Notes from JWR:

Today we wish a happy birthday to Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch, formerly of the 5th Special Forces Group. (He was born August 29, 1947.) Now that you are 65, Gary, you can finally draw your full retirement. God knows, you’ve earned it, along with the deep gratitude of our nation. I salute you.

—

Today we present another two entries for Round 42 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), 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, and 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 42 ends on September 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.

Practical Handgun Carry, by Sarah in Texas

Five years ago, I got my Concealed Handgun License. Here in the Great State of Texas, concealed carry is the only legal kind for the average citizen; without the permit, you can’t carry in public. (Your vehicle and home do not count as “public,” incidentally.) Last week, my new CHL arrived in the mailbox, meaning that I’m good to carry for another five years.
In a post-SHTF environment, being armed everywhere you go is a good idea. We can’t predict exactly what our society will be like, but we know that violent people are not going to decide that they should give the rest of us a break because we’re busy dealing with huge problems (no food on the store shelves; mass panic; a highly contagious disease; whatever). These people are already preying on victims, which is why I have a CHL and handgun in the first place.

Ideally, you live someplace where permission slips to bear arms are not required. A few parts of the United States have that going for them, but I like Texas for lots of reasons. Staying here and having my CHL is less than perfect, but I love being here and will continue dealing with the license-to-carry nonsense. At the same time, a lot of us are pressuring our Legislature to do away with permits and let law-abiding citizens carry handguns without taking classes, paying fees, and waiting for our packets to process.
Some of my advice won’t necessarily apply to you. Feel free to take what you can use and leave the rest; I’m going to generalize so that the maximum number of people will get something useful (I hope, at least).

Concealed Handgun Licenses, Licenses to Purchase, and Other Permission Slips
Now is as good a time as any to find the legal path to firearms ownership and carry. Some states require a permit to buy firearms and/or ammunition; others, like Texas, don’t. It’s up to you to find out what’s required. The Internet is a good resource for this. Find your state’s official Web sites, as they generally have current statutes and other, important information. (In Texas, you’ll want to go to the Department of Public Safety Web site.)
Getting a firearm and/or permit to carry can be time consuming. I suggest starting now, if you haven’t done this already, because we don’t know when our society is going to collapse. Remember the riots following the Rodney King debacle? Store owners could not arm themselves because the state had a waiting period. Shopkeepers who’d already acquired firearms were able to defend what was theirs. Plan in advance so you don’t get caught without something you might need.

Choosing a Handgun
Which caliber? I suggest a common one, as that’s easier to find and cheaper than scarcer rounds.
Which manufacturer? That’s up to you. I like Glocks, but that’s based on my consistently good experiences with them. I suggest looking for a major manufacturer and making sure that they offer a good warranty or guarantee in case something goes wrong.
New or used? I bought my carry gun new. That’s because I wanted to be certain that the gun was mechanically sound, not worn out, and could be counted on for years to come. If you’re confident in your gun-buying skills, find a used handgun at a reasonable price.
Revolver or semi-automatic? We could discuss the pros and cons of each, but I lean toward semi-autos because I have far more experience with them than revolvers.
If you’re not sure which handgun you like, visit a shooting range. Many rent handguns. If you have a friend or relative with a gun collection, offer a box or two of ammo in exchange for a range trip that includes shooting some of those guns. The best way to figure out if you really like something is to try it. Do you test drive a car before you buy it? Probably. The same caution and diligence applies to handgun shopping.

Carry Methods and Holsters
Whether you’re carrying openly or concealed, you need a carry rig. The most-popular carry methods include:
Outside the Waistband (OWB): a holster that secures to your belt, but outside of your pants or shorts.
Inside the Waistband (IWB): same story as above, but inside your pants. Both of these methods should include a thick, sturdy belt to keep the rig in one place whether you’re walking, shifting in your seat, or even jogging or running. Good holsters will retain your handgun even if you’re upside down for some bizarre reason.
Shoulder: great when you’re in a suit or sport coat. Some shoulder holsters balance the weight by adding magazine carriers on the non-gun side.
Appendix: a holster (the Belly Band, for example, or Thunderwear) that puts your handgun somewhere around your navel. I prefer appendix carry during the hottest part of the year because I can conceal the Glock even if I’m in basketball shorts and a tee shirt.
Pocket: a convenient way to carry a sub-compact handgun.
All the carry methods should include a holster or other retention device that keeps the firearm in place. Ideally, your rig will also cover the trigger guard, which prevents things like your shirttail from reaching the trigger. A ten-dollar, pocket holster can prevent a negligent discharge, so it’s well worth the investment if you ask me.
I don’t like nylon holsters. That’s because they’re soft and tend to slide around on my belt. These rigs are inexpensive, which is one of the main reasons why they’re so appealing. However, you want a high-quality retention device because you need your handgun to stay where you put it. Good materials include leathers, plastics that have been molded for your handgun model, or combinations like Crossbreed’s Supertuck Deluxe.

