Economics and Investing:

Be sure to watch this lecture: Marc Faber On Keynesian Folly, The ‘Missing’ Inflation, And Bubble-Blowing. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

Obama’s Budget to Add $4.4 Trillion to Debt in Next Four Years–On track to $20 trillion in debt in 2016. [JWR’s Comment: Keep in mind that those figures are predicated upon interest rates staying artificially low. Someday, our foreign creditors will demand a higher rate of return on U.S .Treasury paper. And when that happens, we’ll see a repeat of the current Greek Tragedy, here in the U.S. of A. That will be the death knell of the Dollar.]

A.K.H. sent: The Euro Is Already a ‘Zombie Currency’: Expert

Items from The Economatrix:

Rothschild, Paulson & Soros Are All Betting On A Financial Collapse

Oil Trades Near Three-Month High As US Crude Stockpiles Drop

The Death Of Jobs

What 40 Years Of Gold Confiscation Looks Like

Odds ‘n Sods:

Curtis R. sent this: DIY Fire Starter Wafers. Note: For safety, always use a double boiler, when melting wax!

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Commentary from Brandon Smith: Syria And Iran Dominos Lead To World War

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G.G. flagged this: Stand Your Ground Gun Laws

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Reader P.N.G. wrote to mention, “It is not widely practical, but perhaps someone among your readers has a need for a tracked all-terrain vehicle only 42″ long.”

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Geoff S. mentioned the Lapka Radiation and EMF detectors available as add-ons for iPods and iPhones.

Notes from JWR:

The one month countdown! Release of Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse is scheduled for September 25, 2012–just one month from tomorrow. Please wait until the release date–which is also our planned Book Bomb day–to order your copy. Not only will you get yours at a better price (probably around $11), you will also help boost the book’s sales rank–hopefully into Amazon’s Top 20 titles. Thanks!

—

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.

Regional Accents and Considering Retreat Regions, by Mr. Falsch

In early-2009, I began researching the possibility of moving my family from Upstate, South Carolina, where I have lived my entire life, to one of the western American Redoubt states.  Knowing virtually nothing about the area, I solicited the help of Mr. Rawles and did as much online research as possible.  Finally, in October of 2009, I made my first of seven trips to the Redoubt area and I will share some of what I learned with you now.

After flying to the region, landing in Salt Lake, Spokane, or Billings, I would rent an SUV and begin my journey based on a predetermined itinerary of areas that I had researched.  I drove so much on the first trip that my eyes had trouble focusing which forced me to slow down my pace somewhat, but it was a good learning experience.  For the most part, I would grab a hotel room in one of the more populated areas and use it as a hub of operations to do my traveling; however, I did spend a couple of nights in the vehicle just for the sake of convenience. 

After acquiring transportation, shelter, and a plan of action, I would strike out on my journey.  With roads being few and far between, proper planning was essential.  I used a set of gazetteer map books from DeLorme for most of my navigation.  I found that most of the land that I covered in that territory managed by the BLM, Park Service, or US Forest Service.  This presented a unique circumstance because it meant that I had to cover great expanses of Federal land between the areas where property might be for sale; however, this logistics obstacle would pale in comparison to my single greatest challenge of these trips.

What I mean by my greatest challenge is that this particular problem followed me wherever I went.  It was always there and was so simple that it had been overlooked from the start.  It was my southern accent.  No matter where I went or what I did, as soon as I opened my mouth, I was instantly identified as an outsider.  I had thought nothing of my accent until a stop at a Montana convenience store revealed my weakness.  I simply asked the attendant if they had any “Goody Powders” to combat the headache I had from driving, only to find out that she had no clue what I was talking about, nor could she understand what I was saying.  From this instance forward, I was very observant each time I opened my mouth as to how people reacted to my accent.  It didn’t matter if I was ordering a sandwich or talking about the weather, I could tell from people’s reaction that they knew I wasn’t from around there. 

I chalked this language barrier up as the largest negative mark against the Redoubt.  It was so simple and so obvious, yet I had taken for granted the fact that I blended in perfectly in the southeast.  Once I was removed from the south, I no longer had that protection of sounding just like everyone else.  You might not think this is a big deal, but if you are trying to be inconspicuous and a simple “howdy” identifies you as a foreigner, that is a major problem.  This was just one of many negatives that I observed as an outsider looking in on the Redoubt, but it gave me an idea.

