Total Loss Disaster and Lessons Learned, by R2

1

We experienced a total loss fire in January of 2014. All life, minus a few fish, made it out okay. Praise God! This story is a summation of lessons learned regarding insurance, rebuild/replacement options, storage preps, fire-proof safe survival, OPSEC, and much more. I hope you can learn and make adjustments based on this experience.

We had a three story colonial home with brick front, vinyl siding, and an asphalt roof. We poured a concrete foundation with a walk out basement, and we had a well, septic system, propane heat, and electric air conditioning and appliances.

Our OPSEC was compromised. The 40+ firefighters, insurance claims agent, and adjustors, as well as the crew contracted to clean up the debris all now know we are preppers. We were already leaning towards building somewhere new after the fire, but this convinced us to relocate, since our location and preps had been compromised. I can guarantee you we would have strangers knocking or kicking on the door to get in when the SHTF, if we stayed.

Insurance Policy Things To Know

You will have two claims, and perhaps a third if your vehicle and trailer go up in flames as ours did. The vehicle and travel trailer fall under the automobile insurance policy, and I think most of us know how to deal with that. Just keep in mind that you get replacement value, which is based on its year/make/model/mileage/condition rather than its worth to you personally.

First, you will have a structural claim. This is based on a replacement cost to rebuild your home. We are talking about a total loss situation here. Some policies also have an additional provision around 20% above that replacement cost, called extended warranty coverage or something like that. Let’s use $100,000 as your policy replacement cost for your home. If your house was a total loss, the insurance company may give you up to $120,000 to rebuild your home. That extra 20% covers inflation of cost of goods to rebuild and/or services to rebuild. If we do experience rapid inflation, be sure to adjust your policy accordingly. Most importantly, realize that any funds you get from the insurance company for the structure will be made out to you AND the lien holder. This means that if you have a mortgage on your structure, you cannot cash those insurance checks. That would require the signature of the mortgage company, who has a vested interest into that home being rebuilt back to the asset value. Therefore, the mortgage company will treat those funds basically as a construction loan. My particular insurance company, well known and advertised, will not require you to rebuild using their own contractors. That is all up to you. You will have to work between the contractor and the bank to release those funds at milestones, as the work is completed. As you can imagine, that can often lead to some challenging times. Your only other option is to pay off the remaining loan balance to the mortgage company, and then you are free and clear to do what you want. We were fortunate enough to be able to take this route. We paid off the mortgage company with the insurance check, kept any remaining funds, and had free title of the land. The insurance company had a structural engineer come on site and validate that the poured concrete foundation was still functional and had not been compromised by the fire, heat, or water. We asked the insurance company for a copy of the foundation validation from the engineer, so we could use that in the resell of the land. We still had the well, septic, driveway, foundation, and the land itself. We worked with a trusted agent and ended up selling the land to a local builder. You’re most likely going to have the best luck selling to a builder in this kind of case. Also, know that land sales typically have a commission rate for the agent(s) of 10%. Because there was no structure, this was regarded as a land sale. However, we got lucky and walked away with 5%, because the buyer didn’t have an agent and just had a lawyer review the transaction documents, thus avoiding the additional 5% fee for me. That made the offer that much more attractive. We sold the land and walked away from the property. Fruit trees, gardens, berry bushes, out buildings all went bye-bye. That hurts. However, we are grateful and feel blessed to be able to come out of this like we have.

Secondly, you will also have a personal property claim. Our insurance company uses a supposed industry standard of 75% of the structural value as the amount covered for personal property. YMMV. For example, if your structure has a replacement value of $100K, then they will cover your personal property for $75K. Personal property is defined basically as everything that would fall out of the house if you shook it upside down. So, those of you with more than that figure would need to make adjustments to your policy. Also, there will be caps or limits to particular categories of personal property. You need to read this section carefully as everything from jewelry, guns, cash (usually limited to a few hundred dollars), precious metals (usually considered as cash), food, and more may have a limit to the payout of the coverage. You will need to put a separate “rider” on your policy to cover those assets. After the fire/flood/tornado/hurricane, you will be required to list on a spreadsheet everything that you owned. For example, you would list everything you lost, such as:

Item 1: 4 x4 wooden kitchen table with walnut finish and four legs. Four chairs, all wooden with pillowed seat and wooden legs in a walnut finish. Bought approx. 51 months ago at a cost of $1500.