Ideally, you’ll find a carry gun you really like and get a holster that’s been made for that specific model. This approach usually provides a secure, quality holster that, with minimal care, will last you for years. Look for a holster made of rigid materials; you want the holster’s “mouth” to stay open so you don’t have to holster with both hands. That can be dicey because you could sweep your free hand with the muzzle, which I don’t advise.

Holster selection is a personal thing, so I can’t recommend specific manufacturers or models. The companies I personally like best are Dragon Leatherworks, Michael’s Custom Holsters/The Holster Site, and Crossbreed. All produce reasonably priced, high-quality holsters designed for specific models.
Lots of us try more than one holster and setup before we find something that works well. Nobody else can really tell you what’s going to work best, so you’ll need to try a few things for yourself. The good news is that, when you decide that you don’t like a particular holster, you can find somebody who’s willing to swap. Many of us have a “box o’ rejects” with one, two, maybe even a dozen, discarded holsters inside. I’m happy to let the rest of my family raid the stash.

Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More
In my opinion, those of us with firearms should practice several things. For self-defense handguns, I suggest you work on:
Safe Firearms Handling. The saying, “Train like you fight,” is sometimes negative courtesy of sloppy or bad habits. If you practice drawing your handgun without paying attention to what your trigger finger is doing, how are you going to draw when the firearm’s loaded and ready to fire?
Colonel Jeff Cooper came up with The Four Rules, which apply to all firearms:
“1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target
4. Always be sure of your target.”

Other rules exist, like “put down your firearm before crossing a fence.” That’s a good one, but I think that The Four Rules cover that situation and many others. Regardless of which version of the various, firearms-safety rules you prefer or follow, the idea is to safely handle your weapon at all times.
How do you practice these rules? Whenever you pick up a gun, think about what you’re doing even if you have to actively recite the safety rules in your head while you’re on the firing line.

Drawing. Whether your firearm is concealed or not, you should be able to quickly draw that gun. In some situations, you might not have more than a few seconds, if that long, to take action. Besides, rehearsing helps train your body to do what needs to be done, reducing the odds of freezing in panic.
Unload the firearm or use a blue gun. (Not all of these obviously fake training guns are actually blue, by the way.) Draw slowly at first, making sure that each motion is correct. As you keep practicing, you’ll naturally speed up.

Shooting. You don’t have to get all your shooting practice at the range and/or with live ammo. With “snap cap” or dummy rounds, which are designed to protect a firearm you dry fire, you can safely and comfortably work on things like your stance, trigger squeeze, and sight alignment without leaving the house.
I also suggest some formal instruction, mostly because a qualified teacher can show you what you’re doing wrong and how to correct it. This doesn’t require thousands of dollars’ worth of gun school. You can take a basic class to establish a solid foundation.

Maintaining Firearms and Accessories
I’m not the sloppiest firearms owner, but I’m also not the neatest. My current carry gun does not need to be cleaned after every range trip; it’s fine for thousands of rounds, though I don’t put off cleaning the gun for that long. However, I make sure the gun stays well lubricated, as that prevents quite a few problems.

Each handgun is different, so I can’t recommend one cleaning schedule for everybody. Regardless, you should regularly inspect the weapon and accessories (including magazines if applicable) for wear, rust, corrosion, cracks, and other problems.

Having spare parts on hand is a good idea. If you know how to replace tiny springs and other, internal parts, you can buy them in advance and store them someplace safe. Does completely tearing down your gun scare you? Same here. I have a gunsmith/armorer, who also happens to sell guns, who’s happy to help me out. For seventy bucks, he’ll completely disassemble my gun, clean everything, and replace parts that are likely to break or fail within the next year or so. He’s worth every cent.

Extra magazines are great. I recommend having at least three per handgun, but feel free to pick up more. You can also buy parts kits to replace magazine springs and followers, which might be worth the money. If you can get the kit inexpensively enough, or if you can’t find new magazines for a really good price, why not replace worn parts?

Ultimately, a handgun is only as effective as its owner or user. Keep that in mind when you’re gun shopping, shooting at the pistol range, or inspecting your handgun and carry rig for problems. Diligence on your part makes you a better gun owner, which is better for your safety and, possibly, life. If or when TSHTF, having both the firearms and skills puts you a step or two ahead of the people who might otherwise use force to take what’s yours, including your life.

Practical Non-Martial Arts Training and Learning How to Survive, by OMK

All too often those of us who have been in the martial arts leave behind the non trained person in our conversations and training advise. I would like to highlight a few areas for those that have no formal training and how they might approach a fist to fist conflict.

This is not intended to be all inclusive for no article can cover every aspect of a fight; what I do want to cover is a few make are break concepts for those that have never trained or are just beginning to train.

