Category: Fuel Storage & Distilling

Three Letters Re: Some Good May Come From High Gas Prices

JWR, Again, Michael Williamson brings a bit of fresh air in his letter regarding gas prices. It’s called the free market pricing mechanism and when allowed to operate it would solve most human problems in the most efficient manner. Regards, K Dear Jim, There is a huge difference between reserves (total resource) and the amount of the resource that can be produced each year (production flow rate per unit of time). Both Canada and Venezuela have large reserves of tar sands. However, the annual production of tar sands is limited by production constraints and has a low (but positive) energy …


Letter Re: Some Good May Come From High Gas Prices

Dear Jim, Believe it or not, I find current oil prices encouraging as well as annoying, but with an undertone of warning. At our current domestic US price, it becomes cost effective to exploit the Canadian tar sands. Canada is next door, civilized, and easy to deal with. Their reserves in that form are probably larger than the entire world’s crude supply. Venezuela has an equal amount, and Chavez can’t live forever. The Canadians have gotten production cost down to $15/barrel, but are not yet producing at full speed. It is obvious, however, that growing technology will improve this, and …


Letter Re: Wood Gasification

Mr. Rawles, In response to a recent readers posting (Re: Raising Goats for Self-Sufficiency by Wife of NH Jumbo) A reference was made to wanting to learn more about the wood gasification used by Europeans to run vehicles without oil imports during and after World War II. I have found a ton of information from Knowledge Publications. The books and videos while expensive can be priceless in the not too distant future. There is information and supplies for hydrogen, producer gas( wood or biomass gasification) methane digesters even refrigeration without electricity. They sell a small camp stove that produces and …


Letter Re: Advice on Engine Oil for Motorcycles

Jim: Regarding the letter on motorcycle engine oils, you are correct about most motorcycles using a wet clutch and the need for extra additives in the oil, but there are a couple of other issues of importance. First off, cars use a separate oil supply for engine and gearbox, which allows the oil manufacturer to customize oils for each application. Motorcycle engines on the other hand usually use a common supply for both, which means that motorcycle oils need the additives in them for both engine and gearbox applications. The problem is that being in an engine destroys the additives …


Hurricane Preparedness, by MFA

I’d like to share a couple of things I’ve learned through the recent hurricane seasons in Florida, being hit directly by one, indirectly by three or four more (I’ve lost count). The following assumes you’re staying put, not bugging out. Typically my wife will take the kids and bug out, while I stay home for security and damage control if needed. This can also apply to some of the severe storms that other parts of the country experience throughout the year. 1. Water – In Florida, I travel with a case of water in the back of my car. You …


Letter Re: Questions on Maximizing Gasoline Storage Life

Jim, Sorry to bug you but I searched your site and couldn’t find the info [I was looking for]. In your experience what’s the best brand of gasoline stabilizer I can use? Are there any tricks to help the gas last longer like buying a higher octane & doubling up on the amount of stabilizer? Is 1 year of storage about the max the fuel will be at it’s best. Thanks, John T. Plumeraye JWR Replies: I describe the degradation of stored gasoline fairly well in my novel “Patriots”. Adding a gas stabilizer does prolong the storage life. The Sta-Bil …


Letter Re: Advice on Engine Oil for Motorcycles

James, I’ve been reading your oil/energy columns. Very informative, thank you. It seems I am getting some less than adequate answers to my question posed to my local motorcycle dealers. I have two motorcycle’s (both about 45-50 mpg). Buying ‘motorcycle 20W-50 oil’ or “Harley Davidson [brand] 20W-50″ motorcycle oil is more expensive versus just 20W-50 oil. If you have time, is all 20W-50 the same or should I pay the extra at the motorcycle shop since motorcycle engines run at higher rpm’s and the oil does need to have whatever makes them more resistant to the heat and stresses associated …


Letter Re: Photovoltaic Versus Diesel Power Generation for Retreat

James: A note about an article you have posted – by David T. It is absolutely not correct. I realize that SurvivalBlog is not dedicated to diesel technology – but since you posted it, I figured I’d comment. I was a Stanadyne pump technician since the 6.2 diesel engine was invented ca. 1982. That’s the engine he’s talking about. I am also well versed in the history of that diesel pump, both in civilian use and in the U.S. military. Our military has had a miserable time with early failures – since the 6.2 and 6.5 diesels power many Humvees …


