Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because [there is] no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.” – Hosea 4:1-3 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, 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.

Visits to a LDS Cannery, by Mrs. R.L.B.

This is a little like a “how I spent my summer vacation” story, as I spent mine learning how to can the #10 cans of dried food at a local Latter Day Saints (Mormon) cannery.  The canneries are also referred to as Home Storage Centers.  I have to say up front, I have heard that different canneries may differ in policy regarding non-Mormons using their facilities, but I had the most wonderful experience in Reno with the good people of their cannery.  God bless them for welcoming me with open arms. 
 
Let me explain briefly the “summer vacation” comment.  My husband and I were planning to build a home on some property nearby, had sold our big city home and moved to the Reno area.  Then we found out the neighbor was a major liability and for other reasons as well thought perhaps we had not chosen so well for a retreat in the mountains. After spending the summer trying to make an impossible situation work, we decided to move on and put the property up for sale.  I have always believed in the “Invisible Hand” as George Washington called it, (thanks, Glenn Beck) and our temporary misery had a purpose: to move us on to where we have a better retreat and to give us the time and resources to build our food stores.  My connection with the Mormons was a beautiful light this summer when everything else felt so rotten and disappointing.
 
So one day after moving here, I called the LDS cannery and was given the number of the man in charge of the food storage mission. I called and explained I was new in town and didn’t know anyone, and that I was hoping they would let me do some canning.  He was gracious and told me when to come in.  In many canneries, they prefer that another Mormon accompany you. They showed me their Bishop’s storehouse and explained they fast two meals every month and used the money they save for the Bishop’s storehouse to help provide food for others in need.  I was deeply moved by how they provided to those in need. Then they put me to work in the cannery.
 
I have to digress here; I had one misconception of the cannery before I went in, thinking that they are canning jars of food.  They are not. They are canning large #10 cans of dried food, many with items that store roughly 25 to 30 years.  They do have some items that have lesser shelf life, and also some items in bags, like the pancake mix.  It is all dry canning.  I think #10 cans have an advantage over 5 gallon buckets in that they are lighter and easier to handle, and you are not exposing as much food to the air once you open them. 
 
Here’s how it works.  The canning was done by appointment two mornings a week.  I called the contact person and would ask if they were canning and if they needed help on a team.  Sometimes they had too many people coming in, but I was still able to place an order if I needed something.  Orders are placed BEFORE the canning session so they can tally up how much canning of different items they need to do and still have items on the shelf for others.  Then they go to work. 
 
Team members wash their hands, put on an apron, gloves and cap before going into the food storage room.  Bags of the first item are brought out and six #10 cans are placed in a tub so that when the food (like dried carrots or beans) are poured into the cans, the tub catches the spills and can be poured into another can.  The #10 cans are already sealed on one end, and after the food is poured, an oxygen absorber is placed on top of the food. Then the lid is laid on the top and the whole can is fitted into the mechanical canner to seal.  The now sealed can is taken off, and flipped over onto the counter for an upright label to be put on it.  Once the canning is complete, you can pay for your order and take your newly canned items home.
 
You may ask, why flip the can?  I learned that if you use a can opener that leaves a clean edge (basically cuts the side of the lid) on the now upright end, you can later reuse the can and just buy a lid for 10 cents.  It saves 75 cents a can the second use if you do your own canning at home with a portable canner. I honestly don’t know the difference between the ends, but this is just how it was explained to me. The cannery sells the cans, lids and absorbers. 
 
Aside from just having some good, clean fun, what is particularly exciting is that is much cheaper to obtain many storage foods this way.  Here is a link to the order form and prices. 

This is the form you will fill out and turn in when you first get there so they know how much canning they to do that day.
 
I was also fortunate enough to be allowed to check out a portable canner short term a couple of times.  Because I have diet restrictions and cannot eat gluten, I went to the local grocery store carrying bulk food items and canned lots of gluten free pasta!  I also bought some other items, lentils, 13 bean mix, brown sugar for my oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn and some other grains that I could have. It took about four days to get my bulk bagged food items in at the store and I had to calculate how many cans, lids and oxygen absorbers I would need to buy from the cannery for the process.  When I bought my items, I first calculated how many cans I needed based on the weight of the items.  For heavy grains and sugars that compact well, plan on about 6.0 to 6.2 pounds per can.  For lighter items like large beans, plan on about 5.8 pounds per can.  When I did my last canning session, I just totaled all the weights and divided by 6, and had just the right number of cans!   From this, you will also know how many lids and oxygen absorbers you need.  If you are canning sugars, like powdered, white or brown sugar, do not add oxygen absorbers for those as it will dry the sugar into a hard block!  You can still order extra absorbers if you want, I have thrown them into jars full of spices like bay leaves and red pepper flakes, and it creates a good vacuum.  When using your oxygen absorbers, keep them wrapped up tight until the last moment before you put them in a can.  They will start absorbing oxygen as soon as they are exposed to the air, and you will know this is happening if they feel warm to the touch.  Also, don’t forget to make labels in advance for your cans, so you can label them as they come off the canner and be sure to date your cans for storage.  The LDS cannery also has the plastic lids for using once you’ve opened the can, and you do not necessarily need to have a plastic lid for every can as you will not be opening all of the cans at once.  Just get a few lids.   I was able to do 70 cans in about three hours.  It goes fast.  When you store your cans, it is still ideal to store them in a cooler location, away from your salt stores!
 