The motivation to write this article comes from conversations I have had with many people over the past few years. They have been everything from Ministers, Mothers, to Business owners and have never been in a physical fight. What they do have is a desire to learn something but not necessarily spend years in the dojo or the boxing ring.

Hopefully I can assist in their learning and motivation.

Attitudes

If you want to win then you had better have the proper attitude/mindset. Corporate America is full of cliché lines like “Just Do It”, Play to Win”, and “Winners Never Quit and Quitters Never Win”. These speak to our human nature and attempt to remove our inner doubts. We all have them and they are trained deep into our psyche from childhood.

“Play Nice”, Don’t Cheat”, Don’t Throw Rocks” represent deprogramming responses that we learned as children to be able to coexist within a polite society.

The difficulty is how do you reacquire that primal survival and animalistic kill or be killed attitude. Most of us never will. We have lived in polite society for so long and our mothers did a wonderful job reprogramming us. But there is hope.

The military can do a great job instilling the combative survival mindset but it is interesting to note that so many of the older service people are some of the calmest individuals I have ever met. Does this mean they have lost the attitude to win a physical altercation, not in the least, they have simply moved to a level of quit confidence.

This confidence I am referring to is built upon being tested in many ways. For some it was boot camp for others it was a bad home environment, and for some it was simply learning at an early age they had to keep part of their inner beast close to the surface in order to survive.

In building this confidence to actually do real harm to someone we are going to look at a few examples that help build the inner confidence and then come back to the attitude.

How to Take a Hit

If you are going to be involved in a physical conflict you must accept the fact that you are going to be injured. You can try to do everything in your powers to not be struck or injured but in reality you will be injured. The naysayers will respond that I have this great technique or can draw my weapons so fast.

That may be, you could be the fastest shot and the biggest hombre on the block but in the real world if you can’t accept the fact that fighting someone leads to self injury you’re kidding yourself.

So where do you begin? We as children liked to wrestle. Some were better than others but most of us did it at some point with our friends. In these play matches we learned that you were going to get rug burns, popped in the nose, and catch the occasional knee to the groin. Did this stop us; not a chance.

We need to look at this fun activity as an adult and realize we learned many things about ourselves from this child’s game. The first thing we learned is that losing stinks and being on your back with someone on top trying to pin our arms was humiliating. We wanted to cry, we wanted to bite, and we just wanted to win. But we had already learned that there were rules to this game and if we did not follow the rules your opponent was going to use those same dirty tactics on you the next time.

A real life encounter has the same problem. We default back to our level of training and this training was to play nice. We all remember the bully down the street, he was mean! No one liked him and he scared us. The reason he scared us was he did not play by the rules and would actually hurt you.

So let’s take this situation and add some real life training to the equation. At some point we must learn to be hit, take the hit, and keep fighting. How to get over this fear of breaking social norms and accepting damage can be accomplished in a couple of ways:

One: Be a sociopath. This is not necessarily desirable but it can work. Unfortunately we don’t realize we are the sociopath and it takes society to recognize this pitfall in personality and give us a social reeducation. I don’t promote this but it is an interesting exercise in one’s self reflection.

or,

Two: Go get hit. Join a boxing gym, full contact martial arts school, or just get a group of friends together and have a round robin king of the mountain match. You can have rules to keep from getting overly injured but you need to realize that getting smacked in the face hurts and if it happens once you will learn two things very quickly; keep your guard up and hit first.

If you do the round robin realize that you have to keep a level of civility to the exercise. These are your friends and you might not want to go to work the next day with a black eye and chipped teeth. Boxing gloves do wonders to stop the heavy injuries but they still let you feel the smack. In my school we call this getting “Thumped” everyone gets thumped from time to time. Some by design and others by surprise; it does wonders for making your mind work under stress.

The point to remember is the confidence we discussed earlier is built in many layers. Learning to be hit is just one of those layers.

How to hit something

Many people think they are the king of the mountain when it comes to laying down the hurt on someone else. That may be, but in truth we are not. Take a group of ten and place yourself in the group. Odds are five will be better than you and five will be worse. You have no guarantee that you are the biggest dog on the street. And if you think you are then you might need to reread option one in the above section.

Countless hours are spent in martial arts schools learning how to do a correct punch, hit with an elbow just right, or snap your foot out for a precise kick. This is all sound knowledge to have but in reality the person that hits first and hits hardest will tend to win. Remember this is not sparring class and the only point awarded is that the winner gets to go home and have dinner with their wife and kids. The loser just says on the ground.

To hit something, simply close your hand and punch/push straight out hard and fast, you may break your hand but that is probably a fair trade for winning. Or pound down with your fist like a hammer. If you can kick then do so and do it hard and hit their legs. Forget about kicking to the head or ribs unless you have lots of training. Remember if the legs go the opponent falls down.

