) to download and print out detailed satellite images of planned bug-out routes. Having those images...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 21, 2008 12:21 AM
The following is a transcript of an interview that will soon be run at the popular left-of-center AlterNet web site: AlterNet: Is survivalism a failure of community? A celebration of it? JWR: I'd say that survivalism is indeed a...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 17, 2008 11:30 PM
JWR's Introductory Note: The recent reply to a an e-mail from Trevor by The Memsahib inspired ten replies. Note that many of these were written by wives with non-prepper husbands! The final letter comes from a family that had their...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 2, 2008 01:46 AM
One of the constant knocks by the mainstream media on the preparedness movement is the oft-touted canard that preparedness, indeed the “survivalist” mindset is nothing more than an excuse by far-right loons to engage in Rambo-esque fantasies of firearms, firefights...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 27, 2008 08:25 PM
Mr. Rawles I'd just like to present an alternate thought to one of the statements made in the most recent piece written about G.O.O.D. bags: "Try to avoid foods that are high in sodium. You will have to drink...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 20, 2008 08:22 PM
This is a brief outline for preparing a vehicle-borne Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.). bag or Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.). We are all hopefully suitably prepared at our homes or retreats, but what if you find yourself away from your...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 19, 2008 06:38 PM
While in a modern setting there is no replacement for a well maintained firearm, individuals who read Survival Blog are well aware that the terms "Modern", "Optimal" and "Best Case" are unlikely to apply in the not so distant future....
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 6, 2008 08:34 PM
We were sent a review copy of "Surviving A Disaster - Evacuation Strategies And Emergency Kits for Staying Alive". This slim paperback (just 57 pages) is a basic overview and introduction to Getting Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) It was written...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 9, 2008 09:06 PM
Given that liquid fuel costs are climbing dramatically, and likely to continue rising, I would like to share some of the practices for fuel storage we employ. For our homestead, liquid fuel equates to four items, namely: Propane, diesel fuel,...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 1, 2008 09:37 PM
In the past week I've had three newcomers to SurvivalBlog.com write and ask me to summarize my world view. One of them asked: "I could spend days looking through [the] archives of your [many months of] blog posts. But there...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 16, 2008 12:11 AM
Mr. Rawles, I need to snag bikes for my wife and myself. We are both young and relatively fit, but we live in [Washington,] DC and take [the] metro [subway system] everywhere. We [presently] don't have bikes, and I have...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 12, 2008 08:30 PM
Our friend Chad recommended this piece by John Markman: Sell Stocks While the Selling's Good. Oops! Too late. You had your chance: Global Markets Tumble (A hat tip to Eric for that link.) Meanwhile, we read at WND: Recession? Maybe...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 14, 2008 07:49 PM
Our friend Mike mentioned a web page that shows the contents of various vehicular kits for G.O.O.D., camping, first aid, and so forth. o o o Reader Amy Q. pointed us to a post on another site that has...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 2, 2008 08:35 PM
Jim, I have been reading your blog for some time, thanks for all the great info. One idea that I have not heard much about is using medium size rivers as a way to Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.)....
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 27, 2008 08:14 PM
RBS flagged these two articles: Price of bread rising on wheat shortage and Wheat prices could defy a recession. Remember what I wrote about investing in productive farmland? o o o Also from RBS: As Economy Slips, Yacht Sales...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 25, 2008 07:15 PM
In the Second World War, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp up military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis powers. In the late 1970s, looking at the recent experience of the 1973 Arab-Israeli...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 22, 2008 08:24 PM
Jim, I found some depressing analysis on G.O.O.D. for those of us near US population centers: Read this PDF. For further information on the ineffectiveness of G.O.O.D. when times get bad, US DOT generated this report: Using Highways for...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 10, 2008 03:52 PM
Jim- I couldn't help but respond to the blast of letters re: ".223 as Man Stopper", as most of my time in the employ of our Uncle Sam was engaged in the testing and evaluation of small arms, OPFOR...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 25, 2007 09:12 PM
Jim, In response to Martin's recent letter ["New-Found Respect for .223 as a Potential Man Stopper]: While the .223 (5.56mm NATO) round may work on the unsuspecting deer or thin-skinned varmint that is standing still, the situation changes when you...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 20, 2007 09:15 PM
Shalom Jim: I've been researching freeze-dried and dehydrated food as a long-term strategy. I would like to put up at least a years worth for a family of four. Yes, I know that you pretty much grow your own...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 16, 2007 12:17 AM
Jim-- Some years ago, we enjoyed a power outage when we were living near Tacoma, Washington. It occurred on Thanksgiving day, so everybody's turkeys were slowly cooling in their ovens. Our next door neighbor, knowing we were into preparedness,...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 13, 2007 09:28 PM
Here in the northern hemisphere, winter is rapidly approaching. So it is timely that I write about vehicular mobility in winter weather. Every well-prepared family should have one or more four wheel drive vehicles with snow tires or chains....
