G.G. sent this: New-home sales fall, 2011 could be worst year yet
G.G. flagged this: CBO: Federal deficit will hit $1.3 trillion
SSG Tom mentioned: Forget stocks; buy food
Items from The Economatrix:
Int’l Oil Higher On Supply Concerns
Higher Durable-Goods Orders Ease Economic Worries
If you have any recommendations for items that we should add to The SurvivalBlog Amazon Store, please mention them in an e-mail. Note that if you click on one of our Amazon links and then “click through” to order ANY product from Amazon.com (not just the ones listed in our catalog), then we will earn a modest sales commission. So please bookmark one of our Amazon links. Then use that as your starting point whenever you plan to place an Amazon order. Thanks!
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Jonathan B. sent this: Inside the secret world of hackers Computer hackers are frequently denigrated as mere digital pranksters. But some are now finding they have the power to change the world for good
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My #1 Son spotted this: Pirate-Fighters, Inc.: How Mercenaries Became Ships’ Best Defense. My son’s comment: “Sounds like something out of a novel.”
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John M. sent this news from Idaho: Grizzly shooter garners support. (BTW, there is now a legal defense fund being raised.)
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Reader Craig R. advises: Check your airspace before building your retreat
“[[To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David.]] In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee [as] a bird to your mountain?
For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The LORD [is] in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne [is] in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: [this shall be] the portion of their cup.
For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” – Psalm 11 (KJV)
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.
I am out of my comfort zone. We executed a move and I have to battle fear. I am afraid that we will fail. I am afraid that our plans have been too costly. Our “threes” have been reduced to one – and we all know that one is none. We no longer have three ways to heat, cook or travel. We don’t know the terrain well, nor do we know the roads. We do not have all of our supplies here with us. And, to top it all off, today I opened a package of spiced almonds only to find they have gone rancid. What of the rest of our stored food that we lugged across country? We do not have our support group. We do not have quite a bit of our savings – moving costs a lot. Wow! I’m scared and discouraged. What if? Did you read the news? Are you watching the world as we know it unravel at a spectacular pace? What to do?
Praise, pray, re-evaluate and trust. That’s what we do. Thank God for where we are and what we do have. Thank God that we are finally in the American Redoubt. We are tough, we are faith filled, and we are not alone. I do not feel any of these things right now – I feel vulnerable, weak and very much alone. More than I ever have in my life, and I have been alone in some mighty places (like a very small village on the Arctic Circle to name one). So, maybe you, too, feel this way. Remember we do not live by feelings, but by faith. Here are ways to move beyond scared. Be encouraged with me.
First look to God. Not to ask for more, but to –
Second, look at the practical –
Hi James.
I only have a few comments on Greg’s treasure hunting article.
First! All people new to metal detecting need to know the first rule is: what ever you dig- fill in your holes, please fill in any holes you make, learn to dig a ‘plug’. You Tube has a ‘how to’ do it the right way video. (Note: He’s using a Mine Lab detector in the video)
Damaging the grass in your own yard isn’t a big deal, but if a million people (since Greg posted on a very popular blog, and people might rush to buy a new detector!) started hunting the parks they will become closed to metal detecting forever in no time. Just think OPSEC. New people just don’t know how to camouflage their digs, this is a major concern to everyone in the hobby. What should happen is the ground should look like it never happened when your done recovering your treasure!
I personally don’t want to be banned from my local parks and when I leave they look better then when I find them. I pick up trash while walking around looking for targets. If everyone did this, no one would be thinking that we just trash places where we recover coins. I tend not to use the word ‘dig’ when asking for permission to recover coins also. People get the idea that you have a really big shovel and are going to leave a hole you can hide a body in.
People everywhere are watching us like hawks, so I totally agree with using head phones – it annoys people to hear beeps and squeals, it’s really distracting as they think your finding treasure while in reality your digging pull tabs and bottle caps! 🙂 They are really watching you because your walking around with “that Geiger Counter-thingy”, detecting is weird and unusual to most people- understand that everyone is watching, wondering what your doing. Some people will stop and ask you if your finding anything. Think smart security before you answer. My stock answer is “I’m finding mostly trash, some change.” and I show off the pull tabs, rusty nails, and other junk I recover. One sure time going detecting with little or no hassle is when people are scarce like early in the morning, or for me later at night. Got headlamp?