As you get closer hit with your elbows instead and hit until you’re completely worn out. You have the ability to hit through their blocks if you keep swinging and if you damage their arm or hands in the process all the better. You are in this to win. Only soccer matches are won with one goal. A fight should score like a basketball game; lots of baskets and as fast as you can make them.

Your knees are wonderful tools. They automatically rise to the level of the groin. Use them! If you fall to the ground get up fast and keep swinging. If you both fall to the ground get up and keep swinging. Yes some will say I will just jump on top of them and pound them into the ground. Maybe you can, but the opponent certainly will do everything in their power to not let it happen. Don’t wrestle, hit; don’t try to pin them, hit.

Biting is good. Your mother told you no biting and she may have been right. But in the realm of a street fight biting is good. So is sticking your finger in their eye. J hooking their lip and tearing is brutal but works. Head butts work! You need to keep a sane attitude about how you would use the technique but when you are close and their guard is down, slam their nose with your forehead.

There are two rules to winning the fight. Rule one is to hit hard and fast and rule two is to hit again. Remember this is about winning a physical altercation in which you or your loved ones lives are in danger. So hit and hit again.

How to Think

If you lose control of your brain odds are you will lose the fight. I have seen many people say “I just saw red” and went berserk. Their going berserk breaks the social and norm and can work to your favor but if you lose too much control you won’t see the guy behind you or the knife slip out of the opponents pocket just before they move in.

This too is a learned skill. Boxers take a beating but can still keep their brains in a fight. They learned how to take a hit and accept that fact. You must learn to not lose your brain. This is where getting over the stress of being hit helps.

How to Fall down

Adults hate to fall down. I actually classify it as one of the three hardest things to teach new students in the martial arts.  

You need to learn to fall down and not get hurt or lose your bearing. It is not difficult to master in theory. The problem comes from our adult minds. Children fall down, adults don’t fall they look silly.

I will argue that point; Sports people fall all the time and we expect them to. Downhill skiers do it at 60 mph and just shake it off. Why in the world would an adult not be willing to learn to fall down with some level of skill or proficiency?

Falling down is just like sitting down. The lower you can sit to the ground the less distance you have to actually fall from a height. Extremely simple in its practical explanation but how many adults would be willing to walk out into the middle of a parking lot and fall down? Not many, but those with training would do it without a second thought. Will it ruin your clothes and scuff your shoes? Good chance, but if your life depended on it who cares about your pants.

It does not matter if you are being thrown to your side or pushed straight back; the foundation of the action is the same. Sit down on your heels and then let your body roll to the side or rear. Will it hurt? Maybe, but a bruised ego, some road rash, and sore muscles are a lot better than a split skull because you fell down like a timbering tree.

Weapons

Weapons exist everywhere and I don’t mean the knife or slug thrower in your pocket. Your baseball cap is great for disorienting the opponent, throw it in their face as you close in to hit. Throw a handful of pocket change at their eyes. Scream a blood chilling yell as you come to blows.

The voice is a great weapon and can buy you that split second of delay for you to hit first. Pick up anything that is available and throw it. It does not matter if you make hard contact just remember a weapon can distract as well as do damage.

If the opponent has a weapon seriously consider running away or at least keep backing up. Pick up something to help keep a solid object between you and the weapon. Your shoe works, a rolled magazine, purse; the options can be endless if you keep your brain.

If you do get stuck with a knife don’t stop fighting. Do everything you can to lock down the knife but don’t stop hitting. The odds of then finishing you off with one poke from a knife is extremely limited, it is when you lose your brain and stop fighting that the knife will most assuredly keep coming in. Again, if you are faced with a knife seriously consider running away!

How to block

You must have some basic understanding of how to block a punch or simple kick coming at you. First off remember you are not trying to be some 95th level black belt or a MMA star. You are just trying to not get your head knocked off by the person or persons in front of you.

Here are three simple rules:

One, make a fist and keep both fists in front of your face about one foot in front of your nose with your elbows down. As a punch comes towards your face slightly shift your forearm in or out to help deflect the blow. This is not perfect but is better than keeping your hands down at your side with your face sticking out like a big balloon.

Two, don’t reach out to try and block the punch. The further you move your fist away from your body the less strength your block will have. Let the punch come in and use the strength of your forearm and upper arm for the block.

Three, if you see the punch or kick coming at you try to move off to the side. You are much better off letting the strike miss you completely than letting the opponent keep hitting your arms.

Know When to Run Away

If you can’t win or know the outcome is not going to benefit from your fighting then leave. Only get in the fight if you absolutely have to. If they start pounding on your car don’t get out and bring the fight to them. Drive off, call the police, or try and wait them out. You have car insurance for a reason. The macho response is to go out and beat them up, the rational response is to use your brain and only engage in the fight if absolutely necessary.

