Two Letters Re: Simplify Now, Before TEOTWAWKI

JWR:
I try to find a good compromise between comfort and simplicity, and have come to the conclusion that preparedness is like dressing for cold weather; it is most efficient to do so in layers.  Working from a level of maximizing comfort at one end of the scale to maximizing simplicity at the other end, I can gauge my response to conditions as they are encountered.  Beginning with a robust supply and security source at my primary residence, I have layers of response that I can work down through as the conditions dictate.  If I have to bug out, I can tailor my load to the mode of transit that can be accommodated.  By staging equipment and material according to whatever means of transport may be at my disposal, I also have the advantage of adjusting the load on the fly.  In the event a given mode eventually becomes untenable, I can download to the next best and so on.  So my primary bug out choice would be the truck and trailer, with labeled bins going into these conveyances.  These items are likewise prioritized so that in the event of an incomplete loadout the most important items are included and so on.  If the primary fails or is rendered unavailable, then I have a loadout for a hand cart and/or bicycle departure.  If that is not workable, then I have my bug out bag.  Lastly, I have my EDC, which may include constant loads in the vehicles as well as on my person daily.  Each layer is an essential loadout to the next highest layer, so the EDC is part of the BOB, the BOB is part of the cart/bike load, and the cart/bike load is part of the truck/trailer load.  This isn’t a comprehensive scheme, but meant to illustrate the logic of such a plan.
 
As M.D.M. indicates, it takes some discipline to forsake hard earned inventory.  However, it is imperative that one’s primary focus be foremost on making do and learning to cut loose on material goods.  An experienced prepper will know this because one realizes that no matter how much prepping you do, there is always the capacity to do more.  The master then understands the logic of finding a way to make do with less.  In this way, it may indeed be possible to pass through the eye of the needle.  One need only realize that millions got by in this hostile world with nothing more than the shirt on their back and a rock in their hand, at least to begin with.  “What one man can do, another can do” ought to be a prepper mantra. – Ben P.

 

James,
Let me start out by saying [to M.D.M.], “great article!”. I got in that mindset than gardening season started and set I off to the side till the snow starts to fly. I have a similar method of dealing with the clutter; do I use it, need it or foresee needing it than toss it in a box. If I use it, it stays. The clutter goes in a box and gets carried down stairs to be dealt with later, if you need it you know where it’s at. When the mood strikes me I will go through the boxes I have carried down stairs. The problem I have is that I can find a future use for a lot of stuff when we become broke and hungry. This I throw in a box and it gets shelved, I have an unfinished basement so I don’t hurt on storing it there for a while waiting to see how this mess turns out. The common denominator in respect to the items that leave the house seems to rely on electricity; stuff like old videos, games, appliances that have been upgraded or impulse bought.

Recently, just a week or two ago my wife and I had the discussion about what we would do if we were both laid off and we were at the ropes end. You see, we have a few acres just out side of a somewhat major metro area for better jobs and the money. This summer we decided to try mini farming and selling at the local farmers market to see how we would do at just being farmers. The current drought has made it rough for sure but has only added to the experience. For example, I think watering would be manageable by attaching a hose to a bucket uphill of the large garden, would save a lot of foot work.

My parents live a good two hours from us and I have, along with them seeing the troubles facing us today have started to turn their 30 some acres into a working farm that could provide us enough food to make it. It would be hard to walk away from everything my wife and I have worked so hard for but on the other hand we now know that we can make it running a mini farm and could do quite well selling at the local farmers market, could hit one just about every day of the week which makes it quite tempting to walk away from our current lifestyle to start over on a new, more down to earth one. Regards, – Scott M.

News From The American Redoubt:

More of that beautiful north-central Idaho scenery: The “Lead Dog” – Elk River Trike Fly-in ’12.

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Troy H. mentioned this infographic: Mexican Drug Cartels Have Infiltrated All of These US Cities. (JWR Observes: The artist’s arrows to the middle-of-nowhere in The American Redoubt appear to be more fanciful than they are data-driven. The reality is that there is not a lot of “cartel influence” inside National Forests and out in the middle of vast tracts of BLM land. (As depicted in the map.) And note that all but one of the dots shown inside the Redoubt are keyed to “Unknown Affiliation.” Read: Guesswork.) The majority of the illicit drug trade inside the Redoubt is domestic, namely: Locally grown marijuana and locally-cooked meth.

