Economics and Investing:

Have you noticed that the spot price of platinum is now about $90 below the spot price of gold? This is a sign of major economic turmoil and is predictive of a very weak manufacturing sector in the year to come. This price inversion doesn’t happen very often, so when it does, take advantage of it, just as I did. I was recently able to pick up some 1/10th-ounce and 1/4-ounce slabbed U.S. Mint Liberty bullion platinum coins for just under the spot price of gold! But beware of fake Chinese platinum and gold coins that are now becoming commonplace! When you buy platinum coins, buy only coins that are in PCGS or NGC encapsulated (“slabbed”) holders. You don’t need to be a genius economist to see the wisdom of exploiting this price inversion.

James Hall: Derivative Meltdown and Dollar Collapse

26 things to get done before the global debt collapse

How to Play a Comex Default

Art Cashin: We’re Certainly At A Flashing Yellow Alert On Hyperinflation

Items from The Economatrix:

Been There, Done That Department: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe report draws comparison between their hyperinflationary period and US QE3. (“These interventions which were exactly in the mould of bail out packages and quantitative easing measures currently instituted in the US and the EU, were geared at evoking a positive supply response and arrest further economic decline.”) The report also documents the ongoing collapse of the Zimbabwean economy under the spectacularly bad leadership of Comrade Mugabe and his ZANU-PF cronies. Their systematic looting of the country makes America’s corrupt big city mayors look like rank amateurs, by comparison.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Tracey A. sent a link to an interesting piece on the new Winchester Segmented Slug.

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They keep getting smaller: Spy-Butterfly: Israel developing insect drone for indoor surveillance. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

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Reader F.J. pointed out this piece: Assessing Doomsday: How Cyber War Could Attack U.S. Infrastructure

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D.B. sent: Armed posse patrols timber land in sheriff’s place

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NDAA critic stranded in Hawaii after turning up on no-fly list. JWR’s Comment: Is this the America where I was born and raised?

Notes from JWR:

The Articles for Deletion (AfD) debate about my novels “Survivors” and “Founders” is still raging over at Wikipedia. If you have experience with Wikipedia, then feel free to chime in politely, if you have an opinion one way or the other.

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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.

Survival Uses For Stretch Wrap, by James M.

Not Saran Wrap, I’m talking about what is commonly referred to as pallet wrap. I thought there was no way possible that something as versatile and useful as stretch wrap could have been overlooked in the survival community, but after hours of searching it certainly looks that way. I’ve only found a few vague references to other possible uses for it. Today I hope to enlighten you and further prepare you for TEOTWAWKI.

Firstly, it’s a lot of bang for your buck. You can pick up an 18 inch wide roll of stretch wrap that’s 1,500 feet long for less than $15. That’s over 2,000 square feet of material! You can also find them in 5 inch wide rolls, 12 inch wide rolls, 20 inch wide rolls and 30 inch wide rolls. Unfortunately I have yet to find 1 inch or 2 inch wide rolls which I believe would be extremely useful, but I can cut up the bigger rolls on a lathe. So now you have a 1,500 foot long roll of stretch wrap right? Well technically yes but do not forget the name, “Stretch Wrap”. Your 1,500 foot roll can almost triple its length. You actually have about 4,000 useable feet. That’s the better part of a mile out of just one roll. It is extremely compact if you consider how much you’re getting out of such a small package. 

Now let’s move on to its possible uses.

The first and most obvious use we all know.  Securing loads. Many of us wouldn’t think about using stretch wrap to do that though. We use rope, Bungee cords and tie downs most of the time. Depending on the weather we might use a tarp as well. I’ve found that stretch wrap a lot of the time does a much better job at helping secure loads, as well as keeping them weatherproof. I always keep a roll behind my seat now.

Another great use that I’ve found that’s not related to survival is use as a packing material. To be honest I have not done the math cost wise to see if it’s cheaper than regular packing material. It sure beats dealing with peanuts and packing paper though. And it does an excellent job keeping delicate items from breaking during shipping. In fact whenever pallets get delivered to my company, I save the stretch wrap for use as packing material, so a lot of the time it’s free.

Now I’ll cover its uses as a great survival tool.

