Note from JWR:

I was glad to see that Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm before it hit a major metropolitan region. I trust that SurvivalBlog readers in the region were well-prepared. Please share your knowledge and your larder with your less prudent neighbors. Then perhaps next time they won’t be caught flat-footed. (There are plenty of pictures of empty store shelves in New England now circulating . When will the Sheeple ever learn?)

Giardia Infection and Treatment, by Dr. Bob

Giardia is a regular fear during TEOTWAWKI due to sanitation and water purity issues when the Schumer hits the fan (WTSHTF).  Giardia lamblia, Giardia duodenalis, or Giardia intestinalis are the fancy names for good old-fashioned Giardia–everyone’s favorite parasite.  Giardia cysts can live in moist environments for prolonged periods of time, just waiting for some poor oaf to drink as little as 10 of them which can then cause infection.  The infection occurs when the cysts are ingested into your warm innards, most often through contaminated water.  Also can occur with direct person to person transmission (too gross to think about) and ingestion of contaminated food.  After ingestion, the “shell” of the cyst unfolds the nasty little trophozoite form which then swims around inside you, latching on to your intestine wall and starts making copies of itself by living off you like a penniless hippy.

For reasons that are actually poorly understood (whaaaat?  science doesn’t know everything?) diarrhea, malaise, flatulence, abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, foul-smelling and fatty stools, and the weight loss from the diarrhea, etc. occurs in most people with acute giardia.  Less often, there is vomiting, and rarely fevers.  Symptoms usually last 2 to 4 weeks.  84 percent of folks in one study had self-limited disease, therefore the other 16 percent went on to develop chronic giardia.  Chronic giardia can have similar symptoms, usually without the diarrhea, and the manifestations of the infection can come and go for months.  Lactose intolerance often develops in those infected with chronic giardia, and drinking milk or eating dairy products too soon after infection can cause symptoms again for up to months.  The recommendation is to avoid dairy products altogether for one month.

Chronic exposure to giardia may give people immunity from infection; travelers have higher rates of infection than residents of giardia infested areas, as well as higher rates of infection in children in those areas compared to older people.  Immuno-compromised individuals appear to get infected at similar rates as those with no immune problems–although there are some conflicting reports in these populations.  Those that have cystic fibrosis and immunoglobulin deficiencies do get more severe symptoms and develop chronic disease more often, but not those with HIV.
Treatment is recommended in symptomatic patients with lab positive giardia in our modern world.  WTSHTF it is very likely to be difficult or impossible to get a “lab positive” confirmation and treatment itself will be difficult or impossible to get.  There are a variety of antibiotics that actually treat giardia readily available currently.  These include tinidazole (Tindamax), and metronidazole (Flagyl) as the drugs of choice, especially since they are dirt cheap.  Alternatives include nitazoxanide, albendazole and paromomycin; but these are very expensive.  Tinidazole dosing is 2 grams once for giardia and done.  Metronidazole dosing is 250 mg three times a day for 5 to 7 days.  You would still need to have it and know what you are using it for…both potential problems.

The tough thing about giardia is knowing that it is indeed the source of your infection.  (Reference my prior survivinghealthy.com post about water for details).  Prevention is the cure for giardia.   Never can enough be said about water purification and quality water sources at TEOTWAWKI.  Figure out practical solution now rather than waiting until trying to figure out what parasite you may have been infected with and then what you are going to do about trying to treat it.  If the labs and pharmacies are all open, easy solution.  When they are not…much more complicated problem.  This is not news to preppers, but for those of you that are surprised, you better get moving on your plans now.  Stay strong.

JWR Adds: Dr. Bob is is one of the few consulting physicians in the U.S. who dispenses antibiotics for disaster preparedness as part of his normal scope of practice. His web site is: SurvivingHealthy.com.

Pat’s Product Reviews: Cold Steel Hold Out II

There’s a couple things I like about Lynn Thompson, over at Cold Steel knives. One is, and I’ve said this many times, is that I believe Cold Steel put the “sharp” in sharp knives. I’ve yet to run across a single Cold Steel knife that wasn’t scary sharp right out of the box. Lynn set the trend for super-sharp knives, and everyone else had to either jump on the band wagon or get run over. Second, I like that Thompson isn’t afraid to take classic knives and give them his own twist on things – and it always seems to be an improvement over the original in many ways.

