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Note from JWR:
Get your entries in for Round
12 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 $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of
my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford
of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies
of my novel "Patriots" as "honorable
mention" awards. Round 12 ends on September 30th. Remember that articles
that
relate practical "how to" skills for survival will have an advantage
in the judging. Just send us your article in .txt, .rtf. or .doc format, via e-mail.
« Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Summary |Main| Note from JWR: »
Three Letters Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source
Hi Mr. Rawles,
I've also been able to pick up a lot of gear and most importantly, books, at
yard sales and junk stores that sell books for $1 or 25 cents each. I was
able to pick up a home medical advisor from the 1920s for 25 cents in maine,
I
have also bought numerous books on small scale farming, canning, food storage,
and living off the grid from the 1920s for a dollar each. Much of the information
would be relevant to a post-TEOTWAWKI,
as it was written for farmers or rural residents that didn't have access
to electricity and largely lived
off the land.
Regards, - Sam
Jim:
I saw the letter about garage and yard sales and had a related comment.
I used to live in the suburbia of North Denver and they had what we called
Junk
Days. More formally known as bulk item pick-up. A time - twice a year - when
the city trash service would pick up virtually anything you put out. Many
cities do this. You would not believe the items that people throw away.
Garden tools
(shovels, rakes, hoes, etc), power tools (lawn mowers, weed whackers, drills,
routers, table saws, etc) motorcycles, snow blowers, roto-tillers, etc. So
many things that with a little bit of attention can last for a long, long
time. I have not paid for a garden tool for years off of what I picked
up there and
still have many spares. I would recommend this to anyone. It became sort
of a treasure hunt for me. I enjoyed cruising the neighborhoods looking
for things.
Got all sorts of stuff that people said there was no way I could find. A
piano, a spinning wheel, a riding lawn mower. People are just insane with
what they
throw away. Once I stopped to grab an aluminum step ladder from in front
of someone's house. The man was working in his garage so I asked if it
was okay
to take it. He was getting out his new fiberglass step ladder while I was
taking his old - perfectly useful - aluminum step ladder. What a fool .
. . In any
case, I could go on and on, but look for this sort of thing in a suburbia
near you. Just make sure it is not illegal (some places have made it illegal
to
take trash from peoples houses due to identity theft). Regards, - Tim P.
Greetings Jim and Family,
To expand on the garage and yard sales for logistics source here is another
source, rental storage facility auctions. One would be amazed how many people
rent storage space and then just stop paying rent after moving or leaving
town. Usually when renters fail to pay the rent for several months the storage
facility can place the rented storage space contents up for auction. Most
rental facilities hold auctions quarterly in order to have a block of storage
spaces for auction. By coincidence I ran across an auction one day when I
went by to pay the rent for the month. I walked around and was amazed at
the contents of the storage spaces. All the bidders were going to the unopened
storage spaces marked for auction, the space was then opened and the auctioneer's
assistants would haul out the contents for bidding. No one got a chance before
the auction to view the contents, everyone got a look at the same time. It
is amazing the things some people leave behind. I saw some beautiful wood
bedroom furniture, nearly new golf clubs, antiques of all descriptions, just
about anything you could find in a home or business.
One storage space contained
a business's files on employees among other business files. Since a lot of
the files had SSN from the employees files the auctioneer did not let the
contents of the filing cabinets leave with the bidder. The contents were
removed and then shredded for security. When one of the storage spaces was
opened I had wished that I could have been a bidder. The contents contained
the obligatory furniture and other miscellaneous items. But the last quarter
of the contents in the storage space contained radar scattering camouflage
netting (complete with spreaders, poles and a repair kit), ammo cans (mostly
empty but some with tools), a box of belted 7.62 NATO blanks among other
kinds of gear. The look on most people's faces when the camo net and gear
was hauled out was one of "What the heck is that?", and one fellow
looked like a kid at Christmas. He knew what he was looking at, the others
didn't. After bidding he walked away a very happy man.
The storage space
contents are usually broken into lots of items for biding. Bedroom furniture
among other kinds of furniture were auctioned separately then the small items
were separated into lots of similar items like all the kitchen items, books,
toys, etc. When a bidder won the bid, they paid for the items before moving
on to the next storage space and they had to take away their purchases the
day of the auction. Only in the case with some of the furniture or other
very bulky or heavy items were the bidders allowed to return with a truck
to take the item away within 24 hours.
Check local newspapers for announcements
of auctions. The one I stumbled on was held during the week instead of
the weekend for some reason. I would think the weekend would be more suitable
to get more bidders. Most of the bidders there that day had businesses
where
they would resale some of the items like furniture for a second hand store.
But there were individuals looking for bargains or that rare antique that
no one else would recognize. In talking with the auctioneer later I found
out that many commercial warehouses do the same thing at least once a year
or so. But because the warehouse customers are predominately businesses
the auctions are few since it is less likely a business will walk away from
stored
merchandise. - The Rabid One
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Three Letters Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source »
Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Summary
Today we are pleased to present: a market analysis for Northwest Montana and
Part 1 of our initial analysis of New Zealand.
Northwest Montana Market Analysis
This analysis is presented by the newest Approved Retreat Realtor, Viola K.
Moss in Libby, Montana. Congratulations Viola!
Overview
The market for properties in beautiful northwestern Montana continues to compete
for retreat-minded buyers. As the real estate market goes, the good news is
that
this is
the second
most
desired location in the nation (after the southwestern Arizona area); the bad
news is that many have to sell their current property to relocate here. Here
in
Lincoln
County, I have personally seen prices quadruple since 1999 and double in the
last three years.
Last year, appraisals could hardly keep up with the increased market demand
sales. As a domino effect this year resulting from the real estate downward
spiral in the rest of the nation and because people from other areas
have to normally sell to make their purchase here, prices
have seemed to have leveled out this summer. Additionally, there is more inventory
on
the market. Don’t
get me wrong, there isn’t a lot of inventory compared to other markets,
but for this area, inventory has increased and is still rapidly increasing.
Increased Inventory
Why the larger inventory? First, it is because Sellers saw the rapid increase
in value and have decided to take advantage of the market. Thus, they are putting
their
properties
on
the market. Many of these are retirees or near that stage in life when they
want to relocate closer to their children and grandchildren. (Many of whom
live in western Washington.)
The second reason is because timber companies are
selling off large tracts of land (which causes the local logging/timber mill
economy
to
go next
to nil) and because investors seeing the money to be made have bought
large tracts of land and are subdividing it.
The bad news is that many of these new parcels
which are sorely needed come with restrictive covenants. This
is where I get the notoriety
of being
the “chicken realtor” as it seems I always have clients looking
for property wherein one can raise chickens and small livestock. I find it
increasingly difficult to locate homes for my clients and, more so, vacant
land that does not have restrictive covenants these days.
Patriots Needed!
We need people who are survival and back-to-practical purposes
minded who will demand these types of properties. Otherwise,
we will end up with retirees who
just want increased infrastructure, services and taxes to support all this
with their Baby Boomer retirements and investments. This is all at the expense
of
those who are still the working class and who want the freedoms and
pleasures of rural to remote living. Believe me, I’m
a Baby Boomer too and I know how this can ruin a community. I sat back and
watched rural agricultural Central Florida turn into the likes of Los Angeles
within a 15 year period. Old timers who have their places paid for can’t
afford their property taxes or the crime that comes with this mentality. In
fact, in many places in Florida, it is illegal to have a family sized homestead
(with livestock) even if you have the acreage and it is zoned Agricultural.
I see a huge potential for this trend to occur in Montana, Idaho and Washington.
So
we need to keep the survival-minded people coming to prevent any demographic
shift.
Public vs. Private Land, the Real Crunch
Historically, only 7% to10% if the land here is privately owned. This
low level of inventory kept prices escalating. Now that this is the #2 destination
in Montana (second only to the more snowy Kalispell area) prices are leveling
out. Over 80% of the buyers are from out of state and are baby boomers. Most
are
looking
to
retire
but
there are many in this group who are moving their families to get out of the
rat race and get a better quality of life and education for their families.
In fact, many of these people are motivated from personal and religious beliefs
that things are going to get nasty in this country and they want to be out
and away from the mainstream population. I personally know many families
that
are here
today as a direct result of revelations from God.
The average sold to list price for this area is 94%, marking
the beginning of a transition from a seller's market to a buyer's market. However,
many sellers
are not desperate
or very motivated and are just biding their time trying to take advantage
of the market. If they are able to wait it out they will probably get their
asking price.
The average price for homes this past year was $162,000 with 198 closings.
The land sale average price was $139,000 for 114 land deals.
Currently, the residential inventory of listings stands at 189 with only 25%
of these being parcels 10 acres or more. Vacant land inventory is 285 with
30%
being parcels of 10 or more acres. I have noticed that many times, if one is
looking for land value, it is better for per acre cost to
buy a home with lots of land and simply ignore the home if you don’t
like it. Land parcels get more bang for the buck here! Additionally, properties
with
springs,
rivers, creeks,
lakes, et cetera get premium top dollar and normally have more covenants unless
they are older, bigger parcels.
The land in this region is very desirable for remote location, access to water,
and ability to be self-sufficient. One of our best kept secrets in northwestern
Montana
(along with North Idaho) is that the winter weather is moderate!
Retreat Realtor Viola K. Moss can be e-mailed at MtnMama@kvis.net.
She covers the Northwestern portion of Montana including the Yaak River Valley,
Troy, Libby,
Heron, Noxon, Trout Creek, Thompson Falls and all of Lincoln County. - V.K.M.
New Zealand (Part 1)
New Zealand is made up of two large islands, one large island to the south
and a smaller island to the north. The locals refer to them as the North
island and the South island, go figure.
The north is home to most of the businesses, manufacturing and industry,
as well as the hub for tourism. If you want to be secluded and live off grid
then you’ll want to be on the northern part of the South island. The
North island has a climate similar to a mix of Hawaii and California, damp
and cold is the winter and hot and humid in the summer with allot of sunshine
and beautiful days. Places in the northern part of the North island like Auckland
do not get any snow, unlike the southern parts of the South island that are
closer to Antarctica, where there are four defined seasons and snow in winter.
Pick your climate, either way New Zealand seems to have the best of it all.
The South island is where the real New Zealanders live, at least according
to an agent I spoke to down there recently. This island has everything from
a wine growing area to rocky, mountainous remote areas. According to the Realtor,
the North West end of the island houses several private sections that are inhabited
by people living off the grid and support themselves by working the land and
bartering. The farther south you go the more remote and the weather patterns
get more varied. As you know we preparedness minded folks like to have a lot
of land, but amazingly enough most people there are happy and can support themselves
with 20 acres, not 80 or 100. Real estate prices seem to be holding steady
with a few corrections over the past year or so. Farm and dairy ranches started
the year off slow but it seems from the reports that it is heading for a strong
finish.
This
site has an enormous amount of information on the housing market in New Zealand.
This New Zealand real estate
site seems
to offer the best overall view of the country, with the most offices and agents
that could be found.
New Zealand is a huge country as islands go and we are working to find approved
Realtors there, please e-mail us if you can recommend someone for the site.
As far as actually buying a retreat in New Zealand you’ll want to consider
the exchange rate as well as taxes, the economy and firearms laws, all of which
are covered below.
Monetary Exchange Rates
The exchange rate table will help those
worldwide understand their own currency’s worth against the New Zealand
Dollar (NZD). You may use this
calculator to help you see what your dollar will buy.
As of this month for every $1.00 US Dollar you’ll have the buying power
of $1.41 in NZD. For example a retreat listed in New Zealand for $675,000 NZD
would cost you only $518,000 USD.
For those of you in Britain your Pound is worth almost 2.64 NZD! That same
retreat listed at $675,000 NZD would only be only £255,690
in GBP. Hurry! Run, swim, fly, and buy!
For those of you interested in researching the ins and outs of the economy
down there, a large amount of technical data regarding the economy can be found
here.
Taxes in New Zealand
After researching on the
NZ Tax Site it seems that the use of a sliding tax scale works well and
a person making 65,000 NZD will pay 16,000 NZD in taxes, or about 25%, rather
than the stated
40%. All in all, as with almost every nation out there it is better to be
a business
owner
than a worker, so you’ll have more tax ‘loop holes’ to slide
into.
Firearms in New Zealand
It appears from the research completed that owning military semi-automatic
weapons is acceptable in NZ. You can preview the NZ
Police site and a guide service http://nzhunt.com/laws.html for some excellent
technical information.In addition here is a
local gun shop with a list of nice battle rifles to purchase should you
decide to move. It looks like they
sell AKs, ARs, HKs, M1As and the like (with a valid ‘E’ license),
and suppressors!
Although it looks like you would be better off bringing your entire collection
to NZ since prices seem to be two to three times the cost in the U.S.A., even
after factoring in the exchange rate. The costs of suppressors though, strangely
seem to be lower.
In order to store your firearms you must use an approved secured safe or for
larger collections a safe room. The room must be complete with re-bar reinforced
walls, floor and ceiling as well as bars over any windows. This is more likely
to be required with a “E” license which covers the black rifles
and all suppressors et cetera. There are some rifles like the Saiga that can
be had with the “A” license, the normal easy license to get apparently.
You do have to justify your ownership, i.e. collector, investment, match shooter,
whatever. But to escape escalating issues in your country of origin it seems
to be worth it, even those of us from the USA, this is a good locale to bring
your guns n’ gear and escape the coming Nanny (police) state.
Hopefully
in the near future we will feature an in-depth market analysis written by an
approved agent.
In other news, it looks like we have a new approved 130 acre retreat called
Rolling Meadows, in North Carolina. This is the first of many retreats to come
from
Ron Thompson, currently seeking full approval from the staff here to become
SurvivalRealty.com's
sole approved Realtor in Northwest North Carolina. Ron is a former US Marine
and fellow Patriot. You can see his new listing at SurvivalRealty.com very
soon! If you are looking at North Carolina as a possible retreat locale you
may contact him directly: Ron Thompson at mail@ronthompson.com.
Look for more, next Friday! - T.S.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Summary »
Odds 'n Sods:
Chuck G. pointed out this article: USAGOLD's Top 25 Quotes on the Credit Crisis
of 'O7
o o o
Our friend Peter in Switzerland sent us the link to some
field trials of the Beta CMAG (100 round double snail drum for M16, M4,
and M249 SAW) in Iraq. This confirms my earlier observations when testing Betas
here at the Rawles
Ranch. My biggest complaint about the Beta
mag is not jamming problems (which typically are minimal if it is
kept clean and properly lubricated.) The biggest drawbacks are its weight
and noise. When loaded, the drums have an annoying
rattle (as the cartridges shift forward and backward), when walking. And when
moving at a jog or a run, they
sound like maracas in a Mexican band. Rattling noises like this are
a tactical no-no verging on suicidal. Another drawback is price. For $240 (the
cost of one Beta
with pouch, loader, and dry lubricant), you could buy 24 of the standard 30
round M16 magazines. That would be enough
to
hold 720 rounds! And when you take into account eventual breakage (which seems
inevitable, given the plastic "tower" portion of the Beta magazine),
I'd rather have 24 sequential chances to ruin a magazine than a single
point of failure. In the final analysis, I can only recommend the Beta magazine
for
folks
a.) with
lots
of
money,
and b.) who
plan
to use
one as a "bonus" magazine in
a fixed site perimeter security role. I've said it before and I'll say it
again:
Do not confuse gear or gadgets with a high quotient for drama with
real tactical practicality.
o o o
I spotted this over at The Drudge Report: U.S.
most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people. The article mentioned
that about 4.5 million new guns get purchased each year (and presumably
about a million per year get worn out to the point that they are
scrapped or discarded. Perhaps a few hundred thousand guns get turned in
for destruction by do-gooders, senile widows, and idiots. But there is definitely
an increase, year on year.
I won't
be at my "comfort
level" until
I know that there is a gun for every man, woman and
child in the US.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"Wealth is the number of forward days you can live without relying on
another
human being." - Buckminster Fuller
« Two Letters Re: Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
The high bid is still at $210 in
the SurvivalBlog
benefit auction for a for a new-in-the-box Hydro
Photon UV Light SteriPen Water Sterilization System with solar charger and
pre-filter, kindly donated by Safecastle,
one of our most loyal advertisers. This very popular water sterilizer product
package normally sells for $225, plus postage. See the details on the SteriPen
and solar charger here.
As a bonus for this auction, I'm also including autographed copies of three
of my
books: Rawles
on Retreats and Relocation, SurvivalBlog:
The Best of the Blog - Volume 1 and my novel: "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse". (Together, these books have
a retail
value of $82.) The auction ends on September 15th. Just e-mail us
your bid.
« Letter Re: Waterproof Storage of Blackpowder |Main| Note from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security
James,
Here in Iraq the Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) threat is
very serious. Obviously at home we won't be able to set up the complex entry
points
seen
on a US Forward
Operating
Base
(FOB). However a lesson can be taken from the Iraq Outposts. At the Combat
Outpost (COP) where I am
stationed
(Joint
US/Iraqi Army); the entry is well defended. Using HESCO
barriers to create
the lane,
the 'gate'
is simply a 2 1/2 truck with armor plate welded on one side. This truck is
parked across the entry way. This can be quickly moved and is decent blast
protection. The traffic lane has jersey barriers set up to create a series
of switch backs, to force the vehicle to slow down. At the end is a small bunker
and tower that allows one to place fire on anything that may try to run past
the truck when it opens up to let vehicles in. At night concertina wire is
stretched across, slowing done vehicles even more.
At home one could store HESCO barriers, concertina wire and sandbags to create
something very similar to force any vehicles into a kill zone. HESCO barriers
are easy to store when unfilled and a small tractor with front-end loader can
fill them quickly. To create a 'gate' one could simply take a heavy duty pickup
(any junker that can go forward and reverse will work) and weld steel plate on
one
side. Using angle iron (to make vehicle-stopping caltrops) and wire you can create
the switchbacks to slow vehicles.
HESCO [type]barriers would also be useful for blocking off vehicle access to
open
areas;
as they can be easily wired together. Regards, - Tim McB. in Iraq
Dear Mr. Rawles,
The subject of vehicle barriers, as recently mentioned on your web site, is
one that I have given some thought to.
In terms of defensive measures, the [WWII] British Home Guard had some surprisingly
effective measures that would work quite well today. Also, since the Home Guard
operated on a shoestring budget and had a minimum of materials, their clever
approaches are quite relevant to today's preparedness minded individual.
The two vehicle barriers that I thought would still be useful today are these:
The Hedgehog - Extremely simple and low key. The modern version of this is
seen at embassies all around the world (and in surprising numbers around lower
Manhattan).
Simply, “sockets” are placed in the roadway. These are nothing
more than simple holes about 3-4 feet deep lined with pipe of sufficient diameter
to admit the entrance of a piece of steel beam/pipe. When not in use, the sockets
are covered and the steel beam/pipe is stacked on the side of the road as if
it were construction material. When needed, 2 or 3 fellows go out, uncover
the sockets and drop in the beam/pipe.
Hedgehog
being set-up for use.
The other simple but effective measure would be the
permanent type roadblock also used by the Home Guard.
A simple concrete column that has openings in it to allow for the installation
of steel pipe or sections of rail track.
When not in use, these two different types of barriers present a very low profile.
The Hedgehog simply looks like tiny manholes in a road surface and the permanent
type roadblock looks like a large gatepost.
As with any barrier, both have to be placed in such a way vehicles can not
go around it easily and that vehicles and personnel approaching it may be brought
under direct observation/fire. One of these barriers properly placed at one
end of a long straight approach could allow multiple vehicles the line up single
column while the lead vehicle deals with the obstacle; this turns your approach/driveway/road
into a marvelous enfilade.
There are several good books and web sites on the different types of vehicle
defenses the British had set up during WWII. While some are not practical at
individual level, either because they require too many resources or they present
too obvious a message, many are surprisingly low key, low maintenance, durable
(they’re still standing) and simple. One of the greatest features of
the British Home Guard vehicle barriers as compared to many others is that
they allowed for everyday use of the roads, but could be instantly put into
action with very little external resources. No electric, no hydraulics, no
computers; just 3 or 4 Tommies with strong backs to shoulder the rails and
it was done.
As with any defense, layers are best. That reinforced steel gate at the entrance
to ones property is fine. That same gate with a second one 25 yards back flanked
by "culverts" (anti-vehicle ditches) is even better. Redundancy and
layers. - RMV
JWR Replies: The Bollard type
hedgehog approach works well, but like any other obstacle,to be effective it
must be covered by fire. To
stop
attackers
from pulling up removable bollards, a short length of chain attached to the
inset pipe can be secured with a padlock. One inexpensive source of material
for Bollards is used railroad track.
« Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles |Main| Two Letters Re: Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security »
Letter Re: Waterproof Storage of Blackpowder
Jim:
All black powder attracts water. Before a hunt or shoot, I empty the powder
in my horn into a shallow earthenware bowl, then set it in the oven warmed
to about 200F for a few hours. My stock of powder is in the airtight cans
I bought it in. black powder is one of the few products that has not been
noticeably improved in the last 250 or so years. It also does not ever deteriorate
in
storage as long as it's kept dry. The Lewis and Clark expedition carried
their powder in lead boxes which were soldered shut. They capsized one or two
of
their canoes in the Salmon River in 1803 or '04 losing several rifles and
some of the lead boxes containing US government issue powder. In the 1960s
(IIRC)
that portion of the river went dry during the fill-up of an upstream dam
at which time remains of one of the rifles and several of the powder boxes
were
recovered. One was opened and the powder in it was found to be as good as
new. What a wonderful design for a container! Over 150 years in a wild, roiling
river and still good as new! - Fred The Valmet-meister
JWR Replies: Thanks for your letter. I would recommend using
extreme caution when getting any source of heat anywhere near a box of blackpowder!
In the modern context, for safety I'd recommend a waterproof container has
some means of pressure relief.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Waterproof Storage of Blackpowder »
Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles
Sir:
A recent entry on your blog from 'Tanker' gave the link to a video on
the Lifehacker web site.
The last video he mentioned was made by a poster named KipKay.
I have been a fan of KipKay's for several months. He posts regularly on Metacafe.com.
Incidentally, for each video he is paid and he has made approximately $55,000
from his creations. He has several videos that may be of interest to your
audience. Below are the links and a brief description of each. Please decide
if any of
these merit inclusion on your blog. His official web site is www.KipKay.com.
In this video he shows how
to turn an ordinary AA Maglite into a laser capable of popping a balloon or
lighting a match.
In this video he shows how
to make an underwater camera housing for a fraction of what a commercial model
would cost. He uses an ammo can, a piece of plexiglas,
velcro and marine sealant.
He shows how
to make a USB powered cell phone charger.
He shows how
to take a cheap flashlight and make a super bright Surefire-type flashlight
for ten dollars. He doesn't give any information about battery
life but the
final cost is less than ten dollars.
KipKay shows how
to double gas mileage (at least in his car).
KipKay shows how
to get 6 AAA batteries from one nine volt battery (in case of an emergency).
He has various other videos that are very interesting. KipKay also occasionally
posts at Instructables.com which
is a fascinating web site in its own right. Regards, - Caesar
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles »
Odds 'n Sods:
From Money and Markets, (by way of SHTF Daily), Marty
Weiss provides this sage analysis of the real estate market and the liquidity
crisis: Final Warning!
o o o
Stephen C. in Iraq mentioned this piece from The Economist: The
agonies of agflation: "As oil prices stay high, wheat prices hit
an all-time peak of over $7.50 a bushel for December delivery at the end
of trading in
Chicago on Thursday August 23rd."
o o o
I just heard about a blog dedicated to "Survival, Preparedness, News, and
Resources" vis-a-vis the Asian Avian Flu: Bird
Flu (H5N1) Daily
« Letter Re: Purchasing Modern Firearms Without a Paper Trail |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects
from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach
of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be
applied by the courts. One's right to life, liberty, and property, to free
speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental
rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections." -
Justice Robert H. Jackson (1892-1954), U. S. Supreme Court Justice, West
Virginia Board of Education vs. Barnette, 1943
« Letter Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: Purchasing Modern Firearms Without a Paper Trail
My Rawles,
I am recently new to your SurvivalBlog web site. I have thoroughly enjoyed
trying to catch up and read the thousands of posts. While I have always felt
the
need to be prepared for any eventuality, I have recently began more intensive
preparations up on food, ammo, water and learning every thing
(like making soap) that I can.
I have grown up around guns and hunting my entire life. Of the four guns that
I have, 12 gauge, 16 gauge, .22 [rimfire] rifle and 9 mm pistol, I have only
purchased one myself: the 9mm pistol. The other three were given to me as
gifts by
grand
parents (generally
ones they had and no longer use). The reason I am emailing you is that, while
I do not want to go to jail for doing anything illegal, I am interested if
there are ways to purchase firearms, especially kinds like AR-15 etc, without
having a paper trail that the government could use to confiscate them in times
of crisis? Obviously it would be nice to have ones that were not used in previously
committed crimes that I could be blamed for.
For example, if the government were to ban firearms, I would be able to say, "all
I have is this 9mm pistol" and therefore be left with my other three guns
hidden away. (And of course whatever [more] I may purchase in the near future.)
Any suggestions? Respectfully, - LowProfileGuy
JWR Replies: Here in these United States, acquiring firearms
without a paper trail depends a lot on your state laws, which vary widely.
This might seem odd to our readers in England, who are accustomed to a uniform
"Country
Code."
But
here in the States there is an odd patchwork of laws. Some states now require
registration of modern (post-1898
manufactured) guns. Most states, thankfully, still do not. In those states
you can still make an intrastate "private
party" purchase of a used gun. This sort of transaction is strictly between
two adult private citizens that both live in the same state, and the
transfer is not processed through a
Federally licensed dealer. Typically, you can find local private party sellers
in through newspaper ads, at gun shows, or through GunsAmerica.com.
(For the latter, you can use their Advanced Search feature to find only guns
offered in your own state, and that are being
sold only by non-licensees.) Proviso: Research your state
and local laws before making a purchase, since laws vary widely!
The chances of a gun being stolen or previously used in a a crime are very
small. But if that worries you, then you can have a friend in law enforcement
run a check on it. (You will need to supply the make, model, caliber, and
serial number.)
Another great opportunity to buy guns without a paper trail is to buy pre-1899
manufactured Federally exempt antique cartridge guns. These can even be sold
across state lines without a paper trail, because they are entirely
outside of Federal jurisdiction . They will also presumably be "below the radar" in
the event of nationwide (Federal) gun registration. I have written a
detailed FAQ on this subject. There are a few pre-1899 dealers that
I recommend,
including
The Pre-1899
Specialist (one of our advertisers) and Empire
Arms.
OBTW, 16 gauge is now an uncommon chambering and shells
for it might be scarce WTSHTF.
So unless
it has sentimental or family history value I recommend that you trade your
16 gauge for another 12 gauge (preferably with a 3 inch or 3-1/2 inch
chamber), or perhaps
use
it in trade toward
the
purchase of a .308 Winchester rifle.
« Letter Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals |Main| Letter Re: Purchasing Modern Firearms Without a Paper Trail »
Letter Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source
Dear Mr. Rawles
I have read your novel ["Patriots"]
(several times) although I do need to get the [latest] expanded edition. And
I finally talked my wife into reading it. I loved it--by far my favorite book
of all time.
Okay onto my two cents. I just thought it might be a good idea to mention to
everyone the value of going to your local garage sales. I work third shift
and have been able to find quite a few good deals over the past years. This
year I really focused on survival needs and I think I did okay. I got a Camelbak
pack and bladder (never used) for $2, a wheel barrel for $3, and a pry bar
that is used by fire departments to open up cars for $7. (These retail for
$265).
I've also purchased ammo, candles, lamp oil, and several other things that
will really help me out when the time comes. All at deep discounts.
Just thought everyone should have their eyes open next time they drive by some
junk in someone's driveway. you never know what you will find. Thanks a lot.
Keep Up The Good Work, - Bill C
« Letter Re: Resources for Researching Retreat Locales |Main| Letter Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source »
Letter Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals
Jim-
I've got a plain, white, lidded bucket of coins (that's the way the dealer
packed them for me) on the floor of my guest bedroom closet. Above it is
an old daypack with vital papers and bugout money. The closet, like most
folks',
is full
of shoes, coats, caps. I'm counting on [Edgar Allan Poe's] The
Purloined Letter idea.
My thinking is that the Bad Guys will go first for the master bedroom--and
that's where I'm well prepared to meet them.
On the other hand, if I have to bug out quickly, I will have these things ready
to pick up and move out. - Bob B.
JWR Replies: Here is another example of "in plain sight"
hiding places; I have a friend that for many year has used a 100 ounce silver
bar as a doorstop, with its markings turned
down toward
the
carpeted
floor.
He just
painted it dark gray to make it look like a lead ingot. Of course, with the
current high price of lead, perhaps not even its disguised form would no longerkeep it safe
from theft.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals »
Letter Re: Resources for Researching Retreat Locales
Hi Jim,
My wife and I will be moving to Montana in the near future. While researching
a location for our future home, we found the following links to be especially
helpful for state tax and cost-of-living comparisons.
Overall Tax Burden by State
State Income Tax Rates
State Sales Tax Rates
Cost of Living Comparison
Sincerely, - Jeff H.
JWR Replies: Thanks for sending those very useful links.
I just added them to my Retreat
Areas web page.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Resources for Researching Retreat Locales »
Odds 'n Sods:
DAV mentioned this story that might portend a market change: Russian
government takes over gold mining sector
o o o
Some analysis from Steve Schifferes of BBC News: Financial
crises: Lessons from history. I disagree that government intervention
is the best solution. Inevitably "market intervention" ends up
being a wealth transfer from one group of citizens to another, to the detriment
of the former, and to the benefit of the latter. In the context of the current
liquidity crisis, "intervention" will probably be in the form of
loan guarantees which will put taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of billions
of dollars. In the long run, all debt, good or bad, must be "unwound." This
unwinding can be painful, but it generally best to let the free market take its
course and return to equilibrium.
o o o
Sometimes a toy is not a toy: Laser
perimeter security sets. It looks like two or three sets would be required
for serious use. Just be advised that these will show up like searchlights
when seen through night vision gear. (A hat tip to Hawaiian K.for spotting
these.)
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger
may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of
ruin. When
all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person
is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved." - Confucius
« Two Letters Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
As promised, I have again put "six packs"
of my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse" on sale. The price of
a box of six is now just $90, postage paid. (You'll get six autographed
copies for $90, delivered, via Priority Mail Flat
Rate box, mailed to anywhere in the Unites States, including APO/FPO addresses.)
This sale ends on October 31st. This is your chance to buy some extra
copies for Christmas presents.
« Letter Re: Alcohol Stoves |Main| Note from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home
James
Before building a house with a walk-in vault, for years I stored firearms and
ammo in an old soft drink vending machine. Bought the non-working machine for
next to nothing, removed the guts, and had a cheap gun safe (if necessary,
a locksmith could re-key an old machine for a few bucks). It held a lot, had
an excellent locking system, would be hard to break into, but best of all was
invisible. Placed in my garage and later a barn, with a few tools and old boxes
stacked on top, no one ever gave it a second look. - Bois d'Arc
JWR:
Just a couple more ideas on hiding in plain site:
Junk silver coins can fit
in [tubular] clothing rods in your closets.
If you take the felt bottoms off of most ceramic lamps there is a hollow
are to stash stuff in though you will have to secure it so it does not
rattle.
Depending on the layout of your house look at heating duct work, is there
a place where you could install a false duct going to nowhere and
fill it.
under a kitchen sink drill a 1-1/2" diameter hole opposite of each other
in the back and you can slide a piece of PVC drain
pipe in the holes one side first then the other.
also if you have a compound miter saw a semi permanent hiding place is
installing crown moulding and using the dead space behind the moulding
as a storage
area. If you use nails as well as liquid nails glue to install it can support
a large
amount of weight. this idea also lends itself to coffered ceilings where
you can build in a very large hidden space.
if you have a bed with large posts and decorative screw on tops you can
use a wood boring bit to make a large hollow space and then screw the tops
back
on.well I hope these help you guys - Brian
JWR Replies: Thanks for those suggestions. One other "in
plain site" cache suggestion that I've seen mentioned is a piece of black
4"
diameter ABS plastic
pipe with threaded end cap protruding from the ground. To the casual observer,
it will appear to be just a sewer or septic tank clean-out
access port.
« Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles |Main| Two Letters Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home »
Letter Re: Alcohol Stoves
Jim,
I found this very cool German-made alcohol stove called the Turm
Touring.
I've never seen
anything like it before. Took it home put some alcohol in the brass tank
and lit the burner. It really works well. I got a nice blue flame; lots of
heat from this little single burner stove.
Very interesting design; no pressure! You don't have to pump up a tank with
air like the Coleman stoves. Then reading some more I found this web site: SpiritBurner.com Very
interesting and
seems like something a survival type person
would be interested in. - Fred The Valmet-meister
« Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted |Main| Letter Re: Alcohol Stoves »
Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles
Mr. Rawles:
There are so many great and not-so-great ideas on the LifeHacker site including
this one I found showing you how
to use C cell batteries in place of a D cell compartment
in an emergency situation:
There are some other interesting things on this site like creating make-shift
air conditioning systems using cold well water (others have made emergency
air conditioners using beverage coolers, fans and copper coils): DIY
Heat Exchanger and Make
Your Own Air Conditioner.
There is this one showing you how
someone made hand washing more efficient while filling the tank of his toilet.
[JWR
Adds: I would recommend skipping this one. The implementation shown
uses plywood which cannot be kept sanitary. It also might result in a smelly
toilet tank if you use an non-chlorinated water source such as well water or
spring water.]
And here's one with a video demonstrating how
one can cheaply acquire 8 - 1.5v button cell batteries from 1 - A23 12v battery:
Well, there's enough on this LifeHacker site to keep you busy for some time.
Enjoy!, - Tanker
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles »
Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted
Jim:
Saw the post regarding imported honey. Heard the same thing from my small
time honey supplier. For west coast Costco’s, Silverbow
honey is pure
and made from US and Canadian honey. Verified this with the folks at Silverbow,
based in Moses Lake, Washington state. For the record, I do my best to support
local businesses and suppliers in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest,
followed (naturally!) by SurvivalBlog [paid advertisers and affiliate] advertisers. Regards,
- MP near Seattle
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted »
Odds 'n Sods:
"Dancing Barefoot" sent us this: H5N1
Asian Avian Flu Now in Germany:
"Tests
have
found
that
birds
at
a
poultry
farm
in
southern Germany died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, and some 160,000 birds
were being slaughtered as a precaution,
authorities said."
o o o
I heard from Vic at Safecastle that
Mountain House freeze dried storage food prices are going up substantially
on September
1st. OBTW, they still have some 7 Day Just in Case Kits of Mountain
House
foods (in handy pouches) on sale for just $100 postage paid. Get your Mountain
House orders in to Safecastle, ASAP!
o o o
The big put option play: Mystery
trader bets market will crash by a third. Obviously this is either someone
with killer insider knowledge or with no sense whatsoever.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"I would argue that Countrywide is insolvent. Their only asset is their
pricing platform, their business algorithm, and that's not working. The next
biggest asset they have is the toner for their copiers." - Joe Mason
« The Future of the U.S. Suburban Real Estate Versus Rural Retreat Real Estate |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
When reviewing our blog statistics, I just noticed
that more than 33% of SurvivalBlog readers now use the
Firefox browser. It
is a much more secure browser than Microsoft Explorer. I highly recommend
that all of our readers make the switch. And speaking of security
and privacy, I
also
recommend using Scroogle.org's
scraper as an anonymous interface to
Google searches.
« Letter Re: Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Retreat Locale |Main| Note from JWR: »
The Future of the U.S. Suburban Real Estate Versus Rural Retreat Real Estate
In recent months I've been asked by several consulting clients if it is still
a good time to buy a retreat property. The answer is yes. If you find
a really phenomenal property, the answer is always yes. (Yes if you can buy
it without going deep into to debt. ) In fact, some close family members bought
the place of their dreams after consulting with
me this
last
year.
Say that you find a property that is in the region that you've selected,
and it
has all of the features that you've been looking for--such
as gravity fed spring water, defendable terrain, good soil, open space for
gardening and livestock--then
you probably shouldn't let it get away from you.
