Odds ‘n Sods:

The folks at Prepper Press wrote to mention that they’ve released a new book by author Tony Grice. It is titled Indivisible: With Justice for Some (Volume 1.) Coincidentally, that increases their generous writing contest prize package from 22 books to 23 books.

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G.G. suggested this article: ‘We’ve reached the end of antibiotics’: Top CDC expert declares that ‘miracle drugs’ that have saved millions are no match against ‘superbugs’ because people have overmedicated themselves

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Ender’s Game is scheduled for release on November 1st. I hope that Hollywood didn’t mess up a great story.

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F.G. mentioned: How to Hide Street Views of your Home on Google Maps

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Seattle, Washington businesses that wish to be boycotted by freedom-lovers have helpfully organized themselves into a list to facilitate that action. (Thanks to J. McC. for the link.)

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Doing the right thing: ShelfReliance (Thrive Foods) has issued a recall announcement on the six-grain pancake mix that they sold from 2009 to 2012.

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There is a combination gun show and prepper event to be held 2-3 November, 2013 in Berryville, Virginia.

Notes from JWR:

Today is the first anniversary Superstorm Sandy, which caused an estimated $50 Billion in damage and resultant lost productivity. I’m hopeful that Americans learned something about infrastructure fragility from that event, and have been stocking up, teaming up , and training up, accordingly.

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This is the birthday of Vermont Garrison, a legendary fighter pilot who fought in three wars: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was born in 1915 and died February 14, 1994, in Mountain Home, Idaho.

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It is also the birthday of famed World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin (Born 1921, died January 22, 2003.) Oh, and speaking Clan Mauldin, don’t miss the excellent essay by Bill’s son John Mauldin about monetary policy: A Code Red World

 

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) 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), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225, and I.) VPN tunnel, DigitalSafe and private e-mail annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $265.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 23 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $210 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 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.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., F.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises , and G.) A Nesco / American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator with an extra set of trays, and the book The Dehydrator Bible, from Mayflower Trading. (A $210 value.)

Round 49 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.

Using Auctions, Goodwill and Second Hand Stores to Stockpile Prepping Supplies at Bargain Prices, by Chris M.

I was unexpectedly laid off two years ago.  Although I eventually landed another position after months of searching, losing my job was perhaps the most humbling and painful experience I’ve been through in recent years.   Truth be told, I was also bitter.  The frustrations of hunting for a new job in a tough market, starting up a sideline family business and wondering where in the world my family of six will end up really began to take their toll.  I sorely needed a distraction and an excuse get out of the house! On a whim, I started going to auctions.

Auctions have become an avid interest –they’ve taught me new negotiating skills, how to identify bargains and they’re an avenue for extra income to shore up our finances.  Surprisingly, I found auctions to be an exceptionally good source of prepping and barter supplies.  You can buy many items for pennies on the dollar, and others for bargain price that won’t break your budget!

What types of supplies can be found at auction?  Here’s the abbreviated list of items I’ve bought or seen up for bid at even small country auction houses:

  • Military surplus including ammo boxes, clothing, backpacks, boots, helmets, Gortex parkas, rain gear, manuals, and gear components like magazine pouches, radio carriers, etc.
  • Shortwave and CB radios
  • Antique, fully functional fruit and vegetable presses
  • 90% silver coins
  • Firearms (antique and modern), parts, tools and accessories like magazines, scopes,  and cleaning kits
  • Archery and fishing equipment
  • Tools, including plenty of quality hand tools
  • Welding Equipment
  • Camping equipment including high quality sleeping bags, lanterns, stoves and cooking accessories
  • Reloading equipment including dies, presses, books, parts and bullets/casings.
  • Navigation:  maps, compasses and GPS equipment
  • Communications equipment including old shortwave radios with tubes to modern CB radios, marine radios, and handhelds.
  • Canning equipment and supplies, modern and hundred year old food dehydrators.
  • Freezers
  • General household supplies for stocking a retreat
  • Lockers for storing stuff in your basement
  • Vehicles, campers, tractors and ATVs
  • Cases or personal hygiene items such as soap, shampoo, razors – convenience store stuff
  • Tractors, ATVs, farm equipment and gardening supplies
  • Extra large trailers in new condition selling for more than 50% off bottom line dealership prices.
  • Large heavy duty plastic containers with weather stripping and lockable tops for shipping military stuff overseas – great for storing your preparedness items in quantity!

The list is nearly endless!
Before touching on key topics, remember these important points:  There is no risk in attending an auction – absolutely none!  If you don’t bid, or if you don’t win, you walk out without having spent a dime.  In fact, for your first 1-2 auctions, you should just sit and observe.  You can learn a lot by watching people who have been attending auctions for years!  However, if you choose to bid before you understand the way auctions work, you can easily overpay and/or blow your budget.  Start out slowly!
If you have no experience with auctions, you’ll need a few tips and ground rules to get you started before you give this fun adventure a try.

