Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers in Australia will likely find this company of interest: Outback Watertanks

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An interesting podcast: What Homeschoolers and Homemakers can learn from Preppers.

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Don’t miss out on the Ready Made Resources sale on Mountain House long term storage foods. They are offering 25% discounts and free shipping for Mountain House foods in #10 cans. The sale ends on November 5th.

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The PlayStation handset that fires mortars and the world’s deadliest catapult: Lethal ingenuity of outgunned Syrian rebels. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

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Matt P. wrote to mention his new product: Concealable Backup Universal Handcuff Key

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If you have been voting for politicians who promise to give you goodies at someone else’s expense, then you have no right to complain when they take your money and give it to someone else, including themselves.” – Thomas Sowell

Notes from JWR:

October 25th is remembered as the anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade, in 1854. This British cavalry charge against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava was led by Lord Cardigan during the the Crimean War.

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Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Avoiding Bad Company, by Huey F.

I’ll begin with a Bible quote: “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33

Perhaps starting off with a Scripture will turn away some people, yet there really isn’t a better way to begin. I don’t want to come across as such a Bible-thumping Christian that I make those of you who are not Christians turn away, but I also don’t want anyone to think I was disguising the Christian aspects of this article in an attempt to trick you into buying in to biblical principles. It is for this reason – transparency and blunt openness and honesty – that I have chosen to go ahead and reference the Scripture that gave me the title of the article. I think you will find that as the subject unfolds, there would be no misunderstanding either way about the nature or foundation of my thought process. It is overtly Christian.

Now that I have that out of the way, I want to say two things:

1. When I refer to “Christians” throughout the article, I would also include any practicing  members of Jewish faith.

2. The rest of the article might not be necessary to those Christians who truly follow the Scripture above with prayer, caution, and deep thought, however I do believe this instruction in Scripture is exponentially more important in a SHTF scenario than it might be in everyday life. Furthermore, it is my belief that commandments and instruction in Scripture do not need further exposition except for the fact that most of us – myself included – often need it said in eighteen different ways before it sinks in that we need to simply follow and obey!

So here we have instruction in the Bible – “do not be misled.” Words like these always stick out to me because they do not occur often in Scripture, so when they do, I take notice and think about what they are implying, perhaps a bit longer than I do other verses. If the Bible is saying NOT to be misled, then it stands to reason that the area it is referring to is one that people are quite often misled about. Myself not wanting to be misled, I pay attention to what follows: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

At first glance, I think to myself something along the lines of “duh” but then, again, I decide to think deeper about it. It must not be a “duh” kind of subject if so many are easily misled on this issue. I won’t waste time with some sort of doctrinal article about all the ways I see people can be misled on this, but I would rather focus on why this is such an important area when it comes to a TEOTWAWKI / SHTF scenario and ultimately, your survival.

There is a saying that “no man is an island” which implies that we all need others. Well, that is mostly true. There is another saying that “every man is an island” which, while in direct contradiction with the previous statement, is also true. We are all our own “islands” when it comes to our relationship and accountability to God. When we stand before Him, there won’t be anyone with us. Just us. Islands. This distinction is ironic because the way I see things, because none of us is an “island” on earth, the importance of who is in our “company” – be it good or bad – directly affects the day we all recognize what we were all “islands” before God.

My wife and I had a conversation recently about our prepping and survival plans should anything catastrophic happen. We don’t have a lot of money, and we take advantage and get necessary items when we see sales, but thankfully we think alike when it comes to planning. More and more we find that our mindsets are in concert any time we talk of the future. We both believe in the need for supplies as well as the need for a group in order to survive a truly long-term collapse. We used to think we could make it alone, but even in the most remote setting that required no security watchmen, we would be vulnerable to injury or sickness. Fact is, we realized that we are not an island. We will need at least 2 to 6 more people in order to live securely. In our recent conversation, I mentioned some “friends” (I use that term loosely here because true friends are those I would have around after a collapse) and told her bluntly, “You realize that if things collapse and we have to form a group, Bobby and Jane (as I’ll call them) are out.” Being that the “Jane” in this couple of “friends” is closer to her than I am to the “Bobby,” I was shocked to find that she looked down rather sadly and said, “Yeah, I know.” She got it. I didn’t have to explain.

