Letter Re: Shipping Containers — A Retreat on the Cheap

James, to follow up on the recent article, here is some additional info your readers might find valuable on shipping containers for storage and housing….  We have over a dozen at our ranch that we use for storage, so I’ll share a bit about that use for containers.  These containers are the cheapest space you can “build”.  They are weatherproof, earthquake proof, will probably make it through tornados and hurricanes, in short, they are excellent all around space.

If you can afford them, you should stick to the “one trip” containers because they will be in near perfect condition — you can always convert these to housing in the future, too, because they will be in the best condition.  Even if you bought a new container from China, they would still have to ship it to you — therefore these are also “one trip”.  When you first get the container, you should inspect it to be sure it wasn’t used for hauling some bad chemical or nasty smelling thing.  You should also check for dents and dings and even punctures from fork lifts.  The vendor we used would allow us to return the container and swap it out (we’d have to pay the freight charges.   You can also go to the dock and inspect them prior to delivery, but this isn’t always practical.

It’s also possible to get containers with double doors, though you might need to special order these.  Color selection is usually limited to gray, tan, olive drab (OD) and occasionally blue and red.   We’ve opted for the darkest green we could get and in fact had to paint most of the containers with a spray gun setup as they were tan or gray, the most common one trip colors.

If your roads are at all windy or steep, you might not be able to get a 40 foot container into your location.  We could probably get one up there with some extra work, like using a backhoe to move the tail end around the corners, but we haven’t tried that yet.  You can also helicopter these things in, but that’s just prohibitive and puts on quite a nice show for your neighbors to see what you’re doing.

We built flat pads for containers with roadbase gravel prior to setting the containers in place.  Be careful to choose your 1-2% grade for drainage as to where you want the water to go, but also be mindful that rollable items will move inside the containers.  A single backhoe operator can easily move around an empty container and place it within 1 inch or less of where you want it to go.  Make sure you also include a pad in front of the doors to keep the mud under control.

New containers should be painted on the outside, if you want to change the color, and then aired out.  We usually leave the container open and empty for 30-60 days before doing any modifications to the interior, you might also want to seal the wooden floor as it can be quite attractive when finished.    Cargo containers aren’t the most attractive thing in the woods, so paint and location, or camo netting are recommended…  Lately, we’ve been getting dark green factory painted containers, so we don’t have to paint them, but you’ll still need to peel off the numbers for aesthetics.  In our area, a new, one trip 20 foot container runs about $4,000 delivered.  Doors on both ends are a bit more and for some purposes like housing, you may want to consider this option.  That’s definitely a special order item.

If you are using containers for food storage, you will need to insulate the inside of the container with 4 inch foam panels and metal ducting tape to get a good seal on the corners.  This keeps a container comfortably below 65F in the summer even when it’s over 100F outside and above 45F in the winter in the temperate climate we have here.  Your mileage may vary based on the interior thermal mass provided by whatever you are storing and your local weather conditions.

We’ve also installed sliding doors on several of the containers so we can leave the metal doors open and keep critters out.  I highly recommend this, especially for containers that the ladies need access to, say a pantry or nice walk in “closet”.  Some of the doors can be “tight”, so it’s an issue for people who aren’t used to wrangling heavy items to open the doors, but my 13 year old daughter is getting pretty handy with these.

Lighting and some power outlets are also a good idea, depending on what you’ll be using them for.  You can also install a fan controlled by greenhouse type controllers to blow in cool or warm air to keep the container close to a certain temperature.

Be sure to check your county’s zoning ordinances.  The collectivists won’t want to miss a single chance to tax something or issue a permit that can be revoked at some time in the future for any reason.  Even though they are considered “temporary”, some counties don’t allow them, others charge a per year permit fee (I’ve seen $75 in one place), while others have zero restrictions.  If you are concerned about this, paint the containers to match the environment, place the containers under tree cover and/or cover with camo netting, which makes them nearly invisible from the air and also keeps them much cooler.  It’s a little extra work to put a pad under the trees, but it’s worth the effort as it will provide mud free winter access and keep the container from rusting, as water will drain away.  In the trees you could have a fire issue, so never store flammable items in these containers. Best, – C.K.

Recipe of the Week:

Jackie and Brenda’s Venison Chili

1 ½ pounds ground venison
2 cans light red kidney beans, drained
1 Six ounce can tomato paste
1 Twenty eight ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
Chili powder and ground red pepper, to taste.
 
Brown venison and onion together in large pot or Dutch oven. Add all other ingredients and cook on low heat for 1 to 1½ hours or 1½ to 2 hours if using dried beans.

Chef’s Notes: Dried kidney beans can also be used but be aware that red kidney beans require longer soaking than other beans to reduce the risk of red kidney bean poisoning. Consuming as few as 4 or 5 raw or improperly cooked red kidney beans can cause severe, rapid-onset food poisoning characterized by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Red kidney beans have a high concentration of phytohaemagglutinin (or lectin), which is toxic unless destroyed by high temperatures.
Red kidney beans should not be cooked in slow cookers, which do not achieve sufficiently high temperatures to destroy the phytohaemagglutinins and might actually increase their toxicity. Red kidney beans should not be sprouted.