Locating Good Auctions
My favorite sources of auctions are AuctionZip.com and StorageTreasures.com. I’ve also found estate auctions advertised in local newspapers and on Craigslist. If you’re already visiting yard sales during the day to find prepping supplies at bargain prices, you can work auctions into your routine since many are held in the evenings. Write down the times and dates of auctions you are interested in, so you can map out an efficient route and conserve time and gas money.  If you attend a significant number of auctions, you will start to find there are certain auctioneers that know how to run a fast paced and well organized auction.  Get on their email list!

Know What’s Being Sold Before You Go
First, you need to locate auctions that are offering the kind of merchandise you want to buy (this is a great time to refer to your list of prepper related needs and wants).  If you aren’t careful, you can waste a lot of time and gas money traveling to an auction that won’t be selling items you’re interested in.

Carefully review online auction descriptions and image galleries to understand what is being sold.  If details aren’t available, ask the auction house for an inventory list.  I specifically look for keywords in the following categories:  camping, guns, reloading, surplus military equipment, silver (coins or bars), knives, canning equipment, farming equipment and tools.  If these items are present at an auction, chances are there are others that aren’t on the web site.

Auction location is also important.  City auctions tend to offer higher priced items such as art work and collectibles.  You can also find city auctions that offer tools and building supplies.  Rural auctions almost always offer items that are of interest to preppers, including farm and garden tools, workshop supplies, even tractors and trucks.  As with any auction, you have to be very careful to verify the items offered meet the general theme of what you are looking for.

If you see one or more of these items listed at an estate auction, chances are the estate will be selling off many items you’ll be interested in.  If you see the same items at a combined auction run by a traditional auction house, you may need to be a little more discriminating.  Some auction houses combine many unrelated lots of merchandise together and you’ll need to wade through baby items, vinyl records and 1970s clothing to get what you want.  I haven’t found anyone that still likes polyester leisure suits.

Here’s the list of items I consider as I choose which auctions to attend:

  • Location – how far are you willing to drive?  Gas money adds up, especially at today’s prices.
  • What’s the auction house premium?  This is commonly 10% but can be more or less.
  • Does the auction accept debit cards, credit cards, checks and/or cash?  Ask in advance!
  • Is there a discount for paying in cash?
  • Is there an extra fee for using a credit card?  Some auction houses add a 3% fee for the use of credit cards.
  • Who is calling the auction?  Do they have a good reputation for delivering an organized event?
  • Will the auction help you load larger items into your vehicle?
  • How well advertised was the auction?  The less advertised, the better.
  • Will food or snacks be served free of charge for a reasonable price?  This is an important detail that should not be overlooked, especially if you are bringing children.  Some auctions can easily run for 5-6 hours.

Research Merchandise Values.
Okay, let’s assume a few items at a particular auction have caught your eye.  How do you know what fair value is, and more importantly, what a good bargain price is?  Look at closing prices on online auction sites like eBay (you can use your smart phone for this).  You may also let your experience buying at both yard sales and retail locations help guide you to the right price.  Ultimately, your goal is to purchase items you can use in your preparedness plan at a bargain price (i.e., a survival knife or a pre-1965 90% silver coins with common dates.)

You can also flip auction items to make a profit.  The same valuation research you use to identify items for your supply stash can also be used to recognize bargains that can be sold for a profit now or during TEOTWAWKI event.

My research includes adding specific items to a spreadsheet, adding notes about fair market value, and notes about low and high selling prices.  I also set a limit on how much I am willing to spend on a particular item.  I bring these notes with me as part of my auction kit.

What should you bring?

  •  Your notebook with notes on items that you would like to bid on, and for recording details about your winning bids
  • A predefined budget that you will not exceed
  • A small calculator to keep track of your purchase totals
  • A sturdy bag or two, or a box to carry your items away in
  • A small quantity of 3×5 cards with your name and cell phone number on them.  If you win a larger item that cannot be handed to you at your seat, quickly write your bidder’s registration number on the 3×5 card for the auction assistant to tape to the item.
  • Payment in the form of cash, credit card, check or debit card
  • An iPhone, iPad or other smart device to research prices on the fly
  • A good partner (i.e., spouse) to stop you from bidding too much on an item (shin kicking works)
  • A small supply of snacks, bottled water
  • A good sense of humor – you’ll need to laugh it off when the auction-savvy 12 year old kid seated to your right and the white haired great grandmother on your left take turns owning you in the bidding process.
  • Cash – remember to stow it in a safe place on your person.

Where should you sit?
Get a seat close to the front, but at least a few rows back and be in clear view of the auctioneer or their assistants.  Why not sit in the front row?  I like to watch people who are more savvy than I am.  If they stop bidding or shake their head “No”, then they have reached their limit on what they are willing to bid and for very good reason.  I use their reactions as a queue to stop or slow down my own bidding if I am not knowledgeable about the item being sold.  Once you’ve selected a seat, place a piece of paper on the seat with your name on it.  This prevents the seat from being claimed by someone else while you are inspecting merchandise before the auction begins.  Experienced auction attendees seem to honor this seat code – many place masking tape on the seat with their name on it so it cannot be blown off.

Inspect Merchandise Before the Auction Begins!
If the auction house is close to your home and allows previews prior to auction day, take advantage of this opportunity.  You may find that the auction is not the right one for you and wisely choose to spend your time at another venue.

