Odds ‘n Sods:

Captain Anaconda sent this MiiU link: AxMan’s $30 Bug Out Bag. (I’m hoping that the MiiU wiki continues to grow.)

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If you must live in California, then at least live in a county where you have a reasonable chance of getting a CCW permit. Here is a useful map.

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Commentary from Tamara, over at View From The Porch: On brain drains and foot voting…

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The Idaho County Free Press reported that a Christian Reformed Church is forming in the Clearwater Valley of north-central Idaho. Those interested are invited to attend the initial Q&A session Thursday, July 21, at the Kamiah Visitors Center Meeting Room from 7-9 p.m.

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Jonathan B. found a piece on closed loop aquaponics, developed in Switzerland: Farming of the future takes root

Smoke and Mirrors: The Full Implications of the U.S. National Debt

We are told by U.S. Treasury officials and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that the Federal Government’s debt is now just over 100% of our nation’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and while this level of debt is “alarming”, it is “still sustainable.” Meanwhile, Greece’s sovereign debt is now 157% of its GDP, and the nation is on the verge of default and collapse. I presume that Joe Sixpack here in the U.S. sees the news headlines and says to Mrs. Sixpack: “Wow, those poor Greeks. I’m glad that we don’t live there. I wouldn’t feel safe, living in Greece.” Unfortunately, Joe hasn’t been told the whole story.

You see, the “official” National Debt is only around $14.3 Trillion Dollars. But we’ve been lied to. Our actual long term obligations (including the full run costs of Federal retirement programs including Postal Service employees and military pensions) are enormous. We have an aging population. U.S. Census Bureau population figures project that 20.7% of the population will be 65 years or older by 2050. (Currently, it is only around 12.5%.) So our long term obligations are actually far, far greater than the official “National Debt.” All the debt instruments may not yet exist, but one way or another, Uncle Sugar is going to have to come up with a lot more money than just $14.3Trillion. An estimate published by the Heritage Foundation in 2006 mentioned long term obligations of $45.5 trillion. Other estimates range higher: $53 Trillion, or $60 Trillion, or $63 Trillion, or $65 Trillion, or $70 Trillion, or $99 Trillion, or even $130 Trillion. Of these figures, I think that the GAAP-based $70 Trillion estimate is the most accurate. But even that is a shot in the dark, when you consider that future inflation and interest rates are almost impossible to predict. And even just picturing just $1 Trillion (much less $70 trillion) is mind-boggling.

Recognizing that that $70 trillion is nearly 500% of GDP, and that it equates to $233,000 for every man woman and child in United States, we’re in a heap of trouble. There is absolutely no way that this debt can ever be paid off–at least in the absence of mass inflation. (Wherein the debts would be paid in “Dollars” that would have a the purchasing power of just a fraction of cent.) America’s sovereign debt makes the Greek debt look like a pittance. For comparison, the sovereign debt of Greece is only around €340 billion ($481 Billion USD), with European banks are on the hook for about 17% if it.)

Testimony before Congress back in 2005 showed that that by 2070, Federal outlays on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid would jump from 16% of GDP to 28% of GDP. And this came with the rosy expectation that interest expenses would not increase at all. It also had ridiculously low estimates for inflation and subsequent cost of living adjustments (COLAs). This report is typical of the deliberate under-reporting and “rose colored glasses” estimates of future debt obligation figures with low interest rates and low inflation.

The Bottom Line
Reaching a logical conclusion to the foregoing, we can rightly surmise that the debt merry-go-round cannot continue forever. Simple demographics and the mathematics of compounding interest dictate that a debt collapse is unavoidable. As former Comptroller General David Walker (the chief auditor the Federal government until 2008) put it: “We face a demographic tsunami [that] will never recede.”

Please soberly consider the implications of the National Debt, and think through what it means for you and your children. In the years to come, we can expect to see higher taxes, a panoply of new fees and fines, decreased pension benefits, and orchestrated currency inflation. Simultaneously, we will face a declining standard of living, shortages, riots, higher property crime rates, labor protests, currency devaluations, currency expatriation controls, bank runs, forced redistribution of wealth, and “social justice” programs that will nationalize entire industries and expropriate productive farmland. This may very well spin out of control until the wealth redistribution and social engineering schemes resemble those in Pol Pot’s Cambodia, or Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.