One of the most important things for survival is shelter. We all know this. You can actually within a matter of minutes make a quality survival shelter with nothing but stretch wrap and whatever you can find lying around. If you’re out in the woods you can wrap it around a few trees and then make a roof by wrapping it over the walls you just made. You can find a few branches and make a teepee and wrap that. I’ll get into this later but you can make rope to secure the top of the teepee by twisting the stretch wrap up. If you’re in the city you can make a shelter out of almost anything. A bus stop, a few signs, a porch, you can even use a couple cars as supports for a shelter. Your imagination is the only limit. You’ll also get a natural greenhouse effect for warmth with a stretch wrap shelter.

One of the other most important things for survival is water. And believe it or not stretch wrap can be a very important tool in acquiring water. Firstly I did a test to see how well water clings to stretch wrap. It doesn’t. Poor a little water on some and you’ll see it shed off like water on a ducks back. This is useful if you are in an area that hits dew point a lot. You can set up a frame at an angle and wrap it. When the stretch wrap reaches dew point temperature you’ll see moisture collect much like you do on the windshield of a car. All you have to do is set up a water collection device at the lowest edge of the frame and catch it. You can also use a framework wrapped in stretch wrap to channel water that naturally drips from trees or anything else into a collection device. You can also use it for water de-salinization. With nothing more than a bucket, a cup, a rock and some shrink wrap you can de-salinize salt water. I won’t get into its design as you can easily find it on the interweb. I’d rather stay on subject.

Next is rope. I did a quick test with a 30 inch wide roll of stretch wrap to see how well it holds up as rope. I unraveled 4 feet of wrap and twisted it about once every 6 inches for a total of 8 twists. Then I stretched it out. Interestingly it will stretch to 3 times its length when twisted up and stay there. I turned a 4 foot piece of makeshift rope into a 12 foot piece. It held up to 100 pounds of force without breaking. Now think about that 1500 foot roll as rope or lashing material. That’s 4,500 feet of it.

You can use it as a makeshift poncho to protect yourself from the elements. You can even make a makeshift umbrella if needed. Wrap it around your boots to make them water resistant. And wrap it around all your gear to protect it from the rain. You can make things like 2 way radios and other electronic devices rain proof while still keeping full functionality (speaker and microphone still work through stretch wrap).

You can also use it for an extra layer of heat insulation in your sleeping bag or clothes. I’m not sure how well it would work but I’m sure it would be better than nothing. Layer it under your sleeping bag not only for heat insulation from the ground but it will work for bedding just as well as it will work for packing material. Speaking of bedding it wouldn’t be very hard at all to build a hammock with nothing but stretch wrap, a few sticks and a couple of well-placed trees.

It would also greatly aid in the making of a splint for a broken bone. And it would be perfect for isolating a burn or rash from scraping against clothing. It will seal ointment where you want it without absorbing half of it. (Warning: Use my medical ideas at your own risk. I’m by no means a medical expert. I’m just thinking out loud.)

Yet another simple use for it would be trail markers. Just stuff a bunch in your pocket and use when needed. It’s also fairly reflective so it could be used as an emergency signal. Although not ideal, it is flammable and would greatly aid in starting a fire. And when burned it produces wax like droplets that may be able to be used for making candles or waterproofing or preserving things.  
   
I’ve read that it can also repair a split radiator hose. I’ve not seen this personally but it does make sense to me. I’m not sure what kind of heat it can withstand but I’m sure it would work as a temporary repair. It would also be a great temporary fix for broken car or house windows. It’s durable enough to last a while and it will keep you separated from the elements.

In a chemical, biological, or rediological contamination situation having a quickly deployable means of sealing-off your house or shelter is of utmost importance and stretch wrap would be an invaluable tool to aid in that. It wouldn’t replace your current measures but it would definitely aid in them and probably fill some gaps.  

Now that I’ve covered defense, let’s move on to offense:

Preserving food is a necessity when the SHTF. Food grade stretch wrap could be an added barrier of protection between your food and the elements. It can also be used just like Saran Wrap to keep all those pesky bugs and critters out of your food.

Lastly (and I say that loosely since there’s a million other uses that I haven’t thought of) stretch wrap would be of great benefit for those trying to grow their own food. It is the perfect material for a greenhouse that could be constructed easily with minimal tools and supplies. And according to some guy on YouTube who built one, it is very UV resistant and will last a couple of years. You could also use it to line irrigation ditches to stop the soil from soaking up too much of your water before it gets where it need to go, etc. I could go on all day, butit is better to be brief.

