Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“’We love death more than you love life.’ This is civilization’s ultimate challenge. Will the lovers of death and destruction overwhelm and defeat those who love life and have created great civilizations that celebrate human creativity and achievement? Will all that is left of three thousand years of human civilization be reduced to rubble and a mindless religio-ideological lockstep?
The Islamic State is not just a challenge to Judeo-Christian Western civilization. It is a challenge to civilization itself–to the very idea of civilization.
And that is why it is doomed to fail. Life will always conquer death in the end. The human spirit will always prevail against the forces that would subjugate and enslave it.” – Robert Spencer, The Complete Infidel’s Guide to ISIS

Notes for Wednesday – June 29, 2016

Another day, another Islamic terror attack… This time it was the international terminal of the airport in Istanbul, Turkey. The latest report is that there are 41 dead and 239 injured. Prayers, please for the wounded and for the families of the dead.

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Today is the birthday of historian John Toland (author of The Rising Sun.) This is also the birthday of rodeo cowboy turned actor Slim Pickens (born: Louis Burton Lindley, Jr.) — he memorably played Major Kong in Dr. Strangelove), and of actor Gary Busey.

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A reminder: Safecastle’s Mountain House Sale with discounts of up to 47% on long term storage cans and pouches will end tomorrow. (Thursday, June 30, 2016.) They are offering free shipping to CONUS.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 65 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 65 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Sew and Grow, Save and Recycle Your Way Into Preparedness – Part 2, by S.T.

Minimum Quantities Needed

You will need the minimum quantities that are listed below.
However, you can start on your path to reusable products with lower quantities and can continue to add additional quantities each and every week as you produce additional quantities of final product.

Washable feminine hygiene products-

  • 50- 8” for each female in the home
  • 25- 12” for each female in the home

Washable toilet paper-

  • 50 for each male in the home
  • 100 for each female in the home

Washable dish towels-

  • 20 each

Washable napkins-

  • 21 for each person in the house

Washable aprons

  • 2 for each person in the house

Growing

You can grow not just food and cooking herbs, but medicinal plants and household products. For example, gourds such the little dipper and big dipper can be used to make ladles for your kitchen. Bottle gourds can be made into bowls. These will be very useful and needed items when there are no more manufactured products. Loofah gourds make wonderful kitchen sponges. AloeVera plants are also another item to grow.

Saving & Recycling

Egg cartons make a very good way to start seeds, make fire starters, and to hold fresh eggs from your hens for sale.

Paper grocery bags can be used with a pattern to make seed saving envelopes. I give these away free from my vendor table at a local preparedness expo. Just print out three or four on card stock to use as patterns, then mark, cut, and tape the ones made from the paper grocery sacks. I found a free pattern on the Internet. Be sure that any printed part of the grocery bags are folded into the inside.

Empty Kleenex boxes are used by cutting the entire top of the box off. Then they are now the perfect containers to set on the back of the toilet to hold our supply of washable toilet paper and menstrual pads. Empty shoe boxes also work well for this. I do not use Kleenex in the house, but I have family members who give me their empty boxes.

Empty cereal boxes also make very good long-lasting material for sewing patterns.

Empty toilet paper rolls can be cut in half to make a great container for starting seeds indoors and producing homemade fire starters.

Empty glass jars make great containers for my homemade candles, homemade salves, homemade coconut oil toothpaste, homemade horehound cough syrup, and storage for home dehydrated vegetables and herbs.

Empty pump soap dispensers make a great container to hold our homemade hand sanitizer and homemade liquid soaps.

Metal coffee cans work great for making and storing bulk homemade salves and toothpaste.

Large Folgers brand plastic coffee containers work great for storing kitchen items, such as wooden spoons.

Canning jars with a chipped lip still work well for holding home grown bulk spices. This is also a good way to reuse canning lids. I have a couple of fabric shopping bags hanging on a hook in my kitchen that hold all of my used lids and rings, so I can reuse them.

The green “shake and pour” lids that are on the containers of Parmesan Cheese will fit on a regular mouth canning jar. These are great for dispensing our home grown herbs and spices that we grow.

