Turning One Town’s Junk Into This Man’s Treasure, by A. Arizonan

My wife and I have been hard at work obtaining supplies, developing practical skills, knitting key relationships, and generally preparing for societal disruption for about four years now. Our journey into this endeavor began after some research into the nature of the U.S. dollar (or more appropriately, Federal Reserve Notes) woke us up to the fragility of our world systems.  For this and other reasons, we have taken the message of Proverbs 22:3 to heart: “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

Achieving a level of satisfactory preparedness for what life may have in store has been no easy task in Northern Arizona, where we have little water, poor soil, and high property prices. However, we have made great strides toward system independence in large part by consistently finding uncommon uses for commonly available goods.  One often-overlooked item has become almost indispensable to our day-to-day activity, and would surely make even more impact to our well-being in an extended grid-down or TEOTWAWKI type scenario.  I write about it because I see it get very little mention in survival-type forums, and I think others may find it helpful as well.

I’m talking about newspaper.  Newspaper has myriad useful properties of interest to a prepper or homesteader.  Newspaper is many things, including: absorbent, insulative, filling, soft, flammable, easily reducible, compact, lightweight, non-toxic, and perhaps best of all, cheap and highly available.  Let me highlight a few of these properties and show some practical applications of each.

Cheap and Highly Available
           
Although newspaper publishers have fallen on hard times with more Americans getting their information from television and the Internet, it is not at all hard to come by paper supply. I live in a small town of about 30,000 people and our local Lion’s Club drop-off bins are always jam packed.  While I do not suggest raiding charity bins for your stash, here are a few things that have worked for me:

  • Ask around.  I get all the papers I can use for free.  At one point I simply asked my co-workers for their back issues when they finished reading them and they gladly obliged.  To them it was clutter and something to tote to the curb each Tuesday.  Just ask the paper subscribers in your life for their supply and prepare for a constant stream of material.
  • The trash.  Certain places that sell breakfast often have tables of early morning readers processing their daily dose of information over a cup of coffee.  I’m not personally above gathering them off the tables as patrons leave or picking up a pile left on top of the  garbage sorter at a fast food joint.
  • Curbside recycling bins and drop-off location dumpsters. These are jammed with paper.  While some cities frown on people taking anything out of their containers (they are, after all, a source of profit), it might be worth a call to get permission.  At the least, checking out either will let you know which neighbors to hit up the night before garbage day.
  • Newspaper facilities. If you have one in your area, publishers will willingly sell you the unused portions of their rolls, typically for pocket change.  At my local press a leftover roll will run about two to three bucks.  The upside to this is they are completely free of ink and have been stored indoors.  Teachers will often utilize this for cheap, clean craft project paper for the kids.
  •  Recyclers. If you have a recycling facility nearby, newspaper can be had for mere pennies per pound.  Last I checked, the going rate was $.03 per pound/$6.00 per ton.  You’ll have to pay them a little more than they bought it for, but not by much.

Flammable

            This is what first got me to asking for old newspapers in the first place. Newspaper, at its core, is very dry wood material in thin form.  It burns fast with when “fluffed” or crumpled to allow air movement, and slower if more compressed.  Here is how I’ve used it in the past:

  • Fire starter.  A few pages of newspaper crumpled into loose balls, topped with kindling, topped with a split dry log is usually all it takes to get a roaring fire built in my indoor fireplace or outdoor fire pit. 
  • Charcoal grilling.  Two balls of newspaper at the base of a charcoal chimney starter, whether the store bought types such as the Weber version, or a homemade one made out of an old can works much better than lighter fluid.  Not only will it light all your coals easier, it’s cleaner and unlikely to blow up in your face.
  • Cooking.  My grandparents used to have a grill that utilized only newspaper to cook on. Quite a while back I even saw these advertised on late night TV. These cookers worked like a charcoal grill, but somehow made use of newspaper balls as the heat source instead.  How it made crumpled paper burn long enough to make raw burger and steak into a family meal is beyond me, but it always worked like a charm on Grandpa’s back patio with very little muss and fuss.  These are somewhat hard to find, but I remember it working well and would certainly pick one up if I happened across one at a yard sale. 
  • Log alternative.  Not only does newspaper make for good fire starter, in a more compacted form it can produce a fair amount of longer-term heat.  In a pinch a section of newspaper rolled into a cylinder and bound with masking tape will burn much like a log.  You will have trouble lighting it outright, but when thrown into an already established fire or placed over a bed of newspaper balls and tinder it can replace firewood to some degree.