As a beginner metal detectorist, I starting this year I’ve found some good stuff (keepers!) and a lot of trash. it amazes me to see that people have hit areas leaving uncovered holes and trash they decided they didn’t want, even missing targets and giving up all together after digging a hole! The quickest way to get metal detecting banned in your local park it to dig holes and leave messes for some poor grounds keeper to deal with- city workers and grounds keepers hate dealing with messes they didn’t make. They already have to deal with picking up after other people’s kids. So they won’t be very tolerant of any problems.
Next to the purchase of a quality metal detector getting a pinpointer should be next of your list of needs.
The Pro-Pointer
My experience is I started out with a cheap detector in the spring time of this year (so I’m no twenty year vet or anything) -I first purchased a bounty hunter for $200 and I was totally disappointed with it – I backpacked up to remote coal mining camping area and ghost towns here in PA and after five outings it broke. The cheaply made connecter failed on it. Sadly a cheap Chinese machine is just that cheap. My calls to the company were never returned and since it was still in it’s warranty period I returned it to the store where I purchased it. I’m sure some people have good luck with them, but I did not.
And it was a good thing, since I traded up to something better. Don’t go cheap when you first start out, you’ll only regret it later.
I purchased a Garrett Ace 350 Metal Detector
I can say from my experience that metal detecting is hard, dirty, work! People will be discouraged over not finding goodies enough to make it worth while if they don’t have the right attitude. Persistence is key.
A friend of mine joked that I paid $1,500 to find change, and to a point they are right! it’s not always easy, as the local parks have been hit to death, but it’s fun when you hit a nickel signal and it turns out to be a gold ring, or you find your first barber dime.
There is a down side and at worst not knowing your local laws will get you in to trouble with the local law enforcement. At very worst they will confiscate your detector and your car (depending on state, instruments of crime)- detecting in state parks, or government property is a no-no and they will use your detector as evidence against you until your court date, you might get your detector back, or you might not. Never detect around rail road tracks that are ‘in use’ as the people who run those places have the local police on speed dial. Civil war sites in some areas are historical, and in some areas ‘state park sites’ that are protected, if the ranger finds you out detecting at night expect heavy fines and some kind of monetary loss. Learn your local laws, and GET PERMISSION for posted private property in writing to protect yourself. Don’t wait until the police roll up to ask them to show you the law on the books (I’m not a lawyer, and Don’t play one on television so it’s best to find out what your legally allowed to and not allowed to do before your out actually doing it!)
I personally detect at night, since I work nights – it matters to have it in writing. if you can’t get permission to detect go some place else. I know that in the area I live there are about ten baseball parks close to my place- how did I find them? By searching using Google Earth. So if someone asks you to leave, I personally haven’t been asked to leave yet- but I’d just pack up and move on to less annoying pastures.
For the most part parks that aren’t posted specifically in their rules having signs that say ‘No Metal Detecting’ you are usually safe to detect. Just keep in mind if you cut in to their lawn and don’t clean up after yourself and they see you doing it they will likely fine you on the spot for damaging their property. I’ve noticed two extremes in my being out, either no one cares or everyone does- depending on times of day while who ever is around … it’s best to go when the people aren’t there if you can help it.
Remember most municipalities are broke and looking for excuses to steal more money from the sheeple. Don’t be that sheeple. Finding places to go can sometimes be challenging, but research is the key. Older homesteads that are now empty fields are about the best, if you have permission to hunt them from private owners. Going to the older gathering places, fairgrounds, even swimming holes no longer used might be productive.