Plan to arrive at least an hour early on auction day.  Review all the merchandise on the floor and go through boxes.  It’s time well spent – you’ll see many items that were not included in the online auction gallery.

Carefully review the items you plan to bid on, even if you previewed them the day before or online.  Why?  Online image galleries don’t always show the true condition of each item. Sometimes items can be damaged when handled in preparation for the auction, more may be added at the last minute, and you want to make sure high value items like coins weren’t switched.  Mildew and cigarette smoke odors may also be present on the item.  Mechanical items must be checked for functionality and long term serviceability.

When Should You Bid?
Once the auction starts, don’t be the first bidder.  Let’s use a common camping lantern in well used but serviceable condition as an example.  The auctioneer may start the bidding at $50.  Nobody in their right mind would bid that high.  He’ll continue to reduce the bid until somebody bites (usually $5 on an item like this).  Once the first bid goes in at $5, hold off on bidding yet again until others have bid up the price a little.  The strategy is to suppress the price.  If you bid too early, the price may run much too high and someone (probably you) will be overpaying.   Wait for the bidding to slow down.  If the price is still below your target, bid with a pained look on your face.  It adds to the drama.

Note:  When you’re the winning bidder, remember to write down specifics such as a short description of the item, the winning bid price, and where the item was placed if it wasn’t given to you at your seat.  Auction houses occasionally make mistakes and enter a wrong winning bid amount, and items placed outside of your possession have been known to disappear.  Most auctions have rules that say once you are the winning bidder, you own that item, even if you haven’t paid for it yet!

Don’t get caught up in the rush of bidding on a particular item.
It’s not worth overpaying for any one item unless you absolutely must have it.  If you start attending auctions on a regular basis, you’ll see the same or similar items on the auction block a few weeks later.  You can bid again.  For instance, let’s say you wanted that camping lantern but your maximum bid of $15 wasn’t enough.  Somebody else got it for $17.50.  Don’t kick yourself.  You may see a top end Dietz lantern a couple of weeks later and get it for your bid limit.  I’d rather have the Dietz in my prepping supplies, wouldn’t you?

Occasionally, it’s okay to take a risk on an item when your gut instinct is telling you the winning bid is still a bargain.  I recently bought a very ornate and heavy cast aluminum mailbox that was resold for 10 time what I spent on it… and I know nothing about mailboxes!  In another round of bidding, a knife nobody wanted turned out to be worth quadruple what I bought it for.  A box of coins with a few 90% silver dimes mixed in with other odd coins turned out to have 75 pieces of 90% silver dimes and quarters at the bottom; nobody bothered to dig through the box before bidding started.

Paying
Once the auction closes (or you’ve hit your spending limit), proceed to the cashier.  You’ll be paying the winning bid price, plus the auction house premium (often 10%), plus a credit card transaction fee if you are not paying in cash, and sales tax.  On the topic of sales tax, it’s a good idea to know your state sales tax regulations.  In my state, we are not charged sales tax on currency or bullion purchases.  I’ve had to educate a cashier on this topic on more than one occasion.  I now bring printed copies of the relevant sales tax regulations.

Remember to tip workers who help you load heavy items into your vehicle.  Chances are you’ll be seeing these people again if you continue to attend regional auctions.

Using Auctions To Source Items For Profit
A word of warning:  BE CAREFUL!   It’s very easy to lose money in the resale game.   If you are going to do this for profit, it’s wise to pick a few classes of merchandise and build your expertise.  You need to possess a solid understanding of how each item is valued and its resale potential.  For instance, I’m a fan of antique pocket and survival knives.  Early on, I overpaid for knives I thought were worth more than my winning bid.  Those mistakes were sometimes painful!  I made it a point to understand exactly what I was bidding on, the resale potential, and all costs involved in buying that particular knife and reselling it via other channels.  I am far better off not bidding on an item if I don’t know enough about it.  75% of the time, post mortem research proves I would have overpaid.  To summarize – don’t buy something to resell for profit unless you are confident in your knowledge of the resale market.

[JWR Adds: I recommend that you assemble a reference library that can serve you both for establishing the authenticity of goods, and for establishing their relative values. Be sure to print out some useful data and weight conversion formulas, and keep those pages in a reference binder. In my estimation, you will need your own copies of the following books:

Buying definitive references is a wise move that will keep you from making some costly mistakes. This preparation fits in with the old saying: “It takes money to make money.”]

Dealing With The Competition
You are going to meet a long list of interesting people.  Almost everyone I’ve met has been warm, friendly and polite… until the bidding starts.  That nice little old lady that chatted with you politely before the start of the auction?  She’s now a stone cold blood sucking vampire zombie glaring at anyone trying to bid on “her” depression glass.  I’ve also seen Mr. Friendly lean over and talk to their coin buying neighbor while Mrs. Friendly took advantage of the distraction by offering the winning bid on a few silver half dollars. Stay focused, but remember to have a little fun laughing at the cast of characters!

