Notes for Tuesday – May 6, 2014

May 6th is the birthday of Tuvia Bielski, born 1906. You may remember him as the main character in the movie Defiance This movie was based on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec.

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For those that like Sig Sauers, one of our contest sponsors, Autrey’s Armory, is offering 10% off for any Sig Sauer firearm in stock, and they will throw in the shipping. Just use “SIG10” at the checkout to get the discount. They will run the sale until May 15th.

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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.

Using Homeowners Insurance To Replace Lost Prepping Supplies And Retreat, by J.H.

First, I am a licensed insurance agent. I prefer not to mention the companies I represent. However, laws differ from state to state. This article is to educate people how to use their insurance to replace their prepping supplies and retreats when disaster strikes.

Terms and Definitions to Know

There are some basic terms to know when dealing with insurance. I’ve defined some of these terms into every day language:

Actual Cash Value– This is also known as the depreciated value. Think about your roof. If you have 20-year shingles that have been on your house for 11 years and have a hail storm strike your home, here is how it is settled. If the cost to replace your roof is $10,000, the insurance company says you have nine years remaining on the shingles (20 year shingles less the 11 years they have been on your house) and they multiply $10,000 by 9/20 of the remaining value of your roof. So, the value of your roof is $4,500. They pay you this amount ($4,500), less your deductible. Not too good!

Replacement Cost– Does not take depreciation into account. It replaces your item(s) in today’s dollars, less your deductible.

Fair Market Value– What you could sell your asset(s) for today.

Perils– Anything that goes wrong.

Extended Values– In our state, this means the insurance company pays for 125% of your insured amount.

Scheduled Property– Property that has significant value and should be listed on your policy. Think about your jewelry, guns, silver, gold, money, computers, manuscripts, tools, and so forth.

Umbrella Liability Policy– A cheap way to insure against big mistakes. If you are driving and have an allergy attack and start sneezing uncontrollably and cause a five car pile-up, you will be glad you have this policy. It will help keep you out of a courtroom.

Exclusions– What your insurance will not cover. The best example of this, in most states that allow them, is the insurance companies lack of payment in case of an act of war, nuclear disaster, flood (external rising water), and (in the southeast) hurricane coverage. In most states, one can add earthquake coverage.

Flood Insurance– The government’s second attempt at a national insurance program. If you live in a flood prone area, you really need this insurance. However, like Obamacare, it is too expensive, lacks some coverage, and has high deductibles. This is a standardized coverage nationwide. I live on a plateau that has never flooded in our town. It would cost me $365 to have flood insurance, in an area with a very low chance of occurrence. I can only imagine how much it would cost in the states that have wide-spread flooding.

Rates– What you pay for insurance. Rates are approved by each state’s department of insurance.

Pet Insurance– Don’t do it! This is “feel good” insurance that most veterinarians in my area say is a waste of money.

Coverages:

Insurance is broken down into sections. Each section covers a specific area of your properties. We will now examine the various sections.

Coverage “A” – Your Dwelling

The best conversation I have with clients is the amount of coverage they have on their home. You are insuring the reconstruction cost of your home, not the fair market value of your home. This means if you have a 1,500 square foot home, multiply it by the cost to replace a house like yours. Where I live, the building inspector told me houses are being constructed for $100 per square foot, if it is an average house. For higher end homes, it can be as much as $125 to $200 per square foot. So, in this example, the average house should be insured for $150,000 (1,500 square feet X $100). Your home might only sell for $120,000, if you sold it. Be sure to insure the rebuilding amount.

Some companies guarantee to replace your home no matter what the cost. This is called the “unlimited replacement value”. Other companies will offer extended limits. In my state, the “extended limits” means that your house has an extra coverage of some percent determined by the insurance company. The company I write most insurance for has extended coverage of 125%. In the example above, the individual would have coverage of $150,000 times 125% or $187,500.

Is this a good option? Yes. Let’s say your insurance renews on May 1, 2014, and you elect “extended limits” coverage. On July 10, 2014, the Federal Reserve System announces it is stopping quantitative easing immediately. The cost of all goods and service rises quickly. You have a house fire on October 27, 2014. In the example above, the house is insured at $150,000. Because the cost increased quickly, to replace your home now costs $180,000. Your insurance coverage did not increase, but you are covered. Had you decided to wait until your policy renews to increase your coverage and did not have this coverage, you would be in a world of hurt. It does not cost much to have this peace of mind.