If you are protecting your family have a prearrange command word or phrase that tells them to run to a predefined safe location(s) and what to do when they get there. Remember, you are in this to win and winning might be as simple as delaying the conflict for the family to leave the area so you can follow after them. If the spouse and children would just stand around and gawk then you have deeper problems to start addressing.

Do I need to practice?

Yes, no, maybe. Some people have that self preservation instinct very close to the surface and some can train for years and never find it. Do you want to spend years in the dojo working to master a martial art style or are you just looking to get in touch with your inner beast and how to take care of yourself?

These are questions that only you can answer. But I will throw out a bit of hard earned wisdom. Learning to be involved in a martial sport, martial art, or any hands-on smacking type martial activity will change you. You will learn things about yourself you wish you never knew as well as be surprised by some of the great things you took for granted.

Training in a marital style may not be necessary but in the long run learning some basics and being able to develop a different attitude about physical conflict realities would benefit anyone.

My Children are with me

When you change the equation and add family to the encounter scenario the conflict takes on a completely different reality. You may be able to handle yourself and escape without much injury but what do you do if you must win or survive long enough for mother to get a couple of young children into the car and secure.

This situation gets a whole lot more difficult if you are faced with two or more assailants. Do you fight to win or do you fight to delay and give time for the wife to exit the scene?

This holds true for women. Can you really survive an attack by a 250 pound man or will your mind shut down with the first confrontation? How about when you are struck the first time in the face?

These questions are presented for thought and lead into the poem “No Man is an Island” by John Donne.
What ever you do you have to realize it must take into account everyone else around you.

Winning does not mean physically beating the opponent

You do not have to beat the opponent into the ground to win. You may have to but the goal may simply be to survive and escape. This statement will greatly offend many, so if it does then you might need to reread option one above again. We are not talking about a macho encounter where there has to be a top dog. We are taking about survival.

This is where we learn from our childhood again. In the school yard we learned very quickly how to disengage from the bully. The same thought process and motivation needs to be kept in this type of encounter. Don’t stand and fight unless absolutely necessary.

Back to Attitude and Mindset

I cannot give you the attitude or mindset to survive a hand to hand encounter; nor can anyone else. But many good trainers do exist that can help you find and develop some basic skills that will allow you to get beyond the polite society rules of the school yard. This confidence is what will allow you to find your survival attitude.

In moving beyond this trained response for being nice to everyone you will find that you will become more nice; that is until it is time to stop being nice and save your hide. – OldManKarate

Three Letters Re: Lentils: The Super Food of the Prepper

JWR:
I have a couple of comments on the recent lentil article. Brad mentioned: “Mannaharvest.net sells 25 lb. for $24.70”

Restaurant Depot (which I learned about on SurvivalBlog) sells 25 lb bags for about $13. They also have 25 lb bags of many other beans for similar prices.

JWR mentioned: “Lentils can harden in long term storage, just like beans. This limits their practical shelf life to about eight years.”

Since we store what we eat and eat what we store, using up lentils before they harden is not a problem. We empty the large bags into quart canning jars and then suck the air out using the canning jar attachment for a FoodSaver machine. While this may help them store longer, the main reason we do this is to keep insects and vermin out of them. Also we find the quart size to be handy to fit in our kitchen cabinets. We keep a wide variety of dried items in quart jars, and pull another jar from the pantry when each one in the kitchen is used up.

Our favorite way to use lentils is in soups and stews, sometimes mixed with brown rice or barley. We start with a large pot of water with some bullion, add the lentils, a pint jar of home canned chicken or other canned meat, whatever fresh vegetables are available, and then supplement the fresh vegetables with dried if needed.

Thanks for all you do! – Suburban

 

JWR:
Another good thing about lentils is that they are high in resistant starch, which is good for diabetics like me on a low carbohydrate diet. In an emergency situation, I can eat such foods in small amounts spaced out in a way so as to keep my sugar stable. You can read about resistant starch at About‘s Low Carb Diets web page. – Burke C.

 

Mr. Rawles,
Lentils can be cooked over one to three candles, using one of those one-man mess kit pots with lid. One cup of lentils, two cups of water, and one hour. One half cup each of lentils and rice also works [to provide a complete protein, for more adequate nutrition]. – Gman

Letter Re: Advice on Refinancing

James,
I’d like to respond to our friend who asked if refinancing from 5.2% down to 3.88% is a good idea. To answer that, consider what we just did. We refinanced our house from 4.5% down to 3.75% and borrowed a further $40,000, from equity. The result is that we still pay $100 less each month in mortgage payments. While we have more debt, now we also have more equity in the house in the form of $33,000 worth of solar panels and battery backup that we had installed. We also squared away most of our remaining important preparations and paid off some credit cards to boot. It is a very, very good idea to refinance even without taking out any equity because you will end up paying tens of thousands of dollars less through the life of a 30-year loan, assuming you have that much left to go. – Geoff S.