If you don’t know the make/model, then they will want to know where you shopped so they can come up with a replacement value. As you can imagine, if you lost your entire home then this process can be overwhelming. I recommend you do it room by room and split it with your spouse. Then you each look over each other’s work and add to it, adjust numbers, et cetera. The more detailed you are, the better off you will be. I also recommend you take either a video and/or some sort of inventory list in advance of any such disaster, so this process is easier. We had a video that was in our safe, which did survive (more to come on that), and it was smoke damaged. We took it to a local camera shop, and they converted it to DVD for us. That worked well, and we were able to have something to jog our memory. The tape was done about 5 years prior to the fire, so I also suggest you make a point to update your video/lists on a yearly basis. Strangely, the insurance company never did ask to see my video, even though I told them I had it. I believe that may have been because they believed we were credible and not trying to scam them. I wouldn’t assume that would be the case in all situations, and you may want to be careful in even mentioning you have it unless you get some sort of pushback. I also had to come clean with the personal property claims agent (different person then the structural claims agent) that I was a prepper. I basically said I do some things like the wackos on the TV shows, but I am not wacko and flashed a smile. I mentioned that I’d be claiming lots of food and perhaps other unconventional numbers and assets that may look different to most other claims. I knew my OPSEC was blown at this point anyway, so I just came out with it and prepared them early about what my PP (Personal Property) claim may look like.

The insurance company will come back with an itemized list based on your claims and provide you with the ACV (actual cash value) of each asset. That ACV number is what you will receive in the form of a check. They will also have a summary sheet that is a “Recap by Category with Depreciation”. This sheet is what we will refer to going forward. They took each item on my list and put it into a category. For example, furniture, health & medical supplies, electronics, and so on. There are close to 35 categories on the sheet. There are three columns next to each category. ACV (Actual Cash Value), RCV (Recoverable Cash Value), and Depreciation. For example:

Category:

RCV

Depreciation

ACV

Furniture

$68,695

$29,552

$39,142

This means that you were given a check for $39,142 for all of your household furniture, based on its replacement cost minus depreciation. You can reclaim the depreciation value ($29,552) assuming you have not maxed out the PP policy cash limits at this point. Let’s assume you have not maxed out. In order to claim that depreciation value, you will have to physically replace the asset(s) and submit receipts for each item. This is where it can get confusing. Each category has a set percentage of depreciation associated with it. For example, major appliances depreciate much faster than jewelry. Jewelry has approximately a 28% depreciation rate, YMMV, and major appliances have a 62% depreciation rate. In the above example, furniture has a depreciation rate of 43%. Take Depreciation/RCV. So, for every $1,000 I spend to replace furniture, I will get $430 of that Depreciation category ($29,552) back to me as I replace those assets. However, you cannot exceed that recoverable depreciation in any one category and not beyond the total ceiling on your policy itself for personal property. To put the prepper spin back on this, here are a few categories of interest and what our policy provided as the depreciation percentages.

  • Firearms & Accessories – 11%
  • Books – 50%
  • Sporting Goods and Outdoors – 40%
  • Health and Medical Supplies –13%
  • Perishable & Non-Perishable (Food) – .1%…..they basically gave me full value for my food stocks.
  • Electronics – 42%

It’s interesting to me to see these categories and the percentages, because it gives you a really good view of where to put your investment dollars. I was surprised at the low return on books, but I don’t think they know how much we value information and reference materials.

Safes and Things That Go “Boom”

I had a modular Dakota safe and a small “fireproof” Sentry safe. They were saved but had some heat and smoke damage. This was because the fire chief on site asked me if I had anything specific to try to save and I gave him the locations of the safes. The firefighters were in a total defensive mode at this point, and he just wanted to focus on any particular valuables and put the water there. We didn’t live near a fire hydrant, just like most of us living in the boonies don’t, so they had to bring tankers to the fire. There just weren’t enough tankers and water to save the house. The safe and its contents had smoke damage (not good for firearms but can be fixed) and some water damage in the bottom (stocks, hardware, et cetera), which also can be fixed. The firefighters were not too concerned with the ammunition, as it apparently has a very small diameter radius in which it flies off when under that much heat and fire. I believe there was an article/link submitted a few weeks ago in SurvivalBlog about this.