My trash to treasure ratio improved greatly going from a $290 Ace to the $1,500 E-Trac. But if your budget doesn’t allow for this, getting an “in-water” capable detector from Garret in the $550 to $650 range is a great comprise. The Garret AT Pro
I will also say as a warning watch out for sunburn, ticks, mosquitoes, wear gloves (due to glass in the ground) and tennis elbow from digging -I have it in both arms and it’s like a toothache that doesn’t go away–ouch!, and I still go out when I can because I purchased a chest rig that basically allows you to move the detector with two fingers while keeping weight off your arms. You still have to dig! the rewards some times out weigh the trash, some weekends you just can’t win. Other times you do find good stuff, just not every day.
Good luck and happy hunting! – Fitzy in Pennsylvania
JWR:
I thought the article on metal detecting was a good read. I have owned an inexpensive model detector for a few years, which I got shortly after borrowing one to find a gold wedding ring that was lost while hunting. We knew the general area that we lost it but after sitting through a snowy winter, the Mark 1 eyeball wasn’t enough to find it! Money saved and a happy wife were well worth making an investment.
Just a quick additional way to “make” money using a metal detector. I reload my ammunition and my shooting range is my back yard. My detector has the ability to discriminate between metals to a point so set it to ignore steel and make a tone for brass. Now I can find all my brass in the tall grass and forest underbrush without dealing with any iron trash, if it beeps it’s a case. I don’t have to use a brass catcher, I can move around while running shooting drills and never have to pay to replace lost brass. Plus detecting is a good way to get off your rump and exercise a bit..
Thanks for your work! – Prepared Teacher
Dear James Wesley,
I have been wrestling with the idea of “caching” emergency supplies along my main and alternate routes to my retreat location. With OPSEC foremost in my mind, what recommendations would you or other readers make under the following conditions?
My current retreat is 170 miles from home. With no friends or relatives on the primary or alternative routes, my options for caching are limited to public land. This would generally be state or county parks and forests. Many of these have access restrictions based on time of day, and some on the calendar as well. With the heightened “environmental awareness” that pervades our society, any disturbance in the terrain would draw both ire and a curiosity that would put the cache at risk.
Related to the article ” A Treasure-Hunting Prepper”, what recommendations would there be to minimize the cache being found by a metal detector? Are there any containers that could be used to hide the “signature” of the item used? Hiding survival tools, weapons, coins, food, etc. for an emergency doesn’t do much good if it cannot be hidden until it is required by the owner.
The “Redoubt” is out of reach right now. I live in the central part of the country on the “wrong” side of the Mississippi River. Though not in the metroplex of the East Coast, certainly more folks live here than in the west. This just adds pressure to the method and location of placement.
Thanks for all the hard work put in by you and your staff. – “Old Dog” in Wisconsin
JWR Replies: The best ways to protect cached gear from metal detectors are: 1.) Pick cache locations on side-hills where no one is likely to be wandering with a detector, and 2.) Find rusty scrap metal to use as false targets. Bury a couple of layers of those above your caching container. That way, upon finding the “trash” target, most people with detectors will simply move on. (Even the most dedicated hunter with the very best equipment wil give up digging if they think that they are in an old dump. )
Coin shooting rarely brings in more than enough to recoup the cost of a detector within two or three months of work. But there are lots of people–mainly retirees but even some younger unemployed and “downsized”–that are making a decent living in the western U.S. and in Australia hunting for gold nuggets in placer mining districts. Many of these folks use high end detectors from companies like Minelab.
Reader Tom C. wrote to mention an inflation data point: He noticed that half gallon bottles of lamp oil selling at Wal-Mart just jumped from $4.97 to $5.97 in one week–about a 20 percent increase.
Morgan Stanley borrowed the most in financial crisis. ($107.3 billion in one month, with no public disclosure!)
Gil Morales and Chris Kacher QE3: Top 8 Reasons Gold Goes Higher. (Thanks to Steve H. for the link.)
US Government Asset Seizures On The Rise. (A tip of the hat to Stephen M. for the link.)
Over at Fierce Finance: Layoff misery on Wall Street just getting started.
Items from The Economatrix:
AP Survey: No Recession But Weakness Will Endure
Free Food To Go is organizing a Preparedness Fair in Boise, Idaho on August, 26 and 27, 2011.