Enter the Cold Steel Hold Out II.” What we have is an updated version of the ancient Black Knife or Skean Dhu (Gaelic) that the ancient Scottish warriors used as a back-up or utility knife, worn under a sleeve, tucked inside a jacket or slipped into the top of a stocking. The Cold Steel interpretation of the Skean Dhu has a 4″ blade made out of AUS 8A stainless steels – one of the better stainless steels in my humble opinion ’cause it’s fairly easy to re-sharpen and they hold an edge a good long time – a very good compromise in a stainless blade if you ask me – and it also keeps the blade affordable – something I always look for – value!

The Hold Hold II has an overall length of 9″ and only weighs 4.2 oz, however, it feels much lighter than that. The handle scales are textured G-10 laminate, some of the toughest stuff around for handle material on a knife. There is also a stainless steel pocket clip on the hand. The Hold Out II also incorporates the Tri-Ad lock – which looks like a lock-back type of lock, but don’t let looks fool you – it’s a super-stout lock that won’t fail you under some pretty harsh conditions. Can it fail? Sure, any folding blade knife, no matter what type of locking mechanism it uses can fail. However, I don’t think you’ll be the least bit disappointed in the Tri-Ad lock – it’s not gonna let you down when you need it the most.

The blade shape is dagger(esque) in shape – while it looks like a double-edge dagger, it’s not! The top edge has not been sharpened–a “false edge”. However, the Hold Out II will pierce with the best of ’em when thrusting into living tissue in a life and death scenario. Besides, there are a few states that don’t allow double-edge knives for some reason – the Hold Out II gets around these stupid laws.

I especially like the textured G-10 handle material – it almost hugs you back when gripped, and there’s not much chance of this baby slipping out of your hands under the most grueling circumstances.  There are also some “friction” grooves on the top (front) of the handle as well as on the top (back) of the blade for a sure grip. There is an ambidextrous thumb stud, so if you’re a southpaw, you’ll really appreciate this. And, this is my one very minor complaint with the Hold Out II – I’d like to see slightly larger thumb studs. Under stressful conditions, you might not get a good purchase on the thumb studs and miss opening the blade. Others who tried the sample I had didn’t have any complaints, and I’m probably nit-picking here – but its a subjective thing.

Blade thickness is 3.5mm – it’s stout – however, I wouldn’t use the blade for prying – and leave the Hold Out II to what it was really meant for – it’s a self-defense weapon – that can either be your primary weapon or your back-up, and I believe this is where the Hold Out II really shines – as a back-up weapon. Light chores can easily be handled, however, I’d leave the heavier work to a slightly thicker blade. In my estimation, the Hold Out II should be reserved for “hold out” purposes.

I did some light cutting chores around the kitchen and the sample I had worked perfectly. Now, you’d be surprised at how many knives (cheaper ones) can’t handle simple cutting chores in the kitchen. If they can’t hack it in the kitchen, they aren’t gonna do you much good in a self-defense situation. I also tested the penetrative power of the Hold Out II. Normally what I’ll do is thrust a blade into a pot roast to see how far they will easily penetrate. I did something a little different this time around. I held the Hold Out II by the handle, point down, about a foot and a half above the pot roast and dropped it into the meat – it penetrated completely to the handle – no problem. I can see this blade penetrating some light body armor – the concealable type if thrust hard enough.

I think this outstanding blade from Cold Steel is worthy of consideration for a back-up weapon, in that, it’s slim and light-weight. You can slip this folder inside your trouser’s waist-line and clip it behind your belt and no one would see it, except on very close examination, and it short order, you’ll forget you have this knife hid on your body – until you need it. It would work great if you were out jogging in your work out shorts or a pair of sweat pants – slip it inside the waistband and clip it – and you’re good to go.