The beans should be left to soak in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight). Drain and rinse before cooking. Be sure to boil the beans for at least 10 minutes and stir periodically. Cook chili with dried kidney beans for 1-½ to 2 hours.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Best Chili Recipes from Big Oven

The Chili King

Currently Available as Free Kindle e-Books:

Fifty-Two Sunday Dinners A Book of Recipes

Free Cookbooks For Kindle: Linked List of Over 100 Free Classic Cook Books

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

Economics and Investing:

Reader R.B.S. sent this: Schools Pass Debt to the Next Generation

M.E.W. web-wandered into this: California Doesn’t Exist—It’s Now Two States

Debt bubble amnesia – 40 percent increase of Americans with accounts in collection in the last decade. System still heavily reliant on extreme consumption.

Items from The Economatrix:

2012 Gas Prices Head For Record

Factory Output In U.S. Climbs As Prices Remain Tame

22 Stats That Show How The Emerging One World Economy Is Absolutely Killing American Workers

The Portuguese Run Out Of Gold To Sell

Odds ‘n Sods:

In keeping with our well-entrenched philosophy of redundancy, we now have five ways to cut firewood at the Rawles Ranch: 1.) A reliable (but noisy) Stihl 024 gas engine chainsaw with a 20″ bar, 2.) An assortment of felling axes and mauls, 3.) an early-1900s vintage 1-1/2 man saw, 4.) A Makita electric chainsaw that can be powered by quiet a Yamaha 2.8 KW inverter genset carried in the back of our utility ATV, and 5.) An even smaller Black & Decker 18-Volt cordless electric chainsaw. (The latter lacks the muscle for anything more than cutting saplings or for limb cutting. I bought an Ultimate Battery backpack battery to give it three times running time per charge. And BTW, this same battery can also be used with my Dewalt brand 18 VDC cordless tools, when using a different battery pack adapter.)

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Citizen Shooter Saves Officer with Amazing Shooting: A 66 Year Old Texan Vic Stacey Puts Four 357 Magnum Pistol Rounds into a Killer Rifleman at 165 Yards

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F.J. suggested: Make Shingles from Aluminum Beverage Cans

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Cat parasite that worms into humans’ brains can drive victims to suicide. (Credit to Pierre M. for the link.)

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I noticed that our SurvivalRealty spin-off web site now has more than 120 active listings, including our first one in Ecuador.

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H.L. sent: Living in a 70 square foot floating cabin.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"They will live a long time, these men of the South Pacific. They, like their victories, will be remembered as long as our generation lives. Longer and longer shadows will obscure them, until their Guadalcanal sounds distant on the ear like Shiloh and Valley Forge." – James Michener, Tales of the South Pacific

Note from JWR:

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.

Technology Today, by KCLO4

Let me premise this by saying I am no expert in the material I will provide. I, like most everyone on this site, is an avid hobbyist in these matters. For some background on me though, I am a Mathematics and Computer Science Major in my fourth year of college, a phone and computer enthusiast, I enjoy white hat hacking and build computers for fun. Maybe not the average prepper, but I get by.
I am writing this article as I have found almost nothing on modern technology in the several blogs that I visit on a daily basis, even this one, as esteemed as it is. Frankly, this troubled me quite a bit. First off, as many of you know, our great country is delving deeper and deeper into the lives of you and me, citizens in this country, and even people all over the world.  The amount of data they receive from seemingly harmless web searches or Facebook posts by you would curdle your blood. I recently read an article that the NSA (National Security Agency) has been gathering data electronically on US citizens for over 10 years now. I’m not trying to scare you, this is a fact. So what I will do in this article is try to educate you on how to better protect yourself from further implicating yourself on any more FBI and NSA lists than you already are, and to guide you on a technologically sound path that will help you post TEOTWAWKI.

First things first: GET OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA. That may seem drastic, especially in today’s society where it seems that if you aren’t on Facebook or Twitter, you don’t exist. But this is the number one place that the government and other malicious agencies are getting their information on you. And if your OpSec is that terrible that you post about your prepping online, then this may be too late for you. But that’s number one. Live with it. If you feel that this is just impossible, then take as much info about you off. The agencies that run these sites already have this information, but it will limit others from accessing it, especially black hat hackers, who may try to gain access to your accounts to steal your identity. Another point to make, which I hope many of you already know: DO NOT post anything about vacation or your time away from home on the internet. This includes posting pictures of your vacation after you get back. This is an invitation to criminals to see that your home is empty and ripe for the picking.

Number Two: Protect yourself online. This is a very complex issue, as there is a plethora of ways that malicious hackers can get to you, but that’s not what I’m referring to; I’m telling you to try to become as incognito while online as possible. The first thing you can do, if your up to the task of learning a little programming, is to get the Internet browser Tor. If you aren’t into that, then get Iron as a browser. ABSOLUTLEY DO NOT browse the Internet with anything else. Maybe Firefox, but that’s a stretch too. If you are using chrome, IE, Opera, or anything else, STOP NOW. There are so many trackers and hidden packets that track every web site you go to, every keystroke you make, and every opinion you post. In other words, everything you do online is stored somewhere where someone can hack it, or the government can just swoop in under any pretense and take it, for “the betterment of the country”. Fun stuff, right?