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John H. sent a link to an amazing collection of maps that should probably be titled: The Incredible Shrinking Redoubt. Yes, the population density is truly that light here.

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Earthquakes and Tornadoes? Not many in the American Redoubt

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Reader G.M. wrote to mention Nightforce, a growing American company that is producing a quality product in Orofino, Idaho–in the middle of Redoubt country. Their list of job openings changes frequently, so check back often.

Economics and Investing:

Bob G. sent this: Economist Richard Duncan: Civilization May Not Survive ‘Death Spiral’

Illinois to Spend More on Pensions Than on Education. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Economic Data Underscores Weakening Activity

Consumer Comfort In US Falls On Concern Over Growth

Postal Service On The Verge Of Default

Job Gains Topping Forecasts Ease US Slowdown Concerns

Service Industries In US Expanded At A Faster Pace In July

Notes from JWR:

My goodness gracious! Our SurvivalRealty.com spin-off just got some unsolicited publicity on a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate: One Housing Sector That’s Booming: Survival Realty

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Pat’s Product Review: Concealed Carry Clothing

Several months back, I did an article on the Deep Conceal Shoulder Holster. It’s a design meant for “deep” concealment – worn under a shirt, instead of over it, like a regular shoulder holster is worn. The Deep Conceal shoulder holster was (and is) a good idea. My concern at the time was, that it would be a little difficult to get to your handgun, buried under your everyday shirt.
 
Deep Conceal has solved that problem, with the Concealed Carry Clothing shirt. Right off the bat, I’ll tell you that, this is a high-quality dress shirt, not some cheap piece of clothing, that you purchase at the big box stores. I usually wear either a safari shirt from Cabela’s, or something from Blackhawk, over my T-shirt, to cover my handgun, during the summer months. I don’t button these shirts, because it would be too difficult, and too time consuming to rip the shirt open, to gain access to my handgun. Besides, I usually carry on-the-belt, and it’s impossible to have the shirt tucked-in, and still cover my handgun.
 
If you are wearing the Deep Conceal shoulder holster, then the Deep Conceal Carry Clothing shirt is what you need. Even if you are wearing a regular shoulder holster, with a medium-size handgun, you can still conceal it under this shirt. The web site states that you should order your regular shirt size – however, I suggest that, if you are wearing a regular horizontal carry shoulder holster, that you go up one size – it’ll help conceal that shoulder holster.
 
What we have in the Deep Conceal Carry Clothing shirt, is a great-fitting, very well made dress shirt. This unique shirt has Velcro attachments that are sewn in a patent pending manner, that allows for comfortable, all-day wear and repeated use. Additionally, this shirt is a great product for those who have difficulty with shirt buttons – as in arthritis in the fingers or hands. If you are right-handed, you should order the right-hand shirt, that allows the firearm under the left arm and the fake buttons on the right hand side of the shirt to “rip” open, gaining you access to your handgun under your left arm. And, if you are left-handed, order a left-handed shirt.
 
I tried my sample shirt, with the Deep Conceal Shoulder Holster, as well as with a horizontal shoulder holster, with a Glock 27, and everything worked as it should. I suggest you practice your draw, though – it’s not natural to “rip” your shirt open – even though it’s fairly easy to do. What I liked about this shirt is that, it looks, for all the world, just like a high-priced dress shirt, and no one knows you are carrying your handgun concealed under it – kool!
 
I know a lot of folks who carry a handgun, in a shoulder holster, and they never bother to practice drawing their handgun – this is a big mistake in my book. Then again, a lot of folks don’t bother practicing drawing from a belt holster, inside-the-waist holster, or an ankle holster. Whatever you mode of carry, you need to practice drawing from it. A lot of folks don’t like shoulder holsters, especially horizontal carry shoulder holsters. To each his own! I know that, I don’t allow a horizontal carry shoulder holster in my firearm classes because when you draw your handgun, if someone is next to you, on your gun side, the gun will point in their direction when you draw it. However, for street use, I recommend a horizontal carry shoulder holster over a vertical carry one – I think the horizontal shoulder holster gives you better concealment. Please don’t e-mail me, telling me I’m wrong – we are all entitled to our opinions, and this is my opinion. If you don’t like shoulder holsters at all – then don’t wear one! Simple!
 