I don’t want to get too wordy talking about the Hold Out II from Cold Steel – I was totally impressed with the sample I received – then again, I’ve never been let-down by any Cold Steel product in all the years I’ve been testing and using ’em. And, regular readers know, that I sincerely appreciate a value. I work hard for my money, and I like to think that I usually spend it wisely. Full retail on the Hold Out II is $104.95 – and you’re getting a great value, in a folder that won’t let you down when you need it most – in a life and death scenario.

I’ve got my Cold Steel Hold Out II – now go out there and get one for yourself, or as a gift for someone you love – they’ll think you spent a lot more money than you did, for such an outstanding folder. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Do It Yourself Oil Extraction

Jim: 
While researching briquette presses for fuel production, I stumbled on an article about using similar presses for extracting oils from seeds and nuts. In this case, the focus was on bio-diesel production, but I felt it was helpful for other uses as well. We preppers often hear of the importance of fats and oils in the diet, along with the difficulties in storing these items, so having the means to produce your own is a benefit. 

For the Do-It-Yourselfers in the audience, you can check out a Journey To Forever article which details how to build the equipment needed to process sunflower seeds for sunflower oil, including grading screens, de-hulling, winnowing and then pressing itself. Sunflowers appear to be very robust and can be grown from Canada to the tropics. You can find a great deal about sunflowers at this Purdue University web page. 

If you’d prefer a commercial solution for the equipment to do this, there are plenty out there. Most are made for larger-scale production, however. A web search for “oil expeller” will provide lots of hits if that’s the way you want to go. 

For the individual prepper interested in an off-the-shelf oil extraction solution, a source to consider is the hand-cranked expeller. I don’t know anything about these small units other than what I’ve seen on their Web site and in reviews on the Web, but they appear to be well-made and users seem to love them. The Web site shows a wide variety of seeds the unit can handle, including sunflower, walnut, pumpkin and more. They also have instructions on how to attach the unit to a bicycle frame. 

In addition to the food value of oils, such oils can be used to produce bio-diesel for use in engines and can be used as fuel in lamps (as a recent article on SurvivalBlog indicated). The “waste” products of oil production can be used in cooking or as an additive to animal feed.  Blessings,  – Jason R.

Two Letters Re: Some Experience With 7.62mm NATO Battle Rifles

Mr. Rawles,
I was wondering if you or your staff had any experience or opinion on the PTR-91 GI rifle, also known as the PTR-91 “special edition”.  These seem very competitively priced; $899 at both Atlantic Firearms and CDNN Sports (listed on page 28 of their online catalog). 

Apparently the changes made to this rifle allow it to accept the military surplus ammunition, which previously jammed the rifle.  However, the “tolerances” are looser, according to the web site, so it is possible that accuracy suffered.

As this is a great price to enter the .308 / 7.62 NATO market, I was wondering if this is a quality rifle or if I am better off spending a couple hundred more and going with one of the PTR-91 F rifles.

Thank you for all the work you do. – Ed P.

JWR Replies: We have a standard PTR-91of an earlier vintage here at the Rawles Ranch. I have found that it is not finicky with the various types of +/- 150 grain 7.62 mm NATO ball ammo that we’ve put through it. These have included Portuguese, South African, Winchester (white box–a USGI ball duplication load) , and West German. They all run just fine. Ejection is also fairly uniform–15 to 20 feet, which is typical of HKs. (They positively launch brass!)

While I haven’t shot one personally, the new “-GI” suffixed PTR rifles are reputedly even more omnivorous than mine. (Although I would be very reluctant to shoot any ammo that is outside of the 145 to 155 grain range, and I’d also be leery of shooting commercial soft nose 150 grain ammunition, since it is loaded considerably hotter than NATO specification military loads.) From all reports, I think that you will be happy if you buy a PTR-91 GI rifle. Considering that they cost only one-third as much as an original pre-ban HK91, they are quite a bargain!