After that, I would suggest using Proxy Servers to connect to any web site you may think is incriminating, like this one. No offense JWR, I love your site, but I’m probably on a watch list or two because of my ignorance, so I hope to help all of you. For those of you who do not know what a Proxy Server, or Proxy, is, then here is a great explanation. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server). In short, it hides all internet traffic on your IP address (your computer’s personal traceable address online), and routs all the data you access through an offsite server, making it seem like you aren’t going to any of the sites, the other server is! You can go to any site you want, and no one will know it is your computer. Obviously there are ways around this, but it’s better than nothing. It will prevent your internet provider from getting a large majority of your internet traffic, which it does at all times, as regulated by the government. This is the number one way that school kids and other people get around firewalls on public computers in schools and libraries, so I would not recommend doing this on a computer you don’t own, as your access may be revoked.

Next up, an Antivirus! I would suggest AVG. Its free, and the free version is GREAT! As always though, if you enjoy the software, support those who make it, and pay the one time fee. Its nominal, but helps programmers like me a lot.
Next up the most important item in your EDC: your SMARTPHONE. Many people think that post TEOTWAWKI, this great culmination of modern technology will be dead and useless. Those who think that, and think that we will go back to hand cranked HAMs are fairly wrong. Yes, the grid may be down, and you won’t have internet or communications on it, but these phones are some of the smallest, most powerful computers in the history of the world. It matters what’s on this device BEFORE the collapse. As many people are preparing, you all most likely have a backup way to generate small amounts of power. Well, good think these phones do not require a lot of power! A hand cranked generator could power these phones easily. So like I said, the important thing is what you have on these phones. This is a pretty laborious topic, so I’m going to split it up.

1)  Brand. Get an ANDROID! I cannot stress this enough. There are several reasons why this is imperative.
First, they have an external microSD card. For anyone who does not what this is, it’s a tiny tiny flash/jump/thumb/usb drive. Whatever you want to call it. They are getting very inexpensive, and can hold the same amount of info as a flash drive. I currently have a 32gb microSD in my phone, and can only fill half of it. This aspect of the phone is so important as even though you may store all your important files on a usb flash, this means that you will need a power-hungry laptop or desktop to read those files. Why? Get a micro dedicated to your BOB and then you can load it into your small, portable phone, and show anyone on the screen you documents. There are even water/shock proof micro sd cards now. I have an 8gb elements proof dedicated just for my BOB files. Fills less than a 20th of it. The rest is my favorite music and a couple good movies, for the entertainment side of survival.
Secondly, most of these phones have a removable battery. This is especially important, as extra batteries are cheap now, and bleed power pretty slowly. So I keep three extra around so that I not only have extra power now for a long trip or if I forget to plug the phone in, but also as a great BOB item. Remember, these phones can be a force multiplier, so the longer you can go without a crank or solar, the better off you will probably be in the crucial days post collapse.

Lastly for hardware, get an OtterBox. These are fairly expensive cases, but they protect your phone from almost anything! I would splurge on this, and drop around $60-$100 on a good case. They are shock proof, waterproof, everything proof. I assume you all can figure out why this is so crucial.
One more point, as with anything recommended on this site, READ THE MANUAL! Especially with these devices. They are complex pieces of machinery that are fickle beasts at best, and must be dealt with properly. Also, there are ways to turn off the tracking devices if you are worried about that. Read the manual, or go online and read blogs on how to do some easy hacking to prevent anyone from using your phone against you.
Now, enough of hardware, onto the software!
When it comes to these phones, they literally have no software limit. You can game, live video chat across the world, have it sing you to sleep, wake you up, etc. But the important thing of course, is how it helps you in TEOTWAWKI.

There are several apps that deal with survival: the full army survival manual FM-21 76, Coast Guard survival, urban survival, camo tips, gun tips, sniper windage directions, incendiary devices, gardening practices, scuba practices…
If you didn’t get where I was going with that, you can get literally EVERY book on your shelf on that phone. Now I know many people advocate a Kindle, or are completely against this in the case of it breaking, power, EMP, etc, and I’m not advocating replacing your library with this. But this is ideal in a GOOD situation. You cant bring that library on your back, but you may be able to come back to it. This phone could save you in that time. Also, Amazon has made Kindle for Android, so you can access all of your Kindle books on your phone, and the resolution is great. I read books on my phone all the time, as I feel that a Kindle is a wasteful expense.
Not only can it store your survival library, but these devices have a flashlight app that can help if your other flashlights are gone/out, it has video/audio recording which may come in handy if you need to prove self defense to a later start-up government, and maybe more importantly, they have the capacity for sanity items. Like games, cards games, novels for fun, and most importantly, music. I know I will fall into depression pretty quickly if I feel that most of my favorite music, especially brilliant classics like Bach, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, etc are lost to the destruction. That would be a blow I could not bear. So instead, you can help preserve these masterpieces, and a few others for your own entertainment!
Some especially useful apps I would recommend are:

Engineering Unit Converter: this will change every known unit to almost every other known unit. This is essential if your book tells you to take one oz of meds, but you only have a dropper labeled in ml.

Calculator: this is pretty straightforward. We use calculators more than we know, and these can be especially useful, giving you a competitive edge over the pen and paper competition.