It is notable that SurvivalBlog
recently launched a spin-off web site--SurvivalRealty.com--which
features only survival retreat properties. Some might think
that this is not a wise time to start such a venture. But consider
that most of the advertised retreat locales are in areas where the
price of real estate is likely to drop no more than 10%, even in the
event of a prolonged bear market in real estate. In those areas, the downside
risk
is minimal. Further, the Baby Boomers will start hitting retirement age in
2011. many of them are planning on relocating to rural areas at that time.
Some will
be planning on using their equity in their city or suburban home to buy a
home outright in a low-cost-of living rural area. Some will be retiring to
a locale
with great hunting or great fishing, to fulfill a lifelong dream. Others
have a dream of owning rural acreage so they can have all the critters they've
dreamed
of, and that big garden. I believe as we approach 2011, property in rural
areas will actually increase in value, especially if they have water frontage,
are
in an area renowned for great hunting or great fishing, or in some other
way meet the
qualifications
of being someone's retirement "dream" property. Our close family members
took our advice and bought a waterfront property in a prime hunting and fishing
location
in the inland northwest. If the Schumer hits
the fan then they are ahead of the game because they are actively preparing
and upgrading their retreat. If
it
doesn't, then they have
still made a great investment for the future by buying their retirement property
way ahead of the Baby Boomers.
Meanwhile, in the Coastal Suburbs...
In contrast to rural retreat properties, coastal suburban real estate
is clearly in
a declining market cycle, where time is on your side. There will be
exceptions to the down trend, like the Silicon Valley, where industry is still
humming
along (at least for now) and where new immigrants are keeping demand high.
But within a couple of years, most of the over-bought coastal real estate
in the US
will
resemble Cape
Coral Florida, where the listed prices have already dropped 22%, or Phoenix,
where the inventory of unsold houses jumped 523% in one year. It is in the
formerly "hot market" coastal
regions that prices could decline by as much as 40% before the market starts
to recover.
These areas include San Diego, Orange County, Sacramento, Seattle, much of
Florida, the Atlanta metroplex, the entire Washington DC region, eastern New
York, and the entire "commuter corridor" portions of New England.
Economist John Mauldin recently reported that the largest number of residential
home adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)
resets--some $110 billion worth--will occur between October
of 2007 and March of 2008, with the peak in March. Come next spring
and summer, look for the U.S. home mortgage foreclosure rate to skyrocket. California
is already leading the pack on foreclosures, registering their
highest foreclosure rate in 11 years. The ARM resets (or "ARM twisting",
as I call it) will only make matters worse. Banks will be repossessing hundreds
of thousands of houses and they will doubtless dump most of them on the market.
And remember that these are regional markets that already has far too
much unsold inventory. (In
Sacramento, California, there are so many vacant houses with unkempt swimming
pools that public health officials are fearing outbreaks of mosquito-borne
illnesses.) I think that we can look for the bottom to fall out of the
US coastal real estate market, most likely next summer. And by the
summer of 2009, I predict that we will witness some "fire sale" prices,
particularly in the inflated price regions where ARMs predominated. Again,
for anyone looking to purchase property in coastal regions, time is on your
side. Just watch the market patiently. In particular, watch for foreclosures. (Subscribing
to a service like Foreclosure.com or RealtyTrac.com is
a good way to avoid missing foreclosures as they become available in your chosen
retreat area.) Keep your land-buying bankroll in easily-accessible short term
paper--preferably something like TIPS.
Be patient. It may take as long as eight years for the coastal real estate market
to bottom. But when the price is right, pounce.
Today's market is already a "buyer's market." Soon, it will be a
genuine bargain shopper's market. With this in mind, don' hesitate to make
a "low-ball" offer. Make your offer low enough to offset the downside
market risk. That way you will be able to sleep at night. As the market deteriorates,
offers will be few an far between, so even low offers will be given consideration.
And if yours is the only offer, then you might be pleasantly surprised.
Assuming there is a property that you really want but the asking price
is too high, one tactic is to make a standing offer at a lowball
price. Such offers are best made in October or November. Tell the
seller that your offer will stand for six months. Odds are that the offer will
initially be rejected. But then, if the seller gets nervous about the market
and has a mood swing into desperation, the chances are good that the seller
will eventually accept your offer. OBTW, your real estate agent will probably
discourage you from this sort of tactic. But remember that he makes his living
on commissions from home sale closings, so anything that delays a
closing is discouraged. They just love that phrase "time is of the essence".
But in today's market, at least on the coasts, time is on your side.
« Two Letters Re: Projecting Some Possible Outcomes for The Panic of 2007 |Main| The Future of the U.S. Suburban Real Estate Versus Rural Retreat Real Estate »
Letter Re: Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Retreat Locale
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I am a recently retired auto worker, electrician by trade, currently live on
5 acres 25 miles north of Detroit. We have plenty of woods and a nice garden
area. When we built the house back in 1987 it was out in the boonies, in
the past 20 years developers have bought most of the surrounding property
and subdivided it. With the exception of the two 5 acre parcels to the north
of us we are completely surrounded by houses. Most of the neighbors are nice
people who we get along well with. We do get some trespassers from time
to time on the property, these are usually suburban people who feel that
our woods is a nature sanctuary for them. When we had the major power outage
4 years ago everyone helped each other out, sharing resources. I still do
not feel comfortable being so close to Detroit. Having grown up in Detroit
I can vividly remember the riots that occurred in the city when I was a small
child.
Our family has spent many summer vacations in the Upper Peninsula (UP) and
always enjoyed the people and forests of the UP. Recently we have been considering
purchasing a parcel of land in the UP and building a retreat there. We are
considering the eastern or central portions of the UP. There is plenty of good
water, trees, and deer and small game are in abundance. The limiting factors
as we see it are the cold winters, distance, and having to cross the Mackinac
Bridge. Of course hard winters seem to keep the population down, and in a worst
case scenario the Bridge could be secured to limit the number of people.
We have also considered the Thumb area of Michigan. We would be interested
in your opinion.- Mark G.
JWR Replies: I've brushed on the "U.P." as a retreat
locale a few times in SurvivalBlog, most recently on
March 28, 2007, when I wrote:
If you can stand the severe climate, then yes, the U.P. is about as
good as it gets for retreat locales east of the Dakotas. For a move to the
U.P., plan
to budget to build a big greenhouse (with a steep-pitched roof), and big woodshed.
You are going to need both! Oh yes. Don't forget to lay in a large supply of
mosquito repellent.
Here are a few notes to expand on those comments: Since I've never lived
there, I can't add much more than that. It is probably clear to most SurvivalBlog
readers
that
I prefer
low population
density
rural
areas west of the Great Divide. This is for three key reasons:
1.) A more livable climate with a decent growing season, 2.) Less risk of nuclear
fallout, and 3.) Much lower population density. In essence, fewer people
= fewer problems. I fear that much of the eastern US has so much population
that in
the event
of a societal collapse the wild game will be decimated, and there will be
so many hungry people wandering about that looting of the worst sort will quickly
ensue. Read my novel "Patriots"and
my non-fiction book Rawles
on Retreats and Relocation for details. But it bears mentioning that
the U.P. is a special case: It is an area with a low population density.
It is geographically isolated from the rest of
the United States. And it has such severe winters that the climate will do
far more for looter control than any ballistic measures.
One other factor is
not very widely known: The utility power in the U.P. is provided by Upper
Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO), which is one of the most independent utilities
in the nation. While normally tied to the grid, it has enough generation capacity
that it could conceivably go independent in the event of a short term grid-down
situation. But I have my doubts as to whether the natural gas and coal that
it uses would
last
very long. There are some hydroelectric dams and a few natural gas wells in
the U.P., but most of their natural gas is piped long distances with the aid
of compressor
stations. These compressors are nearly all powered by grid power. Quelle
dommage! I don't think that the U.P. could be energy independent in a long
term
collapse
If you must stay
in the Midwest for work or family reasons, then the U.P. is about as
good as it gets. As for "the Thumb" of Michigan,
it also has its merits. However, it is inferior to the U.P. in that there is
no "back door" exit. But I would only feel truly "cornered" there if it were
a worst case Golden
Horde scenario. That might induce some severe anxiety!
« Letter Re: Kudos for Medical Corps Training |Main| Letter Re: Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Retreat Locale »
Two Letters Re: Projecting Some Possible Outcomes for The Panic of 2007
Jim,
Very, very well done post, "Possible
Outcomes for the Panic of 2007". I would say you nailed it as good
as can be done. However you will not be invited to be a guest on CNBC. - DAV
Jim:
Don't ignore the compounding effects of a) an energy shock from peak
oil, a major gulf hurricane, or geopolitical conflicts, b) natural disasters,
particularly
major 8.0+ earthquakes on the West Coast or the New Madrid fault, or c) wars
and terror attacks driven by causes other than angry debt collectors (e.g.
Al Qaeda, false flag attacks). All of these could shift us from the current
outcome in your framework to a more painful one. Likewise, do not underestimate
the risk of U.S. dollar hyperinflation - it is substantially more than 2%.
Spending more money and printing money (or creating its electronic equivalent)
is too much of a temptation for 99+% of politicians (Republican and Democrat)
who are too cowardly to take desperately needed but painful steps and instead
make everything worse with more spending, more regulation (particularly high
risk of currency controls and offshore investment accounts), and more government
interference in both the economy and our lives.
The most important message is to be prepared. Now is the time
to get any long-lead time preparations ordered or built and to get any items
that may
no longer
be available in the near future (particularly imported items). To the extent
that you can make your family either partially or fully independent of the
grid through a) installing solar electric, wind turbine, and/or small hydro
alternative power systems, preferably with battery backups, b) installing
combined heat and power or solar hot water systems, c) drilling water wells
(even in
suburbia where you have city water, d) building greenhouses and other infrastructure
to grow your own food (plant and animal), and e) installing diesel backup
generators with large fuel tanks, do it now because all of these are good
personal investments
for hard times. Although the financial markets have only dropped about 8%
to 10%, at some point in the near future, one may have to think about non-conventional
investment strategies to liquidate IRAs and other financial portfolios and
move assets into either real goods (e.g. prepay future expenses), precious
metals, or offshore in non-dollar denominated accounts with non-U.S. financial
institutions with little or no exposure to derivatives. - Dr. Richard
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Two Letters Re: Projecting Some Possible Outcomes for The Panic of 2007 »
Letter Re: Kudos for Medical Corps Training
Jim:
I'm writing to you from Caldwell, Ohio where I just completed the Medical
Corps "Medical Response in Hostile Environments" field medicine
class. Since
Medical Corps, the group who offered the course, is one of your advertisers
I thought you might like
some unbiased feedback on the quality of their training.
This was an outstanding class given by a group of dedicated professionals.
The information, and in particular the hands-on practice, was excellent. Our
instructors included a BSN, CRNA, DDS, EMT and a former Corpsman/Medical Researcher.
Their knowledge; willingness to share; humility; and hard work were impressive.
You can really tell that these folks are doing what they do not for love of
money, but a sincere desire to help others by sharing and teaching.
As you know Jim, I have no financial or other relationship with this group
-- just wanted to give you some feedback. Hope you and The Memsahib are well.
Best Regards, - K.C.
JWR Adds: K.C. is a good friend of mine who is an EMT in
the
Western US. I highly recommend the Medical
Corps training. The class that K.C.
mentioned was their last course for 2007. In coming months I will be posting
announcements about their training calendar for 2008. Don't miss the opportunity
to get some great training at a reasonable price.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Kudos for Medical Corps Training »
Odds 'n Sods:
From France24 (by way of SHTF Daily): Analysts
mull contagion from US property
market woes. We also read in ChannelNewsAsia: The
German state of Saxony has decided to sell the Landesbank Sachsen (SachsenLB),
which has been hard hit by the US sub-prime crisis
o o o
DAV mentioned Michael
J. Panzner's Financial Armageddon blog. I was pleased to see that
Michael is really digging ito the current liquidity
crisis and astutely focusing on derivatives.
(That will surely be "the other
shoe to drop." ) I was also delighted to see that he has a link to SurvivalBlog
in his blog roll.
o o o
Reader Jeff S. mentioned the QRPme.com
web site. Jeff's comment: "Having a QRP transmitter
and receiver stashed away, in cans, for under $50 can't be a bad thing, eh?
Admittedly, you're looking at "some assembly required", but I
suspect
they're EMP proof
as all get out." My comment: Yes, they'd be relatively EMP proof if they have
no antenna attached. But once one is, then the microcircuits
would surely be vulnerable.
« Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"If the personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution inhibit the
government's ability to govern the people, we should look to limit those guarantees." -
Bill Clinton , 42nd US President, August
12, 1993
« Letter Re: Ezekiel Mix--a Complete Survival Food |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security
At least two or three times a year, I have consulting clients ask me about
anti-personnel and anti-vehicular obstacles.
In heavily-wooded country, dropping some trees to form an abatis (as shown
in this
illustration from US
Army Field Manual FM 90-7) is a viable expedient. But keep in mind that
obstacles often work both ways. they will keep the bad guys out, but also keep
you in. That is why my favorite roadblock is a Caterpillar ("Cat")
or similar tracked tractor, parked perpendicular at a narrow spot on a road,
with its blade dropped and
ignition system disabled. That will stop just about any vehicle short of another Cat.
The biggest advantage of this method is that a Cat can be moved quickly, to
allow the passage of "friendlies."
If you don't own a Cat, then parking cars or trucks perpendicular at a narrow
spot works fairly well. Remember: In most foreseeable circumstances, emplacing multiple obstacles
of marginal utility is as good as emplacing just one massive obstacle. One
fairly inexpensive technique is to emplace multiple 5/8" diameter steel
cables at 20 to 50 foot intervals strung 18inches above the ground, secured
with heavy duty padlocks. To gain entry,
even someone equipped with large bolt cutters would have to repeatedly reduce
each obstacle. And during that time, they could be warned off or directly engaged
with rifle fire.
As I've mentioned several times before in SurvivalBlog, an obstacle
is only useful in defense if it is under observation from defenders, and
can be fired upon by them. Otherwise, the obstacle can be quickly
reduced or bypassed by attackers and rendered useless.
I've already discussed anti-personnel obstacles at some length in SurvivalBlog,
including tanglefoot wire, razor wire, and concertina wire. I recommend that
you store defensive wire, but that you delay emplacing it until the
situation warrants it. In essence, you should wait for the time when your
neighbors will no longer say, "Gee, what a nut case!", and instead say:
"Gee, I wish that I had thought of that!"
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security »
Letter Re: Ezekiel Mix--a Complete Survival Food
Jim and readers,
Many of you that have read the Bible remember Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
Ezekiel 4:9 says "Take thou unto thee wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet
and fitches (spelt), and put them into one vessel and make thee bread thereof."
This diet sustained Ezekiel in the desert for 390 days. A modern day interpretation
of the Ezekiel recipe calls for the following: 20 parts wheat, 12 parts Spelt,
4 parts Hulled Barley, 2 parts Hulled Millet, 2 parts lentils, 2 parts Pinto
Beans, 1 part Great Northern Beans, 1 part Kidney Beans.
Modern Food scientists have found that Ezekiel Bread is surprisingly complete
in nutrients, containing all 8 essential Amino Acids. It only lacks the vitamin
provided by sunlight that converts cholesterol in the skin into Vitamin D,
which is then absorbed into the bloodstream.
Ezekiel Mix can be ground into flour to make Ezekiel Bread, used to make Soup,
Stews or Porridge. Ezekiel Flour can also be added to other bread flour recipes
to enhance nutrition.
You can make your own Ezekiel Mix, or do as we do. We purchase the mix from
Walton Feed. They sell Ezekiel Mix in 25 pound bags, #10 cans with oxygen absorbers
and Super Pails. (6 gallon air tight plastic food grade pail, containing the
mix in a sealed mylar bag with oxygen absorbers.)
To grind the mix into flour you must use a grain mill. Because of the beans
in the mix, you cannot use a stone mill because it will plug up the stones.
Ezekiel Bread Recipe (makes three loaves)
5-1/4 cups of Ezekiel Flour
or,
Grind in a Grain Mill:
2-1/2 cups of Wheat
1-1/2 cups of Spelt
1/2 cup of Barley
1/4 cup Millet
1/4 cup Lentils
2 Tablespoons Great Northern Beans
2 Tablespoons Kidney Beans
2 Tablespoons Pinto Beans
Measure into large bowl:
4 cups of warm water, (note if you have chlorine in your water it may kill
the yeast and bread may not rise)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup of oil
2 Tablespoons of yeast
Mix and set aside for 5 minutes until frothy
Add 2 teaspoons of salt and all the flour
Mix with spoon until stretchy and elastic, about 7 minutes
Since this is a batter-type bread, you must use bread pans. Pour into 3 greased
bread pans in even amounts.
Set oven to the lowest temperature and let rise 15-20 minutes. Level should
be within 1/2 inch of the top of the bread pan. Do not let it rise any more
or you will have a major gooey mess in your oven. Do not open oven or bread
will fall from the cool air.
Turn oven heat up to 350 degrees and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Enjoy!
When making stew, simmer for 8 to 10 hours on low heat or use a pressure cooker
for 3 to 4 hours. You can also soak the mix overnight.
You may wish to consider storing extra Ezekiel Mix to hand out as charity as
it is inexpensive and easily stored. - PED
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Ezekiel Mix--a Complete Survival Food »
Odds 'n Sods:
I often get questions from folks looking for survival retreat property about
the state tax rates (income tax, property (real estate) tax, sales tax, and
so forth.) Here is a
useful Internet reference at www.BankRate.com. State and local tax rates
should be thoroughly researched before you choose a retreat
locale.
o o o
American home foreclosures leap 93% in a year
o o o
The Credit Crunch contagion spreads yet further. We read this from England: Over
8.5 Million will be denied credit as level of debt soars. Can you spell recession?
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
“Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed;
for the Lord your God is with you whenever you go.” - Joshua 1:9
« Two Letters Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
Thanks for making SurvivalBlog such a huge
success. Our readership is on track to double by the end of this year. (More
than twice
the number of visits
in December of 2006!) My special thanks to the
readers that have shared their knowledge in their letters and articles.
Please
continue to spread
the word about SurvivalBlog to your neighbors, friends,
co-workers, and church brethren. Adding a SurvivalBlog
graphic link to your web page and/or e-mail footer really helps. Many,
many Thanks!
« Letter Re: The "Sneaky Uses" Books |Main| Note from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home
Jim--
Another cache option:
In a basement, with exposed floor joists, several options are available:
1) around the rim joist above the concrete foundation, the rim joist usually
is on the outboard edge of the concrete foundation, with floor joists sitting
on top of the concrete foundation. This in old houses might leave an 18" gap
between the rim joist and the inner face of the basement wall (stone foundations).
In newer homes, it might be a foot or so. Free space, easy to conceal with
a false front, or a thin insulation board.
2) between the floor joists, especially where a drop ceiling has been installed,
pull off a few panels of the drop ceiling, install [all or part of a sheet
of oriented strand board] (OSB), screwed to the bottom of the floor joists
(assuming that you have an inch
or
two between
the bottom of the joists and the top of the drop ceiling), and you have a hidden
shelf.
Substantial amounts of stuff can be hidden this way. And I mean, substantial.
Best Regards, - Tom S.
Jim,
Another way to cache 'long storage items', i.e. those that are put away for
long term for whatever, is as follows:
Modern construction methods employ the use of 'screws' as opposed to 'nails'
and solid support columns have been replaced, especially when those columns
are more decorative than structural, in many applications (barns, porches,
etc.) with screwing together 1"x6"s or 2"x6" planks of
various lengths---thus creating a hollow void.
This 'void' can be easily weatherproofed and filled with 'whatever'. Painting
the column only adds to the distraction! To the casual observer or the thief,
this 'cache' [in plain sight] would appear to be yet another structural/decorative
construction method and ultimately overlooked.
Just another idea on an ageless quest to preserve that which should be. - Matt,
Somewhere south of Kentucky and north of Alabama
« Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted |Main| Two Letters Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home »
Letter Re: The "Sneaky Uses" Books
Sir:
Let me start with a thank you for such an awesome resource! I've finally
sent my 10
Cent Challenge [voluntary subscription payment.] I didn't feel right
e-mailing you with this until I got
it out. Since finding your site (from the link at] Captain
Dave's Survival Center), I've been devouring
the info here, as well as "Patriots" (read
twice, and I'm starting it for the third time) and the "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course. I've
also just finished reading "The
Alpha Strategy"--that you
recommended in both the blog and in the preparedness course. Tremendously eye
opening stuff. You've radically changed my view on things like firearms
ownership, preparedness, and charity. I can't express with words how much my world view
has changed since finding this. Again, thank you.
Anyway, down to business: I'm a computer guy by trade, and while perusing ThinkGeek.com I
found two books titled:"Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things" (ISBN:
0740738593) and "Sneakier
Uses for Everyday Things" (ISBN: 0740754963). While most of the
info contained within is of marginal use, I found "making plastic (and
glue) from milk (using vinegar)", and "making a metal detector from
a calculator (using a radio)". There are other things like adjusting a
FM radio
to get airline [aviation band] frequencies, and powering a LED with
coins, cotton, and salt
water. They are fun for the tinkering types, but also give glimpses into how
some
other
things
work. There are also sections on emergency survival. Not much new [in those
sections], but good info nonetheless.
Thanks for coordinating all this, and keep up the good work! - Nick in Wisconsin
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: The "Sneaky Uses" Books »
Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted
James,
Any honey you are purchasing at Costco, Sam's Club, et cetera is undoubtedly
imported from China or South America. We all know about the recalls for Chinese
food
products that are tainted. South America isn't any better as they still allow
toxic chemicals to be used in their agriculture that have been long banned
in the US. I sure wouldn't want to be storing this honey. Find a local beekeeper
and buy your honey [there]. We are small beekeepers in that we have only 10
colonies but probably get more production as we actually take care of our colonies
unlike
many "bee havers". [There is] no commercial farming anywhere nearby.
Honey prices are going to escalate. Package bees/queens/supplies are higher
and higher
each
year, fewer people interested in beekeeping and many of the big producers have
had problems with colony collapse disorder [CCD]. In our humble opinion, [CCD
is] the result of too much manipulation of the bees from their natural state.
Just like any
business we can't keep absorbing the cost of supplies. If the label
doesn't say "Pure Honey" you could be buying honey mixed with corn syrup. Yuck.
Real honey will keep forever.Any health store could probably point you towards
a
local beekeeper. But don't expect to buy the real thing at Costco prices.
- D. Smith
JWR Replies: I have read that the honey sold at some Costco stores is pure, and domestically produced. For example, Costco sells some from Dutch Gold Honey, which is produced in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted »
Odds 'n Sods:
The Department of Homeland Security has decreed that propane
gas is a "chemical
of interest" and will soon require anyone with 7,500 pounds or more
of the fuel
to register with the agency.
o o o
The
latest boom: Foreclosures. (OBTW, one of the companies quoted in the
article --Foreclosure.com--is
one of our Affiliate
Advertisers.)
o o o
DAV recommended this market analysis and commentary from Jim Willie posted
over at Kitco.com: Desperate
Measures for USFED
« Notes from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"A very few--very few--isolated locations around the world, where it was possible
to impose a rigid quarantine and where authorities did so ruthlessly, escaped
the disease entirely. American Samoa was one such place. There not single
person died of influenza.
Across a few miles of ocean lay western Samoa, seized
from Germany by New Zealand at the start of the war. On September 30, 1918,
its population was
38,302, before the steamer Talune brought the disease to the island.
A few months later, the population was 29,802. Twenty-two percent of
of the population died." - John M. Barry, The Great Influenza
« Book Excerpt--Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Notes from JWR:
Today, I'm introducing a new SurvivalBlog feature column: "Weekly
Survival Real Estate Market Update. This will include general market news,
details on recommended retreat locales, and much more. I plan to post it each
Friday.
It will either be written by Todd Savage ("TS"), or by me ("JWR".)
SurvivalBlog reader Thad L. recently asked me: "How would you describe
your novel? I don't like most books but I like Tom Clancy novels. Is it that
sort of novel?"
My novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse" is a fast-paced novel, and it does
have some "techno-thriller" elements. I did my best to weave a lot
of practical and tactical information into the storyline. To illustrate, the
following
is an excerpt from one of the later chapters in the novel (Chapter 23: Vicissitude)
that shows the writing style:
« Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Summary |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Book Excerpt--Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse
Geographically distinct units were formed from the Northwest Militia, as planned,
late in the April of the fifth year. To avoid confusion amongst the local citizenry
that they protected, they designated those at the original retreat as “Todd
Gray’s Company” and those at Kevin Lendel’s house as “Michael
Nelson’s Company.” The responsibility for patrolling was divided
along a line east-west between the retreats.
Todd Gray’s Company was to patrol the northern half of the sector, while
Michael Nelson’s Company patrolled the southern half. Separate CB channels
were assigned to each Company for locals to use to contact either Company.
On the 5th of May, Mary was in the garden plot transplanting some young tomato
plants that had been started in the greenhouse a few weeks earlier. As she
was methodically digging holes for each of the plants, she heard a strange
engine noise in the distance. Just moments after she first heard the noise,
she was astonished to look up and see two light aircraft approaching from the
south. She dropped her trowel, snatched up her AR-15, and ran to the house.
By the time she was in the house, the Mallory Sonalerts were wailing, and everyone
at the house was at their “stand-to” positions, scanning their
assigned sectors of fire.
“Does anybody have any idea where those planes came from?” Mary asked.
Sitting at the C.Q. desk, Jeff shrugged his shoulders, and reached over to turn
off the “panic button”, silencing the piercing alarm.
The engine noise was clearly louder now. From the LP/OP, Terry called in on
the TA-1: “They’re pusher prop jobs, twin seat, tandem style. It’s
hard to tell, but it looks like there’s just one pilot in each. They’re
definitely circling us. Everybody stay put.” The planes circled the house
a second time, just a hundred yards above the ground.
From the front of the house, Todd declared: “Hey, wait a minute, it looks
like they’re getting ready to land. Yep, they are landing down on the
county road.” The two planes landed in rapid succession on the straight
stretch of county road below the house. Todd was surprised by how short a distance
it took for the planes to land and come to a full stop. The planes looked identical,
except for their color. One was painted dark green. The other was tan. He heard
their engines roar up in tempo as the planes turned and taxied back to the
front gate. The planes came to a stop at the front gate, and their engines
shut down.
Both pilots lifted their canopies and took off their headphones, almost in
unison. Two figures, one tall and one short, hopped out of the planes, wearing
BDUs and tan boots.
Todd shouted loud enough for everyone at the house to hear: “They are
painted drab, but those sure don’t look military. Have any of you heard
of anyone in the area that owns an ultralight?” There was no reply. Todd
pondered for a moment. “Hey, you know, Dan told me that Ian Doyle was
in an ultralight club.
I sure wish Fong was still here. He’s probably seen pictures of Ian’s
plane. He said that it was a zippy little thing, and I think he said that it
was a two-seater.”
“Who is this Ian fellow?,” Rose asked.
Mary answered, “An old college buddy of Todd and Dan’s. He has
a wife and daughter. That might be him in one of those planes down on the road.”
Ten minutes later, after a cautious squad-sized approach by the bounding overwatch
method, Todd and Ian Doyle were sharing hugs. “Wow! Long time no see.
What brings you here?”
“It’s a long story, Todd. Suffice it to say that we left town in
a hurry when a very large number of muy malo hombres took over. It was muy
peligroso there. So we did some Van-dammage--just to whittle them down,
you understand--and then we took off. It took a few inquiries in Bovill, but
we found your place here easily enough.”
Todd took a long look at the plane behind Doyle, staring at just below the
wing root, where it was stenciled EXPERIMENTAL. He said insistently, “You
can tell me the whole story later. First tell me about these ultralights. They
are really a sight to behold.”
Ian turned to caress the fuselage of the flat forest green-painted plane behind
him. “To begin with, technically, they aren’t ultralights, although
they use a lot of the same design features. Legally, these birds are classed
as light experimentals. These birds are both Laron Star Streaks. I paid just
under $30K for mine, when I picked it up new from the factory in Borger, Texas,
back in ‘98. We towed it home in it’s trailer behind our Suburban.
The Star Streak comes with a lot of standard goodies like dual controls, an
ICOM radio, electric start, electric brakes, three position half span flaps,
electric trim, and a pretty complete set of VFR instruments. I added a GPS
navigation box and active noise reduction headphones to this one. It’s
essentially a poor man’s general aviation plane, but legally it’s
a light ‘experimental’. But it’s too heavy to be classed
as an “ultralight” under the FAA regs.”
“With its enclosed canopy, it’s one of the best light experimentals
for long range flying. In fact, one guy flew a similar model Laron from London
to Beijing and wrote a book about it. As I’m sure you know, the main advantages
of ultralights and light experimentals is that they are so thrifty on gas, and
have a super short take-off roll--usually under 200 feet--and very low stall
speeds. The Star Streak only weighs about 400 pounds, empty. The other neat thing
about our Larons and most similar light experimentals and ultralights is that
they are not restricted to av-gas. In ours here, for example, you can burn any
grade of gas down to about 85 octane. If I adjusted the carb jets, I suppose
they would even burn ethanol or methanol. Luckily, I haven’t had to try
that yet.”
Doyle turned to the trim woman with an olive complexion standing beside him.
She appeared to be around 35 years old. “I’m sorry, I’m getting
ahead of myself. This is my wife Blanca. I’ve written to you about her,
but we haven’t seen each other face to face since college, so you’ve
never had a chance to meet.”
The attractive woman in BDUs extended her hand, and Todd shook it firmly. Gray
said quietly, “Encantado.” She replied in a soft accent, “A
pleasure finally meeting you, Meester Gray.”
“As you probably recall from my e-mail, I met Blanca when I was stationed
down in Hondo,” Doyle continued. “That was back in my ‘Terry
and the Pirates’ days, when I was a lieutenant--not too long out of transition
training. She was a civilian working in flight ops at Tegucigalpa. Blanca was
already a qualified single engine pilot when I met her. Talk about love at first
sight, eh conchita?” Blanca smiled and blushed, nodding her chin
to her shoulder.
Gesturing to the other plane, Ian said, “We swapped for Blanca’s
Laron just after the stock market tanked. I got it from an old fart civilian
who was in the Phoenix Metro ultralight club. He bought this one as a kit.
He said that it took him almost two years to build it in his spare time. He
finished building it in ‘99. It had very low hours clocked on the engine.
His was stored in the same style enclosed trailer that we had for mine. I traded
him my Sten gun, a suppressor with nomex cover, a whole bunch of magazines,
and 1,000 rounds of nine millimeter ball for it. Fair enough swap, I suppose,
since unregistered and suppressed submachineguns don’t grow on trees.
We could both see the handwriting on the wall by then. He knew what I needed,
and I knew what he needed: I needed some more transportation, and he needed
some more firepower. I asked him why he wasn’t planning to bail out of
Phoenix. He said that his wife refused to budge an inch. They had their whole
life wrapped up in their house. Since he was stuck there, he didn’t need
the plane, but he certainly needed a serious self-defense gun.”
Doyle stepped toward the back of the fuselage, deftly ducking under the wing,
and went on: “The Star Streaks cruise at just over 120 miles an hour
at 80 percent power, which is pretty fast for a light experimental. Of course,
that seems like crawling when you are used to wearing an F-16, but I like ‘em.
The cockpit layout is even similar to a Falcon. Not exactly fly-by-wire controls,
though. This model uses a 85 horse Hirth F-30 engine. It’s a great little
plant. It just hums along and sips gas--only about five gallons an hour at
80% power. Both of these planes are identical except for the propellers. Mine
uses a four blade composite, but the prop on Blanca’s is the older composite
three blade. The Hirth is a powerful little engine. It will make the Larons
climb at 2,500 feet per minute when it is in normal configuration with just
one man on board, but of course a lot slower the way we have them loaded down
right now. The planes have a rated useful load of 500 pounds. I’m afraid
that we exceeded that limit when we took off from Prescott. Between the heavy
load and the high elevation of the airport, our takeoff distances were outrageously
long--at least, that is, for a light experimental. But luckily, we had a long
straight stretch of road to take off from.”
Blanca looked around anxiously. “Ees there anywhere where we can put
theeese birds where they whon’t get stolen?”
Mary answered, “We’ll put them both in the Andersen’s big
hay barn, just down the road. It’s a nice dry barn. The wings should
hopefully fit through the front. It was left open on that side to let the big
New Holland harvester in. It’s a three-sided affair. The farm is deserted,
and the barn is almost empty now. They gave us permission to use the place.
Don’t worry--when the planes are pushed to the back of the barn, no one
will see them there. And, as further insurance, it’s just within line
of sight of our LP/OP, up on the hill.”
“Ell-Pee-Oh-Pee?”, Blanca asked, quizzically.
“Sorry, Blanca. I’m afraid that we are used to talking in ‘acronese’ around
here, and not the Air Force acronym dialect you’re probably used to. LP/OP
is a ground pounder acronym for listening post/observation post.” Pointing
to the nearby hill, Mary explained, “Basically it’s a glorified hole
in the ground. If you look very closely, you can see it up on the hill there.
It has a good view of the area. It’s for observation in daylight, and for
listening at night.”
Moving the planes into the barn took only a few minutes. They were able to
taxi the planes under power to within 20 feet of the barn. From there, they
were pushed in by hand. Going in, the planes’ 30 foot long wingspans
cleared the entrance with just a foot to spare on each side. As they were pushing
the first plane in, Mary asked, “How many gas cans have you got in there,
and how far can you fly without refueling?”
Doyle pointed through the canopy at the rear seat area, and cited, “Originally,
the Star Streaks only had a range of around 320 miles at 80% power. The main
tank is 14 and-a-half gallons. But I added some big bladder tanks to both planes.
They aren’t connected directly to the primary fuel system. I cheated
and installed a couple of little Black and Decker Jackrabbit hand pumps along
side the front seats, with extra long hoses. To transfer fuel from the bladder
to the main tank, you just put the Jackrabbit in your lap and crank away. The
bladder tanks extend our range to about 480 miles without landing to refuel,
when we are at max takeoff weight. If we were in a light configuration, they
could maybe even go 550 miles.”
Ian’s plane came to a rest with the tip of its nose less than a foot
from the rear wall of the barn. He inched past the nose and walked around to
the other side of the plane, talking as he walked. “They are both quite
a bit lighter right now, since we have less gas and we had to barter some of
our stuff for fuel.” He tapped on the Plexiglas with his index finger
and said, “I have these five gallon gas cans strapped into the back seats
of both birds, but they are nearly empty, too. Aside from some clothes, sleeping
bags, tools, and aeronautical charts; most of the weight on board is fuel,
oil, guns, ammo, water, and MREs. You know, just the essentials in life. At
present we’re down to less than 8 gallons of fuel between the two planes...”
Mary interjected, “Don’t worry about that. We still have over four
hundred gallons of stabilized unleaded premium in the tank here. It will only
be good for another year or two, so we might as well use it up. I think that
it’s 92 octane, but I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask Terry--she’s
our logistics honcho. But she’s up at the LP/OP right now.”
After they had pushed the second plane in, Todd declared, “Don’t
worry about all your gear, we’ll come down with the pickup truck later
this afternoon and take it up to the house.”
Before they left the planes, Doyle used a socket wrench to remove the nose
wheels from both planes, and buried them under some loose hay near the front
of the big barn. “They won’t be going far without these,” he
said. As they walked out of the barn, Ian slung his suppressed MAC-10 over
his shoulder. Blanca did likewise with a stainless steel folding-stock Mini-14
GB. Todd was disappointed to see that they didn’t carry any extra magazines.
He made a mental note to correct that glaring deficiency.
As they walked, Blanca was bemused at the way the militia members walked at
5 yard intervals. “Why are you walking so far apart?,” she asked
with a laugh.
“Force of habit,” Mary explained. “In case of an ambush, you
are at much greater risk if you are bunched together.”
They chatted amiably as they hiked back to the Gray’s house. Once they
were inside, Rose served up an early lunch of raw carrots, apple slices spread
with reconstituted peanut butter, and freshly baked bread. It was over lunch
that Ian and Blanca started to recount their story. Mary set a TRC-500 to the “VOX” setting,
so that Terry Layton, who was still up at the LP/OP, didn’t feel left
out.