Remember, it’s always better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Letter Re: Iowa as a Retreat Locale

James Wesley:
I just read something about why Iowa wasn’t considered as a retreat when TEOTWAWKI occurs. In your response you asked for feedback. I live in soutwestern Iowa. All along the western edge of Iowa in the Loess Hills region which extends from Missouri to Minnesots. This is a region that one could defend. Actually people in the Great Depression of the 1930s dug caves into the loess soil to live in. The soil is the best in the world and it is close to Omaha and Offutt Air Force base. We’re almost 200 miles north of Kansas city, and almost 500 miles from Chicago. I would think I-80 would be a major corridor for refugees going west. It is only 600 miles to the snowy range of southeastern Wyoming, which is one of my favorite places. I know what you mean about Iowa being about 500 miles too far East, but western Iowa has something to offer. –  D.D., Major, USAF, retired. 

Odds ‘n Sods:

Residents of North Dakota might find ths of interest: The GSA is auctioning off five Stanley Mickelsen Safeguard missile sites, with opening bids of $1. Go the GSA Auctions web page and enter “Stanley Mickelsen Safeguard Complex” in the search box. Fascinating.

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Health alert: Why you DON’T want ripped abs if you hope to survive the coming economic collapse

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B.B. sent: Desperation: Greece to Allow Sale of Expired Foods to Citizens.

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Tom B. in Oklahoma was the first of several readers to send an article about a new anti-gun store sales policy in Britain. 

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The clever designers at RepackBox.com have come up with several new products to protect ammunition, magazines, rifle bores, and long term storage foods. Here at the ranch we use their storage bag and box systems for foods in #10 cans. Check them out.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Some have asked whether our silver coins will disappear. The answer is very definitely no.

Our present silver coins won’t disappear and they won’t even become rarities. We estimate that there are now 12 billion–I repeat, more than 12 billion silver dimes and quarters and half dollars that are now outstanding. We will make another billion before we halt production. And they will be used side-by-side with our new coins.

Since the life of a silver coin is about 25 years, we expect our traditional silver coins to be with us in large numbers for a long, long time.

If anybody has any idea of hoarding our silver coins, let me say this. Treasury has a lot of silver on hand, and it can be, and it will be used to keep the price of silver in line with its value in our present silver coin. There will be no profit in holding them out of circulation for the value of their silver content.” – Lyndon B. Johnson, July 23, 1965.

[JWR’s Comment: Today’s quote come from a disingenous speech made just before nearly every silver dime, quarter, and half dollar was systematically scooped up from circulation by the American citizenry, leaving only post-1964 dated debased copper tokens in circulalation. The populace saw through LBJ’s smokescreen. And yes, there was indeed plenty of “…profit in holding them out of circulation for the value of their silver content…” They are now worth around 24 times their face value, making the melt value of each silver quarter about $6.35 in the current Federal Reserve funny money.]

Notes from JWR:

2012 is the 60th anniversary of the founding of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (originally Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, LRL.) Lawrence Livermore is famous as the nation’s main nuclear weapons design center and is also home to a small American intelligence arm that tries to keep nukes out of the wrong hands. (Z Division.) I was born and raised in Livermore–the son of a scientist who worked at LLNL for three decades. My father, Donald Robert Rawles (1930-1985), operated and later managed the operation of several high energy particle accelerators. These included cyclotrons, linear accelerators, and a rotating target neutron source (RTNS-II.) In many ways, growing up in Livermore in the shadow of The Rad Lab shaped my outlook on life and put me on the preparedness path.

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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.

A Thru-Hiker’s Thoughts on the Bug Out Bag, by Pete R. Pan

This year I thru-hiked the entire 2,184 miles of the Appalachian Trail. I started in Georgia on the 4th of April and finished in Maine after walking through 14 states, on September 17th. The 5 ½ months I spent on the trail taught me a lot about living out of a backpack and efficiently covering miles on foot. In this article I’ll explain how others can use this experience to create or refine their own G.O.O.D. bag.

There are a few packs that fall under the umbrella term “Bug Out Bag” or “Get Out Of Dodge” bag. First off, there is the 72-hour pack. This pack is intended to get you from point A to B as quickly as possible. Just as the name implies, this bag will support you for 3 days, although stretching that out to 4 or 5 days is easy. The 72-hour pack is the one you grab as your bugging out to a safer location.