A Few Other Notes

  1. You will get replacement value for the structure only. You will not get what it’s worth at full market value in your location, if you were to sell it.
  2. God bless good friends and family to get you through these times.
  3. The people that gave the most and helped out our family the most were the folks that had the least. The well-to-do crowd did next to nothing. I found this surprising, though I guess in hindsight I shouldn’t have.
  4. This kind of thing takes a serious emotional toll on you. No matter the disaster someone may go through, they will NEVER forget it and never not stop smelling weird smells, hearing weird sounds, or being alerted to some other thing. I can’t imagine what our soldiers go through and have to live with for the rest of their life, especially considering how young some of them are. PTSD is real, and I think we all need to do our part to help them.
  5. Regarding data backups, put your personal and important digital files on an external memory stick and in your safe and/or at your prepper friend’s house. You can also store your data in the “cloud” with Mozy or one of the many other online storage vendors. They encrypt the data in flight and at rest, but trust who you will with this. Do the same with your video or list of personal property. Update this data often.
  6. Disasters happen. I don’t care how prepared you think you are, because if the Good Lord wants to take it away, He will. You have to trust in His plan. A good sense of humor and those friends and family mentioned in #2 above help as well.
  7. You will feel very naked after this type of event. You have to rebuild your preps, and it helps going back to think about how you wish you started. Remember to start with a little bit of a lot and work your way to a week, two weeks, then a month, and longer periods of preparations for eventuality you’ve been preparing for.
  8. Being prepared financially with little to no debt helps in so many ways. Being prepared spiritually with a relationship with Jesus Christ helps immensely. Being prepared with a great spouse and family and great relationships helps. Being prepared with data and non-insurable items, or not-insured, in a safe place no matter what happens is helpful.
  9. Take fire safety in general more seriously. The fireman commented as I watched my house burn down how today’s homes go up like tinder boxes because of how they are built. Have alarms, smoke detectors, CO detectors, and extinguishers everywhere, and know where they are automatically. I’m considering one in my car as well.
  10. Have an escape plan worked out and practice it. We did a few times and decided we’d all meet at the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Those instincts kicked in. We had a two-story ladder in an upstairs closet as well. We didn’t need it, but it’s better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it.
  11. Fires can start from the outside (where there is no smoke detector) and get out of hand quickly before you become aware of it. Put a smoke detector in your garage as well. Maybe even put one outside.
  12. We are rebuilding with Hardie-Plank siding, which is rated as brick since it is a cement fiber board. It is fire resistant, if a fire starts outside. A metal roof would be ideal if you can afford it. Think CASTLE! Read JWR’s book on homesteads and how to build.
  13. From a nine year old… listen to your parents, remember the drills we learned, and go to the mailbox. Don’t be afraid. You will be stunned. Find a parent and GET OUT!!! If I couldn’t find a parent, I would find the closest phone and grab my pet(s) and run outside to the mailbox and call 911.
  14. From a nine year old and from his parents… think positive. After the event, realize that you will get your stuff back and better things. You still have your family and parents (hopefully). Good people will come to help you.

From a nine year old… help your neighbors! We did so many times, and they came to help us with everything from shoes to coats, and to watching me while things were happening. They comforted me and got me away from the scene.

As you can imagine, this is a long and arduous process and a constant OPSEC nightmare. We are currently in a rental property being paid for by the insurance company (for a limited time), while we rebuild somewhere new. I want to get most of this done before I have to give them my new permanent address. I will still always feel compromised, unless I left the state, but that is not an option at this point. We will come out better off from all of this. If you don’t believe you will, then you won’t.

Thanks for all you guys do at Survival Blog. God Bless.

Letter Re: Grain Mills

Hugh,

The author expressed little concern for his WonderMill’s tendency to heat the flour it milled, on the grounds that the flour was about to go into an oven anyway. This logic certainly makes sense; however, heated flour can be a problem in some cases. We once had a mill, whose brand I’ve forgotten, that heated its flour quite a bit. We make a fair bit of sourdough, and our starter quite noticeably failed to thrive when fed flour from this mill. Of course we let the flour cool before feeding, so latent heat wouldn’t kill the starter outright, but still the starter failed to grow well. Our hand mill, a Country Living model we’ve been quite happy with, as well as a couple other slower- and coarser-grinding electric models we’ve had occasion to use, didn’t have that problem.