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Why the rebels finally reached Tripoli
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The folks at Directive 21 wrote to mention that they now have a limited supply of Crown Berkey Water Filter Systems in stock, ready to ship. (These are the six gallon system–the largest Berkey system available. )
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Kevin S. wrote to tell me about the Fluid Nexus web site. “Fluid Nexus is an application for Android phones and desktop computers enabling exchange of messages without the need for centralized mobile networks. “
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Also from Kevin: DIY Biosynthesis of Insulin and Thyroxine – Disaster Resilience and Personal Biotech

"Over the centuries, mankind has tried many ways of combating the forces of evil… prayer, fasting, good works and so on. Up until Doom, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun. Eat leaden death, demon." – Terry Pratchett
Because Kunaki.com (the vendor that makes our five year archive CD-ROM) is presently moving from high tax New York to low tax Nevada (they deserve congratulations on voting with their feet!), you can expect a one week delay for any orders that are currently in process. Thanks for your patience!
—
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.
In my prepping, one of the hardest things for me currently was the bug out vehicle (BOV), so as with any prepping activity I made my list. I first made my list for a “normal” BOV; 4×4, diesel, four doors, trailer hitch front and back, winch front and back, spare rims and tires, and enough storage for our stuff. Since we currently do not have a retreat location, we would have to be able to carry a large amount of supplies and equipment to the location we will be hunkering down at. Continuing the thought process I decided we would need an enclosed trailer. We have a small gas SUV, so we could use it as well. The reality of the situation grew, and without a retreat we would really have to plan on what we would and would not bring. Just my family would be three vehicles, two trailers, 7 people, and a years’ worth of supplies. The logistics did not add up. Talking to my wife, whom I am blessed with as she is a prepper as well, we began to look into motor homes. So again I made a list; 4×4, diesel, front and back door, trailer hitch front and back, winch front and back, spare rims and tires, and enough storage for our stuff. On a hot Saturday we set out on a tour of the used recreational vehicle (RV) lots. I was quiet unimpressed by the offerings. First motor homes are cheap in their construction with thin walls, cheap running gear and many have poor engine choices. At one of the location in the back they had an old school bus; someone had “converted” to a motor home. It was very poor workmanship, but it really got my mind clicking, and home I went to scour the internet. I was amazed at the expected services life of a school bus, 15 to 20 years before any major servicing; look at the average 20 year old RV and then a bus which would you rather have? They are made of steel, built on a truck frame, and the safety regulations are through the roof as opposed to a motor home. I thought about when tornados strike and they show the school yards; buses maybe thrown all over the place but they still look like buses. My mind was made up; I set out on the adventure of a life time I expect only to be exceeded by the craziness of bugging out.
There are a lot of forums out there that were very helpful, but none geared towards the BOV. So I had to blend the great information out there with the reality of the vehicles use, and my wife always reminding me that until its ultimate goal we can use it for fun. After tons of questions on the forums, reading, and research I decided on a mid-1990s, flat nose, Bluebird TC2000 front engine, with 90,000 miles. It was an ex-school bus, with awesome service records, and was sold only because of budget cuts! With a front engine flat nosed bus I can work on the engine from the inside of the bus, giving me some protection in a heated event. The bus was a 13-window bus, about 43 foot long bumper to bumper with a usable interior space of 39.5 x7.5 feet and roof height of 6.25 feet. The only thing it lacked was four wheel drive. I found several companies that can convert the “Big Bird”, even though the cost would be as much as I paid for the bus and extra engine and transmission. I decided this would be the last thing I did to her; I figured since she has 20” of ground clearance, and tons of torque, we would be okay without it. It has a 5.9 Cummins diesel in it with an automatic Allison Transmission. A lot of people had issues with this engine claiming that it is under- powered. But after doing some research most of these claims were unfounded. This engine also is so common that I can go to the local auto parts store to get anything for it. And a used engine can be picked up for under $1,000–which I did within a month of the purchase of the bus. The transmission was the same, although finding a used one in good shape was little harder and took three months. I did a little research and found a mechanic that contracted to a large freight line. I spoke with him over a few weeks and worked a deal from him to rebuild the engine with my help, he also recommended a transmission guy who was a retired vet that worked on tanks in the army. The deal was to rebuild the second hand ones, install them and rebuild the pulled ones for storage. I know if I had to bug out I probably could bring them, but if the TEOTWAWKI holds off for a few years, and our gold and silver continues to increase in value we should have a retreat in two to three years.