Protect yourself by moving to a lightly-populated region such as the American Redoubt where you will be well-removed from the major cities, and become as a self-sufficient as possible. (There are thousands of articles in the free SurvivalBlog archives that describe how to do so.) I also strongly recommend getting out of U.S. Dollars. Re-invest in practical, barterable tangibles, as quickly as possible. Be sure to make your portfolio diverse, because you never know what items the Powers That Be will decide to tax heavily or even ban from possession. It is foolish to buy all gold, all silver, all guns, all ammunition, or all farmland. Again, be diverse, and keep a low profile. Oh, and keep your passport up to date.

Pat’s Product Review: Springfield Armory M1A

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I hear from quite a few SurvivalBlog readers about my articles. Most of you are pretty knowledgeable, polite and have questions. There’s a few SurvivalBlog readers who are rude, it’s okay, we’re all entitled to our opinions. When you’re reading a review of any product, be it a gun, knife, camping gear, or whatever, you must remember, you are reading the opinion of the writer. Although I’ve been writing about firearms and knives for almost 20-years now, and I’ve been a shooter for more than 40 years, I don’t consider myself an “expert” of any sort. Instead, I call myself a serious student. When you read my reviews, you are reading what I have learned from testing a particular product. My opinion is based on many years experience, and based on my evaluation of the products being tested.

I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with my findings, especially when it comes to guns and knives. While I might think that a particular gun I tested is right for me, it may not be right for someone else. The sample gun I tested might have operated without any malfunctions, and your same model of the same gun might have problems. Bad guns slip through the QC at the best firearms factories – it’s just a fact of life. However, I believe most gun companies are quick to resolve any problems you might have with their firearms – at least based on my own experiences over many years dealing with gun companies.

Okay, up for review today is the Springfield Armory M1A “Loaded” 7.62×51 NATO battle rifle. I cut my teeth on the old military M14 in basic training at Ft. Ord, California back in 1969. About the only complaint I had at that time was the weight of the M14, which was close to 10 pounds. I went into BCT at Ft. Ord weighing in at a whopping 130 pounds. I came out of my infantry school at Ft. Lewis, Washington at 165 pounds. The M14 was heavy, at least for me, and some other soldiers who were small-framed and who didn’t weigh a lot. Then again, a lot of the bigger guys also complained about the weight of the M14. The Springfield Armory M1A is a semiauto only version of the venerable M14 – for the most part.

I was also a member of the Illinois State Rifle and Pistol Team, when I worked full-time for the Illinois National Guard. We were issued match-grade M14s and M1911s for competition. We were also supplied with all the ammo we wanted – how I wish I had taken advantage of that – I’d probably still have match ammo to this day – hindsight is wonderful! Our match-grade M14s could easily shoot 1 MOA if we did our part. I competed in quite a few high-powered rifle matches while on the team, and usually won in my division – I was (and still am) into guns and do a lot of shooting. The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded rifle offers exceptional value and performance with it’s American walnut stock, air gauged medium weight national match barrel in either stainless steel or chrome poly. There is also a national match trigger assembly, although not as nicely done as the one I had on my M14 competition rifle. The front sight and non-hooded rear sight assemblies are also national match, along with the flash suppressor.

With a 22″ barrel, the M1A seems like it’s actually longer than it actually is. However, when you compare it to most standard high-powered hunting rifles, the barrel is actually shorter, and when you compare it to most magnum caliber high-powered hunting rifles, the barrel is actually shorter on the M1A. The trigger is a military two-stage, that is matched tuned to 4.5-5 lbs – and I’ve actually found on most M1A models that I’ve examined (and owned) the trigger pull as lighter. Overall length of the Springfield Armory M1A is 44.3″ which isn’t too bad for a battle rifle.

I’m totally ashamed to say, I don’t currently owned a Springfield Armory M1A – I know, I know – 50-lashes with a wet noodle. However, the last M1A I owned was a Loaded model, and it wasn’t that long ago that I owned this rifle. It was one of those “why did I trade that gun?” deals that haunts a man for many years. My last sample M1A had the chrome moly barrel, which I prefer, as I think chrome moly barrels offer a little better accuracy of stainless barrels. I have no scientific proof of this, only my own experience.