Munching on some bread, Ian began, “The 56th Fighter Wing had just started
a rotation to Saudi. It was just two years before the Crash that we switched
back from a tactical training wing to a tactical fighter wing. I came on board
just a few months into the transition. Anyway, when all the trouble started,
since I was the wing maintenance officer, I was stuck back at Luke, catching
up on paperwork. I was also taking a idiotic mandatory ‘Diversity, Sensitivity,
and Sexual Harassment’ class. The frickin’ class lasted a whole
week. I had orders to catch up with the wing in late November. But then, when
the riots got going in earnest, they planned an emergency redeployment of virtually
all of the close air support aircraft in the Air Force inventory back to the
States. Some weenie at the White House must have dreamed that one up. Our wing
was going to deploy to Hurlburt Field, down in Florida. Criminy! Could you
imagine F-16s and A-10s versus rioters? Talk about over-kill! I never heard
what happened to our squadrons after that. I was too busy with problems of
my own--like finding drinking water for Blanca and myself.”
“And your daughter?,” Mary asked.
Doyle’s face clouded with emotion. Stiffening, he replied, “Linda
didn’t make it, ma’am. She died five years ago. She was in Detroit,
doing her annual six week long ‘Grandmom and Grandpop’ visit with
my folks. It was the first time that she was old enough to go on a commercial
plane by herself. Blanca wanted to stay home to relax, do some pastels, and
a bit of surfing the Internet. We were home-schooling her, so Linda wasn’t
on a normal school year schedule. Blanca and Linda liked to go up to Michigan
in the Fall. They get some nice Fall colors up there.”
Ian paused and looked at the ground. “By the time we realized the magnitude
of the situation, most of the flights had been canceled, and the few that were
still flying were booked solid. In retrospect, what I should have done was
played “you bet your bars” and commandeered a D-model Falcon to
zip up there to get her. Instead, I took the conservative route and just hoped
that the riots wouldn’t last long or spread outside the downtown area
of Detroit. I also figured that if worse came to worse, my dad’s gun
collection could handle any rioters that came down their block. I was wrong.
I got a call from one of their close neighbors who managed to make it out of
Detroit alive. She said that looters got really pissed when my dad shot some
of them. They torched my dad’s house. Killed them all. I still feel like
such a fool. I could have saved my folks and my daughter’s life.”
Blanca squeezed Ian’s hand and said softly, “Don’t do thees,
E-an. We can-no change history.”
Mary’s eyes were wet with tears. “I’m so sorry, Ian. I’m
so sorry, Blanca. ”
Doyle shook his head from side to side and muttered, “Dwelling on it
won’t do any good. In times like these, you just have to suck it up and
drive on.”
Todd said a silent prayer. Then he looked up and asked, “So what happened
to everybody at Luke?”
Doyle snapped out of his reverie and recounted, “To call it mass desertion
would be to put it mildly. The mess halls only had limited food supplies, and
we only had enough MREs on hand for short-term contingencies. I’m sure
some of the overseas air bases had better stocks, but nobody ever expected
a disruption of re-supply of food in CONUS! When it became clear that the food
wasn’t going to last long, virtually everybody started to disappear.
And when they went, they took a lot of equipment, fuel, and nearly every scrap
of food on base with them. The Base Exchange, the commissary, and the mess
halls were stripped clean. When I say everybody, I mean everybody. There wasn’t
a soul from 56th Log or 56th Medical left on base. Even the whole Support Group
basically vanished in about three days time. By the time I decided to pack
it in, Luke was a ghost town. There were only seven pilots and about 20 ground
crew guys left on the post. Most of them were young bachelors. By that point,
I was the senior ranking officer on the base, so I could do pretty much anything
I wanted. I was the de facto base commander. I just called a formation and
released the remaining personnel on base on ‘indefinite leave.’
Unfortunately, my options were pretty limited. You see, there wasn’t
a single aircraft left on the ramp, or a single military vehicle left on post.
By then, there were just a few POVs. Even the fuel trucks had disappeared.
Now you’ve got to understand that they had 217 birds on the property
books, mainly F-16 Cs and D models. Of those, they were all either out on the
Saudi Arabia rotation, or off on “emergency” flights that all mysteriously
ended up being one-way missions. At least three F-16s, and the general staff
Lear were out-and-out stolen. No flight plans were filed. The guys who took
them just figured that they could get away with it. They just taxied out at
O-dark-early and took off. And there was nobody left in the tower to say ‘boo’ about
it. Those four had been the last airworthy planes on the base. The few planes
that were left were just some stripped hangar queens.”
“After that ‘gentlemen, you are released’ speech, I spent the
rest of that day looking for fuel containers. Every gas can available had already
walked off base. The only good sized containers I could find were some hydraulic
fluid drums. But I was afraid that the fluid left in them would contaminate the
gas. So I ended up scrounging a bunch of empty 2 liter pop bottles from dumpsters
around the BX. I drove home that evening with almost 140 gallons of av gas in
the back of the Suburban. I never went back to Luke after that.
We were living off base in a rental flat-top in Buckeye. It’s basically
a retirement community. When I got home, I talked things over with Blanca.
We decided to hang tight for a few days. We packed up, but packed light. It
was like one of those life boat games--’Now if you could only take five
items, which five would they be?’ The end result was that Blanca and
I had to leave a lot behind. We spent a lot of that time listening to the radio
for reports on the rioting. Only a couple of AM stations were on the air by
then, and the news they were handing out was pretty sketchy. None of it sounded
good. They spent half the time repeating the same FEMA ‘Stay calm, remain
in your homes, order will be restored shortly’ tape. What a pile of bull.
The tape even recommend calling 911 if we saw any looting in progress. I laughed
and said, ‘Oh yes sir, will do.’ The phones had all been dead for
several days.”
“Our next-door neighbors had a police scanner. That was the best thing
for monitoring where there was trouble happening. This was at the time when Phoenix
and Tucson were burning down. Major chaos, let me tell ya. Once the looting started
spreading out into the suburbs, we agreed that it would be bad news to stay in
the Phoenix area much longer. Bright and early on a Tuesday morning, we wheeled
the Larons out of their trailers, and bolted on the wings and tails, right there
on our front lawn. It only took about fifteen minutes each to assemble and pre-flight
them, since we’d had plenty of practice before, putting my bird together
for weekend jaunts.”
“While we were loading our gear, most of the neighbors just stood there
and gawked. A few helped out with the fueling process. We handed our next-door
neighbors the keys and title to our Suburban, and the keys to the house. I told
them that anything inside was free for the taking. By then, we knew that we weren’t
ever coming back. Then we taxied off the lawn, down the driveway, and out the
court. We hung a left, throttled up, and took off from Hastings Avenue. Some
of the neighbors stood at the ends to block car traffic for us. Must have been
quite a sight for the retirees. We flew from there straight to Prescott--that’s
in northern Arizona. We planned to stay at my cousin’s place.”
“My cousin Alex was a senior salesman with J&G Sales, a big gun distributor
up in Prescott. With that job, I figured that he would be pretty well squared
away, at least in terms of guns and ammo to barter for anything he could possibly
want. Prescott is partly a resort community, and kind of a haven for gun nuts.
J&G was there, Ruger had a factory there, and there were lots of custom gun
makers, barrel makers, and stock makers. One little outfit there made elephant
guns on custom magnum Mauser actions before the Crash. Big .416 Rigbys and that
sort of thing. The last I saw of them, they were still producing some smaller
caliber long range guns in H-S Precision Kevlar-Graphite stocks. They sold them
on a barter basis. Real tack drivers.”
“Prescott is not a big town, but it took us a while to locate Alex, since
the phones were out there by that time, too. I hitched a ride from the airport,
while Blanca stayed behind to guard the planes. From talking with Alex’s
neighbors, we discovered that he had hired out as a security man for some Tucson
banking fat-cats. They had a pretty elaborate hidey hole set up just north of
Prescott. There were four families living at the compound. At first they didn’t
want to take us in. Then they saw the firepower that we had with us, and they
changed their minds. Officially, we were “security”, just like my
cousin. We had it pretty soft there, compared to most folks. We had plenty of
water, and enough food to get by. We were in no hurry to leave.”
“Things were pretty quiet there for four full years. A little local trouble,
but nothing worth mentioning. Then we started hearing about this gang of escaped
convicts and assorted riff-raff that was slowly working its way up from New Mexico.
Refugees told us that it was originally two gangs that combined into one big
super gang. They would hit a town, linger a week or two, strip it clean, and
then move on to the next one. They were like a swarm of locusts. There were over
300 of them by the time they made it up to the Prescott area. Rumor had it that
at least one of the two gangs had been doing this town-to-town hopping all the
way from south Texas. By then they were getting pretty good at it.”
“I took a recon flight in my Star Streak down to Wickenburg when they hit
there, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. They just swept through the town in
one big mass of vehicles. Many of the houses were abandoned, ‘cause folks
had heard they were coming and didn’t want to be around when they did.
Basically, they burned down any house that anyone was shooting from. Then they
went from house to house, taking anything of value. Even from the air, I could
see them dragging some women out of houses and raping them on the sidewalks.
We’re talking total scum of the Earth. It made me wish I was flying a fully
armed Fighting Falcon instead of my little Laron. I could have really kicked
some tail. These guys were absolute savages, Todd.” Doyle stopped for a
few moments, and then added, “I got shot at some when I was on that flight,
but I didn’t find any bullet holes in my bird when I got back.”
“Just three weeks ago, the gang was making their way up the Agua Fria,
and hit the little town of Mayer. About 80 of us from town, mainly men, went
on a little preemptive strike when we heard that the gang had moved into the
town of Humboldt. Blanca, Alex, and I were all on the raiding party. We knew
that Prescott would be next, because we were just 12 miles up the road. A Navajo
kid about 13 years old, who escaped from Humboldt just after they arrived, gave
us the layout. He even volunteered to go back in to town to scout which buildings
the looters were in. That was a real help in planning the operation.”
“Our little raid didn’t have much in the way of military precision,
but we sure did some damage. We knew that we couldn’t kill them all, so
we decided that the thing to do was to concentrate on their vehicles, especially
their armored cars and APCs. We hit them at just after three in the morning.
Since we were all on foot or horseback the last two miles in, they didn’t
know we were coming until we were already in their midst. They had the buildings
that they were occupying lit up like Christmas trees. Our little Navajo scout
had told us in advance which buildings they’d be in. We were only fully
engaged for about five minutes. It was fast and furious, but like I said before,
we did some serious Van-dammage.”
“In the first couple of minutes, we had the advantage, because most of
the looters were asleep. They made me the point man, since I had the only suppressed
weapon in the raiding party. When I shoot Winchester Q-Loads--those are special
low velocity subsonic rounds--this thing doesn’t make much more noise than
a loud hand clap.” Doyle held up the stubby Ingram M10 for a brief display,
unscrewing the nomex-covered suppressor. “The term ‘silencer’ is
really a misnomer. A ‘can’ like this is really just an elaborate
sound muffler. Again, you can still hear the shot--sounds like a loud hand-clap.
The normal sound is reduced so much that you can even hear the clack of the bolt
going forward with each shot.”
Doyle screwed the suppressor back on the M10 and set it down on the window
seat. “Sorry, I digress. Getting back to what happened in Humboldt...
I got the chance to personally drop three of their sentries, shooting my MAC
in the semi-auto mode. I don’t mind saying that it felt real good, after
what I’d seen them do in Wickenburg. At first, we were the only ones
shooting. Once the looters rolled out of bed and started shooting back, it
was another story They had a lot of fully automatic weapons, grenades, and
rocket launchers of some sort. They really started hosing us down. Before they
did though, we had torched more than 40 vehicles with Molotov cocktails. Apparently,
we got every one of their APCs and armored cars.”
“Our retreat out of Humboldt was let’s say ‘less than organized.’ Only
29 of us made it back to Prescott alive by noon. Two more guys straggled in the
next evening. Of the 31 that made it back, only three had been wounded, and those
were all minor grazing wounds. Oddly enough, all five of the men and women who
were on horseback were among those to make it back without a scratch. Not even
any of the horses were hit. Either they were real lucky, or cavalry is making
a comeback. My cousin Alex never made it back from the Humboldt raid.” Ian
skipped a beat, and then went on: “The looters didn’t show up the
next day or even the day after. Blanca and I waited at the compound, with the
Larons loaded, fueled, and ready to go.”
“Three days after our raid, they came into Prescott, and they must have
been plenty pissed. The gang rolled in just after dawn. They didn’t seem
to care how many losses they were taking, and they immediately started to torch
every building they got to. Blanca and I didn’t wait until they made it
to the north side of town. Everyone at the compound was by then either in town
manning the barricades, or had headed for the hills. Most of the remaining stuff
at the retreat went with two families that had a pair of GMC motor homes. They
were headed for Flagstaff.”
“At that point, we realized that discretion was the better part of valor,
so we took off, too. We used a nice long straight stretch of road that started
a quarter mile north of the compound. I had taken off and landed there many times
before during the five years we were there. When we wheeled around after take-off,
we could see that almost half the buildings in the downtown area were on fire.
We didn’t stick around to see how things ended, but I’m afraid that
the looters must have taken the town. Even though they didn’t have any
armored vehicles left, they had superior numbers and superior firepower.”
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Book Excerpt--Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse »
Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Summary
Welcome to the Weekly Survival Real Estate Update. This new column will feature
news, statistics, market analysis and opinions. We plan to feature one or
two retreat locales each week. Typically, we will report on one locale in
the Continental United States and one internationally. Our
first full length update will appear next Friday and feature Northwestern
Montana and New Zealand, both locales have excellent characteristics and
qualities
for
the
retreat shopper.
One quick note this week: The Northern Idaho market seems to now be feeling
the combined effects of the real estate market crunch and liquidity crunch.
Over the past few weeks there have been major price reductions on large acreage
properties,
some
new
listings
of retreat-qualified properties--now listed at reasonable market values--and
investors trying to dump
their rural subdivisions which have just received approval. There are currently
1,141 residential listings and 1,605 vacant land listings in the northern Idaho
area (Sandpoint, Priest River and Clark Fork north to Bonners Ferry and Porthill)
in an area of about 35,000 people in two counties.
For all of you looking at Northern Idaho the market there is flooded with listings
and the time is at hand to cherry pick the retreat of your dreams. The decline
(Crunch) here will never be as bad as the coastal locales or big cities due
in part to the fact that only 17% of the land here is in private ownership
and it drops
to 11% in northwestern Montana. This alone may
actually cause the decline to stop over the next year, as the demand
for retreats increases as
city dwellers ‘bail out’ of the nosediving markets. This is especially
true with larger acreage homes and land (40+ acres), as sellers get wise
to this fact.
All in all, no matter what retreat locale you are considering it looks like
everyone is in for a rough ride. Read, study, plan and then investigate some
more before making your move. But whatever you do, don’t
hesitate. Because, like those battle packs of South African .308 ball
ammo, one day you’ll wake up and say “Darn, I knew I should have
bought a dozen cases of that stuff while it was still cheap.” Remember,
smart people learn from their mistakes, but the wise learn from others' mistakes!
For more information and analysis of retreats for sale in your locale of choice,
please visit SurvivalRealty.com.
Locales listed on the site do not have to follow JWR’s list of approved
areas in his top 19 western states. If you think that a locale you are interested
in moving to has merit, please let us
know.
We would
be happy
to
contact realtors there, find and approve a few listings, and get them up on
the site for you. The more feedback and help we get the better the site will
be, so go ahead,
have it tailored to feature retreats in your favorite locale. - TS
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Summary »
Odds 'n Sods:
I heard that the makers of Polar Pure water purifier had a visit from
the DEA this
week. They have plans to so highly regulate the distribution of iodine
crystals
that
they will soon run the family owned and operated company out of business.
(They make just one product.) The DEA said that they
will expect retailers
to get
a photocopy
of each buyer's driver's license, keep track of the quantities purchased,
report "suspicious" purchases (with an as yet-to-be determined threshold)
maintain the records for at least two years, and on and on. ll this because
iodine has been deemed a "precursor" chemical for the illicit production
of methamphetamine ("meth")..The owner of Polar Pure said
that he
"tried
to negotiate"
with
the
DEA agents, but " they weren't in the mood to negotiate." The
bottom line:
Rather than jump through the bureaucratic flame-filled hoops, the company
will probably just shut down. I
strongly recommend that SurvivalBlog readers buy their lifetime supply of
Polar Pure as
soon
as possible, before it is heavily regulated and the new record keeping rules
go into effect. You should probably buy at least 3 or 4 bottles per family
member. At
last count, the folks at Ready
Made Resources only had 180 bottles left in stock. Once this is posted,
I suspect that their inventory will sell out within just a couple of days. After
that, there will be no more.
o o o
Hardly a Surprise Department: Financial
Services job cuts soar on housing woes. We also read of more "difficulties",
a la Countrywide, just as we predicted: Accredited
Home Lenders Shuts Down Much of Its Business
o o o
China to install sensors along NAFTA highway
o o o
Cylindrical wind power generators in development in Australia
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"We should reserve a storehouse for ourselves, altogether ours,
and wholly free, wherein we may hoard up and establish our true liberty." -
Montaigne, Essays
« Projecting Some Possible Outcomes for The Panic of 2007-2008 |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
The high bid is now at $210 in the SurvivalBlog
benefit auction for a for a new-in-the-box Hydro
Photon UV Light SteriPen Water Sterilization System with solar charger and
pre-filter, kindly donated by Safecastle,
one of our most loyal advertisers. This very popular water sterilizer product
package normally sells for $225, plus postage. See the details on the SteriPen
and solar charger here.
The auction ends on September 15th. Just e-mail us
your bid.
« Letter Re: How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap |Main| Note from JWR: »
Projecting Some Possible Outcomes for The Panic of 2007-2008
I'm sure that you've been reading about the current liquidity crisis. But
I'm not sure that the average citizen realizes the full implications. Twenty
years ago, borrowed
money was a lubricant for the American economy. Now it is the
economy. Without credit at all levels--consumer, corporate, and government--America
as we know it would cease to exist. We live in what economist Bill Bonner calls
The Empire of Debt. Because of the lending crisis, the U.S., economy is teetering
on precipice. Writing in his Reality
Check e-newsletter this week, Dr.
Gary North pointed out: "On August 15, the 90-day T-bill rate was
4.21%. The next day it fell to 3.79%. That was a one-day drop of .42 percentage
points. As a percentage, it was a 10% drop. We rarely see 10% moves in one
day. The next day, Friday, it was down to 3.76%. On Monday, August 20, it fell
to 3.12% . That was another 17% decline. This is not a merely rush for safety. It
is bordering on panic."[Emphasis added.] This crisis can have
huge, unforeseen macroeconomic effects.
I think that the term "panic" is a good description for current
credit market conditions. In fact, I won't be surprised if the current credit
crisis
is someday remembered as The Panic of 2007. Hopefully it won't be followed
by the Depression of 2008 to 2028.
I've been asked by several readers for a projected outcome on the current
credit crunch. Since no one, not even Helicopter
Ben Bernanke can say for certain what will happen, in this article I'm
offering a range of potential outcomes. I will also
assign a speculative percentage likelihood of each outcome. To assuage the Pollyannas,
I will first offer the best case outcome:
1.) Best Case: The Credit Market Staggers Back to Business As Usual
If the recent massive injections liquidity the Federal Reserve and the European
Central Bank are successful at calming credit market fears, and if congress
steps up and starts issuing blanket loan guarantees, then perhaps the credit
market will recover, and stagger back to some semblance of normalcy. But unless
or until that occurs, the credit markets will continue to be petrified by fear,
uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). Even in this best case, there will probably be
a global recession, while order is restored to the marketplace
As background, let me explain: When in FUD mode, credit does not flow, regardless
of low interest rates. Presently, the bankers are beFUDdled:
They are reluctant to make loans-to even the heretofore most "credit
worthy" corporations because they are uncertain of the true credit
worthiness of any borrower that has either primary or secondary (derivative)
exposure to sub-prime loan investments. Bankers have a long and worthy history
of being risk averse. In situations where one or more risks cannot be fully
and properly gauged, their default answer is, was, and always will be, NO.
As in: "No, I won't approve this loan." The only way that they
will get out of FUD mode is if the risk can be either be removed (through
loan guarantees), or if risk can be properly gauged, through new accounting
practices that reveal underlying risks being borne by the borrower. The latter
may be difficult to accomplish, because in the past five years the derivatives
market has ballooned to gargantuan proportions. There are many trillions of
dollars of derivatives in play, with only some very flaky accounting to
back them up.
Even this "Best Case" is not a real solution to the Debt Bubble problem. A
speedy return
to a credit-driven economy is essentially just forestalling the inevitable.
The Powers
That Be will
only be
sowing the seeds
for an even bigger, more painful unwinding of debt in another few years. Likelihood
for this outcome: 5%
2.) Lower Interest Rates, Then Recession
As previously noted in SurvivalBlog, Ben Bernanke and the Fed Board
of Governors are stuck. If they lower rates then they will
crack the critical support
level for the US Dollar Index, which appears sacred at about 80. And if
they raise
rates, then it will put Wall Street into a tail spin and possibly
plunge the economy into depression. In the short term, the Fed will likely
yield to
political pressure and continue to lower interest rates. But this will be to
the detriment of foreign investment, and inevitably to the value of the US
Dollar on the FOREX.
So I doubt that the Fed will drop the prime interest rate more than 80
basis points (0.8%), including the recent 50 basis point (0.5%) drop.
Any further drop could precipitate a full scale dollar panic--a global flight
from
the US Dollar. After moving within this narrow range of motion, Bernanke, et
al will be truly struck--inextricably stuck. Starving
for liquidity, the economy will plunge into a deep recession. This recession
could last 2 to 5 years. And there could be some variations on this theme
(See 2A, 2B, below.) The stock market will decline at lest 20% and
corporate layoffs will be be even larger than in recent recessions. Likelihood
for this outcome: 60%.
2A.) Coastal Suburban Real Estate Declines to Desperation Price Levels
Regardless of whether or not Bernanke and company pull off a miracle for
the bankers, the coastal suburban real estate market will continue to decline.
It was so badly inflated--all with easy money courtesy of "Easy Al" Greenspan
and his successor--that it may fall by as much as 60% in some overvalued
markets like Palm Beach, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Seattle before the market
bottoms.
Meanwhile,
the price of
rural real estate in inland regions will probably remain fairly solid--except for
resort areas like Hot Springs Arkansas, Sun Valley, Idaho, Vail, Colorado,
and Lake Arrowhead, California.
As the market falls and ARMs
reset, some home owners will go to extreme measures to save their McMansions.
They will sell off at a loss their second homes (mostly in
resort locales), sell off their "spec"
and rental houses, their fancy cars, fine art, and various collections. One
nice fringe
benefit:
The price
of some
guns may actually come down for a while. Consider any good quality
gun in a common caliber a good choice for tangible investing.
Not all owners will continue to psychologically latch on to their unaffordable
houses. Some owners will simply walk away when they get upside
down in their mortgages. This will be compounded by corporate layoffs
that force families to relocate to live with relatives and/or to seek work.
When they realize that the remaining unpaid mortgage
principal is far greater that
what
they
if they
sold
their house, they will do as the Lord
Humongous suggested to Papagallo's band
of survivors: "Just walk away." A lot of them won't even bother dropping
off their door keys at the bank.
2B.) Sequential or Simultaneous Deflation and Inflation
We might see some real economic oddities in the next few years, as the debt
spiral unwinds and people are forced to liquidate some assets at a loss. There
might be a wave of deflation followed by mass inflation, or even simultaneous inflation
and deflation of some prices, such as:
* Precious Metals Up... and Base (Industrial) Metals Down
* Inland Rural Farms Up... and Coastal Suburban/Resort Houses Down
* Groceries Up... and Timber/Lumber, Yachts, and Fine Art Down
* Disney and Coleman Stock Up... and Home Depot, Microsoft and Most Other
Stocks Down
* Pickup Trucks Prices Up... and Sports Car/Luxury Car/Classic Car Prices
Down
* Imported Goods Up... and Domestically Manufactured Goods Down
* Farm Machinery Up... and Textile, Plastics, and Metal Stamping Machinery
Down
* Commercial Greenhouses Up... and Urban Office Buildings Down
Depending on how deep the industrial recession gets, and how much travel is
curtailed, we might even see oil and gasoline prices come down to pre-2005 levels.
(Of course, if the US Dollar Index slips substantially, then oil prices will
remain high since most oil is imported, and less of it will be denominated
in US
Dollars in the coming years.)
3.) Lower Interest Rates (Within Limits), Then Depression
Picture outcome #2 (above) only worse. The recession doesn't end. It
only gets worse. Corporate layoffs escalate to the point where 30%
or more of American workers are out of work. Lower interest rates, loan guarantees,
and government job programs are ineffective. The stock market keeps going
down. The dollar continues to lose buying power versus foreign currencies.
Coastal real estate remains in the doldrums. After three or four years, the
anchormen on news networks stop calling it a recession. They call
it what it is: a Depression. Similar in some way to the
Great Depression, they might call it The Greater Depression. It could last
from
5 to 20 years. Likelihood for this outcome: 20%.
3A.) The Cure Worse Than the Disease: HRC Channels FDR
If Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) is enthroned in the midst of a deep recession
or a depression, I predict that in partnership with the Democrat party-controlled
congress she will take the typical New Deal Democrat approach, and begin a
massive round of Federal spending to help "revive" the economy. Channeling
the spirit of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (or should I say Eleanor Roosevelt,
who really ran the show), HRC's answer will be to throw money at the problem:
A whole raft of new "Alphabet Soup" agencies, wage and price controls,
currency changes, pork barrel road projects far and wide, massive expansion
of Federal job programs, more welfare, you name it---more, more, more government
spending.
4.) Global Depression and World War III
Everyone know that if you buy a car on credit and you stop making your payments,
the bank sends someone to tow your car away. Nation states do the same thing.
I call it kingdom towing. Most people just call it war. In the event of a
major Depression, the chance of war will increase dramatically, either because
of perceived vulnerability, or because politicians will see wartime spending
and national resolve as a means to rouse a dormant economy. Likelihood
for this outcome: 10%
5.) Worst Case: Depression, Hyperinflation and Total Socioeconomic
Collapse
The Depression and inflation are so severe that law and order completely
breaks down and long distance commerce ceases. You've read about it before
in SurvivalBlog
and in
my books,
so I don't need to explain
it here. Likelihood
for this outcome: 2%.
Conclusion
Again, I don't pretend to have a crystal ball. Take all of the foregoing
as educated guesswork. Formulate your own pet scenario and extrapolate outcomes.
But
above
all,
be
prepared. Tailor
your preparations
for your climate zone and for the population density and water availability
in your area. Quit hesitating. If you have the means to do so, move
to a lightly populated retreat
area. Even if you decide to stay in
the suburbs, get
your beans, bullets, and Band-Aids squared away, muy
pronto.
« Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted |Main| Projecting Some Possible Outcomes for The Panic of 2007-2008 »
Letter Re: How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap
Mr Rawles,
I'm looking forward to trying Grandpappy's wood ash soap making technique.
I've tried it before, but unfortunately only was only successful once. I might
add,
although unavailable as Red Devil brand in the grocery stores, lye is easily
available from online soap making and chemical supplies. [JWR Adds: It
is also available via mail order from Lehman's--one
of our Affiliate advertisers.] Another source, if you live in oilfield
country, is to find a friend who works on a[n oil]
rig. They
get it in 50 pound bags and it's pure and fine for soap making, hominy making
or other uses. It comes well packaged in double plastic lined bags and stores
well loose in a 5 gallon bucket (the kind with a [rubber] lid seal) lined with
a plastic bag. It's quite hygroscopic, so you need to be careful in humid weather
that
the bag is tied and the lid is sealed. - Judy B
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap »
Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted
Jim:
Several months ago, I e-mailed you and the others on the blog about bulk honey
prices going up. They stabilized at $7.99 for a 96 liquid ounce jug of Silverbow
brand honey at Costco for many months. Two weeks ago, a jug of honey was $7.99.
As of today, the same jug is $8.79, a 90 cent price increase. I put out some
questions as to why the price increase and all I am hearing is minor costs
due to dwindling honey supplies (as was discussed in SurvivalBlog) but [also]
a greater [wholesale] cost due to transportation costs as well as other business
costs such as wages,
labor, etc. I’m hoping more blog readers can give some input.
As it stands, the very same honey I bought last year for $7.49 is already paying
off. - MP in Seattle (a 10
Cent Challenge subscriber)
JWR Replies: Ah, yes, The
Alpha Strategy, proven right, once again.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Letter Re: Honey Prices Escalating, Just as Predicted »
Odds 'n Sods:
By way of SHTF Daily: Bernanke fears economy will hit a brick wall
o o o
I just heard that Gun Parts Guy (one of our loyal advertisers) now offers
metric FN-FAL
parts kits (sans receivers) complete with US Section 922(r) compliance
parts, in a wide variety of
configurations. FAL parts kits are getting scarce in the U.S., so stock up.
When you order, please mention that you saw the kits mentioned in SurvivalBlog.
o o o
More from Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Top Swiss banker attacks US lending standards
as 'unbelievable'
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The most important factor in the survival equation is you: Your physical
health and your cast of mind--particularly the way in which you handle stress."
- Mel Tappan, Tappan on Survival
« How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 3 of 3), by Grandpappy |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Note from JWR:
If you value what you read in SurvivalBlog,
then please consider becoming a 10
Cent Challenge subscriber. These subscriptions
are entirely voluntary, but greatly appreciated. They help pay the bills
here, including our bandwidth costs, which increase increase steadily as the
readership grows. (In August of '05--the month that we launched--we had 9,377
unique visits and used 6.9 used gigabytes of bandwidth. In August of
'06 we had 87,117 unique visits and used 24 gigabytes of bandwidth.
In August of '07 we expect about 158,500 unique visits, and we'll use about 82 gigabytes of bandwidth.)
« Letter Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home |Main| Note from JWR: »
How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 3 of 3), by Grandpappy
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
How to Render (Melt) Animal Fat:
Beef fat is called tallow and pig fat is called lard. Poultry fat is too soft
to be used by itself, but it may be used in a ratio of about 10% with tallow
or a tallow-lard combination. Bear fat may also be used but it must be melted
(rendered) quickly after the bear has been killed because bear fat will quickly
become rancid. You may also use the fat from farm animals such as sheep or goats,
and a variety of wild animals, such as beaver, opossum, raccoon, and groundhog.
If there is any lean meat still attached to the fat, cut it off and make sure
you only use the fat to make grease.
Melting animal fat is called rendering. Rendering should be done outdoors or
in a well ventilated area. The smell of melting animal fat will make most people
nauseous. Cut the animal fat into small pieces about one-inch cubed and put them
into a pot with about 1/8 inch of rainwater and cook over low to medium heat.
Gradually add the fat to the pot and stir to keep the hot grease and solid pieces
of fat circulating. As you stir be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent
any fat from sticking to the bottom and burning. Do not burn the fat or allow
it to smoke. If it starts to smoke then you are applying too much heat and you
are burning the fat or grease.
One pound of fat will yield about 2.25 cups of grease. Most of the fat will melt
into a liquid but some small solid particles will not melt and these are called
cracklings. After melting the fat, allow it to cool slightly, and then strain
it through a clean thin cloth and store it in a sealed container until it is
needed. The cracklings will be on the top surface of the straining cloth. Save
the delicious cracklings for use in other cooking recipes.
(Note: Raw animal fat can quickly become rancid. Therefore raw animal fat should
not be saved and then converted into grease at some future date. The best procedure
is to render animal fat into grease while the fat is still fresh. Rendered animal
fat has a much longer storage life than raw animal fat.)
(Note: You can also reclaim bacon grease (pork lard), hamburger grease (beef
tallow), and other used cooking greases for soap making purposes. The basic instructions
are on my web site at: How
to Clarify Used Cooking Grease.)
How to Make Concentrated Brown Lye Water:
You will need rainwater (or steam distilled water) and the cold ashes from
any hardwood fire, such as oak, hickory, maple, ash, beech, or old fruit
trees. Do not use the ashes from a fire that burned pine tree wood.
The cold ashes from any hardwood fire can be converted into lye. Lye made from
fire ashes is not as caustic as commercially purchased lye. Any large wooden,
plastic, or clay container may be used, such as a huge flower pot. A deep container
is better than a wide container. The container should have a hole in its bottom
center and that is why a flower pot is perfect. Do not use a container made
of tin or aluminum because lye is caustic and it will react with these materials.
(Note: Or you could use a container with a side-mounted water valve, such as
a 5-gallon water jug.)
For example, I use a clay
flower pot that has a 9 inch outside diameter top, a 5.5 inch outside
diameter bottom, and it is 9 inches tall, with sides and a bottom that is 0.25
inch thick. When packed with cold ashes to within 2.5 inches of its top, it
holds approximately 145 cubic inches (about 10 cups) of tightly packed cold
ashes. Ten cups of tightly packed cold ashes will yield one-gallon of average
strength brown lye water. Tightly packed means the loose ashes were pressed
down firmly into the cup. If you use a different size container, then you should
do the math to determine how much average strength brown lye water you will
get from your container.
Caution: Lye water is caustic and it will burn your skin. Be extremely
careful and wear rubber gloves and wear goggles when handling lye water. If
possible, lye water should be made outdoors.
Firmly pack a layer of straw, or brown
pine needles, or sand about one-inch deep in the bottom of the container
to help keep the ashes inside the container. Firmly pack cold
ashes from any hardwood fire on top of the bottom layer. Slope the
top surface of the ashes slightly from the sides of the container to its center
to help direct the water flow to the center of the container. Tightly pack
the ashes to within two to three inches of the top of the container, depending
on the size of the container. This empty top space is necessary to receive
and hold the hot rainwater when it is first poured into the top of the container.
Place the large container on top of concrete
blocks, bricks, or any other type of support so a second smaller
container (at least one-gallon or four-quarts) can be placed beneath the center
of the upper pot to catch the brown lye water as it drips through the hole
in the bottom of the upper pot.
Rainwater is the best water for making brown lye water because it is soft and
it contains no minerals or chlorine. Several easy ways to collect large quantities
of rainwater can be found on my web site at: How
to Find Water and Make It Safe to Drink.
(Note: If you do not have access to rainwater, then you may use the steam distilled
water sold at most grocery stores. Steam distilled water is chlorine and mineral
free water. Instructions for making steam distilled water are also included
in the above water article on my web site.)
Your objective is to make approximately one-gallon
of brown lye water from one fresh batch of cold hardwood fire ashes.
Heat about one-half gallon of rainwater to boiling and then slowly pour it
over the ashes in the upper container. If the ashes were packed down firmly
they should not be swimming or floating in water. While the rainwater gradually
disappears into the ashes, heat another one-half gallon of rainwater and then
slowly pour it over the ashes. Wait about one-hour and then heat another one-half
gallon of rainwater and slowly pour it over the ashes. Wait about one-half
hour. If your brown lye water container has about one-gallon of brown lye water
then you may stop. If you do not yet have one-gallon of brown lye water, then
heat another one-half gallon of rainwater and slowly pour it over the ashes.
When you have finished you will have poured a total of approximately 1.5 to
2 gallons of hot rainwater into the pot of ashes. It may take a little while
for the water to make its way through the ashes and out the hole in the bottom
of the upper container. Be patient. The liquid that drips into the smaller
container on the ground will be brown lye water. 1.5 to 2 gallons of hot rainwater
will yield approximately one-gallon of brown lye water. (Note: The ashes will
absorb and retain between one-half to one gallon of rainwater, depending on
the size and shape of your container and how tightly you packed down the ashes
in the container. Discard the used ashes after you have extracted one-gallon
of brown lye water. If you need more brown lye water, then use a fresh batch
of hardwood fire ashes to extract your next gallon of brown lye water.)
Wear rubber gloves and goggles when handling the brown lye water because it
is caustic and it will burn your skin if it comes in contact with your skin.
If you get some lye water on your skin, wash it off immediately with soap and
water.
If necessary, the brown lye water can be stored in a safe container, such as
a stainless steel pot with a lid, or a glass jar with a lid. However, the best
procedure is to use the brown lye water immediately to make soap.
(Note: There are several different methods for testing the strength of the
brown lye water but none of them are necessary. There is no reason to complicate
the soap making process by attempting to get the brown lye water to a specific
strength prior to using it to make soap. If your lye water is at the recommended
average strength, then you will make a good all-purpose soap. However, if your
lye water is a little stronger than average then you will produce a good laundry
soap. If your lye water is a little weaker than average then you will produce
a good bath soap. Therefore don’t be too concerned about the strength
of your brown lye water. You will need both laundry soap and bath soap, and
you will be making soap frequently if you are out of soap. Therefore you can
tolerate a little variability in the strength of your brown lye water. Besides,
you will be boiling off most of the brown water anyway before you use it to
make your soap.)