Let the fun begin. I luckily did not have to strip the seats out, since I bought from a used school bus lot, they knocked $1,000 off if they got to keep the seats; however I did have to strip the rubber floor, this was a 30+ hours of labor endeavor. Once all the floors were stripped I was lucky to find no major rust, just some minor surface rust that a wire brush took care of. I sealed and primed the floor with a RustOleum industrial product. The walls were insulated with 2 inches of fire-resistant foam board giving me an R value of 15. I sheeted over some of the windows, and left the stock windows intact in the rest. The floor was covered ½ inch fire resistant foam and ¼ inch water resistant subfloor. At this point I had a blank slate. I had already worked through all of the designs in Google sketch-up, and was ready to go. I first did some rough framing in both wood and metal, being sure to mount everything securely and with some kind of adhesive between everything for both added bonding purposes and to help eliminate as many buzzes as I can. The framing went pretty fast. In the back of the bus I built a master suite, that included a murphy bed electrical panels, plenty of storage and floor access to both the 60 gallon stock diesel tank and the 100 gallon aftermarket tank. Next was a set of bunk beds; I installed ¼ inch hardened steel around the bunks giving us a small “safe room” when the bunk doors are closed. Following the bunk is the head which included a macerating toilet has an electric pump as well as a manual handle, and small 30×24 inch bath tube. Then the galley, were I installed a tankless hot water heater a diesel marine stove, and a 12v/120v refrigerator. Finally the salon which had two couches on either side of the bus and 60 gallon water tanks under each. I also installed three seat belts on each side.
With every system on the bus I tried to ensure there was a backup. On each side of the salon behind each water tank I installed a water pump and accumulator, which helps with water pressure. Both of these are wired and plumbed independent of each other only joining and the electrical box and the main water line. Both water tanks can be filled from access ports on either side of the bus. Hot water is supplied by either a tank-less hot water heater, or through water coils in the diesel stove. A simple valve and flip of a breaker chooses which heating source I use. The 12 volt system is anchored by 3,000 amp hours of batteries setup in three banks throughout the bus to distribute the weight. The batteries are absorbed glass mat (AGM) and again after doing the research I felt these would be the best for my application. They are managed and maintained by a charge control unit, of which I have two in place with a manual switch gear in between to choose which one is used, and two spare ones in the stock. On the roof I have 1,500 watts of flexible PV-panels. I have a dual pole high output alternator, running one pole to the engine battery bank, and one pole to the charge controller. The running battery bank also has a battery isolator installed with another line to the charge controller. Finally I have another switch gear in place allowing the engine to be cranked off of the salon battery bank if needed. All 12v equipment runs through a breaker box instead of fuses allowing me to stock less. Each wire run has a spare pair of wires in case one melts or breaks I only have to re-terminate to the spare pair. All lights are LED, both inside and out. I removed the old flashing lights and installed 3 million candle watt spot lights both front and back for a total of 12 million candle watts pointing each way. I figure worst case I could cook with these bad boys! The 120 volt system was kept to a minimum. It powers the two AC units I installed on the roof between the PVs, the tankless hot water heater, optionally the fridge, a few outlets throughout the bus and the 32 inch LED television at the front… I know but I had to do it. Under the back of the bus I mounted a 3,000 watt diesel generator/welder and a 7,500 watt quiet Onan diesel generator on opposite sides. They are both wired to a Tripp Lite 3,000 watt inverter that with burst to 6,500 watt if needed. The inverter has two inputs allowing me to connect both generators without a relay or switch. I purchased a spare inverter since this is one of the few single points of failures. I do plan on wiring it in with another switch gear in place; I just haven’t got to it yet. The inverter also acts as battery charger and a UPS for the whole system 120v system when you are running on it. The fuel lines for both generators and the diesel stove are plumbed off of the 100 gallon auxiliary tank. There is no hard connection between the stock 60 gallon road tank and the 100 gallon auxiliary tank so I can run non-road diesel in the auxiliary tank, saving a little money; and if the SHTF pumping from the auxiliary into the running tank won’t really be a big issue. Finally I have outside hookups on both sides of the bus. With these I can pull or push power. We lost power at our house when a pole was knocked down by a car. I used the box I installed on the house to hook the BOV up, flipped the main off, and powered our deep freeze, a fridge, a small air conditioning unit, and our television for 14 hours with no problem!