[JWR Adds: Similarly, the flip-up pour tops on standard cardboard salt canisters can be cut off and fit nicely underneath the rings of large mouth Mason type canning jars.]

I have a 5′ long linen closet and use 2½ of the shelves to hold my empty containers for future reuse.

Holiday popcorn tins are useful, too. I purchased some of these at Wal-Mart and CVS a few years ago for the grandchildren at Christmas and asked them if I could have the empty tins back after they ate all of the popcorn. Now, they are filled with Borax, Washing Soda, and Fels-Naptha soap– all the supplies I need to make the laundry soap we use in our house. They are also a very good container to make a cache. Just duct tape around the lid, set inside a heavy trash bag or two, and then bury.

Altoid type tins are very good containers to hold homemade salves and toothpaste in your bug out bag, when a glass jar will just not work.

Footnotes and Warnings

*The costs of fabric can be reduced if you are lucky enough to find fabrics at a yard sale, estate sales, or auctions.

** Roll ends of newsprint are available for free or at low cost from your local newspaper company and also make good pattern-making material for clothing and larger items, such as the wonder oven.

*** Do not use fabrics with metallic threads on washable pads or washable toilet paper.

**** Beware of the Explorer”. However I was surprised to see a copyright notice on a woodland camouflage print fabric. The copyright notice stated “Sold For Non-Commercial Home Use Only”.

***** The FDA (Federal Dumb Agency), considers washable feminine
hygiene products a medical device that requires an annual registration fee in order to sell them. With this in mind, I will not be selling any until things go bad. Will cloth diapers be the next item to require a registration fee in the near future? What would your local public school district think if you kept home your child for five days per month due to a medical device needed to fix her condition?

****** I am sure that there is a “Ewwww!” factor with using washable feminine hygiene products and washable toilet paper, but the “Ewwww!” factor is worse imagining going without these products.

******* Do not use “Fleece” or “Microfibers”, as they repel versus absorbing water. Therefore, they will not get clean and could lead to future infections. Again use only 100% cotton fabrics.

P.S.: For washable toilet paper kits that will be for sale, a kit should include: 1 kleenex box with the top cut off, 1 peri bottle, 25 washable toilet papers, and washing instructions.

Closing Notes: What is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Consider potential future use before you throw something away, because it may just have another use or two or 20 uses in the not too distant future.

Switching from disposables to reusables will increase your laundry for an average family of five by only a single load per week, as aprons and dish towels and napkins can be added to the regular wash and only the feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, and cloth diapers require separate washing in very hot water.

Letter Re: Canning Jars

Hugh,
As I was reading a recent SurvivalBlog post on the many uses of canning jars, I remembered that in my childhood days the ladies doing the canning would sometimes use melted paraffin poured over the top of the food instead of using metal lids.

(They also used metal lids.) So maybe the wax only on the sweet stuff like jellies, etc.? Maybe only on smaller size, smaller mouthed, recycled, jars?

As I remember it they would keep the paraffin, wash it, and reuse it the next year. Has anybody used this style of sealing lately? – K.S.

HJL’s Comment: The paraffin method was typically used on high acid foods like jellies and jams. I too remember seeing this. The paraffin came in contact with the food and kept a skin from forming on the surface. However, I also remember a significant number of failures.

JWR’s Comment: I strongly recommend following the proven safe canning procedures found in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. (That is an expanded and updated edition of the classic Ball Blue Book.)

Letter Re: Sanitation Issues: Understanding Home Septic Systems

Jim:
Regarding this letter: Sanitation Issues: Understanding Home Septic Systems, I have  a  few observations:

When our family recently took a vacation to South America, we were instructed to throw all toilet paper, wet and dirty, into a waste can – even at the best hotels. By American standards, we found that pretty gross.

I read that this is standard in many countries and greatly reduces the need for septic tank pumping – to once every 10 years instead of the recommended four  years. Although pumping is expensive, about $400 when we last had it done, that is a fraction of the cost of replacing a clogged leach field.