(Note: Some recipes recommend that you pour the brown lye water through the
same batch of ashes several times in order to increase the strength of the
lye water. This procedure has marginal value. The first extraction of the lye
from the ashes will remove most of the usable lye from the ashes. Trying to
squeeze a little more lye out of ashes that have already been seriously depleted
of their lye is just not practical. On the other hand, a single extraction
of lye from each new set of ashes will yield brown lye water that is of approximately
the same strength each time, and this will result in a more predictable soap
making process that can be replicated over and over again. From a quality control
perspective, this means the process will have less total variation and therefore
it should yield a product that is more consistent from one batch to the next.
When you have a consistent stable process, it is easier to fine tune the process
and improve the quality of your finished product.)
There are three methods for making soap from the brown lye water as follows:
Method 1 - Brown Lye Water: Some soap making recipes recommend using the brown
lye water in the same strength as it was originally created when the rainwater
was poured through the ashes. This method requires a much larger soap making
pot and it also adds several hours to the soap stirring process. This is the
traditional method that was used in the 1800’s and it is the method that
is still used today in many third-world countries. If you have a really, really
old soap making recipe, then this is probably the method it describes. The
major difficulty with this method is that it requires considerable skill and
experience to consistently produce usable soap. Relatively minor mistakes or
poor timing when using this method will result in a batch of nasty stuff that
is neither soap nor anything else worth using. That is the reason this method
was abandoned by our ancestors when commercial lye crystals became available
at the local hardware and general store. Lye crystals significantly reduced
the time required to make soap and they also yielded consistent batches of
good usable soap.
Method 2 - Lye Crystals: Some modern soap making recipes recommend boiling
down the brown lye water until nothing remains except lye crystals, and then
saving the lye crystals in a safe container for future use. Later, when you
want to make soap, you add the lye crystals to a little fresh rainwater and
make fresh lye water. This method adds an unnecessary step to the soap making
process and it does involve some danger when reconstituting the lye crystals
into lye water. (Note: These homemade lye crystals are very similar to the
lye crystals that were once widely available at most hardware and grocery stores.
However, it is no longer possible to purchase lye crystals at the grocery store
because they were withdrawn from the market because they were being used to
make illegal drugs.)
Method 3 - Concentrated Brown Lye Water: This is the method I developed out
of necessity, and it is much more practical than either of the above two methods.
Boil one gallon of normal strength brown lye water down into 3/8 cup of concentrated
brown lye water. If you boil the brown lye water down before you use it in
a soap recipe, you can reduce the amount of time it takes to stir the soap
mixture by several hours. This also simplifies the trial and error method of
combining the lye water and the grease and it significantly reduces the possibility
of making a failed batch of unusable soap. If you start with one-gallon (16
cups) of original strength brown lye water, then it usually takes between 3
to 4 hours to boil it down to 3/8 cup of concentrated brown lye water, depending
on the amount of heat used. This means you will have reduced the subsequent
old fashioned soap stirring procedure by at least 3 to 4 hours. As the water
gradually boils away, the boiling process begins to proceed faster and faster
because there is less water remaining in the pot. By the time the water is
down to one-quart or less, it boils away very quickly so you will then need
to watch it carefully to make sure you don’t boil off all your water.
(Note: If you make a mistake and boil the one-gallon of brown lye water down
into less than 3/8 cup of concentrated brown lye water, then wait until the
concentrated brown lye water cools a little bit, and then add just enough rainwater
to return the concentrated brown lye water to the 3/8 cup mark. Add the rainwater
slowly and be careful because the mixture may sputter a little bit.)
(Final Note: The Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe that I developed through
trial and error specifies the use of the concentrated brown lye water made
by following Method 3 above. However, as mentioned previously, most really
old soap making recipes recommend putting the brown lye water and grease into
a big pot and cooking it over a big fire for several hours and stirring it
while it cooked. The reason for the big fire was because they were using original
strength brown lye water that contained too much water to make soap. Therefore
they had to boil the water off and this frequently resulted in a failed batch
of soap, or a batch of soap that was gritty, lye heavy, and of very poor quality.
If you follow my Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe at the beginning of
this article, you will notice that it is not necessary to cook the soap mixture.
The reason is because the brown lye water has already been boiled down to the
correct ratio of water to grease using Method 3 above. If a person does not
know about Method 3 then he or she will probably invest a lot of time and energy
in a multitude of unsuccessful attempts to make soap, and repeat the very same
mistakes our ancestors did in the 1800’s before the invention and sale
of commercial lye crystals.)
SUMMARY:
A brief summary of the most important critical information from "Grandpappy's
Homemade Soap Recipe" is as follows:
A. Boiled rainwater poured through ten cups of tightly packed ashes from a
hardwood fire will yield one gallon of average strength brown lye water.
B. One gallon of average strength brown lye water should be boiled down to
3/8 cup of concentrated brown lye water.
C. 3/4 cup of concentrated brown lye water should be mixed with 2 cups of warm
grease which was made from melting (rendering) almost any type of animal fat.
D. When stirred the lye and grease will combine together in a chemical reaction
to make soap. This normally takes between 30 minutes to 3 hours. The soap mixture
must be kept above the melting point of the type of animal fat you are using.
E. When the soap mixture traces, pour it into a mold and let it rest for one
to seven days, depending on the type of animal fat or oil used. Then remove
the soap from the soap mold.
F. Air dry the soap for another 2 to 6 weeks. The chemical reaction will then
be 100% complete and all the lye and grease will be gone. The lye and grease
will have been converted into homemade soap.
The major contributions this article adds to the body of knowledge about soap
making are items A, B, and C above. Items D, E, and F can be found in any good
soap making book and at a variety of Internet web sites, with both minor and
major variations.
CONCLUSION:
Knowing how to consistently and successfully make soap from rainwater, campfire
ashes, and animal fat takes you one step closer to becoming an independent
resourceful human being in God’s natural order of things.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 3 of 3), by Grandpappy »
Letter Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home
Jim,
After being scared Schumerless
by the potential US economy meltdown and reading various related posts on SurvivalBlog,
I finally took the plunge and purchased
some junk silver coins. Since I plan to store these at home rather than a bank
safe deposit box (because of potential accessibility problems), would
you please recommend a strategy for storage. I'm assuming a small, somewhat
hidden, safe bolted to the floor/wall would be reasonable. Any recommendations?
Thanks, - Russ S.
JWR Replies: Unless you already own a large home vault--such
as a gun vault--I recommend that you construct one or more secret caches in
your house. If the weight is modest, you can simply hide a bag or box of silver
coins under the insulation in your attic. Keep in mind that it will probably
be resting on top of horizontal ceiling sheetrock, so keep the weight under
15 pounds!
To conceal up to 200 pounds of silver, you can make a Rawles "Through
The Looking Glass" Wall/Door
Cache.
Even someone with just rudimentary skills can make one of these "between
the studs" wall caches. These are simple to construct,
and will go un-noticed by all but the most astute and methodical burglars.
Here is how even someone inexperienced with carpentry can do so, in typical
North American wood frame houses--with modern sheetrocked walls: Pick out a
section
of sheetrocked
interior
partition wall in a bedroom where a wall-mounted mirror wouldn't look out
of place. Go to your local home "Big Box" store such as Home Depot
or Lowe's and buy a vertical mirror that is at least 16 inches wide, and
4+ feet tall. (Ideally, you should get one that is the the same width as
your wall's stud interval, so that the mirror mounting screws will attached
the
sheetrock into the studs. Such mirrors typically come with a set of L-shaped
mounting clips that attach to a wall or door with screws. Figure out where
any wiring might be running through the wall. Typically it will run horizontally,
about 1 foot up from the floor, parallel with your power outlets. Do not
pick a section of wall that is near a light switch, since vertical wires
may be running though those wall sections. Plan to mount mirror at least
6 inches above the wiring. Look for small indentations, puckers, or other
signs of nails attaching the sheetrock. These will typically be centered
either 18" or
24" apart. If you can't spot the nails or screws you can either buy
or borrow an inexpensive magnetic
stud finder--a little magnet-on-a-pivot gizmo that reacts when you pass
it over a nail head or drywall screw head. (A bit of judicious tapping
to hear pitch changes can also be helpful.) The nails will be driven into
vertical studs, and it is between two 2"x4" studs that you will
cut your cache hole.
It will
provide
you a caching space that is about 15" wide and 3-1/2" deep.
Once you've estimated where the studs are, drill some small exploratory
holes in the sheetrock, at a sharp angle. Probe
inside the hole with a length of coat hanger wire to confirm where the vertical
studs are located, and whether or not there are any horizontal 2"x4" fire
stop blocks. (Those are typically half way up each wall.) Then, with
a power jig saw or a SawzAll, cut a hole (or holes) to provide access
to the wall cache dead space. Leave at least 2 inches of sheetrock width around
the hole that will be
covered
by the mirror. Remove any insulation from the cache area, and vacuum out the
sheetrock dust. Place your valuables in the cache. If
there is substantial weight, do not rest it directly on top
of any wiring at the bottom of the cache. (You should first cut a support block
out of 2x4 block and screw it in place with drywall screws.) Then neatly mount
the
mirror over the hole, measuring carefully and/or using a level so that the
mirror will be mounted straight up and down. Accessing the cache will just
take a few minutes to remove the mirror mounting screws. (Or about 10 seconds
(rip!)
with a claw hammer if you need to Get Out of Dodge in a real hurry.) If you
need to access the cache frequently, you'll find that if the screws are screwed
only into sheetrock and not into studs behind, then the screw holes in the
sheetrock will become enlarged and the screws will eventually loosen. If that
happens, you can install anchor bolts behind most of the screws. (Remember,
I mentioned leaving at least a 2 inch overlap. You will need that width of
sheetrock to support the anchor bolts.) Oh, by the way, the same technique
can be used
to created a similar--albeit more shallow--cache inside a hollow core bedroom
door. One neat trick with a door cache is to only remove the top mirror
mounting brackets when you access the cache. With those removed and
the door slightly open you can simply slide the mirror up to reveal the cache
opening.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Construction a Hiding Place for Precious Metals in a Home »
Odds 'n Sods:
The next WRSA
shoot is in Douglas,Wyoming, this weekend (August 25-26.).
Don't miss this opportunity for some great rifle training at a very reasonable
price!
o o o
Frequent content contributor DAV mentioned this article: Panic
in U.S. money
markets! by Marty Weiss and Mike Larson.
o o o
We read that Counrtywide Home Loans is having "difficulties." I
predict that lots of other home mortgage lenders will face similar "difficulties" in
the near future. In a year, many of them will be history. As I've
said before, the only folks in the real estate industry that hat will fare
well in the next few years will be foreclosure specialists.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"Frankly, dear public, you are being robbed. This may be put
crudely, but at least it is clear." - Frederic Bastiat, Economic Sophisms
« How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 2 of 3), by Grandpappy |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
The high bid is now at $150 in the SurvivalBlog
benefit auction for a for a new-in-the-box Hydro
Photon UV Light SteriPen Water Sterilization System with solar charger and
pre-filter, kindly donated by Safecastle,
one of our most loyal advertisers. This very popular water sterilizer product
package normally sells for $225, plus postage. See the details on the SteriPen
and solar charger here.
The auction ends on September 15th. Just e-mail us
your bid.
« Letter Re: Buying a Better Retreat Property Versus Buying More Survival Gear? |Main| Note from JWR: »
How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 2 of 3), by Grandpappy
How to Make Special Types of Soap using Grandpappy’s Homemade
Soap
Recipe:
All-Purpose Soap and Bath Soap:
Use 50% beef tallow and 50% pork lard in Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe.
Facial Soap:
Use 25% beef tallow and 75% pork lard in Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe
to make a soft facial soap.
Laundry Soap:
Use 100% beef tallow in Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe.
Soap Flakes:
To make soap flakes, rub a bar of hard soap made from 100% beef tallow (or any
other hard fat) over a vegetable
or cheese grater (shredder).
Soap Powder:
To make soap powder, dry the above soap flakes for 10 to 12 minutes in a 160ºF
oven and then pulverize the dry soap flakes.
Liquid Dish Soap or Laundry Soap or Hair Shampoo:
Add one-pound of soap flakes to one-gallon of boiling rainwater and boil for
10 to 12 minutes. Stir frequently. Then turn off the heat and allow the mixture
to cool. Pour the liquid soap mixture into a storage container with a lid. The
lid will prevent the mixture from drying out. This liquid soap mixture dissolves
very quickly in hot water and it makes dish washing and clothes washing much
easier. This procedure will also make a good hair shampoo if the original bar
of soap was an all-purpose soap that contained an average amount of lye.
Saddle Leather Soap:
Old fashioned “saddle leather soap” is made by using five-parts beef
(or bear) tallow and one-part pork lard in Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe.
Floating Soap:
Either of the following two methods will yield a bar of soap that floats on top
of water:
Method 1: Just before Step Four, fold the soap mixture over onto itself several
times and stir really well each time in order to add lots of air bubbles into
the soap mixture. Then immediately pour the soap mixture into the soap molds.
Method 2: After all the grease and lye has been added in Step One, and the original
mixture has been stirred for at least 15 minutes, then add one-teaspoon of ordinary
baking soda to the soap mixture and stir really well.
Soap that Lathers and Makes Soap Bubbles:
At the very beginning of Step One, replace one-fourth of the grease with either
olive oil or coconut oil. (Note: In my opinion, olive oil and coconut oil both
have better uses than making soap bubbles.)
Other Soap Additives:
Kerosene ("coal oil"), ammonia, vinegar, Borax, sugar, milk, honey, and several
other chemicals that are occasionally recommended as soap recipe additives provide
minimal or no benefit, and may even have a minor negative impact. My suggestion
is to not use any of them. However, if you wish to experiment with additives
such as oatmeal or salt or Vitamin E, then I suggest you do so with a small batch
of soap, and then verify for yourself that the advertised benefits actually materialize
in the soap that you make, and that they don’t introduce other problems
into the soap making process.
Volume or Weight:
Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe is based on volume (cups). As of August
2007, most other good soap making recipes are based on weight because of the
variation in the weight to volume ratio of the different types of animal fats
and vegetable oils that can be used to make soap. These other recipes are based
on a very precise concentration of lye water made from commercial lye crystals.
If you are working with two variables, and you can hold one variable constant,
then it is not too difficult to predict the amount of the second variable that
needs to be used. However, commercial lye crystals are no longer available, so
it is not possible to easily control the lye variable as a constant in the soap
recipe. For this reason I decided to use the easier method of measuring volumes
(cups) of lye and grease instead of the more precise scientific method of using
weights. When you are working with brown lye water made from campfire ashes,
your lye water will be whatever strength it happens to be on the day you make
it. If you use Grandpappy’s Homemade Soap Recipe then you will be very
close to the correct ratio of water, lye, and grease that is required to make
good soap. However, since there will be variations in the strength of your brown
lye water, and variations in the type of animal fat you use, you may need to
make minor adjustments towards the end of Step One depending on what you actually
see in your soap making pot at that time. These minor adjustments are discussed
as Problem One and Problem Two at the end of Step One in the recipe.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 2 of 3), by Grandpappy »
Letter Re: Buying a Better Retreat Property Versus Buying More Survival Gear?
Mr. Rawles,
I live in northern New Hampshire and have been "prepping" for the
last year. We will be staying in this area for various reasons that I have
come to accept. However, my wife has agreed to consider a property in this
same small town that would make a substantially better retreat. We currently
own 16 acres but on a main state road. We are able to live off of this 16 acres,
but my concern is from a defensive standpoint: It is too close to neighbors
and the main road, and is just too accessible. We have almost no mortgage.
We are considering a 50 acre piece with a small house at the end of a dead
end private road, and which abuts an enormous woodlot. It can be heated 100%
with wood, and has no close neighbors.
So here's the big question: do we take on about $200,000 debt for the retreat,
or stay here and add to our guns/ammo/food supplies?
We have currently put away: a CAR-15 and 6,000 rounds ammo, two Glocks and
2,000 rounds, one year's freeze dried food supply for our family, and various
other survival gear.
BTW, I have just recently found SurvivalBlog and also just received your novel "Patriots" in
the mail. Thank you for organizing this and for the abundance of helpful information
it provides. Thank You, - A.D.
JWR Replies: Unless you can move to a substantially
safer locale, then in my opinion you are probably better
off keeping your current property with minimal debt. You need to weigh
the risks versus the benefits of buying the larger property. Ask yourself:
How much more self sufficiency would 50 acres provide, versus the current
16 acres?. If you take on a new mortgage, what would the risk be that my
bank will foreclose and my home away from me, in a slow-slide depression?
(In circumstances where you cannot make your payments.) And, would the
50 acres under consideration offer true privacy? In a worst case
societal collapse situation (as I describe in my novel), with hordes of
displaced urbanite looters roaming the countryside, nowhere in New Hampshire
will remain "hidden and overlooked" for too long. So an end-of
the road 50 acre parcel may not be much of an improvement.
To make a viable retreat, you need to plan ahead to team up with other families
to provide 24/7/365 (and 360 degree) security. As described in my novel, this
will require substantial
logistics. It will also mean buying some intrusion detection sensors
and night vision gear. If you can't get firm commitments with the requisite
purchasing commitments from other families in advance, then you will have to
store food, cots, linens, garden tools, cold/foul weather gear, and so forth for
them. Thus, your current "one year" food supply for
your family can be seen as just a four month food supply for three families. Buy
a lot more storage food. And buy plenty of heirloom gardening seed,
too. Another item is of crucial importance: At least one member of your family
should attend training at a top flight firearms training school such as Front
Sight. (They can then come home and share what they learned with others.)
Your money would be better spent on these preparations rather than sinking
it into a larger retreat property.
You might consider taking some steps to make your current property less visible.
One approach that takes more time than it does money is planting a staggered
triple screen of fast-growing trees to block the view of your house and out-buildings
from the county road. To be ready for a true WTSHTF situation--again,
where you'd team up with one or two other families to defend your property--you
might also consider constructing a pair of concrete pillbox LP/OPs
overlooking either side of your house. These could be camouflaged with cord
wood, to look like jumbled wood piles.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Buying a Better Retreat Property Versus Buying More Survival Gear? »
Odds 'n Sods:
Reader Steve H. alerted us that a scan of a brochure from the Kelsey-Hayes
Company, Detroit, Michigan for their pre-fabricated fallout shelters, circa
1963 is available
for free download at Flicker.com,
This set includes scans from a Life magazine feature called "Fallout
Shelters" from a September 1961 issue.
o o o
Karen B. mentioned a couple of interesting low-budget do-it-yourself (DIY)
projects featured at LifeHacker.com: Build
a solar water heater for under $5 and Get
free air conditioning with a DIY heat exchanger
o o o
Why is America falling apart? Ask Ayn Rand
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"Far from being grateful defenders of the system from which they have
profited, the children of capitalism tend to turn against it. Thus it is that
radicals
and even revolutionaries almost always stem from the middle and upper classes
rather than the working class or the poor, in whose name they presume to speak.
And
thus it is that what is called liberalism today is increasingly identified with
the more, rather than the less, prosperous
sectors of American society." - Norman Podhoretz, Commentary editor, Harvard
Business Review, 1981
« How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 1 of 3), by Grandpappy |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
The high bid is now at $90 in the SurvivalBlog
benefit auction for a for a new-in-the-box Hydro
Photon UV Light SteriPen Water Sterilization System with solar
charger and pre-filter, kindly donated by Safecastle,
one of our most loyal advertisers. This very popular water sterilizer
product package normally sells for $225, plus postage. See the details
on the SteriPen and solar charger here.
The auction ends on September 15th. Just e-mail us
your bid.
Today we present the first part of a three
part article on soap making. It was written by Grandpappy, who you may
remember as one of the winners of SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Note from JWR: »
How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 1 of 3), by Grandpappy
During hard times sooner or later everyone runs out of soap.
To make soap you only need three things:
1. Rainwater,
2. Cold ashes from any hardwood fire, and
3. Animal fat from almost any type of animal, such as beef, pork, goat, sheep,
bear, beaver, raccoon, opossum, groundhog, etc.
All soap consists of the above three ingredients in one form or another, and
that includes bath soap, dish soap, laundry soap, and hair shampoo.
Soap is not difficult to make and it does not require any special equipment.
And soap can be made from things that exist in large quantities in nature, and
which are typically discarded as being of little value (rainwater, campfire ashes,
and animal fat). Therefore, a person who knows how to make good soap could provide
his or her family with a small but steady income during hard times by making
and selling soap. Soap requires no financial investment in raw materials, and
therefore it does not require the advance purchase and storage of inventory before
the hard times occur.
Soap is a “perfect consumer product” for the following five reasons:
1. soap is a legal product,
2. everyone everywhere uses soap,
3. soap is completely used up in a short period of time,
4. when people run out of soap they want to buy more, and
5. soap is relatively low in price so almost everyone can afford it.
In my opinion, soap is one of the basic necessities of life for the following
five reasons:
1. Personal hygiene: Good health is maintained by washing your hands before eating
and by taking a bath on a regular basis.
2. Laundry: If your clothes get really filthy then they will collect lots of
germs and those germs will eventually attack your body and you will get sick.
During hard times families with small babies quickly revert back to cloth baby
diapers that require a really good cleaning before being reapplied to the baby’s
bottom.
3. Dish washing: If your eating utensils are not clean then it won’t be
long before you get sick from the microscopic organisms that collect and grow
on your dishes.
4. Wound care and other medical situations: Even small wounds can get infected
and become life threatening if they are not properly cleaned with soap at the
earliest possible opportunity.
5. Disease control: Soap is extremely valuable in preventing the spread of diseases
because you can wash the bed sheets, clothes, and eating utensils of the sick
person, and you can also give the sick person a daily bath or cleaning to help
neutralize any germs on the sick person’s body.
In developed countries most people take soap for granted until they don’t
have any, just like they take water, canning salt, socks, and shoes for granted.
When their soap is all gone people suddenly realize how important it really was.
Regardless of how much soap you may have stored for an emergency situation, it
will eventually be used up. At that time it would be useful if you knew how to
make really good soap from rainwater, campfire ashes, and animal fat.
The major difference between commercial soap and homemade soap is that homemade
soap does not lather or produce soap bubbles. However, soap bubbles are only
for visual appeal. Bubbles do not increase the cleaning power of soap. (Note:
It is possible to add bubbles to homemade soap and that procedure will be explained
below.)
(Note: Soap making lye crystals have been withdrawn from the market because they
were being used to make illegal drugs. Therefore, if you have an existing soap
recipe it will probably be of limited value because you can no longer purchase
lye crystals at your local grocery store or hardware store. However, if you follow
the instructions below you can still make good soap using lye water made the
old fashioned way.)
BASIC SOAP MAKING EQUIPMENT:
A cook
pot made of stainless steel, or cast iron, or enamelware, or heat-tempered
glass, or a clay-fired cooking pot. Aluminum and tin and Teflon coated pots are
not acceptable because the soap making lye will adversely react with these materials.
The cook pot should be at least twice the size of the batch of soap you intend
to make. Generally, a one-gallon or four-quart cook pot will be more than adequate
as a soap making pot. (Note: You may use the same pot for soap making and cooking.
Just wash the pot when you are finished making soap. Some soap recipes suggest
having a special pot just for soap making but this is not necessary, in my opinion.
You are just making soap in the pot, and it will be the same soap you use later
to wash the pot after you cook a meal.)
A long spoon made of stainless steel or wood. If necessary, an old wood broom
handle or a big stick may be used to stir the soap if nothing else is available.
A glass
measuring cup. You can use a plastic measuring cup but the concentrated
brown lye water may permanently discolor the inside of the measuring cup. (Note:
If you don’t have a measuring cup, then use approximately 2.5 times the
amount of melted grease as concentrated brown lye water.)
Some type of mold to pour the soap mixture into so it can harden into a bar of
soap. For example, you could make a soap mold out of a large empty
kitchen matchbox by lining it with plastic food wrap.
Or you could use the small black plastic serving trays that contain frozen dinner
meals, such as a single serving lasagna meal. The soap mold container should
be at least 1 to 1.5 inches deep.
A thermometer
is
optional because soap was made for centuries before the thermometer was invented.
If you wish to use a thermometer, then select a cooking or meat or candy thermometer
that will show temperatures from a minimum of 70ºF to at least 140ºF. An instant-read
thermometer works exceptionally well.
Almost anyone can make good soap if he or she has a little patience and is willing
to begin on a small scale in order to gain practice and experience.
GRANDPAPPY’S HOMEMADE SOAP RECIPE:
(Yields two large eleven-ounce bars of soap or a total of 22 ounces of soap by
weight. This is equivalent to approximately four normal bars of store-bought
soap.)
3/4 cup of concentrated brown lye water. Normal strength brown lye water can
be made by pouring rainwater through the cold ashes of any hardwood fire. Detailed
instructions for making concentrated brown lye water are at the end of this article.
Two cups of melted grease. Any type of animal fat may be melted into grease,
such as beef, pork, lamb, goat, bear, beaver, opossum, raccoon, groundhog, etc.
Only use the fat because lean meat will not make soap. Do not use any lean meat.
Ordinary vegetable oil or grease may be used instead, but vegetable oil or grease
has more valuable uses than making soap. Detailed instructions for melting animal
fat into grease are at the end of this article. Beef tallow is a hard fat and
it makes a hard soap that cleans really well. Pork lard is a soft fat and it
may be used in a ratio of up to 75% with a hard fat. A mixture of half-tallow
and half-lard is usually recommended to achieve a good all-purpose soap. (Note:
If you do not have access to animal fat, then you can ask the employees in the
fresh meat section of your local grocery store if they have any beef fat or pork
fat for sale.)
(Note: You should reduce the above quantities by one-half when you first attempt
to make soap. This will give you the opportunity to gain confidence and experience
on a small scale. You may use the above quantities, or any multiple thereof,
for future soap making efforts depending on how much soap you wish to make in
one batch.)
THE SIX SOAP MAKING STEPS:
STEP ONE: Mix the concentrated brown lye water and the grease, stir thoroughly,
and give the chemical reaction between 30 minutes to 3 hours to gradually take
place. Be patient.
This is the most important step in making soap.
The concentrated brown lye water (or lye crystals) used in soap making can hurt
you. Be careful when handling the lye. Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin
from the lye. If some lye solution gets on your skin, wash it off immediately
with soap and water. Lye is caustic and it will permanently disfigure Formica
counter tops, kitchen tables, and other nice furniture, even if you wipe it off
the surface immediately. Be careful when handling lye and do not let it splash
or spill or bubble over onto your kitchen furniture or onto your floor.
Concentrated brown lye water is normally used at room temperature unless the
room is unusually cool or cold (below 75ºF). If necessary, heat the concentrated
brown lye water to between 80ºF to 130ºF in a separate cook pot. The temperature
is not critical as long as it is not too hot. The purpose of using warm lye water
is to help maintain a warm soap mixing temperature inside the soap mixing pot.
Put the grease into a separate small melting pot and then put the pot on the
stove over very low heat. Do not heat the grease to the smoking point. If you
see smoke then you are burning the grease. Melt all the grease and then allow
it to cool back down to 90ºF for pork lard, or to 130ºF for beef tallow, or to
110ºF for a combination of tallow and lard. Do not allow the grease to harden
while it is waiting to be added to the soap mixture. The grease must be melted
when it is added to the soap mixture, and it should be relatively warm. The temperature
does not have to be exact, but the grease must be warm and fully melted.
Pour one cup of the melted grease into the big soap making pot. Slowly pour 3/8
cup of the concentrated brown lye water into the soap making pot. Stir the mixture
for three-minutes. The mixture will look like brown
soup with white streaks in it. Add another cup of grease and another
3/8 cup of concentrated brown lye water and stir thoroughly and continuously
for about 15 minutes. The grease and lye must be completely and thoroughly blended
together to make soap. If the mixture is not thoroughly blended then the mixture
will separate later and you will not get a good soap.
(Note: You can use a manual hand-cranked blender to speed up the mixing process
and reduce the amount of time it takes for the chemical reaction between the
grease and the lye to be completed. However, this method does require a little
practice and experience because it can also result in what is called a “false
trace” which is described in Step Two below.)
(Note: If you increase the original recipe to make larger batches of soap, you
should still slowly and gradually mix the grease and concentrated brown lye water
together at the rate of one cup of grease to 3/8 cup of concentrated brown lye
water until all the grease and lye water has been added to the soap making pot.
By adding the ingredients gradually and mixing thoroughly each time, you can
avoid a separation problem later in the process.)
When you are not stirring the soap mixture, cover the soap mixing pot with a
towel to help conserve the heat inside the mixing pot. Remove the towel if you
need to add a little heat to the mixing pot, and then replace the towel when
you turn off the heat.
This part of the soap making process normally takes between thirty minutes to
three hours if you are using grease made from animal fat. During this time the
soap mixture needs to remain slightly warm and just above the temperature at
which the grease normally hardens. This is where an instant read thermometer
is useful. If the mixture begins to cool too quickly, then add just a little
bit of heat to the soap mixing pot until the temperature of the soap mixture
is between 90ºF to 130ºF, depending on the type of grease you are using (pork
lard melts at 85ºF and beef tallow melts at 125ºF), and then turn off the heat.
(Note: Do not cook the soap mixture and do not heat it to the boiling point.
Although additional heat will speed up the chemical reaction it can also cause
potential separation problems later in the process.)
Be patient and wait for the chemical reaction to gradually take place at its
very slow normal speed. Once every ten or fifteen minutes stir the soap mixture
vigorously for one-minute to facilitate a more complete mixing of the lye and
the grease. Vigorous stirring means fast and smooth stirring. Do not splash the
soap mixture onto the sides of the mixing pot. When you begin stirring the mixture
after a ten or fifteen minute rest, you will notice that the brown lye water
and the grease are still partially separated because you will be able to see
streaks of color in the soap mixture as you stir. However, as you stir vigorously
for one minute you should attempt to combine the lye and grease into a solid
color so there are very few or no streaks in the mixture. Then you may stop stirring
and wait for another ten or fifteen minutes.
Each time you make a new batch of soap you may or may not encounter one of the
following two problems. These problems may occur because your concentrated brown
lye water may be just a little stronger or a little weaker than what you used
in your previous batch of soap. You may also encounter one of the following problems
if you use a different type of animal fat, or combination of animal fats, than
you normally use. The exact amount of concentrated brown lye water that is required
will be slightly different depending on the type of animal fat you are using.
Problem One: If a layer of grease forms on top of the mixture, then check the
temperature of the soap mixture and make sure it is above the temperature that
the grease normally solidifies, which is 125ºF for 100% beef tallow, or 85ºF
for 100% pork lard, or 110ºF for a 50-50 blend of tallow and lard. If the top
layer of grease is simply due to a cold soap mixture, then heat the mixture just
a little bit and stir the grease back into the mixture. However, if the soap
mixture was already at a reasonably warm temperature, then heat the soap mixture
just a little, then turn off the heat, and then add 5% more of the concentrated
brown lye water, and stir the soap mixture thoroughly for ten minutes.
Problem Two: If the mixture does not thicken properly after three hours, then
heat the soap mixture just a little, then turn off the heat, and then add 10%
more melted warm grease, and stir the warm grease thoroughly into the soap mixture
for ten minutes.
(Note: It takes time for the concentrated brown lye water and the grease to combine
together chemically to make soap. Depending on the type of animal fat or grease
you are using, it may take as much as twenty-four hours. If you are using vegetable
grease or oils, it can take several days. The most difficult part of Step One
is to be patient if the chemical reaction is going slowly, and not ruin your
batch of soap by adding too much lye water or too much grease in an effort to
get the soap mixture to Step Two more quickly. Waiting patiently does not hurt
the chemical reaction. Adding too much of the wrong thing can upset the chemical
balance.)
When the soap mixture is a solid
cream or solid light brown color that displays no streaks when it is first stirred
after
a ten-minute rest, and it is the consistency of thick gravy or soft pudding,
then you can test it using one of the methods in Step Two below.
STEP TWO: Verify the soap mixture is warm enough and that it is ready to be poured
into the molds using one (or both) of the following two test methods.
The grease will gradually thicken if the temperature of the soap mixture gets
too low. This will make you will think the chemical reaction is complete, when
in fact it is not. This is called a “false trace.” Therefore you
must verify the soap mixture is still above the melting point of whatever grease
you are using before you test the mixture using either (or both) of the following
two methods. The minimum soap mixture temperature is 125ºF for 100% beef tallow,
or 85ºF for 100% pork lard, or 110ºF for a 50-50 blend of tallow and lard. If
your soap mixture temperature is above the minimum, then it is ready to be tested.
(Note: If the soap mixture is below the minimum temperature, or if you do not
have a thermometer, then add a little heat to the soap mixture and see if the
soap mixture melts back into a fat and lye solution that separates into different
colors when stirred gently. If the mixture does show streaks of different colors,
then continue to add very low heat for two minutes, stir the mixture vigorously,
and then turn off the heat and cover the pot with a towel and return to the instructions
for Step One.)
Test Method One: Use a spoon to lift a little of the soap mixture about one-inch
above the top surface of the mixture, and then allow one drop to fall back onto
the top of the mixture. If the surface of the mixture will support the drop for
a moment, then the soap is done.
Test Method Two: Try to draw a medium thick line in the top of the soap mixture
with the front tip of your spoon. If you can see the line, then the soap is done.
This is called “tracing.”
(Note: When the mixture “traces” the chemical reaction between the
lye and the grease is approximately 90% complete. However, the final 10% will
happen very, very slowly and it will take another 3 to 7 weeks. The soap will
not be ready for use until the chemical reaction has been 100% completed.)
STEP THREE: (Optional Step) - Add Color and Fragrance.
If you wish, you may add color and/or fragrance at this time. However, in my
opinion, it is generally not worth the effort. Soap is a consumable item and
when it is used up it is gone. Investing time and energy to make the soap more
colorful or more fragrant has marginal value if you are simply going to use your
soap yourself. On the other hand, if are considering the sale of your soap for
a profit then color, shape, and smell are important marketing factors. However,
do not use commercial perfumes or alcohol-based solutions. Adding a fragrance
or color that is not compatible with the soap making chemical process may ruin
your batch of soap. Pure essential oils or herbal solutions are preferred, if
you chose to use them. Stir them thoroughly and completely into the soap mixture
and then proceed to step 4.
STEP FOUR: Pour the soap into the soap molds and let the soap rest for seven
days.
Any container can be used as a soap mold, such as cupcake pans, small boxes,
or any other type of container. Lightly grease the inside of the containers.
Or place aluminum foil or plastic food wrap inside a small cardboard box, such
as an empty kitchen matchbox. The small
black plastic serving trays that contain a frozen dinner meal, such
as a single serving lasagna meal, make really nice soap molds if you wash them
out first. The soap molds need to be at least 1 to 1.5 inches deep because
the soap mixture needs to retain its heat during the initial phase of this
step and if the mold is too shallow it will lose its heat too quickly.
In the old days our ancestors would use a thin damp towel to line the inside
of whatever container they were using as a soap mold. When the soap finished
curing, the towel permitted the easy removal of the soap from the mold.
Today the best way to line the inside of a mold is to use plastic food wrap.
The plastic food wrap will not react with the soap while the chemical reaction
continues to its completion, and it provides a very easy way to remove the
soap from the mold when the soap is done.
The soap mixture should be above the minimum melting point temperature for
the type of grease you are using.
Pour the warm soap mixture into the molds and then put the soap
molds in a warm location.
Immediately cover the soap molds with a thick cloth or blanket to prevent the
heat from escaping too quickly. Do not let the cloth or blanket make contact
with the soap in the molds. The blanket should simply provide a cover to help
keep the molds warm.
Allow the soap to rest in the soap molds for one day. Then remove the towel.
Let the soap continue to rest in the soap molds uncovered for six additional
days.
If you peek at your soap during the first day while the soap is covered inside
the molds, the soap may look strange depending on what stage of cooling the
soap is in. Do not worry. Be patient and wait for the chemical reaction to
run its normal course.
During most of this seven-day period the soap may be relatively soft and it
will not have the hard consistency you expect from soap. This is normal. Remember
to be patient.
STEP FIVE: After a total of seven days, remove the soap from the molds.