One very crucial thing I learned on the storehouse tour was that grains like rice, wheat and quinoa needed to be frozen for about 4 days to kill any potential bug contamination before canning. It’s definitely something to be planned for in terms of time and freezer space.
 
In writing this article, I was concern that everyone would now rush to their local LDS cannery and overwhelm them with requests and demands. If you would like to try canning this way, call first, ask politely and work around their busy schedule. When you go in, be freshly washed as you are handling food.  And of course, no foul language!  Wear shoes, not sandals.  One dropped can on your toe really hurts. There are times when they may be too busy to have you come in, and if so, then roll with it.  At Reno they didn’t have the cannery open in July, and they also aren’t in between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  They were busy after Hurricane Sandy as well because people were (at least momentarily) more aware of their need to be prepared. Be willing to go in and contribute to a team when they need extra hands even if you don’t want to buy anything.  Sometimes they do get shorthanded, so give back.  If they are gracious and willing to let you check out a canner, plan well and have everything else in place, so that when you check out the canner, you can use it and return it quickly. Clean it off before you return it. Be appreciative and thank them!  Each cannery has slightly different policies and may ask you to come with another Mormon, so call and check.  Here is a link for the cannery locations in the U.S. and Canada.
 
Do try the LDS cannery’s brand of cocoa.  It is the most expensive item on their list, but well worth it!  God bless all those who touched my life at the Reno cannery the past few months.  I am most grateful for the lessons and the love.  Thanks to God for his Invisible Hand.

Three Letters Re: Durable Paper For Printing Maps and Crucial Documents

JWR-
Never mind the high tech paper that is bound to help increase a corporations quarterly profit margin and deplete your limited prepping budget…. Here is my input.   Tyvek used to make  various sized mailing envelopes and has replaced the old tan manila envelopes in many cases will work as a waterproof paper.  Granted you might need to use a sharpie or other permanent ink pen, but you can get these Tyvek’s  free of charge or close to it in many cases…If the outside of the envelope contains printing of some kind, turn it inside out and cut the paper to fit your needs. 

Also if you want to make a poster or make something to be seen by an airplane, then get a roll of House Wrap used to insulate houses and structures from air infiltration at Home Depot etc.   This could be cut down to smaller sizes as well. Once you have a roll you can actually make clothing or find other uses as it strikes your creative fancy.

Tyvek also has a wide variety of uses among them disposable painters coveralls and the such.  Tyvek is commonly known by the fact that it can be made from recycled plastics like milk jugs.

In the broadcasting business its common to take a thick plastic page protector and insert a piece of cardboard inside to give it rigidity.  Then we use a grease pencil to mark on the outside surface.  Most commonly we use this for weather forecasts and current temp conditions.  This technique might also work for maps and the like.  In a case like this map segments could be laminated ahead of time and a grease pencil could be used to mark locations and routes.  Any adaptation of this might be useable to the Prepper on a budget.

I am going to include on a separate email the Wikipedia page for you to possibility use….. as a link for those so motivated to learn more.

Take Care, – R.B.S.

Dear JWR:
Writer PNG observed in: Letter Re: Durable Paper For Printing Maps and Crucial Documents that the printer paper he had been using has been discontinued by his supplier.

My own choice for cartographic and similar uses is Mylar drafting film, usable as a “tracing paper” for map overlays, and perhaps suitable for use with at least some printers. My supplier for this and other surveying supplies is Ohio-based DraftingSteals.com:

DraftingSteals.com
PO Box 613
Springfield, OH 45501
Toll Free Order Line: 877-268-4427
E-mail: info@draftingsteals.com
Here is a link is to their catalog/price list page for 7-mil mylar, probably the most durable and suitable thickness for cartographic work, but their offerings are far more comprehensive than that. – George S.

Jim:
Regarding tough paper the company I work for, PPG Industries makes a product called Teslin.  It is currently used in US passports, security IDs and thousands of other paper applications.  National Geographic sells Teslin “paper” in their online store.  When you print anything on it: maps, lists, etc they are then waterproof and durable (after the ink dries).  I use it for all of my map printing.  Sincerely, – R.K.M.

Letter Re: Armed To The Teeth: Essential Survival Contingency

James,
Unfortunately, I have to take issue with the recent article Armed To The Teeth: Essential Survival Contingency. [ In it, Michael S. puts undue weight on firearms.]  I would argue that this is a foolish and dangerously short-sighted view of preparedness.  Michael references his military experience as justification for this view without mentioning that an entire army stood behind him with a sophisticated logistics machine to provide resupply on a regular basis.  Of course bullets matter more than beans over short durations when you know more supplies are coming soon.  You can’t count on that in TEOTWAWKI.  
Don’t get me wrong:  I love to drink the tacticoolade as much as the next guy, but a big gun won’t keep the lights on unless you are using it to rob a neighbor of his generator.  This view that guns-solve-every-problem-in-every-circumstance is an overly-narrow view of SHTF [circumstances] , and anyone who buys into that is in for some big surprises when reality hits.   – Robert in Texas

Two Letters Re: Hurricane Sandy After Action Reports

Sir:
I am an 18 year old guy in a family of 8 in a suburban home 10 miles from the nearest city in central New Jersey.
 