As an aside, sourdough is a skill any bread-making prepper ought to learn. It means not running out of bread when the commercial dry yeast supply runs thin. – EJW

HJL Adds: We have also been very happy with our Country Living Grain Mill, but it was not a cheap option. The mill was one of the most expensive, and the addition of the electric kit made it even more so. In the first four months, the mill had the “newness” of a toy so it was no problem finding someone to turn the crank, but after that, it was either electrify it, or turn the crank myself for an hour every other day. The mill does not heat up appreciably, even on large batches of flour.

Letter Re: Thoughts on Memorial Day

I just read your thoughts regarding Memorial Day. I’ve had the opportunity to live in both a very large megaplex city area (the LA/Orange/Riverside County area) and a very small town about half way between Sacramento and the Lake Tahoe area. I’ve noticed a major difference of behavior in the two areas regarding Memorial Day. Even in the area I lived in “down south” in south Orange County (a somewhat conservative area amidst other, more liberal areas), Memorial Day was seen far more as “a day off,” with little thought generally given to thoughts about the sacrifices of our veterans. Here in the little town I live in now, a very rural area given heavily over to conservative views (I might even say the residents are “old fashioned”). There’s a lot more respect given to those who’ve served. The difference is quite startling.

Memorial Day is NOT about BBQs, the beach, or baseball. It’s about the sacrifices Americans in the military have made over the years and who will continue to make sacrifices into the future. Also, as a personal commentary, veterans– past, present, and future– don’t get even half the credit and honor they deserve. – SRG

Odds ‘n Sods:

The Retail Death Rattle Grows Louder. – H.L.

o o o

Glenn Greenwald to publish list of U.S. citizens that NSA spied on. – H.L.

This is a list that I am very interested to see.

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“Nobody Needs.” The Media Attempts To Grant “Absolute Moral Authority” To The Gun Control Movement. – B.B.

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Now, the police don’t even need a predator drone to kill an American. The police are authorized to shoot until the alleged perpetrator is dead, even if the danger is over. What is even more disturbing is the lack of a dissenting vote from the court. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Police Who Used Deadly Force to End High-Speed Car Chase – G.P.

o o o

Bobby Jindal signs gun rights bills into law. – J.W.

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Sharp Employer leaves gun in safe for employees. The concept obviously worked ! – T.P.

Notes for Tuesday – May 27, 2014:

After faithfully serving SurvivalBlog for almost seven years, Cheryl N. (aka The Economatrix) will be capping her editorial pen, so that she can concentrate on writing her doctoral thesis. We thank her for volunteer service to the blog. She has undoubtedly helped wake up many thousands of people to the economic realities (and perils) of the present day. For that, we cannot thank her enough!

With Cheryl’s upcoming departure, we are now actively seeking a replacement. This is a volunteer position. You would only be in it for the glory–plus a few free books and a nice birthday present each year. The ideal candidate to fill this role would be someone with a strong economics background and sagacious discernment, and someone whoalready combs the global economic news several days a week, for other reasons. E-mail me if you are interested. Thanks! – JWR, Senior Editor

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Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

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 FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 52 ends on May 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.

A Simpleton’s Guide To Preps: The Best And The Overrated, by B.H.

The Best:

  1. Become a faithful, obedient Christian.

    Why? Because we’re thinking long-term. Prepping doesn’t exempt death; it just postpones it (maybe). If you believe in prepping for the few decades you have on this earth, doesn’t it make sense to prep for the eternity that follows?

  2. Develop a long-term attitude in all your preparations.

    Why? At various gun-shows and events I attend, I occasionally see a small patch for sale that reads, “Embrace the Suck.” How true this could be. Simply giving-up during bad times will most likely kill more folks than anything, including smoking unfiltered cigarettes or running with scissors. Everyone runs fast the first mile of a marathon, but how many actually finish strong, or finish at all? I would imagine the first item you’d want to acquire in your prepping life is the right attitude, so think long-term with everything on this list.

  3. Prepare shelter from the cold, including the most important skill of making fire.

    Why? With the exception of lava flows, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, sharks, lions, mudslides, avalanche, coral snakes, lightening strike, asteroid impact, stampeding cattle, hurricanes, or lack of air, absolutely no element of nature kills quicker than cold. Being prepared to survive the cold includes clothing, coats, and blankets. It also includes ways to make fire; a place to make fire; the means to cut, split, and chop wood; a roof to keep you dry; and walls to shield the wind. (Walls also have the duel benefit of keeping sharks and stampeding cattle at bay.)