Economics and Investing:

Analysts fear euro-zone capital flight might snowball. (Thanks to Jon M. for the link.)

Why a Gold Crisis Looms?

G.O. recommended this: Fed Up With the Euro? Start Your Own

K.W. sent a link to some dubious predictions: Food prices continue upward. Given the recent jump in corn and other grain prices, I have serious doubts that we will see just a “2.3% to 3.5%” increase.

Several good articles from ETF Daily:

Our Economy Has Been Collapsing, It Continues To Collapse, and The Collapse Is Going To Accelerate Dramatically
 
Eric Sprott Cautions Investors To Fear The Financial System
 
Doug Casey Predicts Day of Economic Reckoning Is Near

Items from The Economatrix:

Faber:  Odds Of Global Recession Are 100%

The Middle Class Is Broke:  Pew Study Reveals Real Problem With Economy

Is Gold Heading to $4,500?

Gold Breaks Out

Odds ‘n Sods:

Seniors Arm Themselves In Record Numbers

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Reader H.L. alerted us to the latest from Nanny State Britannia: Animal rights group calls for Shooting Times and The Field to be classed alongside porn. Meanwhile, in Nanny State Nebraska: Grand Island Deaf Preschooler Asked to Change the Sign for His Name in School. (Thanks to Mike Williamson for the latter link.)

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G.G. sent this video link:Wal-Mart Status 48 Hours Pre-Hurricane

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I had to chuckle when I saw the Bourne Legacy Shoulder Tote Bag is now a “featured item” on eBay. It comes with a Toshiba laptop computer. But I think that the bidding would be a lot stronger if it instead more authentically included a dozen passports, a SIG P226, six spare loaded magazines, and wads of Swiss Francs, Dollars and Euros.

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From F.J., this Instructables piece: Re-curve Bow from Skis

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness…" – Noah Webster. Value of the Bible, 1834, #302

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 42 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), 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, and 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 42 ends on September 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.

Lentils: The Super Food of the Prepper, by Brad H.

This article is about a food that I have become familiar with just recently.  The nutritionist at my chiropractor’s office has me on a detoxification program.  One of the things I am “allowed” to eat during this detox is a portion of lentils each day.  I had never had lentils before this detox, but became a fan rather quickly.  The more I looked into the details of this small but mighty food, the more impressed I became that it would be a great addition to my emergency stockpile.  The lentil is a cousin of the bean, and both are in the legume family. These are not just “beans,” they are what you might call a “super food.”  I know that term gets tossed around quite a bit on television shows, but I am really sincere when I give it this title.  I believe this will be a vital part of your survival planning if you grasp the benefits of this small legume.

I hope to convince you of why you should be stocking up on lentils.  I believe this should be your “go to” bean for stockpiling.  Being a pastor/preacher, I will cover this in outline form, which is the way I think best when writing.  So now the question – “Why should I consider lentils for stockpiling and prepping?”
Well, here is why . . .

1.  FAST COOKING TIME.
Lentils only take about 20 minutes to cook.  Most lentil bags say 15-20 minutes.  A big plus is that unlike most dried beans, they don’t have to be soaked ahead of time.  This is perfect for the meal needed quickly or the meal on the move.  When I used to imagine stockpiling beans, I always thought of pinto beans; but the pinto beans need to be soaked for some hours to get them ready to cook.  The best way to cook the lentils is to get the water boiling and just toss them in, and then simmer for 20 minutes or until they reach your desired consistency.  Use a 2 to 1, or 3 to 1 ratio of water to lentils.  If you don’t need to cook them quickly, you can still make a hearty bowl of lentils in a slow cooker as well.  Either way, just cook until they are as soft as you like them.

2.  LONG SHELF LIFE.
Lentils have the same shelf life possibilities as other beans.  You can seal them at home on your own with Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers, or you can buy them already sealed in pails (40 lb. plastic buckets).  Even if you never use them in an emergency, you will probably only have to replace them once in a lifetime for a fresh supply.  Beans just keep well.
            Also they are easily portable.  What I mean by this is that you can move them, pack them, or stuff them in a full bag without having to worry about smashing or breaking them.

3.  NUTRITIONAL VALUE.
Now we get to the good part, the details of these little giants.  I was surprised when I found out what was in these lentils.  The following stats are from Wikipedia:

“With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp.  Proteins include the essential amino acids insoleucine and lysine, and lentils are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world, especially in West Asia and the Indian subcontinent, which have large vegetarian populations.” “Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.”

Naturalnews.com says this, “Though hardly used in Western diets, lentils are perfect for high nutritional yields on a budget.  They are so high in protein and energy producing nutrients that a Canadian firm is working on putting a lentil sports energy bar together.  Canadian studies on athletes proved they performed better with more endurance after eating lentils dishes than pasta.”