We knew it was coming a week in advance. So did just about everyone in the tri-state area. There was no hiding the fact. Even with a looming election, Hurricane Sandy got “saturation media coverage”. Terms like “superstorm” , “catastrophic”, and “unprecedented” were being used in almost every Hurricane Sandy story. This storm was supposed to bring catastrophic damage to New Jersey and New York, with moderate rain, high winds, and an unbelievable storm surge. Some were already prepared. Some listened and followed the instructions given by government officials to prepare for the storm.  However, even with all of this overemphasis, many people did not prepare to any degree. All involved learned a lesson. Here is our experience.
 
What we had on hand: We had already purchased an 1,250 watt / 35,00 watt peak inverter to power the sump pump in the case of a blackout during a flood. It had been used only once in the past five years (a freak 4 hour power outage a few months ago) and seemed to be a waste of money, until now. An aperture was installed which connected the sump pump in the basement with the inverter in the garage. We tested the sump pump and the refrigerator on this inverter running off the 2004 Honda Pilot family vehicle and both worked fine. Also, we had recently  purchased a hand crank spotlight from Harbor Freight Tools, more as a gadget than a useful tool. I also repaired a defunct 1 million candlepower spotlight with a 6V 3.5Ah lead acid battery, to be used on nighttime prowlers (effectiveness is questionable). FRS radios are also on hand, but one pair for eight people is not much. Further, my dad likes our house to be in top condition and so made sure every one of the slightest bubbles in the siding or loose tiles in the roof were immediately repaired.
 
I also had a small personal bug out bag (laptop carrying bag) packed to bursting with survival supplies, as well as accessory supplies and documents in my room in easy-to-carry containers. Supplies were also stored in my 2004 Ford Explorer, my bug out vehicle and bug out location in one. Altogether, these supplies would enable me to live more than a week on my own on the road quite comfortably. Other members of my family did not have any such supplies, despite my pleas. As a family, we probably had 2 days supply of ready-to-eat food. With me sharing all of my supplies, we would have 3 days of shelf-stable prepared food, but as all of you readers know, that is only enough to get yourself into a shelter safely.
 
Before the storm: After being warned that Hurricane Sandy was a potential threat to our area, we immediately began making plans based on NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts, which were extraordinarily accurate and dependable. (We should have prepared instead for a worst case scenario: remember the New England Hurricane of 1938.) Once we knew a hurricane was heading our way, we got ready for immediate usage of the sump pump by running a cord between the pump and the inverter. During the six inches of rain from Hurricane / Tropical Storm. Irene our sump pump was barely keeping up with the water flow, and an  interruption of power for only a minute would surely mean a flooded basement. Although we were expecting less rain this time around, we were taking no chances. I volunteered as a member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). We also filled up on gas on Saturday and Sunday. The Pilot was filled on Sunday night, and even then many gas stations were out of fuel. On Sunday night we also brought in all movable outdoor objects. We did not have to worry about trimming trees because we had no large trees around our house. All rechargeable devices and batteries were charged on Sunday. We did not purchase any food, water, or batteries during the store runs before the storm, although we could have used food. College classes were cancelled on Monday, so I spent the whole day watching the slowly increasing winds and reading news reports (which I generally ignored) and NOAA predictions (which I paid attention to). One of the last things we did on Monday before the power outage was to fill a large tub with tap water. We also filled a 5 gallon pot with drinking water, in case of contamination or a loss of city water pressure. Bottled water was already stockpiled due to recent sales, as a secondary backup.
 
During the storm: The wind began picking up as the storm made landfall, and the rain came down steadily and lightly, which was not a problem. Reports of the storm surge flooding New York began to come in. The house crackled occasionally as a strong gust hit it. We were reading and studying the Bible as a family at 19:00 EDT when the power was extinguished. Internet, land line, and cell phone connectivity were gone. Most of us had flashlights, so we went on without much trouble. Only one of my sisters and my mom did not have personal flashlights, so we found a crank-charged 3-LED Li-ion flashlight from a educational kit for my sister to use. My mom shared a 18V Ni-Cd incandescent work light with my dad. The rest of us used a 16-LED Pb-acid crank spotlight, cheap 9-LED 3 AAA flashlights, and a recently purchased Chinese 1-LED 1 AA alkaline flashlight. Personally, I am a flashlight fanatic and own over a dozen fully functional flashlights, as well as some homemade ones. I used my pocket 9-LED 3 carbon zinc AAA flashlight for a while but soon switched to my freebie Forever Flashlight III by Excalibur. It used to have a 1 farad capacitor but the original owner needed it and took it out. I installed a 0.1 farad memory capacitor from scrap components. It is nothing compared to its former self but is still quite usable and does not require batteries. The wind increased. Some people did not keep their houses in good shape and we went out and pick up several pieces of sheet metal in our yard in tropical storm – force winds. One of the metal pieces got stuck 40 feet in the air in the top of a tree, attesting to the significant strength and dangers of the wind. We were aware of our surroundings and away from any big trees while outside. Back inside the house, we sat and watched the flashes of greenish light from exploding transformers and shorting wires in astonishment for a while before retiring for the night.
 
