Letter Re: Using Pocket Hand Warmers for Storing Food in HDPE Buckets

Jim, A typical small chemical hand warmer packet [that employs an oxidation process] absorbs about 1.25 grams of O². (This was calculated from weighing on a lab scale.) So at 32 grams per mole for O² or 22.4 liters at standard temperature and pressure that is 32/22.4=1.4286 grams of O² per liter. Assuming O² in the air at 20%, a 5 gallon bucket (18.92 liters) would contain 1.4286 x 18.92 x 20% = 5.4 grams of O² It would take roughly 4 packets to absorb the O² in a 5 gallon HDPE bucket at 1.25 grams per packet if the …


Economics and Investing:

Which Currency Is Up Over 9000% This Year and Sells for Almost as Much as an Ounce of Gold? Easy money? $3 trillion headache on the way for corporations. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.) Greg P. sent: RBS admits decades of IT neglect after systems crash Items from The Economatrix: The New American Retirement Nightmare: Many Americans Find They Are Completely Unprepared For Retirement “We Are Playing Economic Russian Roulette” David Stockman Fears “Panic” When The “Lunatic” Fed “Loses Control”


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Adelphi University Center for Health Innovation national poll reveals that nearly half of U.S. adults do not have the resources and plans in place in the event of disaster.    o o o G.G. suggested: Decaying area of Detroit being transformed into the ‘world’s largest urban farm’    o o o Farmer builds a house for just £150 using materials he found in skips… and the current tenant pays their rent in milk.    o o o Defiant 76-year-old woman dies in shootout with gang of three who tried to rob her of bingo money



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,400+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) 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.) …


Transportation 101: Your Basic Bicycle, by Eliyahu in Israel

My transportation Plan B for when the big one hits is your basic bicycle. Think about it. No fuel costs (you have to fuel yourself in any case), sturdy, dependable, minimal maintenance, lasts a long time, goes anywhere, and its healthy for you. Not only that, but when you get all those maniac drivers off the roads, it can even be a pleasure. Sure, I fantasize about being able to brew my own biofuels, or having enough solar panels to charge a small electric runabout, but the reality is a sturdy two wheeler sitting in my garden shed. If the …


Letter Re: Storing Whiskey For Barter

Hi Jim, I love SurvivalBlog! I have a question: I would like to store whiskey for bartering in SHTF. I thought of taking empty 187 ML (about 6 oz) wine bottles with screw caps, washing them, refilling with whiskey, placing a short wine cork in top, then screw cap, then wrap in Saran wrap to limit evaporation loss. I would then label bottles with content and date, and store for SHTF. How does this sound to you? Thanks, – Tom R. JWR Replies: While I don’t approve of bartering whiskey, I must concede that many folks do see some utility …


News From The American Redoubt:

R.B.S. sent: Idaho Romanians face removal for immigration fraud    o o o Update: Jefferson Republic: Two Approaches    o o o B.H. mentioned this press release headline: Pork Infused Ammunition Maker Now Accepts Bitcoin for payment. “Jihawg Ammo, famous (infamous) makers of a new pork infused radical anti-Jihadist Ammunition announces they are accepting Bitcoin for payment for their unique pork infused anti-Jihadist ammunition and other products.” They are located in Dalton Gardens, Idaho.    o o o George Ziermann, a shoemaker from Pendleton, Oregon, has been trying to sell his business (George’s Boots) for the past eight years.    …


Economics and Investing:

B.B. suggested this over at Mises.org: The Fed Must Inflate China’s Gold Rush Continues, Imports Another 131 Tonnes In October Meanwhile, we read: China Is On A Debt Binge And A Buying Spree Unlike Anything The World Has Ever Seen Before Items from The Economatrix: Why Are the Bankers And Ex-Intel Types Running For Their Lives? “I Fear For What’s Coming” – 68 Percent Of Americans Believe The Country Is On The Wrong Track Fake Employment Numbers – And Five More Massive Economic Lies The Government Is Telling You


Odds ‘n Sods:

I had a reader write to ask if he should have hard copy topo maps as a backup to his GPS. My reply: “Rather, you should have a GPS as a backup to your hard copy topo maps.” Establish your proven, reliable, and resilient basics first, and only then consider adding gadgets.    o o o Obama Issues an Executive Order Mandating DOD Officials Legitimize Leftist “Climate Change” Theories as Scientific Fact    o o o R.B.S. sent: This House Has A Massive Door Going To The Basement. When You See What’s Down There, You’ll Get It.    o o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“When I was a boy aged 10, no older My father took enemy fire to the shoulder He lay in his tent for a week till he  finally succumbed From that day forth I was a permanent soldier I’ve killed many men on the southern border We fight for the day California leaves us alone We’ve been taxed for no good reason and then we said, “No” and then they cried “treason!” We’re merely defending the life and the land that we love We learned our lesson from Captain Jack That once you kill you can’t go back And once …


Notes from JWR:

Camping Survival has started a Mountain House storage food sale which runs from December 2nd to December 8th. They are offering 25% off cases of #10 cans, 25% off cases of retort pouches and 15% off buckets. The sale is for full cases only.  They are only selling stock on hand, but they bought a substantial quantity in advance. So rather than backordering anything, it will all ship right out to customers.  Meanwhile, Ready Made Resources is running a similar pre-Christmas sale on Mountain House foods until the 13th of December with 25% to 42% off, free shipping, and on request …


Pat’s Product Review – Cold Steel’s Talwar Fighting Folder

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t carry some kind of folding knife in my pocket – and I’m now eligible to collect social security benefits. I do know that back when I was a kid, there weren’t any lock-back folding knives that I ever recall seeing. I carried a folder for everyday chores, as well as self-defense. And, more importantly, at least when I was around 6-10 years old, I had a folding knife for whittling – a long lost pastime that was sure a lot of fun when I was a kid. A person could spend all …


T.M.’s Book Review: The Downfall of Money: Germany’s Hyperinflation and the Destruction of the Middle Class

The Downfall of Money: Germany’s Hyperinflation and the Destruction of the Middle Class, by Frederick Taylor © 2013 ISBN: 978-1-62040-236-8 Hardback; also available on Kindle. 416 pages, 25 chapters, appendix, bibliography, and index. Be assured that I am not an economist, but I do keep the family bankbook balanced. Past that and I am mostly lost in the world of high finance. I read this book in order to answer three questions: What caused the hyperinflation in post-WWI Germany? What effect did it have on ordinary citizens and how did they cope? What lessons are to be learned to better …


Portable Satellite Phones: Communicating Off the Grid, by Jon Aldrich

If you’re reading this blog you are no doubt already well along on preparedness spectrum, finding yourself someplace between never in America and not if but when, more likely you’re nearer the latter.  You’re probably well versed in all aspects of food procurement, preparation and storage, water purification, providing shelter and security for yourselves and your families as well many of the other nuances related to preparing for future contingencies.  There is a world of good information available on all these subjects and more and, for most of it you need look no further than right here on the SurvivalBlog. …