Bobby and Jane are not Christians, and as much as I am willing to do things with them socially and have had long conversations with them about God, they are opposed to the idea of a God and do not wish to talk about it further. Again, in THESE times, I am fine to oblige them and respect their wishes. I will continue to be a friend to them, hunt with Bobby, and love their children…but when it comes to the survival of my wife and children in a much different world, I know that I cannot have them around, as much as I hate it for them, and in some ways, for us.

Now some might be thinking that I sound cruel and heartless, or that I am taking too hard of a line when it comes to my faith. Let me start off saying that I understand your thoughts – they were thoughts of mine at first. But then I remembered: “do not be misled.” The words have weight and made me think – and after much prayer, thought, and contemplation, I finally got it.

Christianity is a family, and I don’t need quotes on that word. It isn’t a pseudo-family, it’s a true family. The word family isn’t just a nice metaphor for the entire collective on planet Earth known as Christians – it is a definition. We are family. Brothers and sisters in Christ. Race, gender, nationality, etc, have no meaning when someone is a Christian. If they follow Christ, they are my brother or sister, and the fact is, nobody loves you like family and you cannot risk the health and welfare of your family by trusting someone outside of it.

“Why not?” you might ask. “Aren’t there other trustworthy people out there who simply aren’t Christians?” The short answer is yes…the more complicated answer is NO.

Yes, there are people out there who have a sense of morality and who hold some of the same Judeo-Christian moral standards we have without actually being Jewish or Christian, but if my experience in meeting them is any indication, they are few and far between. The larger issue though is that they might be moral right now, in this society, but who knows after the SHTF. So then, why do I say no? Because of the scenario we have to envision.

Picture this:

Society has collapsed. The dollar is gone. There is no monetary system in place. The grid is down. Fuel is running out quickly. Food and water are running out even faster. Everyone is in a state of panic and scared about how they are going to survive. Bands of looters have already started roaming the streets assaulting anyone they see and taking what they want by force. There is no law and order. There are no firefighters or paramedics. No governing body of any consequence is to be found. Every family is on its own, and you have to choose a few friends to survive with. Guess what – you better choose wisely because these could be the people you grow old with. These could be the people your kids grow up around. These will be the people who defend you, your wife, and your kids when the time comes. These are your family for now and for the foreseeable future.

Now let me say, I am all for having a group with various skills. I personally have learned a tremendous amount of skills in the past three years that I never thought about needing ten years ago. I have learned to can, to hunt, to garden, to raise chickens and livestock, to fell trees and split wood, to fix minor vehicle issues that I would have simply let someone else do years ago, and many other things not worth mentioning, but I am still no expert at them and definitely not proficient enough to want to survive – or have others rely – on my skills in every area. I could definitely use some guys and gals around with skills I do not possess. However, just because I may want a certain skill set in my group does not mean I can compromise on the character of those who have the skills. I mentioned “Bobby” earlier, and truth be told, there are two other “friends” in the same vein. These guys have awesome skills. One is a doctor, the other is an ex-Army engineer and mechanic, and “Bobby” is ex-military as well. Those are some serious skills I would like in my group, but none of these three men are God-fearing. In fact, I would rate them more on the God-hating side of the bar.

