Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 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, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 37 ends on November 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.

Simple Electronic Devices and Hacks for Every Day Preparations, by Pat in Oregon

Technology is a significant force multiplier in emergency situations.  There are several options I’ve found in my preparations to incorporate electronics into our everyday use and emergency preparations.  Hopefully these ideas will be of use and get others thinking about possibilities.  My goal in utilizing these ‘gadgets’ is to increase availability of resource while decreasing maintenance and effort – all at low cost if possible.  I’d like to share a few of the low-cost options that are simplest to try that we’ve adopted in our preps.

I’m an engineer and realize most of the tools I use won’t be appreciated by everyone, but I do recommend that everyone invest in a simple Digital Multi-meter.  They are quite inexpensive (as little as $15) and useful for troubleshooting automotive and equipment electrical problems.  They are easy to use and with all the information and tutorials on the internet anyone can begin taking advantage of their use.  Besides this tool, the rest of my recommendations are targeted to anyone of any background.  There are several helpful electrical gadgets we’ve found and use that have many broader options.  The best part is that these ideas will hopefully start generating interest or ideas of your own.  Realistically most adults won’t start collecting schematics or advanced electrical tools, but they can start learning new things, or may have friends or better yet, children, who are interested in pursuing these areas more.

Some simple things, first.  In a big family we have need for a lot of flashlights.  The kids use them often and so we often find batteries are dead when we need the light most.  On eBay we have found many Chinese suppliers of low cost, solar powered LED lights that have dramatically decreased our monthly expenditures for batteries.  Sure, these lights are cheaply made (you get what you pay for) but work great for everyday use.  Do a search for “Solar LED keychain” on eBay and you can easily find them for less than $1 each ($0.73 on average).  Over the course of a month we accumulated 10-15 of these lights and they all work great.  They are cheaply made and break easily, so think of them as disposable and to keep the kids from wearing out your more dependable gear.

Another good source of solar LED lighting is the inexpensive outdoor lamps available at all hardware stores.  Wal-Mart sells them for ~$2.  We keep these lights all around our chicken coop, outdoor buildings, and garden to help keep deer and predators away.  They also contribute to security and our own convenience when out-n-about at night doing chores.  They are inexpensive enough to proliferate anywhere needed and require no maintenance.  Another option is to use electrical tape to blacken the side of the light facing our home to improve visibility, or to help minimize visibility of our place from roadways.  Keeping these lights about the chicken coop also has improved egg production and extended the laying season longer into the dark days of winter.

EBay is also a great source for inexpensive wireless door chimes and passive infrared (IR) motion detectors.  For $3 each we picked up a number of different devices to test out as deer and predator alarms.  Some devices work great, others are less effective.  All are effective at detecting our dog at 6 feet, and many will see the dog as far away as 30 feet. For less than $10 we have a wireless perimeter around the chickens that detects any small animal movement and provides loud alarm to deter intrusion and warn us of detection.  Another $20 watches over our half-acre garden from deer or elk intrusions.   The alarms seem to deter the deer better than when we left a radio on out in the dark, and do well to give us and the dog a heads-up that marauders are probing the defenses.  The dog is learning well to respond to the cheerful doorbell chimes when they go off.

We purchased a more expensive IR detector that turns on a sprinkler when deer approach the garden and it has worked well, however it requires us to leave the hose on all night, and is too expensive to deploy in adequate numbers to cover all the fruit, garden, and other vulnerable locations on our place.  These low cost wireless chimes have worked very well for us to provide numbers and coverage.