The Deep Conceal Clothing shirt comes in blue, red and tan – and can only be had in long-sleeve, and I don’t normally wear long-sleeve dress shirts I prefer short-sleeve, and hopefully, Deep Conceal will come out with a short-sleeved version – I know a lot of folks don’t like long-sleeved shirts. As I stated at the onset, this is a high-quality dress shirt, and it retails for $44.95 – however, that includes free-shipping, too. I don’t think the price point is out-of-line, for the quality of this shirt, and the hidden surprise that you will be carrying under it. Sure, you can buy a regular dress shirt, and pay someone to add Velcro to it, and make it similar to this Deep Conceal shirt, but I promise you, it won’t look at good, or work as well.
 
So, if you carry a handgun in a shoulder holster, check out this shirt, it’ll really help you “deeply” conceal your handgun in a shoulder holster, and still allow a pretty fast draw, too. You now have another option for (deep) concealed carry!

Springfield Armory XDs Pistol Update, by Pat Cascio

Since my review article on the new Springfield Armory XDs was posted I’ve heard from no less than a dozen SurvivalBlog readers, who were having “problems” with their XDs .45s – most of the problems were related to light firing pin strikes. I’ve also had two SurvivalBlog readers live nearby come to me for this problem, and I was able to get the problem “fixed.”
 
Here’s what you’re looking at with the XDs: First of all, we have a sub-compact .45 ACP pistol. It is very small and light-weight – only 21.5 ounces empty. And, it has a polymer frame. So, as it is with all polymer frame handguns, you have to have a firm grip on the gun – NO limp-wristing it. If you limp-wrist the XDs, the slide doesn’t go fully into battery – it will be out of battery by a few thousandths of an inch – which means, the barrel isn’t fully locked-up, and when you pull the trigger, the striker hits high on the primer – ‘causing a misfire because it is not hitting the primer dead center – it will be hitting too high on the primer. [JWR Adds: And if the slide is not fully in the battery position, then the firing pin will not impart all of the intended energy on the primer.]
 
Additionally, the XDs is a very tight handgun – this contributes to the match-grade accuracy of the little pistols. So, when you first get your factory-new XDs, make sure you clean-off the rust-preventative oil. This is not intended as daily use lubrication, as many suspect. Then, properly oil the mating surfaces on the frame and the slide with a good lube like Break Free CLP, and be a little bit generous, initially. The XDs needs a little bit of a break-in period with some of the guns because they are so tightly fit – again this contributes to the outstanding, match-grade accuracy.
 
So, you have two things to address: One is, no limp-wristing the XDs – it’s a sub-compact, polymer frame handgun, that needs a tight grip on it, in order to properly function and feed rounds into the chamber. Secondly, add enough lube to the contact areas, this means the slide rail recesses and the small contact areas on the frame, that holds the slide onto the frame.
 
Dave Williams, the head of Springfield Armory’s Custom Shop, says he tells people who call, until he is blue in the face, that you have to follow the above steps, if you want your XDs to function 100% of the time. And, like many new handguns, that are tightly fit, a little bit of a break-in period might be required as well. I’ve mentioned this in numerous articles, that you should run at least 100-rds through a new handgun (and preferably 200-rds) to make sure the gun will function 100% of the time.
 
The folks I heard from, who were having problems with “light” strikes on the primers, didn’t contact me again, after I explained the above procedures to them – their guns are working 100%. And, the two SB readers, who came to me for assistance – their guns are working 100% of the time.  So, don’t think you have a “defective” XDs if you are getting light hits on the primers – you’re not! Get a good grip on the XDs and make sure you have lubed it properly, and your XDs will just keep perking along. To date, I now have well over 1,000 rounds through my XDs and only one failure to fire – a Winchester USA-brand 230-gr FMJ round – and I put it back in the magazine and tried to fire it several times – it wouldn’t go off. It was just a dud round – it happens with the best ammo, every now and then.

JWR Adds: I witnessed a the same problem first hand with a XD(M) .45 Compact. In this case it was one of the models that has a two-column magazine. This was a brand new gun, shooting 230 grain ball factory duplication handloads. As with the other pistols that Pat mentioned, the problem turned out to be insufficient lubrication. Just a squirt of Break Free CLP on the slide rails and barrel assembly immediately solved the problem. In the event of a light primer strike, your “tap-rack-ready” clearance drill should be executed. If you are a well-trained pistol shooter, this drill should become so ingrained so that you do it hardly without thinking, to get you pistol back “up and running.”