If you used a hard fat that melts at a higher temperature, such as beef, or
goat, or lamb, then the soap will probably be firm enough to be easily removed
from the molds. However, if you used a soft fat, such as pork, or some combination
of soft fats such as chicken or pork mixed with a hard fat, then your soap
may not be firm enough for it to be easily extracted from the molds. If your
soap feels soft like a firm pudding then put it in the refrigerator for two
hours and it should then be firm enough to be removed from the molds.
Turn the soap mold upside down and the
soap should
fall out, if the soap mold was lightly greased or if the mold was lined with
aluminum foil or plastic food wrap. If the soap does not fall out of the mold,
and you are using flexible plastic molds, then flex the sides and bottom of
the mold to loosen the soap from the mold so it can release and fall out. If
necessary, you can use a thin bladed knife to separate the soap from the sides
of the mold and then gently help the soap out of the mold. (Note: If you used
plastic food wrap to line the inside of your soap mold then you will not encounter
this problem.)
If you wish to cut the soap into smaller bars, then use a sharp thin knife,
such as a serrated steak knife, or use a thin fine wire to saw through the
soap. At this time the soap should still be relatively soft, similar to cheese,
and it can be divided into smaller sizes if you wish.
If there are any imperfections, lines, or tiny cracks in the exterior surface
of the soap, you may smooth them out with your fingers at this time.
STEP SIX: Air dry the bar soap for 2 to 6 weeks.
After removing the soap from its mold, allow the bar soap to dry in a warm
dry dark place for two to six weeks before using it. If you really need your
soap, then you could start using it after the second week. But if you want
the best possible soap, then allow it to air dry for the full six weeks.
Cover a dish or large serving tray with some plastic food wrap, and then stack
your soap on the dish in a manner that will allow as much air as possible to
reach each bar of soap. Do not stack one bar of soap directly on top of another
bar of soap. Do not put the soap in direct sunlight or in a moist area. The
longer the bar soap ages the harder it will become and the better it will perform
when used as soap. During this time any remaining water in the soap will gradually
evaporate, and any remaining lye will gradually blend in with the surrounding
grease. However, if your soap is brown lye water heavy, then it will leak out
of your soap onto the dish during the first day and you will see a small puddle
of brown lye water around your soap. If this happens, then drain off the excess
brown lye water so it does not have an opportunity to be reabsorbed into your
current batch of soap. You should also consider the addition of about 10% more
grease to your next batch of soap at the beginning of Step One.
After six weeks, put the bars of soap into an air-tight container, or wrap
them in plastic wrap, or put them in a plastic food storage bag. Depending
on your local climate conditions, this will either prevent the soap from drying
out, or it will prevent the soap from absorbing moisture from humid air.
When you remove your bar of soap from storage it may have a thin layer of white
powder on it, which is the result of the air reacting with any lye on the outside
surface of the soap. This thin layer of powder will contain some lye and it
needs to be removed from the surface of the soap. Just rinse the powder off
and forget about it.
You may also discover that the first two or three times you use the soap to
wash your hands that it does not work very well. This is because the soap needs
a brief adjusting period after making its first initial contact with water.
After the soap has been in brief contact with water a few times, and rubbed,
and allowed to dry, it will start to behave like normal soap and clean very
well, with one exception. Homemade soap does not lather the way ordinary store
bought soap lathers. Bubbles are not necessary for a soap to be effective.
Bubbles only add visual appeal.
(Note: If you are going to sell your soap for a profit, then you should dip
the bar of soap in water and allow it to air dry several times to pre-condition
the soap for your customers. This will help to reduce the number of customer
complaints about your soap not working the way it should.)
You can test the quality of a finished bar of soap by shaving it with a sharp
knife. If it crumbles, it contains too much lye, but it will still be very
effective as a good laundry soap. Good all-purpose bar soap will curl slightly
when shaved with a sharp knife blade. Keep a written record of your soap making
results and make minor adjustments as required on your next batch of soap.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Soap (Part 1 of 3), by Grandpappy »
Odds 'n Sods:
DAV flagged this piece of commentary from Edward Chancellor at The Washington
Post:
Look
Out. This Crunch Is Serious. Meanwhile, writing in the Sovereign Society
A-Letter, Kathlyn
Von Rohr commented: "The sub-prime crisis
that
was "likely
to be contained" according to Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke back in
March - brought more havoc to Wall Street this week. Now that "financial
market conditions have deteriorated," the Fed has changed its tune, as they
chopped the discount rate yesterday." In my estimation this will
get a
whole lot worse before it gets better. The current crunch has essentially
shut
downthe
major
credit
markets. That will create a shortage of working capital for manufacturers. Simultaneously,
hearing all this bad the financial news, consumers are sure to tighten their
belts.
This
spells recession, or possibly even depression if the panic spreads. Be
ready.
o o o
RBS sent us this link: Former
US Marine Corps Presidential Helicopter Pilot, 71, Shoots Two Armed Robbers.
I'd be happy to send him a autographed copy of my novel and some ammo to
replace
his expended rounds. If any SurvivalBlog readers have his address, let me
know.
o o o
Wally in Oregon notes that there was some
looting unpleasantness following the recent big earthquake in Peru. Wally
predicts that things similarly won't be friendly after an event of the
same magnitude here
in the
States.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
“By their own follies they perished, the fools.” - Homer, The
Odyssey
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Note from JWR:
Thanks to all of you that have visited our new spin-off site, SurvivalRealty.com.
If you know of anyone looking for a retreat property, please tell them
about the site. Keep in mind that there are still a couple of remaining free
ad spots
for anyone with a retreat property to sell. We plan to have listings worldwide!
« Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: The Suburban Resident's Last Ditch Logistics Play--Store Stock
James:
We poor individuals
left stranded in Suburbia have a rough lot when it comes to making survival
preparations. An easy trip down the expressway for the Golden
Horde, enough
ordinances, zoning restrictions, and association bylaws to hamper the efforts
of even the most ingenious survivalist, long commutes, and the list goes on.
Clearly, its best to get out while you can.
But for those of us stuck here, it makes sense to use whatever resources we
have at our disposal, and one of the few areas we just might have the country
folk beat is easy shopping.
I know that venturing out into public just on the brink of a societal collapse
is a dangerous decision, but it is still a decision that must be made in view
of the facts specific to the disaster at hand and your local conditions. Who
among us can say he is so well prepared that he would not buy a single item
if he knew there would be a coordinated EMP strike
tomorrow? Even items unimportant from a survival perspective—a gallon
of ice cream, a bottle of your wife’s
favorite perfume, or quality violin strings-- gain new worth when you realize
that you may never have an opportunity to buy that item again.
As I prepare to head off to college, I’d like to share a few points I’ve
thought of while working at a major hardware store/warehouse as a stocker.
1. Beware the Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory system. I know this point has been
belabored countless times on SurvivalBlog, but at my work we couldn’t
even order stock ourselves—our
store manager had to request special permission from corporate in any case
not covered by the computer. Often, we would receive a shipment the day after
we ran out of stock.
2. Get to know your stores. I cannot stress this point enough. If anyone honestly
believes they’ll be able to walk into a panicked hardware store and quickly
find the materials they need, they’re kidding themselves. At my work,
no one can do that on a good day, not even contractors, and quite frankly,
often not even employees.
3. Check the top stock/back stock. [JWR Adds: "Top
Stock" is retailer terminology for the extra merchandise stored on upper shelves,
usually right above each item's normal shelf location. The term "Back Stock"
can vary, but generally refers to extra inventory kept a back room,
although some retailers like Home Depot use it to refer to extra inventory
kept in large unit boxes behind the
normal inventory, on extra deep shelves. To add to the confusion, some other
retailers use "Back Stock" to refer to merchandise kept in regional warehouses.]
In some
cases-- including gloves, propane, cleaning
chemicals, and other important survival-oriented
materials-- top stock
outnumbered floor stock by as much as 20-to-1.
4. Unless people are edgy and armed, don’t be afraid to break unimportant
rules. Go ahead, use the "Employees Only” ladder. If you
keep your wits about you, look in the back stock. Stop thinking like you did
before the disaster happened and do what you must to keep yourself and your
family alive.
5. Plan your route in advance-- including alternate routes. Avoid attracting
attention, travel in groups if there’s danger, split up if the danger
is negligible, and go as heavily armed as is appropriate.
6. In some stores, it helps to get to know the employees. This one’s
fairly simple, but in a life-or-death situation it just might make a difference
to be the person who gets the last of the plywood, or the bottle of Cipro,
or the slightly “irregular” ammunition the gun store owner locked
away just in case.
There are many other instances where the very infrastructure we rightly fear
as leading to our doom can also help us get out the door or barricade it with
sandbags, so to speak. Public libraries. Pharmacies. Animal hospitals. Industrial
and artisans’ workshops that may contain important materials. Churches,
even (“Hey Pastor, mind if I borrow a few bibles? I have this feeling…”)
Depending on the pace of the crash, all these places and more should be considered
for one last “shopping spree,” especially by those unable to make
these purchases now for financial reasons.
Of course, I welcome anyone else’s comments. God Bless, - Daniel C.
« Letter Re: "Patriots" and Other Preparedness Titles Not Available at All Libraries |Main| Letter Re: The Suburban Resident's Last Ditch Logistics Play--Store Stock »
Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity
Mr. Rawles:
I am writing concerning the letter in which the gentlemen suggested using Enfield
2A Ishapores for Barter/Charity. In my opinion, you would be better off buying
an SKS than an Enfield 2A Carbine. The SKS is cheaper at $179.95 (at AIM
Surplus) compared to the Enfield at $229.95, and it comes with a bayonet.
The SKS can be easily modified to accept 30rd magazines which are easily
available, whereas the Enfield is limited to 10 rounds and the magazines
are hard to come by. I have not been impressed with the ProMag Enfield 2A
magazines. None of the ones I have ordered functioned properly. You would
be better off buying a new factory production from Numrich.
Furthermore, the price for 7.62 x 39 Russian is much cheaper than 7.62 NATO,
and it is still a very potent calibre. Finally, SKSes are plenty reliable
and plenty accurate, so you also don't lose anything there.
So for the same amount of money if you bought SKSes, you could arm more people
with better weapons and give them more ammunition. I am not saying the Enfield
2A is a bad weapon, but I don't believe arming untrained neighbors is its optimal
role. If you are worried about them taking their time for a shot, and not blowing
through a whole magazine, then they were not trained very well. So if they
were not trained very well, are you sure it matters if they take their time?
As for barter, I think the SKS would also be more valuable because most people
would rather have the semi-auto over the bolt and it looks meaner to the lay
person. Just my two cents. Thanks, - Paul
JWR Replies: I stand by my assertion that equipping poorly
trained volunteers with bolt actions is preferable to arming them with semi-autos.
Granted, 7.62x39 costs only half as much as 7.62mm NATO. But if the volunteers
from your "Neighborhood Watch on Steroids" get trigger happy when
under pressure--and believe me, they will--they could easily
expend five times as much ammunition, with not much to show for it other than
a pile of brass. (There is something about a 30 round magazine in a semi-auto
that just begs a newbie to pull the trigger rapidly.)
Here is a compromise to consider: How about equipping them with bolt action
rifles chambered in 7.62 x 39 Russian? That way, they would benefit from lower
recoil and less expensive ammunition. And again, the benefit is the ammunition-conserving
bolt action. You could start with any small ring Mauser--even a pre-1899
production ("no paperwork") Model 1893, such as the Turkish
contract Oberndorf Mausers available from The
Pre-1899 Specialist. Then have your local gunsmith retrofit the Mauser
with a
carbine-length 7.62x39mm barrel, available from Numrich.
If you had a big budget, you might even consider buying a few Remington
Model 799s. (their hunting bolt action chambered for the AK round.) OBTW,
SurvivalBlog readers in the firearms-deprived portions of the British Commonwealth
might
consider
the Australian
International Arms M10A1/A2 or perhaps an Enfield
K to fill this same role.
And on a humorous note, speaking of the semi-auto versus bolt action debate,
you might enjoy reading this comparison by the folks at 7.62x54r.net of AR,
AK, and Mosin Nagant owners. (A hat tip to Richard at KT
Ordnance, for recommending it.)
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity »
Letter Re: "Patriots" and Other Preparedness Titles Not Available at All Libraries
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I was at my local public library and noticed they did not have a copy of your
novel ["Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse"].
I inquired of our head librarian and she agreed to order your book. As a
matter of fact, she ordered it while I was chatting with her. Perhaps
some more of your loyal readers would be willing to contact the many public
libraries and ask them to order some specific books. They too might
order your book as well as other preparedness books. Respectfully, - Happy
Howie
JWR Replies: I appreciate that suggestion. In addition to
my novel "Patriots", SurvivalBlog might consider requesting some of the books
and DVDs listed in my
Bookshelf page. (Starting with my "Must Read" list.) Having those in circulation
locally might get some of your neighbors more motivated to prepare--or at least
better informed.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: "Patriots" and Other Preparedness Titles Not Available at All Libraries »
Odds 'n Sods:
John and Abigail Adams suggested this training video on the use of the Israeli
field dressing.
o o o
RBS thought that readers might enjoy reading this report from Afghanistan: 'I
could feel the breeze as the bullets went by'
o o o
Reader Nick M. alerted us to the fact that the Popular
Mechanics August "Survive Anything" cover story (previously
mentioned in SurvivalBlog) is now available on their Web site to
read for free download. Nick's comments: "The series of articles discusses how
technology has made humanity more comfortable, but how our reliance on it
has also made us more susceptible to the wrath of nature. The article includes
a lot of advice on emergency preparedness, and there are online extras including
an audio slide show of tornado-town Kansas, disaster checklist, and preparedness
quiz."
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom." - Justice
William O. Douglas (1898-1980), U. S. Supreme Court Justice (Public
Utilities Commission v. Pollack, 1952)
« Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale? |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
Whenever you contact a vendor mentioned in
SurvivalBlog--whether or not they are one of our advertisers--please mention
where you saw their name. Every bit of publicity helps. Thanks!
« Letter Re: Steam Locomotives in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale?
Dear Mr. Rawles,
In response to your post replying to 'Marie R.' regarding Missouri as a retreat
location; here is some information that other families on this blog may find
interesting. I'm writing this as someone who has a wide venue of travel and
associations across the country. I am a professional trucker, a licensed
ham radio operator for over 35 years, and was employed in the defense electronics
industry for many years. I have been preparing for TEOTWAWKI here
in the mountains of the Arkansas Ozarks for some time.
With no disrespect to your research and personal choice(s) for retreats, one
of the best kept secrets for quality living is the Arkansas-Missouri Ozarks.
Our attributes have been many in this region for years and some improvement
in the dynamics and demographics in recent times. In my opinion, the best area
of Missouri is the area south of the I-44 corridor from about Joplin to Union,
Missouri then a line south to the west of Poplar Bluff and back across the
top of the Arkansas border. I agree with JWR on the population density issue
especially
considering Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas. Interstate 70 is the worst
place to consider a SHTF bugout
route (not that I-44 would be a cruise either).
The Arkansas/Missouri Ozarks is becoming a top choice for military and government
retirees, combat veterans, and people desiring a wholesome, honest, environment
to raise families.
We have 4 true seasons here. Gardens do well as long as you do them in raised
beds (rocks we have!!), a natural food supply in wild game,all the fish you
can catch, herbal plants, plenty of wood for heating/steam plant generation,
natural springs, and of course the biggie, lots of water!
Real estate is still reasonable compared to other areas and more bargains on
remote property will be had as the bubble continues to deflate. Within 25 miles
of my homestead, I have alliances varying from a retired border patrol officer,
numerous Navy/Coast Guard brass, to some persecuted souls of the 1990s patriot
movement who survived and moved here. We need more informed, God fearing, like
minded people here to help cement the communities. Missouri now has enacted
the Castle
Doctrine on self-defense and concealed carry is now becoming a reality.
Governor Matt Blount has turned the state management/government in a more conservative
direction and it appears that the big city liberals have been pushed into the
corner. (At least for now.)
Do your research on Ozarks trees, wildlife, plants, culture and history and
then come see what it's about. I think you will be pleasantly surprised regardless
of the nuclear downwind issue. In reality, everyone could use a bomb
shelter when the time comes. Like all preparedness, it's a decision. Thank
You, - Skytower in Arkansas
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale? »
Letter Re: Steam Locomotives in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World?
Dear Jim and Family,
Its true that boiler maintenance and safety are a serious concern. As my wife
is a rail fan (train chaser), she knows a bit, and knows people who know a
lot more. One of these was kind enough to send me this info in his reply.
"Bear in mind that the great costs mentioned are all meant to get the
boilers up to federal-mandated standards, i.e. extremely safe conditions. If
you just want to get it to function, you don't have to do near as much work.
The problem of course is that while under steam you have several thousand gallons
of superheated water just looking for a breach in the boiler that will allow
that water to expand something on the order of 1800 times in volume instantaneously.
Boom.
While the concept of a steam engine is simple, its implementation grows more
complex with its scale. How do you inject water into a vessel already at 250
psi? How do you preheat that cold water so that the thermal shock of the water
entering the boiler doesn't fatigue and eventually crack it? How do you deal
with the impurities in the water inevitably left behind as the
water evaporates and departs as steam? There are systems designed to take care
of all of that, but that's just more hardware to break and
repair/replace.
The only restrictions on track depend on the particulars of the engine -- the
curves shouldn't be too tight for its wheelbase and the bridges should be strong
enough to support it."
My thoughts center on use of stainless steel (including the new cheap nitrogen
impregnated stainless steel) listed as Nickel-free
stainless 404GP and 445M2 alloys.
Cheap stainless changes the entire equation on affordable and reliable steam
since you end the spalling problem in the firebox. There's still quite a few
old steam engineers running around, as well as enthusiasts restoring and running
old engines they buy for a $1 and "please remove this from my property" from
the former owner, often a lumber yard with a railroad spur somewhere in the
back. Steam fitters and boilermakers unions have men capable of welding up
pressure vessels. They need the plans, but rail fan associations typically
have those, as well as in archives of existing railroads. Despite the company
reputation,
the people working there aren't all ba****ds. Many genuinely love trains, and
most will keep them running, though the legal issues of running excursions
on active lines is a major regulatory headache. Think of railroad companies
being massively burdened with regulations and you'll sympathize with their
headaches.
The original discussion was regarding restoration of old engines and using
them to haul people around. That's a good idea, for style if nothing else,
but not the best idea for function. If you build steam engines from the ground
up, there's a degree of sense in using hybrid techniques, as hybrid trains
came decades before hybrid cars. A hybrid steam engine running an electric
motor and batteries would resolve a lot of those pressure, maintenance, and
safety issues affecting traditional piston train engines. If any mechanical
engineers are reading, give some thought to designing a modern steam engine
with the advantages of cheap stainless steel, modern pressure vessels, steam
turbines, and automatic relief valves, and an eye towards multiple fuels, from
low quality oil, coal, and even firewood if need be. Thanks to Peak Oil, trains
are our best bet to offer some shipping between cities and
towns, and local transport of goods and people. I think there's a great deal
of merit in this,
and a real future with them, despite their initial hurdles. Best, - InyoKern
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Steam Locomotives in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World? »
Odds 'n Sods:
Our friend Nick recommended this article by Douglas MacKinnon at Townhall.com: The
Two Things To Know Before Your City is Nuked
By Terrorists
o o o
My thanks to "J", who gave a
prominent plug for SurvivalBlog over at The Rumor Mill News Reading
Room.
o o o
Alphie sent us this one: NYPD
Warns Of Homegrown Terror Threat
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law." - Justice
John Marshall (1755-1835) US Supreme Court Chief Justice
« Letter Re: Recent Floods in the UK and the Impact on Our Preparations |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
We are pleased to announce the launch
of a SurvivalBlog spin-off web site, www.SurvivalRealty.com. Be
sure to check it out. You will find that it is a truly unique web site. All
of the properties there are suitable for survival retreats. You will see
no urban or suburban properties, no time shares, no condos, and no McMansions
on postage stamp-size lots. This is a pleasant change from searching typical
Internet real estate sites, where finding a survival retreat is like finding
a needle in a haystack. The properties featured at SurvivalRealty.com will
come from both licensed agents and "For Sale by Owners" (FSBOs.) I personally review
and approve each property for its survival retreat potential before
it is posted. Most of the legwork for the new site is being
handled by Todd Savage, a real estate agent that I know and trust. His office
is in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
And not coincidentally, Idaho
is my top choice for relocation and survival
retreats. To get the new site off to a fast start, advertising
during the first three months is available free
of charge, but only for the next six individuals or agents that submit
listings.
« Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Recent Floods in the UK and the Impact on Our Preparations
Further to my
recent post about the recent flooding In the UK, things in the immediate
area are pretty well back to normal now, aside from some continuing disruption
to the road network due to land-slips, undermining and in some cases, bridges
across water courses being washed away.
Here, we got off very lightly, compared to some. No loss of life, no injuries,
very little property damage. There are many families, however, who will be
counting the cost of this incident for a long time, both in terms of loss
of loved ones and of property and livelihood. One’s heart goes out
to them.As to how our preparations ameliorated the effects of the flooding,
I must first of all say we were very lucky to have escaped. The waters found
their way into areas never before affected, with properties and farmland
many feet above the normal floodplain levels being covered. In one case,
a farm tractor in just such a place was up to its cab-roof in floodwater.
However, we moved to this area for work purposes in 1999. Prior to the move
we rented a property in the area to give us a base from which to explore
and familiarise
ourselves with it.
The next task was to obtain 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps of the entire region
and work out the pros and cons of each likely area for settlement.
To the east of this region lies the flat, productive lands of the Vale of
Evesham which, as beautiful and fertile as they may be, are crisscrossed
with so many waterways that the map of the area appears to have varicose
veins. To the west the topography changes as it moves into the mountains
of Wales, an area of stunning countryside, so well beloved of tourists in
the summers, but one so bleak in winter that it is used by Special Forces
as a training ground. [JWR Adds: This is the "Brecon
Beacons" area that many SurvivalBlog have read about in books about
the SAS.]
In-between the two the land becomes one of foothills, with small peaks up
to a thousand feet or so.
The area has several cities, many towns and villages, with all the concomitant
amenities and services along with a good transport infrastructure. It ticked
many of the boxes we had earmarked as necessities.
It also has one of the most unstable rivers in Europe running through it;
the River Severn. With its source in the hills of mid-Wales, the Severn is
one of many local rivers that feed from the mountains of Wales and find their
way to the sea further south in England after joining with the Severn.
Coming in from the east is the River Avon, of Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon
fame. Another picturesque watercourse when in good humour, but truly frightening
when in flood. This too joins the Severn as it moves west towards the sea.
Given all this water, the thought of joining the many flood-plain dwellers
(does this name not give them a clue?) along these rivers did not have much
appeal. Also not wanting to live in an urban environment, we ruled out the
cities and larger towns. This led us to ‘head for the hills’ but
given the additional need to be reasonably close to transport links due to
work commitments, a compromise had to be reached.
We finally settled on (in?) the outskirts of a village in the foothills which
had the requisite communication links and was high enough to avoid all but
truly Armageddon-like flooding from the river system.
Being doomers by inclination and country folk by nature, we set about making
the place as self-contained as possible given the constraints of time, money
and the desire not to look out of place.
Water was a primary objective. Having invested so much time and effort trying
to avoid it, we now installed a series of linked barrels to collect around
500 gallons of rainfall run-off from the various roofs. (The long term plan
was to install underground storage but an impending move has forestalled
this). This to be used in the summer for assisting with garden irrigation
and for hygiene use should the need arise.
There is a mains supply of potable water, supplemented by bought bottled
and spring water from the adjacent hills captured and stored in ex-military
containers. (Again an underground cistern was planned).
When the recent floods hit, we found unprecedented amounts of rain had fallen
(up to 131mm locally) in just over 24 hours and the subsequent run-off completely
overwhelmed the drainage systems. It is not uncommon in these parts for the
hill roads to turn into rivers after a storm, but the amount coming off the
peaks was phenomenal. Due to our location on a hillside, we were in little
danger of standing –floods, but fortunately had sandbagged the ventilation
bricks and doorways to deal with the expected run off. Even so, the bags
were in danger of being overtopped by the sheer volume of water. This caught
us somewhat by surprise, never before had we needed to cover these points.
The mains water supply is electrically pumped throughout the area, so it
is not unknown for it to fail when the power goes down. We had sufficient
water available to deal with what was thankfully a short-term event. However,
the provision of more capacity could only be a good thing especially in the
event of a long term incident.Our electricity supply is mains provided, but
due to local conditions is fairly unreliable, going off on average once a
month. We have back-up for heating, cooking and lighting, with a variety
of methods for providing for each. As well as propane heaters and cooking
rings, we have wood stored and several camping style cooking sets using differing
fuels. Lighting from candles, hurricane and Coleman lamps as well as the
ubiquitous MagLites complete the list. Wind up radios are used to keep connected
to news services.
This system works well for us in a bug-in situation, with some of the kit
doubling for the bug-out bags, in which it is normally kept. It again worked
this time and we are currently replenishing supplies ready for the autumn
and winter weather.
We thought that given the predicted rainfall, bugging-in would be the best
solution and this proved to be so. We also planned to be on site during the
event as the lower surrounding area a re prone to flooding and we have been
cut-off in the past. Had we been caught out of position, one or more of us
would have been stranded. Cars were washed away by previously unheard of
levels of rainfall and all exit routes were simply inundated. We have multiple
exit routes planned and driven, but all were closed in a very short time.
Several staff members at one of our employers, who also live nearby, had
to remain in the building for several days, unable to get out . Even if they
could have escaped the building, they would have been unable to return to
their homes due to the floodwaters.
Being aware of the potential for the area to become cut off by bad weather,
we keep an above average level of consumables in. This includes foodstuffs,
medications, hygiene materials etc. We keep little in freezers, having lost
the contents once too often when power remained off too long. Most foods
are either canned or dried and when the power does fail, we emulate the NCIS
agents Jethro Gibbs and Kate Todd and eat the ice-cream before it melts!
When we could get from the property into the nearby town, we found the shelves
of the shops were depleted of nearly everything. Some panic buying had apparently
occurred, but this was also down to the inability to re-supply them as the
entire area was cut off from road and rail links. The disturbing
part about this was that this took no more than a couple of days for the
shelves to
empty. It seems that the ‘just-in-time’ approach also now applies
to your local food store and those behind-the-shop front warehouses are no
longer filled with more than a day or two’s goods.
What this would mean in a long term situation became all too obvious further
down the Severn’s route as large scale efforts had to be mobilised
to bring in bottled water and emergency food supplies to stranded people.
In summary, our initial site location work and subsequent ‘prepping’ served
us well during this event, but if any of us had been caught out of position,
or had we decided at the last minute to ‘bug-out’ as flood levels
rose, we might well have found ourselves in a different situation.
No matter what precautions one takes, it is surely down to the Grace of God
as to what happens and how well you fare. We are currently planning our next
adventure, a move out of the UK to a small patch of land somewhere in the Mediterranean.
The planning and preparation for this has been ongoing for several years. More
on that in a future article. Keep safe. - Michael in England
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Recent Floods in the UK and the Impact on Our Preparations »
Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns
Dear Mr. Rawles,
Regarding your recent comments on shotguns, I’d like to add the following
opinion:
I own a gun shop and I get -many- people looking to buy their first shotgun.
The first question I ask them (and probably a good question to ask ones self
before
making any purchase) is: “What do you intend to
use
it for?”. Different guns for different purposes. When they tell me they
want an all around do everything shotgun (which is how the shy and low-key convey
that they want
a defensive shotgun), the choice usually come down to the Mossberg 500 and the
Remington 870. Both are great shotguns. Both are used by the US military and
both
are found
in law enforcement. Both have a fair bit of aftermarket parts and accessories
(not all of them useful) available.
When customers ask me to choose between the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870,
I go with the Remington.
Magazine capacity - A standard Mossberg 500 (the one sitting on my desk right
now is a inventory gun, 500BB in 16 ga. with a cut down barrel to 21 inches)
holds 5 rounds in the magazine. To put an extended magazine on this particular
gun, one must replace the entire magazine tube (and it’s guts), as the
existing one is closed on the muzzle end and has a threaded hole in the center
that the barrel retaining nut (“magazine cap”) screws into. If I
take this commonly encountered gun and put an extended magazine on it I now need
to get a different barrel as this one one can not mount properly with an extended
mag.
On a Remington 870, I unscrew the barrel retaining nut (“magazine cap”)
and replace the magazine spring with the new longer one and screw on the magazine
extension. Re-install original barrel. Done. On later 870s it may be necessary
to drill out two small ‘dimples’ at the end of the magazine tube
that retain a superfluous magazine plug. Big deal. [JWR Adds: Brownell's
sells
a special mandrel designed for pressing out these dimples. Every retreat group
that has standardized with 870s should acquire one of these tools.]
Parts availability - The two most common shotguns are the Mossberg 500 series
and the Remington 870 and all the aftermarket accessories people know this. If
you
were to make a list of all the Mossberg accessories available and all the 870
accessories available, the lists would be long, but the 870 list would be longer.
More options.
Construction - Both guns are used my military and law enforcement, so you know
that
can
take rough use. One common problem I see with Mossbergs is that the safety selector
is
plastic (on the mil-spec model they are steel); this causes enough problems that
one of the more widely purchased aftermarket accessories for the 500 is a replacement
safety made of steel.
Both guns (on current models) have plastic triggerguards. The Remington has one
that has a built in locking device. Yesterday I had a fellow come in who had
bought a used 870 with a locking device but no key. It wasn’t a problem,
as he had not planned to ever lock the gun, but it turns out you can lock the
gun by just turning the safety with a fingernail or, in his case, a cleaning
brush while cleaning the gun. To -unlock- the gun, you need the key. That’s
bad. Mossberg has wisely avoided this mistake.
One thing that makes a big difference for me is that the Remington receiver is
steel while the Mossberg is alloy. It may not make a practical difference, but
I just feel better with the heavier gun. Also, the 500 receiver is anodized and
once the finish wears off, your only choices are stove paint, tape or shine.
Commonality - Both guns are extraordinarily common. Together I believe they account
for the majority of pump action sales in the US. While both guns are used by
military and law enforcement, the 870 is the hands down law enforcement favorite,
and thus
more likely
to
be
found/recovered
from ‘official’ sources.
One great advantage the Mossberg has is price: it’s cheap (or as I like
to describe it “entry level priced”). The cheap shotgun you have
-right now- is a whole heck of a lot better than the expensive shotgun that you
were planning to buy in 3 months! Also, when compared to the Remington 870, spare
barrels seem to be a bit cheaper on the used market.
For my “just in case” customers, I tell them:
• Remington synthetic stock 870 Special Purpose [Parkerized] finish 12
ga.
with a 3-inch
chamber with a
26 or 28 inch bird barrel with a full assortment of screw in chokes.
• Spare smoothbore rifle-sighted slug barrel in 20 inch.
•
In reserve, a Wilson combat/Scattergun Technology two shot magazine extension,
a six shell ‘side-saddle’, a clamp-on M1913 rail for mounting a
small light on the barrel (I like and own the Surefire fore-ends, but the cost
is prohibitive
and they use very specific parts. A clamp-on M1913 rail allows for mounting a
variety of lights, including a spare M3 or M6 pistol light, which one should
already have).
• Usual spares, slings and support parts and tools.
Remington and Mossberg both make fine guns that possess the great feature of
what I call ‘modularity’; the ability to be easily reconfigured by
the end-user to suit multiple purposes with a minimum amount of tools and skill.
I often tell my customers that they should think of the 500 and the 870 (and
the
AR-15) as ‘Lego kit’ guns; you can pretty much snap-on and snap-off
parts and accessories as needed.
A very, very distant third choice for shotguns would be the classic Ithaca 37s.
All metal, no plastic and bottom ejecting for left handed shooters. Used as a
military gun up through Vietnam and the classic LAPD gun
for many years.The NYPD
has [also] used this gun for over 50 years (in everything from 13 inch to 30
inch) and I can tell you first hand that a lot of those original purchase guns
bought
when
President Eisenhower was in office are still riding around the mean streets.
You'll
never
find
spares and accessories like you will for the Mossbergs and Remingtons though.
Best, - RMV
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns »
Odds 'n Sods:
Daniel C. mentioned that a
PDF of the book The Alpha Strategy by
John Pugsley is now available for free download. (This is the key book
that I mentioned in the "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course.) I highly recommend Pugsley's
book, which is considered a classic in preparedness circles.
It was
one of
my main influences when I first formulated
my investment strategy, back in my late teens. I owe Pugsley the credit for
the many useful tangibles that are stacked on the shelves
down in Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR). Many
of those items were purchased in the early to mid-1980s when I had military
commissary and post exchange privileges. For example, my family is still using
aluminum foil that I bought in 1985 for
just 79 cents a roll. By my calculations, I won't have to buy another batch
for six more years. We are also still not even close to using up the many 12
ounce bottles
of vanilla
extract that I bought in 1984 for $1.20 each. Enough logistical war stories.
I concur with reader Jamie D., who's motto is "Buy it cheap and stack it deep."
Now, getting back to the author: Pugsley is
now
the
chairman
of The
Sovereign Society. You can read read more of his writings at The
Daily Reckoning web site.
o o o
I noticed that the spot
price of silver recently took a dip below $12 per ounce. This might be
a good buying opportunity. I'm still convinced that Helicopter
Ben will inflate
his way out of the current crisis. So in the long run, the precious metals
will
appreciate in value. Buy on the dips!.
o o o
Some "must read" commentary over at Jim Sinclair's MineSet: Commercial
Paper Market All But Shuts Down
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
“Whatever is going to happen will happen...just don’t let it happen
to you.” - Doug Casey
« Letter Re: Steam Locomotives in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World? |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
Congrats to Mike in Missouri, the high bidder
in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a Big Berkey water filter. Today we
begin a new auction. This one
is for
a SteriPen UV light water sterlizer, complete with a solar charger and pre-filter,
donated
by
the
fine
folks at Safecastle. Also included as a bonus in this auction are three autographed copies of books that I've authored.
Be sure to visit the Safecastle web site and see their broad line of survival and preparedness
products, as well as details on their storm/blast/fallout shelter engineering
and construction services.
« Letter Re: A-Frame Houses for Retreats? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Steam Locomotives in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World?
Jim,
I'm a big fan of western movies and was thinking of how trains seem to dominate
so many. These old
steam locomotives are still running in many locations around the world
so it got me to thinking. I've heard you discuss steam power before and I
was wondering what you thought of a return to steam power for transportation
in between settlements in the case of full societal collapse that may drive
us back a century or more in technology. It seems we have a good supply of
lumber in our forests as well as a good supply of coal (especially in places
such as Utah) to power these trains. Could they be adapted to run on existing
tracks? Do enough exist to be viable? Are they high maintenance? Can they
still be produced? I had a friend whose father worked for the railroad in
Kentucky/Virginia and he stated that the large steam locomotives were in
fact more powerful than the diesel/electrics and that more than a few had
been 'rescued' by old steam driven locomotives when they broke down. I do
remember hearing that they needed overhauls more frequently but if we returned
to that type of society that would certainly beat wagons for transporting
goods, people etc.--Just a thought and wondered if you had given it any serious
consideration. - Jason North Idaho
JWR Replies: I'm all for it, but sadly even with existing
tracks and rolling stock, it takes a lot more than a supply of firewood or
coal to operate and maintain a steam locomotive railroad. The main drawback
to using steam engines post-TEOTWAWKI is
the high maintenance required for their boilers, and their inevitable replacement.
Currently, steam engine boilers are rebuilt or replaced as essentially custom pieces.
And if you read any of the hobbyist web sites devoted to steam engine restoration,
the boiler work is typically a key topic of discussion and the main focus of
the groups' fundraising efforts. It is one of the most cash intensive part
of rolling stock restoration, since everything else is typically done with
donated time and effort on the part of club members. Almost all of the old
large-scale steam locomotive repair infrastructure in North America is sadly gone.
There are very few companies that still do steam locomotive boiler work, and
most of those are in China. They are few and far between here in North America.
Up until the 1940s, nearly every railroad company had their own "in-house" boiler
shop. Nowadays
you only see that in China. Ironically, the locomotive boiler companies
still in business in the U.S. are now highly dependent on grid power to
run most of their tools. (In the old days, they would have had a stationary
steam engine to run everything in the repair/rebuild shop on belt drive. And
in those days they also had traditional (non-electric) hoists that could lift
4,000+ pounds, and they did traditional riveting. Nowadays they use
gas-fired rivet heaters, welding gasses, arc welders, et cetera.) So unless
the old-fashioned shops could be re-created post-TEOTWAWKI, then we will see
the old engines drop out of service, one by one, as their boilers wear out.