Coverage “B” – Private Structures

Private structures are building other than your main home.

They too are settled on the same basis as your home.

Be sure to tell the agent that you have a storage building, underground shelter, barn, or other buildings.

Coverage “C” – Personal Property

If you take the roof off your home and then turn the house upside down and shake it, the stuff that falls out is your “Personal Property”. This includes your prepping supplies. You can increase this amount from the policy minimum. Some items are required to be scheduled. See the definition of Scheduled Property above.

  • Guns– Some companies require that the serial number and models be listed. Make your own choice.
  • Ammo– Companies treat this different. Check with your agent.
  • Food– This can include stored freeze-dried food as well as home canned food. Check with the agent.
  • Medical Supplies and Prescriptions– I have stored pain pills, since I suffer from kidney stones. I also have some basic medical training and have an extensive group of medical supplies and surgical kits. I made sure this was covered before I went with my insurance company.
  • Refrigerated Food – This includes food in the freezer and refrigerator. There is usually a stated dollar amount of food allowed. Be careful, many people made a claim for refrigerated food after a tornado went through our town and power was out. This $500 to $1,000 claim was treated just as if their house had been hit by the tornado. Many insurance prices went up with this small claim.
  • Gold, Silver, Money and Nickels – If you have stored up metal for the end of the world, you better insure it against theft. Metals are limited to a small amount. Call your agent.

Please make sure you have replacement cost settlement on this part of your policy. If they use depreciated values, your 15 year old sleeping bag will have no value. However, you could not buy my bag from me. I consider it a part of my life. At least I would get a new bag.

Part “D” – Loss of Use

Should your home become uninhabitable, your will need other shelter. This coverage will reimburse you for the cost to live somewhere else while your home is being rebuilt.

Part ”F” – Liability

This will cover the cost of people who get injured at your home. Think pools, trampolines, and dangerous dogs! I encourage my clients to consider an Excess Liability Policy or Umbrella Policy. They are cheap and will cover your driving and your accidents at home.

Should someone break into your home and you hit them over the head with a meat tenderizing mallet or in some other way have them meet their demise, what will protect you from the law suit? The Umbrella Policy. For a few hundred dollars a year, this is good to have. At 44 years old, I am too old to start over for a mistake that really hurt someone.

The Bottom Line

This is the basics of insurance. If you were my client, I would spend about two hours with you discussing what you are looking for. If you want a quick quote, with a cheap policy, I might not be the right agent for you. Notice, I call you a “client”, not a “customer”. Clients mean you have a long-term relationship, while a customer is a one and done relationship.

Find you an insurance agent that is willing to listen to you. When you think about insurance, ask yourself three questions: What coverage do I need? How are claims settled? What is the best price? Do not reverse these questions.

You do not need a salesman for your agent, you need a caring person. Set down at least once a year to discuss your coverage. Make them talk to you!

As I stated above, this is a basic lesson in how to cover your prepping supplies and your retreats (homes). I am only licensed in one state and do not in any way imply that I know it all about each state’s requirements and rates.

Look for an agent that has your best interest at heart, not his own bottom line. Record your conversations when talking about coverage. If he says your roof will be settled on replacement cost basis, and it ends up being settled on the actual cash value method, you might get him to pay the difference. Otherwise, you would have no chance.

If you ask him to make a change to your policy, ask for proof of the change.

Read your policy. Ask your agent to explain the things you do not understand.

Make a video of your stuff! Lay out your undies, your tools, your prepping supplies and everything else you have. Then, video it! Store the video away from your home. Add up the cost of your prepping supplies and make sure you have enough coverage under the personal property section.

I am unique in the fact that I am a prepper and an agent. I have extra tarps, generators, and extensions cords for my clients to use if the power goes out for a few days following a tornado. You might find someone like me in your area. Insurance is designed to pool all our money together and help each other out during an emergency.

The company I represent most was the first to settle more than 95% of the claims when Hurricane Sandy hit. I was proud to hear this. Insurance companies should be there for us. That is why we pay our hard earned money to the company.