All of these devices use the smaller, “pen-light” batteries and require replacement every few weeks.  Being an engineer, I’m always looking to ‘improve’ original designs or modify them to my unique needs (or wants).  I hate stocking and replacing batteries, so the logical next step was to combine the solar panel from the LED lights to power these wireless motion detectors.  Simply disassembling the LED lights and wiring the power (red) and ground(black) wires into the motion detectors has eliminated the battery need.  Some motion detectors require more power than others, but all the ones we’ve tested are adequately powered by the solar cells.  If more power is needed, simply use two or more solar cells daisy-chained together to boost the voltage to the detector.  Dropping a clean plastic container over the top is adequate weatherproofing that will not hamper the detector too badly, though I recommend spending time to make a more robust enclosure for your device to ensure longer life and use.

Another option to consider with these low-cost LED devices is to make an emergency charging circuit for your cell phone or handheld gadget.  The landscaping lights are recommended for this option.  Again, simply connecting multiple lights in a daisy chain and wiring a surplus USB cable to the mix works well for charging a FRS radio.  If you disassemble the light, you will discover one or more rechargeable battery inside – usually an “AA” size.  This can be removed and used as needed, and then replaced to recharge in the sun.  Some lights we’ve looked at have the battery soldered or “fixed” in the light, and others use a non-standard size battery, so do some snooping before purchasing in quantity.  Many of these solar devices have a single 3.6V battery.  The cheap keychain lights, for example, are sufficient to power a small “spy” camera that is the size of a car’s FOB, and can power the small camera to record video for up to 3 hours, continuously.

I wanted a more ‘discreet’ warning system around the chicken coop than the loud siren of the motion detectors provided, and found that by simply cutting the wires to the small piezo speaker inside the detector and connecting a separate LED to those wires, the detector gave a visual instead of a verbal warning to me.  Individual LEDs in various colors are available from Radio Shack or online for pennies.  The longer wire on the LED connects to power, the shorter one to ground, though on the speaker’s wires it doesn’t matter which wires the LED connects to.   I inserted the LED into a small tube cut from a pen, and now the LED indicator became very discreet and directional – only seen in the direction the LED was pointed.

There is another alarm available for very low cost to detect movement.  Small magnetic alarms that commonly are attached to a door or window are available at our local “Dollar” stores, and have a piercing alarm when the smaller bar is taken away from the main unit.  Besides their obvious use for detecting unwanted entry into your home or shop, these alarms work great to ensure the kids don’t forget to cover up the chicken feed bin, or leave the coop door open, or any other ‘reminder’ you want to keep a door closed.  I like to turn one on and throw it into the boy’s bedrooms on those mornings they haven’t gotten out of bed by the 3rd call!

As a science project with the kids, we created a GPS-based device that we wanted to launch with weather balloons of helium to track wind patterns, and to set adrift in the ocean to watch water currents.  First, we designed a custom circuit and software to record the GPS track, but in the end we found a much better, low cost solution that has many other applications worth considering.  Instead of a custom circuit, we found that on eBay we could purchase an older cell phone (I recommend a Motorola i415) with GPS capabilities for less than $10.  For another $6 we got a pre-paid phone SIM for the phone.  Using an on-line service for real-time cell phone tracking, we could watch the cell phone travel in real-time, and get our GPS data even if we never got the cell phone back from the ocean.  These phones make great, low-cost equipment tracking similar to Lo-Jack for much less cost.  A possible option for farm equipment, shipping container, or other large item you want to keep tabs on.  Gluing a strong magnet to the phone and modifying the charging cable would allow you to place the phone under the hood, wired to the vehicle’s battery for constant power. 

Rather than running 120AC power out to some of our remote locations, we’ve chosen to use car batteries for lighting and power needs instead.  It is great having a spare battery or two on hand, and with inexpensive solar arrays it is easy to keep them charged and available.  I’ve wired our garden house to use low-cost LED lighting strips, which run off the battery.  The solar panel easily keeps the battery topped off and ready for the infrequent use and the 12V is a standard supply for most battery powered devices and gadgets to run off, too.