We have long put the wet toilet paper in the trash, which is emptied weekly. It does not smell.

We also have a screen for our kitchen drain and avoid using the sink garbage disposer for any but the smallest particles of food. And we \also dump/wipe out grease from pans and scrape dishes thoroughly into the trash.

There is a US EPA web page that has good visuals to know how your septic system works.

Thanks, – B.L. in  Colorado

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books:

The Soapmakers Companion by Susan Miller Cavitch

Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies by Hugh Coffee

Movies:

Meru
(A  fascinating documentary about modern alpine climbers and skiers. Available free for those with Amazon Prime.)

Cast a Giant Shadow.  (A docu-drama starring Kirk Douglas about David “Mickey” Marcus, an American general officer who volunteered to help Israel form its army shortly after independence.)

Music:

The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys: The Complete Mercury Recordings

The Very Best of Emmylou Harris

Video Blog Posts:

Wranglerstar: How To Kill A Tree + Tree Girdling

Patriot Nurse:  Grid Down Heart and Blood Pressure

Podcasts:

Prepper Recon Podcast: Cultural Meltdown – An Interview with Bob Griswold

The War Room:  Interview with James Wesley Rawles

YouTube Videos:

Secrets of The Slave State

Paul Joseph Watson: Everything That Goes Wrong Will Be Blamed On Brexit

Bill Whittle: Guns, Islam, and Orlando

Very Useful Gear:

USB-Powered LED Reading Lamp

Economics and Investing:

Both Mr. Econocobas and blog reader D.S. pointed me to this revelatory piece over at Zero Hedge: Greenspan Warns A Crisis Is Imminent, Urges A Return To The Gold Standard

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Some market analysis from Hubert Moolman in South Africa: Major Debt and Dow Collapse Will Set Ideal Conditions For Silver

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British pound could hit history-making dollar parity by end of 2016

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Jim Rogers on Brexit: ‘Worse than any bear market you’ve seen in your lifetime’

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Gold is sending a dark sign that ‘almost everything has changed’ in the market

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Cramer: Don’t buy! Why the mass Brexit sell-off is worth …

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Long-time content contributor B.B. sent us this important link: The Six Things Obama Doesn’t Want You to Know About the Islamic State.  The next day,  B.B. also sent a link to this article:  ISIS Jihadists Caught This Week in California and Indiana. These articles serve to  confirm many of my conclusions about geopolitical trends. Reading them also made me feel justified in dedicating myself to writing at least five books in my new  Counter-Caliphate Chronicles novel series.  These are “survival manual dressed as fiction” stories that need to be told, to encourage freedom-loving Christians and Jews to prepare for the tumultuous times that lay ahead. – JWR    

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Reader R.J. recommended the home-made Alvin Vacuum Sealer, for Mason-type jars. It is a simple hand pump that operates without electricity and uses standard FoodSaver Jar Sealer attachments and a commonly-available brake bleeder with gauge. Though more time consuming than using an AC-powered FoodSaver, it makes a great backup system for times without grid power.

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McX sent this: Travel Tips: Where rich people learn how to survive the apocalypse. McX’s comment: “When prepping becomes a ‘vacation plan’ on FOXnews.com’s Travel forum, then you know that you’re behind the times!”

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SurvivalBlog Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested this useful article: How to Spot Ingenico Self-Checkout Skimmers

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Reader B.B. sent us the link to this NPR news story: Inside A Secret Government Warehouse Prepped For Health Catastrophes

Notes for Tuesday – June 28, 2016

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of theologian John Wesley. 

Today is also the birthday of writer, director, and actor Mel Brooks, as well as that of actor John Cusack.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 65 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 65 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Sew and Grow, Save and Recycle Your Way Into Preparedness – Part 1, by S.T.

As a society, we all rely upon a vast amount of manufactured products every day from canning jars and lids to dishes to pots and pans to toothpaste and dental floss. This list goes on and on. However, we can not forget that gasoline and diesel fuel and electricity are the most important manufactured items. Without these there will no longer be any other mass produced manufactured items made or delivered to a store near you.