Letter Re: Experience With Wells Fargo Safe Deposit Box

Hugh,

I noted the post in Economics and Investing on 30 April.

I would like to share my experience with Wells Fargo which occurred about 20 years ago. I went in to the branch to access my safe deposit box. After telling me that I had no box, we sorted out that they had made a mistake about deducting my annual fees and closed my account. The next thing they said was that there was no such box. I convinced them that there was such a box, and we went into the vault and the previous location of my box was now an aisle-way. It turns out that they remodeled the vault, and they could not find my box. After nine months of run-around, the branch manager said that I should fill out a claim form with a statement of the contents. I told her that I did not want to file a claim but rather wanted the contents of my box. About one week later they finally found the box. I promptly closed my safe deposit box account. I did some research and learned that this type of thing happens surprisingly frequently, and there are many lawyers out there that will assist you in bringing a law suit against a bank who has lost your safe deposit box. Bottom line: If you place something in a bank safe deposit box then you may never see it again. Safe deposit boxes are a reasonable solution in some situations but not without risk.

If anyone chooses to use a safe deposit box, make copies of all documents and diversify storage locations for things which are irreplaceable, placing only some in the safe deposit box and another portion in other secure locations. As always, remember that the safe deposit box contents may be inaccessible temporarily or permanently, due to many reasons, among which could be a power failure, a bank failure, or even a new executive order confiscating gold a second time. – Anonymous SurvivalBlog Reader

Hugh Replies: As has been stated many times, unless you hold the asset in your hand, you do not truly own it. Any time you are paying someone to handle the asset for you, you run the risk of losing control of that asset. Obviously, OPSEC is something that needs to be managed as well. Fortunately, I learned that lesson from the U.S. Postal Service without losing anything of monetary value. I sent a letter, by registered mail, to a person who never received it, nearly causing some serious legal ramifications. When I contacted the Postmaster, they smiled politely and apologized for losing the letter, but there was nothing anyone could do. The letter simply vanished. In every case, you must weigh the convenience of having someone else manage your asset against the security needed to manage it yourself. Sometimes you cannot avoid it, but you must be prepared to lose control of it.

Letter Re: Ideas Concerning a Post-Collapse World

Hugh,

Considering the important position you have taken as editor on this blog, any post by you should have authoritative backing. I have concerns about parts, 3, 4, and 5 of your post “Response to Ideas Concerning a Post-Collapse World.”

Part 3. Usury. Usury is simply a fee for the use of money. Not all religions prohibit it. In Judaism, it is prohibited only in loans of “brothers” to each other, not to outsiders. It is not prohibited in Christianity. Compound interest has a number of uses, including calculating the present value of an amount to be paid in the future, or the future value of an amount currently held. The current and present values are in the same specie. It does not make sense to calculate, in gold, the future value of five copper coins. Also, English pennies did not exist at the beginning of the Christian era. Starting from 1836, five English copper pennies at 5% compound interest would now be 45,629.95 English copper pennies. A lot of pennies, but not bank busting.

Part 4. Limited Liability. Limited liability of corporations to its creditors can be created out of ordinary contract law. All persons dealing with a corporation can agree not to sue the corporation’s shareholders. Limited liability does not shield a corporation from liability in tort. It does not shield a corporation’s officers from criminal liability.

Part 5. Specie as tender. Your note in this part says that bankers are “parasites”. How can they be parasites if they have figured out a way to avoid the lending in specie that you object to? When a bank makes a loan, it does not hand a bag of money, or specie, to the borrower. It creates a new bank account in the borrower’s name. The account is “backed up” by the promissory note signed by the borrower. Private money, or specie, backed by a private promise. Incidentally, the warning of Scripture about the love of money being the root of all evil arises from money being based on man’s promise, rather than God’s promise. Sincerely – J.L.