With 12V readily available, there are a couple other electrical devices worth mentioning.  Various Internet sellers and eBay have remote controlled relay devices for under $15 (search for “12V remote relay”) that are great for remote control of any motor, light, or device.  They are simple to wire up and use, with little electrical experience needed.  It is nice when the lights are left on out in the garden house to have a remote control by the window in our house to simply click, and turn them off.  This gives all kinds of options to our OPSEC considerations.

For locking or mechanical actuation, I love using inexpensive, 12V automotive door lock solenoids.  Again, for less than $5 these can be had and applied to any number of uses.  We lock our chicken coop door at night with a door lock solenoid (remotely controlled, of course).  These solenoids are very strong (more than 7 lbs of pull in some cases) and work well to flip a wall switch, too. 
Two options we are using for power generation include solar panels and hydro power.  Neither option is able to generate more than 150W of power, but that is adequate to charge a single or bank of 12V car batteries.  Car batteries are the power supply of our choice because they are readily available, stable, and carry significant electrical power.  They are robust for charging and 12V is a common input power for many handheld devices.

I do not believe 120V AC is a viable option for TEOTWAWKI.  It requires extensive resources to generate and is neither safe nor versatile.  We do have several generators for running our freezers and power tools, but in a dramatic or long-term scenario, our plan is to rely on gas-based power tools (i.e. chainsaws, generators, rototillers, etc), propane powered stoves and refrigeration, and DC power based communications equipment.

Solar panels are readily available and easy to use.  We have several that are 40 to 50W, and with an inline diode to protect from back current, they work well to maintain car batteries.  Several springs and creeks in our area provide us and our neighbors with hydro power sources, too.  One design we built for a neighbor is based on a GMC truck alternator.  GMC alternators have a built in voltage regulator and are robust for many alternative power generation options – do a search on Google for “bicycle alternator” and you will see many clever designs for bike-power, for example.  This is one reason we keep several older model GMC trucks and a Suburban around – useful, common parts.  The alternator can be used for a 12V generator supplying up to 100 Amps of current to run AC inverters, charge batteries, or run pumps.  The neighbor’s spring is captured in a 2,000 gallon tank, and channeled off the side to ABS piping into the alternator’s turbine.  The alternator was ~$80; turbine blades are homemade and piping all from scrap on hand.

A lower cost option we used on another neighbor’s stream is my favorite.  Instead of an Alternator we used a 1200 gallon-per-hour bilge pump as a generator.  More regulation circuitry was required, but because the output was under 10 Amps, a simple solar regulator from eBay for $12 was adequate.  The smaller stream’s flow was diverted into a garden hose, fitted easily to the bilge pump’s output to run the motor as a generator.  Total setup costs (besides labor) were under $50.  These have been simple, fun, and safe ways to engage with neighbors in exploring options for remote power generation.  This setup is charging two car batteries and running 12V lighting, shortwave radio, dual-band ham radio station, and a fan in his remote shed.

Finally, one last electrical option that has worked out well for us is a water pump for our drip irrigation system.  Some of our plants require more regular watering than others, so we put in a simple drip system of tubing.  To automate it as much as possible, I used a small barrel suspended from 30 feet high to provide the water source for the tubing.  To keep the barrel full, especially in the summer months when rain is less frequent I used a small bulge-pump (12V) I had on hand to pump small amounts of water out of the livestock trough into the bucket.  I did rig up a simple microcontroller to only turn the pump on for 20 minutes each day which required more than basic electrical skills.  The pump is inexpensive and keeps the water barrel charged without any attention required.

All of these ideas are inexpensive and as simple as possible.  Just imagine what is possible with a small, microcontroller (mini computer chip) that costs less than $1.23 and very advanced sensory and computing power!  While not generally of use most people, there are options out there for your consideration.  As an engineer my emergency preparations include keeping extra microcontrollers on-hand for any number of needs.  The powerful capabilities of these modern devices are a big force multiplier for automating farm and garden tasks as well as the obvious security/OPSEC roles.  If you don’t have a working knowledge in these areas, your children may.  Many different options are available to encourage your kids, friends, etc to pursue learning if they are interested in these things, which will pay off not only in your emergency preparations, but enable them for potential engineering careers in life.