I decided to very unscientifically study which areas were more tolerable of someone such as myself.  What I found was, in the areas such as Sandpoint, Idaho and Jackson Hole, Wyoming; which cater to tourists, I didn’t stand out like a sore thumb.  I blended in quite well as a tourist, actually. In more remote areas such as Orofino, Idaho and Libby, Montana; I was pegged as an outsider almost instantly.  I came to the conclusion that, in order for an outsider to blend in, they would need to take up residence nearer to a more populated area or tourist spot.  This somewhat defeats the purpose of moving to the Redoubt, but might work itself out in time.

Among some of the other negatives that the Redoubt has to offer, or not offer in this case, is the lack of churches.  In the southeastern US, also known as the “Bible Belt”, there is a church on nearly every corner.  It doesn’t matter if you are Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, or some other denomination, you can easily find a place to worship on Sunday mornings.  In the Redoubt states, this is totally opposite.  I made it a point to look hard for churches, both while driving and in the phone book, and was very disappointed at the lack of worship opportunities.  The places that I did find for the most part were Mormon in nature.  I personally know an executive with the Southern Baptist Convention that I shared this with and was told that the SBC has at least one church in every county in the US.  Unfortunately, I never found the one in some of the counties; however, this does create an excellent opportunity for church planters and missionaries from the “Bible Belt” to get busy.

One place that is totally awesome, but very dangerous, is the Hell’s Canyon area of the Snake River valley.  I was under the impression that the Snake River got its name from its winding back and forth through the valley.  I now know this to be totally false and I found out first-hand the hard way.  The Snake River had to have gotten its name from the multitudes of rattlesnakes living in Hell’s Canyon.  I also know why they call it Hell’s Canyon now also.  I have never seen such a gathering of rattlesnakes in one place in all of my life. There were literally hundreds, if not thousands, of rattlers in that one area.  If you ever visit Hell’s Canyon please use caution and wear the proper protective gear.  If not, you might become a casualty.

I was also amazed at how fast the weather could change in some of the Redoubt areas.  In one example, I was driving along a valley road at 60 mph. The sky was clear, and the thermostat in the SUV showed 70 degrees outside.  As the flat road in the valley began its assent up the next mountain range, I encountered a flashing sign demanding that tractor-trailers use chains.  I thought this was very odd and maybe the sign had been activated accidentally until I reached the first evidence of snowfall about halfway up the grade.  By the time I had reached the top of the pass, the temperature had fallen 40 degrees, and there was approximately six inches of fresh snow on the ground.  When I reached the other side of the hill and landed in the valley floor, it was again sunny and 70 degrees.  That kind of weather just doesn’t happen here in the south and would take many Redoubt transplants by surprise, as it did me.

On another occasion, I went to bed in a hotel for some shut eye one evening and the parking lot outside was completely void of anything other than automobiles.  When I awoke the next morning, over six inches of fresh snow had fallen and covered everything.  No mention of this had been made on the evening news nor had any of the local stores been ravaged for their groceries.  If this had happened in South Carolina, the governor would have declared a state of emergency, schools would have been shut down, and every store for miles around would have been totally void of milk and bread.

These are just a few very simple examples of how the Redoubt states of the northwest are different from, not only the southeast, but also the rest of the country.  Don’t be naïve and think that you can just pack up your belongings and move a couple thousand miles and everything will work out.  Make a few trips to the areas, do the necessary research, and come to your own conclusion.   If I were to make a move to the Redoubt, the Clearwater River Valley would be my locale of choice. But after taking many, many variables into consideration, I have decided to stay put in Upstate, South Carolina.  I have an awesome church family, our winters are mild in comparison, and everyone speaks my language, not to mention that we have far fewer rattlesnakes. I am not knocking the potential benefits of the Redoubt.  I am just pointing out that just because something looks good on paper doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work out for you.  In my opinion, the Redoubt has been a great place to visit, and I’m sure I will return there again someday, but I wouldn’t want to live there.  The pasture is not always greener on the other side.  Thank you and God Bless!