Notes/Picture: Notes are great for about everything, but combined with a camera, you can take pictures of the land and note defensive positions, fields of fire, water sources, food sources, the list is endless. So you can send a few men on recon with these, and have better and more accurate knowledge to get a leg up over the enemy/nature.

First Aid: I cant believe I forgot about this one until now, but you may not always have an experienced medic around. And even if you are fairly comfortable with the basics, you have to remember Murphy’s Law: what can go wrong, will. So for those especially strange wounds/infections/symptoms, these apps are a huge wealth of knowledge.

Cargo Decoder: This app has you type in the number on a truck and it tell you what it is hauling and gives you the MSDS info on it. This is a great app if you want to know if you should salvage an abandoned truck or not, how to prepare for the extraction of the material, what to do first aid, etc.

Emergency Alerts:  This app makes your phone up no matter what state it is in (unless off) and beeps loudly if there is an emergency or warning in your area. Great app to give you a leg up on those not ready for an incoming disaster.

And some others I like: United States Constitution, The Federalist Papers, The Weather Channel, Knots Tying Guide, SurvivalGuide, Screen filter.

*All of the apps I listed are free, so this won’t hurt the wallet. The list of what these phone can do is endless, but alas, your patience is not. So for a final point, if I haven’t convinced you to do all this now, at least get the phone for fun pre-TEOTWAWKI! Live the good life while we can! And these phones definitely help.

Getting On The Bandwagon — 30 Steps For Mainstream Preppers, by Boreal C.