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 7, 2007 10:48 PM
Jim: I have the rest of the day off due to the wildfires in the area so I am at home. The firefighting aircraft have been grounded due to wind until a couple of minutes ago. The evacuation zone is...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 24, 2007 09:51 PM
Jim, Popular Mechanics magazine outlines five scary Katrina-esque scenarios in various parts of our country might face in the coming years. I find it interesting that two of the five involve California and three of the five involve large bodies...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 22, 2007 09:54 PM
Jim, I read the 18 Oct. 2007 posting concerning Recreational Vehicles (RVs) as a retreat vehicle. Your posting's of August 10th 2005 titled Batman Fantasy Land, Vehicular Retreating and Sea Retreating were interesting and very confusing to say the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 19, 2007 08:41 PM
Sir: In response to the article you posted titled: "Nightmare on Schuylkill: A first-hand account." I can tell you first hand exactly how awful that highway is. I've lived in the Philadelphia region my entire life, and from the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 17, 2007 10:22 PM
From SHTF Daily comes this sobering article and accompanying CBS News video clip: Builders Giving Up On The Sinking Market. Now it is not just defaulting buyers that are "walking away." The article indicates a loss of "$1.2 trillion from the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 15, 2007 09:23 PM
Dear James and SurvivalBlog Family: Thank you for this tremendously vital preparedness forum. It has been the direct impetus for me to seriously prepare to survive various natural disasters that could assail the New England area, but more importantly, to...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 26, 2007 11:12 PM
When Rudolph Diesel invented his internal combustion engine, he used refined peanut oil as fuel. The reasoning behind it was that farmers could essentially grow their own fuel for their tractors. Diesel cars have been widely manufactured and used...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 10, 2007 11:16 PM
In a post-TEOTWAWKI environment many of the services we take for granted now will be nonexistent. We will be growing or own produce, butchering our own livestock, cooking our own food, performing our own minor surgeries and protecting or...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 6, 2007 11:34 PM
Jim: I have discovered a great mode of backup transportation, the DiBlasi R7 collapsible mo-ped (Also see: http://www.foldingmotorbike.com/). This is a 49cc no-license-required scooter that folds to fit a boat, plane, or car trunk and gets 130 mpg. Their...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 27, 2007 10:08 PM
Mr. Rawles, first off, let me compliment you on your writings. I just finished Patriots, and was highly impressed with it. I've already loaned it to a friend to read, and I will probably end up ordering another copy so...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 25, 2007 12:43 AM
Some of these stretched the 100 word limit. (I skipped posting one that rambled on far beyond the limit.) The poll's premise in a nutshell: "If someday you went to the gates of a survival community post-TEOTWAWKI and pleaded the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on May 21, 2007 09:24 PM
James: I'm not a regular user of cargo trailers; I do own a 26-foot boat with a long-tongue trailer. Whenever I trailer the boat and whenever I have had occasional need for a cargo trailer, I have been the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on April 3, 2007 09:46 PM
Dear Mr. Rawles - Hello again from Baltimore, Maryland, where I believe spring may have finally decided to stay this time, in spite of the inch of sleet and ice we received last week. Sounds like your family is...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 28, 2007 11:18 PM
Jim, To answer your key question: "Are there some particular towns that are well-removed from the major population centers on the east coast --perhaps up in The Wet-- that would be well-suited as safe havens?" You would need to...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 19, 2007 10:26 PM
JWR, I have been reading a longtime reader of your blog since it started, and wish to thank you for writing your novel "Patriots", which I have read cover to cover many times and has helped me on my...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 6, 2007 10:04 PM
Hooray! The Best of the Blog, Volume 1 is now orderable! Thanks for your patience, folks. This volume covers the first six months of SurvivalBlog posts, from August, 2005 to January, 2006. This period included some of the most...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 28, 2007 12:14 AM
Coming from a Southern family and having hunted as a child and adult, and having backpacked the Smokies, I would not want to depend on a mountain man scenario for survival during TEOTWAWKI. I want to walk a bit...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 3, 2007 08:42 PM
Unintended consequences: Rise in ethanol demand creates a tortilla crisis. o o o S.H. mention an interesting list of 63 field/barracks items posted at Bouhammer's Afghanistan "List of gear for A-stan." S.H. notes: "This may be of interest...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on January 31, 2007 08:17 PM