What About Storage Unit Auctions?
You’ve seen or heard about the popular television show Storage Wars.  Bidding on storage units can be fun and frustrating at the same time.  If you are looking for TEOTWAWKI supplies, you may find a few units that meet your criteria.  Less than 5% of the units contain what I would consider useful to a prepper.  For example, one unit was filled with high quality gardening and landscaping supplies and sold for $175, and another unit had a significant quantity of camping and outdoors gear but the winning bidder clearly overpaid.

You don’t really know what you’re getting at these auctions since you are not allowed to actually touch the contents of the unit prior to the end of the auction.  Storage units are always a gamble.  That said, we have bought a few units and they’ve yielded very interesting items including brand new freezers,  complex first aid kits, an expensive portable heart defibrillator, and office equipment.  I bid on storage units for profit, not necessarily to source prepper supplies.

Attending storage auctions is not for the faint of heart.  I’ve heard more than one high bidder grumble, “I’m paying them for the privilege of clearing out all this worthless garbage!”  That’s right – you get to cart everything you don’t want down to Goodwill or the dump.  Keep that in mind while bidding!

Don’t rule out GoodWill and Second Hand Stores
With careful shopping, you can pick up extreme bargains at your local second hand stores.  Finding bargains is an exciting prospect.  I’ve seen plenty of old, sturdy ball jars, canning equipment, flashlights, hand tools (including high quality American made brands), power tools, survival/preparedness books, and even oddball items like gas regulator valves.  The items can be quite unexpected – from mosquito netting to binoculars or a (previously) expensive backpack.  Favorite finds have been a serviceable Benchmade Knife for $2.85 ($125 new), cold weather famous brand pants for $15 ($150 new), cast iron cookware, and some very expensive clothing for my children at absurdly low prices.  I also buy my work clothing at GoodWill stores – $70 unused current style dress shirts for $12 or a pair of expensive khakis for $3 on half price day is nothing to laugh at.  One trip to the dry cleaners and they are added to my wardrobe.

My favorite items to shop for at Goodwill include clothing, especially items that can be stored away for future use or charity.  In most cases, I am buying these items for 70-90% off the original cost.  It’s not difficult to source lightly used boots (including military surplus), name brand quality cold weather gear, top quality gloves and brand new garments with tags.

Shopping at second hand stores can be hit or miss.  As with auctions, if you have a plan, you can make the most of your time and money.  Here’s a quick list of my “rules”:

  • Know the locations of all the stores you’d like to visit.  Stores located in prosperous neighborhoods in larger cities or suburbs are great targets.
  • Call stores in advance to ask about discounts.  Some charity based stores will give you a hefty discount if you make even a single item donation when you arrive.  One of our local chains offers a 20% discount on that day’s purchases when you donate unwanted items.  Hmmm… 20% off items that I’m already getting a 75% discount on?  Score!  Other stores discount color coded price tags tags by up to 50% but only do so on certain day of the week.
  • Travel to each store in the most efficient manner possible to save fuel and time.
  • Move through quickly.  Look at each shelf and rack carefully, but do so with a keen eye for top quality supplies.
  • Bring your list of needs and wants.  If the item isn’t on your list, or is not a good addition to your prepping inventory, pass the item by.  These items can still add to a large tab when you check out.  By the way, this is where it pays to have an extensive list of supplies you want to add to your prepping inventory.
  • Don’t break your budget!  If you can’t afford it now, it will show up again later in another store.
  • Finally, before making a purchase, do the look-sniff-try it test.  Look all over the items for defects.  Sniff clothing for odors.  Try all items for functionality – zip zippers, button snaps, even use a local outlet to plug in tools to see if they work as designed.

Ready to have some fun?  Get Going!
It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity of preparing for whatever challenging TEOTWAWKI scenarios lay ahead.  Go have some fun – attend an auction or two and walk away with a smile on your face!

Final Note: God’s blessings and answers to prayer arrive in some of the least expected ways.  Although I lost my job, I learned how to source items to add to our preparedness inventory at very low prices.  We were also offered a relocation package as part of my new job that put us within a stone’s throw of the Redoubt, and we’re now hunting for a property to settle our family.  To God goes all the thanks, praise and glory!

Orange Jeep Dad’s House Fire Tragedy: How You Can Help

Many SurvivalBlog readers are familiar with the Orange Jeep Dad (OJD) blog. It is a great blog written by an X-ray technician prepper with a wife and six daughters. For more than two years, he’s been earnestly striving to live self-sufficiently. Two days ago, he posted about the tragedy of his house burning down. And today, he posted a follow-up. As I mentioned before, I doubt that his renter’s insurance will cover all of their losses, especially for things like storage food and ammo.

In a recent e-mail, OJD mentioned these details:

“For now, I for sure lost my Glock 27 and old double barrel side-by-side hammerless. Hadn’t verified the age yet. It was not one of the $1,000 type. More like $250. My thousands of rounds of ammo in every caliber is gone.

My wife’s .38 Special revolver survived in our safe as did our certificates and licenses. Our bullion silver seems to have made it although I have to pry it out of the melted plastic to see for sure. (It was not in the safe.)