People who are interested in preparedness seem to love lists.   So, I have compiled a list of 30 steps that may be useful for average families who don’t necessarily have a hideout in the mountains (yet).  This list is by no means all-inclusive and it presumes a basic background in preparedness.  In other words, I hope you have been reading this blog for a long time already!  I am a proud military wife and mother of two grade school students.  I have a master’s degree in chemistry.  We are just an average family trying to get by in uncertain times. I am just optimistic enough to believe that there is hope for the future and just realistic enough to prepare otherwise.  
Coming from Alaska, where power outages can mean the difference between life and death at forty below zero, prepping is as mainstream as owning a TV.  Geomagnetic storms knock out power regularly and a good aurora borealis may mean you better get out the generator.  It is good to see the preparedness trend catching on in the Lower 48 states.  Alabama recently held their first tax-free weekend from July 6-8, 2012 to purchase hurricane preparedness equipment, with tax exemptions on generators, batteries, flashlights and more.  There also appears to be a massive education campaign going on throughout U.S. schools.  My kids are coming home with all sorts of flyers and papers encouraging them to get their parents involved in basic preparedness for hurricanes, tornados, ice storms and more.  Propaganda mission?  Who cares—If we want to make preparedness the norm, then asking kids to make sure their parents have flashlights is one place to start.  There is certainly an emerging capitalist market for all things survival related.  Embrace it and get the goods while you can.  These are the steps that have been useful to me so far, but it is a never-ending job to be prepared.  Good luck.
1.  Water is always number one on any survival prep list, so I have to start here.  Learn the location of the nearest source of fresh water to your home and how to walk to it with filtration equipment and water containers.  Not everyone lives near an Alaskan glacial stream, but it doesn’t matter if you are in inner city Philadelphia next to the Schuykill River (I’ve tried both places), it pays to know your drinking water source in case the taps run dry.  Try drinking it too–AFTER boiling it for ten minutes or filtering it with a Katadyn filter or adding iodine or bleach of course.  Add some Gatorade powder if you have to. If it gives you giardiasis or cholera now, at least you will be able to see a doctor now while we still have a functioning society.  Then, you will definitely know that you need to work on your water purification skills.   
2.  Learn to grow something.  Tomatoes in an upside down hanging basket, potatoes in a bucket on your rooftop, sunflowers on your back patio, or anything you can. You can do a lot with potatoes.  I have grown them from sprouted organic potatoes from the supermarket.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with seed saving techniques.  Pumpkins and watermelons are great starting points for saving seeds.  Kids can help rinse and dry those seeds easily.  A great resource on seed saving that I like is the book Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth.
3.  Practice outdoor cooking.  We love our Volcano stove and use it for everything from S’mores to grilled salmon.  You can even put a Dutch oven in it.  Dutch ovens are great because you can practice using them indoors in the winter when outdoor BBQs are not as appealing.  “The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook” by Tim and Christine Conners is an invaluable guide.   
3.  Get off the couch and get in shape now.  Walking is a great place to start.  There are elderly people who walk laps around the malls of America that are in better shape than the average high school student.
4.  Lose 5 pounds.  Stop eating all that delicious Hershey’s chocolate and start saving it for bartering.  With the price of groceries going up every day, it’s not too hard to cut back the caloric intake in an attempt to break even on food inflation.
5.  Take care of your teeth now.  Make an appointment to see the dentist for a cleaning and/or fillings now while you still can. Don’t be afraid to get your kids the braces they need just because the end of the world is near.  There are numerous articles on this blog on how to remove orthodontics in an emergency survival situation that involve little more than a wire cutter.
6.  Go to the library and check out some books.  Better yet, start your own survival library.  National Geographic’s  “Complete Survival Manual” by Michael S. Sweeney is very useful. You can get books on everything from how to make goat cheese to how to knit socks to how to can peaches in a water bath.  If the library is not your thing, go online or to Amazon Kindle or Pinterest or whatever works for you.
7.  READ the books and learn a new skill, such as how to make goat cheese or how to knit socks or how to can peaches in a water bath.  Read to your kids too.  There are great books for kids about gardening or keeping chickens for example.  One book I have found useful to get kids thinking about prepping is “Farmer Boy” by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  9 year old Almonzo in 19th century upstate NY does more after school chores than you can imagine. He gets a calf yoke for a birthday present!  Happy Birthday Almonzo, now go break in the calves.  I haven’t heard any more complaints about taking out the trash after reading that with my kids.  
8. Download the Latter Day Saints Preparedness Guide for free.  The 2012 15th Anniversary Edition is available now.  You will be amazed and forever grateful for this outstanding contribution to society.
9.  On your next trip to the grocery store when you are stocking up on extra rice and toilet paper, don’t forget to throw in a bag or two of bird seed.  I’ve been known to eat a handful of those sunflower seeds myself when I’m refilling the feeders.  I’m not too sure I’d eat suet, but you never know.  Just skip the millet because most birds don’t even like that and it tends to get left uneaten by even the hungriest chickadees.  The corn cobs designed for squirrels are cheap and can attract all sorts of game in range of your gun or traps.
10.  While you are at the store, spend some time in the drug aisle and look for things beyond the usual hand sanitizer, multi-vitamins and Band-aids that preppers stockpile.  There was a sale on lice shampoo the other day and we picked some up. It even came with two nit combs, which we didn’t have on hand. We also grabbed some pinworm medicine.  It seems like there are OTC meds for everything these days.  Take advantage of it while you can.
11.  Take a quick stop at the pet store or online and while you are getting an extra bag or two of dog or cat food, grab up some FishMox, FishFlex and Bird Sulfa.  Vetdepot.com sells FishMox 250 mg, 30 tablets for $8.87.  Yes, these are identical to human antibiotics.  Ever taken amoxicillin for strep throat?  In a true emergency with no hospitals, I will not hesitate to take 250 mg of Fishmox three times a day for strep throat even if it were 10 years after the expiration date.  It’s best to store them in the fridge though.  Just please consult one of the many useful survival preparedness antibiotic guides if you have no medical training, or better yet, get medical training now while you can.
12.  Prepping supplies cost money, I know! Budget and get your financial house in order now.  Get out of bad debt and don’t rack up credit card debt. If the SHTF or not, you do not want credit card debt.
13.  De-clutter your life.  Get and eBay account.  Learn to sell stuff lying around your house.  Supplement your income. It is really so easy my school age kids can do it.  They are accustomed to helping me scour their drawers and toy boxes for things they no longer need.  You would be absolutely amazed at the things people will buy.  I have sold half-used bottles of perfume that I didn’t like. Get rid of all that useless stuff around your house to make room for more useful supplies.
14.   While you are thinking about used stuff, take a trip to your local thrift shop.  Do it regularly. Volunteer there if you can so you can get first dibs on incoming items.  I have found some great preps at thrift shops from cast iron pans to down parkas.
15.  Get organized now.   With all the material stuff people deal with, it pays to stay on top of your game and be organized.  My WaterBOB to fill up the bathtub with drinking water is useless in a hurricane if I can’t find it.
16.  Don’t let your bug out bags sit in a corner collecting dust.  Unpack and repack them regularly to stay familiar with what you have.  That is an easy task for us with kids because we have to constantly re-evaluate kids’ clothing to account for their rapid growth.
17.  Take a camping trip this weekend and pack nothing but your bug out bags and see how you do. Try to start a fire with that fancy flint tool you have.
18.  Include kids in prepping.  Start them young.  I’m sure it’s not easy trying to talk to a thirteen year old plugged constantly into Facebook about potential life without power.  Little kids feel more empowered and less anxious when they have confidence that they can do some useful things.  Start small with where they are, and include them as much as you can. It could be as simple as making sure you have extra foods on hand that they like, such as macaroni and cheese, or it could be a more involved task like teaching them to swim.  Be open with them about the reality of our times, but help build their confidence to alleviate some of their fears.   
19.  Invest in a good pair of hiking shoes and break them in. Don’t forget the kids.  Do you really expect junior to haul water with flip flops?  You get what you pay for and that goes for clothes too.  You may not need a new North Face Gortex rain jacket for everyone in your family, but don’t expect to thrive in the tissue thin cotton T-shirts from Old Navy.
20.  Find a good old fashioned washboard.  They have been selling nice American-made ones at Columbus Washboard Company since 1895.  I love this company because they send donations to our troops overseas that include a washtub, washboard and supplies.  Just make sure you get stainless steel.  After you buy it, make sure you stain it with several coats of waterproof stain.  I’m not sure why they even sell galvanized ones (they rust) and I sure don’t know why the wood doesn’t come pre-stained, but I guess most people just buy them for decoration.  Try using it in your bathtub with a bucket of water and see what a pain it is to do laundry in third world countries like Afghanistan.
21.  Learn how to make a honey bucket.  No, I’m not talking about a bucket of the delicious golden stuff, but that is good to have on hand also.  Having lived in Alaska for many years, where many people still voluntarily live in cabins with outhouses and no running water, I learned that a honey bucket is not so sweet.  In the remote Alaskan bush, people just don’t have the amenities that you know and love down in the Lower 48.  In Alaska, a honey bucket is defined as a place where you go to the bathroom like a chamber pot that you fill up and then go dump.  It basically consists of a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket lined with a trash bag and an adult-size potty chair insert.  You don’t need to buy the fancy camp toilets that they sell at Cabela’s.   
22.  Practice using one weapon or help train someone in your family to use one.  Have a “Take-Your-Wife-To-The-Range-Day”.  Get her a pink gun if you have to: they do make them.  Our daughter has a pink Ruger 10/22.  There is something for everyone.  Slingshots for squirrels are great for kids.  Just be sure and protect their eyes and teach them basic safety rules.  Don’t overlook axes and knives.  I know I am preaching to the choir when I lament about how many American children have never helped butcher a chicken or a deer.  Make it a point to train others if you have skills.
23.  Convert some of your assets to silver and/or gold and have it on hand, not in a safe deposit box or ETF.  Junk silver coins (pre-1965 quarters, dimes and half-dollars) are available for sale at such places as Northwest Territorial Mint.  It is worth buying now while you can.  You may experience a three month wait to receive your package since it is so popular.  In this economy with the dollar’s value rapidly sinking, yesterday was the time to convert your hard earned savings to tangible assets such as silver, gold, food, ammo, medication, chainsaws, or whatever preps are on your list.  The general rule of thumb in the investment portfolio brochures is that you should have at least 20% of your savings in the form of gold or silver.  Just don’t stick it under the mattress.  Buy yourself a good safe.
24. However worthless the dollar is, it is still good to have some cold hard cash on hand in small bills.  Even nickels are worth stashing around since they are worth more in metal content than face value.
25.  Get a passport for yourself and everyone in your family.  If things get really bad, you can always head for New Zealand, Northwest Territory or central Patagonia with all that silver for a while.
27.  A supportive community is key.  Choose your allies well and always have backup plans.
28.  Practice, practice, practice.  Everything from cooking rice over a camp fire like they do on the Survivor television show to composting with your morning tea bags or coffee grinds.
29.  Have faith in yourself and confidence in your abilities.  Just don’t get overconfident.  Confidence with humility is essential to a prepper’s lifestyle.
30.  Pray.  I’ll be praying for you all if things get as bad as some of the National Geographic Doomsday Preppers think it’s going to get. Lord have mercy on us all! Amen.