Green lentils have a fiber concentration of 31%.  Fiber is good for you in a great variety of reasons.  This fiber acts like a little scrub brush that cleans out the digestive system.  This also helps with glucose and cholesterol levels.  Think of this too.  We all know fiber keeps you from getting constipated.  If the world as we know it ends, at least you can endure it regular and healthy!  Lentils are also a good source of iron.  Folic acid is an important nutrient also found in lentils.  Studies show that one cup of lentils has 90% of the recommended daily allowance of it, more than any other unfortified food.  This is especially helpful to expecting mothers.
      And now, here are the nutritional facts for those who want to know the specifics.
            –Nutritional value of lentils per 100 g (3.5 oz)
                        Carbohydrates………60 g
                        Sugars…………………2 g
                        Dietary fiber…………31 g
                        Fat……………………1 g
                        Protein………………26 g
                        Water………………10.4 g
                        Thiamine (vit. B1)…(76%)
                        Folate……………..(120%)
                        Calcium………56 mg (6%)
                        Iron………..7.54 mg (58%)
                        Magnesium…122 mg (34%)
                        Phosphorus…451 mg (64%)
                        Potassium…..955 mg (20%)
                        Sodium…………6 mg (0%)
                        Zinc………..4.78 mg (50%)
                   –Percentages are relative to U.S. recommendations for adult daily consumption–

What do all these numbers mean?  For one thing, it means they are a good source of protein, especially when meat or eggs are in short supply.  Also, they are a much better alternative than Ramen Noodles which are outrageous in sodium content.  They are a great energy food.  They are also easily digestible.  I have just scratched the surface of the nutritional benefits of lentils.  If you research them more, you will be surprised at all you find. “Surprised by a lentil?” you say. Oh, yes.  Some of the simplest things of God’s Creation are the most amazing

4.  PRICE.
            One word describes it best – Cheap.  Lentils, like other beans are very affordable.  I have purchased mine for no more than $1.10 per 1 lb. bag in the supermarket.  You may ask, “What about buying in bulk?”  They can also be bought in bulk.  We are going to start getting ours through a co-op we are in with some friends through Azure Standard.  Sam’s Club sells a 40 lb. can for $51.12 on their web site.  Mannaharvest.net sells 25 lb. for $24.70.  I’m sure you can find more if you just look online.  If you are like me, cheap is good!  With a family of six, like we have, it doesn’t take long to go through the vittles.  We need all the bang for the buck we can get. 
            Lentils do come in brown, black, orange, yellow, red, and green.  Most of the ones you will find here in the U.S. are brown and green.  This is because these ones retain their shape better when cooked.

5.  TASTE.
            I would say they taste very much like pinto beans, in my opinion.  They are not strong or overpowering.  The way I have been eating them (in allowance with my diet restrictions) is to salt them, pepper them, and a few drops of Louisiana Hot Sauce.  That’s all, and they taste great.
            Of course, as with other beans, the ways you can spice them are unlimited.  Oh, and I almost forgot. Since they soak while they cook, they soak up a great deal of the flavor of the water they are cooked in.  Therefore, you could flavor the water too any way you like. For example: bullions, broth, hot sauces, herbs, spices, etc.  A smoked ham bone is hard to beat in a pot of beans. 

6.  FILLING.
            The high protein in lentils keeps you full longer than other foods. Another great thing I have found is that they don’t give you gas like pinto beans do.  Of course, if you are outdoors or are a teenage boy, you may not care about gas!  When times get tough, you will want to get as full as possible on as little as possible.  You want your food to last a long time.
            You can also mix in lentils with other foods to make them more filling.  You can extend meats and meals with them.  If meat is being rationed, you can mix some lentils into sloppy joes, meat loafs, chili, burgers, casseroles, soups, and such.  You could do this even if meat isn’t being rationed.  Those of you who may cook a rabbit or squirrel because it’s all you have could make a stew go farther with lentils.
            For example, when I process my deer in the fall, I always save the necks and sometimes the rump bone.  I will cook the neck in a big slow cooker with a mess of beans and spices.  The next time I do this, you can be sure I’m going to use lentils.  Cooking this way makes the meat tender and makes it go farther for a very small cost.

Closing thoughts:

  • You can find lentils in your Bible (KJV) in Gen. 25:34; 2 Sam. 17:28; 2 Sam. 23:11 and Eze. 4:9.  They are always mentioned as a good food. 
  • I hope this has given you some insight into a food you may not know much about.  My goal of this article is to help others like myself who are looking to provide for their family in a cost effective way.  It wouldn’t take you long to build up a supply if you bought just a couple pounds each week when you did your grocery shopping.  Or if you just want a “get it and be done” solution, you could get a big sealed bucket.
  • As the saying attributed to Napoleon goes, “An army marches on its stomach.”  Part of keeping your wits when society falls apart is having a full stomach.  You may be able to think good even when you are hungry, but you will think better when you are full.  It may sound crazy to some, but many know how true this is.  Most anyone will trade anything for food when they are starving to death.  Don’t get to that place; plan ahead.
  • I know this article is primarily about stockpiling lentils, but I hope this inspires you to make them a part of your normal diet.  The health benefits are such that you should really take a closer look at them.  They are good for your heart and your whole body.
  • As a Christian and a beginning Prepper, I hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and ultimately trust my God and Savior.  God bless!