So here is where I could deceive myself into thinking it will be okay. I could say to myself, “Their skills are necessary and they have been friends with me for years. It will be fine. They know where I stand and in time hopefully they will come to know God.” But I know this is simply me trying to have my cake and eat it too. It is self-serving because I want the skills on my side. As an athletic coach, I know a thing or two about assembling teams with certain skill sets and directing them as a unit. I know the value of having the right skills for the right position. So why then am I planning to exclude these highly-skilled individuals based solely on their faith, or lack thereof? I will give you three reasons:

1. If a man is not a Christian, he has no personal accountability to God Himself. For me, this is of utmost importance. We are not talking about living in the easy times as we do now – we are talking about total anarchy. Complete chaos and an extreme change in the way our lives are lived. I simply cannot trust a man to lay down his life for me or my family – if need be – if that man is not accountable to God. A man not inwardly accountable to God is only living for and accountable to himself and his family. What if that man is taking watch one night while my family and I sleep when suddenly a group of armed men rush the property? How can I trust that he will defend my family like it is his family if he does not see it that way? As I said earlier, Christians are family, and we know that in that situation, if we defended our own wives and children to the detriment of the others, God would not approve and we would answer for it. We would be willing to lay down our life to defend and warn the others. But a man who does not know God – a man unsure of his own eternal destiny – I do not believe that man will sacrifice his life for anyone except his own, nor am I willing to roll the dice about it.

2. If a man is not a Christian, he does not hold the Bible in any regard and will not submit to its authority. As Christians, we plan to live according to the instruction God has given in His Word. Anyone allowed to live among our group who thinks the Bible is just some mythical book would cause great friction and ultimately not abide by our way of life. In the times ahead, the last thing I need to worry about is some guy who has major influence on my children filling their heads with thoughts antagonistic to God and His Word – or even if he didn’t do so, I don’t need to worry that he will!

3. And finally, there is the title of this article: “bad company corrupts good character.” If a man does not follow Christ, he is bad company. Jesus said “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Mt 12:30) I cannot have a man who is against Christ scattering and dividing my group. Furthermore, there will be a better chance that my children might grow up without me around in this new, violent world, and of all my “preps” I want the main one to be the “village” that will raise my kids in my absence. A son without a father – and sometimes with a father – will want to gravitate toward an adult male who will impart wisdom as a father would. I have to know that whoever my son might choose to fill that role will teach him the way I would, and that he will have a chance to know God because of it.

And lastly, in the same vein as reason 3, I must apply the Scripture directly to myself. If I invite non-Christians (bad company) to live with me as closely as we will be living, what then becomes of me? I might think that my character is strong and my devotion to Christ is unshakable, but Scripture tells me that the bad will corrupt the good, not the other way around. Again, I may want to think the opposite is true, but that is why it tells us “do not be misled.” It would be so easy to do so, especially in the seemingly impossible times that would surely lie ahead. I cannot trust my own wisdom or my own character. I must trust God’s wisdom and surround myself first with men who fear Him, and second with men of worldly skill and ability.

Choose your friends and associates wisely.

Letter Re: Testing 20 Year Old Home-Canned Tomato Sauce

James Wesley, Rawles:
Sometime in the middle 1990s I put away four litre (quart) jars of tomato sauce. Now, at least 20 years later I opened, processed and consumed this tomato preserve.
The storage was in a cool, dry, dark and undisturbed location. The product was cooked, skin-removed italian tomato.

The canning process I had used was simple: cook, skin, fill, bottle, water bath, etc.
The result was acceptable.  Although I had to cut away the ring with a can piercer to loosen (destroy) the ring on the jar – the cap (lid) was intact.
There was no bulging or other signs of contamination – there was no off-gassing or warning smell.
The contents was brought to a boil before being added to a meat sauce.

The result was adequate but the flavour level was low.  Certainly it was not contaminated with any opportunistic organisms and nobody had any gastrointestinal issues. – Richard S.