Parenthetically, it is a bit ironic that I wrote the first draft of my novel “Patriots” back in the winter of 1990-1991. Even though I was strictly a Springfield M1A owner at the time, I portrayed the fictional “Group” as standardizing with the HK91. That was back when HK91s were creeping up in price, but still fairly affordable. But by the late 1990s the original HK-made rifles and even the Greek clones had their prices inflated to the point that they became toys for the rich. But now, after the advent of large scale military surplus imports of both G3 rifle parts sets (for the clone builders)and incredibly inexpensive (less than $1!) magazines, the HK clones have become a low cost alternative to the M1A, most AR-10 variants, and the various FN/FAL clones. For those of us that like to have 15+ spare magazines per rifle, this makes rifles that can use G3 magazines a logical choice. And I should mention that there are now two brands of AR-10s made with lower receivers that accept G3 magazines. Given the relatively high cost of M1A and FAL magazines, I expect this design trend to be picked up by other gun makers.

Lastly, I should mention that the deluge of $1 HK G3 magazines won’t last forever. (CheaperThanDirt currently sells them for just 97 cents each.) So I strongly recommend that you buy a hundred of them now, even if there is just a chance that you will eventually buy a rifle that can use them. And even if you don’t, they will be great to keep on hand for barter!

 

Mr. Rawles,
I came across an article on wounds patterns of military rifle cartridges, after doing some personal follow-on research to Mr. Williamson’s recent letter to your blog. I’m finding this resource very informative. – Swiftner Braveheart

Letter Re: Some Defective Lots of Black Berkey Water Filters

Sir:
I have purchased a Big Berkey recently and ended up with several defective filters, just as was recently mentioned in SurvivalBlog. I discovered this when the unfiltered chlorinated water destroyed a gallon of my sweet tea. The glue that was on it looked a lot like a kind of hot glue! I didn’t want to hassle with the long waiting list, so I removed the excess glue and “re-glued” it with a tube of clear silicone [RTV] caulk that I bought at Home Depot for $4. It is a simple fix and it lasts. Just make sure you follow the instructions on the tube and don’t let the silicon run into the little plastic nozzle. The original glue lasted a week, and the caulk has thusfar lasted 5 months.
Good luck! Enjoy you clean water!! – Thomas D.

Economics and Investing:

R.B.S. spotted this: Big Changes Afoot at U.S. Mint? The articles begins: “The year 2013 might go down in the annals of numismatics as significant as 1933 when gold coinage was suspended or 1965, the year copper-nickel began to displace the former silver coinage.” Got your nickels yet?

J.B.G. sent this: Market crash ‘could hit within weeks’, warn bankers

Martin P. sent this: Economic Stabilization Fund.

Items from The Economatrix:

The Upside for Gold and Silver Will Knock Your Socks Off

3-2-1 Global Meltdown

Do The Maths

Odds ‘n Sods:

K.A.F. was the first of several readers to send this: Feared Beetle Makes Its Way to U.S. in Rice from India

   o o o

L. Veritas sent this: Raw milk raids, now guitar raids. It seems nothing is safe!

   o o o

Reader Ian R. e-mailed me to describe last weekend in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, only diesel fuel was available at the local gas station. All grades of gasoline were sold out. Ian noted: “The gas station attendant stated they sold out of regular by Friday afternoon, and out of all gas by Saturday morning.” This underscores my long-standing advice that each retreat that is south of the Canadian border and north of Patagonia should have at least one diesel vehicle. In extremis, most diesels can also run on home heating oil, vegetable oil blends, and of-road diesel. Older diesels are also relatively immune to electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

   o o o

M.B. suggested this reference in PDF on gasifier technology, over at BioEnergyLists.org: Rice Husk Gas Stove Handbook

   o o o

Typisch, typisch: New York shoppers fight for bottled water and flashlights.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Gold is the mirror of the world’s paper currency system. The price of gold doesn’t reflect the intrinsic value of the metal – which is almost unchanging over time. It reflects the relative value and volatility of paper currencies.” – Porter Stansberry . [JWR highly recommends the Stansberry investing newsletters.]

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 36 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, and C.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 36 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Application of Bodybuilding and Supplementation to the Crunch, by A.T.