After the storm: Tuesday morning, I prepared for my CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) duty. I had signed up before the storm to work an 8 hour shift (8:00 to 16:00) at the Somerset County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) answering phone calls. There were many trees down in my neighborhood and tree branches all over the road. In the news were reports of death and complete devastation on the Jersey coastline and NYC. I almost ran into a tree with attached electrical wire on a curve on a local road. This disturbance was  the source of the brightest light show last night. I  turned around and after some driving met a second partial roadblock and bypassed it, following the example of the car in front of me. We turned onto a major road and got stopped by a police roadblock, having to make a long detour. By the time I got onto the interstate, I had about 12 minutes to go. A trip that normally takes 15 minutes took me 35 minutes. All traffic lights were out but very few people were driving, so traffic was not a problem. I got to my destination without any further hassle and began my duties. One of the first things I noticed was that the Emergency Management personnel and resources were overtaxed. In only once incidence, several shelters closed over the 8 hour period (one due to a tree falling through the roof), with the unfortunates being herded from one to the next just as they began to get comfortable. When I left at 4 PM, much power was back up in the town where the EOC was located, but my township was just as dark as before. Long gas lines were everywhere, and this was not even 24 hours after the storm. I came home to a hot meal as we are able to run the stove without electricity. We were running the car / inverter assembly as little as possible to conserve gasoline, which was in very short supply due to extensive outages and lack of preparedness on the part of gas station owners. The inverter was never turned on for anything other than the washer or the refrigerator. Devices were charged piecemeal throughout the day. This was in contrast to my neighbor, who had very little gas supply but was running her generator 24 hours a day outside of her garage. We watched a legally downloaded movie on my laptop’s battery power before going to bed.
 
Wednesday went very similarly, with everyone finding things to do that did not require mains power. When the refrigerator was turned on, I charged my laptop. I still did not have any phone service or internet access. Radio was the only outlet to the outside world, and several radios were taken out to find out what was going on. I listened to WNYC, which was covering the hurricane extensively. We did not believe the water supply was contaminated so we continued to drink from the tap after initial usage of stored water. However, several people in our home were getting intestinal problems and we were getting suspicious, especially after hearing a boiled water advisory for the neighboring city. Most of us continued to drink tap water, though. In the evening, we decided to try to get some laundry done. The washer ran fine on the inverter, but we only did one load to save gas. The dryer could not start turning though due to the huge current the motor required. We had to assemble makeshift clotheslines and hang up the clothes in the basement. We rationed the number of clothes that could be used to prevent wasteful washing of slightly damp dish towels, night clothes, etc. The Pb-acid 16 LED spotlight was very useful for taking showers, hanging up clothes, and hanging around, although a hand-crank LED lantern would be much better. We made a rule that significant use by a person required 5 minutes of cranking time by the same person. This kept the spotlight fully charged the whole time.
 
Our neighbor who ran her generator excessively ran out of gas and asked us for some. We gave her our only 5 gallon tank full of gas. She used it up in two days and went to the local gas station to refill it. A left turn onto a divided highway and a lack of police enabled them to unwittingly cut into the front of the line and get 5 gallons of gas. During the whole power outage, we only idled away half a tank of gas (11 gallons) in a 2004 Honda Pilot for the entire power outage; the gas can was only for our neighbor, who continued to run her generator all night. We heard news about 2 mile gas lines in NYC and a possible water shortage in NJ, with critically low fuel levels for some of the water pumps. All college classes for the week were cancelled, but I had no way of knowing that and decided to just not show up due to the gas shortage. Unfortunately, the EOC tried to reach me several times by email and cell with opportunities for volunteer work, but I could not know that and did not respond. After hearing some news of looting, I decided to take a walk around our completely dark neighborhood at 9:30 pm every night with my renovated spotlight. I also hung a dim LED light in our window to give the idea that our house is occupied. Still, to the hundreds without generators living a short distance from us, our high concentration of idling cars and roaring generators parked temptingly in garages and driveways were a security risk. The more the garage was closed on our idling Honda Pilot, the harder it was to notice and get the vehicle, but the more lethal the  CO concentrations were. We were very careful to avoid breathing the fumes and settled on a 1 foot opening for all 3 garages.

[JWR Adds: Every home should have a couple of carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. If your garage is attached to your home, make sure that the connecting door has a tight seal and DO NOT idle your car for extended periods unless your main garage door is wide open. Otherwise, CO could creep into your house. Beware that CO poisoning is insidious and cumulative!]

We left twice during the power outage to go food shopping and replenish our empty cabinets. Fortunately, the local supermarket prepared well for the disaster, and was well stocked and well lighted. We would have been in a bad situation if there was no good food in the stores. More alarmingly, we began noticing a foul smell from some of the water that we collected during the storm in teakettles and canteens and immediately discarded all of it. This was probably bacterial or sediment contamination due to the storm, and the intestinal problems were explained. Our power came back on Saturday at 11:00 EDT, and we returned to a normal life. After a time without power, we were really getting used to it, and had only good feelings for PSE&G.
 