  4. Know where and how to obtain clean water.

    Why? You can’t go more than a few days without it. However, just having access to water is only half the battle, because dirty water may be almost as bad as no water at all, so you need to know how to make dirty water clean. There are many easy ways to keep “the runs” away. (Grandmother used to say that.) You can boil it, bleach it, filter it, or chemically treat it. Just don’t get confused and boil your filter in chemically-altered bleach; that would be overkill.

  5. Build sources for live food, such as chickens, rabbits, and a vegetable garden.

    Why? After a collapse, Taco Bell will probably cut back its hours of operation and not even Bill Gates can afford to buy enough pre-packaged #10 cans of dehydrated gourmet entrées to last a lifetime. Keeping chickens and brussel sprouts alive takes practice; practice takes time; and time will not be available post-collapse. Getting these items in place now will force you to get the tools you need (both physical and mental) ahead of time. This type of food is healthy, and you’ll get a lot of exercise in the process, but the really good news is you’ll have no trouble reaching that weight-loss goal you set during the New Year’s holiday. You’ll look great come swimsuit season.

  6. Buy that rifle or shotgun (and ammo for the same).

    Why? There are many obvious reasons why a firearm or two would be a pretty good idea following the collapse of society. First, we will be back to the Wild West style of justice. Even though government organized law enforcement will no longer be worried about things like littering, seat-belts, or car window-tint that is just a tad too dark, they will still be a little busy. (Assuming they haven’t ditched the job entirely to stay home and look after their own families.) Secondly, hunting will become America’s most popular pastime, and while slingshots and bow and arrow certainly make the hunt more challenging, using a good old American-made firearm will be your best bet at putting meat on the table. I mean no offense to you vegetarians reading this. Finally, the number of homeless cats and dogs will explode; homeless cats and dogs just love chickens and rabbits. (Read #5 again, if I went over your head with this comment.)

  7. Store salt, soap, and candles.

    Why? All of these will last forever. All are dirt cheap now, and all will be invaluable at meal time, bath time, nighttime, and “romance” time. (Well, the salt won’t help here, unless someone knows something I don’t.) Don’t skimp; stock up. I mean fill your closets and drawers with them. Also fill every empty box you can find. There is no such thing as too much here. Plus, these are great barter items.

  8. Buy and store silver.

    Why? Eventually you may want to buy something when paper money may not be accepted. Credit cards, checks, PayPal, and those cute, trendy little “bit-coins” might not work out for you either; I’m just sayin’. Have no fear. Whether it’s as simple as buying a drink of water or as difficult as finding someone to betray Jesus Christ, silver can always be counted on to get you what you need.

The Overrated:

  1. Gold

    Why? You can’t easily make change. Let’s say you walk into a convenience store with a gold coin. Both you and the cashier may agree that your shiny gold coin is worth $5,000. However, in the end, you will not be going home with that loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter you wanted, unless you’re willing to pay $5,000 for it.

  2. Medications/Antibiotics

    Why? They have a short shelf life. Band-aids and aspirin are fine. Okay, I’ll give you a pass on Viagra, as well, but let’s be realistic. Antibiotics have a short shelf life. Heat or moisture makes it even shorter. Some medicines must be refrigerated. A total collapse is going to be very unpleasant, and unfortunately some of its realities are going to be hard to accept. Still, look on the bright side; chopping wood will do your body more good than any blood-pressure medicine, anyhow.

  3. Gasoline and anything that runs on it

    Why? Again, it’s the shelf life. Yes, of course I have a gasoline-powered generator, but its sole purpose is so I don’t lose the 2-3 weeks of food in my refrigerator and freezer. Beyond that, it’s overrated. If you take the time to treat gas with a stabilizer, you’ll still be lucky to get 18 months out of it. Then what do you do? Here’s the bigger problem: gas engines make a lot of unwanted noise, like a cell phone in church. Don’t be the guy who loses everything because his cell phone went off in church.

  4. Batteries and anything that requires electricity

    Why? Batteries eventually die. (Yes, even the re-chargeable ones eventually die.) Have you ever seen a Clint Eastwood western where he whined about a lack of batteries, air conditioning, or cell phone service? No, you haven’t. Did a lack of electricity keep men like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin from becoming studs of American history? No, it didn’t. Don’t be a prepping “hipster”! Man-up, put your “big-boy” pants on, lace up them boots, and ditch the electronics.