Hugh Replies: I think you have a mistaken idea on who wrote the post. The post was written by JLF. But the ideas that are put forth are valid considerations. Usury was indeed forbidden by Christianity in the middle ages, and the New Testament has clear teachings against the charging of interest. Specifically, the Christian is expected to lend money without expectation of repayment, according to Matthew 5:42, Luke 6:34-35, and Luke 6:38. The Qur’an clearly forbids usury. Some of the earliest prohibitions that we see historically on usury come out of Vedic Texts of India. Even China has outlawed interest, at times, in its past. It is, therefore, a true statement that every major religion has taken a stand against usury at some point in history. Even if you decide that an acceptable interest rate is, say 5-8%; a credit card company raising your interest rate to 24% or 29% is nothing short of criminal and is equivalent to mobster loan shark activities. Even if the current law condones or accepts it, the practice is ethically wrong and morally bankrupt. You are also comparing apples to oranges in your calculations. The original author gave a loan life of 2000 years. Your calculations are only showing a loan life of 78 years. Using current interest rates, it is an expectation that you will pay as much in interest (sometimes two or three times as much) as you will on the principle of your home loan. Even in your calculation, the value of the loan is nearly 10,000 times the original value. Clearly, these are areas that need to be dealt with when the rebuilding of society eventually occurs.

I do not have the background or knowledge base to argue the authors point on part 4 or part 5, but I do know that the laws, as they currently stand, are very problematic and prone to abuses in the extreme. There must be some sort of representation of money to facilitate a widely accepted bartering market, but a fiat currency cannot be it. There must be an equal exchange of value or fair representation of held value on any transaction. Personally, I rather like the idea of bank checks, as they were used in the 1800s, but it requires a level of trust. The bank check held no value after being redeemed at the bank. However, you might be reluctant to take a check from someone whom you did not know. In that case, the exchange had to have something involving a hard value. I see that as a major problem with our current currency, as the bills are no more than bank checks without any value behind them, yet we are expected to believe that they contain value in and of themselves. That value only exists until people quit trusting in the value and demand hard assets in exchange.

Again, while something may be legal, it does not make it morally or ethically right. The artificial person doing business and then dissolving while protecting the organizers is a real, valid problem and needs to be addressed.

News From The American Redoubt:

Frank Limbs Hernandez, 94, of Eagle, Idaho, passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 21, 2014. He, serving in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, gave over 30 years of service. He was the oldest living Marine in Idaho to have survived three combat theaters. A true hero. – D.H.

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3.8 quake in central Idaho, 2.5 in west Montana | KTVB.COM Boise. – RBS

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Fourth graders kicked out of school after planning to make fireworks. – RBS

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Thieves swipe fruit trees from Boise’s first urban orchard

Odds ‘n Sods:

Rare Earthquake Warning Issued for Oklahoma – M.M.

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I usually don’t get too excited about boycotts, but I may just participate in this one: Oppose Corporations Helping NSA Spying . – B.R.

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Showing just how fragile the system can be: Spy Plane Fries Air Traffic Control Computers, Shuts Down LAX. – P.M.

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Raw milk movement grows amid push to ease regulation. This is another one of those issues that just plain makes me mad. I was raised on raw milk from the dairy down the road. The USDA and FDA are just as out of control, as is the EPA.

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An Interesting take on the job hunt: 5 Most Regretted Jobs. Some of these require heavy investments of time and study. It would be really depressing to walk out of school with debt, equivalent to that of a house, only to realize you hate your chosen career.

Notes from HJL:

I have received a number of complaints about the new server and the move across platforms that can be traced to old software.

It is important that SurvivalBlog readers understand the importance of keeping your desktop software up-to-date to guard against security threats. Most users with complaints are running Windows XP with IE6 or IE7. XP was introduced in 2001 and has far exceeded the normal 10 year life cycle of Operating System software. Microsoft officially ceased mainstream support of XP in April of 2009, offering only monthly security updates. As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft no longer offers even these updates. It has been rumored that hackers withheld evidence of security exploits until after the April 8th date, so that Microsoft would not fix them. According to Wikipedia, there are significant numbers of computers still running XP worldwide.

As evidence of the security issue, Microsoft has already released an unplanned emergency update (on May 1) for a security exploit regarding Internet Explorer, including the versions running on XP. IE6 will not run on any version of Windows greater than XP, so that needs to be upgraded as well. The days of IE holding the monopoly are over. IE (all versions) are hopelessly broken because Microsoft will not adhere to W3C standards. It’s a long, politically laced issue, but the bottom line is that Microsoft’s bid to own the market with their browsers failed because they had great difficulty implementing the successful open standards.