All of our #10 cans of freeze dried food preps are gone (dehydrated strawberries, blueberries, banana chips, powdered eggs, apple cubes, butter buds, meat substitute. But all the stuff we had in mylar bags that I had just suspended from garage rafters after the rats go into it survived since it wasn’t in the house. (Yay!)

We lost all appliances including a Wondermill wheat grinder ,and two large griddles.( I haven’t found the dutch ovens in the ashes yet to see if they are salvageable.) There was also a Bosch universal mixer, spools of paracord, Jack Lalane juicer, meat grinder, Presto (62 quart?) pressure canner, dozens of mason jars and lids/gaskets, BlendTech blender, Macbook, Dell laptop, Dell desktop, several thumb drives, all of my knives! all my medical kits (IV start kids, Coban, creams, quik clot,  dozens of lidocaine bottles, too much to list really. It was a collection of years of discards from working at the hospitals. I could have patched up a village with the stuff I had established.)

My 12 gauge and .22 rifle made it [through the fire intact] in a gun safe.”

You can send donations via PayPal to: lisajones515@hotmail.com

A snail mail address where tangible donations can be sent is:

Orange Jeep Dad
2532 N. Fourth St. #230
Flagstaff,  Arizona 86004-3712

In addition to survival and kitchen gear, I’m sure that toys suitable for girls would also be appreciated. For instance, a Breyer toy horse might cheer someone up…)

To save on postage, I recommend using Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes.

Note: Anyone who does not have a PayPal account can send checks or money orders to that same address, payable to “Orange Jeep Dad.”.)

For my own part, in addition to replacing his melted Glock magazines and sending a big box of assorted books, I am auctioning a full tube of 20 American Redoubt Silver -1-ounce coins on eBay, with 100% of the gross proceeds going to OJD’s family.

Even if you can’t afford to help, please pray for OJD and his family! – JWR

Letter Re: The Blackout Docudrama

Good Morning, Mr. Rawles:

After watching part of last night’s Blackout Docudrama on National Geographic. I turned the television off in total disgust and went to bed.  What insidious propaganda! 

I could not help but notice that the “prepper” father was a gun toting, autocratic bully who bossed everyone and refused to act humanely by sharing all his wealth with those less fortunate or less willing to be responsible for themselves?  How interesting.

And of course, the compassionate one was the young and hip boyfriend of the prepper’s daughter.  He hadn’t prepared himself but he was more than happy to live off of someone else’s largess.  He was also more than happy to be judge and jury as to how someone else’s preps should be treated. 

And the young woman, who was attacked and most probably raped and/or killed, “deserved” it because she was a wealthy “princess” who lived in a penthouse.  She was portrayed as stupid and totally un-connected to the real world in which most of us live.  Also interesting was the portrayal of her rich boyfriend who believed he was entitled to whatever resources were available as he tried “throwing his money around.”

And of course, we were all going to be saved by the government as our fearless leader gravely assured us.  I’m amazed I got half way through the program!  Here was an excellent opportunity to impress upon the average citizen that they need to be ready for bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances.  Instead we got the “PC” version of who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.  I think I’ll just stick to SurvivalBlog.

Thanks for all you do! – Getting Ready in N.C.

News From The American Redoubt:

I heard that Moscow Hide and Fur (in Moscow, Idaho), is still buying raw furs. I started doing business with them back in the early 1990s–back when they only had just a few employees and only three chest freezers to hold incoming furs.

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Arming teachers idea sparks recall effort. Note that this is transpiring in Sandpoint, Idaho, which is a resort town with a high percentage of neolocal statist yuppies from the Left Coast. So we can consider this anomalous for what is otherwise quite conservative north Idaho.

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B.B. sent: Number of Montanans with concealed weapon permits doubles.

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The Charles Carroll Society web page highlighted the upcoming Lewis-Clark Preparedness Fair on November 9, 2013, in Lewiston, Idaho. Admission is free.

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Cops mistake Idaho family going to Bible study for car thieves

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A video shot somewhere between Missoula, and Ovando, Montana: Elk in Rut Chases Motorcycle.

Odds ‘n Sods:

While supplies last, APEX Gun Parts in Colorado is a having a $44 special on Polish surplus 26.5mm flare pistols. Note that these are inexpensive enough to consider using 2 or 3 of them around your retreat (post-TEOTWAWKI), as trip-wire actuated intrusion detection signal devices. Take note of the notch in the trigger, which makes them well-suited for rigging a trip wire. A mousetrap should provide sufficient force for the trigger pull. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just use power screws to attach the flare gun and mouse trap to a scrap of 2×4, lag screw the contraption to a fence post, and then spray paint the whole works in a flat earth-tone color, to blend in.) Need some flares? I usually source the very reliable Czech surplus meteor and parachute flares from KeepShooting.com. Warning: DO NOT set up a booby trap with lethal ammo! That is illegal in most jurisdictions, and could open you up to both criminal prosecution and a multimillion dollar civil lawsuit. OBTW, APEX concurrently has an $83 special on Merprolight brand tritium night sights for most HKs (Model 91/93/94 and clones thereof.)

   o o o

Pentagon’s top three threats in the ‘deep future’

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Pirates Singled Out Americans in Ship Attack Off Nigeria, Official Says

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Texas State Troopers Illegally Came And Took It

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A reminder: The next Life Changes. Be Ready! Preparedness and Gun Expo will be held in in Lakeland, Florida on November 2 & 3, 2013

Note from JWR:

I heard some very bad news from fellow preparedness blogger Orange Jeep Dad: Our house burned down today. Knowing insurance companies, I doubt that their replacement coverage will be sufficient, especially for things like storage food and ammo. You can send donations via PayPal to: lisajones515@hotmail.com. Please pray for OJD and his family!