Since all of the devices mentioned are less expensive, it should encourage people to experiment with them.  Hack them, open them up, and try using them in new ways.  Kids love exploring and tearing apart things, and many of these projects have been fun for us to explore with and for the children to learn new concepts, science, and practicing putting stuff back together.  There are several photographs of these and other projects on our family blog, (Northwest Podcast).  Since these ideas are based on 12V DC they are much safer, though higher current levels must be respected.

The last note I would make regarding using electronics or technology in your preparations is to echo the warnings of the scriptures.  No gadget can replace faith and trust in the Lord.  There are significant risks and dependencies in using electronics but many of these (such as an EMP event) can be prepared for.   The scriptures warn us of trusting in the arm of flesh (Jeremiah 17:5) and of worshiping the works of man’s hands (Micah 5:13).  I believe that our culture is at great risk to this form of idolatry because of the technological blessings the Lord has given us.  Let’s use these gifts to bless the lives of our families and those around us, and put all of our trust in the Lord.

Two Letters Re: Uses For Discarded Political Campaign Signs and Wickets

James:
To make the neighborhood corners more attractive my hubby and I collect out-of-date political signs and yard sale signs – especially the ones posted on those H-style wire posts.
We reuse the wire posts to support plants by either just sticking them in the ground around the plants or by making ‘fences’ to keep them inbounds where they line walkways. We have
also made trellises by using them sideways, attaching them by string or wire and hanging them and then securing them at the base by using one or more in the normal way stuck in the
ground.

We’ve also used the signs themselves as shelf liners on wire shelves and back to back to make yard sale or for sale signs. Just hate to see anything go to waste. – Bellen

Dear Mr. Rawles:
Congratulations on the success of your latest novel!  I just finished reading my copy.

I’ve been re-using the wires on those political signs for years – I don’t know what I’d do without the malleable, heavy wire.  Where I live, politicos often don’t bother to collect the signs after the elections so I look forward to getting several  on my usual travels.  Even in rural areas those signs abound.

Some of the uses I’ve found:

  • ‘U’ wires for keeping soaker hose in the ground, cut off a length and bend, push wire into ground.  Make them big enough to find again to reuse and not get into the tiller.  They’ll last about three years.
  • U-shaped portions of the wire can be hammered in for other applications, too, like tent pegs, such as to keep a fence attached to the ground.  Works well for something you think you might have to move, or to keep wire down when you bend it outward at the bottom of a fence to foil digging predators so you don’t trip on it.
  • Frame for any wire doorway, especially chain link.  Chain link has to be framed if you’re going to cut it.  We use moveable runs for our fowls and needed to make ‘bird doors’.  Found this wire just right to slip through the chain links, cut, and bend the ends of the link wire around the political sign wire as you go along.  Works great.  Think ahead when cutting chain link and plan each cut – otherwise things can unravel on you.
  • Simple gate closure.  The wire is heavy enough for a small gate, such as on a chicken run.  A long piece with one end bent fits through standard heavy galvanized staples and then slides into a hole cut into the frame of the door.  Very simple and it works.  Push the bent part down when in the ‘closed’ position and if you’ve put a staple in the right places it will stay put.   Not for applications that lock, obviously.
  • Hooks for hanging light objects, like baskets from a beam, etc.

Best Regards, – Benedict

Letter Re: Sorting Canadian Pennies

Hi Jim:
I just finished the article titled “Sorting Canadian Pennies” and had one more thought regarding the comments on nickels.  What everyone is predicting will happen to the US nickel has already taken place here in Canada.  The current US nickel is 25% nickel and 75% Copper making the 5 cent coin already worth around 6 cents. That is a great investment if you ask me!  The Canadian nickel on the other hand, has already been badly debased, valued at around 4 Cents. This happened in 1982.  However, Canadian nickels that are pre-1982 [but post-1954] are 99% nickel! This makes them worth around 9 cents today and as little as a month ago, they were worth 12 cents in melt value!  A note to Canadian Prepper “Ni”: although it is a little work (My kids love to help with this) sorting out pre-1982 nickels is still possible.  I find on average of 8 pre-1982 nickels per [50-coin] roll and there seems no end in sight to supply.  But don’t wait too long, as I know I am not the only one who has figured this out.

