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Book:How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It

Knob Creek said:
just heard this author on Laura Ingram. Anyone familiar with his book?

How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It
by James Wesley, Rawles

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ho...to+Survive+the+End+of+the+World+as+We+Know+It
Click to expand...

I have the book. It's just like Patriots, without the "novel" part.

It's pretty good, but again, hardcore. So hardcore that I promise you not one person on this forum is 25% as prepared as Rawles said we should be. No way.

Stockpiling concertina barbed wire? anyone?????
 
RI_John said:
I have the book. It's just like Patriots, without the "novel" part.

It's pretty good, but again, hardcore. So hardcore that I promise you not one person on this forum is 25% as prepared as Rawles said we should be. No way.

Stockpiling concertina barbed wire? anyone?????
Click to expand...

And most of us will NEVER be as prepared as 10 years and a lot of spare cash these characters have. Its just not realistic for the majority of us that live in urban/suburban locales. We do what we can. [thinking]
 
Jaxon said:
And most of us will NEVER be as prepared as 10 years and a lot of spare cash these characters have. Its just not realistic for the majority of us that live in urban/suburban locales. We do what we can. [thinking]
Click to expand...

That's why as much as I enjoy this book, all of the information is effectively of no use as the first and most important suggestion is to leave the Northeast. That's a non-starter for me at this point in time. So it's impossible to implement most of his suggestions given I live in the burbs.

In Rawles analysis, I'm as good as dead for the simple fact that I live near a mass exodus corridor.
 
RI_John said:
That's why as much as I enjoy this book, all of the information is effectively of no use as the first and most important suggestion is to leave the Northeast. That's a non-starter for me at this point in time. So it's impossible to implement most of his suggestions given I live in the burbs.

In Rawles analysis, I'm as good as dead for the simple fact that I live near a mass exodus corridor.
Click to expand...

Which is exactly why I didn't enjoy the book, or found anything relevant/helpful. I live where I live, and have what I have. Only so much space and no acreage to get any bigger. I guess life will be major suckage should the SHTF come.
 
I tried to read "Patriots". If its anything remotely like that book, then I suggest you go out an purchase relavant manuals instead. He can't write for #$%&. What he does write is extremely biased. If i didn't like books so much I would have buried the thing. Do yourself a favor and buy; manuals, how-to books, maps..... for issues that you may think you need, for the situations you believe may happen.
 
misturg said:
I tried to read "Patriots". If its anything remotely like that book, then I suggest you go out an purchase relavant manuals instead. He can't write for #$%&. What he does write is extremely biased. If i didn't like books so much I would have buried the thing. Do yourself a favor and buy; manuals, how-to books, maps..... for issues that you may think you need, for the situations you believe may happen.
Click to expand...

I agree his prose sucks. But this new book is a how-to manual, no story. It's not bad, because it's organized by sections, so you can just jump to stockpiling food, or what have you. But, again, it is so far "out there", that you really would have to be a millionaire and live on a hill in Montana with 200 acres to even BEGIN to implement his ideas in full.
 
RI_John said:
I agree his prose sucks. But this new book is a how-to manual, no story. It's not bad, because it's organized by sections, so you can just jump to stockpiling food, or what have you. But, again, it is so far "out there", that you really would have to be a millionaire and live on a hill in Montana with 200 acres to even BEGIN to implement his ideas in full.
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Exactly. So what's the point? It just makes you feel inadequate to the task. I already know I'm behind the 8-ball, but I don't need to be reminded how much better it could be if I lived somewhere else and had a lot of spare cash. [wink]
 
RI_John said:
I agree his prose sucks. But this new book is a how-to manual, no story. It's not bad, because it's organized by sections, so you can just jump to stockpiling food, or what have you. But, again, it is so far "out there", that you really would have to be a millionaire and live on a hill in Montana with 200 acres to even BEGIN to implement his ideas in full.
Click to expand...


To me, that means it's useless.
 
I have about 1500 feet of it on plastic rolls.

And the gloves to unleash it as well.

RI_John said:
I have the book. It's just like Patriots, without the "novel" part.

It's pretty good, but again, hardcore. So hardcore that I promise you not one person on this forum is 25% as prepared as Rawles said we should be. No way.

Stockpiling concertina barbed wire? anyone?????
Click to expand...
 
JRyan said:
To me, that means it's useless.
Click to expand...

Well, it's not useless, it's just extreme. But I like extreme. If I can't afford a non-flammable roof, it's a useful exercise for me to think about why he says I need one (looters throwing Molotov cocktails on your roof to smoke/burn you out) So, okay, not going to get a metal roof, but it makes me think of vulnerabilities I never considered. Which is why I bought the book even after reading Patriots.
 
I have 2 rolls of regular 4 point barbed wire stashed. Its the same as most of the stuff you see here in New England. Not sure how much is in a roll, somewhere around 1200 feet. Not too expensive, probably around 45-50 bucks when I bought it 8-10 years ago.
 
I thought Patriots was a pretty good read. I was especially impressed by the amount of thought and planning that must have gone into it. The sheer detail! It seems he's thought of everything.

But I agree that Rawles' long-term survival planning makes one feel a bit "behind the 8-ball" if one lives - for instance - in a major metropolitan area like Boston. All the more reason, I guess, to take another look at one's GOOD bag and prepare for a quick exit if/when the time comes.