I can honestly say that, I’ve probably fired tens of thousands of rounds through various M1A rifles over the years, and through my military issued match M14, so I have formed some opinions based on my experience with these types of rifles. I believe the M1A is a very reliable rifle, and I don’t ever recall one having any sort of malfunction – period! And, I have fed all manner of 7.62×51 NATO ammo through these rifles. We’re talking reloaded ammo, Russian-made steel-cased ammo, match-grade military ammo, military surplus ammo and commercial .308 ammo with a 150 grain bullet weight- and the M1A just keeps on perking along, so long as you clean ’em once in a while and give ’em a little bit of lube.

The M1A is a very rugged rifle, to be sure. It’s basically a clone of the M14, withonly semiauto fire possible. The M14 was a work horse, and so is the Springfield Armory M1A – they are meant for serious use, in all manner of weather – be it rain, snow, mud or whatever you might throw at it – the M1A can handle it. I always liked the looks of the American walnut stock. However, my next M1A will have a polymer fiberglass stock on it. I live in the western part of Oregon, and we get a lot of rain here. So, I worry about a stock warping under those conditions if I’m forced to live out in the boonies due to an end of the world scenario. You can teach an old dog new tricks!

The M1A is gas operated, with a short-stroke piston. I’ve never seen a short-stroke piston go “bad” but I imagine it can happen. Just wipe the piston down every now and then and they are good to go. I’ve also found that the flash suppressor on the M1A and M14 to be pretty effective, considering that you’re shooting a high-powered round. I absolutely love the sights on the M1A as well, they are fast to pick-up, and easy to adjust. Once your front sight is centered properly, you should never had to touch it again. The front sight on an M1A need no adjustment. All adjustments are through the rear sight, that is windage and elevation adjustable with only your fingers.

The Springfield Armory M1A only comes with one 10-rd magazine, and I’ve yet to figure out why this is. I understand during the magazine ban, that Springfield was supplying 10-rd mags, but I don’t know why they are still doing so. In any case, quality 20-rd M14 mags are easy enough to find. Just steer clear of cheap M14 magazines that Sportsman’s Guide, a large mail-order company sells. They claim to be military surplus M14 mags – they aren’t! Some of the best M14/M1A 20-rd mags being produced today are from Checkmate Industries. You can still find genuine military surplus M14 mags, but they cost more than the brand-new Checkmate magazines – get Checkmate, and you won’t be sorry. Checkmate is currently a contract maker for M14 magazines to the US military. So you will be getting mil-spec M14 mags. They run around $25 each and they are well worth it. With a little care, they will last a lifetime.

My late friend, Chuck Karwan, who was a well-known knife and gun writer, did an article for me, when I was publishing and editing a little newsletter called “Police Hot Sheet .” Chuck’s article was on the police using the M1A as a sniper’s rifle on a SWAT team. Chuck made an excellent argument in favor of the M1A over a bolt action rifle. One of the points Chuck brought up was that a second and third shot was fast to get off than you could from a bolt action rifle – I concur with Chuck on this. And, the M1A is very accurate at least in my testing – you can get 1 MOA if you do your part and you have ammo your rifle likes.

The M1A would be an outstanding addition to any survival battery. The gun can be used as a battle rifle, or as a sniper’s rifle if the need arises. When I shot high-powered rifle competition with my old M14 we shot out to 600-yards with open sights – no scopes – and our team would routinely beat civilian shooters with bolt action rifles with scopes on ’em. Go figure? If you do you part, you can hit a man out in the open at 600-yards with your M1A, if you do your part. You can also lay down a lot of fire-power with the M1A in a CQB situation and there’s not many places you can hide from a .308 round. When I lived in Colorado, my late friend, Tim Caruso, and I used to regularly go up in the mountains and do a lot of shooting, or on his small tract of land, and we could “cut down” some pretty big pine trees with a full 20 round magazine of .308 ammo. Unless it is huge, you can’t hide behind a tree and escape a 7.62mm NATO ball round.

There aren’t many spare parts you need to keep on-hand to keep an M1A going. Perhaps a recoil spring, and maybe a spare firing pin and extractor for your bolt. However, don’t attempt to replace the firing pin or extractor without the proper bolt disassembly tool and the training to do so. The M1A isn’t all that hard to work on for the most part. And, I’ve never had one break on me – although I have worked on broken ones when I was being training as a military armorer. Anything mechanical can break, but I think the M1A would serve you well, and with a little bit of maintenance and cleaning, the gun won’t break down on you when you need it the most.