Another type of bug out bag is the “I’m never coming home” (INCH) pack. This is the pack you put on when you don’t have anywhere safe to go. That’s a scary thought… If you haven’t squirreled away supplies somewhere else, you could end up with all your possessions on your back. This pack would be heavy. In addition to hunting, trapping, and fishing equipment, this pack should have a bow saw blade and entrenching tool to build a more permanent shelter. You’d also want to carry some seeds and pray to God you livelong enough to see them bear fruit. This article is not about this type of bug out bag.

The last type of pack could be called the “I’m going to war” pack. The weight of this pack would include web gear, extra magazines, ammunition, and a little bit of food. This article won’t be about this type of pack either.

In this article I will focus on the 72-120 hour pack. The reason I feel qualified to write about this topic is because a 72-hour pack is nearly identical to what a thru-hiker carries. While I was on the trail, I would typically re-supply every 4-5 days. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I could hike more miles, faster, and with less fatigue the lighter my pack was. Getting my pack weight down made such a difference in my daily mileage that I was able to get to the next town a day earlier to resupply. That meant I could further reduce my pack weight by not carrying that extra day of food. This positive feedback loop works the other way around too. If you carry a heavy pack you can’t walk as far or as fast, so you have to pack out even more food to get to the same destination.

When I started the trail in Georgia, my fully loaded pack weighed 37 pounds. By the time I got to Maine I had my pack weight down to 17.5 pounds with 4 days of food and full water. I admit that I carried extra water through Pennsylvania and New York this summer due to the lack of rain. But my total pack weight during that time still never exceeded 20 pounds.

A lightweight pack allows you to perform better no matter what your fitness level is. Ultralighters that are in good shape can cover 30+ miles a day through mountainous terrain. Several times on my hike I covered 100 miles in 4 days, that was a more comfortable pace for me. But the real beauty of ultralight backpacking is what it can do for people that aren’t in top shape such as children, the elderly, and people with desk jobs. How often do busy folks get out to do training hikes? I bet there are preppers reading this that have fully prepared G.O.O.D. bags and still haven’t felt what it’s like to do 15-20 mile hikes with them. I challenge every prepper who has taken the time to put together a Bug Out Bag to map out a route and actually hike it! A good way to save weight is by making note of water sources along your route and carrying less of it on your back. My pack was so light on the Appalachian Trail that I actually did quite a bit of running on my way to Maine. Being able to run with your Bug Out Bag could mean the difference between life and death in a Schumer Hits The Fan scenario. Try doing that with 50-60+ pound pack!

The G.O.O.D. bag has a specific purpose. If I’m fleeing a city trying to get somewhere safe, I want to avoid confrontation and get out of the area as fast as possible. I don’t want to be bogged down with the weight of a heavy long gun and extra ammunition. My only weapon should be the lightweight concealed carry pistol that’s always on me. In the beginning of a societal collapse the zombie hoards will be most interested in looting stores. By the time they start getting desperate enough to mess with us we’ll be long gone. All the bigger equipment and extra supplies should already be at a defendable retreat location. It’s prudent to not only map out several routes to that Bug Out Location, but also walk there under simulated conditions. Using snowmobile trails, logging roads, and two tracks may be the safest way to get there. Knowing the area at ground level puts you at a big advantage. How many miles will I need to cover before the next water source?

An ultralight 72-120 hour pack will give most people a range of 100 miles. Even someone who’s out of shape can comfortably make 50 miles in 5 days with a light pack. When the retreat location is further then that you can bury resupply caches along the route. This can extend your range hundreds of miles.

Getting your pack weight down will challenge your preparedness mindset. You don’t need or want backups in your G.O.O.D. bag. The 2 is 1, and 1 is none mentality doesn’t work when the weight is on your shoulders. Leave the kitchen sink at home. After carrying a backpack over 2,000 miles the term “less is more” has taken on a whole new meaning. You really want to get your pack down to the bare necessities.

Hopefully this article has encourage you to put together an ultralight bug out bag or overhaul an existing one. A great way to start is by purchasing a scale. Keep a list of the items you carry and how much they weigh. Where can I cut weight? Is there a lighter option? What can I do without? Military surplus gear is made of really heavy materials. A backpack designed for a 100-pound load can weigh as much as 7 pounds empty. This would be perfect for the I.N.C.H. bag, but totally wrong for an ultralight 72-hour pack. We need to equip ourselves with the type of gear used by the ultralight backpacking community. This type of equipment isn’t as durable as military gear. But if it’s strong enough for a 2,000+ mile hike, it’s strong enough to take you where you need to go.