JWR Replies: That was an interesting experiment, but keep in mind that even though older canned foods are often safe to eat and marginally palatable, their nutritive value is negligible. As stated many times in SurvivalBlog, it is crucial to mark dates on all of your canned goods–both commercially-canned and home-canned. Rotate them religiously, using First-In, First-Out (FIFO) rotation. Using specially made canned food rotation racks (such as those made by Shelf Reliance) makes this process fool-proof. If you are on a very tight budget, there are plans available for making your own, out of cardboard. While not as durable or sturdy (DO NOT stack multiple cardboard units!) and they are time-consuming to make, the cardboard racks do work adequately.

Economics and Investing:

Highest (and Lowest) State & Local Tax Burdens

Bank of Canada Fires Shot Across Bow, Says “Withdrawal of Stimulus Will Likely be Required”

Hot Off the Press: Fed to Print $470 Billion in 2013. Note the mention of increased demand for $100 bills, going overseas.

Items from The Economatrix:

Jim Sinclair:  Change In Spread Management By Bullion Banks Will Send Gold Prices $3,500-$12,400

Weimar:  Here’s What We Know About The Hyperinflation Horror That Haunts Europe Today

Suddenly, Everyone on Wall Street is Taking the “Red Pill” of Economics

Marc Faber:  Western World In “Colossal Mess” In 5-10 Years

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader AmEx (American Expatriate) sent: “Total identity theft” growing, authorities fear

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Dentist Dr. Tom Loomis has just one slot still open for his upcoming two-day Field Dentistry Class, in Sweetwater, Tennessee on Nov. 30, and Dec. 1, 2012. Enrollment is limited to just 12 students. The class costs $400 per person. To register, send $200 by check or money order to Tom Loomis DDS, P.O. Box 510, Sweetwater, TN 37874. Phone number: 423-371-1073, or e-mail: tandsloomis@bellsouth.net or tom.loomis@yahoo.com. The class will be held at the Magnuson Hotel in Sweetwater at Exit 60 off of Interstate 75. Rooms are $35 plus tax if you ask for the Field Dentistry Class rate. The hotel phone is: 423-337-3541. Registrations must be received by November 8, 2012.

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Gun Shy: City published personal information of some gun owners. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

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F.J. spotted this gadget: The Gerber Shard Is a Multipurpose DIY Tool that Fits on Your Keychain.

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Malaria returns to crisis-torn Greece

Notes from JWR:

Happy birthday to Ronald E. Rosser, one of America’s few living recipients of the Medal of Honor. He was born October 24, 1929.

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Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Attitude Adjustment, by Dena M.

As a single mother of two I know and live the word budget all to well. My income is limited and I have wasted a lot of time and money because I was too focused on getting ‘only the best.’ I quickly realized that the path I was on was getting me nowhere. I began to look at past purchases and realized that a lot of my purchases were unnecessary and quite frankly irresponsible. If I wanted to better guarantee the safety and sanity of myself and my young children, I needed to take a different path to self-sufficiency and quickly. In addition, this may all be common sense ideas but I know all too well that in the beginning it is extremely overwhelming and sometimes you may get caught up in all the fancy gadgets and lose sight of what truly matters.

Let’s face it not everyone can afford a retreat, with the nice solar panels’ and armored windows. However, everyone can afford a library book that will increase their skill set making them more valuable to those that can afford a retreat. If you put the effort forth there is tons of literature on tool making, canning, operating ham radios, farming, first aid, animal husbandry, firearms repair, and reloading. Pay close attention to animal husbandry, farming, and try your hand at blacksmithing (start with wrought iron then move to steel). It is critical to know what crop to plant in a certain part of the year along with knowing how to do it. You will also need to look at how you will harvest your crops without a tractor. If you do not have the money to invest in horses and the simple machines that would allow you to plant and harvest your crops via original horse power than you will need to purchase and know how to effectively use the simple hand tools. Buy a scythe to harvest cereal and practice with it. Also, invest in a few spades, pitchforks, garden forks, and some hoes. Owning simple tools and having the know how to use them will make you a great asset. In addition to your non formal training do your best to obtain certified skills, First Responder courses and to become a EMT do not take too long to complete. Even a basic Wilderness First Responder course can save someone’s life, I know because my training saved my three month old. Can’t find a group that is right for you? Plan B: Find others that are in your situation and group purchase land. Some advise against that but I have seen it work. If neither of these are options pre-position several caches in several locations as temporary retreats. Place them on land far from major cities and densely populated areas. Again it doesn’t have to be fancy. It is there to give you additional time and safety for the time being. There are bound to be retreat groups that realize that their six group members are not capable of handling the larger gangs and that they lack certain specialties. At that point if you can offer a valuable skill set and provide additional food that you pre cached away they will be more willing to accept you into their retreat group. However, you can never be too sure so the caches should be set up to enable you to set up a retreat once there is no land surveyor to come a knocking. Remember this is not the time to be picky, that apartment or home you have in the city will not suffice in a WROL situation.

