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.)

   o o o

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

   o o o

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

   o o o

In-shoe device harvests energy created by walking

   o o o

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.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:11-16 (KJV)

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.

Taste Tests: A Review of Survival Food From the Local Grocery Store, by M.B.

As part of our general prepping, my family has started including “survival food” in our normal diet. This gives us a chance to decide what we like to eat and to stock up on more of it for the future, rather than having to live with what we have when the SHTF. We all know that when food becomes scarce we will be thrilled to have a bowl of rice, beans, etc., but with a bit of experimentation we hope to be able to stock up on tastier foods in addition to commonly stocked staples. Rather than buy large quantities of foods we are trying for the first time, we are buying what is available locally at common grocery stores and super-stores. Since times are tough for many now, I also included some products from discount ‘dollar’ stores. These have the additional benefit of being very-well pre-packaged, so long-term storage should be good. This article describes our experience so far, and I am not in any way affiliated with any of these companies or and food distributor or retailer.

Bear Creek Soup Mixes

The Bear Creek brand soup mixes are excellent! My wife, two kids, and I have tried each of these mixes and love them. They have fair nutritional value by just adding water, but if you were in TEOTWAWKI mode adding some meat would boost the protein levels to a sustainable level. As with lots of pre-packaged meal products there is higher salt content, but no more per package than many people eat on a single large order of fries! Preparation could not be any more simple, just add water (usually 8 cups), boil a bit, let simmer and stand. The mix becomes adequately thick and ‘souply’. One thing to keep in mind is that many of these products contain very low amounts of (or no) fat, so living on this stuff alone will be unhealthy as you need a certain amount of fat to be healthy.

 

Minestrone

The minestrone is very good. When you eat a bowl you are full, end of story. The flavor is full and not at all watery or pasty. These are not ramen noodles! (although I am not knocking ramen, I eat ramen all the time). I found the soup to be great with no additional seasoning added. My wife and kids are garlic-salt addicts so they added a little and we very happy with it. Each package makes about 8 1-cup servings. Each serving has about 110 calories, 4 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbs, 2 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 870 mgrams of sodium. Additional nutritional information can be found online.

 

Vegetable Beef

This is a good soup for everyone. It’s not as rich as the minestrone with just water, but if you add the optional tomato sauce it is quite rich. My kids prefer it to the minestrone. Preparation is about the same, as is the number of servings per package. Each serving has about 110 Calories, 850 mg of Sodium, 22 grams of Carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

 

Creamy Potato

This is another family favorite. If you let it sit and simmer per the directions it becomes very creamy and full, not watery at all. We add a little salt and black pepper when we make it. Preparation is about the same, as is the number of servings per package. Each serving has about 150 Calories, 860 mg of Sodium, 27 grams of Carbs, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

 

“Darn Good” Chili

The kids like this, I like it, but my wife prefers canned hands-down. The flavor is mild, although the packages says ‘mildly spicy’ my family thinks it’s just mild. This mix requires a 6-oz. can of tomato paste and 3.5 cups of water. Each package makes 4 1-cup servings. Each  serving has about 120 Calories, 520 mg of Sodium, 23 grams of Carbs, 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

 

Cheddar Broccoli

I like this mix, the rest of the family doesn’t, but they don’t like any kind of cheese or broccoli soup. The flavor is good, and is quite acceptable as a cheese soup. I add some red pepper to mine and it’s awesome. Each package makes 8 1-cup  servings. Each  serving has about 170 Calories, 960 mg of Sodium, 24 grams of Carbs, 1 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

 

Chicken Noodle

The family likes this soup mix very much. The flavor is good, and it cooks quickly. We add a small can of Swanson’s white chicken to it, along with some black pepper. It’s very filling. Each package makes 8 1-cup  servings. Each  serving has about 120 Calories, 760 mg of Sodium, 22 grams of Carbs, 1 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

 

Gumbo

This is my favorite, although the rest of the family wont touch any kind of gumbo. The flavor is good by itself, but is fantastic when you add some small chunks of sausage. I add some red pepper and paprika sometimes too to kick it up a notch. Each package makes 8 1-cup  servings. Each serving has about 130 Calories, 990 mg of Sodium, 26 grams of Carbs, 1 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