Absorbent

Newspaper is made of wood pulp, which can also be said of paper towels, toilet paper, and facial tissue.  As such, in a pinch it can be used as a cheap replacement for these functions, though the ink has a tendency to smear a bit.  One extra benefit to newspaper’s absorbency is that once used you can dry it out for other purposes, such as fire starter or composting. Some other ways I’ve used newspaper over the years:

  • Gardening.  Here in the southwest our soil runs two varieties: hard-packed or dusty fill.  Very few raise crops successfully without full-on soil management efforts.  Newspaper has been key in improving my food production efforts considerably. For one, it serves well as the carbon or “brown matter” base necessary to speed the decomposition of the nitrogen or “green matter” materials in my compost bin.  Worms love to bed in the stuff, increasing my compost breakdown all the more.  Best of all, it serves as a better moisture trap than almost any other common garden materials I have run across, and is certainly the cheapest.  When judiciously added to compost or directly to the soil it decreases my need to water as frequently and allows for better root growth.  That said, one cannot just add bales of paper to compost or soil, or it will suffocate microorganisms and plants.  It took me a while to happen on the best method for breaking it down to manageable bits, but I now use the “bucket method” (described below) extensively. This little bit of effort provides me plenty of loose, carbon-rich, absorbent, and mixable material to work with when planting crops.  I am currently experimenting with its use in applications which require potting soil.
  • Animal bedding.  Confined animals make messes in the same places they eat and sleep.  If these messes aren’t taken care of it makes for an unsanitary situation.  If one is raising animals for food purposes, this can lead to an increased likelihood of food-borne illnesses.  Newspaper is a cheap way to provide your animals soft bedding that can absorb their “downloads” and be thrown out/re-purposed before it becomes a problem.
  • Rags.  Doing laundry would be much more of a hassle during disruptions to modern lifestyles.  As such, it may not be in one’s best interest to use cloth rags or towels for common cleanups.  At the least newspaper can alleviate the burden by taking the initial brunt of the mess.  When I clean my guns I usually do so on a good layer of newspaper to absorb cleaners and grease while simultaneously preventing scratches from my bench.  When my kids or I dirty our hands, I will wipe the bulk of it off with a newspaper before coming in the house to wash up.  Newspapers are amazing window cleaners, and are a constant companion when I’m trying to keep the area clean when working on vehicles and machinery.  In the ongoing debate between the supremacy of disposable or cloth diapers in TEOTWAWKI in SurvivalBlog, it has been noted that one can extend the life of either type of diaper by padding it with newspaper. 
  • Deodorizer.  Not only does newspaper absorb liquids, it does a fairly competent job of absorbing odor.  This is one of the reasons old time butchers would wrap up fish with it.  Balled up paper will alleviate musty areas or the after-effects of a spill in a refrigerator drawer.  This function is also a side benefit to using it in animal cages. 

Insulative

If you go to a hardware store that sells blown-in or “loose fill” insulation, you basically have two options: fiberglass or cellulose.  The cellulose type is typically composed of 75-85% recycled newsprint.  Some frown on cellulose as an insulator because of two of its other main properties, namely flammability and absorbency (ask anyone who has had a roof leak into an attic with cellulose fill). However, if accounted for, your old newsprint can serve you quite well as an insulator.  Some common usages, outside of raising a building’s r-factor:

  • Plant protection.  My wife and I, and many other gardeners over the decades, have saved several of our food plants from late frost by simply covering them with a good layer of newspaper.  For added effectiveness, we will sometimes then cover this layer with a plastic sheet to prevent moisture from getting through.  When the threat is over, simply remove it all and let your plants get some fresh air.   
  • Airflow barrier.  In the winter when I am no longer making use of our evaporative cooler I will place a layer of newspaper behind the grates to avoid the cold air blowing through.  Rolled up paper placed at the base of doorways reduces drafts from outside.  You get the idea.  I caution you to only use newspaper where moisture intrusions won’t happen or can easily be detected and cleaned up, lest you harbor mold.
  • Avoiding heat damage.  Newspapers are great to have around when one needs to handle slightly hot items (obviously, given its combustibility you don’t want it around things that are flaming hot).  If my wife and I are canning or cooking multiple dishes, we save our countertops by laying down a layer of newspaper to act as big oven pads.  When I’m zeroing in a gun in the wilderness, I will lay newspaper on my car to avoid paint damage before putting the gun down (rolled up, it also makes a decent bench rest in a pinch).  Newspaper spread over metal, such as siding or pipes will help it to avoid getting too hot on a summers day.  If wrapped around a skillet handle or building material it will allow you handle what you’re working with.
  • Food storage. In the days when my grandfather ran a grocery store, ice came packed in an insulative layer of sawdust, which allowed it to be shipped long distances, even through Arizona, without too much loss of product.  Since newspaper is essentially composed of refined sawdust one can utilize this same effect by wrapping cold/frozen items in newspaper, or conversely, hot items.  Not only will this allow you to transport the item and keep it at its preferred temperature longer, it will protect more fragile items such as jars.  When my wife and I travel any distance, we will often wrap our food packages, place it in a cooler, and surround it all with ice bags. 
  • Human bedding.  Go to any major city and in all likelihood a good portion of its homeless population lays on or under newspaper.  Certainly the more sophisticated of us can make use of it, too, for the same purposes.  Newspaper can be shredded and stuffed into sleeping bags and mattresses for an extra layer of warmth. 
  • Sound barrier.  Newsprint is, relative to more common forms of insulation such as fiberglass, much denser.  As such, contractors recommend it to those looking to muffle sound in homes.  If one seeks to lower one’s noise footprint for operational security (OPSEC) purposes, newspaper can be shoved into spaces between windows or sliding doors, crevices through which sound can travel, between wall beams, etc.  On structures which creak where two pieces of building material rub together,  I’ve found that placing a few layers of newspaper between the offending parties, then refastening the joint provides for a better fit and dampens the noise in one shot. 

As effective as newspaper is all by itself, here are three pointers for those intending to make use of it:

  • Newspaper and tape go hand in hand.  The handiest tape for any of its purposes is masking tape. It sticks well enough to the paper itself. Furthermore, when using newspaper there is often a need to adhere it to another surface, whether I’m using it under my kids’ paint pads or as a jar insulator, and masking tape will typically not harm such surfaces or leave residue.  It can also be left with the newspaper through its transitions to other purposes, such as fire starting or composting.  I recommend keeping a few rolls of painter’s masking tape on hand if you’re going to keep a pile of newspaper on hand.
  • Some care must be taken when storing newspaper.  Don’t store it near any source of flame or radiant heat.  Don’t expose it to liquids.  Even in safe, dry places it can become a haven for mice and insects if left in the open.  I recommend using plastic storage bins for indoor storage, and a plastic barrel with removable top works well for outdoor storage.
  • Depending on your use, you may have to break newspaper down into smaller pieces.  For the most part I can perform most tasks simply by tearing it by hand.  When I need to make it into finer strips a “guillotine” paper cutter (the type elementary schools use) works extremely well. In order to break it down into a fine pulp I use the “bucket method”:  I simply fill a standard 5 gallon bucket halfway with paper and the rest of the way with water.  Let this sit for a couple of days until the newspaper is thoroughly saturated and easily torn by hand.  Then get a power drill with mixer (mortar or paint) attachment and blend to a fine pulp.  Do this in an area and with clothes where splatter won’t matter.  You can now use the newspaper in its semi-liquid form for purposes such as gardening or spread it out to dry for purposes that require dry cellulose material, such as some insulation applications. 

Newspaper has literally hundreds of uses around the home.  I have but touched on those  of special interest to the prepper/homesteader community which I can personally attest to.  May you find newspaper to be as helpful to your preparations as it has been to mine.           

JWR Adds: Don’t neglect using fire retardant (soaked or spray-on), depending on the application. For example, whenever newspaper will be used as insulation in an application where people might be sleeping or periodically absent, then flame retardant is called for.

Product Review: Magpul Dynamics The Art of the Tactical Carbine DVD Set, by Mac D.

As many people who are presently watching local and global events I have a heightened concern with our general social situation on many levels. As part of my preparations I had identified some potential deficiencies with my actual ability to use firearms in a defensive manner if it were to be necessary.  Like many, having the time, funds and opportunity to attend formal instruction in utilizing a rifle in a tactical manner just was not coming together in a timely manner. To my advantage I have actually spent time in the Marine Corps (combat veteran) and Coast Guard (boarding team, special capabilities unit member) and so have had both military and law enforcement type rifle/carbine training. Though even with that I still felt I was lacking something in the real how to do it if or when it is needed in my present environments. With this in mind I began a quest to find some good solid instructional training materials in various media formats. During this adventure (and with all that is out there it is an adventure trying to find quality material) one company and set of DVDs kept appearing on my radar, that is Magpul Dynamics and their The Art of the Tactical Carbine DVD set. So with great hesitation (though from clips I had seen on internet I believed I would be getting a good product) I made the step and spent the approximately $35 and purchased it.