Any thoughts on why there are still so many in circulation today? I thought that in 1982 [or soon after] all the nickels with real value would have been snapped up just like all the silver coinage we used to have.  I wish I had been around when there was still silver in circulation but I will settle for this.  Happy hunting. I have $200 more to sort through today and thanks to you Jim, my collection is growing–and not just my collection of nickels!  – Mike in Calgary, Canada

Economics and Investing:

K.A.F. flagged this: UBS, RBS Ratings Lowered as Fitch Says More Than a Dozen Banks May Follow

Greg F. sent this: Reconsidering the Housing Crisis

George Maniere: Precious Metals Investing: Will Gold And Silver Continue Their Run Up?

Items from The Economatrix:

Business Inventories And Sales Rose In August

Oil Prices Rise Near $87As Recession Fears Ease

Foreigners Dump $74B In Treasurys In 6 Consecutive Weeks; Biggest Sequential Outflow In History

Big Trouble Brewing

Odds ‘n Sods:

Some interesting observations from a fellow blogger: Oh Dark Thirty

   o o o

P.N.G. liked this article over at Electronic Design News: A super-het radio runs 5 years on a C-cell, plus a pentode radio

   o o o

Kyle L. mentioned a gooddeal on Federal brand .22 LR hollow point ammo from Cabela’s. I predict that .22 hollowpoints will be an ideal item for barter in the event of a socioecononmic collapse, so stock up. (BTW, they are also offering free shipping fee on any order over $150, with promo code “WOCTOBER”)

   o o o

FBI begins recording talk tadio and podcast call-ins. (Please show me where this is mentioned in the FBI’s charter.)

   o o o

Obama Spoke About “Fast & Furious” Before Holder Claimed He Knew

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 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, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 37 ends on November 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.

A Grandmother’s Practical Preparedness Plans, by Mrs. M.B.

Those of us who are from the 1930-1940s generation may have a lot of childhood memories from our parents and grandparents that will serve us well as we approach TEOTWAWKI.  As I meditate back on the sketchy memories of childhood, I can recall a number of things that today would be called “survival living” but for us at that time was simply “living.”

In survival times, let us not forget our kids emotional well-being.  In addition to needing extra love and assurance from parents and grandparents, there are many simple ways to help them entertain themselves and break free of the video/television/iPod-in-your-ear addictions.  A simple iron or steel wheel with a metal rod with a flat bend  at end will entertain them for hours as they roll it all over the yard.  In the south, playing “doodle-bug, doogle-bug, won’t you come out”  is a joy when you “doodle” the concave hole and watch the bug back out.  Bags and bags of marbles are great as well as building blocks.  These are some of the ways we entertained ourselves as kids. 

Moving on to the real topic of survival, many of us have a head start in our preparations while others are just now waking up to reality that they are seriously behind the eight-ball, or they think they will “take” what someone else has—not recommended, especially in my state, where carrying concealed weapons is legal.  We know food is critical.  We know defense if critical.  There have been many great articles on this posted by readers and owner of this site.  The thing I’ve had a hard time understanding as a senior citizen is: “I have a bugout bag but where in the heck am I going to bugout to”?  Those in the country are going to get overrun by “bugouters” apparently, and that will be a serious moral and safety problem.  We’re in the country, but if we are forced to “move on”, we’ll be in a world of hurt after initial supplies run out.  We’re too old to camp out in these freezing mountains in winter so we are praying our current home will protected and safe.  Ultimately, God is our hiding place and our covering of protection.