Every disposable item that you can now replace with reusable items will put you well ahead of the sheeple, save you money, and make you more prepared. Do you want to save from $25,000 to $100,000 per year and become better prepared?

On average each and every woman will spend over $7,500 from puberty to menopause on disposable feminine hygiene products. Now add to that cost of toilet paper, kleenex, paper towels, paper napkins, paper plates, and other disposable products that people purchase every week and month that are thrown in the trash or down the toilet. Just check out the other shopping carts next time you are in line at the grocery store. If you have two daughters that is over $22,000 for the three females in the house to purchase just the disposable feminine hygiene products over their lifetime. Then add to this the cost of toilet paper.

Ten dollars per month may not sound like a lot of money. However, if you spend just $10 per month per person on toilet paper, then the $10 x 12 months = $120 per year x 50 years = $6,000 per person x a 4-female family = $24,000.

The most important simple disposable manufactured products that we reply upon everyday is feminine hygiene products and toilet paper. How many rolls of toilet paper does your family go through each month? I know I used a whole roll of 1,000 sheet Scott toilet paper in just six hours when I had a bladder infection.

I know I do not have the storage space to store five or 10+ years of these products, and I do not want to waste money to purchase this amount of products. Although I do have a good supply, and these are now being used only for visitors and future barter. So, I have decided to not only produce the reusable versions of these important items but to incorporate them into our everyday life. I have never used paper towels or paper napkins in our house, as I made washable ones so the transition was an easy one for us.

Just as important as the money savings is the health benefits of producing needed items yourself. We all remember reading about the Chinese toxic toothpaste and we hear about contaminated food recalls nearly every day. There are so many other items we can produce on our own from food to medicines.

Sewing

With just some simple planning and just a few hundred dollars and some of my time, I produced not only enough for my family for 20 plus years but enough for future trade or sale of washable toilet paper and feminine hygiene products.

My own fabric supply was limited to cotton ticking, cotton duck, soft solid color pale cottons However, after my step-mother died, my father asked me to clear out her sewing room and gave me all of the fabric. This equaled five moving boxes full of fabric. This was all 100% cotton print that she used in her quilt making. This has been put to good use by me in making washable toilet paper and feminine hygiene kits, not only for my family’s use today and in the future but also for future barter or sale.

Items need to produce reusable products:

  • Patterned fabric for each female in the house
  • Cotton batting for each female in the house
  • Patterned fabric for each male in the house
  • Plain non-patterned colored cotton fabric
  • 6” quilting square
  • Pens
  • Empty cereal boxes (for patterns)
  • Empty Kleenex boxes (for bathroom storage)
  • Thread
  • Sewing needles
  • Peri bottles for each family member (available from Amazon or at Precious Arrows)
  • Empty cat litter buckets (to place next to the toilet to hold soiled items)
  • Sewing machine (optional)

Note: Fabric of a different pattern for each family member should be used, to avoid confusion and to maximize hygiene.

Instructions; For washable toilet paper

Mark and cut each fabric selection into 6” squares, I used a 6″ quilting square, take 2 of the non-patterned fabric pieces sandwiched between 2 of the 6” patterned squares of fabric. Pin and sew a zigzag stitch 2 times around the fabric. Fabric is tactile and will move under your pen and quilting square, so after sewing if you may want to trim all 4 sides with pinking shears if you desire. I do this for ones I intend to sell but not ones I use at home.

If a sewing machine is not available a simple blanket stitch around all 4 sides works well. If you do not have a sewing machine trim with the pinking sheers before sewing.

Instructions for washable feminine hygiene products:

  1. Take one of the disposable items and trace onto an empty cereal box to make a pattern. Then trace and cut your fabric and also your batting. I purchase this type of batting. (On eBay)
  2. Place a piece of the batting between two pieces of fabric. This can be sewed with a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine or with a blanket stitch by hand. I love hand sewing (over a sewing machine), so I sew these by hand in the evening while watching the news. I can sew one in less than an hour by hand while watching the news. I make two sizes. The daytime size is 8” long and the nighttime is 12” long.