JWR Adds: I’m impressed that Mr. Falsch took so much time to explore the Redoubt region so thoroughly. I’d much rather read well-reasoned letters like his than those that I often receive from folks who reject the Redoubt concept without ever visiting there.

I formerly attended a Southern Baptist church, when I lived in Orofino, Idaho. Oddly, every Southern Baptist church that I’ve ever visited has had pastors that spoke with a southern accent. Do they teach the accent at their seminary schools?

If rattlesnakes are a concern, be advised that they are normally found at lower elevations in the Redoubt States. I’d much rather risk seeing “a few rattlesnakes” rather than “seeing a few rattlesnakes, and a few cottonmouths, and a few coral snakes, and a few gators, and miles of kudzu.”

Letter Re: The Lowly, Forgotten Knee Pad

Hello Mr. Rawles,
After perusing the contents listed in survival kits, Bug Out Bags (BOB), and Get Out Of Dodge bags (GOOD), it seems to me that they all have one common glaring omission. That omission is knee pads. It occurred to me recently while fixing a roadside flat that so many survival/TEOTWAWKI tasks require one to get “down and dirty”, i. e., working on one’s knees. Knee pads can remove a lot of the “pain and suffering” from tasks such as firestarting, fence building/mending, emergency roadside vehicle repair, chainsaw sharpening, and a whole host of other tasks. Not to mention saving wear and tear on those high-dollar Multicam britches.

There are many different brands and types of knee pads, and the range of choices is truly vast. However, for my BOB and vehicles, I went with simple foam pads from Home Depot that are about 1/2 inch thick, cheap, weigh almost nothing, and are far better than nothing at all. – Larrynaz

Letter Re: Comments on Matt Bracken’s Night Fighting Primer

Hi James,
I followed a link that you recently posted: Matt Bracken: Night Fighting 101. Matt Bracken wrote a fine article. He is correct that the deer hunter that proceeds to his hunting area in the dark has already approached quite a lot of what he suggests.
 
I would like to suggest this concerning chain link fences. Having assembled perhaps 800 feet of chain link fence, I learned how to break it in two and to reweave it together. If you have to separate a portion of chain link fence laying on the ground it is a snap. It is not under lateral tension and has no gravitational forces influencing it. Standing fence is more difficult but can be unzipped if you know how. All chain link fencing comes linked at the top and bottom in paired strands.
Each strand has a loop in the top and has that loop hooked into the adjoining strands loop.
To break a fence you must unhook the loops at the top and the bottom.
Doing so allows you to use the very top piece of the strand you choose as a crank.
 
Matt Bracken suggests you cut the fence and remove the strand. This is very difficult to do if you cut off the top strand especially if the fence is under lateral pressure.
Repeated cutting is noisy. If you intend to replace the strand to hide the fact that the fence has been penetrated you will need the uncut strand to reweave it.
 
It is much easier to un-loop the top and bottom by use of a grasping tool to turn the strand.
The best tool without a doubt is a pair of Vise Grip Pliers (7 to 9 inch size).
You can clamp it on and use it with gloves under cold or wet conditions.
Once clamped on the Vise Grip will not fall on the opposite side of the fence.
You will lose considerable time recovering it in the dark and could break the silence barrier alerting people.
 
After you clamp the Vise Grip on to the top strand you just turn the Vise Grip in a cranking motion and the strand will begin to come out.
On a 6+ft fence you will find that you soon cannot crank this long strand coming out standing on the ground.
You will have to remove the Vise Grip and reattach closer to the top of the fence.
Even then at some point you will soon have 3,4 or 5 feet of wire making a big circle above you and arching down in a big curve.
It will catch on anything close especially tree and shrubbery branches.
You will need a second person to catch it when it comes around each time or to untangle it.
You could severely injure a persons eye or give them a significant skin scratch with the whipping end.
Control that end by having some one to catch it.
 
Be sure to carry out these operations with a good set of gloves on. Fencing of all types and tools will eat your hands up quickly. Avoid wounds that could impair you during the next 48 hours.
 