I may sound pessimistic in all the forgoing, but I'm a realist. I have great
faith in American ingenuity. But if the old-fashioned infrastructure no longer
or exists, or if the little that does remain isolated in inner-city areas that
might resemble Beirut after TSHTF,
then perhaps my pessimism is justified. With time, ingenuity, raw materials
and plenty of"sweat equity", a working 19th century technology industrial
infrastructure could be re-created from the ground up. (Starting, of course,
with forges .)
For some background on steam locomotives and boiler rebuilding, see:
Steam-Era.com
Midcontinent
Railway Museum
Trainweb
« Letter Re: Advice on Most Durable AR-15/M16/AR-180 Magazines? |Main| Letter Re: Steam Locomotives in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World? »
Letter Re: A-Frame Houses for Retreats?
Dear Mr. Rawles,
Do you have any thoughts on the use of A-frame homes as a retreat? I can see
the positive negative points, and would appreciate your thoughts (and those
of your readers).
For:
They are economical to build and maintain.
The extensive roofs offer lots of space for PV panels
or solar water heaters.
The steep roofs are good for distributing heavy loads (whether from heavy
snow falls or volcanic ash).
They look like most people's stereotype of a vacation home, and not like
a survival retreat (good for hiding in plain sight).
Against:
More difficult to harden against attack.
The steep roof angles create "dead spaces" within the building,
reducing the usable square footage.
Any input would be appreciated. Sincerely, - James K
JWR Replies: I would add the following to the list of negatives:
In a societal collapse, looters will be looking for what appear to
be vacation homes.
They are often less well insulated than comparable size houses with attics.
They are typically built with very poor visibility on two sides, making them
vulnerable to attack.
They have roof materials in close proximity to ground shrubbery, so any combustible
roofing (e.g. wooden shakes) are definitely a hazard.
The lack of an attic means less storage space.
Odd angles on the inside walls limit storage space and make cabinet
installation far more difficult.
The steep roof angle is not ideal for photovoltaics unless you live at
an arctic latitude. (A-frame roof pitches are typically too steep for
flush-mounted solar panels.) Ideally, solar panels should match your
latitude (i.e. if you live on or
near the
40th
parallel,
then
flush-mounted
solar panels
should be mounted at a 40 degree angle.)
Summary, in my estimation: A-frames look quaint, but they aren't very practical except for
areas with very heavy winter snowfall, such as Michigan's Upper Peninsula and
upper elevations in the western slope of the Rockies. A-frames were a fad in
the 1960s, but are not very popular these days, in part because their drawbacks
outweigh their advantages.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: A-Frame Houses for Retreats? »
Letter Re: Advice on Most Durable AR-15/M16/AR-180 Magazines?
Mr. Rawles:
I've read your novel ["Patriots"]
three times.
It rocks. I hope that you run another
six pack sale soon, because I plan to buy a bunch of copies for this year's
Christmas gifts. I've also been working my way through the [SurvivalBlog] archives.
Packed with amazing
stuff--what a treasure trove! And I'm also
now
a 10
Cent
Challenge
subscriber.
(I'm
the one that sent you that roll of silver dimes.)
One thing that you've stressed
that has really struck a chord with me is the possibility that a global depression
might last decades, or even generations. With that thought in mind, I've
been picking out gear that is both easy to maintain by myself, and very durable. My
flashlights all use white LEDs
to maximize their usable life. My watches are all Swiss hairspring [self-winding],
and I've been told by jewelers that can be rebuilt to easily last more than
a century. For tools, I'm buying all Craftsman [brand, from Sears.] For pistols,
I have
one
Glock M21 with rail, and plan to buy two more, plus a Mini Glock [M30] for
concealed carry. For my primary rifles, I recently bought three Saiga .308s.
(BTW, it
is neat to know
that
there are
now reliable
converted
HK steel magazines available for them from
one
of
the
SurvivalBlog
advertisers.)
For my secondary/training carbines, I'm buying two of the [Armalite] AR-180B.
But the magazines for those are aluminum [alloy]. In my mind, I can practically
hear the beer can scrunchy noise those will make if they get stepped on!
So my question is,
is
there a sturdier M16-type magazine that won't cost a fortune if I buy two dozen
of them? Thanks,
- . F.T. in Kansas
JWR Replies: Although they weigh considerably more than alloy
magazines, I highly recommend the Imperial Defence SA-80
magazines made in England. These steel magazines were originally
made for the British SA-80 bullpups now in service in the Middle East. They
are extremely durable and
reliable. A fair number of them have been released as surplus. I have heard
that they are a sought-after item when informal gear bartering
goes on between US and British troops deployed overseas. The SA-80 magazine
interchanges with all AR-15 and M16 family weapons. They will also fit the
new production AR-180B model, but not the
older original AR-180s that used magazines with a narrow magazine catch notch
on the left side of the magazine.
Another option in steel AR-15/M16 magazines is the much-touted HK steel
M16 magazine, but those presently run $39 to $45 each. (Ouch!) The gray parkerized
steel Imperial Defence SA-80 magazines are available in new condition from CDNN
Sports, for under $13 each. I heard
from a source inside the company that they still have more than 10,000 of these
magazines
in
stock. With a new Federal magazine ban in the works, I recommend that
you stock up. The price will only go up. CDNN also has very good
prices on Glock magazines (a dollar less than Midway,
the last time I checked), and they are currently offering free "+2" baseplates
with each magazine purchased. But if you don't use baseplate extensions, I
heard from SurvivalBlog reader Craig W. that the very best price
on new factory-made Glock
magazines is offered by "Sgt.
B.", over at the Glock Talk Forums. (His price is just $15.98 for
most models!) I recommend that you be sure to specify the latest production
Glock
21-SF 13
round
magazines,
since
those will
fit in both the new SF-series Glock 21s and in the older generation
Glock 21s. (But not vice versa: The earlier-production M21 magazines
will not fit
in the new M21 SF-series pistols.)
For that dreaded multi-generational TEOTWAWKI scenario,
buy plenty of ammo, spare parts, armorer's tools, and a boat load of spare
magazines. Even if
you buy
the most durable magazines
available, they are still likely to get lost in combat. My general recommendation
is to acquire 20 spare magazines for each rifle and 12 spares for each pistol.
Buy even more,
if you can afford them. The extras
will
make
a great barter item. And with another magazine ban likely in the U.S. you
can consider them an investment. (Glock magazines tripled in price during
the 1994-to-2004 ban.)
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Most Durable AR-15/M16/AR-180 Magazines? »
Odds 'n Sods:
Joe P. sent us a link to this news story (by way of The Drudge Report): Prices
for key foods are rising sharply. Speaking of food price increases, I heard
from
the folks that run Best
Prices Storable Foods (aka The Internet Grocer)
that
they
will
make significant
price increases on the 23rd of August. If you have been thinking about ordering,
place your order by August 21st to get the current pricing. It is noteworthy
that storage
food
price
hikes
typically don't occur until the end of each calendar year. This year, however,
the wholesale
foodstuffs costs and
shipping
costs increases accelerated beyond what the canneries could absorb. Their Mountain
House
freeze
dried and Family Grain Mills prices will be going up on September 1st. Their
canned
butter,
cheese, and meat will probably go up sometime in the Fall. OBTW, many of the
same
products
are available from Freeze
Dry Guy, JRH
Enterprises, Mountain
Brook Foods,
PrepareTV,
Ready Made Resources,
Safecastle,
and Nitro-Pak. I
anticipate that these other SurvivalBlog advertisers will all be forced to make
similar
price
increases,
so
order
soon!
o o o
Larry W. flagged this article: Stock
market brushfire; will there be a run on the banks?
o o o
From The Elliot Wave International: One
Big Reason Why U.S. Dollar Is Still "King" Methinks
this might be our last chance to latch on to any foreign imports at fairly
reasonable prices. Inevitably the US Dollar will resume its decline
against the Euro and most other currencies. For any readers that own foreign
made guns, stock up now on magazines and spare parts.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is
religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which
freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure
virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure
than they have it now, they
may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain
a lasting liberty."- John Adams (1735-1826) Founding
Father, 2nd US President June 21, 1776 Source: letter to Zabdiel Adams, 21
June 1776, (Reference: Our Sacred Honor, Bennett, p.371)
« Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat--Medeco M3s at Risk! |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
Today is the last day of
the SurvivalBlog
benefit auction for a brand new Big
Berkey water filter, kindly donated by the fine folks at Ready
Made Resources--one of our most loyal advertisers. The
auction ends tonight at midnight, eastern time. The current high bid
is at $330. Your bid includes postage. (It will be mailed to you at no
extra charge.) Note that the current retail value of a Big Berkey is $335 plus
postage, and prices are expected to rise further, with
the
ongoing
decline
of US
Dollars
versus
Pounds Sterling. Just e-mail us
your bid.
« Three Letters Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat--Medeco M3s at Risk!
Jim:
If a minimum of one of the pins is cut for full length, then a bump key won't
open the lock. You can tell if your key has that one magic pin because the
cut on the key will extend all the way to the bottom of the key. Bump keys
work on many locks but definitely not all.
Medeco locks have a good reputation but they aren't like a military armory
padlock. But then again, good locks only keep honest people honest.
For survival, everyone should buy and learn to use a clicker [lock
opening] gun (These cost approximately $50) as well as a good German surplus
wire cutter. if you
have
to take shelter
in
an abandoned building, you can unlock the door, go in and re-lock the door.
Keeps you a lot safer and makes it a lot more private. (Read "less noticeable").
[Comments on other topics deleted, for brevity.] Best regards to all.
- The Army Aviator
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat--Medeco M3s at Risk! »
Three Letters Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol?
Jim:
Regarding the recent inquiry about the 5.7x28 weapons. Here at the Teutoborg
forest we have amassed two of the pistols and two of the P90 rifles. There
are serious issues about the rifles, pistols and the ammunition.
Ammunition. The Federal government, in their infinite wisdom,
restricted the most effective ammunition. The [SS]190 armor piercing ammunition
never made it
(broadly) to the civilian marker. It is rumored to be able to defeat most military
armor and helmets at distance. The stories vary from 300 yards to 600 yards.
I find the 300 yard figure credible. There was also a tracer and a sub-sonic
round produced, also, alas, restricted. The most potent velocity ammunition
which
was broadly distributed was the [SS]192 HP ammunition. Clocked on my chronograph
at 2,100 [f.p.s.] in the rifle and 1,980 in the handgun. I immediately went
out and filled three .50 [caliber size ammunition storage] cans with this
stuff. Concomitant with my acquisition of
192
ammunition
195 and a lead free round started filling the shelves of my local gun emporium.
This stuff is a polymer tipped ammunition, 35 grains, variously made in Belgium,
Italy, and U.S.A. 1,650 or so for velocity. At the same time the 192 dried
up. Hmmm. A call to FN USA
revealed that the 192 was cancelled for "marketing
reasons." The less effective ammunition remains on the market. 192 penetrates
both sides of a 2A vest. 196-96 penetrated 1 side of such vests.
If you get either rifle or pistol then take up reloading. Surf the Internet
for 5.7x28 reloading data. There is a lot out there.
The pistol. Robust and mostly polymer, the pistol has many good features. Magazine
capacity is 20 rounds, a 10 round extension is available after market. The
weapon is lightweight. The safety is engages/disengaged by the index finger.
It causes some adaptation by shooters new to the weapon. The fully adjustable
sights are very high over the centerline of the bore. Possibly higher than
any handgun in my experience. It is a devil to take down for maintenance.
Tricky. It does suppress well and here at the forest we have a Gemtech can
for one
pistol
It is accurate and flat shooting with little recoil There is a rail for lights.
We have lights on all our FN products.
The P-90 rifle.
Compact. I recall 27-28 inches. 16-1/2 inch barrel. Lightweight. It uses a
50 round magazine which snaps onto the top of the weapon. When ammunition is
pressed
into the magazine the previously-loaded round swivels perpendicular to the
axis of the bore. The body of the magazine is smoke gray, thus one may ascertain
remaining
ammunition. There are two types of the P-90: one comes with a non-battery
powered holographic sight (similar to a Trijicon) or a flat top requiring an
Eotech or other sight to be mounted. Other rails are available after market.
We have the factory sight on our P90s and each has a light. The safety is in
the lower triggerguard and is ambidextrous. This weapon is a delight to shoot,
easy to maintain and accurate. The perfect weapon in urban/close quarters situations.
It is sold with a 30 round magazine. A brief experience with an Exacto saw
by the intrepid owner makes it a 50 round.
The FN 2000 rifle.
Nearly equally compact as the P90, this weapon is in .223. One virtue is that
it takes 30 round AR-15 magazines.
Do not put in a 20 [round
magazine] because if it locks in, it takes disassembly to free it. The safety
is as on the P-90.
Barrel
length
is
around 17-1/2
inches. The flash hiders on the 2000 and the P-90 work well in low light/darkness.
There is no factory sight that I am aware of. I mounted an Eotech 522 which
is night vision compatible. One problem that we encountered is that we adjusted
to the end of the sight's travel at 100 yards and the weapon groups fine but
is
4
inches
high.
Tennessee
windage
seems
to resolve this. Disassembly is easy. All in all a compact weapon as is the
P-90.
The greatest downside is price. List for the handgun is nearly $1,100 or more.
The P-90 is nearly $1,950. The 2000 lists for $2,200. I considered all of these
critical additions to the "collection"
I purchased a green stocked P-90 and later obtained a black stocked one for
Mrs. Oscar. The day after I took home the black stocked one I hit a local gun
show. Lo and behold there was a black stocked P-90. I like to play the rube
at gun shows. It gets the gun show goons really into BS mode.
The yarn was astonishing when I asked about this interesting gun I paraphrase "Well
y'know the black stocked ones are restricted/rare/only sold to dealers as a
sample", and so forth. He was merely asking $2,350. Rare, eh? I [had]
paid $1,800.
By the by, the U.S. Secret Service carries short barreled P-90s in full auto
for their protection units. The Mexican army issues to special units. The
Chilean military used suppresses P-90s in their re-taking of an embassy years
ago in their country.
Portability, capacity of ammunition, storability (squad cars, military vehicles,
Buicks and pick up trucks) all virtues.
However, it is hard to defend the price. - Mr. Oscar
Dear Jim and Family,
Speaking from research I've read and memories of the Spec Ops deciding against
the 5.7 as ineffective for US needs back in 2000, the 5.7
FN pistol is an interesting
toy, but its mostly a toy.
The round attempts to get rifle velocities from a pistol, duplicating the results
of the British 5.56 BOZ experiment. The main problem is its effectiveness
is poor, the barrel is too short to get proper rifle velocities, and the projectile
just doesn't fragment like a proper 5.56 NATO would
without getting full 2,500 fps velocity. If you want armor piercing, you're
much better off either using
an AP round designed for a standard pistol, or manufacturing a special round
yourself, which has its own expenses and dangers. Because high (rifle) velocities
just aren't reasonable in a concealed pistol, experiments with very small
calibers have met with limited success. The problem is, punching a small hole
in body armor does not necessarily lead to a "quick kill", which
matters a lot at 7 yards range, where most self defense shooting occurs. You
must have enough velocity for explosive kinetic fragmentation of the projectile,
which in the 5.56 is around 2,500 fps velocity. Once below that critical threshold
it has a tendency to "zip through" with little damage, allowing the
target to keep firing and suffer consequences later. At 100 meters this may
be enough to save you, but at 7 yards, you probably just make him mad. Personally,
I'd much rather have a 10mm than a 5.7.
Or you can stick to existing firearms and just choose your bullet carefully.
That's a lot less work. At present, Short Barreled Rifles are illegal in many
states and the risks of possessing one without the proper license and paperwork
could turn counterproductive. The 5.7 FN is legal, at least. Some states ban "armor
piercing pistol ammunition", some ban pistols that can shoot rifle ammunition,
and the 100 year old 7.62 Tokarev CZ 52 pistol is capable of the same feat
as the 5.7 FN, though it was discarded due to unreliable stopping power thanks
to "blow through". The same problem we're having with 5.56's in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
When it comes to close range self defense, use your brain to avoid the confrontation
in the first place, and aim for the head if you must defend
yourself against an armored opponent. A 10mm or .40 S&W are a good compromise,
and the .45 ACP is dandy, if you can take the recoil of 230 grain hardball.
It makes me
flinch so I stick to 9x19mm. To each their own, and work within your limits.
Best,
- InyoKern
Mr. Rawles,
Regarding Toby in Oregon and the 5.7x28mm handgun. The SS190 (armor piercing)
round is only available to Military and LE agencies. Unless he has a source for
the AP ammo he can write off the benefits of this cartridge. The SS195LF (LF=lead
free) SS196SR, SS197SR (SR= sporting round) are training and hunting rounds .
SS195LF is a 28gr copper jacketed aluminum core, SS196SR is a 40gr V-max and
SS197SR is a 40gr V-max at a higher muzzle velocity. SS196SR is now discontinued.
SS195LF and SS197SR is around $750.00 per 2000 round case.
SB193 subsonic. Restricted
SS190 ball. Restricted
SS191 tracer. Restricted
SS192 ( formerly legal now restricted due to the Brady Bunch raising cain and
FN caving in )
SS195 lead free training round. Not restricted
SS196 V-max Not restricted
SS197 V-max Not restricted
5.7x28 Blank Not restricted
I don't know if this would apply to Buddy's
Board. The following quote is from
BATFE web
site:
(b) It shall be unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed
dealer, or licensed collector to sell or deliver--
(5) any firearm or armor-piercing ammunition to any person unless the licensee
notes in his records, required to be kept pursuant to section 923 of this chapter,
the name, age, and place of residence of such person if the person is an individual,
or the identity and principal and local places of business of such person if
the person is a corporation or other business entity.
& sect; 923
All that being said, the ability to feed a pistol and a carbine from the same
box is awful nice. The P90 carbine is very handy in a vehicle or around the
homestead and with 50 round magazines you have a "Tacticool factor" of around
9.7. - Mark
K.
JWR Replies: Regarding the Federal restriction on AP ammo,
the key phrase is: "...any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed
dealer, or licensed collector ..." I'm not an attorney, but
my reading, any secondary sale and subsequent possession by private citizens
would
be
unrestricted.
And regarding the Tacticool Scale, which here at the ranch is also
known as the Airsoft Mall
Ninja Scale. Don't mistake looks for lethality. If looks could kill,
there'd
be dead bodies littering the streets.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Three Letters Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol? »
Odds 'n Sods:
Felix D. mentioned an interesting piece over at The Discerning Texan blog:
The Coming Age of Urban Terror
o o o
Our colleague Bill Bonner, co-editor of The
Daily
Reckoning notes that “Bank
Owned” is the latest real estate brochure newspeak to describe
foreclosed
houses.
o o o
Frequent contributor Michael Z. Williamson notes that there is a nifty new development
that may revolutionize lubricants in the near future: Boric
acid nanoparticles.
« Four Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate,
contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." - John
F. Kennedy
« Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Four Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet
Jim,
One oil that I think is very good for us and has exceptional storage life is
coconut oil. That is, organic, extra-virgin coconut oil. There is quite a
bit of info out there on it, the two best sites that I have found are, www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com,
and www.tropicaltraditions.com.
In our research, coconut oil is better for your health than even olive
oil. We have been using it exclusively for about nine months. God Bless, -
Bob P.
Mr. Rawles:
One of your readers recent comments about geese as a source of fat served to
jog my memory about the origins of what is now commonly considered a gourmet
food.
Goose confit and
duck confit were made as a way of preserving the meat from birds slaughtered
for foie gras. Birds are plucked, cleaned and sectioned,
the fat from around the internal organs is saved and the skin is left on the
carcass. Pieces are then liberally sprinkled with salt and whatever other
spices one
might
wish to apply (thyme, rosemary, black pepper and garlic are all good choices).
The heavily salted sections are then held overnight in a cool place, for most
that would be the fridge but traditionally it would be either a root or wine
cellar. The next day, the excess salt is shaken off and the pieces are cooked
in a dutch oven over low heat for 2 to 3 hours uncovered. The fat will melt
and should be allowed to get hot enough to gently boil, but not hot enough
to smoke. As the fat cooks it will clarify. When it's finished, strain half
the fat into an earthenware container, let the fat cool until it begins to
firm up then lay the pieces of cooked meat on the fat in a single layer and
arrange them so they don't touch the sides of the container, now pour the rest
of the fat over the meat. Cover the container and leave the confit in a cool
place for up to one year. Confit can be reheated or eaten cold, additionally
the fat is commonly used as either a spread or to fry potatoes in. Domestic
birds fattened on grain (they do not have to be force fed) will have more than
enough fat but wild ducks and geese probably won't yield enough fat to cover
the whole bird so, either supplement the fat with lard or just preserve the
thighs and legs.
I noticed that the Walton Feed web site has a description of meat potting,
that's basically the same process minus the salting step. So if salt isn't
available
you might be able to get some short term preservation with just the fat.
If all of this seems like a big hassle there is a French foie gras company,
Rougié, that sells canned duck confit. Rougié says the shelf
life is 4 years. They also sell big cans of duck and goose fat, but I've never
seen those on this side of the Atlantic. - B. from New York
JWR:
Something anyone with a couple of cows or more found indispensable was
a cream separator in the 30's Particularly where it pertains to making butter.
Skimming doesn't quite cut it.
Here
is a small modern hand unit. I would prefer S Steel
spouts, but they would be easy to make. The important/indispensable part is
the centrifuge. Old ones, except the centrifuge, bowl, and float, were usually
cast iron on their own base. (About 4&1/2 feet tall) This one needs to
be bolted down onto a bench. (Bit of a pain to use.) Replacement "O" rings
are essential, you don't use more than one a year, but getting others will
be very difficult. The rest of the machine should last indefinitely if maintained.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
P.S.: Tell Carl, of the manual grain harvesting letter, that for practice,
oats would probably teach him faster than wheat, but given potential drought
problems? Plus, given the current state of the financial world, I doubt he
will have
the extra year to learn. - JustamereFarmBoy
James:
To get to the survival bottom line for me first – the long-term
storage of food oils and pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and health food products
and
the long-term storage of live local heirloom seeds plus the short-term storage
of venison, beef and fish have set many of my equipment investment decisions
here on the farm. I believe the most critical pieces of survival gear are
two very efficient electric chest freezers and a small efficient electric upright
freezer and a way to power them inside a survival envelope. My freezers are
electric because I would not have a propane/ammonia freezer anywhere within
the survival envelope. My propane generator and propane freezer are in a barn
about 400’ away (not one used for animals, but one used for equipment)
with an underground propane tank. If a propane/ammonia freezer explodes or
leaks ammonia, it will most likely to render a shelter unusable for a critical
period of time (days not hours). My propane freezer and propane generator sit
unused in the far equipment barn waiting for a time when power consumption
may become critical. While the price of the wire alone from the barn to my
pump and generator was $1,500, it was worth every penny for long-term security
and short-term quiet during power outages. Recent solar electric pricing changes
have switched me even further toward electric with propane planned mainly for
convenience and the possibility of a nuclear winter.
My main long-term food oil stored is frozen 31.5 oz. (1 qt.) plastic-jarred
LouAna coconut
oil (92% saturated) bought at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club.
I also store a smaller amount of frozen unsalted clarified butter that I have
processed myself to add taste to my diet when I feel it is critical. Most of
the Essential Fatty Acid/food oil academic studies of saturated oils and
cholesterol have used lard (39% saturated) as the “straw man” saturated
oil. The reason I recommend coconut oil is complicated and requires study into
the role of
arachidonic acid in the body. While the case may be overstated at
The
Scientific Debate Forum, all the appropriate journal articles are referenced
there and there is no need
for me to repeat them here.- Southsider in Georgia
« Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future? |Main| Four Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet »
Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns
Sir:
I have read a number of responses on SurvivalBlog on the best shotgun
for survival. Many like the 870 Remington and many like the 500 Mossberg.
Please give me your opinion on the Maverick 88 Mossberg field grade shotgun.
Thanks,
- Lynn:
JWR Replies: I'd recommend getting a Mossberg
500 or 590 series rather than the Mossberg
Maverick 88. With the Mossberg
500
you have more versatility on both magazine capacity and forend accessories--such
as Sure Fire lights. It is noteworthy that you can turn a 6 shot Model 500
into a 8 shot with a magazine tube extension, but you can't with
the Model 88. Thankfully, the 500/590 series guns are not substantially higher
priced than the Maverick 88.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns »
Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future?
Dear Mr. Rawles,
When it comes to ordering ammo, I have had excellent experiences with the folks
at Century
[International] Arms. While their selection has narrowed down
a little lately, Century has one feature that few can match: a $7.50 flat
shipping fee for ammo and guns. I have literally ordered 200 pounds of ammo
from them and
the shipping was only $7.50.
Since ammo is essentially lead (one of the heaviest things going) shipping
has always been a big issue. That $25 can of ammo from a dealer in Arizona
isn't such a great deal when it costs $30 to ship it to my AO!
I own a gun shop and I order fairly decent quantities of ammo. I especially
like to lay in surplus ammo when the price is right. A couple months ago Century
had Yugoslavian 8mm Mauser ammo on stripper clips in
sealed 900 round cans for $49.95 per can (dealer price). I ordered 15,000 rounds
of it. This weighed several hundred pounds and shipping was free because
the order was over $500.
Definitely shop around for ammo prices and buy big when it's priced right,
but if you can find free shipping, then that can often make a slightly more
expensive ammo purchase a bit more palatable. - RMV
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future? »
Odds 'n Sods:
Aside from some overtly political Quote
of the Day blog entries, I do my best to
downplay political issues in SurvivalBlog. This is primarily because the blog
has an international
readership.
(After
all, what
interest
would someone
in France or Indonesia have in American politics, any more than I would have
an interest in theirs?) But I do make an exception for the border control
issue. Clearly, lax
border
security
could be
the modus operandi for
terrorists, possibly with weapons of mass destruction. So
that makes this political issue also a survival issue! If
you are concerned about border security, then please take a few minutes to sign
this on-line petition. Thanks! (A hat tip top Sid for mentioning the poll to us.)
o o o
Reader Mark H. mentioned The
Backwoodsman magazine. Mark's comment: It has a lot of good survival
and low-tech living information and isn't full of itself like a lot of the
better
know outdoors magazines are.
o o o
Mike the Blacksmith flagged this Financial Times piece for us: Learn
from the fall of Rome, US warned
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"Search for the truth is the noblest occupation of man; its publication
is a
duty." Anne Louise Germaine de Stael (1766-1817) French author
« A Full Scale U.S. Dollar Panic Before November? |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
To all of the new SurvivalBlog readers
in Europe, welcome! (I've noticed quite a surge in readership throughout
Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in recent months.)
« Letter Re: Food Reserves and Summer Kitchens |Main| Note from JWR: »
A Full Scale U.S. Dollar Panic Before November?
The news wires were abuzz last week about the global credit squeeze. Bankers
are unwilling to make loans when they can't calculate risk. What risk? Here
is a big one: Many of their clients have derivatives exposure,
which means that lenders can no longer calculate
their credit worthiness. In the banking world, the standard "safe"
answer to any loan question
in the absence of data is almost universally no. I surmise
that if this situation gets any worse, governments may step in and make loan
guarantees. (Meaning that the taxpayers would shoulder the risk instead of
the bankers.) That may be the only thing that will get bankers to start making
new loans to derivatives
holders--which include nearly every major corporation, these days.
With
the sub-prime
contagion spreading, there is the potential for a sharp break
in
the U.S. stock
market.
That will
surely
push
the Federal
Reserve
to lower interest rates. (With the hope that the increased liquidity will
stave off a recession.) But lower interest rates will discourage foreign investment
and may spell doom for the U.S. Dollar. The
Chartist Gnome tells
me that if
the U.S.
Dollar (USD) Index drops below 80 for more than one week, all bets are
off for the dollar. In
a recent commentary, Jim
Sinclair sized up the massive liquidity injections by the Federal Reserve
and the European Central Bank. His conclusion: These
moves will badly tarnish the dollar and will likely push the USD
Index down to around 72. I concur. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised
to see a breakdown to the 65 level.
There could be a major devaluation of
the dollar--whether formal or informal--within the
next
few week
or months.
If foreigners start dumping their dollar-denominated assets, watch out!
This could even snowball into a full scale dollar panic. The Chinese have already
threatened
to jettison their U.S. Dollar holdings. If carried out, that alone could
have huge implications. Economist Peter Schiff has an
even gloomier prediction than mine. He
predicts that the US Dollar will lose half its value.
What does all this mean for the average American? Already, the weaker dollar
has made some imports painfully expensive. Does the next few months spell
ruin just for the bankers and big stock traders, or does it spell
ruin for most Americans? I think that inevitably everyone that holds dollars
will suffer. Granted, bank accounts are insured by the FDIC to up to $100,000
per
individual.
But that
won't mean
much
if
our
currency tips over into hyperinflation. That will make bank deposits effectively
worthless in very short order. So how will this play out? I'm not entirely
certain. Credit
squeezes are traditionally deflationary. But government invention like last
week's is highly inflationary. (To
better understand deflation, see Bob Prechter explanation of credit squeezes,
deflation, and economic depression.) I'll still predict an inflationary
outcome. Governments love inflating their way out of monetary crises. It is
much less painful for them that
way. (Deflation is painful for everyone involved.) And since inflation
is a hidden form of taxation, it will be the citizenry that ultimately bears
the
burden.
(Just ask the average Zimbabwean how the past 10 years has treated his real net
worth.)
My advice: Shift the majority of your
investments out of anything dollar-denominated, right away.
The only exception would be holding no more than 20% of your assets in short-term TIPS,
which are automatically inflation adjusted. (Series I US savings bonds
are also inflation protected, but I discourage investing in such long term
bonds.) To
be ready for mass inflation, you'll need your wealth primarily in tangibles. That
way, if the dollar loses
value, you'll
be protected. I'm talking about silver, gold, productive farm land, and hard
goods like tools, guns, and common caliber ammunition. The timing? Again,
hard to predict, but look for some continuing large ripples in the financial
waters
for the next two months.
Then,
perhaps in
October,
be prepared
for some massive
wave action. Historically, major move in the US equities markets tend to
happen in October. Be
prepared.
« Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators? |Main| A Full Scale U.S. Dollar Panic Before November? »
Letter Re: Food Reserves and Summer Kitchens
Hello James,
Not long ago, our friends at FEMA destroyed
six million MREs,
(which we taxpayers had purchased at a cost of $40 million). Why? Because of
storage conditions.
Now this is an extreme example: FEMA placing food products in unrefrigerated
containers under the Gulf Coast summer sun. But it does serve to illustrate
that no matter how large one's pantry may be, to avoid turning that food into
so much garbage, you have to monitor storage conditions.
Our "summer kitchen" at our home/retreat occupies a 200 square foot
area in one of the outbuildings. This room is double insulated and drywalled.
In the summer, with outside temps as high as 100 degrees, it seldom rises above
75 inside and no air conditioner or cooling mechanism is used. We do have a
220 volt thermostatically controlled baseboard heater, plus a wood/coal stove
to provide backup heat in the winter when it may drop below freezing inside.
Two deep freezes and a small refrigerator are situated here, as well as an
apartment sized propane gas range/oven. (A 500 gallon propane tank sits outside.).
In a true emergency, we could prepare all our meals here. It is 50 feet from
the main house.
A door on one wall of the summer kitchen leads to our insulated and finished
pantry area. (In essence, the pantry is a room within a room). Both cooling
and heating are provided, although ambient temperatures generally stay above
40 degrees in the winter and below 65 in the summer. We monitor the temperature
using a remote thermometer with a readout in the main house. The walls are
lined with commercial grade shelving (sold at the big box stores), so nothing
rests on the concrete floor. Our food storage is deep and diverse, supplying
a well-rounded, 3-year diet for a family of four. To track all this inventory,
shelf-life, etc.., we have come to depend on a computer program called "Food
Storage Planner".
Our freezers are stocked with meats, fish, butter and other perishables such
as chocolate bars, nuts and dehydrated fruit. We have a commercial grade vacuum
packer and everything that goes into the freezers is vacuum-packed and labeled.
Hint: When vacuum-packing fish, freeze it before packing,
or you'll end up with seafood mush. During the summer, the refrigerator holds
several cases
of canned cheese (University of Washington Dairy Farm) and canned butter ([Best
Prices Storable Foods aka] The Internet Grocer). In cold weather, the
refrigerator is shut down and the contents
moved into the pantry. We recently added a 5 cubic foot freezer which is filled
with MRE main
meal (entree) packets.
The recent thread on fats and oils highlights an often overlooked area of food
preparedness. Our pantry contains 25 gallons of oils, including olive, canola,
peanut and corn, plus 100 pounds of butter (canned and frozen). We also stock
a large amount of canned meats and fish, smoked salmon, UHT processed
whole milk, etc.., so the dietary intake of fats and oils should be sufficient.
We
have found that by storing these oils between 45 and 60 degrees at all times,
their shelf life is extended almost indefinitely.
Man does not live by bread alone, so comfort foods occupy some shelf space.
Grandma's Fruit Cakes (the big ones!), cases of MRE pound cakes and number
ten cans of brownie mixes constitute the bulk of this category. Maple syrup,
sweet sorghum, pancake syrup, cocoa and lots of coffee are
also on hand.
Several shelves hold first aid and OTC drugs
and medications as well as use-only-as-a-last-resort antibiotics and anti-fungals
purchased at aquarium supply shops. Another shelf
is stocked with whiskey. (Neither one of us drink the stuff).
A 6.5Kw Yamaha generator and a solar system provide backup power for the freezers.
Plans are to install a fuel efficient diesel power plant and 500 gallon diesel
tank next year.
How long did it take us to put this whole shebang together? A good ten years.
We couldn't afford a big shopping trip, so we always tried
to bring home that extra item from the store. Maybe a brick of .22 ammo. Maybe
an extra can of coffee or a bag of flour. It's amazing how quickly the shelves
fill. Those
items that we can't cycle through fast enough, we donate to the local food
kitchen.
Hoping for the best, planning for the worst. - Dutch in Wyoming (A 10
Cent Challenge Subscriber)
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Food Reserves and Summer Kitchens »
Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators?
Jim:
A short comment on using any power source without a governor to drive a generator.
While it will work, it will not maintain a constant voltage or frequency under
varying loads. I am 69 years old and have watched people build "tractors,buzz
saws, water pumps etc" over the last 60 years using car or truck engines.
Usually with very little luck. A tractor has a decent governor and will maintain
a near constant RPM from about 10 % to 100 % load. Old tractors often used
oil pressure to control RPM, don't know about the modern ones as mine was built
by Case in 1964 and still works great. A lot of Ford 8Ns still in use were
built before that. Many people have used a snow blower and it indicates how
a good governor works. The unit runs at nearly a constant RPM as you use it
and the load varies from near 0 % as you approach the snow, to near 100 % of
its usable output as you go into the snow bank. If the governor is disconnected
or fails, the unit is unusable for all reasonable purposes.
The major reasons for using a PTO generator are all given in the link, low
RPM motor with excellent governor, used often so fuel and engine are fresh,
easily portable as it usually is on a 2 wheel cart attached to the tractor,
and you have a power unit that can be used for many purposes every day.
My personal choice is a 20 or so HP unit, compact, low noise, fuel efficient,
reasonable cost, available in diesel or gas, can be used in the woods or for
small scale farming now and for any number of things if TSHTF. - JDT
JWR Replies: Thanks for your comment. Until you mentioned
it, I hadn't remembered that constant RPM (via a governor) was crucial.
Home lighting,
pumps, and traditional refrigerators/freezers are relatively flexible
on input voltage, but most home electronics are not. Unfortunately,
with each passing year, more electronics creep into what were heretofore
purely electrical appliances. Even
some brands of mundane chest freezers and washing machines now have
electronic
circuitry including microchips. This has three major drawbacks: 1.) Vulnerability
to EMP,
2.) Greater difficulty for individual
owners to do their own repairs, and 3.) The requirement for relatively "clean" input
power in a fairly narrow input voltage range. The latter is something that
many
generators cannot provide.
