Letter Re: Treadle Sewing Machines and Advice on Storing Bolts of Fabric

Jim: Having just restored my 1925 Singer treadle-powered sewing machine to operation, I want to get some fabrics so that I can start making clothes for my family. Would someone with the appropriate experience please advise for a semitropical climate what weight fabrics, what types of fabrics and how many yards would be considered a good ‘cache’ of fabric so as to make a family of four clothing independent? Thanks, – SF in Hawaii You question about fabrics goes beyond my expertise. Perhaps some of our readers would care to comment. The Memsahib and I do have some experience with …


Letter Re: Rolled Oats Versus Steel Cut Oats for Storage

Mr. Rawles; Here is another thing that readers should be aware of: steel-cut oats require substantially more cooking than the more processed varieties. I buy #10 cans of steel-cut from Honeyville Grain, mostly because I like the taste of this product. Compared to “just add boiling water” instant oats, steel cut is much slower to cook, requiring about 20 minutes of boiling to become sufficiently soft. As a preparedness food, it requires too much fuel and preparation time to be a first-line food of choice. On the other hand, a pressure cooker could probably make short work of preparing any …


Letter Re: Recommendations for a Storage Food Vendor in Canada?

Hi Jim, I live near Ottawa, [Canada] and have no idea where to buy wheat, whole corn, etc. The only place I can think of would be the feed and seed store, but don’t know about whether these are human consumption quality. I went to a huge local farm and asked them, and they said “I’m not sure where to buy it…” Thanks, – Chris R. JWR Replies: I have heard positive reports about FC Surplus, a storage food vendor in Ontario, Canada. At last report, they carried Mountain House freeze dried foods, the Canadian “Freddy Chef” MREs, and a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I’ve recently received two anxious e-mails from SurvivalBlog readers about the Mental Militia Forums (formerly called “The Claire Files Forums”). It seems that the old URL: http://www.tcftalk.com/clairefiles/index.php — was allowed to lapse and folks were getting a “not found” error message. But the new URL http://thementalmilitia.com/forums/ is working fine. I hope that the board’s new owners see the wisdom of maintaining the old URL with an automatic URL redirect.    o o o Eric S. sent us a link to a speech by Federal Reserve Board Governor Frederic S. Mishkin: Financial Instability and the Federal Reserve as a Liquidity Provider. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“There is nothing wise nor noble for a person to act merely in their own self-interest. Such action is in fact rudimentary in nature and referred to as a survival instinct. Even microbes move toward food and favorable conditions of light and heat. They do this most likely without wisdom, or knowledge and understanding of conditions of the past. Noble acts in nature are largely seen in acts of parenting, which some see as purely instinctual as well, and thus not noble. Mankind is of course the one species which has the knowledge and understanding of the threats which it …


Note from JWR:

One last reminder that today is the last day of the special “six pack sale” for autographed copies of the latest 33 chapter edition of my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”. The sale price of a box of six books is still just $90, postage paid. (Normally they are $24 per copy, but during this sale you get six autographed copies for $90, mailed in a Priority Mail Flat Rate box, sent to anywhere in the United 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: Rolled Oats Versus Steel Cut Oats for Storage

Hello Mr. Rawles, I recently discovered something called ‘steel-cut’ oats which are healthier than rolled oats. Are you familiar with this and how do they differ when it comes to long term storage. I did find a small container in the store that was about 2-1/2 times the cost of regular rolled oats. I have enjoyed reading your daily tips and the blog. Thank you, – Margo JWR Replies: The advantages of steel cut oats are marginal. They do have slightly more nutritive value than rolled oats, but certainly not enough to justify their substantially higher price! Rolled oats are …


Letter Re: Advice on Resources for Canadian SurvivalBlog Readers?

Hello Jim, I am wondering if there is anyone here in Canada doing the great work that you are doing? I have just introduced my husband to the idea of getting prepared. I don’t know if I’ve seen one too many movies or if I have a premonition, but I would like to devise a plan sooner rather than later. I am also looking for a place to escape to, if we (probably) have to get out of our area (which is just on Lake Ontario ). We are thinking that we should go north. I live less than 30 …


Letter Re: The Falling Dollar–Sheltering Your Assets in Steel and Alloy Tangibles

Jim, I really appreciate your web site and your wisdom. I agree with your evaluation of the need or the wisdom in storing magazines. You recommend original factory or military surplus. My question is what would you advise as far as AK mags go? Any thought on the polymer mags would also be appreciated. Thanks, – Andy JWR Replies: For steel AK magazines, I recommend buying any of the magazines made in the former Soviet Bloc that have a full length standing metal rib on the back. Virtually all of those are quite robust and reliable, regardless of the country …


Two Letters Re: Influenza Exercise Shows the Potential for Major Infrastructure Disruptions

James: In deference to Ben, his numbers are a little off. I have been spending a great deal of time studying everything I can get my hands on about a pandemic flu. (I am the Emergency Preparedness Specialist for my Church) If you go to www.pandemicflu.gov you’ll see that the “experts” expect a morbidity rate (those who will become sick) of 40% of the US population.and a mortality rate that would be about 20%. If you do some quick math: 360 million Americans 144 million Americans sick 28 Million Dead. One of the reasons that the numbers would not be …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Thanks to LW for sending this: The $915 Billion bomb in consumers’ wallets    o o o I just received a review copy of Michael Z. Williamson’s latest science fiction novel “Better to Beg Forgiveness”. I really like his books, so I can’t wait to dig in to this one. I will post a full review once I’ve finished it. The novel is now available from Amazon.com.    o o o RBS flagged this one: US Mint considering cheaper coins. Our currency has become a pitiful reminder of its past greatness. So go all irredeemable fiat currencies, in time.    …



Note from JWR:

A reminder that tomorrow is the last day of the special “six pack sale” for autographed copies of the latest 33 chapter edition of my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”. The sale price of a box of six books is still just $90, postage paid. (Normally they are $24 per copy, but during this sale you get six autographed copies for $90, mailed in a Priority Mail Flat Rate box, sent to anywhere in the United States, including APO/FPO addresses.) This sale ends on October 31st. This is your chance to buy some extra copies for Christmas presents. Note …