Even if many of us are not in ideal locations (who can know where that is except by the specific guidance of the Lord), we can learn to make do where we are.  Two out of five neighbors are stocking up on food.  The others will come knocking when they are hungry and we will share what we can as we can see skills they have which may be needed and available when they are hungry enough to trade.  We are putting aside extra beans and rice for them as we would rather feed them than fight them, and trust God to stretch our food.  If we had the money, we would probably just pack up and leave the country but financially that is not an option.  

For water, we have a well and can always pull the pipe and pump to drop down a well bucket from a rope if we get desperate.  Fortunately a well driller lives within walking distance.  We installed a 5000 gallon water tank to last a while along with a 1,000 gallon propane tank.  Since the water has a lot of iron in it and needs to be filtered, our Big Berkey does the job, and for our backpack we use Seychelle water bottles.   All these have worked well for us.  We also make our own colloidal silver and use it for almost everything needing purifying including our dogs’ water, washing our fruit and veggies, rinsing our meat and chicken, etc.  While we can, though, we purchase the “silver sol” (comes under several names) and take it internally daily for health maintenance.  I also used it to get rid of an abscessed tooth infection recently instead of taking antibiotics which I don’t tolerate well.  We brush our teeth with it, disinfect our brushes, we spray it in our eyes for infection, we spray it up our nose for sinus infection, etc.  Colloidal Silver or Silver Sol and Olive Leaf Extract capsules are our number one line of defense for practically all illnesses we get from flu to cold to infection to pneumonia, all which we have experienced. 

For over 10 years we have heated with woodstove only.  For backup electricity, we put in an 8 KW backup solar system with two inverters so we can pump water from the 220v pump in the well for about 45 minutes a day in sunshine before it stops.  We did not tie into the grid as we did not want the power company controlling our system.  With a transfer switch, we switch back and forth as needed.  Here in sunny northern Arizona, a solar oven cooks great!  We cook tender, melt in your mouth, roast beef and chicken in it now but will resort to beans and rice later.  If you can’t afford the good ones sold online, you can make a cheap one yourself with a box, aluminum foil, duct tape and glass, or search online for methods suggested.  We did buy a Rocket stove which will cook with twigs but also learned to make a cheap one with a #10 can with bottom cut out.  We have used a #10 can cut to half size and put a wire screen on top wired down for a tortilla cooker. 

Every time the grocery store has the 1 pound bags of frozen vegetables on sale, I buy 12 or 13 bags at a time and dehydrate them in my large 9-tray dehydrator and vacuum seal the dried veggies in quart and half gallon canning jars.  Once they are dry, no worries about spoiling.  I vacuum seal everything I can get my hands on in way of dried food products.  I used to do a lot in the vacuum seal bags, but they do not hold up over time and mice and bugs can eat through them, so now I do it all in jars.  A good vacuum sealer, with the extra tube and extra lids for regular and wide mouth jar sealing, is one of the best investments you can make.
As far as a garden, all the years of chemtrail spraying we have endured here seems to have ruined the soil, trees and plants. The severe drought in Arizona seemed to start about the time they started spraying as we would watch them cover the skies which would divert the rain clouds.  Whenever we would hear a weather report to expect rain in a day or so, we knew we would get sprayed and just like clockwork, they sprayed, and no rain.   Even with building up the soil, things just don’t grow as well as they should.  The earthworms seem to be gone.  Long term food survival is still a formidable challenge in my mind.  I am purchasing seeds to sprout for live enzymes.  There’s not enough natural plant life to support any chickens or other food animals. We would love to relocate to an area with good soil & water, and Christian neighbors and preppers but have not found that place yet.