When you’re prepping to bug out and/ or funding is lacking your best friend is going to be caches.  Clearly you cannot fit all the gear you need in a backpack. However, you can have a years’ worth of food and additional ammo if you take the time to bury caches. If you have joined a group that is even better. The caches should be on several different routes to the retreat location and you have the option of pre-positioning gear at the retreat. In addition, remember when I said you can cache items to build upon later? I wasn’t kidding. It may sound absurd but let’s take a minute and discuss this. Lets’ say before the collapse you made valid efforts to secure four acres of land but did not have the funding to build yet nor could you finically afford to move to the middle of nowhere. But you did take the time to cache tools, nails, food, piping to outfit a gravity fed water system and generator (watch Yukon Men — it is possible) among various other items. (Even better if you were able to secure a shed [at very low cost or free] from CraigsList. Now your family has a temporary shelter you can build upon instead of remaining out in the weather.) Once you arrive at your retreat location you can begin the feverish task of building up a retreat. It is not the ideal scenario to begin building after things have SHTF but again it is playing the hand you have been dealt. The retreat won’t be fancy, but it could sustain you & yours more comfortably with the items you cached.  Now let’s say you buried caches but you did not bury to rebuild you just buried to sustain. You are left trying to figure out how to chop down lumber for a shelter without an axe because the survival axe in your bug out bag quickly failed you, and no nails to build (safe to say you probably didn‘t cache a book on how to build a log cabin primitive style either). Now you are stuck carrying five gallon buckets up from the stream several times a day not only for the family but for the garden that you had to dig up with sticks because you didn’t cache garden tools.  See where I’m going with this? The minor preps can make all the difference and these preps do not have to break the bank. Nor does your retreat have to mimic a five star hotel to ensure your survival (in fact that would probably get you killed).

Network, network, network. Did I mention to network? The prepping community is a library in itself. Meet, talk, sit down and strategize. Not only are you learning you are establishing a relationship that could pay off in the future.

Can’t afford a AR-15 or AK? Well great neither can I. Instead I put money into ammo, and lots of it. I know you’re going to say, “Save that money that you spend on ammo and put it towards that AR-15.” Well guess what time is running out and what I can afford at this time is one to two boxes of ammo a month.

Which leads me to, “Keeping up with the Joneses.” You are not prepping to impress the Joneses. You are prepping for you and yours. The needs and income of your family are different from the next. So who gives a rats butt if the prepper over there disagrees with your purchase? He/She is not the one paying for it! Instead of trying to keep up with the latest gadgets and freeze dried storage of Joe Schmo next door focus your attention on what you can do and become efficient at it. So yea you could spend that $200 on that cool knife your bud has or you could save it and put it towards a reliable firearm or crossbow. So get rid of the notion that because the next guy over has better gear that he is better equipped. Remember knowledge is your biggest asset in a survival situation. While you are out hunting and gathering he will be fumbling to open his latest gadget and scratching his head over the instructions.