Mike Williamson’s Product Review: Nitecore Flashlights and Battery Chargers

I need to review several products from the Nitecore company, as they’re accumulating around my office and seem to be multiplying.

First, the Nitecore Intellicharger i4. We’ve been using this at the house for a year now, and it’s excellent.

Unlike many battery chargers, this doesn’t require them to be charged in pairs.  Singles of different amp hour ratings, and even different types, can all be charged at once.  It handles Ni-Cd, NiMH, Li-ion, and various types and sizes up to C.  If you have a battery that needs charged, stick it in and let the charger have at it.

Every cell has come out topped off to peak voltage and power, with no issues.  There’s not much more need be said.

While D cells don’t fit, I found I was able to use a metal shim to get one between the poles and charge it that way.  This is not recommended by the manufacturer, and I offer it as an emergency option only. 

MSRP is $30, and I highly recommend it.

Next is the SRT7 light, which I’m carrying in my car for business use.  960 lumens is a lot of light, and useful when setting up or unloading in the dark.  For tactical purposes, it’s blindingly bright, uncomfortable even with eyelids closed.

The SRT7 is a rheostat controlled light that starts with a rescue strobe, dials through flashing blue/red LED setting for emergencies and police use, red, green and blue LEDs for signaling, maritime, aircraft or night illumination, to a white setting that is very white, the brightness dialing from a spark all the way up to full intensity, then to two different strobe speeds.  The tail cap is momentary or on/off, and the light remembers its last setting because the rheostat ring is a physical switch. 

With the color settings, I can foresee someone taping one to their craft in an emergency. 
Battery life and toughness are excellent.  It’s a bit large for carry in business wear, but still compact enough for a tool or gun belt, or a box or console.  The large reflector increases beam throw and range over the smaller lights.

The light comes with a holster, lanyard, clip and spare switch and gasket assembly. 

The SRT7 retails at $129 and is often available cheaper.

Last is their MH25 Hunting Kit that comes with the light, a USB cable (the battery can be charged in the unit via USB), the Li-ion battery, two filters (red and green), a remote switch and rail mount for weapon mounting, holster, lanyard, clip, spare switch, all in a hardshell case that would also double as a small handgun case.  The MH25, in “turbo” mode, goes straight to 860 lumens, and lowers it after three minutes to conserve batteries.  This is for spotlighting game (where legal) or threats, or to disorient an opponent. The user defined settings involve loosening the head slightly, then pressing the tail switch to select mode.  I found this awkward and non-intuitive.  It will take practice to learn.  The available settings are dim, medium, bright, strobe and SOS.

The significant advantage on this model is the onboard USB charging, and I’d like to see them expand it to more models.

Despite the awkward controls, the unit is tough and well built.  If you’re familiar with modern tactical lights and have a use for this, it’s a good value.  If you are not familiar with modern tactical light controls, or need more flexibility, I would recommend against it, and suggest the SRT7 instead.

Retail for the MH25 kit is $144, for the light by itself, $99.

The company offers lights from 12 lumens to 3,500 lumens in a variety of compact sizes. Their accessories are well thought out.  Quality is top notch so far.  I highly recommend the Intellicharger for anyone with rechargeable batteries. It has both simplified the task and brought all batteries to peak performance.

All these, and most of my other light purchases, have been made through FlashlightOutlet.com.  Larry, the owner, is very knowledgeable of all brands, well-versed in the physics of illumination, and provides top notch customer service.  He can recommend lights for any function and purpose, and offers very competitive prices.

All products in this review were purchased.  I have no financial interest in the companies. – Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog Editor at Large)

Pat’s Product Review – Rescue Me Personal Locator Beacon 1

I’ve been out of the military for a long, long time now. However, I still remember many of the things that were taught to me back then. Those Drill Sergeants, bless their hearts, really knew how to drive home the lessons they were teaching us. Looking back over the years, I can see they were teaching us lessons that would save our lives in combat. I can still remember our map reading and compass orientation course, and the drill sergeant told us “a good soldier never gets lost, they just get disoriented.” At the time, I wasn’t sure what that actually meant, I mean, “lost” is “lost” isn’t it – no matter what you might call it? And, map reading was a very important skill to learn, not just for a means of finding you way back to the base camp, but for calling in artillery on an enemy position, if needed.
 