Making specific gear recommendations is no substitute for educating yourself on this topic. Searching the Internet for “ultralight backpacking” will reveal loads of information. New stuff is coming out all the time. My personal kit is in a state of flux as I find new equipment that can increase my comfort while reducing my pack weight. Don’t be afraid to experiment. During my hike I swapped out every piece of gear for something lighter at least once. The equipment you carry will differ depending on your location, the time of year, and the size of your group. Traveling with at least one other person gives you the advantage of being able to share the weight of one tent, one water filter, and one stove.

I kept an online journal for my friends and family while I was out hiking the Appalachian Trail this summer. If you are interested in learning about the equipment I carried, click the “gear” tab on the left hand column of my journal page. My journal can be found here:

http://www.trailjournals.com/late4dinner

Again, what I carried won’t work for everyone in all situations but hopefully it will give you some ideas. I believe it’s irresponsible to stuff a pack with what we think we’ll need and let it sit around until the balloon goes up. Plan a backpacking trip and get to know your kit. Not only is it fun, but you’ll learn a lot too. By the time you get back home you’ll know how to pack more efficiently. God Bless, – Pete R. Pan

Letter Re: Fuel Stabilizers and Emerging Threats

Good Day, James,
First – have greatly enjoyed your blog site and your novels. I particularly appreciate the fact that although the stories are fiction – they provide a wealth of preparedness information. As a principle in Power Research Inc. – a company with extensive international sales to the commercial marine and power generation industries – I have deeply investigated the world economy and our present financial system in an effort to protect my company, my family, and my employees. There is absolutely no question that the present system is unsustainable, and the ramifications of an economic collapse will be severe. I have made my own preparations and have encouraged my employees, little by little, to do the same. My personal take is – based on cycles – a rapid acceleration of the present crisis is likely in the 2014 and 2015 time frame. We’ll see. As to the extent and severity of the collapse, only Our Father knows.
 
Secondly – I am glad to see that you have addressed the issue of long-term fuel storage. Interestingly, more than half of emergency generator failures during a crisis can be directly attributable to degraded fuel. This was  found to be the case post-Katrina. The product STA-BIL that you reference in your writing, will, in fact, stabilize gasoline and diesel fuel. But bear in mind this is a “consumer” type product – designed with strength only sufficient to extend fuel life 6-to-12 months. The active ingredient in this product is actually in a very small concentration.
 
We manufacturer PRI-D and PRI-G for diesel and gasoline respectively. While we largely sell these products to the industrial market, we also have made them available to recreational boaters and RV enthusiasts through several hundred outlets nationwide. The chemistry we offer in our consumer package is in the same strength we provide to industrial users – users that include nuclear power facilities,  and countless thousands of entities that store fuel for emergency power generation.  These products have also found a popular following among those of us in the “prepper” community. On average, one dosage will keep fuel fresh for about five years – sometimes much longer. We have had some fuels in storage as long as 12 years – and they are still refinery fresh. As a side note – even kerosene for lamp oil can deteriorate, so it is also of critical importance to treat these fuels as well.
 
Bear in mind that fuel stability is dependent on a number of factors. First is refinery processing – which can change day to day. The stability of a fuel produced one day can change the next owing to minor adjustments in feedstock and refinery processes. Second is storage conditions – bearing in mind that heat and exposure to oxygen are key factors. This is where most amateurs go wrong.
 
Personally – I believe long-term reliance on a generator for power is untenable, as one would have to have a major fuel supply on hand. That said, use of fuel for power equipment like a chain saw or roto-tiller or well pump can make post-collapse life a bit easier. As for personal transportation – I favor an electric bike, which can be re-charged with a solar generator.
 
One of the things I find most interesting is that most of us in the USA are just one or two generations away when most of the American population was self-sufficient. I come from a Southern Illinois farm family. We grew our own food, made our own soap, and even grandma made all of our clothes on a non-electric Singer sewing machine. I had one farmer cousin that had no electricity at his place, and relied on kerosene lamps at night. We also learned to hunt and fish at an early age. My dad bought me my first .22 rifle when I was 11 and taught me to shoot. Many times he would send me down the road and out into the fields to dispatch varmints. Can you imagine an 11 year old today simply walking down the local highway with a rifle in hand? We also learned to work on our own cars – replacing transmissions – rebuilding engines – mostly from junkyard parts. How the world has changed. Fortunately, even though I’m now in my 60s I am in great physical shape. I can thank the Lord for that. I don’t drink, don’t smoke, get plenty of exercise in trying to keep this temple clean. Most importantly, I realize that there is a God and He is not me. I put myself humbly before Him every day in thanks that he sent his Son for our salvation. I thank you, James, for carrying His message in your books. The best preparation for any of us is to be spiritually fit.
 