  5. Bugging Out

    Why? Let’s see. Could it be that I have no shelter other than what I can quickly build with what is on hand, my supplies are limited to what I can carry or pull in a little red wagon, I’m alone (or in a relatively small group), and I’m in an unfamiliar and lawless environment with a good chance of running into a bunch of hungry, desperate strangers. Oh, by the way, hungry, desperate strangers are never ever intimidated by a person pulling a little red wagon. What could possibly go wrong?

  6. A Survival Retreat You Don’t Live In

    Why? You have to get there BEFORE the collapse. If you don’t, you have to bug-out; read “Bugging Out” again. The only way you can be there before the collapse is to see it coming, and what are the chances of that? 40%? 60%? Even at 80%, this seems like a poor return for a prep that cost tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we’re just talking about getting there! That’s not to mention what you may find waiting on you, if and when you arrive. What could possibly suck worse than someone breaking into your retreat before you get there, eating all your Tactical bacon (Google it if you don’t believe me), grabbing your $3,000 spiral-fluted-barrel assault rifle (with greasy fingers no less), and shooting at you with your coveted premium Zombie-Load ammo, all while using your shelter as, well…..shelter? Verdict: OVERRATED.

  7. That 3rd, 4th, or 5th Firearm

    Why? Because you’re kidding yourself! You aren’t prepping. You just like guns and are using prepping as an excuse to buy more of them. It’s like thinking you actually look cool wearing black leather chaps to the mall, because they are “necessary” for the Harley you have parked in your garage. (Sorry, that was the best analogy I could come up with, and remember I’m shooting for 1,500 words here!) Hey, don’t get me wrong; I love guns and have more than my share, but I do not believe for a second that convincing my wife to let me buy that 7th assault rifle is going to somehow extend my survival.

  8. NBC Equipment

    Why? Exactly! “WHY?” Chances are a nuclear or biological attack will not be small scale. They don’t call them weapons of MASS destruction for nothing. Who wants to live in a land that is poisoned for centuries while wearing a hot rubber chemical body suit and mask? How can you enjoy a romantic evening with your spouse, if you both are forced to wear a hot rubber body suit and mask? So much for all that stockpiled Viagra. While I hate closing on a dark thought, I do believe that contrary to the thinking of many, there are some survival situations that are worse than death, but hey, just don’t forget the words of the Apostle Paul, “to die is gain.” Sooner or later (hopefully later), we’ll all get there. So make the best of it. Enjoy what you can. Embrace it if you have to, and learn to laugh at yourself at least a little.

Letter Re: Generators And Their Proper Implementation During TEOTWAWKI/Disasters

HJL,

I’ve passed this along many times to JWR when the subject of generators and transfer switches come up. It is a more versatile solution than a transfer switch. It is a product named Generlink. It installs at your pole and allows you to choose which circuits to power via your breaker box, instead of having to wire specific circuits with a transfer switch and is a less expensive solution than a transfer switch. Generlink has been approved by my electric co-op and many others. Check it out at generlink.com, I have no financial interest in it. Regards, Keith

o o o

Hi Hugh,

I figured it was time for me to bring this up regarding generators. As to my background, I’ve used my preferred generator series for more than 20 years. My ranch is completely off grid; there is nothing coming in or going out of the property– no electric, water, or phone. I use a Trace inverter which automatically starts and stops the generator as needed. Now, as the OP did, most people will go get a generator, then gas and fire it up. What people don’t realize is the difference between generators and generators. The Troy-bilt referenced in the original post is a 3600RPM generator and, amongst other things, they are LOUD! No matter how you try to jerry rig it, no muffler, exhaust pipe, baffles, whatever clever idea you come up with, will make it quiet. Those cast iron pistons cannot be made quiet. In other words, there is NO OPSEC!

Allow me to clarify while keeping it simple. The Troy-bilt is a good generator, but it’s engine runs at 3600 RPM, and it’s designed for “Temporary Duty”. It’s good for emergencies and construction sites. The max recommended is 8 hours usage out of 24 for design life.