Magpul Dynamics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Magpul Industries who manufacturer tactical accouterments in the United States. Finding a vacuum in the training available in the US for effective/efficient tactical rifle usage they took their programs and advanced into to video arena. The instructors on the DVD are Chris Costa (former USCG Tactical Law Enforcement Team member and instructor and government security training contractor) and now presently CEO of Magpul Dynamics and Travis Halley (former USMC Force Recon [Marine Special Ops], security contractor, former CEO Magpul Dynamics) and now founder of Halley Strategic Partners ( www.haleystrategic.com ) who together bring some serious real world experience to their program.

This is a three DVD set. Discs one and two contain the training specific portions; disk three contains a detailed breakdown of the many drills that are utilized in the training program and also a series of informational clips on weapons, sights, accessories, etc. and an out-take reel. (The latteris actually pretty hilarious). The combined time is over four hours of material. Being a little cost conscious and a comparison shopper that comes to under ten dollars for each hour of material compared to on average other DVDs which provide approximately one hour of training at an average cost of nineteen plus dollars. While I like the bang for buck value of the set, the true determination of true value is what they teach and how. Beginning with a mandatory safety brief they roll into the basics of how to load your rifle. Utilizing their core training doctrine of “Reality, Consistency, and Efficiency” it moves forward from there picking up speed as it moves uphill. From how to properly get into basic positions to correctly sighting in your rifle, to how to move, to how to perform speed and tactical reloads, to the whys of each action. The entire filming is done from a point of that you are almost there on the range in the class with them. Loud and rapid they present a mass of information all the time explaining that why they teach each method and/or technique. They readily acknowledge that sometimes your method will differ because life and other factors will affect your use of techniques and skills in a dynamic situation and that will determine what is most efficient and effective for you. Performing drills the entire time there is so much information provided there is no way to get it all in one viewing.

During the training they constantly push people to their failure point in drills believing (as I have found in my personal experience is very true) that amateurs train till success, professionals train past success till failure (as that shows you where you need to go to further improve your skill sets). After watching the DVDs for the first time all I could say is wow! Though my background may have paid a part in how I viewed their production (I am very use to loud, direct, and effective training) the details and logic of what they teach had me amazed.  At this point I have viewed it over five times and am still pulling nuggets of information each time I see it. Even with my experience the information and techniques they present left me wondering even how much more about utilizing a rifle/carbine I did not know.

Though the DVD is called ‘The Art of the Tactical Carbine’ do not expect tactical type techniques such as house clearing in this presentation. The ‘Tactical’ in the title comes in the form of the description of the weapon; the ‘Art’ is the proper handling and use (firing) of the weapon. I believe as they teach that it is much more important to have a solid base of basic skills before you move upward and this DVD set does that. House/room clearing is an important skill however being able to efficiently use your carbine during such activities is much more critical. Though they do an excellent job on teaching movement to cover and shooting around various obstacles which is the stepping stone to advanced ‘tactical’ type actions and movements. Key information presented in the DVDs which I found extremely useful in my situation includes a wide range of subjects they presented starting with good tactical sling selection, to improving my tactical shooting stance. During the section(s) on firing positions the urban prone stood out as one I needed to acquire the skills for as that the ability to shoot efficiently and accurately under obstacles is one which I could readily identify use of in my present environment. Throughout the DVD the mechanical precision which the instructors move through each step of each technique or skill is amazing but expounds on their key core training philosophy of consistency. By achieving consistency you improve efficiency which means in reality you have a higher chance of coming out alive. They also build on the training throughout, for example: taking the basic administrative type reload and using the steps there to teach how to properly perform an tactical reload to how to perform a combat type reload (yes there are major differences in each) then taking those techniques and integrating them into how you handle weapon malfunctions, all in one package. Nothing in this training seem to be left to chance, everything they seem to show or explain rolls right into another step or procedure. There is very little waste of time in the presentations again with them staying with those core principals they utilize of reality, consistency, and efficiency. Contrary to other training programs I have experienced in my life these boys definitely believe in the old saying of ‘practice what you preach’. However, nothing in their mannerisms or instructional techniques makes it boring and even when they are using humor during their presentations to make a point it flows almost perfectly making watching the DVDs more of an adventure than an ordeal.