As I’ve said many times, quality doesn’t come cheap, and you can expect to pay around $1,800 for a Loaded M1A, and a little bit less for a Standard version M1A from Springfield Armory. There are other models of the M1A available, and be sure to check them out on the Springfield Armory web site. You can usually find some M1As at most gun shows, too. Be advised, the M1A is always in short supply, and don’t expect to walk into most smaller gun shops and find one on the rack. You can find Chinese clones of the M1A at gun shows, and most are pretty decent rifles, but only after some expensive work. However, if you want the real deal, then you have to get your hands on an M1A, you won’t be sorry, trust me on this.

I wish I could report something negative about the Springfield Armory M1A, but on the samples I’ve owned over the years, I never had any problems. And, my next battle rifle purchase will be an M1A of some sort! And, it won’t be sold or traded later on! – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Labor Requirements Expectations, Post Collapse

Hello James:

This letter is an attempt to throw some stakes into the ground that might serve as  a realistic basis for “expectation management”.

People’s ability to soldier onward under adverse conditions is very closely tied to the alignment (or gap) between expectations and the reality of the moment.   People who have had every advantage have given up and committed suicide because their expectation was that they were destined to become the Chief Executive Officer of a Fortune 500 company before their 45th birthday.  Others greet every morning with relentless cheerfulness even though their day meant 10 hours of mopping floors, because mopping floors was better than what they expected….at least they were not on their knees scrubbing.

So what might a post-whatever lifestyle look like from a work standpoint?  That is pretty easy to describe if we use a 1880-1920 life style as a basis.  There are ample ergonomic studies from the period and, more recently, sports fitness studies of Old Order Amish.

In a very, very condensed form, expect an amount of physical effort that is the equivalent of walking between 10 and 18 miles, 6 days out of the week.  Younger men will be closer to  18 miles a day (6 hours of walking).  Older men (over 55) and women will be closer to the 10 miles a day (3 hours of walking). 

If you are lucky enough to have tools that are appropriately designed for post-whatever, and if you have draft animals, you can cut those estimates by 50%.

If you are cutting firewood with a hand-saw you might be able to cut wood 3 hours a day if you do no other work.  That is why you will configure your work space (yard) so you can squeeze in 30 minutes of wood cutting every cool evening.  You cannot afford to only do 3 hours of productive work in a day because there will be so many other demands on your time.  You will likely be lamed up by the second day due to the unusual muscle groups you over-stress in 3 hours of hand sawing.  You will move your woodshed close to the house because you will not be able to afford a long walk time (wasted time) if you are only going to make 30 minutes of sawdust.

You will fantasize about wood stoves that can use longer pieces of wood.

The math of physical work is that most of the energy burn is in moving your own body-weight.  A 160 pound man carrying a 40 pound pack is burning 80% of his Calories moving his body and 25% moving wheat, or wood, or fertilizer.  You will find yourself becoming  very inventive at packing-and-strapping to get the optimum load per trip.  You will fantasize about carts, wagons, wheelbarrows and burros.

You will never find yourself walking anywhere without carrying something…and at best carrying something in each direction.  It is not unheard of to put the woodshed between the outhouse and the dwelling.  Putting the woodshed on skids means that you can move the woodshed when you move the outhouse.

“Modern” ergonomics is now heart-rate based because there are factors that stress the body that do not produce productive work.  You have to shake your head because two of the prime examples of these stresses is heat stress and water stress.  When you are working for yourself you get smart about matching the big calorie-burn jobs to the thermometer.  You also get good at dressing in layers so you can tune your clothing to reject enough heat.  Amish are not stupid.  I found that the most suitable top for really rough work is a pull-over with the top half closed with laces.  Zippers and buttons are the Achilles’ heal of most tops when your are cutting brush and doing other rough work.

I apologize for the abruptness and jerkiness of the writing, but it is a case of banging it out and hitting send or not getting it written.

God’s blessing upon you and your family

Two Letters Re: Unleaded Spout Solution for NATO Gas Cans

Dear JWR:
In his Letter Re: Unleaded Spout Solution for NATO Gas Cans  in the July 14th edition of SurvivalBlog, writer Lee H. wrote that “Like many others that bought military surplus steel NATO fuel cans, I was frustrated by the fact that only large diameter leaded fuel spouts were available for these cans.” Happily, this is not the case.

HQ Company (“Surplus and Survival headquarters”) in Colorado Springs, Colorado offers both screw-on type nozzles for the old U.S. military Jerry cans as well as the clamp-on NATO-type fuel can spout, both of which have their tips reduced for use with U.S. vehicles with restrictors at the filler cap to allow the use only of pump nozzles meant for unleaded fuel.  They also offer other fuel-can related bits and pieces, including replacement gaskets, can carriers for motor vehicle [and generator trailer] mounting,  and retaining straps.