The best for OPSEC, and our readers intended use, is an Onan or Kohler RV generator, available in 120 or 120/240 VAC, 4KW, 6.5KW, 7.5KW, or bigger. Get the single phase only. They have a bigger engine because they run at 1800 RPM and produce more stable power. They are also designed as a “Continuous Duty” generator, although not in the “Commercial Sense” of continuous duty.

Drawbacks:

  • Heavier, not designed to be portable, no battery charging built in.

Advantages:

  • Electric start,
  • Running 20 hours a day for days on end won’t hurt it (if you can afford the fuel),
  • Easily convertible to tri-fuel (Natural Gas, Propane, Gasoline),
  • Less likely to get stolen,
  • BTW, some folks have put them on wheeled dollies and move them easily, and
  • They’re QUIET! They meet the National Park Service quietness standards. Mine can be running and you can have a nice conversation standing right beside it.

As a wrapup, the newer Honda and other brand inverter generators are great for small power requirement applications, but they’re not very EMP proof. Anyway, this is food for thought since you can get one on Craigslist for under $1000. They’re built very well, lots of spare parts around, too.

Best regards, to all,

The Army Aviator

News From The American Redoubt:

WWII-era plane crash site rediscovered at INL. – RBS

Interesting to note that JWR’s new book, also named Liberators is being released on October 15th. This book’s title is a shared homage, in honor of:

  • The veterans of the U.S. Army 14th Armored Division  (“The Liberators”)
  • Those who designed and built the Consolidated B-24 and PB4Y-1 “Liberator” heavy bombers,
  • The aircrewmen who flew B-24 Liberator bombers in WWII.
  • George Hyde, the German-born designer of the American FP-45 Liberator pistol made during WWII,
  • And Cody Wilson, the inventor of the 21st Century  “Liberator” 3D-printed pistol.

Amazon is already taking pre-orders for the novel.

o o o

Billings Police to begin using encrypted transmissions. – T.P.

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Cape Air boardings are taking off in Eastern Montana. – T.P.

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Police: BASE jumper too drunk to exit canyon

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2014 Northern Rockies Machinegun & Cannon Shoot in Mills, Wyoming. Download the registration form.

Economics and Investing:

“It’s total moral surrender”: Matt Taibbi unloads on Wall Street, inequality and our broken justice system – RBS

o o o

Items from The Economatrix:

Catastrophic Outcomes May Come Faster Than Expected – James Rickards

The Size Of The Derivatives Bubble Hanging Over The Global Economy Hits A Record High

A Global Crisis Of Young Adult Unemployment: 12 Countries In Europe Have An Unemployment Rate Of 20 Percent Or Higher For Adults Ages 25 And Younger.

As Goes Walmart, So Goes America: “Major Holes Are Starting to Form In Its Business”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Six Ways to Separate Lies From Statistics – JBG

o o o

Justice to count feds’ guns. It will be interesting to compare the resulting numbers with those of 10 years ago. I suspect we are in for an eye-opener.

o o o

Government Agency Scraps Employee Ratings To Avoid ‘Discrimination’. Because your rating system just can’t be accurate if it rates minorities below the average. Some ideas are just worthy of a face-palm. – Mike Williamson, Survivalblog Editor At Large.

o o o

Why War Is Inevitable — Paul Craig Roberts. – B.B.

o o o

And here another showdown begins between personal liberty and public safety. Every driver who refuses to blow is strapped to a table, put in a head lock, blood forcibly taken. (video). What keeps the police from fabricating the claim for the warrant just to get you in the system? How far will they take this concept? Injections of RFID? – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The early American knew that freedom was nothing more than the absence of external restraint on behavior; the government could not give you freedom, it could only take it away.” – Frank Chodorov

Notes for Monday – May 26, 2014:

May 26th is the birthday of Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.). He was born in 1949. When not touring, he lives somewhere in Montana, so he qualifies as a Redoubter. He reportedly has a large gun collection, which is heavy on Sharps rifles and rifles that have factory letters showing that they were originally shipped to Montana. His song A Country Boy Can Survive is of course practically a survivalist anthem. His father was just 29 when he died, and despite a couple of close calls, Hank Jr. is now 64, so he may yet live to a ripe old age.

o o o

Another Memorial Day is upon us. It’s a day established to remember and honor those who have paid a price for freedom, including my freedom to write this blog today. While I have not served in the military, I am deeply moved by those who have sacrificed much, whether it is only two to four years of their lives in service or those whose marriages struggle because of a career-long commitment. I am especially moved by those who made the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom. It is with much sadness that I watched as Walmart was mobbed by families with grocery carts full of barbecue and chips this weekend, as they head to the lake or mountains, treating this honorable day as just another long weekend to party. I don’t begrudge them their escape from the rat race, but I only wish they would slow down and take the time to reflect on why they have that ability to have fun.