I am just beginning my journey into the prepping world and it is amazing when I look back over the last year just how far I have come.  Being only 22 years old, and living on my own since 18 away at school and living in a large metropolitan area, it wasn’t my first priority when I first left home.  I went through my first few years living the typical college life.  However, two years in, traveled to China for a while and it really opened my eyes as to how messed up the government of that country is.  What started my transition was seeing the correlation between how they were and the path we were going down in the USA.  After I got back, I started a small business (a fitness center) while still in college and became engaged to my soon to be wife.  All of these things really put my life into perspective and I knew I had to make some adjustments.  Thankfully, I had grown up in a rural part of the country on a farm and had developed several skill sets that one would not have growing up in the city.  I knew how to fish, trap, survive in the wilderness, and was especially proficient with firearms.  I had also grown up in a very conservative thinking Christian family that kept my morals in check.  I was always very into politics and always followed the daily news very closely.  About a year ago at the age of 20, the fire became ignited for having the survival mindset.  Seeing the changes taking place both in this country and around the world, I knew things would eventually “change”.  I picked up on the inter-connectivity of the entire world and one small domino falling could bring the whole thing down.  All politics aside, I knew in 2008 we would be heading down the wrong path and it would probably never get any better.  Well, here we are…  read the news lately?  I made a few decisions about what I needed to do and how to live and I never turned back.

I did all the first steps that everyone does…  I bought all the most popular survival books, learned about what to store and how to store it.  I even went as far as planning for if I would have to leave the country and learning about second identifications and legal means to change your identity.  I purchased a lever action .30-30, a bolt-action Savage .308 Winchester long distance rifle with a Leupold scope, a Smith and Wesson M&P .45 along with plenty of ammo.  I bought food that can be stored, water purification, and traded in my car for a Dodge Dakota 4×4 with a standard transmission.  Unfortunately, I am not to the point that I can live at my retreat due to my business.  However, I have moved from downtown to the outskirts of the city on the side of the city that is heading towards my retreat, which is shared by a couple of very close friends with similar mindsets.  I also have four routes that I can take to my retreat if necessary.  I’ve done all of the basics recommended on this site and many other sources.  However, I feel as a young man that my journey is just beginning.

One aspect of the survival mindset that I feel is often not touched on enough is physical fitness and the necessity of it for a SHTF situation.  Also, I want to touch on the usefulness and practicality of many bodybuilding supplements that are designed for nutrition and supplementation that can be extremely useful for survival situations.  With fitness being my background and my company, I have a very good idea of the how important it is.  I see a lot of talk on this web site and others for preparing for TEOTWAWKI… and especially the moment life changes and we all rush to enact our survival plans.  Grabbing guns and supplies with a BOB, packing a vehicle with everything we can and making the mad dash for our retreat.  Well let me ask you…  If need be, would you be able to make it to your retreat on foot with a full load of gear on your back?  No matter how tricked out your gun is, would you be able to sprint a mile to a position, retreat if necessary (by sprinting), and all the while still be able to shoot?  Do you have the strength in your back and core to put a huge rucksack on it and carry it long distances?  There are so many plans we make to WTSHTF, but can we physically carry them out if we have to?  I recommend that everyone do a combination of strength training and cardiovascular work.  Very likely in a survival situation, we will not have to do endurance long distance running.  It will either be fast paced walking, or sprinting.  So we should be prepared to do either.  Also, strength will help you in bugging out and in terms of usefulness after TEOTWAWKI.  Those who are strong will survive, small and weak people will not be needed or useful.  Am I advocating that we all look like bodybuilders?  Not all, that is even less useful.  However, having a lean, muscular build will be optimal for a survival situation.  You want to be a combination of lean, fast, strong, and slightly muscular.  If you are looking to be in incredible shape, I recommend you check out www.sealfit.com.  It is an incredible workout program that will get you prepared to be in shape.  As they say, any one can have desire to be a great warrior, but are you fit enough?