I also installed a motor home style security camera system. While driving it eliminates any blind spots, and when parked, it gives me a 360 degree view around the bus day or night.
Under the bus I have a 60 gallon black water tank and a 60 gallon gray water tank. I can dump either tank from either side of the bus. I have installed macerator pumps as well to help clear out the tanks a little easier. Down both sides, in-between front and back tires, I installed under the cab tool boxes like the ones big rigs put under their cabs. These are for both storage and access to needed equipment. I have installed a 100 foot reel 120v extension cord, I taped off of the air system and installed a 50 foot air hose reel, and finally I have installed a small shop-vac and a small air compressor also tied into the air system as backup in case the air brake system’s compressor goes out. The rest of storage is for tools and equipment use outside of the bus.
On the roof I had a rack made at a local welding fabrication shop to store two spare tires mounted on rims. This installs on the back of the roof, and allows me to “easily” get them off and on. A pulley system you utilize the buses winches is in the future for the roof of the bus. I did it once to test without the winches, and it took me and a come-a-long a little too long. A small collapsible ladder is attached to back as well; it is pad locked on, but can be extended from its mount to get to the roof if need be. The same fab shopped built me a front and back bumper with winch mounts and two inch receivers. They both have 12 inches of walking space as well as louvers over the radiator up front. The winches mounted are 15,000 lb winches front and back for a total of four and 100 feet of cable each. I should be able to get myself out of most anything with this setup, from pushing a few cars out of the way to pulling myself out of the mud, if I have something to tie on to.
We prepped the outside of the body and used a roll on truck bed liner product in desert tan. I left the roof white to try and keep the temperature down some.
Building the inside partitions and trim myself allowed me to create multiple hiding places for “just in case” items. These include a 12 gauge over the door, a Glock on either side of the bed, and Taurus Judge by the driver’s seat. Unless you knew where they were you would never find them.
While we were installing the rebuilt engine and transmission we also completely re-did the brake system, this is when I installed the small pancake compress as a backup. We also went through the suspension replacing the springs and a few other worn out items. I thought about installing air bags, but was warned against it through multiple sources; I also figured it was one more thing to go wrong.
One of the biggest pains was getting the title converted from a private bus to a motor home, so that I would not need a special license. I had to get a weight certificate proving it weighs less than 26,000 lbs., pictures of the inside to prove it seats less than 14, I had to have insurance, which meant I had to get a temporary commercial insurance account (ouch), take all this to the DPS office along with the regulations printed out from the [state] DPS web site, and argue with them for hours until they did what the laws of the state say. Then I canceled the commercial insurance, and they “allowed” me to credit the extra to a new motor home policy.
The completed BOV, as we now call her, gets 10-12 miles to the gallon, weighs just shy of 25,000 lbs. (dry), and tows a fully loaded 9,500 lbs. trailer with no problems. The goal was to create a vehicle that would be self-sufficient for at least 30 days, be able to carry my family and supplies, and get us out of Dodge! It is just an added bonus that it is a blast for us almost every weekend to head out and go somewhere new and fun! We have taken 17 day adventures, never having to hook up to shore power or refuel. With our stored jerry cans, and some rationing we have no doubt we could make it 30+ days. Since the build started I have also purchased an older dodge pickup with the same engine and have started to work on a conversion to the same transmission. We have the truck setup to tow behind the bus, and a camper on the back for storage. If we were bugging out we would hook up our 16 foot enclosed trailer to the bus for a total length with tongue of 62 feet (keeping us under the legal limit of 65 ft.), and tow our small gas SUV with the truck.