Letter Re: Armoring an SUV?

Hello,
I’m wondering what the best method is to bulletproof my inherited Jeep Grand Cherokee. I’m 16 years old and I have inherited a Jeep Grand Cherokee and I’m planning on bulletproofing it for the coming apocalypse. I was wondering what the best materials and method would be to do so and approximately how much it would cost to do so if you have any guesses.

Sincerely,  – Noland

JWR Replies: The proper term is “bullet resistant.” The cost of effectively armoring a car is fairly high. To have it be effective, it is not a do-it-yourself job. Either  you have to massively beef up the suspension and use heavy materials (plate steel), OR you use lightweight but very expensive materials (Kevlar.)  And regardless, you have to buy some very expensive laminated windows. And you also end up with either sucky gas mileage or very sucky gas mileage.

I generally don’t recommend armoring a vehicle, except for families in the US with a high profile that would put them at high risk of kidnapping.  For someone new to prepping, the $15,000 to $25,000 you’d spend would be much better spent on storage food, ammo, commo gear, medical supplies, garden seed, et cetera.

Economics and Investing:

The Telegraph reports: Finland prepares for break-up of eurozone. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.)

Tyler Durden: Why QE Is Not Working

Also at Zero Hedge: US Treasury Admits It Conducted A Circular Ponzi Scheme For Years

Wall Street’s Teflon Don Jon: Jon Corzine avoids charges

Items from The Economatrix:

A Surprise Economic Indicator That’s Looking Up

Mish:  Syracuse, NY, Headed For Bankruptcy, 100% Certain

Prepare For US and Euro Collapse:  The Next One Will Be The Big One

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Scotty R. mentioned: Chicken of the trees — The rural eastern gray squirrel has long been a valued food source, but what about its urban cousin?

   o o o

I see that the Spanish edition of my first novel (“Patriotas“) is now available in both paperback and Kindle editions. The cover is a bit garish (and dare I say “Costneresque” or perhaps something like a screen capture from Homefront), but it is nice to see that the novel available in yet another language. (There are now nine foreign publishing contracts in place to produce editions in eight languages including French, Spanish, German, Russian, Portuguese, Bulgarian, and Korean.)

   o o o

After the Lights Go Out: Is Your Community Prepared?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they mays obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though [they be] so great, and [are] driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.” – James 3:3-9 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of the late Patrick Swayze (born August 18, 1952, died September 14, 2009.) Regardless of how good the 2012 Red Dawn remake is, the original Red Dawn from 1984 will always be remembered as the benchmark, and of course Swayze will always be remembered for his leading role.

—

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.