Better to remove tree branches before or select a spot in the fence that is entirely clear of woody obstructions.
As you remove the wire the other option is to just cut off  18 inches at a time.
But be sure to leave enough to clamp the Vise Grip onto each time.
If you decide to cut off the section being removed it can be cut into 4/5 pieces to use to wire the two ends back together again after you pass through.
 
This is a very simple maneuver to accomplish.
But only if you have the tools.
AND..if you have practiced this removal at night on a vertical fence under lateral pressure.
First do it in the daylight and then at night.
 
I believe that someone who has mastered this operation could unzip the fence put 10 people through it and have it put back together again in less than 15 minutes.
 
Putting it back in reverse order is really easy.
The first time you try it you will make every mistake you can.
That is the only way to break a chain link fence and reweave it, practice.
 
I have my doubts that a small block and tackle will lift the bottom of the fence as a useful method.
the top rails off the fence are not that strong.
Usually supporting line poles are 10 feet apart.
The top rail will bend downward and the bottom of the fence will come up 6 inches and you have left a very prominent  bend mark on the fence that something happened at that point.
 
You want stealth and ease of penetration and crossing.
 
This method takes practice and is rather easy to do once you figure it out.
 
The best three tools for penetration of a fences are: (1. Fencing pliers); (2. Vise Grip Pliers); and (3. A roofing flat pry bar.)
With these you can present your self prepared for barbed wire fences, chain link and wood fences.
Having your fencing pliers handles covered with electrical tape you could also handle some electrical wires. For that I have two sets of WWI-vintage insulated wire cutters marked 40KV.
 
The other item for crossing barbed wire fences is to have a piece of scrap rug 36 x 40 inches.
Place it over the fence to protect your clothing from being ripped.
Roll it up with cord or a strap and it is easy to carry.
 
Encountering chain link and wooden fences is more likely in urban areas.
Barbed wire fences in rural areas.
For gates an alternative is to consider a bolt cutter.
 
If you expect to have to cross many barbed wire fences perhaps a set of standard parallel-jawed  8 to 10 inch wire cutters would be considered.
Often called side cutters by some people.
Barbed wire is usually held to the posts with a soft straight line iron wire or an aluminum preformed clamp type wire.
The aluminum wire is larger in diameter but it is soft necessitating the larger size wire cutter.
 
Fences are perhaps the most formidable and most often encountered barriers.
If you are skedaddling, then many will be on the road or in the street.
They are the mullets that the sharks will find queued up and available for harvest.
You must make your trail across the barriers and stay off the roads in a skedaddle.
 
In a patrol mode you want to stay out of sight. Thus you must penetrate the fence or go under it.
 
Safety is what you get from pre-planning an exit or movement overland. Unplanned normal kind of exit will put you in the territory of the bad guys.
 
Carrying tools is heavy but being the recipient of a bullet, a machete to an extremity or a club to the head is even heavier.
 
Stealth and patience will get you to your goal.
 
Chance favors the prepared! – J.W.C.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another reason to avoid social media: Circuit Court Orders Brandon Raub Released, Dismisses Case Against Marine Arrested, Detained in Veterans Admin. Psych Ward over Political Views, Song Lyrics Posted on Facebook

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Some interesting demographics can be seen in this article sent by Kevin S,: Marriage and Divorce: A 50 State Tour

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Reader H.L. sent this: Insight: Experts hope to shield cars from computer viruses

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I spotted this clever product in the Jeffers Vet Supply catalog: H2Go Bag

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S.S. in Mississippi sent this useful reference: U.S. mineral concentrations maps by county

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The mobs of great cities add just so much to the support of pure government, as sores do to the strength of the human body. It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigour. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1781

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.

Where are You in Your Preparedness? , by B.L. the Texican

I hope that what I have to say will help someone that is just getting started with their survival preparedness situation, SurvivalBlog has helped me in streamlining our preparations, and I believe in giving back some of what I have received.  I have read many different blogs and forums, and come away with the impression that most of the blogs are for the arm chair survivalist that do not try anything for themselves, but only go on what they have read or heard.  SurvivalBlog.com is one of the few that have individuals that seem to have tried what they say they have done and shared their experiences.