Mahaffey’s Review: Tomorrow, When the War Began


Tomorrow, When the War Began (by John Marsden) ISBN 0-419-82910-0
This young adult (“YA’) novel of adventure, romance and survival is a modern classic. The setting is in rural Australia, with lush and descriptive backdrops. The vision Marsden paints of Australia is wondrous and pictorial. A group of unsupervised teens set off on a high adventure camping expedition, alone for a week in the wilderness. (Yes, my eyebrows rose on that one, too.) Upon returning from the holiday they find their homes empty, pets and livestock dying or dead and communications down. Most of the town has been captured and is being detained in a make-shift camp. Sounds like a facsimile of the film, Red Dawn, Aussie style, but not quite.

This is a coming of age novel with all of the expectations of that phrase. It is a survival story of teens that are jerked from the normalcy of a comfortable home and high-school life to living and surviving in an occupied country. They are forced to evade the occupiers, provide food, shelter and security for themselves.  Romance blooms while sorting through life changing decisions. This book will definitely open a YA mind to “What if’s”. The young reader is positioned to reflect, “What would I have done?”  Throughout the book there is a growing maturity in discussions as well as logical choices and survival skills. The lessons of loyalty and family bonds are presented in a non-sermonizing manner.  

Overall, Marsden has the depiction of the average seventeen-year-old spot on. The language and interaction is genuine. The early banter is a little bawdy at times although not explicit. Profanity is not an issue. I know the preoccupation with infatuations in this age group. (Contrary to the opinions of my children, I was not cloned in a tube and emerged as a mid-life adult.) Even so, I felt I was chin deep in teenage, moon-eyed angst.  Early in the story romantic fantasies abound. However, there is a fruition of a developing perspective leading the YA to a more mature view. This is a clever device, making the YA reader relate with the YA characters as they evolve. As an adult reader I found glimpse into the developing YA psyche interesting.

John Marsden is an award winning author, published in over nine languages and has written over 40 books.  Being an educator he has the ‘voice’ of the young adult characters to perfection. Tomorrow is the first of a series of seven YA books following Ellie and her friends. This saga remains one of the most popular YA reads today, recommended for middle school and older. The original publication was 1993 by Pan MacMillan. I am reviewing the First Point paperback edition, a Scholastic book, published in 2006.

Two caveats about this book. I feel several of the sexually oriented topics are inappropriate for a middle school age child. As I implied in the first paragraph, I am not sure what you think about an entire week of unchaperoned, hormonal teenagers in the wilderness, but in my home that’s not an option. There are no actual depictions of sexual acts, but a lot of heavy petting and one dream scene of nude fondling. In particular, sharing sleeping arrangements and co-ed naptime are presented as to sound customary. Later in the book (page 237) is a discussion of virginity. Admittedly, my impression is that these are older, more experienced teens with graduation around the corner. Compared to the books, movies, music popular today, Tomorrow is restrained. But for a fourteen year old, I prefer to not present the notion that snuggling together in a tent alone overnight is banal and virginity optional. It is not okay to play with fire. Yes, I know. They are thinking about it. But, you don’t have to cultivate the thoughts and water them with assurances that this type of careless behavior is the norm. Teens under fifteen or less mature teens do not need that meme advocated.
Marsden has sold more than 3 million books because he writes books that the kids want to read. I can see some validity in that concept, but I wonder if he would feel the same casual regard for exposing young minds to sexual elements if he were a parent. 
My other dissent is the author’s apparent slant to the left in discussions justifying the actions of the invaders. Of course, the teens are concerned, even oppressed with worry for family and friends. They do not condone the occupiers’ actions; however, at least a faction does understand why the unnamed enemy has occupied their land. Paraphrasing here: ‘We have-they do not-therefore it is our fault. No wonder we were invaded’. Well, now, that explains everything.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is an international bestseller. Rave reviews universally laud this book. Scholastic consortiums extol Marsden. This book (and series) is included as reading list in schools around the world. I recommend Tomorrow noting the two caveats listed above. This book should stay on the shelf until the adolescent child reaches a strong sense of self and has the ability to critically discern and then evaluate the viewpoints presented within the writing.  Given the diversity of beliefs and values among parents, you may disagree with my view. Obviously, thousands of middle-school libraries do. My perspectives reflect my stance as conservative Christian. The novel does exhibit significant moral evolution albeit through stuttering teen reasoning. A more mature YA with a strong sense of identity could deal with the topics handily and benefit from the read. I would not put this book into the hands of an eighth-grader. 