I love the outdoors, and don’t get out there as much as I’d like to these days. However, I’m happy to say, I’ve never been lost – not in the wilderness, nor in the big city. I have an uncanny sense of direction – always have. However, I’ve run across some hunters, who were “misoriented” and couldn’t remember where they parked their vehicles or where their hunting camp was located. Before heading out to go hunting, in terrain that I’m not familiar with, I’ll take the time to study a topo map of the area – all the various road in the area, as well as sources of water, too. It’s just good sense, to have an idea of where you’re going in the wilderness – and the big cities. I don’t know how many people I’ve run across, who can’t even read a compass, and if they can read a compass, they haven’t set it for the declination in the area they’re in. When my girls were younger, I taught them how to use a map and compass, and how to learn which direction was north, south, east or west, too.
 
Many people die each year, because they lost their sense of direction and get lost in the wilderness. Also, boaters who might have a problem out on the ocean or a large lake, can get lost, and they have no means of finding their way back home. Here in Oregon, we have several people each year die while attempting to climb Mount Hood. It looks like an easy mountain to scale, but it’s not. And, more often than not, those who get killed climbing Mount Hood are “experienced” climber – they take unnecessary risks – where an amateur won’t take those same risks. Climbers get caught in snow storms – and they can’t get rescued because no one knows exactly where they are at. Sad!
 
Today I’m reviewing the Rescue Me PLB1 (Personal Locator Beacon) from Datrex. Now, a lot of people think I’m pretty smart – while that may be true, I’m just not smart all the time. It took me a while to put two and two together, to come up with four – Datrex makes those tasty life boat rations. And, for the life of me, I don’t know why most folks consider these survival rations just for use on boats. My wife and I carry them in our emergency boxes in our SUVs – so they are good for helping your survive on land and sea.
 
Datrex was kind enough to send me one of their PLB1 units for testing – well, I didn’t actually want to test it, and have the local sheriff’s department Search And Rescue (SAR) team coming knocking on my door, when I activated the PLB1. They also sent me a dummy unit to play with, and the entire set-up is so very simple to operate, no practice is needed! A quick run down on the specs of the PLB1 are in order.  The PLB1 is the world’s smallest Personal Locator Beacon – it’s 30% smaller than other similar units. It has a 7-year battery life, with a 7-year warranty – the longest in the industry, and it provides fast and accurate positioning information to a SAR team. Best of all, unlike other similar units, there is NO subscription fee. Other places may charge you by the month, or by the year, to have a subscription – which means, once you purchase one of their units, you can’t use it, unless you’ve paid the fee – which can get expensive over the years.
 
The PLB1 operates on the COSPAS/SARAT System which uses two satellites to provide distress alert and location data to SAR authorities. The GEOSR system can provide immediate alerting within the coverage of the receiving satellite. To put it simply is to say, once you activate your PLB1, the distress signal goes out immediately and help will be on the way to you. And, needless to say, you only activate the PLB1 in a dire emergency – not when you can’t find your way home from the local McDonald’s restaurant!
 
The unit only weighs 4-ounces, and is 3″x2″x1.3″ and it safely fits inside inflatable life jackets, small pockets on trousers, on a belt or strap – just about any place. The PLB1 also comes with all the accessories you need, flotation belt pouch, snap in clip with universal mounting strap and high tensile lanyard. Of course, you can stuff it in your backpack, too, or even a shirt pocket.
 
Now pay attention here, this is the “complicated” method for operating the PLB1 in an emergency. Pull out the retractable antenna, push button down for one second to activate the unit, and………well, that’s it! Can’t be easier to operate if you ask me. And, one nice thing about the PLB1 is, the retractable antenna – you can roll it back up into the unit – much like a tape measure. Other units have to be returned to the factory to have their antennas replaced – and they charge you for it, too. Datrex recommends that, if you have used the unit, that you should replace the small battery – just in case. I mean, the battery is good for 7-years, but it’s just smart to replace the battery if you’ve activated the unit.
 
The PLB1  is waterproof, per se, down to 15-feet so they recommend that once you activate the unit, you keep it above the water – if you’re out to sea. And, ensure that the antenna is held vertically while operating the unit. The unit will send out a signal for at least 24-hours, and there is also a small strobe light that will start flashing to indicate that the unit is activated. The high brightness, low profile strobe light has 1 candela – it is bright and can be seen from quite a distance, especially at night – aiding the SAR in finding your location, once they get close to you.
 
Now, in order to use your PLB1 properly, you are required by law to register it – there is no fee for this – just a simple form you can fill out – that’s supplied with each unit – or you can do it on-line. The SAR would like to know who they’re looking for and can also alert family that you’ve activated the unit, too. Oh, one other thing, once you press the button to activate the unit, it takes about 50-seconds before the unit actually starts sending out a signal – in case you hit the button by mistake. Good idea. The PLB1 will operate in temps from -4 degrees, up to 131-degrees.
 
I know a lot of Survivalist or Preppers, have the idea of heading to the mountains, when the SHTF – and I wish them well, and hope they have pre-positioned supplies there. Many folks just want to disappear off the grid, which is harder to do than they think. I’ve had times in my own life, where I just wanted to “go” and disappear – and not be found. However, what if you were out on a boat, and the engine quit on you, or you’re out hunting, and something happens to you – you get lost, or break a leg? These are situation where you will want to be found. And, cell phones don’t work every place – here in Oregon, where I live, we have quite a few areas in our state where you can’t get a signal to use your cell phone.
 