My experience with a survival mind set started almost a decade ago, but only limited for a few weeks or month at most.  That all changed several years ago when I started really looking at the way our country was headed.   I will admit that I still have a long ways to go, but with God’s help, and if the world will hold together long enough, I will get to where I desire to be.  If not, then my family and I will survive with what we have on hand for a long time.

FOOD

We do have enough for me and my family for at least a year, longer if we just go to two meals a day.  My youngest daughter is almost 17, and I have 4 boys that range in ages from 19 to 33, then two older daughters and their families.  You can imagine the appetite of young men so I have taken that into account.  Only one son is married and has two small children.  I have endeavored to teach my children to always be prepared for as much as possible, if only for a short time.  Again, that has changed over the last couple of years.  We live in a hurricane prone area, so it is imperative that we always have plenty of food on hand that can be eaten with little or no cooking.  I am not talking about MRE’s.  I do have two cases of MRE’s that I obtained during the last hurricane that was not eaten, but I like to store what we usually eat daily, and eat what we store. I read that on a blog and it made sense to me.

It was very difficult to get my wife onboard, but during the last hurricane a few years ago, she and my daughter went to my sister’s house because it was further away from the coast than our old house (built in 1925).  My sister and her husband had nothing to eat but a few bags of chips and some crackers, and two bottles of soda.  They did not even have matches to light the one decorative candle that was in their house.  My brother-in-law had unplugged the refrigerator before the hurricane hit so it would not be damaged from power surges.  Hence, all the food that was in the refrigerator and their freezer was ruined before it was truly needed.  When communications was restored about two days later, my wife called and talked to one of our sons.  He told her that we still had cold milk, and were eating fine.  At the time, we only kept about two months’ worth of food on hand.  It was two days later before she and my daughter were able to come home, and a month before we had electricity restored.

It was at that point that my wife fully came on board with storing extra food.  There are times that she will say “I think we have enough”, but we are still building our “lauder” as she sometimes calls it.

There have been times that we were only able to add one or two cans or a bag of rice and beans every two weeks or so, but every little bit helps.  There have even been a few times that we could not add anything, but had to use what we had stored just to make it for the week or two before we could buy something.  In those cases, we were very glad we had something to fall back on.

It doesn’t matter if you have very little at this point.  The time to start is now.  Even if you have to do as we did during our lean times with just a few cans of something or a bag of rice and/or beans.  You need to get something to hold you over during a natural disaster or the eventual TEOTWAWKI.

FIREARMS

I have been an avid hunter all my life until the last decade or so.  Hunting leases just became too expensive for my budget.  I did try hunting the National Forest for a few years, but they are a dangerous place.  You think you are alone, and then a bullet hits a tree just above your head.  I decided that was enough of the National Forest for me.  My sons’ still hunt the National Forest on occasion, but they too are not having very good success.

Because of where we live, I had built a range in my pasture years ago.  I have taught all my children how to shoot firearms from the time they were about 4 years old.  At that age, they do not have the concept of how to aim, but they enjoyed shooting with their dad.  In my opinion, you can never be too young to learn gun safety.  As they grew, their marksmanship also improved, and the enjoyment of just shooting.  I still have the Chipmunk and the youth .22lr rifles that they learned with.  My granddaughter that is now 3 years old has been shooting with her mom, dad, and papa using that same Chipmunk.  That is the first thing she wants to do when they come to visit.

All my children now have their own .45 ACP Glock or XD .45 handguns, a 12ga. Mossberg pump shotgun, a .22 lever action rifle, and a main larger caliber rifle (MBR).  My wife can handle the .45 ACP, but prefers her 9mm Glock, and a 20 gauge youth 870 pump shotgun.  She is not into rifles yet, but I am still hoping that one day she will ask me for one.  I do have a few extra rifles that have been in the family for a long time that she might be able to handle, but I would like to get her something she will enjoy and not be afraid to shoot.  We also have several .22 LR handguns that we use for just plinking on occasion.  We try to train with the handguns and rifles at least once a month depending on the funds available for ammunition.  Ammunition can get expensive with that many shooters at one time.  I do reload all our handgun ammunition only, and replace all that we use during our practices. 