I know this conversion is not for everyone, and as I said earlier this was the biggest adventure I have ever undertaken. It was a lot of work, and a lot of learning. Now that it is done, my wife was joking that there is half of the cost of our retreat. Even though she is right, I would still not want to be without her.
James,
First, thank-you for the tip about the alloy G3 (HK91-compatible) magazines that CheaperThanDirt sells for just 97 cents apiece. I placed an order for one hundred of them and shortly three big boxes arrived. I’ve checked them out and surprisingly, many of them are still new in the wrappers, and the rest are in really decent shape. I’ve never bought a rifle backwards (buying magazines first, then buying the rifle to match), but since I like the .308 Winchester round and have a few other rifles in that caliber this seemed like an interesting preparedness exercise. I started looking around at .308 (7.62 x 51 NATO) battle rifles and I really liked the looks of the SI Defense AR-10s that take the HK mags, and as I drooled over those, I checked out the PTR91s based on your suggestion. (Thanks again, for that).
The PTR 91 seemed like a good looking rifle to me and after sorting through a whole lot of internet blather (mostly old posts from when the rifle was newly out that are still on the web) I thought I’d take a chance. Particularly as the PTRs are CNC-machined and precision stamped, built from the original HK91 / G3 blueprints, and it just seemed like a slick design. Once I got the rifle, I was shocked how utterly stout the weapon is, and I marvel that it’s just built like a tank. The great thing about it is that it can be field stripped in seconds down to the most critical parts to clean. Push a few pins, and put them in the holes conveniently located in the stock, pull the stock out and push out another pin for the trigger assembly which swings down and out and it’s ready to be cleaned and easily reassembled. At first I was a little concerned at how tight everything is, but gradually, with a bit of cycling and working, things began to loosen up to what I call a perfect fit (how often can you say that about a new weapon). I guess the PTRs are somewhat pricey – I paid about $1,275 for a PTR91-SC (Squad Carbine) that seemed like a good deal. I’m also thinking about a CETME, but hard to imagine after having the quality of the PTR91 in hand. Eventually I plan on getting a Choate folding stock for my squad carbine – just an after thought about being able to manage a smaller package in the event of SHTF and to have a little more versatility.
Lately, I have seen that .308 ammo is skyrocketing. Fortunately, I was able to buy 1,000 rounds of South African off of the local gun forum. I noticed that CheaperThanDirt had German 200 round battle packs, comparatively less expensive, and ordered several of those. Finally, I found British Radway Green 7.62 x 51 very reasonable (again, comparatively), and bought the special which is 160 rounds per ammo can and three cans of 480 per box, at Classic Arms in North Carolina. (They were great to deal with.) The Radway Green comes linked – 4 rounds per. I found a good youTube video about de-linking .308 and found that using a rubber mallet, tapping the single heavier link to the right works fine, particularly when having a good piece of heart pine flooring scrap clamped to the bench. Just set the bullet point down on the wood and tap the link down. The link falls off, the round becomes free and on and so it goes. It took me a couple of hours to de-link 960 rounds, particularly as I took breaks from the monotony. I found that all the ammo minus the links fit in three ammo cans, loosely packed. I’ve saved the six other smaller cans it all came in for something else. I recommend the Radway Green ammo, even if it is a bit of a pain to de-link it. This is one of the best deals around. You may want to wipe off each round with an old towel, also, because there is a funky smelling lubricant on them. The Radway Green isn’t perfect, brand new Federal Match looking, but hey, for 1993 NATO specification, who’s complaining?
So, again, thanks James, for the tips about the HK mags, and the PTR91. Thanks, also, for the good work of SurvivalBlog. – Mr. M.