More on the topic of fitness.  I want to discuss something that I have yet to see on this board.  The usefulness of supplements…  There are several supplements that are designed for active lifestyles and people who work out that are extremely useful.  The things I will talk about are: vitamins, nutritional support supplements, protein shakes, and weight gainers, and testosterone enhancers (not steroids)

Vitamins:
Essential for optimal function of your body on a cellular level.  Regulates many activities and is important even when combined with a nutritional diet.  These become vitally important when we have a diet that is not rich in natural vitamins and minerals (eating stored food).  With a diet that is likely for the short term to be void of fresh fruits and vegetables, these nutrients will be very important.  A brand that I use is Apex.  It has a 97% absorption rate and it timed-released, which is far better than the grocery store vitamins that have about a 20-30% absorption rate.  They run about $10-$15 for a two month supply.

Nutritional Support:
Fish Oils: Essential for brain health and heart health
Glucosamine: We will be much more active when SHTF, we will want this for joint support due once again a diet that is not nutritionally balanced.
Calcium: Unless you have a farm with animals that can produce milk, you won’t have any… Enough said
Anti-Oxidants: Prevents cancer and other ailments, found mostly in fresh-fruits, which will be hard to come by unless you grow them.
There are many brands to choose from for these, however, since my fitness center distributes Apex and it is proven, I use it.

Whey/Soy Protein:
Very easy source of a high protein food.  Whey protein is derived from milk, where Soy is naturally derived from Soy.  I carry this in my BOB as an easy to carry source of food that is high in protein to prevent muscle breakdown in the event that I have to hoof it to my retreat.  Also very useful at the retreat for long term nutrition.  Best brands for this are Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey (can be bought in 2 lb to 10 lb), or Muscle Milk since it has some carbs and Vitamins/Minerals as well.

Weight Gainers:
My essential food for when SHTF, bulk weight gainer shakes.  These shakes are not useful for most people in a normal situation due to the fact they are extremely high in calories, carbs, and protein and will make most people get fat if they are used regularly.  However, in a survival situation, what more could you ask for?  A compact source of food that is extremely high in calories, carbohydrates, protein, tons of vitamins and minerals, and can easy be mixed in water.  Literally, we are talking about 600-1000 calories with 50 grams of protein, 100 grams of carbs (both simple and complex), packed with vitamins and minerals, and is about 3/4 cup of powder that can be mixed with water in a medium sized bottle.  You can’t really find anything even close to that in terms of size to nutrient ratio.

My two favorite brands for this are Ultimate Nutrition’s Iso Mass Xtreme Gainer or Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass.  Both of these weight gainers come in 10 pound tubs.  These babies have an expiration date about 5 years down the road after purchasing, and could probably last longer if needed and come completely sealed.  My retreat has countless jugs of this stuff.

Testosterone Boosters
I have some of these planned for the time period immediately after the collapse.  The amount of stress on the body, both physically and mentally will be incredible.  Except for those who have been in extended periods of consistent combat (several months), none of us have probably ever experienced anything like this before.  Having your natural testosterone increased to the highest optimal level will help you make it through much better.  Your body will heal quicker from strain and you will be better mentally prepared to hand everything.
What I recommend for this is Tribulus, ZMA, and T-Bomb.

All in all, I hope this has brought some ideas to people about the usefulness of supplements and the necessity of many of them after the world changes for good.  God Bless and be prepared.

Battening Down the Hatches–Hurricane Irene and New York City

Dear Mr. Rawles,
Here’s an article on the New York Times web site about the extraordinary preparations being made in and around New York City as Hurricane Irene makes her way up the East Coast. They’re evacuating a quarter of a million people, including a number of hospitals and nursing homes; making the main arteries out of some locations into one-way, six lane evacuations routes; and shutting down the entire public transit system, including several commuter lines to Long Island, New Jersey, and upstate. New Yorkers tend to forget how close we are to the sea.

Nothing like this has ever been done before. The only times I can remember the subways being shut down were in the infamous blackouts that have descended on the city from time to time. And mandatory evacuations? In Brooklyn?? Fuhgeddaboudit!

I’m grateful to you and all your readers for the knowledge and insight to make the preparations I’ve needed to. I live out in the country now, up on a nice little hill. The greatest danger around here is the trees that are likely to come down. I expect to be without power for several days, and feel secure and comfortable in my little house — plenty of food and water, light sources and a camp stove, a bucket for flushing all squared away and ready to rock. And I’ve given away some of my supplies, will give away more tomorrow, to a conductor who’s in from out-of-town to conduct a concert nearby. He has no idea what he needs, so I’ve prepared a basic kit for him, of water, candles, matches, and food that doesn’t need to be cooked.