I have no connection to the company other than being a satisfied customer, very pleased with the reasonable pricing, acceptable quality and prompt shipping I’ve encountered in past dealings with the firm. I would also note, however, that their Colorado location is advantageous for those of us in the Redoubt States area, as that reduces shipping costs. – George S.

Jim,
Since I discovered the Safety Siphon [hose] I haven’t cared whether cans have CARB compliant spouts or improper size hoses or whatever.  I don’t pour gas any longer. I get them at my local Bass Pro Shop, but they are available lots of places. Regards, – Del

Two Letters Re: Fast-Deploying Paracord Bundles

Jim:
I saw this YouTube video two years ago demonstrating how to make a “rip-cord” style paracord bracelet. I made one, but not for a bracelet. Instead of a wallet chain, I have a paracord rip-cord chain with about 30 feet. Same principle, and super-easy to unwind! One warning: When unwound, it’s ‘loopy’ so when unwinding, if possible, try straightening it as you go. – Tangalor

 

James;
This World News clip on how to tie fast deploying paracord bundles could be a good way to keep the young ones busy on a rainy day.

Your blog is a great source of information and inspiration.  Thanks for your efforts. – Dave C.

Letter Re: Update on Midget White Turkeys

Dear Mr. Rawles:
A few months ago I sent in an article titled, ‘Midget White Turkey, the Perfect Homestead Bird’.  The article described everything as it was…then.  But we’ve had a few hitches and I thought if people are preparing for serious times, they might want to know some of the problems we’ve also faced (and are facing) raising turkeys, especially since Survivalblog keeps a ‘library’ of all the articles that come in and someone might be using our article as a guide.

After the first successful hatch, we were unable to raise a second one.  Multiple candlings showed most eggs were fertile and began to grow, but then the eggs died.  Changes of nest, weather, which birds were allowed to set, etc., did no good.  Clutch after clutch failed to hatch.  The eggs that were incubated didn’t hatch, either. 

There really isn’t much out there about Midget Whites, but we finally found someone at a hatchery who was able to shed light on our problem.  It seems that turkey eggs only have about a 50% hatch rate even among the experts.  The hatchery lady said we were very lucky on our first hatch.  The key, she said, is to be sure to have clean eggs, even washing them in a solution designed for eggs.  Bacteria is said to be the big culprit in losses, but there are also tight protocols for incubators.  We don’t mind working hard if we get birds out of this!  We’re following the new lead now and hope to have more success.  But we would like your readers to know that if the 50% hatch rate is true, this isn’t the ultimate meat bird we were recommending and hoping for ourselves. 

The breed doesn’t have to be artificially inseminated, is hardy in winter, the birds are calm to work with, and all the rest we said is true.  But without better hatch rates, the feed to meat conversion rate is pretty bad. – L.C.

Economics and Investing:

Does this sound familiar? Iran’s Economic Spiral: Country to Cut ‘4 Zeros’ Off of National Currency. (A hat tip to F.J. for the link.) The same thing could eventually happen here. If it does, anyone holding coinage will reap a huge overnight profit. (Since coinage is usually not part of a currency exchange.) Have you been stocking up on Nickels?

Items from The Economatrix:

Ireland’s Debt Junked as Euro Crisis Spreads

The Beginning of the End of Europe

Eurozone Hits The Fan:  Gold Price Surging & Silver Begins to Make a Move

A Run on the United States Government

Alternative Markets, Barter Systems, Local Co-ops are the Lifeboats that Will Save Us

Gold is Our Defense Against the Fiat Currency Graveyard

Odds ‘n Sods:

Jeff B. wrote to mention this site: DNSDown.com. FWIW, our IP address is: 64.92.111.122. Please make note of it–both in your browser’s bookmarks file and on the back of a business card in your wallet. And just in case this blog (or even the whole Internet) ever disappears, a SurvivalBlog 5-Year Archive CD-ROM is available for just $14.95. Production of the CD-ROM will end on August 1st, so order soon! (We are currently developing a prototype with a new vendor. Stay tuned.)

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Reader John R. mentioned the trailer for a high budget Hollywood movie with lots of big name actors that is scheduled for release on September 9th: Contagion. Note that it mentions birds as vectors. The scenario looks a bit like something out of SurvivalBlog, to me.