The history of biscuits started off in Rome around the 3rd Century BC. The word biscuit comes from the Latin bis coctum which means "twice-baked". Back then, a biscuit was a thin unleavened wafer, quite hard, and with a...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on January 21, 2007 10:25 PM
One of the problems with stored food is the inevitable deterioration of the vitamin content. You don't have to worry about the mineral content going anywhere but vitamins are notoriously fragile. While many have asked for the best kind...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on November 6, 2006 09:38 AM
Jim, My wife and I woke up at 5 a.m. (Eastern time) to NPR (you have to know what the enemy is up to) with the lead story a hazmat fire at a haz waste recycling company in Apex,...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on October 8, 2006 08:37 PM
Dear Jim and loyal SurvivalBlog readers: I have been researching pickup trucks as my next logical purchase in preparation for the inevitable short or long-term SHTF/grid-down scenario. I have decided that I will purchase an older (pre-1990/EMP-resistant), diesel, 4...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 26, 2006 12:27 AM
Jim, Here is a reputable camper manufacturer that would be able to put together a less expensive camper than the $200,000(!) Earthroamer XV Diesel Off-Road RV. Though the Earthroamer is an outstanding vehicle, I believe these [Callen Campers] are...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 18, 2006 09:27 PM
As I remember my personal 9-11-01 experience, I am reminded that it is smart to always be prepared for the unexpected. Many of us have some kind of story regarding that day in September of 2001. I was out...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on September 11, 2006 04:27 PM
I have read your blog as well as your book "Patriots" for a long time now, along with other web sites and articles. I find great information, some of which I must print out and save. I started an...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on August 16, 2006 10:58 PM
JWR: Please pass on to Larry in Kansas and anyone else interested that they need to look well ahead of time at any railroad beds as a bug out route. Here in Michigan the railroads have closed off all...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on July 15, 2006 08:41 PM
I hope and pray that none of us will ever have to use our weapons to respond to invasion of our homes, our city or our country, but if we ever do – chances are that the attack will...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on June 5, 2006 09:46 PM
Dear Jim: I recently purchased a 1991 Ford F350 diesel truck. I had read previously on the Blog site of your recommendations on how best to outfit G.O.O.D. vehicles. Unfortunately I have been unable to find that post. I...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on March 1, 2006 10:01 PM
Mr. Rawles, Reading the great post on preparedness kits I noticed a couple things that I do differently with my vehicle. I've got a spare tire mounted on a homemade bracket on the front of my truck. this took...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 28, 2006 08:47 PM
When trouble comes and you are required to re-locate, there may not be time to try to find, organize and then pack your emergency gear. Just the stress of an emergency situation alone can keep you from thinking clearly...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 26, 2006 08:05 PM
If you are relocated: Depending on the circumstances of a relocation it may be salvation from danger (large disaster) or because you are considered a threat (a la the Japanese Americans during WWII) In any case, a government camp...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 25, 2006 11:14 AM
Jim, I don’t know how recognized a Euro note would be in a U.S. crisis, especially the premium of the dollar. (“Funny money” may even be assumed to be devalued, as if Canadian.) The real concern about large Euro...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 21, 2006 07:49 PM
Grid-up bugouts of the non-universal TEOTWAWKI type (more like Hurricane Katrina) allow you to take advantage of modern infrastructure even if you have limited means. If your escape happens during a time where resources allow a hotel may be...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 18, 2006 09:37 PM
The mainstream media pundits keep saying that "inflation remains low", yet Uncle Sugar's own statistics show that the aggregate supply of U.S. dollars in circulation (both printed and electronic) grew from $2.5 trillion in 2000 to $4.5 trillion by...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 14, 2006 07:22 PM
Mr. Rawles: David from Israel wrote in with some interesting suggestions on fire starting. The method that I use in severe weather conditions is to first dig a small hole, about 6 inches in diameter and about 8 inches...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 7, 2006 12:57 PM
Jim: Sorry about an error in my previous e-mail. After the article went out a friend told me that he couldn't find the pack plans on thru-hiker.com. I was mistaken about where I had seen them. Gossamergear who the...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on February 7, 2006 12:48 PM
A SurvivalBlog reader in Montana recommended that I take a look at the new compact "ScramKits" being offered by Safecastle. I must say that I'm impressed. They pack a lot of survival gear into a very small space. Their...
Posted in SurvivalBlog.com on January 27, 2006 06:15 PM