JWR Adds: Lentils can harden in long term storage, just like beans. This limits their practical shelf life to about eight years. But even hard lentils can be softened if you cook them in a pressure cooker, or grind them to a fine paste before cooking.

I have read that you should not add salt before or while they are cooking, since this can cause lentils to harden. Just wait until after they have cooked through, then add salt.

Also keep in mind that unless they have been irradiated, lentils will sprout. As with other sprouts, this provides a great nutritional multiplier effect and can help break up the monotony of a storage food diet.

Letter Re: Personal Debt Implications of an Economic Collapse

Jim,
Just a pondering I hoped you might be able to give me some insight on, I’m either to young or didn’t know it because we were too poor to notice, but I’ve never experienced a significant economic decline in my life.  My wife and I are both doctors and have borrowed heavily to set ourselves in a great place.  Right now we have no difficulty making the bill payments but should the banking/finance system collapse, will we still have to pay the bills; how do we pay the bills; and/or is there any hedge to anticipate how we’ll make those payments?  I don’t doubt that we’ll still make ‘something’, be it cash or barter, but what exactly do the banks expect from you at that point?  Do they just foreclose on everyone…?  Is there something we should be doing now asset wise if the US dollar were to collapse we could still meet our loan requirements…?  I’m just not quite sure what would be necessary.  Most of the articles/publications I read take you all the way to that point but fail to point blank say how you keep those things that someone else has a lien on, even if you have a currency collapse.  Thanks for the thoughts and all the insight.  SurvivalBlog.com is my home page. – E.A.

JWR Replies: In essence, if we go though a deflationary depression, creditors will be chasing their clients, but if we go though a inflationary depression creditors will practically be hiding from their clients, saying: “Oh, just keep on making your monthly payments.”

In a total collapse, all bets are off. If it is hyperinflationary, you can simply pay off your creditors in depreciated dollars.  And I would advise doing so in the midst of it all, before a major currency reform.  Just be sure to get a notarized “satisfaction of mortgage” document (or similar), so that you can prove that you stand free and clear.

In the end, possession in nine tenths of the law.  The many people now squatting in foreclosed houses are evidence of that.

Letter Re: Advice on Refinancing

Dear James,

I’d like your advice. We live in a house on five rural acres in Wisconsin. It’s both our year-round house and a sorta retreat. We now have the chance to refinance our mortgage at a lower interest rate. (Just 3.88%, as oppose to the 5.2% on our existing mortgage.) Our outstanding balance is about $210K. Should we re-fi, or stand pat? Any special considerations, given the perilous economic times, these days? Thanks in advance for your advice. – Hal K.

JWR Replies: Yes, this might be an advantageous time to re-finance. A 3.88% rate is excellent. Just beware that though we are still in a deflationary overhang, it isn’t likely to last much longer. Once inflation kicks in, then variable interest rate loans will become a killer. So I recommend that you ONLY take a fixed rate mortgage, and that you make sure that the terms of the new mortgage agreement allow you to pay off chunks of the principal with no prepayment penalty.

News From The American Redoubt:

A recent article that mentions the American Redoubt movement: Secession: Who WILL Be First?

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Dawn Wells (of Gilligan’s Island fame), now semi-retired in Driggs, Idaho, shows how to peel potatoes, Idaho style.

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Were your cows really bred? A lab in Moscow, Idaho can let you know: Biotracking

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I just discovered that more than a year ago, Ken at ModernSurvivalBlog spent some time researching and creating a quite useful graphic: Northwest Survival Retreat Ideal Population Map

Economics and Investing:

Reader Rex S. suggested: Why You Always Want Physical Everything

Sue C. sent: Republicans tease with gold standard, but idea seen full of bugs. [JWR’s Comment: The biggest “bug”–and the statists’ real objection to gold–is that a gold standard wouldn’t allow the government to spend beyond its means and create money out of thin air.

G.G. flagged this: When a 401(k) Is Locked in the Freezer

One way of looking at the current monetary paradigm: The Rot Runs Deep 1: The Federal Reserve Is a Parasitic Wealth Transfer Machine

Items from The Economatrix:

Nearly 1 In 5 Americans Have No Money To Put Food On The Table

US Incomes Fell More In Recovery Than In Crisis

Data Point To Slow Pace Of Healing In Economy