I’ve learned how to take a bath without bathing, a lesson from my grandmother who never had an indoor bathroom.  Wet a washcloth, spray with colloidal silver or nano silver and a little perfume and wash down with it and you will feel as clean and fresh as a shower.  You use hardly any water that way.  Even though we are on a private well, we practice water conservation in many ways.  One way we have done for years is to draw the hot water into gallon jugs until it begins to run hot to use, then we give that to the dogs for their water.  That amounts to two gallons of water saved each time we wash dishes or take a shower. 
I make frequent trips to the thrift stores to look for fill in supplies.   Made a major find this week when I found boxes of medical supplies like 4×4 drain sponges, abdominal pads, drainage bags with tubes, tracheostomy drain sponges, box of 50 surgical masks, surgical gloves – all for a song!  Could not believe my find.  My sister is a trained paramedic so figured she would know how to use the medical stuff.  Also found a few camouflage small military pouches that attach to a back pack.  Previously I have purchased from that thrift store woodland camouflage shirts, pants, canteens with covers, backpacks, etc.  I have found that thrift stores for pets located in upscale areas net better stuff

The local swap meet yields all kinds of neat survival items from military 3-part sleeping bags (found 2 sets), to ALICE packs with frames,  to knives to cast iron cookware.  Online stores have yielded me good prices on gas masks and canisters.  You just have to look.

All this and I am a 68 year old grandma!  If I can do it, anyone can.  Now our challenge is to go through everything, sort and inventory.  For strength we will rely on our strapping 6’3” tall 18 year old grandson who has always lived with us.  So far we have put him through a two year Heavy Equipment Operator class to learn how to operate all kinds of heavy equipment.  We had him join the Civil Air Patrol to learn skills there like desert survival training and search and rescue.  Those skills will be valuable later on when the SHTF.    I’m also thinking about putting him in a karate class.  Invest in your kids and grandkids in this way.  It will pay off. 

With all that said and done, do we feel prepared?  No, as there is always more to learn and do physically, but even with the best preparations, the unknown is always lurking, waiting like a lion to pounce on the unwary, unsuspecting ones.  We do not have any underground bunker or cave.  The ground is so rocky that is not an option.  Theft is so bad in this rural area, you cannot leave anything unattended, especially in remote areas. 
Having everything in one place goes against all wisdom in prepping.  But having done all, we stand.

So I end with this:  “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.  He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be they shield and buckler.  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.  A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.  Because thou has made the Lord, which is my refuge, even  the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh they dwelling.  For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”  Psalm 91:1-11.

Letter Re: Sorting Canadian Pennies

Mr. Rawles,
I had a moment of inspiration today and after looking up melt value of Canadian coins on Coinflation and giving thought to your article about storing U.S. nickels.  I decided to try an experiment sorting Canadian coins, specifically nickels and pennies. 

Note that these melt values are when Copper spot price is listed at $3.246/lbs – a two year low in October 2011.  Personally, with the currency printing going around world wide, I think it’s reasonable to assume these prices are going to skyrocket in the near future.

I went to a Canadian bank and bought several roles of nickels and pennies with the intent of using a magnet to filter out fully debased steel coins from the coins with high nickel and copper content.

First off – all Canadian nickels are magnetic and the experiment does not work with them.

However with pennies, I’ve found that using a magnet and several pieces of Tupperware, from one 50 cent roll I can filter out around one third of the full-debased steel Canadian pennies dating after 2000 whose melt value is insignificant. 

One third of the pennies that remain are dated after penny debasement occured from 1997 onwards when the mint introduced copper-washed zinc pennies.  Mixed in as well are a few 1982 and later American pennies.  The approximate melt value of either being $0.004 to $0.005 per penny.

Approximately one third of the remaining pennies are American or Canadian pennies whose melt value fluctuates from $0.0177 to $0.023.  These are either pre-1982 American pennies or pre-1997 Canadian pennies.

Given the ability to filter out a substantial amount of the steel pennies with a magnet (that can be rerolled and deposited at a bank), would you please offer your opinion on if you think sorting and storing Canadian pennies is a viable means to store up copper as an inflation hedge, in a similiar way to storing American nickels for thier nickel [and copper] content?