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C.R.W. suggested this over at Don’t Tread On Me: The Only Six Choices In Your Russian Roulette Future

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I just heard about the Spokane Sustainable Preparedness Expo, being held on July 31st, at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. Please note: The organizers just used the same stock photo of a cabin on an alpine lake for their poster and book that had been used on the cover of the new Third Edition of Joel Skousen’s excellent book: Strategic Relocation–North American Guide to Safe Places. However, I’m fairly confident that the expo organizers are not associated with Joel Skousen or his publishing ventures!

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 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 Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, 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.

The Early Stages of Preparation, by St. Croix

The Early Stages of Preparation, by St. Croix

Over the past couple of years I have had a few people, two in particular, hint to me that it would not be a bad idea to begin picking up a few extra non-perishable items on my weekly visits to Wal-Mart or the local grocery store.  I began realizing, like most of the population, when me or my wife go to the store, we normally only pick up a “few things”, or just enough to get us through the week.  However, thanks to their continuous subtle remarks, and the assistance of the many fine web sites, this one being a major one, we have finally decided to actually start preparing for a real TEOTWAWKI and WTSHTF scenario. In only a couple of months, I feel one hundred times more prepared than before I started learning and made a choice to start living this life.  Now let me state,  I am no where close to the magnitude of preparedness we would like to be, with a single income and family of four, the money is hard to stretch to get all of the preparation items we would like.  However, the fact that we are now at least no longer oblivious to the fact that not IF but when something of great magnitude will happen (EMP, Major Rapid Decline of the Dollar, really any number of unknowns) will happen, I know I sleep better with just the small adjustments we have and will continue to make.

Convincing The Spouse
I will be the first to admit that I was not sure how the wife would see my new outlook on life and what the future holds.  We are a middle income family of four in a mid-western city with a population of a little over 500,000.  We have always been able to go down the street for fuel or a couple miles to the local grocery store or a few miles to Wal-Mart.  Now I have to get my wife to understand that in some time in the future, that gas station down the street will not have fuel in the tanks, and the local grocery store will not have food on the shelves, and the Wal-Mart will not have batteries.  And so I associate it with something she understood.  Since she for some crazy reason has gone out on “Black Friday” looking for the best deals, I associate what this would be like if you took the trampling at the Target store on Black Friday that killed a lady x10.  In explaining to her, that scenes like this will be common when TSHTF, she begins to listen.  And with the help of a few books and showing her some great survival sites, she is more than happy to join me in this life alteration.

Small Changes That Will Make a Big Difference
As with every single person or family, how you prepare will be different.  My family is still in what I consider to be in the first stages of preparing, things we have begun doing or already have had in place include:

Batteries, Radios, and LED Flashlights
These are available from eBay, Wal-Mart, Harbor Freight, and many other sources. As far as flashlights go I have begun to rely solely on LED flashlights for many years now.  I am a Fireman, and even in the darkest, smokiest conditions, I have found that Light Emitting Diodes (LED) bulbs far outperform traditional Halogen bulbs.  This is not to even mention the extended battery life an LED light will give you.  As far as batteries are concerned, I have not bought into the rechargeable batteries, not that I do not believe that these can be very beneficial in a worst case scenario, but I just have not yet invested in the solar powered equipment to charge them when/if the power grid goes down, plus factor in the fact that they do not hold a charge anywhere close to the amount of time a lithium battery does without continuous charging.  I will continue to stockpile my traditional batteries.  Radios will drawl minimum power from your batteries, and can/will give you vital information as to what is going on in the world, given the stations are still broadcasting

Five Gallon Food Grade Buckets
The ability to purchase fifty pounds of rice today for under twenty dollars, and be able to store it in a Mylar bag inside of a 5 gallon bucket that will last for 25-50 years seems like an insurance policy that not one of us can afford not to purchase. Let alone the uses these buckets will provide after the food inside has been used, for example; hauling and storing water, using as a toilet, using to start seedlings or covering plants from the cold, hauling fish, small game, berries.  We must remember that once production of items such as these cease to exist, what we have, is all that that we will have. Once-used buckets are often available free from local and large chain bakeries. I have not been charged once for them.