My youngest daughter is in the US Army right now, however, by the time this review appears in print, she’ll be out. She has a plan to fly down to New Zealand, and she wants to trek 2,000 miles across that country. Quite a feat, and one I wouldn’t willingly want to do, and she plans on doing it alone, too – ever wonder why dads have so many gray hairs? Enough said! Well, I told my youngest daughter that she will get a PLB1 and take it with her on her trek. This will give me quite a bit of peace of mind – knowing that, if something happens along the trek, she can just push a button, and help will be coming her way. I can’t think of a better endorsement, than wanting my little girl, to carry a PLB1 with her when she’s on that long trek. It probably won’t stop the few remaining hairs from turning gray, but it might slow them down on my head.
 
If you’re a hunter, boater, hiker or even in the military, having a PLB1 with you is a great idea if you ask me. the PLB1 can be purchased directly from Datrex, at the web address given above, or from any of their retail walk-in stores, for $369 – you might think the price is a bit high – I don’t! What is your life worth, or the life of your loved ones? When you can’t help yourself – for whatever reason, the PLB1 can direct help to your location. To me, I don’t think you can put a price tag on this! And, if my youngest daughter doesn’t purchase a PLB1 for her 2,000 mile trek, then I’ll purchase one for her – that’s how strongly I feel about having this means of being rescued. If you spend any amount of time in the outdoors – especially hiking, camping or hunting – you absolutely must have a PLB1 with you – it can make the difference between life and death! – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: The Blackout Docudrama

Hi Jim,
The really bug thing about long-term black outs, is the failure of urban (and not-so urban) water systems.  Few care where their clean, safe, drinking water comes from, since it’s been gushing out of their pipes all their lives.  Electricity pumps water into towers and tanks on high ground where gravity does the rest.  No power, no water.  Even the FEMA planners in New Jersey I lectured to a few years ago didn’t quite grasp the implications of a post-EMP America….they all thought they’d be inconvenienced because they couldn’t use their computers. Toilets need water to flush, so there will be sanitation issues on a Biblical scale. There will be disease outbreaks soon after 315,000,000 people start eliminating outdoors.  Few peopele will dig latrines in the concrete jungle to properly bury waste.  Ultra-modern buildings built without windows capable of being opened will soon be unusable for their designed purpose….but maybe can be used for baking, eh?  

Our fellow citizens who lived through Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy already have had a taste of this, except that no outside help may be coming next time.  Next to immediate considerations for clothing, water will soon prove our biggest challenge in coping with life without power.   When I ask neighbors where they will get clean water to drink when it no longer comes out of their taps, I get “the stare.”.

Best Regards, – Paul

Recipe of the Week:

Old Kimber Girl’s Canned Apple Pie Filling

This recipe makes 7 quart jars of filling. You need to have 7 one quart canning jars, with rings and lids prepared before beginning.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 3-4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 gallon + 2 cups apple juice (you may use 10 cups of water—the apple juice is best)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or use vitamin C crystals)
  • 7 pounds apples, pared, cored & sliced

[JWR Adds: Reader J.M.L. mentioned that Jackie Clay and other experts have written that corn starch should not be use in home canning recipes, because it sometimes clumps together in the mix and keeps proper heat level from reaching the interior of the jars. Incomplete processing could mean potential bacterial contamination. See also: Ball Blue Book of Preserving.It has been noted that Clear Gel can be substituted.]

Directions
Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large saucepan.  Add apple juice and mix well.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.  Add lemon juice.
Using hot, clean quart jars, fill ½ full with apples.  Pour in enough syrup to cover, add more apples, cover again with syrup.  Leave ½ -inch head space.  Gently use a knife to remove any air bubbles.

Process 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

This is a wonderful pie filling recipe. The trick to the syrup is put your sugar and spices in 8 or 8-1/2 cups of hot water; stir till dissolved and place over low heat. Then mix 2 cups water 3 TBS lemon juice and corn starch and set aside. After you have the apples sliced and packed in the jars bring the sugar mixture almost to boiling stir in your cornstarch mixture and pour it into the sugar mixture. Stir or whisk mixture quickly. When the white of the cornstarch disappears, ladle over sliced apples.

This is the same recipe my mom used to use when I was a kid and we loved it. I was in the search for this recipe when my mom found the original book and lent it to me. Here are a few helpful things the original book had to offer. Pack the apples (raw) leaving 1 inch headspace. Fill with hot syrup leaving ½ inch headspace. Process in boiling water bath (pints) 15 minutes; (quarts) 20 minutes. Makes 6 quarts. Before serving: Prepare pastry for a 2-crust 8-or 9-inch pie. Line pie plate with pastry; add 1 quart apple pie filling. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for escape of steam; seal. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.

Layer apples and syrup mixture   1 inch head room

Note: You must use a crisp, tart pie apple such as Jonagold, Empire, Pink Lady, Rome, or Macintosh to attain proper flavor.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Fruit Pies

Apple Recipes

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!