 

Navy Bean

This mix is very good if you like bean soup. I do, my family does not. It cooks up nice and soupy, not watery or thin. Although I have not tried it yet, I am sure a few small chunks of ham would probably add a tremendous amount of additional flavor, not to mention some additional fiber. Each package makes 8 1-cup servings. Each serving has about 130 Calories, 940 mg of Sodium, 26 grams of Carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Split Pea

This was a bust, none of us liked this, but to be fair we don’t eat split-pea soup at all, it was just an experiment. Each package makes 8 1-cup servings. Each serving has about 110 Calories, 810 mg of Sodium, 20 grams of carbs, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

 

Tortilla

This is another tasty soup mix that is on the lower end of the dietary scale. Cooked as directed it’s a little thin, but no more than many tortilla soups I have been served when dining out. Maybe ideal for food you can drink on the run from a thermos bottle. I add a little cayenne pepper to mine, and I think some Swanson’s canned chicken cooked and added would make this a complete meal. Each package makes 8 1-cup servings. Each serving has about 90 Calories, 830 mg of Sodium, 22 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

 

Alessi Soup Mixes

I had the Zuppa Toscana and it was great. The packet makes 1 quart of soup. Each serving has about 150 Calories, 660 mg of Sodium, 28 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein. Compared to other mixes this soup packs a bit more nutritional punch. I found it a bit more expensive as well.

 

Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes

My kids love these! They eat them like ice cream! Sometimes they add a little garlic salt and sour cream, but just as often as not they eat them as-is. Prepared as directed they are very good. They get thick and creamy and actually taste like mashed potatoes, not sawdust or chalk. Since you mix these with hot water and don’t boil the mixture, I tried an experiment by putting the mix and hot water in a 1-gallon freezer bag to mix them. With a little gentle shaking motion they mixed up just as well as in a pot.

 

Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes

The kids didn’t like these as much as the Betty Crocker’s, but I did. They have a bit more ‘potato’ taste (you know, like dirt). Same as the others, they are better if you add a little garlic salt and sour cream, but it’s not a must. Prepared as directed they are very good. Like the betty Crocker, these get thick and creamy and actually taste like mashed potatoes, but I had to cook them a little longer than directed. very good instant potatoes.

All in all, these seem to be decent products that I would eat on a daily basis, not just in an emergency situation. With a little care and planning, you should be able to buy these both locally at retail stores and in bulk from distributors. They will store well as packaged, and fit well into backpacks and fanny-packs. I have already started stocking up on these mixes, and I actually look forward to eating them.

Letter Re: Some Defective Lots of Black Berkey Water Filters

Dear JWR:
I just cleaned my Royal Berkey and noticed that 3 of the 4 filter elements (the Black version) were loose. The adhesive that attaches the end-cap to the carbon filter came loose. So I called the vendor and they said Berkey will send free replacement filters for all of the filter systems I purchased. A remediation is in effect with manufacturer lots beginning with June. So if you have a black Berkey filter that was made before June of 2011, then check to see if the cap is loose. You may be drinking unfiltered water! – Ken C. in South Carolina

Letter Re: Some Experience With 7.62mm NATO Battle Rifles

If one is planning to stock .308 Winchester or 7.62 mm NATO for SHTF, old West German 7.62 NATO ball ammo is the stuff to look for as warshot.  During the adoption phase of the M16 in Vietnam, West Germany and Sweden complained that the [55 grain] M193 round that shattered at the cannelure was inhumane and a violation of the Hague Conventions.  The US Army’s Natick Research Center did tests with Swede and German .308 to prove that it did the same thing.  Of course they stopped complaining.

US 7.62 mm NATO Ball is much tougher built and simply plows through the target.  But the West German ammo goes in a few inches, tumbles sideways, shatters into two pieces and a storm of lead and creates a massive wound channel, offering the best terminal effects of 5.56 NATO combined with the power of 7.62 NATO. – Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large)