Day: March 18, 2011

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 33 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: 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 $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady …


Using Lye Safely in Soap Making, by LadyDoc

Soap is arguably one of the greatest inventions, ever.  Most people do not need to be convinced of the advantages of soap, especially in terms of preventing infections.  Using soap for personal and property cleaning when medical care and antibiotics are not readily available will be a vital part of avoiding contagious diseases.  Elegant in its simplicity, soap is made from two ingredients, lye and fat, through a chemical process called saponification.  This process cannot occur without both ingredients in the proper proportion.  Making soap for household use post-TEOTWAWKI raises some challenges, two in particular that I believe warrant the …


Keeping Your Newborn Safe and Content – A First Time Mom’s Primer, by Jenna S.

Like most first time mothers, I am fortunate to say that I had the luxury of prenatal care and the vast availability and surplus of supplies after my son was born.  We were able to take our time transitioning from disposable diapers to cloth diapers and when my breast milk did not come in as quickly as he would have liked, we had the availability of formula.  Imagine the compounding stress a first time mother would experience with limited prenatal care, no mentors with breastfeeding knowledge and nowhere for miles around with supplies to care for a newborn.  Most people …


Letter Re: Nuclear Incidents in Japan – The Truth and the Rumors

Hello James, It is with a heavy heart that I watch the nuclear incident unfold in Japan. I am watching my nightmare come true, and I pray for the safety of the people in Japan. As you know, my article that was published in your blog last September was primarily written to alert the public about the possible EMP effects on nuclear power plants. While the initiating event may have been different, the results of the loss of all AC power at the site results in virtually identical consequences. Events are playing out very similarly to those that I had …


Letter Re: A Busy LDS Cannery–People are Sounding Anxious

James, In addition to all the other hats I wear I also am the cannery coordinator for my local LDS congregation. Last night was our canning night — though I am usually the only LDS member to show up and the rest are non-member friends of a similar mind set as we have. Last night was a madhouse at the cannery. Panic has already set in amongst those who are following all the news around the world (and not just fixated on the reactors in Japan). My group is normally around a dozen people. There were three other groups of …


Letter Re: A Warning on Underground Cache Containers

Jim, Here’s my story. I built a heavy duty cache tube consisting of a 6 inch diameter white PVC pipe, about 4 feet long with end cap on one end, screw top on the other. Cost about $100 to make. I’d already found a hidden spot near a tree grove in my county park (public land) about a 100 feet off a hiking/bike/day use trail, and about 200 feet from the county road. I wanted both well hidden and easy access. Early summer everything was in full bloom so plenty of natural cover for my stealth operation. Before sunrise, I …


Economics and Investing:

Several readers mentioned this piece by Chris Martenson, over at Zero Hedge: Alert: Nuclear (And Economic) Meltdown In Progress. These are Martenson’s strongest- ever admonitions to get seriously prepared. James Turk: Gold $8,000 Per Ounce and Hyperinflation a Sure Thing. Business Insider: It’s Not Your Imagination: The Number Of Disasters Just Keeps Rising Items from The Economatrix: As Treasury Cash Drops to Just $14.2 Billion, And No Bond Auctions Until Next Week, is America About to Run Out of Cash?   US Debt and Deficits Ensure Violent Dollar Sell-Off Ahead   The Gathering Political and Economic Storm   Tsunami May …


Odds ‘n Sods:

R.P.B. sent this: Forecast for Plume’s Path is a Function of Wind and Weather. Keep in mind that not much radioactive dust is likely to make it all the way from Japan to U.S. and of that, most of it will be carrying lighter isotopes with short half-lives. If you have dosimeter and ratemeter pens, then go ahead and zero them, and start making a chart. (A dosimeter that reads milliroentgens or milligrays would be the most useful, for now.) If nothing else, this will be useful experience for any future event where there is a substantially greater risk. Also, …



Letter Re: Do-It Yourself HEPA Air Filtration for NBC Shelters

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Friends, In the wake of the Japanese nuclear plant melt-down situation, I called a safe room manufacturer for a hand cranked air filter.  It was over $2,000.  Too much.  I did learn that you need both particulate (HEPA) and gas (carbon) filters.   I have jury-rigged an NBC air filtration system.  Here it is: Go to a hydroponics store or find one online.  Yes, the one’s that people go to in order to grow marijuana. You will need an inline fan.  I used a  continentalfan.com AXC150B-C fan.  It is a little more expensive but German engineering costs more.  (Quieter too). You …