We recognize that many cannot get away from IE due to the constraints of using work computers or library computers, and we will continue to work with the latest versions of the software. If the computer you use is running Windows XP with IE6 or IE7, do yourself a favor and upgrade before you get bit by a security exploit. If you do not own the computer, encourage the owner to upgrade.

Guest Article: A Recent Experience On An Ultra-Low Calorie Diet, by BadIdeaGuy

Caloric intake, in a post-SHTF, has been mentioned before, but I wanted to share a recent experience with a low-calorie disaster and what its implications are for challenging times that lie ahead. After some health concerns, my doctor asked if I’d like to try their physician-overseen weight loss program. I’m a 38 year old man, who is busy raising a family and performing in a career. I eat what I can when I can. The long workdays following by parental responsibilities have cut into my workout time, which results in my being fatigued, and have resulted in some poor dietary choices in recent years. “Easy isn’t always healthy” might be my mantra. I know that you’ve all been lectured enough by the elite on America’s eating habits. While I agree that a lot of folks eat too much, I’m not here to lecture you on that. I’m here to tell you that if you’re not prepared to provide nominal calories or drop to a nominal calorie diet, you may be in trouble!

So the doctor prescribed a weight loss plan that aims for radical weight loss through drastic calorie reduction. The meal plan consists of five ready-to-eat low-calorie meals that have high soy protein, sugar-free snacks, an allowed “snack” (something like celery but not carrots), lots of water, and a “lean green dinner”. The idea was that if you went from a typical day’s caloric intake of well over 2000 calories of “normal” eating down to 1200-1500 calories a day, you’d lose a lot of weight. Great concept, right?

On day one, I did well. I was probably cruising off of the previous day’s calories as well. I even made it to the gym for a 40 minute workout. The next day was a Saturday, and I took my young son skiing for the day. By the end of a non-strenuous day of skiing, I felt woozy and dull, with a minor headache. The next day, Sunday, I led a Sunday School class with a raging headache. I felt dull, lethargic, and had a headache all day.

On Monday, I went back to work and continued to feel the same. I couldn’t even think at work. Finally, I broke down and had a large salad (lean and green) with some chicken, which picked me up a bit. I didn’t give up completely, but I realized that this diet was hurting me too much. I decided to go back to something that worked before– tracking the easing of my caloric intake on an app on my phone. For three more days after the diet, I felt terrible but was getting better. I wondered if I’m diabetic and just managing it well or if it the lack of calories.

I concluded that I had a “food hangover”. I look around, and I’ve got some weight to lose but not like a lot of folks. I even look at some self-proclaimed “prepper” types at the shooting range and hope they’ve got a lot of money put into stored foods, because they’ll need it to maintain their diets post-SHTF. Then I think about people, like one neighbor, who looks like she eats around 5000 calories a day in prepared foods; I wonder how long until she’s ill-tempered and focused solely on trying to get calories for her and her over-caloried son.

I’ve estimated an 1800 calorie per day intake post-SHTF. I realized that I either need more prep food, or I need to practice living at 1800 calories, so I know what it feels like. Normall,y my body runs on a rich diet of good veggies, good meats, and starches, as my wife is an exceptional cook. Even though I’m not a corpulent glutton, like the neighbor I mentioned, I eat well.

A few other thoughts entered my mind. For one, I didn’t feel as sharp as normal. Coming up with words and thoughts wasn’t as easy as normal. I wondered, if my senses weren’t as keen as usual, would I miss something defensively? In addition to the sluggishness of my mind, my body felt terrible. I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I have been able to hike a significant amount of rugged terrain (20-25 miles) in a day. Of course, a young family would hinder that, but I’ve always pictured myself finding a cart or something to transport my family. I wonder now if that’s realistic.

Now I’ve begun thinking that in a potential SHTF situation (which by the way, I think we’re slinking gradually into, instead of one culminating event), it’s best to get to wherever you need to go early. If you add disease or dysfunction related to diet deficiencies, it only makes travel more difficult. If your personal “Alamo” is where you live and it’s densely populated, be prepared to fortify and drop out of sight. Conversations with hungry neighbors could turn ugly quickly.