You’re stuck on new. Folks that are so fixed on having the pretty aspect they forget that getting certain items second hand saves you a lot of money. Doing so you just might be able to afford that AR-15. Again when you’re in the field you will be kicking yourself in the hind end for only having that .22 because that is what you could afford at a retail price. Network; find an individual that knows guns. See if they are willing to look at a few used firearms in return for a service you specialize in. In certain disasters old is worth more than new.  That Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is as good as scrap in an EMP situation. Garage selling is a great way to find preps for cheap. For example, I recently purchased a camo waterproof bib and jacket set for ten dollars at a garage sale, an insulated bib for five bucks, and camo pants for a dollar. With that said there are some items that deserve more of an investment.

Name brands….yes some items are worth their investment. For example if you are prepping to bug out an adequate sleeping bag is a must (if you live in a large populated area such as Denver let’s face it you have to leave). There is a huge difference in a Wiggy’sbrand sleeping bag versus a Wally World sleeping bag. Another area that should not be skimped on is boots. You will be doing a lot of walking/ running and the last thing you need is to be trying to do so barefoot. Trust me…those Wally World “waterproof” boots are only waterproof for the first few uses. However, do you really need that fancy $300 flashlight? Probably not. Buy two headlamps and put the rest aside for an adequate sleeping bag. When it comes down to it don’t get stuck on the latest fanciest gadgets with that expensive price tag due to the name. When deciding on a product you need to look at longevity and reliability and ask yourself can I get the same quality if I buy an off brand?

Priorities. You need to sit down with your partner (or a pen and piece of paper if you’re like me) and discuss what follows: water purification, shelter, food, and self-defense. Clearly you will have to set priorities within those categories’ to.  A priority should not be fancy shelving if you are on a budget. “Sorry baby boy we can’t eat next month because I wanted my prepping closet to look nice.” That money you spend on those shelves could buy your family an additional month of food or even a firearm in some cases. Call the bakeries and ask for buckets, buy five dollar totes are even better go out on trash days…you will find a ton! People throw away the most useful and expensive items. I once went to the dumpster and found several books that retail well over $15 a piece and name brand clothing such as Under Armour with the tags still on! 

She’d cook a dish and we’d go ‘Mama, w’ats this here, hanh?’ And she’d say, Children, that’s a mus-go. It mus’ go down yo’ throat.” – Justin Wilson

Adjust your skeptical eaters’ view of food now! My family began that at an early age.
Half of the time I did not know what type of meat I was eating…and for that fact if I’m eating at my fathers these days I still don‘t. If it was brown it was beef, if it was white it was chicken or turkey flavored differently. We raised rabbits and I never knew until I was older that I was eating my ‘pet’ rabbit. Dad would simply make sure that he replaced it with the same color rabbit which explains why I was only allowed to have one specific color….

Statistics show that you may have to offer a child the same food fifteen to sixteen times before they will accept it. So offer your local game now. Get a cookbook and learn how to work with it. If you have an infant and have the ability to breast feed, do so. Formula is expensive, it is easier to put aside some to supplement your child’s diet than to store one years’ worth. Can’t afford to stock up on freeze dried food items? For me that wasn’t a big deal. Down here it’s, “What would you like with your rice tonight?” You can pretty much guarantee that either rice or beans (or both) is in a dish from jambalaya to gumbo, to red beans and rice, all the way to black eyed peas & rice. And it is soooo good! These can be some of the simplest dishes to the most complex, figure out how you like them now.

Before you begin purchasing preps do a inventory of the items you have. Since my son has a skin disorder I already had a pretty decent stash of medical supplies. Far from enough but more than most. However, it will expire or run out no matter the amount I store. Knowing this I’m trying to find alternative ways to treat his skin with what nature provides.  Doing this I have taken one step closer to the realization that the supply chain may not be reestablished before my stockpile has run out.  Your preps should reflect that chance also. In each category you need to address the what if scenario of the grid being down for a decade or two. Yes you may have food and supplies to last for a few years but do you have the knowledge to live off the land once it runs out? Realize material items are just that…items. Knowledge and know how will outlast any material object.