Thank you for being there, and for the good guidance. We won’t feel the full force of the storm here in my valley, but I’m a little scared. And my trust is in the Lord, here and now.

Best, Mary in Rosendale, New York

Two Letters Re: Some Observations on Non-Electric Lighting

Jim,
While reading the very informative article “Re: Some Observations on Non-Electric Lighting” and the response letter, I thought that it might be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers to know of another source of good brass lanterns and wicks. 

I have bought several brass lanterns over the years from Vermont Lanterns, including a couple of discounted and “scratch and dent” models. They are of very high quality, all brass, imported from India, though marketed by a family business in Vermont.  The company sells spare globes and wicks for each of their models, as well.  A bit more expensive than the typical stamped steel lanterns (that rust and sometimes leak) typically found in big box stores and on-line, they are nevertheless worth the extra cost, at least to me. For those so inclined, see: VermontLanterns.com/

Also, I have bought high quality wicks for both lanterns and kerosene heaters from Miles Stair’s Wick Shop. The products are reasonably priced and the site is very informative about types, quality, construction of wicks, maintenance and types of kerosene lamps and globes, and has good description of the composition, use, and maintenance of kerosene fuel. See: MilesStair.com/

(I have no financial interest in these companies, other than to have patronized them.)

Thanks for the great blog. – T.D. in West Virginia

JWR Replies: The best source that I have found for inexpensive lamp wicking in fairly large quantity is to buy it by the yard or by the roll, via eBay.

 

James Wesley:
IKEA offers solar hanging lamp, table lamp and desk lamp.  Here is one example.

Other than it is a safe and modern looking, it is cordless which adds flexibility to your placement. The lamp can be charged during the day, even on a cloudy day by a window, and functions well at night.   Regards, – Frances

Economics and Investing:

We’ve been warned: the system is ready to blow

Reuters reports: Home Depot, Walmart, grocers get boost from Irene. (Thanks to M.W. for the link.)

Some wise folks are buying on the dip: Sudden Temporary Gold and Silver Price Drop; Retail Sales Soar. (A hat tip to R.B.S. for the link.)

A whole bunch of news, courtesy of John R.:

In An Unsustainable System, A Warning of Collapse (Bob Chapman)

Panic & Anxiety Swirl a Storm (Jim Willie)

Banks face $340 billion state-backed bond refi hole (Helene Durand)
 
Big Banks: Under-Capitalized, Overexposed, Opaque(Barry Ritholtz)

“A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” (Mike Kreiger)

Marc Faber Says: Don’t Store Your Gold In The United States (Sovereign Man)

Europe’s Problem Is Decidedly Not the Euro(John Tamny)

Where Are We? (Greg Hunter)

Prepare for the Global Long Wave Extinction Event (David Knox Barker )

Greece forced to tap emergency fund (Louise Armitstead)

Items from The Economatrix:

Gold $3000?

JPMorgan May Take Over BofA

BofA’s Share Nosedive Fuels Fears of Second Credit Crunch

But wait! Warren to the rescue! Berkshire Hathaway Invests $5 Billion in Bank of America

Odds ‘n Sods:

K.T. suggested this nine minute fictional video: “It has been six months since the grid went down. You and the other five members of your party have settled into what may be a long grinding existence.” If the narration sounds familiar, it is because it was originally from a 2009 SurvivalBlog post. I have belatedly given them permission to use the contents of that post. (Thanks to reader “Blacksheep” for sending the link back to Jeff’s post.)

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Litigation Nation: Burglar’s family awarded $300,000 in wrongful death suit. (A hat tip to Karl G. for sending the link.)

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Troy H. sent this: Democratic Discontent, Black Swans, Constitutional Conventions, and Civil or Foreign Wars

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In-shoe device harvests energy created by walking

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Steven F. flagged this: The most telegraphed “disaster” in history and the stores still can’t keep up.  Heaven help the unprepared when something happens that there is no notice of.