Chris Costa’s explanation of some of the weaknesses of using a ‘dump pouch’ to keep your primary weapon magazines in, which is now commonly known as his “1911 mag, Twinkie, Twinkie, cupcake, primary weapon magazine” speech has now become a legend in some shooting circles (and hilarious to see). The training presented does focus on the AR-15/M4 type platforms though they do try to integrate many of the variables of those configurations into the training (and do a reasonable job considering the amount of configurations out there). Unfortunately they don’t really address other types of rifles and utilizing them (though one of the students has an AK47 type platform in the DVD), realistically by the time they finished adding wide range AK47s or 74s, Mini-14s, FN/FALs, SKSes, et cetera. The DVDs would be forty plus hours. However, the ‘basic techniques’ they teach are effective with all platforms and can be easily incorporated into your training by thinking it out and using their core principals of reality, consistency, and efficiency.

Since purchasing and viewing Magpul Dynamics The Art of the Tactical Carbine   I have purchased some other weapon training type DVDs from other name brand instructors/companies and none compare to the information and knowledge presented by Chris, Travis and their team. Recently I have integrated this DVD into the training of my family and associate’s, each having a different level of rifle/carbine experience and from the lowest most basic shooter to the highly experienced everyone has come away learning something. What more can you ask for? Personally, I highly recommend this DVD set for anyone from starting out to those seeking further improvement (as Travis and Chris say) and desire personally raising themselves to the next rung in the ladder of excellence. Looking at their other DVDs now, hmmm, Magpul Art of the Dynamic Shotgun, I hear you calling to me.

Letter Re: Coalbed Methane and Retreat Locale Selection

Mr. Rawles,
I wanted to send a quick note that one option for a retreat’s power/heating needs could be met with a natural gas well on the property.  Here is a link to a map which shows coal bed methane areas in the United States.  If someone was so inclined, a well could produce natural gas for a retreat for as many as 100 years and allow for a completely independent fuel source which can be added to other sources such as wood stoves and the like. 

Best Regards, – Jon H.

Letter Re: Lessons Learned From a Recent California Power Outage

I have been a prepper most of my life.  Growing up in a foreign country is a relatively rural area everybody was a prepper by definition.   Limited services, almost no government, many subsistence farmers. I also spent a fair amount of time in the Navy doing bad things to bad people. Enough said.  

When we lost power out here in San Diego County I was almost happy!  Finally I would get to put into use some the plans that many of us have been making. Maybe that sounds bad but after lugging my bug out/bug home bag for years I actually was looking forward to using it.  Initially they said the power would be out for several days and for most areas it turned out to be much shorter.

My government job required me to stay at work long after the outage occurred but eventually I headed home. I live near a small town in the mountains in the eastern part of San Diego County so my plan was a bug in style.  I don’t have a concrete bunker with hidden escape tunnels and a gun at every window, but I do have a secluded house with excellent fields of fire, on four acres of land with an orchard and the start of a garden.   I have a good 870 shotgun, an MP5 9mm and my faithful SIG [9mm pistol].  We have a large pantry with lots of canned food and various freeze dried items.

My journey home went smoothly, I used a non-highway route that avoided heavy population areas and traffic lights, so I never got to pull out my bag (d**n it!), the small handgun sat next to me the whole way home. This small emergency was a good lesson learned and trial run for what may come further down the line.
 
Lessons from the blackout:
*Maintain your gas tank a half or better. With no electricity, no gas, and no ATM.  I was able to cruise home while many had to sleep in offices and in their cars because they had no gas to get home, and no way to get any.   People with bug out bags were looking very smart at that point.

*The big box stores that had generators were immediately swamped. With people looking for everything, ice, batteries, flashlights, canned food, etc.

*The more rural it got the more I witnessed people willing to help others.   In some areas outside the city, people actually pulled their barbeques into their front yards and turned the blackout in to blackout parties.   Once outside San Diego the tension in the air was almost gone.

*Most people became almost catatonic when their cell phones stopped working. Many had no idea how to leave once their primary route became a parking lot and their Smartphone could give them alternate directions.  Plan those routes now! Don’t wait until after TSHTF.

*Sometimes the bugout bag gets in the way and it ends up in the garage. Don’t make that mistake!  Keep it in your car.  I didn’t use it but knowing that it was there was almost as comforting as the small inexpensive 9mm on the passenger seat.

*Prepare your family well.  Whenever I start talking about prepping, food storage and the like my daughter would usually roll her I eyes and give me an “Oh dad!” comment. However when I did get home my daughter had turned to kitchen table into a command post!  She had candles, multiple flashlights, the crank radio and the Remington shotgun (although she couldn’t tell me what kind of shells she had loaded it with) all doors were locked and both of our large dogs were with her.
 