Just a few additional tips to make your money go further. If I receive change I ask for it in nickels. Since nickels are 25% nickel and 75% cooper they are worth more than their face value yet you pay no more for it. It is real easy to get lost in the beans, bullets, and band aids prep list; however, there are plenty of other preps that are needed. Go to garage sales and pick up clothing for your children in every size you can. It is better to spend ten bucks on twenty outfits for the future now than having to barter precious ammo later. Also, tents, lighting, and shoes are a great addition to your preparations and are usually found cheaply at garage sales. I check CraigsList a lot and I can always find free firewood and pallets. Even if you just have land it would be wise to stockpile fire wood there. The McCormick brand seasoning packets are relatively cheap and are a great way to add flavor and calories to bland dishes. Even now my children and I enjoy rice and a beef burger smothered in brown gravy. In addition, I was unaware until I read a article that individuals on food stamps could purchase plants and seeds as long as they produce food. My local Wal-Mart sells a small variety of heirloom seeds and Whole Foods sales bulk wheat along with various other bulk items. Obviously, if you are on food stamps your budget is tight but try to set aside a few dollars in your budget to purchase some fruits for the future. Always look for multipurpose items to get more for your money. The WhisperLite International by MSR burns white gas, kerosene, unleaded gasoline and IsoPro Butane. It would make a great addition to your Bug Out Bag or even your retreat. With the bountiful of vehicles that will line the roads you could have fuel for a while. In addition, there are a few other common places that allow for cheaper purchases. Sam’s has great deals on long term food storage especially on wheat if you cannot get into a LDS cannery soon (ours has a nine to ten month waiting list). No the wheat is not organic and non-GMO but you won’t starve to death. Visit your local dollar stores. I purchased over twenty seed packets for under three dollars because it was the end of the season. Also, eBay is a great place to pick up items. For your bug out bag you can obtain a large Alice pack and frame for under thirty dollars, it is cheap and has proven its’ keep. There are great deals on everything from wool socks to boots to the military poncho and poncho liner.

It takes work, time, sweat, blood, and some tears occasionally. And a lot of prayer. But if you are willing to work overtime, pick up a second job, get up early and hit the flea market and garage sales. It is possible on a low income. Bartering, second hand, and education is going to be your Emancipation Proclamation or Thirteenth Amendment, whichever you see fit. What it boils down to is having the motivation to work towards becoming a asset without having a hefty wallet. An the willingness to look at alternative ways to prep without allowing others view to dictate your path to self sufficiency.

On a deeper note, I would love to keep my children’s lives normal after the SHTF but after realizing the harsh reality of my budget and knowing how the majority of the population will act I realized that I couldn’t. The reality was hard to swallow as much as I wanted to save for all the luxuries that a retreat offers. My fears of the chaos that will ensue after SHTF is justified, the nation witnessed that during and after Hurricane Katrina. So I regrouped, re-strategized and began thinking logically on how I could best keep food in my babies’ mouths and keep them safe, the best I could. No it is not glamorous nor will it be as comfortable as it would be if we had a retreat set up but at least I’m doing my best to prevent them from starving. So please don’t put off prepping because you can’t afford the best or you feel you just don’t have the money. Spend a few extra dollars and do your best to get your beans, bullets, and band aids in place prior to the coming collapse. Because in the end eating rice and beans is better than watching your children starve to death.

Lastly, I have a question. BriteLyt lanterns advertises the ability to burn a variety of fuels including kerosene, diesel, gasoline, white gas, biodiesel, paint thinner (not to sure how I feel about that one), mineral spirits, charcoal lighter fluid, lamp oils, Coleman fuel, and JP fuels. However, due to the price I have not had the ability to try one. My question to SurvivalBlog readers is, have you tried one and if so are they worth their investment (for me the price tag is a couple months of my prepping budget)?