I was striving for everyone to shoot the same make/caliber/ga. to cut down on the different types of ammunition that I would have to have on hand.  I would interject here that it doesn’t matter what you decide for your family.  It is what you and your family are comfortable with.  My daughter, who is almost 17 likes the Glock, but the XD45 fits her hands better.  It is all in your size, training, desire, finances, and ability.  Do not buy cheap, since cheap will get you hurt, or killed, or will break down when you need it the most.  If you do not have the funds to get everyone their own firearm, buy quality, and each learn to use that quality firearm until you are able to purchase another.

At this point, I would like to say that you cannot go wrong by storing factory ammo for all your firearms.  I trust my reloads but do not count it as part of my stored ammunition.  I have not had a malfunction with any of the reloads that I have made, but that is not to say it will never happen.  I am only human, and could make a mistake.  I have read about various amounts of ammunition that should be stored for each firearm, but your comfort level may be different from mine.  Personally, I am trying to store at least a thousand rounds of factory ammo for each firearm that we have.  I am not quite there yet, but getting closer.  At this time I have switched my priorities again.  I am trying to build our food supply to a much larger level.  That is my number one priority so the ammunition storing will be a little less for now.  I am comfortable with what I have on hand, but not so much with our food supply.  I believe that it could be over a year to years before everything settles down again, if ever.  We also have lots of seeds for the garden.

MEDICAL/PERSONAL HYGIENE

My family has been truly blessed in that none of us have to take any type of medications.  Therefore, it has been relative easy to stock what we think we might need.  We have stocked Band-Aids and bandages of various sizes.  Antibiotic creams and anti-itch creams, and large quantities of various types of aspirin are in our stores.  I just recently purchased a blood pressure kit and a stethoscope.  You just never know when you might need this.  Along with the various salves and creams, we have items for stomach problems and for dry eyes.  We are not as far along in this area as I would like, but we need so little (right now) in this area.  We have lots of tooth brushes and tooth paste, dental floss, oral jell, emergency dental repair kits, and some mouth wash.  Not to be left out, a lot of TP, and personal things for my wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law.  Also we have some preventives.  That is all I will say about that.  Soap and shampoo will be at a premium, so we have quite a bit of that along with alcohol, peroxide, and disinfectant washes.  We have also saved any prescription antibiotics and pain killers from the past.  Most of these were for tooth ailments, and from my daughter-in-law.  Babies are always taking medications for something, so she has saved them for me.

All my family’s teeth have been taken care of, and kept up with regular cleanings and any minor dental decays have been fixed.

We also have some medications and things for small children, including dozens of cloth diapers.  The cloth diapers can be used for almost anything. 

Needless to say, we do have other things for medical and personal hygiene, but this is just to give you a rough estimate to what we have on hand for a healthy large family.  We didn’t collect all of these preparations overnight.  Everything takes time.  Just remember that you can only take one step at a time.

There are other areas that we could talk about having on hand, such as alternate power sources, heat sources, clothing, tools, retreats, children’s games, bug or ant solutions, or etc., but you may be able to only concentrate on one specific area at this time.  Start there.  Start where you are now, and do not get frustrated that it is going so slow, and you feel that you may only have a short time.  Something now for your family is better than nothing while waiting for a government that doesn’t have the resources to take care of the millions that depend on it now as proven by the Hurricane Katrina.   Your family is depending on you.

Three Letters Re: Adapting Preps as We Age

Hi Jim,
You were spot on in your response to he article by “Retread”.
 
However, for anyone who does choose to use .22 LR for self defense, like the writer of the article, I would go with the Mexican Aguila brand ammo. Due to necessity, they’ve had to invent some man-killer .22 LR (It’s legal for people there to own .22 LR, but not anything else. Not that people down there don’t own AR’s and AK’s, anyway).
 
My favorite solution for this man is the Aguila 60-grain rd., marketed under the name “Sniper Sub-Sonic” (SSS).I think the only reason they market it that way is simply because they couldn’t get a .22 Short shell crammed full of powder to move a 60-grain slug any faster than 900 fps.
 