Lessons learned: There are several lessons we learned from this experience. Relying on existing infrastructure or government directly after a disaster to any degree is a bad idea. If Sandy had dumped rain like most other hurricanes do flooding would only compound the problem with important roadways flooded or even washed out and utility crews unable to perform their assessments. Another is that perishable items should be consumed as quickly as possible after a storm to avoid any spoilage. To prevent grocery runs, at least two weeks worth of non-perishable items should also be stocked up. To keep appliances going, at least 20 gallons of stabilized gasoline should be stored to deal with up to three weeks without power. To prevent failures like with the clothes dryer, test out disaster supplies before using them; an expensive tri-fuel generator is useless if it cannot provide the surge current for a vital appliance. To prevent intestinal problems, do not rely on city water in a disaster; store your own drinking and sanitation water. To prevent panic and uncertainty, create a full disaster plan encompassing every situation. Get necessary items before everyone else is grabbing for them. If like me you feel overwhelmed by this task, this blog is an excellent source of material for preparedness, from the simplest tools to the most extreme hideout. Use the links on the left to explore the wealth of knowledge in t he archives. Be ready, – Luke

 

Jim:
A friend in Pennsylvania e-mailed me this terse note:

We have had no power now for seven days. Most lines to get gas in nj were three hours long all week. We have even/odd gas rationing now (oddly/unfortunately enough we just found out that all seven of our cars have odd license plates!) The phone system is hit or miss, (I’ve been getting voice mails 2-3 days after they were left without my phone ever saying I missed a call.) The last we heard they estimate we will have power a week from tomorrow. [November 15th.] Our generator is having voltage problems so the washer won’t work. I’ve had to bring my own gas in a can to Brooklyn to be able to get back. Fights have broken out at a lot of gas stations, even Blairstown. Someone in Jersey pulled out a gun at one station. I was offered $50 for my empty gas can. Full ones sell for $100. We had services today in the cold and dark, no power there either. We fill the cars up with gas in Pennsylvania then siphon it out for the generator to save trips.

Regards, – Bob G.

Economics and Investing:

Simon Black concludes that the 2012 Election doesn’t matter: I apologize for what you’re about to read. (Thanks to Steven F. for the link.)

A nation in the pangs of deleveraging – The long-term trend of a declining dollar and a collapsing middle class.

 

Items from The Economatrix:

Wall Street Drops For Second Day On Fiscal Worries

US “Fiscal Cliff” Biggest Risk For Canada, G20

Admit Economic Ignorance

Job Openings In US Decreased By 100,000 In September

Employers Post Fewest Job Ads In Five Months

Compared To Other Countries, US Job Market Looks Pretty Good

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Greg G. sent a link to a video of a hour-long lecture by James Howard Kunstler about his book The Long Emergency.

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Some refreshing honesty in advertising: Cullman Mobile Home Liquidation in Alabama.

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If you own a Kindle reader (or have Kindle software for your laptop), then you might as well load it up with lots of free classic books. Check out the Catalog of Project Gutenberg E-Books (MOBI Edition) There are thousands of free tiles. All of them that are in “MOBI” format can be read with an Kindle-compatible. And of course all of their “PDF” books can be read only nearly any platform.

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Joel of America Stone has uploaded a new instructional video on knife sharpening. (See the bottom of their main web page.)

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A small company that does some interesting re-purposing: Military Bike Bags

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I have a self-imposed rule that I tend to follow – when raiding the stash, always replace what you took with two of the same thing. My reasoning is that if I allow myself to run out of something in my normal daily life, it’s because I have either overlooked it, or misjudged how much of it I would need or how long the amount I had on hand would last – and if I did it once, there’s a good chance that I’d do it again and run out of it in a ‘situation’, so I take it as a sign that I should be keeping more of it.” – Reader “JABECmfg”, as quoted by TheSurvivalMonkey

Notes from JWR:

Several readers have written to ask me if I plan to stock up on more ammunition and magazines, now that the gun grabbers have further cemented their hold on Washington D.C. My answer: No. I already have lots of ammunition and magazines. But I might buy a hundred Guy Fawkes masks, just to be ready for November 5th, 2013.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, 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.

Prepping Across Three States, by Kris S.

Many years ago, my two childhood friends and I began to prep for TEOTWAWKI.  At first, we just began buying whatever was recommended by certain web sites, throwing our equipment into a box and then telling the others about what we have.  Doing this allowed us to collect many things, however we were not sure what was really practical since we never used the items.  We decided to change this about five years ago when we got serious about what we are doing and decided to take a camping trip.  The camping trip would include about a one mile hike and the only things we would bring would be the equipment that would be used in a “bug-out” scenario.   My group consists of seven main members who live in four different states, so the gear testing trips take place in two different states twice a year.  The members of my group currently live in four different states: Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and California with the majority of the group living on the Ohio/Indiana border.  Obviously, the friend in California is not a viable option for retreat, but the Ohio and Tennessee locations are both large farms and “close enough” for the remaining group members to gather together.  So, we practice bugging out to each location from our respective homes.  The first test trip was quite a learning experience!  The oldest member of our group had equipment that weighed a total of about fifteen pounds.  We younger folk whispered among ourselves that this surely wouldn’t be enough.  While I will not disclose the pack weight of the rest of the group, I will say that we were having trouble going very far without having to take a break; and imagine our surprise when we found ourselves asking to borrow some of the older man’s equipment!  Needless to say, we decided to take a few tips from the older man and have changed the way we pack for these trips!