In the SHTF plan, I plan to get as far as I can to our shelter-in-progress as soon as possible. I live within five miles of a 100,000 person East Coast city, where many folks not only are accustomed to high calorie intake, they’ve been taught that others are responsible for providing them with these calories. Five miles is not far by foot when one is desperate. Two hundred or so miles further makes a big difference, but it is still concerning, because even with less dense population, there’ll still be a lot of hungry folks looking for calories.

A while ago I bought a book about edible plants in the natural landscape of Pennsylvania. Interestingly, my grandparents used to eat a variety of wild plants, including fried “fiddleheads” (fern plants), which grew in the woods near their shack. They had such delicacies as “dandelion wine”, and this was in the early 20th century. Needless to say, I’m following up on this book now, as that’s where my retreat is, and I think we’ll be hungry even with food storage. Supplementing with other woodland edibles (and being aware of non-edibles!) might add to nourishment. I know that the American Redoubt is probably a better bet for survival, but for now this is where I am.

So, key “takeaways” from my diet disaster are:

  1. It was worth discovering how low-calorie intake effects me,
  2. Plan for nutritional changes, and if you get the chance, try it,
  3. Consider making your “travel arrangements” early (while you have energy and also while there may still be fuel on-hand),
  4. Think about alternative foods, but think out of the box. Remember that “I’ll hunt for deer” is probably everyone else’s SHTF survival plan too, and the deer won’t last long.

Stay safe, plan well, and may God bless you and your families.

Scot’s product Review: Quick Hits

Holster Ops Magazine Pouch

I think anyone who carries a defensive handgun needs to carry spare ammunition. In today’s world, bad things are happening and it may be necessary to have a reload magazine handy. Additionally, many semi-auto pistol problems are caused by a magazine issue and being able to dump and replace the one in the gun might be the indicated response.

I have long carried two magazines for my Colt Commander but recently decided to add a third spare. We 1911 sorts are somewhat ammunition limited, and it occurred to me, as I read of flash mobs and the like, that a few more rounds might be nice to have aboard.

My first two magazines continue to be in a double pouch. It was an old Milt Sparks model, which was starting to show the wear and tear of some 20 plus years, so I dug a DeSantis out of the box o’holsters. For the third magazine, I’m using a Holster Ops pouch, which is a bargain bit of kit .

They are made of some space age marvel polynometric flexible goo and will hold most any pistol magazine as well as a Surefire 6P sized flashlight or multi-tool. I suspect a lot of knives would go well too, along with any number of items I haven’t thought of trying.

I like the one with the integrated belt loop. It has a nub in the belt loop that helps stabilize it on a 1.5″ belt, while still going onto a larger belt. I haven’t tried the hook one but might get one just for fun. I got a couple so that if I ever decided to carry one of my off-brand pistols, I would have a way to carry a magazine. I’ve wondered about trying to tie a couple together somehow for a double pouch. I think Rogers is missing a boat with that.

They seem to mold themselves to the magazine. They were very tight at first with the 1911 magazine, but after a bit of use, they release reasonably well while having great retention.

These also come in handy if you ever have a pair of pants with the belt loops in the wrong spot for my double pouch. I can put one in front and another behind the loop.

Revision Sawfly Protective Eyewear

You really need to wear eye protection during many activities. You also need to protect your eyes from the sun when outdoors. The Revision Sawfly is a great set of eye protection. They are in the now stylish wrap-around format that provides great protection. They meet the military specs for ballistic protection. Their web site features a number of stories from the battlefield of eyes saved by their glasses. They have interchangeable lenses so you can use them for sun glasses or switch to clear when in lowlight. They also have yellow and vermillion lenses (kind of orange) lenses which some like for some conditions. They even have a polarized lens. The glasses come in three sizes to fit different sized faces and have a retaining strap to keep them on your face. There is a decent case to protect them when not in use along with some spare lenses. For those of us with rotten eyes, they make an insert that holds corrective lenses. I use it, but do find it likes to catch sweat dripping off my brow more than I would like. The insert has a very small lens, so I was surprised that it worked well with my bifocals. The only real drawback for me is that they might be a bit too stylish. I think my wife even likes them which is a bit alarming for me.