Although my preps don’t reach the level of many who read this blog, I continue to improve my condition.  I’m not moving! This is my home! I will defend it and I think that within my means I’ve got a good plan so far and it will improve it as I can.  I will continue to read this site and gleam whatever nuggets are printed.  This blog helped make a potentially long weekend into an event free ride home.

In passing, I’ll add that with things under control at home I visited several people in the area to check on them and actually ran into several people on their way to check on my family.  I stopped in the small town below my mountain and our local brewery/pub was doing a great business.  The lights were out but with an abundance of preppers in the area, there were a lot of lights and lamps and the owner was taking IOUs.  This was a good test for me. I found areas that I will improve and met some like minded people.  Spending a couple of hours discussing the cause of the blackout with fellow preppers over a beverage, instead of sitting in a dark car or office proves that this stuff works. – Smokecheck

Economics and Investing:

China to ‘liquidate’ US Treasuries, not dollars. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

This headline was trumpeted over at The Drudge Report: Mortgage default warnings surged in August.

Kweku is in a heap ‘o trouble: UBS $2 billion rogue trade suspect held in London. (Also by way of Drudge.)

Gerald Celente: “Things Are Going to Get Much Worse…Society Is Breaking Down”

JDD flagged this: Trump Accepts Gold Instead of Dollars From Tenant

Items from The Economatrix:

US Faces Challenges The Fed Can’t Solve

Unemployment Facts We Would Rather Not Face

US Drops In Ranking of Most Competitive of World Economies

Debt Bubble:  A Dangerous New Phase

Stocks Rally On Support Plan For European Banks
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-rally-on-support-plan-apf-2119368057.html?x=0

Odds ‘n Sods:

Margaret G. mentioned this bit of Philippine barrio ingenuity: Solar Water Bottle “Light Bulbs”.

   o o o

Floyd sent this link: Viewpoints: The ultimate fear of ‘Contagion’ tests trust in health care

   o o o

And just for fun, for any of you who are The Blues Brothers fans: Frostie Dancing To “Shake Your Tail Feathers”. (My dear sweet Mom sent me the link.)

   o o o

Does this remind you of a book you’ve read? Cash-strapped adults hunker down, bunk up

   o o o

A bit more of the truth comes out: White House received emails about Fast and Furious gun-trafficking operation

Note from JWR:

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

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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

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

Next Steps: Prepping for the Middle Expertise, Middle Life, Middle Philosophy Preppers, by A.L.G.

Salutations! And for those of spiritual and religious bent, Blessings, from my wife and I in these troubled time.

A few weeks back, after my assistant’s grandson returned to his school year, he brought home a “bug” as the kiddies often do. My assistant naturally fell ill, and a week later, sure enough I found myself on my couch with my wife good-naturedly giving me some grief (and chicken soup…) With some time on my hands, and not much energy to actually do anything, my mind started turning as I laid there and watched an earthquake hit D.C. and a hurricane beginning its topsy turvy track towards some portion of the East coast a week later.

Thankfully, all of my friends and family out East were safe in both events (my first concern, as the wife and I live in the suburbs of Chicago.) After sending my assistant an email asking her to check on our customers and business contacts (it turns out the bug was strep throat, and after calling immediate family and best friends, I really did not want to physically speak any more,) I began contemplating the status of our preps.

All the books I have read or perused written on our lifestyle (I use that word very deliberately) seem aimed at those who know nothing about prepping/survival and are starting from square one, – giving the reader a course of recommended actions to take, to ensure their long term viability. There are several philosophies in the range of books and manuals, some are urban survival guides, some advocate a move to secure locations (the better half and I have a long term plan to follow Captain Rawles to the American Redoubt area, but that is 2-4 years away from being executed) some are of the hunting in the wilderness variety, and others are shall we say, more militant.

Not a single book I have read really addresses where we are in life currently. I can only assume as the popularity of survival/prepping has increased exponentially over the past few years, that others are now in the boat that the wife and I find ourselves within. Namely, having our basic preps complete, a plan for the future, but the feeling that we can do more today, and not quite knowing what it is. What follows, as I am in no position to write a full book, are just a few thoughts I had while laid up on the couch for half a week watching our economy continue its slow collapse, a shocking geologic event hit the East coast, and a hurricane heading towards heavily populated areas.