    If need be, you can increase the batting to two or three pieces. Now, if batting is no longer available, increase the fabric pieces to six or eight layers thick to replace the batting.

    I do not make ones with wings, because not only do you need a fancy machine to attach the plastic snaps but the plastic snaps are manufactured in Asia and will not be available in the future. If you feel like you need it, you can secure the pads in place with good old safety pins.

Instructions for washable dish towels:

  1. I use cotton ticking fabric and cut the fabric 17” X 12” in
    size.
  2. Just hem the fabric on all four sides.

Instructions for washable cloth napkins:

  1. I use cotton duck fabric in black and cut fabric 15” X 15”
  2. Just hem the fabric on all four sides.

Post-SHTF Business Ideas

Learning to make things yourself will not only help you become more prepared but these supplies and skills can become a future post-SHTF business, if you desire. Other items that a family can to add if considering making products as a post-SHTF business venture or just want to become more prepared include:

  • Clutch to hold clean menstrual pads. (Use just two pieces of fabric, see the picture below of the template I made and the picture of the completed clutch.)
  • Clutch to hold used menstrual pads. (Use just one piece of fabric and one piece of plastic. For the plastic, I purchased from IKEA cheap plastic bags that are used to cover suits in the closet. However, as a warning, note that ones with plastic can not be put in a clothes dryer.)
  • Aprons.
  • Kitchen hot pads.
  • Cloth diapers. (There are a lot of different patterns available in .pdf on the Internet. Most of the patterns show using the fancy machine and the plastic snaps from Asia. However the old fashioned safety pins still work well. For ease and cost savings, get a one-size-fits-all pattern. I like this free downloadable .pdf pattern.)
  • Washable face masks. (Shoe strings from the dollar store are used for the ties.)
  • Wonder ovens. (These can not be put in a dryer, so add a loop to hang on the clothes line.)
  • Clothes pin bags. (I use a toddler size three or four button down shirt with the bottom sewed shut.)
  • Needle books.
  • Draft dodgers.
  • Window quilts.
  • Templates. (The 6” quilting square is used for the washable toilet paper; the white card stock template is for a clutch to hold washable pads.)
  • Yards of fabric and batting pressed and marked with the templates, waiting to be cut.
  • Stacks of fabric, cut and waiting to be assembled and sewed.
  • Stacks of completed pads, waiting for their their new home.
  • A completed needle book filled and ready for use. (The pattern that I used was just an 8 1/2” X 11” piece of card stock and three pieces of fabric for the book. Then, I used three pieces of smaller white fabric for the interior pages. This makes a perfect sewing kit for use while traveling or in a bug out bag. This is my needle book and I use it every day to hold sewing needles and sewing pins.
  • Completed clutches, waiting for their new home.

Letter: Rebalancing Your Gun Collection

Daer Editor:
I had a thought about JWR’s suggestions on re-balancing your gun collection.  While I own a few pre-1899 guns, they are now pricey, even for well-worn guns in shooting condition.  I believe an acceptable alternative would be to purchase new reproduction black powder revolvers (the Model 1858 Remington is probably one of the best) and obtain a .45 Colt conversion cylinder.  The BATFE does not consider these to be firearms, so they can be purchased with no paperwork locally or through mail order.  With the conversion cylinder installed they can fire modern cartridges, albeit at low pressures that replicate historical loadings.

Prices for replica Model 1858 Remington revolvers range from around $150 (used at gun shows) to $275 (new, via mail order.)  The conversion cylinders generally run between $200 and $350 depending on manufacturer and features.  Most of these are five-shot conversions.  While the guns are single action, if handgun ownership becomes restricted for some reason, they are far better than using a rock or a stick for self defense.  By shopping around, you can buy these at one at half to a third of the cost of a comparable pre-1899 revolver.  At a higher price point, you can also acquire a Ruger Old Army black powder revolver which is available in stainless steel and can also use conversion cylinders.