Mylar Bags and Oxygen Absorbers
I found 10 large bags for 5 gallon buckets and 20, 1,000cc Oxygen Absorbers (2,000cc per 5 gallon bucket/pail) on eBay all for twenty dollars, total.  These bags and O2 absorbers will not only kill and keep out any unwanted pests or bugs, but will extend the life of any food that it contains by many years.

Dried Beans, Rice, Pasta, Water, Canned Goods
You have to do your research here for the most product for the least amount of money, look for sales, and when you find them, load up!  I for one can not go out and purchase two years worth of food in just one week, so this is an on-going process for me and my family.  For example, my local grocery store is offering, ten cans of Chefboyardee products at 69 cents a can. ($6.90 for 10 cans.)  That is about what a can of green beans or slice carrots costs, however, with these I am getting servings of vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, and numerous other vitamins. I think I have found the perfect survival food!  Plus, with an expiration date well into 2013,  I know I would feel comfortable with my family eating them well after that date, this is a good long term storage food.  Also, if you have not stored enough dog food for your K-9 friend, he or she will have no problem with cleaning up your left-overs, whether it be rice (one of the main ingredients in many “top brand” dog foods anyway, not that it’s right, but it is one of the main ingredients in many) or half a can of raviolis (waste nothing). [JWR Adds: Whenever anyone mentions canned soup, chili, and ravioli in SurvivalBlog, I get letters that complain: “What about all that salt?” Well, relax: High Sodium Levels Protect Healthy Hearts, European Study Suggests. Yes, there are healthier foods available than Chefboyardee, but it sure beats eating your lawn.]

Guns and Ammunition
Having a means to protect your family, your shelter, and your food will be paramount.  You do not want to be easy prey for the hundreds of thousands that have not been preparing.  Trust me, these people will be everywhere, the same people that are so adjusted to the government making sure everything is in order, and the same people that think food just magically appears on the shelves and fuel is always in the pumps.  When the food is not on the shelves, and no fuel comes out of the pumps, they will eventually go to desperate measures to attain these things, especially the food.   I would also like to add that I have some friends that continually tell me which guns that I should have because when TSHTF this is what everyone else will be using because these guns are so common, and I am going to want to be able to take their ammunition that is laying around, but every time I hear this, one of my favorite quotes from the movie We Were Soldiers comes to mind:   Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I think you oughta get yourself an M16.
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: Sir, if the time comes I need one, there’ll be plenty lying on the ground.”

Security / Dogs –
In relation to security, better than an alarm system, with the exception that they do not require electricity or power.  I have also found that the majority of criminals these days look at alarm system decals or actual systems as nothing more than maybe a nuisance.  Even if your alarm system is connected to a monitoring system, the alarm first has to be sent to the alarm company, the company then has to try to contact you for your “security word/phrase” to find out if this is a false alarm, then, after multiple attempts of not being able to contact you, they then contact your local 9-1-1 system, who then has to contact a beat officer in your area, then, this beat officer, whom is complacent of “system alarms” because he has made hundreds of security alarm calls which 99.99% of the time are false, takes his time getting to your residence because his Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P.s) do not allow him to run red light and siren to your residence.  How long do you think this all takes?  Trust me, a good watch dog is worth a hundred “monitored” security systems   

High Power Pellet Gun
A decent high powered BB and/or pellet gun will easily shoot 1,000 feet per second on the low side, easily hard enough to kill a bird, squirrel, or rabbit with the right placement (especially with a Polymag Predator pellet).  Memories of picking off birds and squirrels (food) as a youngster has made me decide to add this gun to my list.  Add in the fact that ammo for one of these guns is extremely inexpensive.  This gun will also serve me well teaching my sons to shoot.  As well as the quietness of this tool while hunting, not to alert anyone nearby, makes it a nice addition.

Fishing Throw Nets
I already love to fish and have plenty of gear, and after some thought, decided to buy a couple more throw nets.  We have a water source near, and if TSHTF, I will be fishing to supplement feeding my family.  I’m not going to be out there looking for an exciting top water bite, especially early on I will want to get there, pull some fish out, and get back.  I have a couple of 6′ throw nets (opens to a 12′ diameter) that I have caught everything from small Shad and Bluegill,  to over three pound Bass and much larger Carp. It is quick and efficient.  Many times while catching bait or just practicing throwing this net thirty or forty feet away from a friend or my wife that is fishing with a rod and reel, I get called a cheater because while they are catching nothing, I am pulling in net after net full of fish.  However, these nets definitely take some practice, throwing them is easy, getting them to open up to a nice circular pattern to entrap the fish is another story.  Put me and my net up against anyone and their rod and real for five or ten minutes, and I guarantee I will come away with more fish then them. Many more fish.  Get one now, and learn how and where to throw it.