This unjacketed 60-grain lead slug is just plain mean, and all of Aguila’s .22 ammo is Eley primed, which are some of the best primed rimfires (The primers are British, hence Aguila is actually owned by them). Also, the SSS round only loses approx. 100 fps at 100 yards, which means it doesn’t leave the barrel very fast, but it’s still moving at 100 yards (out of a 16-inch barrel).
 
Also, their “Supermaximum” cartridges (both solid and hollowpoint) move at about 1,750 fps, roughly 130 fps faster than US made Stinger .22 LR. Since I don’t like putting a rifle cartridge into a pistol (particularly .22 Magnum), I wouldn’t recommend putting Supermax into a pistol, since the excess energy makes it very inaccurate. – Joe Snuffy

JWR:
I applaud Retread in recognizing that each of us needs to assess our own circumstances as we age. From arranging the garden to minimize issues with “questionable” knees and backs to financial realities as we move into our later years. Firearms and ammunition can put a pretty good strain on the budget when trying to maintain skills over the long haul. However, I strongly agree with your assessment of [the unsuitability of] .22 LR as a defensive round. It definitely has a place in the survival battery but not in that capacity. I believe that handguns are a practical compromise when out and about working or otherwise conducting business that makes toting a long gun impractical. With that in mind I believe most of us subscribe to the bigger we can handle the better when we are away from our long guns. I have heard it said  the best we can hope for is to be half as good in a violent confrontation as we are at the range. To me that precludes depending so heavily on the accuracy required to be effective with a .22. My research and minimal experience leads me to believe the .38 or 9 mm are the smallest handgun rounds suitable for the task. Yes, I would want a .45, .357 or .40 S&W on my hip all the time but the cost of proficiency climbs as you work your way up the caliber chain. I have all of these stocked up but my mainstay for a potential SHTF scenario is the 9mm. I don’t know which model’s Retread experienced but a polymer  compact or full size pistol is easy to carry on the hip all day and a breeze to shoot (not most sub-compacts though). The ammo cost is more than the .22 but in bulk it is by far the cheapest of any other weapon you can carry. Besides your stockpile its common enough to supplement/barter after the flag goes up too. One more thing, an extra weapon in the configuration of your “full” caliber weapon but chambered for .22 is an excellent idea. Sight alignment, sight picture, grip and trigger pull are identical and differences in recoil between the .22 and 9 mm are negligible. – William J.

Mr Rawles,
One thing I’d suggest for someone looking for a firearm with less weight or recoil then a .22 rimfire would be to look at calibers smaller than 9mm. .380 ACP, .327 Federal Magnum, 7.62 x 25mm, or 9×17 Makarov would be (marginally) better choices than a .22 rimfire, simply because the bullets’ weights and velocities would make them more forgiving of less-than-perfect shots on either the head or center of mass against a threat target.

I generally tell people to shy away from these calibers, but they’re better than nothing.

If the shooter can get past the price and marginal trigger, a really decent alternative to .22 rimfire is the FN FiveseveN (5.7x28mm centerfire).

Cheers, – Kent C.

Economics and Investing:

The Commodities Survival Kit Guide: Gold, Silver, Timber, Farmland, Stamps, & Antique Guns

Why Investors Are Hoarding Silver

U.S. 2012 budget deficit $1.1 trillion: CBO (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

K.P. sent this: Heard the rumour China is buying 6,000 tonnes of gold? It may not be as crazy as it sounds

Items from The Economatrix:

Shhh…It’s Even Worse Than The Great Depression

Germany May Be The Country That Brings The Euro Crashing Down

Odds ‘n Sods:

In the market for a nuke-proof bunker? Try eBay

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Geoff S. spotted this: The airvent wall cache.

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A presentation at DEFCON: Safe to Armed in Seconds: A Study of Epic Fails of Popular Gun Lock and Gun Safes. (Warning: Includes some foul language.) At the same convention: Defcon 19: DIY Non-Destructive-Entry.

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Dennis X. sent the link to this informative web page: Sea, Shipping Container Cabin, Shelter, Home

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I found this linked at The Woodpile Report (one of my favorite weekly reads): Mass grave in London reveals how volcano caused global catastrophe: Scientists search for the explosive source of a disaster that wiped out almost a third of Londoners in 1258