I do, however, hold a grudge against the politicians of our time, who so willingly throw our young men and women into danger, risking their lives for no discernible moral high ground as they sling mud at one another in this election year. Krayton Kerns, DVM says it very eloquently in his blog: My Melancholy Memorial Day.

Have a good time with your family this memorial day but do take a moment, at least, and reflect upon the sacrifices made by those who protect us from the evil within this world, praying for the solace of their families and friends.

Guest Article: Kleptocracy and Capital Controls, by William Lehr

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that the psychopathic, controlling oligarchs will go to in order to strengthen their grip on humanity.  Control and power are the weapons of these few.  While weapons, they will also serve as their demise.  You see, we are not boiling frogs, despite all the fluoride and GMOs we are force fed.  We, the rational minded, can see through the scam.  We are waking up and growing tired of being pushed into the corner.  Awareness of the controlling power mechanism is what is driving us for a better tomorrow.

When we first wrote about the IRA LLC on SurvivalBlog, we generated quite a bit of interest from the community.  As people discover the ability to take home delivery of IRA gold and silver, it changes the game.  Through this process we are encountering skeptics, evangelists, and outright government tyranny.  

After the recent events at the Bundy ranch in Nevada, overreaching government oppression is on the mind.  What we do here, at Perpetual Assets, may seem trivial to modern day Lexington and Concord moments.  I will not argue against that; there is little comparison available to the valor of the men, women, and III percenters who stood with the constitution and people against government tyranny.   However, our fight with financial oppression is real.  

As a facilitator of IRA LLC rollovers, we experience the worst of government control of private assets.  Our clients come to us because they want to “jailbreak” their hard-earned retirement savings.  Most come to us because they have learned they can take gold and silver purchased with their retirement account and store it at home.  Many of them have an existing IRA that they plan to rollover, but some are trapped in 401ks or similar defined benefit plans. 

401ks and like plans allow the employee to contribute a portion of pretax income to the account, similar to the option an individual has with less restriction in an IRA.  The benefit of the 401K plan is the often matching employer contribution.  Here the employer matches the employee’s contribution, up to a point, and adds those funds to the employee’s account.  It is important to envision this accumulated fund as the individual employee’s property.  If you ever paid into one, I bet you’ll agree.  I liken these types of plans to a group health insurance plan, only financial in nature.  This is a plan type whereby the individual funds the account but participates as a member of the group.  The group contracts with a third-party plan administrator and has a series of funds and investment options, but each individual has his or her own account inside the greater plan.  

The problem with these plans is the tyrannical and outright fascist restrictions on capital– your capital.  If you leave the company for whatever reason, it is no problem; you can roll the accumulated funds out into an IRA.  Therein lies the catch. If you want to access your money, you must quit your job!  That’s right, the corporate, banking, and government powers have all merged to withhold the control of trillions of dollars in 401k retirement plans.  It’s a complete racket.  I had one client tell me the words of his plan administrator were such that he had to die, quit his job, or pay penalties and taxes to get his own money back.  Keep in mind that not all employers provide matching contributions, meaning the entire accumulated fund would be paid in by the individual.

Don’t set the office on fire yet.  Some employers (about 16%) allow a little-known maneuver called an “in service” withdrawal.  If you have one of these plans and want to roll the money out to an IRA or IRA LLC for even further benefits, you may be eligible.  Some employers are more lenient and allow you to withdraw your own money at age brackets with percentage limits.  For example at age 50 you may be eligible to withdraw 80% of your balance, and at age 55, you can withdraw up to 90%, and so forth.  If you have attained age 59.5, you should be free to take taxable distributions with any plan or roll the balance out into a friendlier platform.  First check with your human resources representative or plan administrator to inquire about your options.

It is our mission to free individuals and their hard-earned money from the tyrannical grip of overreaching government.  If we can assist in any way we certainly will.  Feel free to reach out to us with questions or if you want to learn more about the IRA LLC concept and its benefits.  

Trust Yourself!

Will Lehr of Perpetual Assets