Letter Re: Another Hidden In Plain Sight Storage Tip

Howdy,
Great site, thanks for a wonderful resource.

My tip of the day for hidden in plain sight storage, is a hollowed out heavy bag. I mean one of those ubiquitous kickboxing bags languishing in so many garages, covered with dust, and often stuffed into a corner and unused for years. These can be found used and cheap and have minimal resale value, thus a low likelihood of being taken in a burglary, especially as they are usually quite heavy. If there is no food or anything inside attractive to a dog or a bear, that is good of course, so nothing leads an intruder to it.

So, if you have some padding around a large tube hidden in this bag, it still can be punched, but can hold rifles, ammo, etc in a fairly large amount, and in fact should be so heavy, that its a pain to move from its dusty spot in the garage. Just re-lash the top (or perhaps re-stitch it, depending on the design), put the hanging chains back on and it hides in plain sight! Happy Trails – Eugene

Economics and Investing:

When I last checked, spot platinum had plummeted to $1,569 per ounce, while gold was more resilient at $1,707. This disparity is attributable to the platinum price being driven by its industrial uses. (And the global industrial forecast presently looks grim.) But, as I’ve mentioned before: whenever you can buy platinum for less than the price of gold, it is a good time to diversify your holdings. (Geologically, platinum is 16 times more rare than gold, so in most years it sells for a 20% to 150% premium over gold. The times that platinum has sold for less than gold, such as 1991 and today only come rarely. A 2009 article by Eric Bolling is instructive.) We can count on the long term historic ratio being restored, eventually. The current price inversion (with platinum selling for $138 less per ounce than the price of gold) is unprecedented. My advice: If you are currently holding more than six ounces of gold, I recommend swapping half of it into 1/10th ounce or 1/4 ounce U.S. Mint-issued Statute of Liberty platinum coins that have been authenticated by PCGS or NGC. (Commonly called “slabbed” bullion coins.) If you shop around, you can probably find a coin dealer that is willing to trade straight across. (Or you can sell your gold to one dealer and immediately buy platinum Statute of Liberty coins from another.) At the far end of the global financial crisis, you’ll be able to trade back into gold or silver, and make a handsome profit. Ratio trading isn’t just for the gurus at the COMEX desks. In exceptional times like these, the little guys like us have a good opportunity. Oh, and if you plan to marry soon, buy platinum wedding bands.

Should Congress Avert the “Fiscal Cliff”?

SurvivalBlog’s Poet Laureate G.G. sent: Pay gap between government, private sector widens to 34 percent

Believe the hype in hyperinflation

Items from The Economatrix:

Stock Market Suffers Worst Day In Months On Bernanke Separation Anxiety

FedEx Predicts Busiest Day With 10% Gain On Holiday Peak

Gold Slumps to 6-Week Low, But Should Hold at $1,700

FDIC Closes Bank In Florida Raising Total Number Of Bank Failures In 2012 To 44

Odds ‘n Sods:

Potassium permanganate fire lighting. [JWRs Safety Proviso: If you carry both chemicals, of course carry them in well-sealed sturdy containers in well-separated compartments of your pack!]

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Greg P. suggested this article: The Nuts and Bolts of a Fallout Shelter

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Also from Greg: Will the Apocalypse Arrive Online?

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A free book on Kindle, for a short time: The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door. These traditions are crucial for establishing a sense of community!

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NRC Whistleblowers: Risk of Nuclear Melt-Down In U.S. Is Even HIGHER Than It Was at Fukushima. (Thanks to reader A.K.H. for the link.)

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A coupel of news articles to file under: Worlds Apart. First from England: Man jailed after repeated attack on his wife with a shoe. And from Florida: North Lauderdale man accused of beating wife for not making his coffee. (I guess they both missed those muslim clerical “only use a short rod and don’t leave any marks when you beat your wife” lectures.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.