Shipping Containers — A Retreat on the Cheap, by Frederic W.

I would like to shed light on the convenience, structural soundness, and affordability of ISO shipping containers [commonly calles CONEXes] as potential add-ons, storage, or primary structure for your retreat or year-round compound. As an individual of efficiency, I am writing this article with the intent of casting out some research I have done on these containers; what they are capable of in a capacity form, and their versatility as a livable space. I hope many find this informative in its purist sense.

Availability: Due to the nature of our global economy, especially in reference to the U.S. and its desire to import more than it exports to the Asia Pacific, domestic shipping yards are in excess supply of such containers. Because shipping containers are simply boxes, when empty they exercise little function and merely take up space. Shipping containers, especially when being shipped from China, are more expensive to return empty then if they were to be recycled on domestic soil or reused in other applications. But before scrapping them, many companies attempt to sell them in their intended form to the public. In a sense, these containers are like a pound puppy that needs to be saved…and should be.  A quick search via the Internet will show you large numbers of containers in various conditions from here and there but because the shipping industry does not stop at sea ports, any major city even inland will have a healthy supply to choose from. For a ratty container (20’) expect to pay between $800 and $1,200. This would be in less than ideal condition but still a good option for say material storage on your retreat property. Typically this means that the cube may no longer be perfectly cube-like say a slight dent or impression on one or more corner or has more than just surface rust on its exterior. Always check the double doors and see how well they close, whether with ease or with some finesse adjust your offer accordingly. The next level of quality will come in at a price of around $1,400-$1,800, again for a typical 20’ standard container. This is the price range that should exemplify a structural soundness that will be suitable to live in with certain modifications. The seaworthy paint should still cover 95+% of the container and it should be structurally true. Remember what these containers where built for. They hauled 50,000 pounds of goods through open-ocean, many times during storms. They should be watertight. Ask all of these questions to the seller at the very minimum so that they know you know what you are looking for. Hard for one to prove water tightness but you can go based on the sellers reaction and your best judgment from this article and further research. Be a smart shopper now, this may become your last line of defense. Finally, you can buy a brand new shipping container from companies that specialize in building them. Here you’ll find different sizes with different options like the garage style door or pre-insulated units for refrigeration. Expect to pay around +-$5,000 for a new box.

Dimensions: Two or three major size potions will be found most commonly although other odd sizes due exist. These all have corrugated sidewalls.

20’ standard shipping containers
(Interior dimensions) 19’ 4” long, 7’8” wide, 7’10” tall.
 Tare Weight 4.900 lbs
 Total cargo capacity 45,000 pounds

40’ standard shipping container
(Interior dimensions) 39’5” long, 7’8” wide, 7’10” tall
 Tare weight 8.100 pounds
 Cargo capacity 59,000 pounds

40’ High cube standard shipping container
(Interior dimensions) 39’5” long, 7’8” wide 8’10” tall
Tare weight 8.700 pounds
Max cargo capacity 58,000 pounds

Some general info that applies to all standard containers.
*Seaworthy steel alloy with saltwater and air resistant exterior paint
*Class D rating for storage of explosives (with this rating a high tolerance to fire)
*Pest resistant (many have a wooden floor that has been treated for pest resistance. This should be removed and disposed of properly.)
* Water tight but not water proof.
*Stackable to 7 high at full load (yes one will hold upwards of 200,000 pounds stacked on top). Note that cutting into the corrugated sides will lessen the overall strength. Reinforcing whenever taking away steel is common sense I’d hope.
*Insulated units do exist although interior dimensions will likely be even tighter. R-value 15-20?

[JWR Adds: Containers made of low carbon Cor-Ten steel (aka “weathering” steel) usually bring a premium. They have the longest life. Be sure to inspect wood floors for any signs that toxic chemicals might have spilled from cargo. But keep in mind that the wood used in the floors of almost all CONEXes are deep-treated with some nasty insecticides and fungicides.]

Getting Started: My suggestion with using shipping containers as habitable structures starts with completely ruling out the use of the 40’ containers. This prevents one from absolutely paying a delivery fee and/or a crane rental to remove it from a semi trailer. That said I have put all of my focus into utilizing the 20’ containers (Finding a 20’ insulated container would be most ideal). Here’s why. First, if you own a full size truck, you can haul one of these things empty on your own, either with a trailer you have or from a friend. A twenty-foot flatbed, or car hauler with a winch is not too hard to come by. It will likely be loaded on your trailer at the yard if you buy directly from a shipping company so all you have to think about is sliding it off your trailer in place. My theory has always been to own the trailer I go to pick it up with and leave it on in my drive way until I build out the interior at my leisure. Then it’ll be ready to haul to sight. Depending on your neighborhood or city ordinances this may or may not be an option but I’ve always felt that if people have a 35 foot camper trailer parked on the street in front of their house why not a 20’ shipping container for a few months? Either way, look up this info before hand as well as your states DOT regulations.  Second main reason I like the 20’ size is its weight.  At just shy of 5,000 pounds add a 3,000-pound trailer, an ,8000 pound haul for most diesel pick-ups ain’t no thing.  Lastly, due to the 20’ container weight and size, it is much easier to maneuver in mountain terrain by trailer as well as when off the trailer on site. If you start with an empty container on site, a clever hoist system, a winch, and a block and tackle set up opens up the door to many possibilities. I’ve read about a couple that actually hoisted a container on top of another in a piggy-back fashion with two tree trunks joined and reinforced in an a-frame configuration and a 12,000 pound winch and pulley. They hauled their’s by trailer to site with a Toyota T-100. (An early Tundra.) Be creative with this. Egyptians built the pyramids thousands of years ago!  Enough said.