On a related note, SurvivalBlog reader
"Poikilo" mentioned
that some of the new hybrid trucks on the market
(such
as
the
Chevy
Silverado Hybrid) can also in effect be used as a generator. The question
is: Are the truck's 110 VAC outlets
sourced
directly
from
an AC winding on the hybrid engine generator, or are they powered by an inverter
that draws on the vehicle's batteries? I'd be curious to know what sort of
load those 110 AC outlets could handle.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators? »
Odds 'n Sods:
Courtesy of SHTF Daily: Israeli
website causes panic in NY. I've warned
SurvivalBlog readers before: The DEBKA files material is predominantly gray
propaganda that
originates from the Russian Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti (FSB).
o o o
Reader J.D. recommended this vendor for knives: The
Outlaw Knife Shop. I haven't done business with them yet, but they seem
to have a great inventory!
o o o
I've been told that there are just a couple sets left for the outstanding Medical
Corps "Medical Response in Hostile Environments" field medicine course.
It will be held on August 24-25-26 at the Ohio State University Extension
Campus in Caldwell,
Ohio.
« Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators? |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about
by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come
sooner as a result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion,
or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." -
Ludwig Von Mises
« Letter Re: GMRS Versus 2 Meter FM Transceivers--a Field Test |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators?
James:
If my military
6x6 troop carrier's engine will run on multi-fuel (diesel,
gasoline, mothballs, etc.) Why can't someone make a generator that would
connect to the power takeoff (PTO). That way I have a generator that
runs on any fuel, and will go anywhere. Perhaps one of your readers could
explain
why
this
should be added to my list of really dumb ideas. - DAV
JWR Replies: If the engine can be set to a moderately high
RPM with the load of generator for extended periods of time, then it isn't
a dumb idea at
all. PTO generators are commonly
used with farm tractors. Check
the
Internet
tractor
supply vendors
such as Messick's.
I assume that your 6x6 has a PTO spindle that is similar to those on tractors,
and hopefully it has a common dimension "haft." (If not, there is
probably an adapter available.) I also assume that your 6x6 also has a manual
throttle that you can lock in position, right? If so, you're in business!
« Letter Re: A Nearby Wildfire Was My Preparedness Wake up Call |Main| Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators? »
Letter Re: GMRS Versus 2 Meter FM Transceivers--a Field Test
Jim:
I recently went for a drive with both my Uniden GMR 1058 handheld radio (GMRS/FRS [band,
and according the manufacturer's literature] boasting a 10 mile range) and
my newly-acquired ICOM IC-V85 FM [2
Meter band] Transceiver. I had my wife
(with one of each
as well)
on our
porch
and here
are my results.
As I drove though the hilly and wooded terrain, immediately the GMR radio was
picking up other kids and families and taxi drivers also talking. At 1/4 a
mile the sound quality became unintelligible and communication was impossible.
If no one else was on the line, morse code might have worked. I called her
on my cell and told her to turn off the Uniden and to switch on the ICOM. I
was able to speak and hear clearly for about 3.5 miles. Remember, none of this
was line of sight. At about 3.5 miles communications became sketchy and I had
her put on a collapsible antenna and stretch it out. It was a 2 Meter 5/8ths
wave Super Stick II manufactured by Smiley
Antenna Company. She stretched it
out and communication was clear again for a few more miles. When communication
became weak again, I put the longer antenna on mine and stretched it out inside
my car and went out to about 10 miles. At that point it got weak again and
I got out of my car and put the antenna vertical and was able to hear her with
better quality than my cell phone. I went a mile further and parked in an industrial
complex with metal buildings surrounding me and heard her with perfect clarity.
So IMHO the
FRS/GMRS radios are toys only good for short range direct line of sight. For
serious communications, get a FM transceiver and you must have
a detachable antenna so you an mount a longer antenna to it. You might also
consider the ICOM
IC-V8000 with 75 watts of power (or something similar) and a decent antenna
for base operations. Being designed for a car it would operate off a car battery.
The greater power would allow you to transmit signals to a greater distance
(although I wouldn't want to be more than a day's walk from my base anyway)
and the bigger antenna (A Diamond antenna X200 is 8.3 feet and an X510 is 17
feet) should also allow you for reception from a greater distance as well.
- SF in Hawaii
JWR Replies: Thanks for taking the time to do those test.they
confirm my previous finding on FRS and GMRS radios. The term "toys" is
a good description! In between the power if FRS and 2 Meter radios are most
MURS band
radios. Unlike 2 Meter ham hand-talkies, these do not require
a license in the US. That is what we uses here at the Rawles
Ranch.
The band is also much less crowded than the CB radio
band. In fact, the MURS band
is
virtually
unused in many
parts
of
the
country. These transceivers typically transmit 2 watts. (Four time the power
of FRS radios.)
With a
good antenna,
MURS
hand-helds
can achieve commendable range--far better than FRS radios.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: GMRS Versus 2 Meter FM Transceivers--a Field Test »
Letter Re: A Nearby Wildfire Was My Preparedness Wake up Call
James:
Don't know if the callow-youth angle is of interest to your readers,
but I dashed this off after a recent wildfire alert: This evening around 5:30
there were reports of a fire very near my
home. Wildfires around here can get interesting quick, especially
this late in the year with plenty of dry fuel waiting around. I thought we
might have to Get out of Dodge and so I ordered the wife to pack up the paperwork
and prep the munchkin for a few days field trip.
Error. Wife does not respond well to orders, and she judged the threat to be
considerably less than I did.
I then went to grab my bug-out bag and load it in trusty escape vehicle. Mixed
results. My Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.) was in pieces all over the garage and house,
as parts of it had been used in recent camping
trip, some for vacation travel, or in my guru-bag for my work.
Assembling the kit under time pressure and while checking in on the radio/tv/internet
news, hounding the wife to follow through on evacuation procedures...it was
not going too well. Stress induced
tunnel vision slows people down and invites errors.
A few hours later the fire was under control and we wound down and turned in
for the night.
Lessons learned:
Discuss relative priorities ahead of time, so when the time comes to move out
there is less wasted effort in communication.
Rechargeable batteries are great for daily use, but useless in a bug-out situation.
Not enough extras were charged and ready to go, so my two-way radios, extra
Mini-Maglites, and backpacking GPS were useless. Keep a stash of copper-top
[Duracell]s or lithiums on hand for when they are needed.
Keep your evac vehicle ready to roll. My escape vehicle was in moderate condition.
The truck bed was loaded with junk I’d slated for a dump run, and only
one of the two fuel tanks was full.
Better to be empty of junk and topped off. Other minor problem: Not road-legal
for three bodies.
Keep your B.O.B. packed with dedicated gear. If you can’t
grab and go, it isn't a B.O.B.Yeah, your best flashlights live there.
So what. Make the second rate gear take the daily wear and tear.
Gear to make life bearable and the more readily portable valuables / memorables
could have been collated and loaded, but it would have taken quite some time.
Lesson: Get some Rubbermaid bins. Number them. Stow gear numbered by load order
so as to make finding things easier. Items not likely to be needed in the short-term
get loaded first. Print up inventory list and tape to inside lids, along with
a cheapo LED keychain light. This way important equipment gets loaded quickly
and my loved ones can find what they need in my absence, even on the side of
the road in the dark. Keep a few
extra bins for rapid-load of household items such as family photo albums, insurance
paperwork, etc. Keep the weight manageable by the weakest person likely to
be helping load.
I had I planned to haul off any fuel or ammo I had, for the safety of any rescue
workers. Since I do not yet have a large volume to move, I thought it polite.
Having a garage explode or a case of
ammo cook off could ruin somebody's day. Remembering where all gas, kerosene,
Coleman’s, fuel canisters, target ammo, real ammo, gopher-killer ammo
were stored and getting it all together was a
minor challenge. Lesson: Keep ammo stored centrally and securely. Keep fuels
stored outside garage in locking cabinet.
Alternate evac routes were planned, but only in my head and on screen. Should
keep paper maps in all cars. Review routes in advance. Two alternate routes,
two alternate rally points. Practice them in advance by taking the 'scenic
route' to 'grandmas house'.
[My original] plan was for her to head out very early in this scenario on
with our precious cargo and take shelter at our fallback place while I loaded
gear
and
stood
ready to defend the home front against fire or looters until such time as I
needed to bail out. With everything but property already secured, I know I
would not spend much time playing hero. In the future,
I want to plan on a one
vehicle evac, so I know where my most important cargo is and
have a second set of hands and eyes to help in getting there intact.
Planning and wishful thinking don’t go very far to securing the safety
of your family and property. It can all fall down fast with sloppy execution.
I now intend to finish my summer by being able to pack up with a few minutes
notice and be safely out of town. Thanks for all the good advice and references
I have found here. - The Hushmailer
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: A Nearby Wildfire Was My Preparedness Wake up Call »
Odds 'n Sods:
Russell suggested this article on The
Nightmare German Inflation (circa 1922-1924) You will note some strong
similarities to the hyperinflation
in present-day Zimbabwe, as described by Cathy Buckle. And, BTW, if the
Federal Reserve over-reacts to the current credit crunch, they could crash
the US dollar,
too.
o o o
Dave S. recommended a
web page at the C. Crane radio web site, on preparedness.
o o o
Frequent contributor Ben L. sent this: Fifty
percent of U.K. drivers cannot read a map. If you find your family's
map reading skills lacking then spend a few weekends orienteering.
Great exercise
for both the brain and the leg muscles.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The totalitarian states can do great things, but there is one thing
they cannot do: they cannot give the factory-worker a rifle and tell him to
take it home and keep it in his bedroom. That rifle hanging on the wall of
the working-class flat or labourer's cottage, is the symbol of democracy. It
is our job to see that it stays there." - George Orwell
« Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale? |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
Do you consider SurvivalBlog worth 10 cents a day to you?
If so, please consider becoming a 10
Cent Challenge subscriber. Thanks!
« Letter Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale?
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I noticed that Missouri is not listed as one of your top 20 [states ranked
as] desired retreat
locations. Please tell me why you think Missouri would
be
unsuitable.
Is there any possibility of meeting like minded people on your Survival Blog?
Thanks so much for your help. Sincerely, - Marie R.
JWR Replies: I consider Missouri unsuitable mainly because
of its population density. It is also down-wind of some nuclear targets. So
if you plan to stay there then I recommend that you construct a fallout shelter
(like the ones that Safecastle builds),
and have plenty of friends to help defend your retreat. In the event of a societal
collapse, I think that things will be much more stable in the more lightly-populated
western states.
My
reply to this posted letter includes a link to a Survivalist Groups Matching
page that might prove useful in finding like-minded folks in your area.
« Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity |Main| Letter Re: Suitability of Missouri as a Retreat Locale? »
Letter Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol?
JWR:
What is your opinion about adding a FN
5-7 Pistol to my arsenal once
other more pressing needs have been fulfilled? The pistol has a capacity of
20 rounds and 5.7x28 round which was constructed to penetrate body armor.
When I was working for a public safety organization when this gun hit the
streets
we received a ton of bulletins concerning the possibility of this gun being
used against officers. I think it might be a nice weapon to have around if
you are forced to venture off your retreat location and conceal a weapon. When
TSHTF we will likely be faced with armored threat like government contractors "ensuring
peace and order". One would have to store all the ammunition they would
need however due to the rarity of use of the cartridge. - Toby in Oregon
JWR Replies: With reservations, yes, I recommend that you
buy one. But do so only after you
have all your other major preparations squared away. (Food storage, fuel, communications
gear, medical gear, MBR, and so forth.) Since the likelihood of having to confront
bad guys that are wearing body armor when
you are not armed with a rifle is relatively small, you
should consider your 5-7 more of an investment or toy. Also take into account
the over-penetration risk for home
defense
situations. There, a riotgun would be much more appropriate.
OBTW, with a new Federal
magazine ban looking likely, be sure to buy at least 8 or
9 spare
polymer 20 round magazines and 9 or 10 of the "plus 10" magazine
extensions before you
buy the pistol itself. (CDNN Sports is a good source for both the magazines
and the extensions.) And of course you will need to acquire what is essentially
your "lifetime
supply" of
5.7 ammo. You can expect no re-supply of 5.7mm ammo after things get
Schumeresque. Speaking of which, "specialty
varieties" of 5.7mm ammo (such
as API) come on the market from time to time at Buddy's
Board.
« Two Letters Re: Advice on Small, Incremental Silver Investing Purchases |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol? »
Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity
Sir:
What are your thoughts on getting 10 of the Enfield
2A.308 carbines for
barter/defense or would
you go with the AK? Thanks, - F.
JWR Replies: The .308 Enfield is a fine choice. They are ideal
to hand out to neighbors (one way or the other--be it via barter or charity)
after TSHTF.
The beauty of a bolt action is that folks are more likely to aim
carefully rather than just "spray and pray." OBTW, be sure to get
one spare magazine of each of those Enfields, while they are still available.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on .308 Enfields Versus AKs for Barter/Charity »
Two Letters Re: Advice on Small, Incremental Silver Investing Purchases
Hi Mr. Rawles,
In response to the letter regarding buying silver in small increments each
month, I know that Franklin
Sanders has a monthly
acquisition program ("M.A.P."). I have made bullion coin purchases with him
twice now, converting some bonds to gold and silver coin and had good experiences
both
times. Look for the M.A.P. link to find details about his offerings.
Something to consider when buying locally versus through the mail is the difference
between sales tax and shipping. If you buy from an out-of-state vendor, there
should not be any sales tax. Mr. Sanders only sells and ships to people outside
of his home-state of Tennessee. The savings there might make it worth paying
the shipping cost. Best Regards, - Benjamin
Jim:
"Let the buyer beware": I ran across one local dealer who priced his
precious metals reasonably (100 ounce bar of silver) ...... then at the conclusion
of the deal, he proceeded
to add local sales tax to the final price. I backed out on the deal and
never went back to him. Of course he was also the one who offered me a 100 oz
bar
of silver (at a slight discount) with the serial numbers scraped off. Not
the best type of trustworthy
person obviously.
If you have a good trustworthy rapport with your dealer, many
times you can buy 1/10 oz gold coins and then later trade 8 or 9 of them back
for a full 1 oz coin. This is due to the premium on the smaller coins. Whether
8 or 9 for an oz depends on the economy and the times.
This is how I got started. Say $70 for a 1/10 rand every month or when you
can spare the money and then after you get up to 50 1/10's, start trading
out for 1 ouncers while still buying 1/10 ouncers. I remember how good it
felt when
I got my first 1 oz rand in my hand and still had 41 1/10 ouncers. All
day I was kicking myself in the butt for not having started sooner.
However, remember if you ever need to bribe someone, it's to your advantage
to bribe them with one 1/10th oz than to have to resort to giving them a 1
oz coin.
Many coin shops, when dealing with junk silver, will
dip the coins so they come out bright and shiny. It's never bothered me
one way or the other but I've heard some shops will put a premium on the
shiny
(possibly the newly shiny) coins. This isn't right.
- The Army Aviator
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Two Letters Re: Advice on Small, Incremental Silver Investing Purchases »
Odds 'n Sods:
Ken M. sent us this: The US Banking/Derivatives Contagion Spreads Still Further: BNP
Paribas (France's Biggest Bank0 Freezes Funds as Loan Losses Roil Markets
o o o
Christopher D. recommended a
site with simple instructions on rain barrels.
o o o
Hawaiian K. flagged this useful article: Top
100 Items to Disappear First in a National Emergency
o o o
Adam M. sent us the link for this photographer's
tour of a civil nuclear fallout shelter, beneath Lucerne, Switzerland.
I wish that the U.S. had a real civil defense system (like Switzerland's),
instead of just printing pamphlets and hoping for the best. By law, the builders
of any multi-family apartments in Switzerland must provide fallout shelter
space for the tenants. That's my idea of a good building code!
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"There is no safety for honest men but by believing all possible evil
of evil men." - Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France,
1790
« Two Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
I'd appreciate some help from readers to help SurvivalBlog grow in
popularity. If there are any other blogs that you read regularly,
watch for topics related to survival or preparedness. When they do come up,
please mention SurvivalBlog, preferably by including a permalink to a related
post. For example, if the subject of food storage comes up, you might mention
the recent thread on Fats and Oils, and include this
Permalink. Many thanks!
« Letter From Lawyer Describing Real Estate During the Great Depression |Main| Note from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet
Jim:
I just wanted to let you know of a web site where one can buy natural oils
in bulk. It's a company in Solon, Ohio, called "Oils
By Nature". They
produce their own oils with the lowest amount of refining and don't add things
like detergents and anti-foaming agents, etc. Prices are based on seasonal
availability. Their customer service is great!
For example, I bought a 55 lb. of unrefined Palm Kernel Oil for a very good
price. This kind of fat is solid at room temperature and it's molecular composition
is very usable by the human body. It also keeps well in it's steel container
for years as long as it's stored in a cool dry place where it won't liquefy.
I have also purchased olive oil and peanut oil from them. Their peanut oil
is the best I've ever tasted. Maranatha! - K.
Hi Jim,
I just read the letters and comments on fats and oils, and wanted
to add a couple of things. First, it is possible to get enough cream off of
goat milk to make butter. The milk needs to set for several days, up to a week
or more, and you will end up with 'ripened' butter, which actually tastes pretty
good. You need quite a bit of milk, at least a gallon, and preferably two or
three if you can manage it. It helps the cream to rise if you can let the milk
set out at room temperature for a while, but it will be easier to skim when
it's cold. Also, use a large jar (gallon if you have one) with a wide mouth.
The soured milk left after skimming the cream can be used in baking, made into
cheese, or fed to pigs, chickens, or dogs.
It also helps to have goats with high-fat milk -- Jim mentioned Nubians, and
it's true that of the large dairy breeds they have the highest butterfat content.
But Kinder goats, Nigerian Dwarfs, and the crosses of Nigerian with large breeds
(for 'mini' goats) all have higher butterfat than any of the large breeds of
goats, except possibly for Boers, which aren't usually milked, but can be.
A quart jar of Kinder goat milk will have an inch of cream on the top in just
a couple of days, and a gallon jar may have two or three inches after a week.
That's about a quart, enough to make a good amount of butter.
Another way to get fat into your diet using dairy products is by making cheese
using whole milk. The fat remains in the cheese, rather than draining off with
the whey. Of course, the richer the butterfat content of the milk, the more
fat you'll obtain from the cheese. Or just drink the whole milk as a significant
percentage of your diet.
The other solution to the fat problem that I didn't see mentioned was geese.
Geese were the traditional fat source for people who didn't use pork, and also
among some who would use pork if they could get it but found it easier to feed
geese. Geese require much less grain than pigs do, and have much better-tasting
fat than sheep or goats (the fat from sheep and goats has other uses, though,
such as tallow for candles -- because it's a hard fat -- or for soap making).
They are also very hardy, able to survive down to 100 degrees below zero, according
to an extension agent in Fairbanks who I once talked to. They are good watchdogs,
too, though are a little too aggressive to have around small children. - Freeholder
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Two Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet »
Letter From Lawyer Describing Real Estate During the Great Depression
The following (courtesy of Tom at CometGold.com)
is an excerpt from letter written from a lawyer from Mason City, Iowa in the
Corn Belt, recounting the impact of the Great Depression of the 1930s on his
town. Foreclosures galore. Tom's Comment: "Anything sound familiar?" Just
substitute residential real estate for farm land, when reading the following:
“The boom period of the last years of the World War and the extremely
inflationary period of 1919 and 1920 were like the Mississippi Bubble and the
Tulip Craze in Holland in their effect upon the general public. Farm prices
shot sky high almost over night. The town barber and the small-town merchant
bought and sold options until every town square was a real estate exchange.
Bankers and lawyers, doctors and ministers left their offices and clients and
drove pell mell over the country to procure options and contracts upon this
farm and that, paying a few hundred dollars down and expecting to sell the
rights before the following March brought settlement day. Not to be in the
game marked one as an old fogy, while paper profits were pyramided and Cadillac
cars and pleasure trips to the cities took the place of Fords and Sunday afternoon
picnics. Everyone then maintained that there was only a little land as fertile
as the fields of Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota, and everyone sought to get
his part before it was all gone. Like gold, it was limited in extent and of
great potential value. Prices skyrocketed from $100 to $250 and $400 per acre
without regard to the producing power of the land.”“During this
period insurance companies were bidding against one another for the privilege
of making loans on Iowa farms at $90 or $100 or $150 per acre. Prices of products
were soaring. Everyone was on the highroad not only to comfort, but to wealth
and luxury. Second, third, and fourth mortgages were considered just as good
as government bonds. Money was easy, and every bank was ready and anxious to
loan money to any Tom, Dick, or Harry on the possibility that he would make
enough in these trades to repay the loans almost before the day was over. Every
country bank and every county-seat town was a replica in miniature of brisk
day on the board of trade.”
“The drastic deflation of Iowa loans under the orders from the Federal
Reserve Board, upon which Smith Wildman Brookhart, depression Senator from Iowa,
poured forth his venom, definitely marked the downward turn in the mythical prosperity
of boom days. Despite our hopes for the better, conditions have grown steadily
worse.”
“During the year after the great debacle of 1929 the flood of foreclosure
actions did not reach any great peak, but in the years 1931 and 1932 the tidal
wave was upon us. Insurance companies and large investors had not as yet realized
(and in some instances do not yet realize) that, with the low price of farm commodities
and the gradual exhaustion of savings and reserves, the formerly safe and sane
investments in farm mortgages could not be worked out, taxes and interest could
not be paid, and liquidation could not be made. With an utter disregard of the
possibilities of payment or refinancing, the large loan companies plunged ahead
to make the Iowa farmer pay his loans in full or turn over the real estate to
the mortgage holder. Deficiency judgments and the resultant receivership were
the clubs they used to make the honest but indigent farm owners yield immediate
possession of the farms.”
“Men who had sunk every dollar they possessed in the purchase, upkeep,
and improvement of their home places were turned out with small amounts of personal
property as their only assets. Landowners who regarded farm land as the ultimate
in safety, after using their outside resources in vain attempts to hold their
lands, saw these assets go under the sheriff’s hammer on the courthouse
steps.”
“During the two-year period of 1931-32, in this formerly prosperous Iowa
county, twelve and a half per cent of farms went under the hammer, and almost
twenty-five per cent of the mortgaged farm real estate was foreclosed. And the
conditions in my home county have been substantially duplicated in every one
of the ninety-nine counties of Iowa and in those of the surrounding states.”
“We lawyers of the Corn Belt have had to develop a new type of practice,
for in pre-war days foreclosure litigation amounted to but a small part of the
general practice. In these years of the depression almost one-third of the cases
filed have to do with the situation. Our courts are clogged with such matters.”
“Gone, too, is that pride of ownership which made possible the development
of stock and dairy farms with their herds of fat cattle and hogs, their Jersey
cows, their well-kept groves and buildings which beautified and developed the
countryside. The former owners were willing to use a large part of receipts from
a farm’s income to increase its value and appearance but the present absentee
owner regards it only as a source of possible dividends.”
“From a lawyer’s point of view, one of the most serious effects of
the economics crisis lies in the rapid and permanent disintegration of established
estates throughout the Corn Belt. Families of moderate means as well as those
of considerable fortunes who have been clients of my particular office for three
to four generations in many instances have lost their savings, their investments,
and their homes; while their business, which for many years has been a continuous
source of income, has become merely an additional responsibility as we strive
to protect them from foreclosures, judicial receivership, deficiency judgments,
and probably bankruptcy.”
“The old maxim of three generations between shirt sleeves and shirt sleeves
is finding a new meaning out here in the Corn Belt, when return to very limited
means in a formerly prosperous population is the result not of high living and
spending, but of high taxes, high dollars, and radically reduced income from
the sale of basic products.”
“George Warner, aged seventy-four, who had for years operated one hundred
and sixty acres in the northeast corner of the county and in the early boom days
had purchased an additional quarter section, is typical of hundreds in the Corn
Belt. He had retired and with his wife was living comfortably in his square white
house in town a few blocks from my home. Sober, industrious, pillars of the church
and active in good works, he and his wife may well be considered typical retired
farmers. Their three boys wanted to get started in business after they were graduated
from high school, and George, to finance their endeavors, put a mortgage, reasonable
in amount, on his two places. Last fall a son out of a job brought his family
and came home to live with the old people. The tenants on the farms could not
pay their rent, and George could not pay interest and taxes. George’s land
was sold at tax sale and a foreclosure action was brought against the farms by
the insurance company which held the mortgage. I did the best I could for him
in the settlement, but to escape a deficiency judgment he surrendered the places
beginning in March 1st of this year, and a few days ago I saw a mortgage recorded
on his home in town. As he told me of it, the next day, tears came to his eyes
and his lips trembled and he and I both thought of the years he had spent in
building up the estate and making those acres bear fruit abundantly. Like another
Job, he murmured “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away”; but
I wondered if it was proper to place the responsibility for the breakdown of
a faulty human economic system on the shoulders of the Lord.”
“When my friend George passes over the Jordan and I have to turn over to
his wife the little that is left in accordance with the terms of his will drawn
in more prosperous days, I presume I shall send his widow a receipted bill for
services rendered during many years, and gaze again on the wreckage of a ruined
estate.”
“I have represented bankrupt farmers and holders of claims for rent, notes,
and mortgages against such farmers in dozens of bankruptcy hearings and court
actions, and the most discouraging, disheartening experiences of my legal life
have occurred when men of middle age, with families, go out of the bankruptcy
court with furniture, team of horses and wagon, and a little stock as all that
is left from twenty-five years of work, to try once more – not to build
an estate – for that is usually impossible – but to provide clothing
and food and shelter for the wife and children. And the powers that be seem to
demand that these not only accept this situation but shall like it.”
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter From Lawyer Describing Real Estate During the Great Depression »
Odds 'n Sods:
Tom at CometGold.com sent
us the link to this "must see" video clip: Charlie
Rose interviewed two journalists about debt securities, the sub-prime debacle,
and the emerging liquidity crisis. New York Times scribe Floyd Norris described
the recent wave of margin calls on debt securities as "the functional
equivalent of a run on the bank." Katherine Burton of Bloomberg News
admitted that the credit crunch will "go on for a long time." In
related news, don't miss this news story from Reuters: Central
banks move to calm panicky money markets. This isn't just a traditional
credit squeeze, folks. This is approaching credit
paralysis!
o o o
I was doing some web surfing and I stumbled across a
DRMO auction for what appears to be some new concertina
wire, at
Camp Pendleton, California.
o o o
I just heard that Ready
Made Resources still has three new copies of the scarce
out-of-print book "Survival Guns" by Mel Tappan. They are being offered
for $60 each. That
might sound steep for a book that was $19 when it went out of print a bit more
than a decade ago. But be advised that used copies have
recently been selling for $60 on up, on Amazon.com. The three remaining copies
of "Survival Guns" are not listed in the Ready Made Resources web catalog.
Call them for details.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is
before them, glory and danger alike, and yet go out to meet it, nonetheless." - Thucydides,
430 B.C.
« Letter Re: Advice on Small, Incremental Silver Investing Purchases |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
I just noticed that we are about to surpass 1.75 million unique visits
to SurvivalBlog. My sincere thanks to everyone for making the blog
such a huge success. Please keep spreading the news. Special thanks to our
readers down in Oz, where we've had huge readership growth in recent months.
My only question is: what is that big dot on the map for SurvivalBlog readers
out in the middle of the Outback? I can't imagine that there are
that many SurvivalBlog readers in the town Alice Springs, so there must be
some
very bored "knob turners" at
Pine
Gap.
« Letter Re: Povidone (Betadine) Will Be Exempted from the New U.S. Iodine Ban But Polar Pure Will Not |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Advice on Small, Incremental Silver Investing Purchases
Mr. Rawles
As a proud 10
Cent Challenge subscriber and daily reader of your blog I must thank
you for the mountains of information and content that you make available to
us
every
day.
Worth many times the price!
Today I would like to know if you could recommend a reputable seller of tangibles
i.e. gold / silver. I have been in contact with your banner advertiser Swiss
America. They
are a good group of
people but I don't quite have the funds to invest that I think they normally
deal with. I think I would be a small time buyer of said tangibles. I would
like to invest no more that $100 a month, I know this is a
small amount but it is a start.
Again thank you for such a wonderful and potentially life-saving web site and
keep up the good work. Respectfully, - S.R.
JWR Replies: First, congratulations for taking the initiative
to actually diversify your investments into some silver. I should mention
here that I have several quite wealthy consulting clients that have been talking
about buying
precious metals for several years, but they have never "gotten around
to it."
Meanwhile, silver has doubled in value.
Under your circumstances, buying locally makes sense.
With small mail orders for silver coinage, postage costs are a real killer--effectively
doubling
the
premium (over "spot")
that you
pay. Hence, you'd probably be best
calling
around to local coins shops. Just ask all of them on the
same morning for a price quote: "How many times
over face value do you sell small quantities of pre-1965 "junk" silver?" Then
do your business with whomever offers the best rate. Be courteous, offer to
take even slightly bent coins (that won't run through their coin counting machine),
don't take up too much of their time, and pay in cash. They'll like getting
cash. Tell
them that you'll be back about same time next month every month for the foreseeable
future. They'll wish they had a hundred
customers
like you.
Once you have developed a rapport with the folks that run the coin shop, you
can probably sweet talk them into selling you small quantities of coins at
the
same rate
that
they charge for full $1,000 face value bags. (After they see you coming back,
month
after
month.)
I wish you the best with your silver investing program.
« Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat--Medeco M3s at Risk! |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Small, Incremental Silver Investing Purchases »
Letter Re: Povidone (Betadine) Will Be Exempted from the New U.S. Iodine Ban But Polar Pure Will Not
Jim,
I was reading through FR Doc E7-12736 (Federal Register: July 2, 2007, Volume
72, Number 126, Rules and Regulations, Page 35920-35931, online at your
link this morning when I found this language at the bottom of the document:
Sec. 1310.12 Exempt chemical mixtures.
...
(4) Iodine products classified as iodophors that exist as an iodine complex
to include poloxamer-iodine complex, polyvinyl pyrrolidone-iodine complex
(i.e., povidone-iodine), undecoylium chloride iodine, nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy)
ethanol-iodine complex, iodine complex with phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy
polyethylene glycol, and iodine complex with ammonium ether sulfate/polyoxyethylene
sorbitan monolaurate.
It appears that Betadine and some other organic iodine compounds will continue
to be available.
Thanks for the great blog, and God bless you and your family. Your brother
in Christ, - DF
JWR Replies: Thanks for making that clarification. We can
breathe a sigh of relief about Betadine, but sadly, not Polar Pure water purifier,
which uses iodine crystals.
The latest
that I've heard from preparedness vendors is that Polar Pure will not be
totally banned from sale, but that
the Federal government will soon be mandating a new licensing procedure
costing $2,400 per year for wholesalers, and $1,200 per year for retailers,
with the costs to be borne by the vendors. There will also be severe purchase
quantity
limits, and "positive tracking" of iodine products (over 2% solution)
through every step of commerce from manufacture to wholesalers, to retailers,
and finally
and right down to electronic
logging the names and addresses of every retail customer. Again, the
cost of compliance (and the time required for record keeping)
will be
borne by the
vendors. To offset these costs, wholesalers and retailers will undoubtedly
raise their prices. With licensing at multiple levels plus the sales tracking
paperwork, the price of Polar Pure and other potent iodine products will surely
skyrocket. So
stock up now, before prices increase. Polar Pure is still under $12
per bottle from Ready
Made Resources, with no DEA paperwork. But if you dawdle a few months,
I predict that you will find that it will be selling
for $30+ per bottle, and you will have your particulars enshrined in some
Federal database. I've said it before: Whenever a government interferes
and enacts
a ban, freeze,
or other control, prices are bound to rise.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Povidone (Betadine) Will Be Exempted from the New U.S. Iodine Ban But Polar Pure Will Not »
Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat--Medeco M3s at Risk!
Hi Jim,
Regarding a
previous
thread in the SurvivalBlog archives, some news
has come to light about picking [some varieties of] "high security" Medeco
locks.The
article begins:
"A group of researchers has cracked the security features in what are supposed
to be some of the world's most secure locks -- locks that are used at the White
House, the Pentagon, embassies and other critical locations.
The researchers presented their findings for the first time at the DefCon hacker
conference this weekend and showed how they could easily bump and pick the
newest high-security M3 locks made by Medeco, a company that owns an estimated
70 percent of the lock market.
In addition to bumping and picking Medeco's M3 cylinder locks, the researchers
also succeeded in the last few weeks to crack a Medeco M3 deadbolt lock --
considered to be one of the highest security locks in the world. They showed
Wired News how to open the deadbolt in less than a minute using nothing more
than a modified $2 screwdriver and a wire shim. They asked, however, that we
not publish the details."
Regards, - Chris D.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat--Medeco M3s at Risk! »
Odds 'n Sods:
By way of SHTF Daily: Minneapolis
bridge disaster draws attention to neglect of U.S. infrastructure
o o o
David D. recommended
this article on some medicinal uses of honey
o o o
Hawaiian K. sent us this: The
Incapacitating Flashlight--An LED flashlight makes culprits vomit. If police
start to use these, I can predict lawsuits from epileptics.
o o o
Thanks to SHTF Daily for posting this piece from Bloomberg: U.K.’s Subprime
Crisis May Be Worse Than U.S.’s
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"14 million people took a mortgage in the last three years. Seven million
[of those] people took teaser rates or piggy-back rates. They will lose their
homes, this is
crazy!" - Jim Cramer
« Letter Re: Comments from a Like-Minded Virginia Prepper |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
Today is the of
the
special $99.95
sale for my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course. The sale ends at midnight tonight, Pacific time. This is the first time that
it
has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price, and this may be the only
time that it is ever sold at this sale price. The
sale
ends
midnight
tonight (August
8th),
so place your order ASAP! (You can order on-line, or be sure to
have
your
order
letter
postmarked with today's date.)
« Three Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Comments from a Like-Minded Virginia Prepper
Sir:
I found your blog about a month ago. I received a copy of your novel "Patriots" from
Fred's M14 Stocks and have probably read the thing about 20 times. It sits
by
the bed. I sometimes just pick it up, open and begin reading. Good stuff.
I am a former police officer (10 years) with sniper training, construction
company owner( I have built everything except a church) CPA with many years
public accounting and have military experience (like you in Military Intelligence.
I was what is now known as a 98C [- Signals Intelligence Analyst]). I shoot
a lot of IDPA both in local and state
matches,
am an IDPA safety officer and an NRA firearms instructor. My wife is a soon
to be a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Federal retiree. She shoots
also.
We have 58 acres in a rather remote area in the south side of Virginia.
We plan
on incorporating cisterns, gray
water septic et cetera in the building of the house that we will start in about
three months. The heating will be closed loop geothermal, radiant in the floors.
We have
a lot of experience in growing vegetable gardens (25 years to date). The wife
knows how to can and otherwise preserve food. We generally keep enough on hand
to see us through several months of problems. I would probably be better off
relocating further to the northwest but moving is such a pain that this was
as far as we want to go. We are about 200+ miles from [Washington] D.C.
I find your blog very informative and educational. Some of the weapon selection
I agree with, some I don't. That's okay. I just wanted to say hi and thank
you
for your efforts. Keep up the good work. - rb
« Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future? |Main| Letter Re: Comments from a Like-Minded Virginia Prepper »
Three Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet
Mr. Rawles:
Firstly, I must say I have found your site informative and have
implemented many of the ideas/suggestions listed on it.
Regarding the most recent post regarding crucial fats in the diet, I must
say it was informative but I felt it left out a very viable source of animal
fat:
The
Groundhog. While it may be a rodent, it only eats plants and an occasional
insect. The meat is good but greasy since groundhogs actually hibernate.
This means later on in the year they will have stored up a large amount of
fat which
would be of very good value. This geographic region has bear and beaver but
they require more effort to procure than the common, rapidly reproducing
groundhog, which seems to be everywhere.
I respectfully request that this little tidbit of info finds its way onto
your blog as the information available on the
internet
regarding the consumption of groundhog seems to be in short supply on the
Internet. It seems everyone knows about the danger of eating nothing but
rabbit, the
benefits/fat content of bear and beaver tail, and next to nothing about groundhog.
Best Regards, - Jon S.