We travel to each location twice a year, Tennessee in early April and late July, and Ohio in early October and late December.  The reason for this is so we can camp in different temperature extremes.  The difference of Tennessee in July and Ohio in December are huge and require different gear, so this allows us to practice using everything.  Prior to our first travel, we sat down together with topographical maps of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.  We mapped the best routes for foot and vehicle travel.  We had to know if we could get to southwest Ohio from east Tennessee without hitting a major city while avoiding the interstate…and vice versa.  The members from Ohio and Indiana and their families meet en route to Tennessee and take a different route each year.  Throughout the trip, they stop to photograph certain areas they believe would be a good resting spot and mark the coordinates on the map.  When my family and I make the trip north (I am the good southerner in this group) I retrace their steps north with photos and coordinates in hand seeing if I agree or disagree with their selected stops.  I also take photos and coordinates of my own if I see something I think is better.  Once we get together, we discuss the trip and compare notes.  As of this writing, we have two preferred routes with several stops marked.   If I am headed north or they are headed south I will know which direction to expect them if we cannot contact each other.   Also, if we know a member is en route and never shows, we have a good idea where to look.

GEAR
As a group, we agreed with the guns and calibers we would collect.  We went with a Glock 22 in 40 S&W, 12 gauge shotguns, Ruger 10/22 rifle, Savage .308 bolt action rifle, Walther P22 pistol, and an AR-15 in 5.56.  The oldest member of our group (and smartest) carries a Kel-Tec PLR-16 on a pivot harness and carries the Ruger Charger in a holster attached to his pack.  After a long day of hiking uphill, the PLR-16 looked a whole lot better than my AR.  Once again, if you buy it- practice with it.  If you are carrying a gun, don’t just shoot it- carry it! Practice with in every way.  If an AR is your bug-out gun, find out how far you can travel with it comfortably. These are the reasons we decided to start our excursions.  Also, carrying four guns is not practical for long distances.  My group may have 5 or 6 guns, but I do not carry all of them.  On our hikes they are spread between my three sons and wife.  Each one is given a gun and taught not just how to shoot it, but how to carry it and how much ammo they can carry without losing to much comfort or speed.  We also have stored .50 caliber muzzleloaders, bows, crossbows and various hunting, fishing, and camping supplies while they were on clearance during the off-seasons.   

We also coordinated our bug-out bags to be similar, so we know where everyone keeps supplies in their bag.  We follow the first in last out method of organizing our gear. (I would not recommend sharing this information with a group unless these are close friends.  I feel comfortable doing this with my group since we have been close for thirty plus years. ) We use the typical 3 day bag for our trips.  When going out with my sons, I have switched the Eberlestock X1A1 pack, giving my oldest boy my three day pack.  I find this pack is great for carrying my rifle long distances, but you lose the tactical advantage of having the rifle readily available.  Once again, this becomes an issue of practice.  I have decided in a TEOTWAWKI scenario I would probably have two rifles- one in the pack and one slung for carry.   Also, during our trips we all discovered the joy of sleeping in a hammock. Previously, we had carried sleeping bags and slept on the ground. The hammock was much lighter to carry and far more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.  While we all carry a small two or one-man tent, the hammock is the preferred sleeping choice; especially as we are getting older!

THE LOCATIONS
Keep in mind while reading this that while we are prepping together, we are also prepping separately.  We each have large families and friends that we expect to arrive at our house if a worst case scenario happens even though we attempt to treat our prepping habit like the first two rules of Fight Club.  Unfortunately, the rules we keep don’t always apply to our wives who will mention our guns and food storage during a conversation with those they are friendly with but not friends.  With that in mind I will briefly describe each bug-out location.

Ohio– In Ohio, my friend lives on a 40 acre farm surrounded by other farms to the north, west, and east. There is a large wooded area to the south of his property.  He has a large cache of food stored there and at home he owns in the nearby village.  On his farm, he is currently raising meat rabbits, chickens, goats and horses.  He has a large area set-up for a “survival” garden and two barns.  One barn is arranged with a tack room and can be set-up for temporary housing if necessary.  The rear barn is where the livestock is kept along with their supplies.  His house is large enough to house four families comfortably.  The Ohio farm is also close enough for my cohort in Indiana to travel to without touching an Interstate or city.  If the situation would dictate they need to leave Ohio and head to Tennessee, they would use the farm as a staging area to prepare for the possible dangerous trip to Tennessee.

Tennessee –In Tennessee the farm is on 200 acres that is mostly wooded.  The area is set-up with several small shooting houses (each equipped with a propane heater, but no air) that are made for hunting, but could be used for a lookout post or temporary housing for a few people.  We have a small garden and recently started orchard, which is in the process of growing to a large orchard with many different types of fruit and nuts.  We have very few farm animals, but are surrounded by a few like-minded neighbors with horses, cows, chickens, and goats.  Our house is also large enough to house four families comfortably.  We also have two barns that could be easily converted to living areas; one barn is currently holding the supplies to complete that task.  My wife has a large extended family in east Tennessee and I would not be surprised if most landed on my door step.  I have discussed this event with a few of her uncles, all of which have a trade skill in farming or mechanical.  My immediate family is storing food for 50 people for one year.  We have split this up between several households that are all within thirty minutes of each other, the plan being that they load up and head to the farm.  I truly believe that the majority of my wife’s family would not make the trip to Ohio if we needed to evacuate our farm.  They are proud people who often discuss fighting to the last man.  While that is great in theory, I plan on protecting my wife and children to the best of my ability.  If that means retreat, I retreat; I plan on living to fight another day.  If they stay and fight, they will cover our exit as we head north.  