[JWR Adds: Because the secondary market demand for 20-foot CONEXes is stronger than that for 40-footers, they often sell for about the same price. Go figure.]

Now you need a friend to teach you how to weld. Get an oxy-acetylene torch set up. You’ll cut as much as you will weld when building with these. I’ve seen used setups in safe working condition with tanks for $300 bucks. If you’ve got a weighty wallet then grab a new or used generator/ welder for $1,500-4,000.  Stick with the Lincoln or Miller brands. They are equally as good at the end of the day and it really comes down to the Ford or Chevy argument. Power options are gas, natural gas, or diesel and most of the units will run a continuous 7-10 kw. The gas-powered is the least expensive and the N.P. or Diesel are substantially more expensive but better in my opinion for an unstable world. The U.S. has plenty of N.P. and is responsible for much of the world’s diesel refinement, not to mention ones ability to potentially run bio-diesel or appropriated veggie oil.  But in a grid-down pinch, a diesel will reign.

I’ve always felt that a retreat built in phases would be the most feasible simply because of the advantage to make time and monetary “payments” on it. After owning the land (which is certainly a big step), one can start with a small but functional 20’ container cabin they have built in the driveway and then hauled to site. Keeping it in your driveway assuming you live in a more urban environment keeps you from hauling material out to your site. Build out the plumbing and windows and other comforts. Again, if the company you purchase from has not already, be sure to remove the chemically treated wooden floor and dispose of properly. Thoroughly scrub out the interior of the container for safe measures. Round up with your weight estimates as not to overburden or risk accident while hauling the container i.e. hold off on the spray on concrete or stucco siding until at your site.  For the time being, use a cistern on site for water or haul it in each time you visit until a well is dug or a spring is utilized on the property. Photovoltaic panels are good in combination with the aforementioned diesel powered welder/generator to get things off the ground. All depends on where you are. Inline hot water heaters are great for low use and tight spaces and can be run on propane. Build a shower toilet to conserve space. In other words your entire bathroom is water-tight and its foot print is essentially a big shower pan. Utilize RV and camper galley components that run on propane and could eventually be converted to run on methane that you could capture on site through livestock and human waste methane converters. Use a fold down bed or bunks to be space efficient.

Example Build-out: My ideal set-up would likely be two 20’ containers, one stacked atop the other. I’d pick a south-facing hillside and cut into it just as one would do if building a conventional home. Before placing the container in its little nest, I’d dig a root cellar into the cut in and fashion a hatch in the floor of the bottom of the container for access. Build a retaining wall around the cut in and possibly use a local clay or concrete to form a basin next to the root cellar to act as a cistern for water storage if a well is too pricey initially. For remote applications, I’d resist using a septic system and resort to an outbuilding away from the main house. [Some deleted, for health and safety concerns.]

After the cistern is sealed and the root cellar dug, place the first container into the dug out. Stack the second container on top to use as a living quarter. A hatch could be cut to the roof to make an observation post. On the south-facing downhill wall of the two containers, build a sloped glass room to act as a green house or a room to gain. Use old windows from someone replacing theirs or check all the Freecycle type sites and Craigslist for deals.  This would create a little bubble that would extend the growing season as well as act as a passive solar heater for the house whereas building into the ground a bit would assist with cooling in hotter months via use of the ambient geothermal temperatures. Be sure there is good ventilation for airing out the cabin in the summer months. Use gray water from the shower and sink to feed your small garden.  For insulation I would use a spray on insulation to fill in the negative spaces of the corrugated walls. Do this on both the inside and out covering the interior with sheetrock and the exterior with a stucco like material.

Warning: As a final and important note on building with shipping containers, never bury them without proper structural support. Shipping containers were designed to bear a vertical load [on the corners] and be stacked atop one another. They perform this task very well but they were not designed to take a load from the sides (laterally). Burying a container without proper support around its perimeter such as reinforced concrete, the construction of which should be handled by a licensed engineer, could result in collapse. Not something you want to deal with after society has collapsed. Please note I am neither an engineer nor a contractor and that most of my research has been conducted over the Internet. I am simply sharing some of my findings and offering suggestions. Most states require a general contractor for home construction and many states now require a certification for that so not anyone can build away.

Two Letters Re: Camouflage Painting Firearms

Dear Mr. Rawles:
As an addendum to the Friday piece on “Camouflage Painting Firearms” by Kyrottimus, I recommend this piece: Weapons Painting 101, a bulletin from the US Army TACOM detailing the officially-approved techniques for painting small arms.
Cordially, – John N.

Dear Editor:
Regarding “Camouflage Painting Firearms”, you may want to point folks to this rather well-illustrated tutorial on painting your AR in the Multicam pattern, found over at AR15.com: How to Multicam your rifle…on the cheap!
 Regards, – T.