Little Crow Case Trimmer

As you learn to suffer through my scintillating prose, you will discover that there are some things I simply detest. (I’m trying to be a good Christian and not hate these things!) Trimming cartridge cases is one of them. You really have to do it. Rifle cases stretch a bit every time you shoot them. Some rounds, like .223, seem to stretch enough to merit a trim every other loading. I discovered in my first carbine class that untrimmed, over-long brass can lock up a carbine splendidly. The instructor was not amused, and I wasted learning time. It can also create dangerously high pressures and hurt you and your rifle as well as those around you.

Conventional case trimmers require that you put the case in some form of holder and spin a little crank for a bit. You then have to take the case out, put in another, and repeat until you are ready to scream. It gets old after the second or third case. You also have to adjust the trimmer every time you change calibers. I also hate having to adjust stuff. Enter, stage center, the Little Crow Case Trimmer. This thing simply chucks into a drill and off you go. The first version only works on one caliber, which is a drawback, but there is a new one that works on several by having interchangeable parts. There are videos on the site to explain all of this. I have found the product claims to be accurate, and while I still don’t like trimming brass, this gadget has greatly reduced the time I spend doing it. I think I am loading better and more consistent ammunition to boot.

Ares Armor Plate Carrier Silencer

If you have ever worn a hard armor plate carrier, you may have found the cummerbund arrangement with acres of Velcro to be annoying and noisy to deal with. A trainer friend chuckled not too long ago when I complained about this and pointed me to this nice piece of gear. It allows you to setup your carrier and then release it with a quick and simple nylon buckle. This makes it a lot easier to get the thing on and off, and you aren’t messing with the adjustments in the process. Just make sure you don’t gain weight between the times you use it. Mine arrived well stitched and made of good quality material. There is a video on the site that fully explains how to use it. I bought one and plan to go back and get a second, as it is nice to have both sides free when getting in and out of the carrier.

Howard Leight Impact Hearing Protectors

Back when I first started shooting, I didn’t know much about hearing protection. That explains why I ask people to repeat themselves so often. The fact that I have any hearing left is probably amazing, but I am now pretty diligent about wearing protection when using loud things, especially at the range.

A problem with most hearing protection, though, is that it cuts out all sound, so you can’t hear people talking or range commands. Electronics, however, has fixed that with active hearing protection. This gives you a unit with a microphone and speakers inside the ear muffs. The microphone relays outside sounds, but shuts down when there is a loud noise.

I’ve used this type since the early 1990’s with mixed success and have gone through several sets. The best one I’ve found so far is about the cheapest as well– the Howard Leight Impact. It has been much more reliable than sets costing four times as much. Battery life on the two AAA batteries has been quite good, even when I forget to turn them off. This has been the bane of some of these units. Howard Leight says theirs has an auto turnoff at four hours, which I’ve never timed, but it appears to work. The batteries are quite easy to change, another bugaboo of some units. They don’t seem to stress the batteries into leaking when they are off, which appeared to be a problem with a couple of units I’ve owned.

I’ve been using my set for over two years, and they’ve gotten drenched in a sudden, heavy rain storm. I figured they were toast, but they are still fine. They are comfortable to wear and don’t (for me at least) interfere with the stock on long guns.

A feature of these protectors is an input for a radio. Some might want music at the range, but I think it would be great for a two-way radio. You could hear the radio, but no one else could.

I keep mine with my “bump in the night” kit, when I’m not at the range. I can actually hear more with them on than I can with my bare ears, which could be an advantage. It also means that if there is loud noise, my hearing will be protected so I will still be able hear.

– SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Scot Frank Eire

Recipe of the Week: Taco Locos, by C.R.

Here is a recipe I invented using leftovers from baked potatoes to make tacos:

  1. After scrubbing well and baking, slice the top of the potato with a sharp knife lengthwise end to end.
  2. Eat all of the baked potato, scraping excess potato from the skin. (Not too hard, you don’t want holes in the skin.)
  3. The skin is now ready to be used as a tortilla, thereby cutting back on tortilla carbs, if dieting, or gluten, if sensitive.
  4. Holding the skin of the potato in one hand, you are now ready to apply a filling.
  5. Being a girl from Texas, I put picante sauce with a little bit of cheese in my TACO LOCO. However, I also enjoy a dash of “BUTTER BUDS” with a few drops of water on occasion. (BUTTER BUDS can be found in the baking section of the grocery store.)
  6. Fold, heat, eat, and enjoy! YEE HAW!