If both locations fall or fail we do have a handful of other locations to fall back to.  Only one or two have potential to become long term, but they would give us time to regroup, assess and plan.

Communications
In most TEOTWAWKI scenarios communication is impossible.  I am hoping for difficult and improbable, but not impossible.  Best case is we use cell phones to communicate and coordinate our efforts.  We would also discuss on whether to hunker down or travel.  It may be in everyone best interest that they stay north and I stay south.  If cell phones are down we have a ham radio at each farm.  If those go down the back-up plan is signals.  We have made a list of signs we would leave at the farm if we had to abandon them, so the others would know where we are headed.  We also have a small cache of food and ammo for them to resupply with.  Also, we place a few signs on the mapped routes to the farms, in case we both bugged out and did not cross paths.  We each carry a laminated copy of address (coordinates attached) in Tennessee and Ohio that are our fall-back positions.  This list was one of the last things I put together, but will have a great use if we ever have to use it.

End Result
I know prepping with a group will lead to the best possible outcome and I chose to do that with my three closest friends and their families.  When we began prepping and discussing logistics this is the best course of action we could come up with, but the bottom line is if we did not train we would not know.  I can imagine us trying to take I-75 N and having to pass through Knoxville, Richmond, Lexington, and Cincinnati to make it to the Ohio retreat or my friends and the small convoy they have passing through those cities in a worst case scenario and I know it would be madness.  I can imagine the results if we had never discussed ammo or weapons and all showed up with different calibers and little ammo.   How would we fare if we never stored food for a large group and just for our immediate family?  What would we do? How would we handle it if we showed up to one of the farms and it was empty? How well does each member shoot? Does one of us exceed at different roles such as planning, chef, and sharp shooter (growing up together we pretty much already knew where we would fall, but not our wives and children.  My middle child will most likely end up as our sharp shooter)? We would not be as far along in our prepping if we did not start using our gear and training.  Training requires planning, planning requires a vision, and with no vision the people perish.

Letter Re: Learn to Hunt Through Outreach Programs

JWR:
SurvivalBlog articles have thoroughly covered just about every conceivable angle to the concepts and theories to preparing for TEOTWAWKI situations, from theory to specific skills covering everything from farming to firearms procurement, security, food preparation and storage, water sanitation, just to name a few.  I spent some time contemplating whether or not I personally had anything of value to add, and came across a few articles from the perspective of women who were doing their best to prepare despite numerous setbacks.  They might be divorcees, raising children by themselves, with limited financial means, for example. Or perhaps they had very limited experience with firearms but were determined to learn how to shoot, to acquire a conceal carry permit, and take every step possible to give their family every chance to survive.  I was encouraged to note that many women had taken great strides and were not wilting daisies waiting for some man to help them—a valuable attitude that is true to the spirit of our American “settler stock”.

But I had to acknowledge that many people, and especially some women, are clearly at a disadvantage.  It is a sad but true fact that many girls were not taught to shoot and hunt as children, even while their male siblings were encouraged to do so by their fathers.  And statistics today prove that the numbers of hunters is dwindling, so we are potentially losing a valuable skill set.  Sadly, many families have no one who hunts to pass down the skills.

And it is quite clear that in a TEOTWAWKI situation, hunting skills could make the difference between life and death.  I was one of those people whose parents hunted but they never taught me to hunt, so I had to learn on my own.  I then taught a friend to hunt, and he became so fascinated he volunteered with a local division of wildlife outreach program to teach women and youths to hunt.  Soon, I too was volunteering and working alongside other extremely experienced and talented hunters, which was a fantastic opportunity for me to help share what I had learned while also learning from more skilled hunters.
I therefore wanted to share some information to encourage individuals who would like to learn to hunt, but don’t know where to start.  Really, there are very few obstacles to getting started, as I will explain.

First, it is incredibly important to clarify that merely owning a rifle and being able to hit a target at a range is simply not enough to become a successful hunter when the need arises.  There is a reason it is called “hunting” and not “killing”! No matter how much every hunter wishes it was otherwise, God’s creatures do not simply wander out and make themselves easy targets.  They have evolved over millions of years to avoid being an easy meal, and any experience hunter will attest to this fact and will have dozens of stories to share about failed hunts.  Target shooting is a prerequisite starting point for anyone wishing to learn to hunt, but after that, there are many skills to be acquired, and it should be done in a safe and educational manner. 
Fortunately, there is a growing number of places to turn.  This will of course vary from state to state, so each interested party should research opportunities in his own state.