Letter Re: Photovoltaic Versus Diesel Power Generation for Retreats

Jim: In case anyone questions the source, the injection pump tip that I mentioned came from a large rebuilder who has seen the interval between rebuilds dropping to as low as six months on pumps with standard parts. Older pumps were designed to be lubed by high sulfur Diesel fuel. Since I was buying a rebuilt injection pump for my veggie oil non-turbo 6.2L Suburban, he strongly recommended the stainless version, which cost 50% more. Lubricity of veggie oil is far higher than any Diesel fuel, but in cold climates we start and stop the engine on straight Diesel. In …


Letter Re: Photovoltaic Versus Diesel Power Generation for Retreats

Hi Jim, I was a reader of Patriots before the [Y2K] rollover. Thank you!. Here in the Northern New England, I made the same calculations, and decided to stockpile off road diesel and kerosene. The other major component is used vegetable oil, usually available free from restaurants, who otherwise pay to have it hauled by a recycling outfit. My 20 h.p. Listeroid diesel runs fine on waste vegetable oil (WVO). So does the 13hp Hatz backup generator, along with an ’85 Diesel Suburban and ’82 Diesel Rabbit. Filter the big stuff out using more coarse filters like a pillowcase. Filter …


Letter Re: Photovoltaic Versus Diesel Power Generation for Homes and Retreats

Jim, I am taking the 10 Cent Challenge and have made a contribution. I have been reading SurvivalBlog for about a month and intend to keep making my contribution for the next foreseeable future..This is an awesome site. I have been wanting a solar array to add to my survival plan, According to the calculations I need to have the capacity to produce about 1KW adjusted to .75 KW. In order to adequately provide for my housing needs, minimal water pumping, lighting, small appliances, computer, phones, network, some TV, battery charging , fans for sleeping. We are in Mississippi along …


Letter Re: A 250 MPG Bicycle Gasoline Engine

Jim, This is an unusual bike engine that uses standard gasoline (no oil mixing!) and delivers something in the neighborhood of 250 MPG, with a top speed of about 25 MPH. It might be just the thing to turn one’s emergency bike into a viable vehicle, despite hills to climb. Although the tank will only hold about 23 miles worth of fuel, it’d be a simple matter to carry extra fuel to get one 50-to-100 miles. While probably not the perfect way to “bug out”, it’d be nice to have motors like this on hand, “just in case”. – Hawaiian …


Letter Re: Questions from a Newbie–Where Do I Start?

Mr Rawles- I’ve been a reader of your blog for maybe the last nine months or so and I know I need to stop reading and get to doing something. So I was wondering if you could advise me on where I should start my preparations. I’m a city boy so I don’t have many of the skills that I think would be useful in a TEOTWAWKI situation. I don’t know how to shoot or farm or fix a diesel engine. While I could start buying equipment in order to be prepared, I think that the first thing I should …


Poll Results: Why are You Preparing to Survive?

Here is the second round of responses to this question: Those who are well educated enough to see a societal collapse of some sort or another in the making fall into two groups, the merrymakers and the preparers. The merrymakers don’t see life worth living post-SHTF, so they live it up now. We on SurvivalBlog are the preparers and have chosen to survive, but why? Our children? To rebuild civilization? Because the collapse will only be temporary? Because we can and we’re stubborn with a stronger than normal will to survive? The following is the second batch of responses. A …


Letter Re: Advice on Diesel Vehicles–Motorcycles and ATVs?

Dear Mr. Rawles: I already had a diesel Ford tractor, so I took your advice and got a diesel pickup, and I’m shopping for a used [diesel] Mercedes. Those things run forever. And as my budget allows, I’ll also plan to buy a diesel generator to replace my gasoline backup generator. So now I have logistics problem: I have two types of fuel to store, since my motorcycle, Polaris ATV, and my Husqvarna chainsaw all use gasoline. Diesel stores way longer than gas. But I guess that there is no way to avoid having some gas vehicles and tools. JWR …