Survival priorities:
1. Positive attitude
2. Shelter
3. Fire
4. Water
5. First Aid
6. Food
 
Rawles is dead when the SHTF. All of his neighbors know he has 10 years of food and water as well as 3 spare parts for EVERYTHING.
 
RI John,

Why not look into a metal roof? They are available, reasonably priced and last much longer than fiberglass shingles and should eventually pay for itself. Walls are more difficult to fire-proof these days. It was easier when you could get aluminum siding, but that has fallen out of favor and now you're limited to vinyl siding, so you're looking at a brick or stone facade for fire-proofing the exterior.

While none of us are going to have the ability to build a 200 arce farm, it's worth considering: Can I establish a small food plot to supplement food stores / provide fresh fruits and vegitables? Can I raise animals to suppliment protein? If not, what would I use for a protein source? Since I don't have 200 acres, how can I maximize what I do have? - The inverted tomato planters are really good for maximizing space utilization. You can plant tomatoes upside down, then plant underground vegitables and tubers (carrots, beets, potatoes, etc) in the ground below them and a third set of plants in the soil above them. You can nearly triple the available food production area of a small plot using that method.

Consider Aquaponics - Growing plants in / above a holding tank for fish. You'll need a pretty large fish tank for it to be effective (you're looking for a 150 gallon or larger tank) but you can raise fish for a protien source while using their waste to improve plant growth and production.

Another thing that books such as these remind us is physical security of property. How secure is your house against looters? How secure is your property? How could it be improved? Are their reasonable preparations you can make to improve it now so that you can make final preparations if they become necessary?

The North East corridor is not an ideal place to live for a EotW aftermath. The combination of weather and population density makes self-sufficient support difficult, but not impossible.

Evergreen,

I would swap Water and Fire in the priority list unless fire is needed to maintain warmth/body temperature. With proper shelter and clothing, Fire is a lower priority than water as you can go for days without fire as long as you don't need it to stay warm.

If enviornmental conditions / shelter limitations require a heat source to maintain body temperature, then Fire gets pushed up.
 
RI_John said:
Well, it's not useless, it's just extreme. But I like extreme. If I can't afford a non-flammable roof, it's a useful exercise for me to think about why he says I need one (looters throwing Molotov cocktails on your roof to smoke/burn you out) So, okay, not going to get a metal roof, but it makes me think of vulnerabilities I never considered. Which is why I bought the book even after reading Patriots.
Click to expand...

The metal roof example is exactly my point. How is someone going to loot your house if they burn it down befor they can get in? It is totaly unrealistic/ borderline stupid. If you like his style of writing or the subject matter than thats your opinion, which is great. But to use anything I have heard or read about his writings as preperation for the "end-of days" is horse droppings. Save your money. Use your common sense, talk to people in person or on forums such as this, purchase military style manuals, boy scout literature.....to get an insite to subject matter that is relevant to "your" situation.
 
In! Thanks, NS, for doing this karma!

Rawles got me thinking about a lot of basic stuff that doesn't require Idaho. Water, food, ammo, night sights, radios, rechargeable batteries and solar rechargers, cleaning and sighting in the firearms, etc.

Maybe this fresh read on his thinking will add a few more things to my list of things that do not require steel shutters! [wink]
 
misturg said:
The metal roof example is exactly my point. How is someone going to loot your house if they burn it down befor they can get in? It is totaly unrealistic/ borderline stupid. If you like his style of writing or the subject matter than thats your opinion, which is great. But to use anything I have heard or read about his writings as preperation for the "end-of days" is horse droppings. Save your money. Use your common sense, talk to people in person or on forums such as this, purchase military style manuals, boy scout literature.....to get an insite to subject matter that is relevant to "your" situation.
Click to expand...


Amazon has a lot military manuals, pretty cheap too.
 
ShadeWPI said:
Evergreen,

I would swap Water and Fire in the priority list unless fire is needed to maintain warmth/body temperature. With proper shelter and clothing, Fire is a lower priority than water as you can go for days without fire as long as you don't need it to stay warm. If environmental conditions / shelter limitations require a heat source to maintain body temperature, then Fire gets pushed up.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I guess I was assuming wintry NE conditions...

Rule of Three:
1. Humans cannot survive more than three hours exposed to extreme low-temperature.
2. Humans cannot survive more than three days without water.
3. Humans cannot survive more than three weeks without food.
 
misturg said:
The metal roof example is exactly my point. How is someone going to loot your house if they burn it down befor they can get in? It is totaly unrealistic/ borderline stupid. If you like his style of writing or the subject matter than thats your opinion, which is great. But to use anything I have heard or read about his writings as preperation for the "end-of days" is horse droppings. Save your money. Use your common sense, talk to people in person or on forums such as this, purchase military style manuals, boy scout literature.....to get an insite to subject matter that is relevant to "your" situation.
Click to expand...

Always remember: "Pillage first, Burn second"
 
Barnes & Noble lists the book's contents. I'd really like to read the chapters about water and when to get out of dodge, but the library doesn't have a copy yet and my wife won't let me buy any more books...[wink]

Water - The Key Resource: Filtration, transport, storage and treatment options.

Food Storage: How much to store, pack-it-yourself methods, storage space and rotation, countering vermin.

Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage safety, backup generators.

Garden, Orchard Trees, and Small Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses; choosing the right livestock.

Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues.

Communication: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones.

Home Security: The neighborhood watch, your panic room, self-defense training.

When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning.

Investing and Barter:Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile.
And much more.
 

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