Colorado Division of Wildlife: The state of Colorado is a national leader in hunting outreach and the state Division of Parks and Wildlife has developed a hunter outreach program for women and youths that is one of the most amazing programs you’ll ever see.  To start with, a prospective hunter in Colorado must have his or her hunter safety certification.  This can be done very cheaply (generally $10 per participant, and at times, for free) by attending Division of Wildlife (DOW) programs.  Colorado provides courses quite frequently around the state, and the schedules are easy to find on the DOW web site.

Once the hunter has a hunter safety card, a parent can enroll a youth in Big Game (elk, deer, pronghorn antelope), Upland Game (pheasant, grouse, chukar) or Waterfowl  hunts.  The DOW then provides expert Hunt Master guides to organize the hunt.  A parent must attend, and this provides a perfect opportunity for inexperienced parents to get an education right alongside the youths.

They also provide Outreach specific to women as well, under the same conditions.  I would like to assure you that the men I saw on the outreach programs were all gentlemen, well behaved, clean spoken, and very respectable. 

Now, in anticipation for those readers who will groan and say “Sounds great, but I’m not a Colorado resident”, do not despair.  Other states may also have analogous programs.  Here are a few links. [You can find many others with web searches.]

Texas BOW program: Texas, for example, has a Woman’s hunting clinic they call “Becoming an Outdoors-woman” (BOW).

Pheasants Forever: Additionally, there are non-profit organizations nation-wide that also provide instruction.  One of the best is Pheasants Forever.  Don’t let the name confuse you; while Pheasants Forever does teach how to hunt pheasants, they don’t limit themselves to these hunts.  They teach various hunting and fishing skills, archery, and even canoeing.  I participated on a couple of Pheasants Forever outreach hunts for women and youths and they are top-notch, very supportive and encouraging, and they can even supply a shotgun if the prospective hunter does not yet own one but would like to try the sport before investing in expensive equipment.  What’s more, depending on the program, they can also provide training shooting clays at a trap range before heading afield.

The National Wild Turkey Foundation is another organization that provides hunter outreach to youths, and they also have “Women in the Outdoors” programs.
As one would expect, the NRA also has programs to introduce women to shooting sports and hunting.  They also provide training to become an NRA certified instructor, a survival skill that could be very useful.  For youths, they provide the “Youth Hunter Education Championship”, which they describe as a “graduate studies” program for outdoor skills and safety training for young hunters.

Now that you are aware that there are lots of opportunities out there, I hope you feel empowered to find an outreach program in your area or within traveling distance.  Hunting skills are not only important in the SHTF situation, but are also a great way to spend quality time with the family away from computer games, television, and all the other electronic accoutrements that distract us from what is really important: quality family time and acquiring new, and useful skills.

Good luck, and safe hunting! – Patriot Refusenik

Economics and Investing:

Reader R.B.S. sent some more proof that if you cannot touch it, then you probably don’t truly own it: Stock certificates feared damaged by Sandy

(Doom and Doomer?) Marc Faber & Jim Rogers: Obama Is A Disaster, The Stock Market Should Have Fallen 50%, And You Should Buy Yourself A Machine Gun. I Need To Buy A Tank… It’s Going To Be More Inflation, More Money Printing, More Debt, More Spending…

Federal Reserve Report: 100% Chance of Recession

B.B. sent: When Infinite Inflation Isn’t Enough

James C. suggested this: UK facing middle-class brain drain as professionals seek better lives abroad

Items from The Economatrix:

Post-Election Sell-Off:  “It’s All About Obama,” Says Peter Schiff

Grid-Down Collapse:  Hard Assets Soar In Value

The Virtual Economic Recovery Courtesy Of Inflation

Long-term Unemployment Over 40%

Odds ‘n Sods:

“To better serve you…” Baltimore buses to tape driver, passenger conversations. (Just one more reason to avoid the eastern metroplexes. Vote with your feet, folks.)

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Reader J.B.G. sent: Homeowners From Staten Island To Jersey Shore Have Stern Warnings For Looters. Meanwhile, we read: Fear of looting grips NYC as new storm threatens

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Some news from England by way of Ol’ Remus: Shooting champ is facing jail over huge cache of ammunition. As a comparison to hoplophobic England, here in The Un-named Western State (TUWS), an accumulation of 40,000 rounds is just considered “a decent supply” for a ranch, and to be judged “well-stocked”, a ranch usually has at least 100,000 rounds. The key question is not quantity (which the Brit newspapers dwell on), but rather ownership. Did he lawfully own that ammo? If not, then he needs to answer for it. But for crying out loud, most of it was .22 rimfire–and 40,000 rounds of .22 would fit in a large suitcase. By the tone of the article, you’d think that they’d just captured a modern day Guy Fawkes.

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Readers in north-central Idaho and adjoining parts of Washington will find this of interest: The Lewis-Clark Valley Preparedness Fair will be held on Saturday, November 10th at the Nez Perce County Fairgrounds main pavilion from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The location is 1229 Burrell Avenue, in Lewiston, Idaho.  Free admission and hourly door prizes.  Topics from food storage to beekeeping to safety for women traveling alone, and much more.   Sponsored by the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Local Emergency Planning Committee and Emergency Management.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“That’s what happened under communism — and increasingly, it’s happening in America. As Joseph Sobran put it: ‘Need’ now means wanting someone else’s money. ‘Greed’ means wanting to keep your own. ‘Compassion’ is when a politician arranges the transfer.'” – John Stossel