I have a Remington 1858 Target Model with modern adjustable sights and an eight inch barrel.  While it is not very concealable, it is remarkably accurate with .45 Colt ammunition. 
Thanks, – The Bruce

JWR Replies: I agree that many types of pre-1899 revolvers are no longer affordable. In particular, the prices of both Colt and Merwin & Hulbert revolvers are quite high, due to strong collector demand.   However, S&W, Forehand & Wadsworth, Hopkins & Allen, and Iver Johnson brand revolvers are generally still quite affordable. Many of these are double action top-break designs, making them very fast to reload. (Certainly much faster than reloading a Colt Single action, or any of the blackpowder cartridge conversions.) 

It may take some research and patient shopping, but it is possible to find pre-1899 production double action .44-40 S&W or .44 S&W Russian revolvers for less than $700. And pre-1899 .38 S&W revolvers can often be found for as little at $250 at gun shows.  See my FAQ on Pre-1899 guns for more details, including serial number thresholds on various models, to ensure that you are buying a gun with a frame that was actually made in or before 1898.

The main problem with cartridge conversions of blackpowder replicas is that they are slow to reload, since the cylinder must be completely removed from the the gun, and then also a separate firing pin conversion backplate. Another potential problem with cartridge conversions of blackpowder replicas is that State and local laws vary widely.  In many states, the use of a conversion cylinder changes the legal category of the gun.  And in states with mandatory pistol registration, making such a conversion without prior registration could constitute a felony.

It also bears mention that while the price of pre-1899 Winchester rifles and Trapdoor Springfield rifles have been driven to dizzying heights, many other pre-1899 cartridge rifles remain quite affordable.  The 1898 and earlier production Mauser and Mosin Nagant rifles can still be found at bargain prices, especially if you are willing to buy one that has already been sporterized.  (“Sporterizing” ruins their collector’s value, but does not degrade their practical effectiveness.)

Letter Re: Sanitation: Can You Burn It?

Dear Editors,
Regarding the question: “Has anyone tried taking the poo and simply tossing it into a hot outdoor fire?”

I can answer that question in the form of a personal reminiscence: When I was serving in Vietnam if someone screwed up our Platoon Sergeant would take the offending person in the morning to old papa-san. Papa-san’s job was to take the cut down 55 gallon drums out of the latrine pour some diesel fuel into them and then burn the contents. Papa-san’s face would light up with a huge grin as the offending troop was delivered to him for this smelly work detail, along with a pack of cigarettes. He would squat down and watch you burn poo while he smoked cigarettes that he rolled. (He would trade his pack of American cigarettes on the black market.) This punitive work detail was a good motivator to not screw up. (Not that I ever had to do it.)  – Oldalaskan.

News From The American Redoubt:

Republican Party Sea Change:  No More Business as Usual in the State of Idaho. (The political influence of the American Redoubt movement is starting to be felt!)

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The leftist hand-wringers at The Washington Post complain: ‘I’m looking at Drudge: “Syrian Refugees Rape Little Girl at Knifepoint in Idaho” – all false’   JWR’s Comment: Oh, I see, we shouldn’t be concerned because it wasn’t a “rape”. It was a mere  “sexual assault” of the five-year old. And the perpetrators were from Iraq and Sudan, rather than from Syria, as first reported.  So am I now supposed to feel “all better” about this, and forget about it? A few days ago came a chilling update to the news story:  The leftist U.S. attorney for Idaho (appointed by Obama) has stepped in to threaten prosecution, in an apparent attempt to muzzle both the media and protesters. “Nothing to see here folks, move along…”

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What Reality Shows Do They Watch in The American Redoubt?

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A recent poll by the Huckleberries Online blog spinoff of the statist/collectivist-leaning Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane, Washington showed that 58% of their responding blog readers are “concerned” about the American Redoubt movement.  (But of course the readers of that blog are hardly a representative sample of Redoubt region residents!)

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Fairchild Air Force Base makes short list for KC-46A Tanker fleet
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Mill closures a ‘punch in the gut’ of Northwest Montana