Long-term, I am very optimistic. Truth and righteousness will prevail. I see an economic collapse as a collapse of the humanistic, progressive New World Order concept which eliminates God in favor of the concept that we humans have the capability to make a Heaven on earth. The failing here is that earth will always be earth and full of sin. That is immutable. A collapse should finally hammer that truth home, perhaps once and for all. Then taking the principles upon which this great country was founded, we can again re-build. When a collapse happens, we should all be thanking God for this opportunity. This will truly be His grace. – A Corporate Officer of Power Research, Inc.

News From The American Redoubt:

Some interesting crime statistics: Of the 12,996 homicides in the United States in 2011, just 21 were in Idaho, 21 in Montana, and 8 in Wyoming. More populous Oregon and Washington had 78 and 151 homicides respectively, but the vast majority of those were west of the Cascade mountain range (outside of the American Redoubt.) For comparison: In 2011 there were 515 homicides in New York City, and in just the first nine months of 2012, there have already been 391 homicides in the City of Chicago. (They are expecting around 500 by the end of the year, a 25% increase from 2011.) Compare the homicides in Louisiana to Idaho. Where would you rather live? (Although I must point out that some eastern states like Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire also rank very low, as well. Also note that these statistics include justified self defense killings, not just murders.) OBTW, the Neighborhood Scout crime rate map tool might be useful in evaluating places to live.

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Reader Mal V. wrote to send a map link with a note that said humorously: “It looks like even botnet infections are less common in the Redoubt.”

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Carl in Big Fork sent a link to this: Montana Demographics

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File Under Department of Double Standards: New rules of the game for Idaho businesses. Note that these rules only affect towers with guy wires. So this exempts most cell phone towers, since they are self-supporting. The FAA and FCC already regulate radio towers, so why should a state’s Department of Transportation? (Thanks to R.B.S. for sending the link.)

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Some bad news, from Billings, Montana: Grenade burns sleeping girl as SWAT team raids Billings home. JWR Asks: Why would they throw a flash-bang or any sort of pyrotechnic into a suspected meth lab? (Since those places tend to have explosive fumes at any given time.)

Economics and Investing:

Why doesn’t this give me a warm, fuzzy feeling? Drone demand could be big boost to economy

Stagflation Warning: When You Look At What Happened In The First Half Of The 1970s, The Similarity Between Then And Now Is Frightening

Reader B.B. sent a link to this at the oft-quoted Zero Hedge: China Central Bank Refuses To Join Global Print Fest, Warns About Inflation Risks

Items from The Economatrix:

Alert: Highly Sophisticated Large-scale Cyberheist Targets Customer Funds At Major US Banks

Marc Faber:  Market Setting Up For “Serious Setback”

The Real Fiscal Cliff Is Much Bigger Than You Think, Warns Peter Schiff

Euro Divides, “Violent Revolution” May Loom

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader F.G. mentioned this interesting analysis, over at ARFCOM: Best Choices For Self-Defense Ammo

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An interesting piece by Dr. Bones: The Truth About Expiration Dates

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A great discussion thread was started over at the CalGuns forums: Crime Avoidance & Self-Defense Advice.

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Pantry Paratus is passing along a special promotion being run by Wondermill to their customers: For every Electric Wondermill sold, a customer will receive a free cookbook titled, “Chef Brad Comfort Foods.” And for every Wondermill Jr hand crank mill ($235 complete with stone and steel burrs) buyers will receive a free Drill Bit adapter that will work with any 1/2″ drill.  These can be used with a Dewalt rechargeable 18VDC drill that uses battery packs that can be recharged with a 12V DC adapter charger. These offers expire on December 25th.

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I found an interesting article mentioned down in the current discussion of the proposed deletion of the Wikipedia pages about my recent novels (still in progress): Age of Obama: Post-Apocalyptic Shows Rule Television