Letter Re: The Survival Garden

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I’ve been an organic farmer in Ontario Canada for 12 years, and thought Chris S made some excellent points regarding underestimating the amount of fresh food required to sustain life.  I’ve ‘done the math’ myself, and found that a subsistence garden consisting of potatoes, corn, winter squash and beans would require a minimum of 5,000 square feet per person to provide 2,000 calories per day over the course of a year.
 
These crops were chosen with consideration for yield, nutrition, and storability. Another consideration is repeatability i.e. the ability to replant from your own stores.
 
Assuming you wanted 25% of calories from each crop, expected yield from this garden would need to be 90 lbs beans (dried), 100 lbs dried corn, 400 lbs potatoes, and 700 lbs squash. This is achievable on good land and with good farming practice, but you are only one crop failure away from starvation. Even experienced growers can have crop failures. For example, this summer very few of my winter squash set fruit because of excessive hot/dry conditions. If I was depending on this crop for survival, I would be in trouble. So I would want to increase the planting of all crops by at least half, and have some ‘cushion’.
 
By the way, the same tendency to underestimate applies to livestock as well. My in-laws were recently visiting, and were surprised to find I was raising 75 roaster chickens just for the two of us. I explained this was only 3 chickens every two weeks over the course of a year, certainly not excessive even if I get two meals from each bird (I usually get more than that because I make soup and stock as well).
 
By the way, I raise my meat birds in outdoor portable pens, and rotate them and my pigs through the garden area. This seems to benefit both vegetable and livestock crops.
 
Chris S is providing a valuable ‘reality check’ in his article, to which I hope I’ve contributed. Not to say a smaller plot of land can’t contribute, but self-sufficiency in food takes a lot of space and skill.
 
Scott K. – Ontario, Canada

Recipe of the Week:

Jaime’s Black Bean, Corn, and Turkey Soup
 
1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 cup salsa
 
Saute turkey and onion in vegetable oil until brown.  Then add the spices and cook for 2 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Enjoy with your favorite corn bread!
 
Our favorite corn bread recipe is as follows:
 
1 box Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix
2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
 
Add mixes, and milk, water, and eggs as indicated on the boxes to the mixer.  Mix for 1 minute.  Pour into a greased 9×13 pan.  Bake at 375 until golden brown on top.  

Chef’s Notes:

This is my family’s favorite meal and it works great for food storage.  You can also make this in a dutch oven by heating the soup to a boil and then pouring the corn bread on top and letting it bake.  So yummy on a cool weather camp out!
 

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Corn meal recipes at RecipeLand

Palmetto Farms Corn Meal Recipes

Currently Available as Free Kindle e-Books:

The Ultimate Meatloaf Cookbook

Green Smoothie Recipes: 99 Fountain of Youth Superfood Secrets

Und du? 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 H.L. recommended this over at The Daily Crux: Top Manager Grantham: Get Ready for a Global Food Crisis

The other side of persistently high unemployment – Underemployment rate shoots up to 15 percent but is actually more problematic because of the civilian employment-population ratio.

G.G. flagged this: Cash-for-gold shops boom as Italians sell off their bling

Items from The Economatrix:

Get Used To The “New Norm” of 6-7% US Jobless Rate

Peter Schiff:  Priced For Collapse

IMF:  US Plunge From Fiscal Cliff Would Hit Global Economy Hard

Oil Surges Most in a Month as US Adds Jobs, Services

Odds ‘n Sods:

I am often asked for predictions on the timeframe for a societal collapse. If I claimed to know the year, then I’d be guessing. And if I claimed to know the precise date then I’d be a good candidate for the psych ward. But if I claimed that it can’t happen in the few decades, then I’d have my head in the sand and would be doing everyone a great disservice.

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Does this sound reminiscent of India? Aging power grid on overload as U.S. demands more electricity. And in related news, G.G. flagged this: Outage in India Could Be a Harbinger for the Rest of the World

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Safety tip: Don’t enrage any Vermont farmers: Vermont police: Man angry about arrest used tractor like monster truck to crush seven cop vehicles. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

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One man’s view: Wranglerstar’s Tactical Loadout. (JWR’s Comment: Your mileage may vary. This arrangement is fine for walking around and even good in a vehicle, but don’t try to low crawl in it. If a tactical situation dictates a period of crawling, then keep on mind that some chest pack harnesses like this can be temporarily reversed into a backpack configuration.)

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Ann Barnhardt: On Cowardice

Notes from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 41 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.