JWR Replies: In addition to buying a couple of hundred alloy HK G3 magazines from CheaperThanDirt, I also recently bought 30 of their steel G3 magazines for $1.97 each. A few of these had light surface rust which cleaned off easily with Break Free lubricant
Disclaimer (per FTC File No. P034520): I accept cash-paid advertising from CheaperThanDirt.com. To the best of my knowledge, as of the date of this posting they have never solicited me or paid me to write any reviews or endorsements, nor have they provided me any free or reduced-price gear in exchange for any reviews or endorsements. I am not a stock holder in any company.
Hi Mr. Rawles:
I want to share with you today’s events in Washington DC. I came home early from school and decided to go to the gym to burn off some of those summer pounds. As I was walking to the gym (two blocks away), listening to my iPod. All of the sudden I heard some crashing and screaming. Since this is DC, everything happens so I kept on walking. I finally realized that something was definitely wrong when I saw people pouring out from every building including a rather overweight man wearing only a bath towel that was way too small for his waist. After finding an English speaker (I live in a mostly Hispanic area) I found out that it was an earthquake which apparently I did not feel. Immediately I tried calling my fiancée who was in our apartment but of course all the lines were busy. I sprinted back the one and a half blocks to our apartment and to my delight I saw her, on the sidewalk. She was barefoot, dressed in a bathrobe, with a pair of shoes in one hand and her Bug-Out-Bag in the other. I had never been so proud of her.
All of it is thanks to the information on your blog that gave us food for thought and a foundation on which to build. Sincerely, – B.K.
James:
If you read the mainstream media, you;ll see how the Dow Jones average ‘soars’ when it breaks its downward spiral and posts a 2% gain – when the ‘good’ news is out of Germany and China – never mind that the market is still down 12.5% from where it was a month ago.
But, in contrast Gold ‘tanks’ – ‘is at the top of a bubble’ – ‘isn’t money’ – when it pulls back 1.5% at the top of a rally that saw prices up 19% over the same time period.
Paper promises of debt aren’t money, and ‘securities’ are anything but secure. Hard times are coming – after you’ve prepared to feed and protect your family, don’t trust what’s left of your wealth to someone else’s promise to pay.
Beans, Bullets, and Bandaids for the body, and don’t forget a Bible to feed, protect, and heal your soul. – Tony B.
Hola Mr. Rawles,
¿Qué tal? I enjoy your blog, and I appreciate what you are doing.
In the latest daily edition I noticed the mention of SpecOps Brand gear as being high quality and American made. It is, and I have been very satisfied with all of the Spec-Ops brand gear I have had over the years. It is good stuff. Their clearance section is just the icing on the cake.
Are you also aware of the Tactical Tailor brand gear? They are just outside of Fort Lewis, Washington. It is designed and made in the USA, and it’s extremely high quality gear. I have been very pleased with my Tactical Tailor gear.
When the US Army switched from woodland camouflage to ACU, all of Tac Tailor’s woodland gear was at least 60% off. It was an ideal opportunity for me, and I kitted myself out very well as a result. I understand that our military doesn’t change camouflage patterns often, but it can be a good opportunity to save some money on quality military gear when it happens. It certainly worked out well for me (and I happen to prefer woodland to ACU).
I used to be a bigger fan of Blackhawk gear (and I am still a huge fan of their Serpa holsters), but they seem to have changed over the last few years. I guess that’s a hazard with any big business expansion, but these days I prefer Tac Tailor and Spec-ops to Blackhawk.
In any case I hope all is well with you and yours.
¡Vaya con dios! Saludos, – Ignacio
JWR Replies: Thanks for that suggestion. Another true America-made web gear company that I recommend is The Vest Guy.
I also agree with your dislike of ACU camouflage. It has aptly been described as “The ideal camouflage pattern to wear when hiding in a gravel quarry.” Frankly I see no utility in it, aside for someone that lives in sagebrush country. The new MultiCam pattern blends in much better in a far wider variety of foliage, and the older BDU Woodland (or the similar DPM pattern colors for those in the UK Commonwealth) are also very practical.