Jack Spirko over at The Survival Podcast has many times mentioned his idea that what he provides is a “framework” from which to operate. As a sometimes business consultant and coach, this idea resonates with me – give folks a flexible system to adapt and adopt to their particular custom circumstances. There may be 99% overlap between my checklist and yours, but that final 1% is mine or yours – not both of ours. That said, on the couch, I realized we (the lady and I) had not rebuilt a framework in a looooong time. Something like a eighteen years of prepping – well before the word was coined and it was just survivalists – multiple checklists, plans to be executed in binders, financial acumen and execution, food storage, BOBs, armament, BOLs, continuing education, new skills, laughter, failure, success, etc. We had gotten older, our plans somewhat evolved, but I no longer know what I am doing day to day, why, and in what priority; to embrace the future with a sense of excitement and hope that we shall prevail.

The business metaphor I might use, is that of an established successful small business that has some contingency plans in place, but plods along executing the activity of its business every day – with absolutely no innovation program to address the future. We are merely relying on an old business plan. Rather ironic as my business consulting revolves around innovation topics. The shoemakers son goes shoeless!

This is primarily a mindset issue – we need to move from prepping caused by fear (healthy to begin the journey and get us off our rear ends,) to a sense of accomplishment at what we have done so far, and then further into a sense of comfort in doing what needs to be done going forward. We need to move from our checklist which we keep searching for holes as we move from beginner to intermediate middle of the road, to a martial arts type flexibility of “flowing” with the energy of life as we tweak, improve, and search for new arenas and opportunities. We need to expand our focus from the immediate concentric circles that may never be 1oo%; to the next adjacencies where we are not really playing actively (business metaphor – I own the market in my town, lets look at the same business in the next town as we expand, which we had not considered doing previously.) Further business metaphor, we own this town, and the next, we better look at additional products or service lines to provide to our customers who already love us.

So how does this shifting in mindset, translate into direct actions (if you are still reading my ramblings, I assume you do feel like you are to some extent sharing my disquietude,) we can take in our current lives?

Well, I am sure of one thing, that is the fact that I do not have all the answers, but here are some further thoughts I had on my sick-couch, as I began this mental exercise (and yes, now that I am well, I am taking action on thought.)

First, let’s re-examine the question of why we prep? I can’t remember the last time I actually formally created a threat analysis matrix! All action comes from the, “Why.” It is long past time to revisit the old business plan!

I am an idiot. Everything I do is based on a document (the long lost threat matrix) from another era (remember the days of plaid flannel shirts, grunge rock like Nirvana, Waco, and Clinton coming into office) Really? The last time I thought holistically about threats was in 1993? Somebody please grab a crowbar and remove my palm from my forehead where I just smacked myself silly! My mindset and planning is entirely out of date, or maybe not, but I need to know and not assume.

Years ago, I created a matrix that listed all the various threats I was going to plan for, and from there took action to mitigate. As the years passed, and a new threat was discovered, I just tweaked purchases and plans accordingly. It is high time I start again (on paper at least) from scratch to ensure my actions and investments are aligned with multiple scenarios of what might be.  Who knows, perhaps not much is different, but considering how the world has changed, I am confident I will be finding many holes and fallacies in my thinking. The end result of what preps are in place may well be the same – but I need to examine the foundation for cracks, and I certainly need to shock myself out of an 18 year mental rut.

Second, I need to look at the CARVER matrix for each specific threat I identify  within my mission planning. Yes, I am a business guy, but I freely take the best planning tools and frameworks from other arenas (in this case, the military.) Again, my plans may or may not change according to this holistic re-examination of our planning and SOPs. I do know however, that I will feel much better updating everything to today’s (and tomorrow’s) environment with a fresh look at it – as opposed to plans that have been updated and tweaked on an ad-hoc basis over the years.

Third, one concrete task I stink at will be given a weekend and just plain knocked off the to-do list. Namely, examination of all food expiry dates and rotations to ensure the system is operating properly. I also intend on traveling to our caches and performing maintenance on all items stashed away (unpacking, checking of expiry, re-lubing, updating as necessary according to our inventory lists.)

Fourth, I will focus on (business metaphor again) human resources over the coming year. This is perhaps one of the most important, difficult, costly, and painful tasks in business and likewise in prepping. What do I mean by this? Two things.

First, for the family “on board” with the lifestyle, I will re-examine our planning, communications, and joint training to ensure it is operating smoothly.

Second, I wish to expand: Easier said, than done.

How does one expand? In business, you write a job description, post it somewhere soliciting interest, interview, background and reference check, psyche test, try to take into account variables such as cultural fit, personality type, alignment of goals,  (illegal in business but not in prepping – religious views,) dither over the decision, and then jump – hoping it is a pillow at the bottom, and not rocks.