Jim:
Thanks for posting the fat question. As to pressing the seeds for oils,
wouldn't it be better to keep them as seeds? I think that they would last
longer and
they can be planted. Also, shortenings like Crisco are not only not useful
as fats to the body but outright harmful. They may count as caloric value
but not in terms of necessary fats in the diet. - SF in Hawaii
Jim,
I read the letters about fats and oils and realized that I too haven't thought
about them in my plans! I refer you and my fellow Survivalblog.com readers
to Captain Dave's
web site. A great site, with an extensive
on-line reference manual for Food Storage (and a medical FAQ, too) This site
is where I first learned of Joel Skousen, et cetera. and has been a favorite
of mine for many years. The link below takes you to the fats and oils section
of the
food storage "book". It says at
one sub-page that a solid fat like
Crisco can last 8-10 years if properly packaged, and if it has preservative
anti-oxidants
in it. Although, no matter how long you can store something from the supermarket,
you will assuredly run out at some point, so home scale production would seem
to be the best way to obtain a reliable, safe supply of essential fats and
oils.
One other thing that may be helpful as well, for oil storage. According to
OliveOilSource.com,
olive oil suffers no ill effects when frozen.
If a freezer is available and powered, it could easily store at least olive
oil, if not
others as well?
On the linked page below, there's a question toward the bottom about freezing
pesto, and that's where the folks that run the site say freezing the olive
oil is okay.
I hope this helps my fellow readers! Thanks! - R. in New Hampshire
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Three Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet »
Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future?
Sir:
I have pondered your recent posts about stocking up on ammo. I've decided
to spend $6,000--the same that I spent last year on storage food, a wheat grinder,
and heirloom gardening seeds--to buy some ammunition to squirrel away. That
will pretty well tap out all of my available cash. I'll mainly be buying
mil surplus rifle ammo (.223, 7.62x39 and .308) plus some civilian pistol
ammo--mostly
.45
auto,
for my
two Glock 21s
and my Glock 30. But I'm also taking
your advice from a post earlier this year and buying 300 rounds
of .40 S&W, even though I don't own any guns in that caliber--because
my local police department
issues Glock Model 22s [chambered in 40S&W.] I think having that ammo
may be great for bartering and as a way to 'make friends and influence people",
once the Schumer Strikes the Oscillating Blades.
My question to you sir, is, where is all the reasonably-priced ammo
hiding? My local gun shop charges near full-ticket retail, even
when I ask about ordering me some case lots. Are there any places on the
Internet
you can recommend? Thanks to You and Best Regards, Ray in Southern Arizona.
JWR Replies: I'm glad to hear that you bought your storage
food and seed first. I recommend: AIM
Surplus,
Cheaper
Than Dirt, Dan's
Ammo, J&G
Sales, Midway,
Ammunitionstore.com, Natchez
Shooter Supply,
and The
Sportsman's Guide. If you plan to buy $6,000 worth, it is probably worthwhile
for you to drive a 3/4 ton pickup truck up to Prescott, Arizona, to visit J&G
Sales. With
their
inventory, they can probably supply 2/3s of your needs. They
are
in
north-central Arizona. Paying
for
that
gasoline
will be
far less
expensive that paying for UPS shipping,
and it will also help you keep a low profile. (Neighbors might get curious when
they see 20+ large, very heavy
boxes
being
unloaded from a UPS truck in front of a suburban house.)
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future? »
Odds 'n Sods:
HikerLT, DAV, and Mark B. all forwarded this gem (by way of the Drudge Report)
from The Daily Telegraph:
China
threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales. Mark's comment: "This is
why trade deficits are a strategic and political liability!
The American people have virtually put their economic future and well
being in
the hands
of the Chi-coms!"
o o o
Chris S. sent us a news story link that illustrates the signs of the times:
Lead
stolen from church roofs to ship to China
o o o
I have updated my
Links page with a new section on Survivalist Fiction web
sites. Let me know if there are any other web sites--for novels, movies, and
television series--that I should add. Thanks!
o o o
The Western Rifle Shooters Association (WRSA) has a
high power rifle shooting clinic and match scheduled for August 25-26 in Douglas,
Wyoming.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to get high quality instruction at a very
reasonable price! (A fraction of what you would pay for a two or three day
course at a big "name" academy like Gunsite or Thunder Ranch.) OBTW, their first
event, in Kooskia, Idaho, was from all accounts a great success.
« Notes from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"But if a man lives may years and rejoices in them all,
yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many .
All that is coming is vanity." - Ecclesiastes 11-8 NKJV
« Survival for the Disabled, by Hegh |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Notes from JWR:
Don't miss out on the special
$99.95 sale for my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course. This is the first time that it
has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. The sale ends
tomorrow,
so place your order ASAP!
Today we present another article for Round 12 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 $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of
my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford
of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies
of my novel "Patriots" as "honorable
mention" awards. Round 11 ends on July 31st. Remember that articles that
relate practical "how to" skills for survival will have an advantage
in the judging.
« Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Survival for the Disabled, by Hegh
To survive one must be physically fit! This statement has been said and written
over and over, time and again. To say that Survival is for this group of individuals
exclusively has strong weight when it comes to a TEOTWAWKI scenario.
How ever I would disagree with this assessment. Granted, total invalids could
pose a problem but that is not the focus of this article. The focus is on those
individuals who are disabled but can still function to some degree and contribute
to a TEOTWAWKI scenario.
During the fall of the twin towers on September 11th there were 31 disabled
employees working in the towers when they were struck by the jet planes. There
was only one disabled survivor. This brave young lady and her friend took it
upon themselves to no be a sheeple and risked their lives to get out of the
building. Moments after they left the tower collapsed. The rest of the disabled
employees died because they were told to wait by the stairwell and rescue workers
would help them out. 30 lives were needlessly lost because they did what they
were told to do.
In an ideal world, no one would be left behind but we do not live in an ideal
world and all people no matter their background deserve a right to live and
be productive members of society. A lot of disabled individuals have contributed
to the world as we know it. Beethoven was deaf. Professor Hawking is wheelchair
bound. Even President Roosevelt was disabled during most of World War II but
saved this country from the nazi war machine. [JWR Adds: Some
might argue that FDR's
weakened condition led to disastrous results at the Yalta treaty negotiations.]
So even if someone is disabled don’t count
them out as a valuable asset.
On the practical side of survival let’s look at what can one do to contribute
in a survival situation. To a disabled individual, every day is a challenge
so one of the great factors that they have is the ability to improvise in everything
they do (At least that is how I think.) Let me break it down to simple everyday
tasks that people take for granted. Getting out of bed. Bending over to pick
something up. Going to the bathroom. Sitting down or standing up. Climbing
stairs or even getting up the curb. All of these scenarios don’t seem
like a big deal to the average person because they don’t need to worry
about these simple tasks in daily life. In my case all of these are daily challenges
to overcome. In a pre-TEOTWAWKI world there is a lot of assistance to be had
and laws that ensure that I can function in society with little or no assistance
in certain areas. However there is a lot that does not apply because efficiency
is not always geared towards the disabled. Going anywhere is an adventure.
I go to a friend’s house to visit and he has a 4 or 5 step stoop with
no railing. I do not have the strength to climb it without the railing. What
do you do? Imagine trying to climb that stoop with 500 pounds on each leg with
nothing to lean on to assist you. This presents a significant challenge would
it not? How would you overcome this simple obstacle to visit your friend? If
the stoop sticks out from the home and not running parallel to the wall there
will be nothing to lean on to climb them. A standard cane is too short and
one does not normally carry crutches around and the fact that the latter tend
to hinder more than help when ascending stairs. A sturdy walking stick made
from a shovel handle would be best in this situation. It is strong and be cut
to the desired length for the user. Put a rubber cane or crutch stopper on
the end and you have a multi-purpose walking stick. If applied right one can
employ the walking stick as a portable railing. It can be used for defense.
A walking stick can be used as a pry bar. It may also be used as an extension
of you arm. Imagine sitting down on the toilet and the toilet paper is across
the room on the sink counter. You have done your business and realize that
you need the TP. Using the walking stick it is just long enough to reach the
TP. If done right you would not need to get up to get the TP. There are several
things that you can do with your walking stick that most people would not think
of using it for. One can wrap a poncho around the walking stick and secure
it with 550 Parachute-Cord. You now have a portable simple shelter in a compact
package complete with a support spine all in one. Total cost for this was less
than $5.00.
One more thing you can add would be a micro compass on the end. Drill out a
small hole in the top of the shovel handle just big enough to fit the compass.
Once done you can apply a silicone based glue (I prefer "GOOP “)
and place the compass it the hole you just drilled. There are many things you
can do to customize your walking stick to your needs. Your only limitation
is your ingenuity.
Other aspects of Disabled survival can be put into one word “Improvise”.
With this word there are several things that come to mind. Most of which revolve
around making things easier with a minimal amount of effort to achieve the
desired results. 90% of my survival planning is based on this concept. With
limited strength and limited mobility, finding innovative ways to achieve my
goals is a daily exercise in adapting normal items tailored to my specific
needs.
One of the more embarrassing aspects of daily living is doing the simple task
of going to the bathroom and wiping myself when I finish. A normal person has
no issues with this unless they are paralyzed. I am not exactly pleased with
the prospect of having someone wiping my behind. Not to mention the numerous
jokes that are associated with it. In my case I have limited range of motion
and it causes several problems. One of which is not having the ability to
reach around and wipe. My Father had similar issues when he was alive but he
did not live long enough for me to ask him how he overcame this little problem.
You see his range of motion was even more limited than my own (I do stretching
on a regular basis to keep what range of motion I do have.) I asked my mother
about how my dad solved this and she was no help either.
This was an issue with immediate need. My attempts to solve this problem were
futile at best for some time. As it became more and more difficult to reach
around to clean up I was at my wits end. Then one day while tagging along with
some friends at Wal-Mart it hit me like a ton of bricks. We just happened through
the domestic supply isle. I was looking at the various implements used for
cleaning and right there was a very simple tool that would solve all of my
wiping problems. Hanging on the wall was a curved handled toilet brush. What
caught my attention was the fact that it had a sponge on the end instead of
the typical bristle brush. It was only 99 cents so I figured what the heck.
It was a lot cheaper than the cost of a Birthday. That and there would be no
need for water pressure or electricity to use. A simple solution to a very
big problem. I have also found that Cottenel wipes are a must for my survival
stocks, to use the brush. Take one Cottenel wipe and drape it over the end
of the wiper making sure that the curved end of the handle is pointing up.
Than just use it as an extension of your hand and finish your business.
Weight is another issue that I have to contend with. if there is anything more
than 20 pounds that is needed to be moved and I am not any good. That is the
limit of how much I can move and that is not very far. So this presents additional
problems. The least of which is a Bug out Bag. If it is packed too light than
there are essentials that are missed. If it is packed to heavy than It won’t
bug out very far without help. I happened upon a nice little pack that solved
my needs, made by Whirlwind. It has an extension handle and wheels I’m
am currently modifying another walking stick to attach to the extension so
that I can pull the backpack behind me when I am hobbling for short distances
or attached to my electric scooter.
Speaking of scooters if you happen upon any Bruno brand scooters grab it they
are no longer manufactured but they out last anything currently on the market.
It turns out that the manufacturer stopped making them because they made them
too well. Solid steel frame with an enclosed electric motor that does not get
exposed to the elements like most standard motors. There are a lot of modifications
one can do to this scooter that you would not be able to do to any of the other
ones on the market. One other side note the Bruno battery cases are perfect
for marine [deep cycle lead acid] batteries. You can swap out the chemical
gel ["gel cell"] batteries with marine batteries in a pinch. The
manufacturer does not recommend this. I waited until after my 10 year warranty
expired before I did this. I was in the market for a new scooter by this time
anyway but as long as mine was still kicking I’m going to use it until
it finally dies. The reason I feel that the manufacturer did not want you to
swap out the batteries is due to the cost. After extensive research on the
types of batteries on the market and after reading several articles on SurvivalBlog
about alternative power and battery banks I notice that with the exception
of the ratings and output of any given battery it does not really matter what
type is used as long as the output matches the recommended wattage usage of
the device they are attached to. With the cost of the specialty batteries that
the scooter manufacturer says you need I was rather irritated. The chemical
gel batteries run about $180 each and I need two batteries for my scooter.
That's $360.for replacement batteries. I don’t like them because they
are way over-priced and wear out much too fast. After the third set I looked
into an alternative. That is when I read about Marine batteries. A good marine
battery can be had for less that $50 and perform just as well as the fancy
chemical batteries. I can even find them on sale for less depending on the
time of the year I am looking. My scooter can go 25 miles on a full charge
with an average top speed of 4.5 miles per hour. It is rated for a 350 pound
carry capacity. I can carry 200 pounds of gear and supplies without any problem.
Add to this a small trailer and the possibilities are endless. It may be low
profile but it can go over most terrain without any problems. I have been able
to take it up a 45 degree grade hill without any trouble except I had to lean
forward to the front to prevent it from coming up and flipping me backwards.
Hope this helps anyone out there who may find that they may need to depend
on a walking stick now or in the future. I will be typing follow up articles
on additional items and skills to help those who are disabled and are survival-minded.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Survival for the Disabled, by Hegh »
Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators?
James,
Farmer John asked for some input on his Chevy Sprint engine project.
I had a Sprint years ago, along with several other very-small engine autos
- including a 1969 Subaru 360, Fiat with an 850 cc engine, a two-stroke-cycle
DKW, and even a car with a 650 c.c. Royal Enfield motorcycle engine. The
Subaru had a two-stroke-cycle gasoline engine with 25 horse. On an absolute
flat highway at 55 MPH and no wind,
it could get 65 MPG. My Sprint could get close to 50 MPG on
a flat highway, and dropped to the high 30s on highway
with steep inclines. They all relied on a formula of small engines, very
light weight, and light engine-loads for good fuel economy. That
is not what happens when you use such an engine for medium or high load PTO work,
e.g. running a electric generator. The auto industry and./or EPA uses
a measure of "miles per gallon" to reflect overall fuel efficiency
capabilities of a car or truck that depend on many factors that go well beyond
the engine
itself. The industrial/agricultural industry uses a different measure for
efficiency since the issue at hand is the engine’s ability to provided
sustained medium or hard usage at a certain fuel-use rate. This figure is
usually given in "horsepower hours per gallon". These two ratings
have little relationship with one another. A car engine with good fuel mileage
is usually not a good candidate for hard steady use - particularly
because of a short stroke to large bore ratio, compression ratio, valve lift,
duration,
and timing designed for highway use, et cetera. A lot of experimentation
and testing has been done over the years to register fuel consumption with
engines
being
worked via the Nebraska Testing Institute. These include engines running
on kerosene, diesel, gasoline, distillate, tractor fuel, and LP (propane).
One of the highest efficiency engines run on gasoline was an Allis Chalmers
33 horsepower engine - year 1962 - that provided an efficiency rating of
13 horsepower hours per gallon of gasoline. For reference, the worst gas
engine tested at only 3 horsepower hours per gallon.
One of the best diesels is a John Deere tractor - actually built by Yanmar
in Japan and it yielded a rating of 18.6 horsepower hours per gallon at 62
horsepower.
With engines run hard on propane - they are relatively poor performers. The
best on record with Nebraska Tests is Case tractor that is rated a 9.9 horsepower
hours per gallon at 71 horsepower. Propane has less energy per gallon than
gasoline or diesel - there is no getting around that.
In brief - engines being worked hard tested as such in Horsepower Hours per
Gallon:
Diesel - 9.2 low to 18.6 high.
Gasoline - 3.3 low to 13.1 high
Distillate - 6.7 low to 12.4 high
Kerosene - 4.8 low to 11.3 high
LP - Propane - 7.2 low to 9.9 high
Taking a look a modern cars and trucks today - they still are not much more
efficient that the same built 40 years ago, when worked hard. Take a 2007 Chevy
3/4[-ton] truck with a gas engine and pull a heavy trailer, and it will do
little better than a 1960s Chevy truck doing the same. However, the newer truck
will do much better when driven at a light load.
One example: I recently used a 2007 Chevy truck with a 5.3 liter engine to
pull a 5,000 lb. trailer and got an average of 9.2 MPG. Did the same with my
1967 Chevy truck with a 5.7 liter engine and got 9.5 MPG. Not much difference.
- John in New York
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators? »
Odds 'n Sods:
SurvivalBlog reader Chuck accurately notes that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben
Bernanke is in a predicament. At this juncture the Fed can neither
raise nor lower interest rates without powerful macro level repercussions.
Chuck mentioned that Mad Money host Jim
Cramer made a passionate plea to Ben Bernanke to consider cutting interest
rates that
would in turn help the market and the people who are losing their jobs on
Wall Street. More liquidity via lower interest rates might mean a brief respite
for the battered US residential real estate market
as
well
as
the
equities
markets. But if Mr. Bernanke lowers rates then he will crack
the critical support
level for the US Dollar Index, which appears sacred at 80. And if the Fed
raises rates, it will put Wall Street into a tail spin and
possibly plunge the economy into depression. Hmmm... Quite a predicament. OBTW,
SurvivalBlog reader "Boosters" mentioned that Fred
at iTulip has already created an interesting annotated edit of
the Cramer segment.
o o o
First
Armed Robots on Patrol in Iraq.
o o o
More on Zimbabwe: IMF
Issues 100,000% inflation alert. Regular contributor SF in Hawaii
also mentioned this "must read" letter from Cathy Buckle that recently
ran at the Rense.com web site: Zimbabwe
- Crawling Under Razor Wire To Leave. SF's
comment: "[This] could have been good survival fiction. Too bad that
its real" JWR's comment: "Gee, weren't we just
talking about essential fats and oils?"
o o o
I have added the new USPS "Forever" Liberty Bell postage stamps
as a payment option for 10
Cent Challenge subscription payments, consulting fees,
and for items purchased from my Mail
Order Catalog.
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"Half an hour. [Pack just] one bag, plus the guns. I'll make
pancakes."
In the next scene:
"Every family has rules, and we had ours: Keep your head down. Keep
yours eyes up. Resist the urge to be seen as important or special. Know your
exits." -
Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Pilot episode
screenplay
by Josh Friedman.)
« Letter Re: Advice on Generators? |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
The publisher's special
$99.95 sale for my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course ends in just
two days. This is the first time that it
has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. I'm not sure if and when
the sale will ever be repeated, so get you orders in soon! If ordering by mail,
be sure to have your letter postmarked no later than Wednesday, August 8th.
« Letter Re: Charity Begins at Home--At Least in the U.S. |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Advice on Generators?
JWR:
A few comments in regard to fuel choices, in response to what is posted
on your web site. There is mention of the legal difficulty of getting a 1,000
gallon tank of diesel installed at a homesite. I guess I have to ask, what
is the difficulty? I've lived in several rural areas in the northeast, and
it's never been a problem here. Where I live now in central New York state,
anybody
can have up to 1,000 gallons per tax-map parcel without any interference, permits,
etc. Many homes in my area have dual 275 or 500 tanks inside the house, down
the basement, out of sight. I have five tanks - but since my farm is composed
of eight separate deeded parcels - all contiguous but still with distinct tax-map
numbers - I can easily install more tanks with zero permits or legal issues.
I also have two diesel pickup trucks with 100 gallon capacity each - which
gives me more storage.
There is nothing wrong with liking or preferring liquid propane (LP)
gas - however - in many ways it is inferior to other fuels. Getting a large
quantity
of LP
gas
in my
area is more difficult than for diesel. I own two 1,000 gallon LP tanks. I
bought them myself since no local gas company would install one of their own
- since
I do not use enough gas to satisfy them. And, even after buying the tanks,
nobody was willing to fill them without an inspected gas line and regulator
system, along with a county permit. All that is not exactly what I call "easy."
When it comes to using LP for electric generators - the big advantage is when
it is used for gensets that spend most of their lives sitting around in "stand-by" mode.
This is very common since many consumers buy such generators for emergency
situations that rarely occur. On the other hand, if someone intends to use
their generator - LP can be a waste of energy and money. Heating oil/diesel
fuel has about 130,000 BTUs
per
gallon.
Gasoline about 114,000 per gallon. LP has only 84,000 BTUs per gallon. Now -
take prices. I just bought 1,000 gallons of dyed farm diesel/heating oil for
$2.30 per gallon. I bought LP last month for
$1.99 per gallon. So at present prices, for dyed diesel, that is 5,652,174 BTUs
of energy.
Meanwhile, the same number of dollars spent on propane yields just 4,236,181
BTUs.
Besides the better bargain in BTUs per dollar, a diesel engine will run more
efficiently than an engine run on propane. Take one example with a typical modern
12,000 watt generator. A typical propane powered unit will run 36 hours at
full load on 100 gallons of LP - costing approximately
$199 ($1.99 per gallon). A same size diesel genset will run 36 hours at full
load on 40 gallons of fuel costing approximately $92 ($2.30 per gallon). I'm
no
math
wiz, but that seems to be twice as efficient, overall. The same [multi-fuel]
unit
-
when
run
on
gasoline at full load with run 59 hours on 100 gallons of gas costing approximately
$290 ($2.90 per gallon).
Obviously, all the fuels have their advantages and disadvantages. But, if
planning for a crisis and trying to maximize on short supplies - I can't figure
where LP makes any sense on a long term basis - except for this: Many small gensets
sold for LP use are tri-fuel - i.e., they will run on natural gas, LP vapor,
or gasoline. It is possible to further convert such a unit to run on wood smoke
- if needed - which you cannot do with a diesel. On the other hand, you can run
a diesel on many types of plant matter extracts, vegetable oils [both virgin
and
waste],
waste
motor
oils, et cetera. - John from central New York
JWR Adds: There is one other important factor to be considered:
The service life of low-RPM diesels
versus other genset engines, which generally run at higher RPM. If a diesel
engines lasts three times
as long, with all other factors being equal, its derived lifetime cost
per hour of lighting is substantially less than with higher-RPM gensets that
use other fuels. Aside from installations in Arctic climates (where diesel
fuel
gelling
can be a problem), diesel gets my vote!
« Letter Re: Late Blog Posts and Supporting SurvivalBlog |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Generators? »
Letter Re: Charity Begins at Home--At Least in the U.S.
Jim,
As usual, I found this
article [from London, Ontario, about national differences in charitable giving] while
browsing something unrelated. I read through it, thought
you and
possibly
the
blog readers
might benefit
from it. I offer a small text extract, to whet your whistle:
"Brooks also found a strong and specific correlation between political ideology
and charity. In both the United States and Europe, conservatives who believe
in limited government are far more likely to make charitable contributions than
are liberals who think government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality.
Note the irony: Liberals who support the governmental redistribution of income
are apt to deride conservatives as selfish, yet these liberals are far less likely
than conservatives to donate their own time and money to help the poor and needy.
Of course, there are subsets within both groups: For example, religious liberals
are a lot more generous than secular conservatives.
Many of the liberals who give little or nothing to charity try to justify their
selfishness by saying government is more effective than private charity at redistributing
income.
Brooks argues that the combination of relatively small government and high rates
of charitable givings has contributed to the extraordinary economic prosperity
and relatively high living standards for all income classes in the United States."
Regards, - Ben L.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Charity Begins at Home--At Least in the U.S. »
Letter Re: Late Blog Posts and Supporting SurvivalBlog
Mr. Rawles:
About noon on Friday, I was starting to write a mean e-mail, because
y'all were late in the putting up the blog posts for the day. You see, I've
been a
daily reader of SurvivalBlog since about April of 2006, and I'd gotten used
to you putting the posts up like clockwork, right around (or before) midnight
for the next day. It has become my habit to read the blog while having my
morning coffee and waiting for my employees to arrive. (I run a lawnmower
and power tool shop in a fair-sized city in Georgia, and I'm an early riser.)
Then
a thought struck me: What cotton-pickin' right do
I have to complain about
late
blog posts,
when
I haven't
done
hardly anything to support the blog, other than just buy a copy of your novel?
It wasn't until your new daily posts weren't there for
a few hours later than usual that I started to think just what my day would
be like
without reading those posts. Now I'm now sorta glad y'all were
late [in posting] on Friday. It made me appreciate what what I've been getting free every
day for more than a year. And up until that glitch on Friday, you were
very consistent. Please accept my apology, and my two-year 10
Cent Challenge subscription
payment. (I'm mailing a check before the P.O. closes today.) Sincerely, - Parker
« Note from JWR: |Main| Letter Re: Late Blog Posts and Supporting SurvivalBlog »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant
and the most rascally individuals of mankind." - Thomas Paine
« Two Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
Today is the Second Anniversary of
SurvivalBlog.
Thanks for making the blog such a huge success, worldwide. (See our
global hit map.) Our readership is still growing. I greatly appreciate
so many readers sharing their knowledge in their letters and articles. Please
continue
to spread
the
word
about SurvivalBlog
to your neighbors, friends,
co-workers,
and church
brethren. Adding a SurvivalBlog
graphic links to your web pages and e-mail footers really helps.
Many Thanks!
« Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet
Dear Mr. Rawles -
I need some advice on storing fats and oils. I have read that the shelf life
these essentials can be extended by keeping them in an air tight container,
and avoiding exposure to heat and light, but even then the shelf life of these
products is no more than a year or so. Shortening, which used to have a shelf
life of up to ten years, is no longer sold in metal cans, giving it a much
shorter shelf life. How are others dealing with this problem?
Also, I have thought about other sources of oils that one could use once the
stockpile has been used up. I found this
link on making your own seed press out of a metal frame and a three ton jack.
It also gives instructions on how to dehull the sunflower seeds with a grain
mill, as well as winnowing them with a vacuum cleaner.
I hope your readers find this information helpful. - Tim R.
Jim:
One of the TEOTWAWKI issues we must contend with is where to get our oils and
fats. Historically, sources of sustainable fats and oils included dairy,
animal fat, nuts, vegetables (olives), seeds and certain legumes (peanuts).
Let us examine these in turn. Dairy requires the animals, the skills to manage
them and the ability to feed them. If you do not have all of these requirements
these then dairy is off the list. Animal fats require either animal husbandry,
hunting, trapping and/or fishing. Animal husbandry gives us the same challenges
as dairy. Hunting, trapping and fishing require locations where it is possible
to do so. Nuts come from trees so if you don't already have them now, don't
expect anything from them for a long time [given the many years it takes
to grow a nut tree to productive maturity]. This leaves plants like peanuts
and seeds such as sunflower. I humbly request that those more knowledgeable
in agriculture chime in and let us know which (if any) other legumes and
seeds they would recommend for edible oil in terms of ease of production
and harvesting as well and yield. - SF in Hawaii
JWR Replies: Both of these letters raise an issue that is often
overlooked in long term survival/preparedness planning. I believe
that fats
and oils are consciously ignored by food storage vendors, because they
love to market their "complete" three
year and five year food storage packages. The problem is that those food
assortments do not
include the requisite multiple-year supply essential fats and oils! And
I believe that they do this because they have nothing in their bag of tricks
to provide suitable
sources of fats and oils that store well for five years. They are doing their
customers a huge disservice by this omission. Granted, most of them mention
in their catalogs
that cooking oil and shortening must be added to their storage program,
but they hardly trumpet that fact. Unfortunately, most of the typical "buy
and forget" customers--those that don't practice using their storage
foods--overlook this! And it isn't just a matter of having shortening available
as an ingredient to bake with the grain that you grow or store. Fats and
oils are a nutritional necessity--some
fat is needed for health and nutrition.
Raising livestock is a great way to provide fats for your diet. A
few home-raised pigs will provide your family with both meat and a source of
fat.
(So much that you'll have extra available for charity or barter.) For those
readers that avoid pork, I'd recommend raising sheep or emus. Emu
oil is
amazing stuff. Anyone that has ever butchered an emu (as I have) can tell
you that there is a tremendous amount of oil stored in an adult emu. Fish raised
in ponds are another possibility. Anyone considering taking up aquaculture
should consider raising at least one particularly oily species,
such as shad,
just as a source of fish oil.
If you have the room to keep one or more cow, you will have a huge source
of butterfat. (Again, so much that you'll have extra available for charity
or barter.) If cattle are too large for you to handle, or if you live in an
area with CC&Rs that
restrict them, then you might be able to raise dairy goats. They are quite
easy to handle (but sometimes a challenge to fence), and they do a great job
of clearing brush. It is difficult to make butter from most goat milk. American
Nubians have some
of the highest butterfat milk of all the goat breeds. Even still, it must be
run through a separator before you can make butter.
Egg yolks are another important source of fat. This is yet another reason
to keep a laying flock. (That is, until a
new strain of H5 Asian Avian Flu comes along. Then be ready to butcher
all your chickens and emus in a hurry.) Growing peanuts and
sunflower
is an option in much of North America, and olive trees is viable
for folks that live in mild climate zones. Do you have an oil press? If not,
then you
can
buy one
from Lehman's.
Hunting isn't much of an option unless you live in bear, beaver, wild pig,
or emu country.
(On the latter: It is notable that SurvivalBlog has a lot of readers in Australia.)
Most other wild game lacks sufficient fat. Rabbit meat is particularly low
in fat. As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, a
diet consisting of mostly rabbit meat will lead to slow starvation. Venison
by itself is quite low in fat. Just ask your neighborhood butcher how
he makes venison sausage. He will probably tell you that his recipe includes
adding plenty of pork fat.
A diet that has too much lean meat can lead to both severe digestive problems
and even malnutrition. If you plan to depend heavily on wild game or livestock
that you raise, then be sure to provide for some bulk fiber in your diet. To
provide this fiber, you must ether sprout it, grow it in your garden, or store
it. Don't overlook this aspect of preparing your survival larder!
Survivalists need to seriously re-think the way that they process the wild
game that they harvest. Odds are that you currently throw away fat, kidneys,
tongues, and intestines. Some hunters even discard hearts and livers. Wasting
valuable sources of fat would be foolish in a survival situation.
Take a few minutes to read this article: Guts
and Grease: The Diet of Native Americans. American Indians were famous
for hoarding fat. Bear grease and fat from beaver tails were both particularly
sought after. (And BTW, they have multiple uses including lubrication,
medicinal uses, and even as a source of fuel for lighting.) One of my favorite
books is The
Last of the Mountain Men, a biography of Sylvan Hart (a.k.a. "Buckskin
Bill"). Hart was an Idaho solitary that lived in the remote River of No
Return wilderness (southeast of Grangeville and northwest of Salmon, Idaho.)
In the book, Hart makes several mentions of bear grease and its importance
for
self-sufficient living.
One important proviso about bears for anyone living up in polar bear country:
Avoid eating more than a quarter ounce of polar bear liver per month. Because
of the polar bear's diet out on the ocean pack ice, like many other polar region
predators their livers contains so much concentrated Vitamins A and D that
is cause vitamin poisoning when eaten. (A quarter-pound of polar bear liver
contains about 2,250,000 units of vitamin A. That is roughly 450 times the
recommended daily dose for an adult weighing 175 pounds.) From what I have
read, this is thankfully not an issue with bears in lower latitudes.
For urbanite or suburbanite preppers that don't hunt, don't fish, don't have
the room to raise livestock, and don't have the room to grow peanuts, olives,
or sunflowers on a large scale, there are precious few options for long-term
sources of fats and oils. The first option is expensive
but viable: Once every 18 months completely rotate your supply:.
Donate the unused portion of your stored stock of cooking oil and shortening/lard
to your local food bank--or if it
has gone
rancid, set it aside
for making biodiesel, candles or soap. (Speaking of soap making, be sure to
stock up on plenty of lye (sodium hydroxide). Until about three years ago,
lye was sold in the US as drain cleaner, under several brand names including
Red
Devil.
Sadly,
lye
is
no longer
widely available
in
the US, but there are still some
Internet lye vendors. One of them is a SurvivalBlog affiliate
advertiser: Lehman's.
And of course acquire all of the requisite safety equipment including goggle
and
gloves. Lye is highly caustic.)
The other thing that you can do is buy a case or two of
canned butter, once
every
three
years. Canned butter is available from Best
Prices Storable Foods and from Ready
Made Resources. (Both of these firms are reputable and both are long-time
SurvivalBlog advertisers.)
As I've mentioned in the blog before, be very selective about the fats and
oils that you store. Some that you buy in your local supermarket are borderline
rancid and unhealthy even when "freshly made." I prefer olive oil
over corn oil. I also prefer storing canned butter over Crisco-type shortening
or canned lard. For those that do prefer shortening, its shelf life can be
extended by re-packing it in Mason-type canning jars. Some brands of lard are
still packed in all-metal cans, which provides a longer shelf life. Look
in the ethnic
foods
section of your grocery store for cans marked"Manteca",
which is Spanish for lard.
Study up on fats and oils. This
article by Carl L. Alsberg and Alonzo E. Taylor is a good general overview.
Think through how you would provide for your family in a long-term societal
collapse. Odds are that you will conclude that you must either; a.) relocate
to an
area with abundant wild game, or b.) buy more acreage so that you can grow
sunflowers and raise swine or cattle. To be the best prepared, you should
pursue both.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Two Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet »
Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future?
Jim:
[Regarding your
reply to the recent letter about military surplus ammunition prices,]
cheap ammunition is indeed a thing of the past. The reasons for this are
several;
1) Under new UN small
arms treaties, many states are now committed to destroy small arms ammunition
rather than allow it to fall into the hands of "Unapproved Users" (which
does not include psycho dictators, just civilians).
2) US small arms ammunition is now going "Green" with lead replaced
with Tungsten-Tin, Tungsten-Polymer and other non-toxic materials, which means
they cannot be sold to civilians as they fall under "Armor piercing handgun
ammunition" category { "a projectile or projectile core which may
be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence
of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys,
steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium,"}.
And yes Virginia, 5.56 and 7.62 NATO are "Pistol" ammunition to the BATFE.
[P.S. It might interest everyone to know that the Tungsten comes from China,
wonder what would happen if China stopped being so friendly]
3) The Clintonistas passed a regulation that made "Military Propellants" a
controlled item (not for sale to the unwashed), so the ammunition must have
the powder replaced with commercial powder before it could be sold as surplus.
The increased costs involved made it cheaper to destroy the ammo than to sell
it,
especially since the cost goes on the budget right away, while the profit goes
on the next fiscal year. Combined with No 2 above, this is why the government
has burned billions (yes B, BILLIONS) of rounds of 7.62 NATO over the last
12 years or so. [JWR Adds: The "popped" ammunition
components that come out of the incinerators is then sold as scrap metal. Very
sad.]
4) Increased costs of materials (copper, nickel, lead, etc.) as well as higher
transportation costs, higher import fees, and compliance costs for various
regulations, will keep the price of new ammo high, even after the huge drain
on production involved with the "War on Terror" slows.
The bottom line is stock up! Don't expect prices to go down
or supplies to go up, because barring some serious changes in the situation,
they
won't.
« Jim's Quote of the Day: |Main| Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future? »
Odds 'n Sods:
Don't miss out on the special $99.95 sale for my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course. This is the first time that
it has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. The sale ends on
August
8th,
so place your order soon!
o o o
Ben L. sent us this: Water
Tables Falling and Rivers Running Dry
o o o
I just heard that the prices of most of the SurvivalBlog
t-shirts will be increasing
soon. (The maker had previously been charging the same for shirts printed
only on
the front and those printed both front and back. They will soon assess
a $3 surcharge for all shirts that have both front and back printing.
Most of our shirts have Heinlein's "Specialization is for insects" quote
printed on the back.) Sorry, but this pricing change is beyond my control.
So if you want a
shirt
at the
current
price, get
your order in right away.
o o o
Commentary from Susan C. Walker: Subprime Storm Mimics Katrina
« Note from JWR: |Main| Odds 'n Sods: »
Jim's Quote of the Day:
"For man also does not know his time:
Like a fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
when it falls suddenly upon them. - Ecclesiastes 9:12 (NKJV)
« Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators? |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Note from JWR:
The high bid is now at $330 in the SurvivalBlog
benefit auction for a brand new Big
Berkey water filter, kindly donated
by Ready Made
Resources. They are one of our most loyal advertisers. The auction ends
on August 15th. Just e-mail us your bid.
« Letter Re: Observations on the Flooding in Central England |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators?
James:
I am working on two generator set-ups and would like some feedback.
I am working on a Mercedes OM636 and a 3 cylinder, 1 liter [displacement] Chevy
Sprint/Geo Metro/Suzuki motor.
In this letter I'll describe the 3 cylinder and why I think it will work at
a retreat [to power a generator].
The 3 cylinder goes back to 1982 with GM’s Project Saturn in 1982. It
achieved better than 100 miles per gallon (mpg).
On a trip from Warren, Michigan to New York it averaged 105 mpg on the highway
and 75 mpg
in the city.
It was
dropped because of safety requirements and creature comforts that would require
extra horsepower. (Hot Rod magazine, November 2006, page 30)