I will also note that there is serious talk in the Canadian government to fully abolish the penny so the opportunity for doing so may not be around for very long.

Thank you, – Ni in Canada

JWR Replies: That does make some sense, although keep in mind that with pennies the weight and bulk per dollar invested will be substantially higher than with nickels. And I can assure you that even nickels are very heavy and bulky! But if you have time on your hands and lots of vault space, then go for it.

Letter Re: Farmer’s Markets in the American Redoubt?

Dear James-
I just recently found your blog through a story on The Daily Crux by Stansberry and Associates. I am very impressed by the amount and quality of the info. I now feel less alone! The people that I have tried to talk to here don’t have a clue-they either say that if something bad happens they know we will take care of(feed) them or they say that they have guns and will take what they need. I only know of two other preppers and they are many miles away. We run a greenhouse business and vegetable farm in northern Wisconsin. We also raise chickens ,turkeys and pigs.We freeze,can and dehydrate and keep stocking up  but doubt we can defend it. The economy is slowly going to put us under. Our balloon is due and no one makes commercial loans here anymore. Sales are declining and people keep expecting more for less. While this is a rural area, the majority of residents work for state or local government.
 
We desperately want to move to the mountains but funds will be tight. If by some miracle we can sell out we might have $150,000 but if we lose this place we might only have $30,000. Far too little to buy a place with live water and a few acres for veggies, fruit and animals. Are there like minded people who want to live off grid, be self sufficient and are conservative that would like to buy a larger piece of property to share. Maybe a mini community of people that could rely on each other. We like northwest Montana, the panhandle of Idaho, and northeastern Washington. I am looking for someplace quiet but need to be within driving distance of farmers markets to sell produce, eggs and meat. If you have any thoughts or ideas please let me know.
 
Thank You, – M.J.

JWR Replies: There are lots of towns in the American Redoubt that have active farmer’s markets from Spring through Fall each year. I have found directories of Farmer’s Markets posted on the web for Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Needless to say, the presence of farmer’s markets is a good indicator for towns with arable soil and some self-sufficient folks and hence a locale with some retreat potential. (Although be advised that there are lots of larger cities that host farmer’s markets wherein the “local” farmers often drive 75+ miles, to attend!) Furthermore, in a post-collapse America, it will likely be the local farmer’s markets that will be the genesis of a revived economy–whether it is via barter or with some new currency.

Economics and Investing:

Ian Gordon: Hedging With Gold Against Imminent Economic Collapse

State may expedite Florida foreclosures

B.B. sent a link to the latest Jim Rogers CNBC Interview.

Also from B.B.: Gold is not in a Bubble: It’s on its way to $10,000 an ounce

Yet another from B.B.: Foreigners Dump $74 Billion In Treasurys In 6 Consecutive Weeks: Biggest Sequential Outflow In History

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Rise On Gain In Retail Sales; Google Jumps

California Revenues Down By $705M

The Depression:  If Only Things Were That Good

Retail Sales Rose Strongly In September On Autos

 

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader C.D.V. found a handy search tool where you can look up your local school and see what toxic chemicals the children are exposed to. It goes on to list what chemicals and what businesses/industries are responsible. This is just one more tool to use when research retreat locales. It also provide further support for my states designated in The American Redoubt.

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Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent links to a couple of video clips on creative uses for CONEX containers: Concrete reinforced CONEX “wine cellar” and Prefab CONEX cabins.

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I just heard that Camping Survival (one of our loyal advertisers) is offering 25% off on all CELOX coagulants.

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File under Helpless Sheeple Department: Couple lost in Massachusetts corn maze causes media bonanza.

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Reader J.B.G. sent a link to a piece on Louisiana’s controversial ban on private cash transactions: Government Takes Private Property Without Due Process

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” – Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)