PS: Potatoes, in the form of potato flour, are often used to replace grain flours, so should be safe if you are on a gluten-free diet.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlogreaders? Please send it viae-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: OPSEC and Paid Security

Dear Jim and Hugh,

I agree with the statements about private security. However, having too much visible security implies you have something worth protecting inside, and with the glut of marijuana production getting legalized in many states, the price of that drug has dropped, meaning the growers who were used to a certain income are now scrambling and desperate. There have been many reported incidents of home invasions in pot growing areas, with violent outcomes, and it is likely there are many that weren’t reported because the invaders were all killed and buried.

Falling crop values and potential full legalization means these growers, used to keeping secrets and using violence in exchange for a high value crop that pays their bills, will turn to growing opium to regain that money. Just as growers did in Kashmir after the road over the Khyber Pass ruined the price of the Hashish, they made and exported via pack mule. They turned to opium, and the locals will too. Local opium warning signs will start with arrests for heroin overdose at your local emergency room. That’s the tip off. So watch for that in the local newspaper.

We’re already getting arrests and cases of burns and fires from locals making hashish oil in the Sierras, both in Truckee and in Nevada City and Grass Valley. The local pot growers are adapting for money reasons.

Legalization of marijuana will keep them out of jail, but it destroys the price and bankrupts them instead. Expect this harsher adaptation to happen in rural places all over the West and in the East, too. Opium is going to become a huge problem as rural jobs continue to evaporate and desperate people do desperate things.

Also keep in mind that the primary financial backers of the Jefferson State political movement are pot growers aiming for full and open legalization in Jefferson, complete with legal protection and limited licensing to prevent competition. They would be interested in extra favorable protections in the new government to prevent arrest by the Feds, who have officially endorsed variable enforcement of the Law, which is a particularly vile form of corruption.

While there’s going to be a lot of work for private security for rural homeowners, it is also going to attract attention from the sorts of drug related home invaders looking for quick cash or to wipe out local competition or steal product. So be careful with your OPSEC, and come up with a way to inform both the authorities and the black market drug growers that you’re not in their business and not worth hassling. If they know you have serious security because you’re paranoid rather than a competitor, even if you’re merely being adequately prepared for eventual security conditions that justify them, this is better than having a home invasion by druggies seeking your “stash” and willing to kill everyone in the house to get it.

A lot of the homesteaders in North San Juan would be wise to form a proper town and get public utilities and legal protections they just don’t have right now. They need a voice, legally, in this matter to prevent the likely rise of violence that would come with adoption of opium to replace marijuana as the local cash crop. I imagine other communities quietly surviving on drug money (Humboldt and Mendocino Counties), because those are the only jobs, should be thinking similarly. Best, InyoKern

Economics and Investing:

Get Ready for Regulators to Peer Into Your Portfolio . – L.M.

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The overt and blatant manipulation of the gold and silver markets on the Comex reflects frantic desperation – but why?. – B.R.

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Items from The Economatrix:

US Economy Is A House Of Cards — Paul Craig Roberts:The US Economy Is A House Of Cards. Every Aspect Of It Is Fraudulent, And The Illusion Of Recovery Is Created With Fraudulent Statistics.

NY Times: Criminal Charges Are Finally in the Wings for Big Banks

The Refi Boom Is Dead; Applications Drop To Lowest Since Lehman

Eric Sprott On The Implications Of The ‘Chinese Gold Vortex’: And The Complete Disconnect Between Gold Supply And Demand Fundamentals And The Actual Price Of The Metal.

Odds ‘n Sods:

An excellent debrief from Mike Vanderboegh that includes a video from Oath Keepers. bundy ranch debrief – SDS

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NRA video: Is gun confiscation next in Connecticut?. – H.L.

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Perfectly Split Firewood. – R.F.

I was under the impression that perfectly split firewood was wood that easily fit in my wood stove, yet left very little “extra” room. However, for those who are just beginning, this is a good “instructable”.

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And in the continuing bizarre case of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Malaysia Flight 370 audio was tampered with! – B.R.

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Peter Schiff: Largest Exodus from Workforce Since Stats Were Kept – H.L.