Year: 2010

How to Prosper in a Salvage Economy, by Tamara W.

A salvage economy is a post-production economy. The economy is based on salvage and then reuse or remanufacture of salvaged materials. The current modern equivalent of this are those individuals who sort through trash heaps and dumps for recyclable materials. The historical equivalent of this are the stone masons in Egypt who tore down ancient monuments for building material. For example, the lost Pyramid of Djedefre was thought to have not been built until its foundations were found, including a mortuary temple and queens’ pyramids. Where did it go? Must of it was used to build buildings in Cairo from …


Three Letters Re: Some Real Life Battery Data

Dear Jim, I have some comments on the comments regarding batteries: Nickel Iron (Ni-Fe) batteries do indeed have very long shelf and operating lives. But they also have some significant downsides. Similar to NiMH cells (they are not the same) they have a very high self-discharge rate. In some cases approaching 40% per month. If you have a large solar array that is always making excess power, you are all set. But if you are charging with a generator, and have a large bank to keep power available for extended periods, you will waste a lot of the generator’s output …


Letter Re: The Limited Practicality of Primitive Weapons

Dear James: I was interested to read the comments on atlatls in yesterday’s post “Getting Prepared: From the Homestead to Living Off the Land”. By way of background, I’ve been interested in atlatls since an anthropology course in junior college, and a couple of months ago bought an atlatl from Bob Berg at Thunderbird Atlatls. All the points mentioned on atlatls by the writer are true; they are simple to make (my 11-year-old nephew made his own out of scrap lumber in about twenty minutes after seeing mine), and making darts is merely an exercise in scaling arrows up, although …


Economics and Investing:

Reader B.H. recommended this primer, published by a precious metals dealer: Buying silver, buying silver bullion for survival purposes. JWR Adds: I concur with nearly all of what they recommended on “survival”/barter coins. However, I do see the utility of buying some 1/2-ounce silver bullion coins. I also recommend buying some of the new pre-scored “Stagecoach” one-ounce silver bars a and rounds that can easily be chiseled into 1/4-ounce “bits”, minted by Northwest Territorial Mint. Also, readers outside of the U.S. should concentrate on buying whichever bullion coins are the most recognizable and trusted in your respective countries. In Australia, …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Medical Corps private training organization is holding another one of their excellent three-day Combat/Field Medicine School courses, April 30th through May 2nd. The class will be held near Caldwell, Ohio at the Ohio State University Extension building. Contact: Chuck Fenwick at (740) 783-8009 for details.    o o o The good folks that organize the EMPACT America conferences are currently lobbying Congress for funding to re-fit some US military bases as EMP-proof “bastions” as centers for rebuilding societal infrastructure, following either an EMP attack or a Carrington-scale Solar Flare event. If the BHO Administration wants to spend money to …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"And this is the law of the jungle; As old and true as the sky. And the wolf that shall keep it will prosper; But he wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, The law runneth forward and back. For the strength of the pack is the wolf, And the strength of the wolf is the pack." – Rudyard Kipling, The Law of the Jungle (from The Jungle Book)


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 27 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, …


Getting Prepared: From the Homestead to Living Off the Land

Introduction I currently do not fall in the category of the less than 1% of the population that can afford the real possibility of a “retreat” on 40+ acres, based on a Rawlesian criteria. However, I do have a solid brick house on 1.5 acres in a rural area on the southern plains. For the immediate future this will have to serve as my permanent abode. I have always had an interest in outdoor survival skills, and have lived, vacationed, and worked for extended periods of time in isolated outdoor camps while working “in the bush” with limited modern comforts. These …


Letter Re: Making Change in a New Precious Metals Economy

So, given that the USA Federal Reserve currency, the US dollar, is going down the tubes, something else will replace it. There will undoubtedly be attempts by various governments to reinstate some version of fiat money, but people are going to see through that, and will not accept it, since fiat money is, at it’s core, an undeclared, and essentially unlimited, tax on those who produce. Ultimately, people will probably return to a means of exchange with more than 4,000 years of history;  Gold and silver.  Here in the USA, in the aftermath of the coming economic collapse, there will …


Letter Re: Terrain and Arboreal Camouflage for Retreats

Mr. Rawles, Well, we survived this latest storm but it gave me time to finish your novel “Patriots”. It was a very easy read and full of useful information. I know I have so much to learn. It really has helped me put things into perspective as far as priorities and what is or isn’t important in life. I can only think of two areas that were not covered well enough that I feel would help in this type of environment: The first area is the design and use of landscape and terrain to help conceal a retreat. The impression …


Economics and Investing:

Reader K.T. wrote me: You won’t believe the sweetheart deal that the Indymac boys were given by the FDIC. Reader JDD sent us this: Economist: China will soon revalue the yuan; Nation must slow economy down, deal with inflation threat, analyst says. Also from JDD come this alarming Zero Hedge article link: Move Over China: Beijing Sells Whopping $34.2 Billion Treasuries In December As Japan Becomes Largest Official Holder of US Debt Items from The Economatrix: Stocks Gain on Earnings, Deals, and Hope For Greece Foreigners Cut Treasury Stakes; Rates Could Rise Gasoline Price Hits New Low for 2010 Are …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Could this start a trend? Bill seeks to outlaw lengthy overnights at Minnesota rest areas. (Thanks to Chad S. for the link.)    o o o My book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times” is featured in the March-April 2010 Books in Brief section of The Futurist magazine, under the headline: Alarmingly Practical Advice For Doomsday. You can look for it on pages 60 and 61 of the March-April issue.    o o o Reader G.S. in the State of Jefferson spotted this interesting thread, over at …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"An armed republic submits less easily to the rule of one of its citizens than a republic armed by foreign forces. Rome and Sparta were for many centuries well armed and free. The Swiss are well armed and enjoy great freedom. Among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible. It is not reasonable to suppose that one who is armed will obey willingly one who is unarmed; or that any unarmed man will remain safe among armed servants." – Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Prince" (1532)


Note from JWR:

Today we present Part 2 of an entry for Round 27 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First Prize: A.) 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. …


The Home Foundry, Metal Casting – Part 2, by Dan in Oklahoma

The Aluminum Melting Forge and Crucible For the forge I started with a small steel barrel that I found on the side of the road, its diameter is 18 inches. I cut it to a height of 2 feet, starting from the “floor” of the barrel. I also cut an 8″ ring from the barrel to be used later, as a lid. The forge barrel must be lined to hold and refract heat. Ideally you may find refractory cement in your area, but for me I was left with regular old concrete as my only choice. I used “Quikcrete”. One …