Fire Starters
Matches, lighters, magnesium fire starters, once TSHTF, and it will, these will fly off of the shelves.  Simple items like these, that people walk by everyday will become scarce in the future.  I recently purchased  a decent full tang knife with fire starting capabilities on Ebay for only $10, things like this will be worth their weight in gold.   How else are you going to boil that water to make it safe to drink, or cook that 200lbs of dried beans and 200lbs of rice in your food storage? 

Iron Skillets
I work at a Firehouse that has been there for 30 years, and we still use the same iron skillets they did when the Firehouse was opened, this is where I began using iron skillets.  They are virtually unbreakable, and would also work very well in a solar powered oven since they are black in color.  At home we have multiple that we use in everyday cooking (10″ and 12″ Pans,  Pots (Dutch Ovens), Tortilla Warmers), easy to clean, and everlasting.  Once you start using iron cookware, you will never go back to your old stuff, try it.

Life Saving References
There are so many good survival books out there now, don’t rely on the internet to be there when TSHTF.  Print your favorite articles and guides, but hard copies are a must have.  The information in these books will be priceless, they will be your new guides to modern day living.

I know I have left more than a few things out, but this is just some of the initial important things (to us) we wanted to start with.  The list will honestly never end, and this is something that you have to continually monitor and add to.  Best of luck friends, and I’ll see you on the other side of civilization as we know it. – St. Croix

Letter Re: Coin Roll Hunting–Acquiring Silver on a Tight Budget

James Wesley:
When my father passed away a few years back my sisters and I split his meager coin collection. So I had a small amount to start out with. At one point when silver’s price dropped a bit I went to a local pawn shop and bought thirty-two 90% silver quarters for spot price. The melt value has increased roughly 10% so far.

Then I went into local banks and asked if they had any fifty cents pieces. Sure enough a teller provided me one 1964 (90% silver) and a couple of the 1965-1970 vintage (40% silver), getting the coins at face value. After that I began to inquire about rolls of fifty cent pieces. Each roll of half dollars contains 20 coins. One bank teller told me she has had five rolls so I bought two and went to my car to search through them. One of the rolls was all 1965 to 1970 and the other was about half of that vintage. So I immediate went back into the bank and got the other three rolls, scoring a total 64 of the 40% silver variety in the five rolls. For my $50, I got roughly $350 dollars in silver value. The rest of the coins I deposited back into my account at another bank. Since that day I have gone to different banks to get half dollar rolls. Some have them others do not. Most times I find 2 or 3 of the 1965 to 1970 coins in each five rolls. And when you think about it it’s a gamble you never lose because if none of the coins in the rolls contain silver you still retain the face value you exchanged for them.

It’s exciting to see what you’ll get and paying face value over spot value is a big win for me. Now that’s a gamble I can afford to take.  Happy hunting. – Dan W.

Letter Re: Observations From Fence Building

JWR:
Texas Rancher’s comments on fence building are spot on.  Build it right the first time or you’ll regret it.  If you’re in big country, then barbed wire is the way to go.  If you have a smaller place, from a few acres to a few hundred acres, you may want to consider high tensile electric fences.  High tensile fencing has a number of advantages over other types of fencing, particularly if you live in an area where there are trees.

If you’re not familiar with high tensile electric fencing take a look at  Kencove.com  They are a good source for information and supplies. 

High tensile fencing is as close to indestructible as a fence can be.  I’ve had trees two feet in diameter come down on the fence.  If they haven’t hit a post I can take a chain saw, cut the tree off the fence and the fence springs back into place.  This happens because the fence is built with springs on each strand of wire.  When something hits the fence, be it a tree or a bull, the fence gives and then springs back.  A tree will lay there until you take it off.  A bull will bounce off.  If the fence is properly built it’s hard to break.  You may have to replace a few staples, perhaps a post or some insulators, but that’s about it.  Use a solar charger and you’re not dependent on the grid.  Plus, a high tensile fence allows for more distance between line posts.  This means lower cost.  I build six wire fences, with three wires electrified. There are other choices.

I’ve built fences from boards, pipe, barbed wire, woven wire, and high tensile.  Unless you measure your land in sections rather than acres I think high tensile electric is the way to go.