Human resources management is an art, not a science. I have the pleasure and honor of collaborating from the innovation side with some of the worlds leading experts in HR/workforce topics/and academic theorists, there is no one right answer. You play, sometimes you pay (and hopefully, sometimes you get paid.)

On an ad hoc basis over the years I have met like minded preppers at national gatherings, I have hosted events locally hoping to identify others in my community and participate(d) in numerous internet forums. Again, there is no right answer. I am however, definitely changing my mentality from one of laissez faire.

This years project is to do the hard work of building, once the re-examined plan is in place.

I will keep talking to people. I will keep making new contacts. However this time, I will be taking notes on which of these contacts I will deliberately continue with in private discussion to better ascertain suitability for placement in an extended secure network and community. However, it brings me back to the foundation document I am holistically re-building. I am now creating a “job description.” The military has their various “slots,” business has its “roles;” why do I not have a listing of the skills, personality types, attitude, etc. I am looking to identify with contacts? Operating with no framework is only marginally worse than operating from an 18 year old framework that hasn’t [been] updated.

Years ago, we were all individual survival types, as we went from wacky to not quite mainstream, we have flipped the problem to not identifying our own (other preppers,) to rather, there are so many choices, who do I want to associate with and trust? Yes, the racist militia survivalist the media portrays, shares some preps with me, but is diametrically in opposition to my values. (Also, in my experience, those guys lack a sense of humor, and tend to dislike educated Jewish-background preppers… )

The fifth and last thought I had on the couch that I wish to share in this rambling article, is that of why (there it is again, I believe in answering, why?) I am looking to add folks to my network?  The why, of course informs the who, and the what. I am not lonely, nor overly narcissistic in needing the affirmation of others, so why do I feel the need to expand in terms of human resources, instead of just adding prep supplies?

I should add, that I am not looking to build a retreat per se for TEOTWAWKI in “Patriots” style. That may be the best solution, but for any number of reasons, impractical for me today. My focus is more of a loose mutual aid network, or borrowing from defense thinking, a cellular structure. Today, the network provides expertise and occasional meetings to share skills, knowledge, and good times. Tomorrow, it may be logistics support mid-bugout.  In TEOTWAWKI the network may be the immediate surrounding neighbors and community wherever we can make it, if as in the case of some characters in Patriots, we haven’t yet bugged out.

So, several reasons for the “why” of network and community come to mind.  Perhaps as I continue my examination and organization over the coming months, I will submit a follow on with my findings for my personal what and who…

Practical Why?
I am maturing (read that as getting old(er) and creaky(ier.) With maturity comes the conviction that I can not do it alone, and what’s more, I like to outsource [or delegate] tasks that I dislike or that can be more efficiently accomplished by giving them to others better suited for them (or, in a business sense, more economically pay others to do, freeing one to create more value by focusing on other higher worth activities.)

Reality Why?
I am, as of many years past, disabused of the lone wolf mentality endemic in some militant survival books, and on a more pop culture basis fostered by some action movies that focus on a hero. Captain Rawles certainly seems to agree with this on a macro level in his novel “Patriots” where much of the book focused on the group and it roles – as opposed to one dude in the forest fighting a guerilla war and surviving on grubs and hunted meat.

Social Why?
I know my personality type, that is one of gregarious sociability. I enjoy the company of others. I can also make a case of the total being greater than the sum of its parts. If you are an introvert, well, instead of community, your focus in prepping may be better directed at fortress building for your homestead. Bison over at Bison Survival seems to take that approach. Great for him, not so much for my family.

Redoubt Why?
For me, the American Redoubt move a few years out, is not meant to take us just to an area of lower population, but a move to an area where what population exists is of a similar mindset.

If you will, I want to go home.

Home Why?
Home is where we find comfort and solace, not to mention support. I can find this in suburban Chicago, but I also want the lower population, economics, and politics of the Redoubt. Hence, a number of factors in confluence, as I search for a communal home to get old in.  Yes, the geography is important, but a completely barren landscape of isolation is not where I see us in the future; small community is where we will flourish. After all, what is prepping and survival but the desire to grow old gracefully and pleasantly, sharing joy, while watching the future generation flourish?

I end this article as a direct wish from the far better half and I, that this article perhaps be of some assistance to you in the words that resonate (go ahead, ignore those that do not.) We also wish: That you find success, and ways to improve yourself and your community. That you find peace of mind in the midst of turmoil. That our once great nation innovates and rebuilds itself. That you maintain your sense of humor. That your health improves. That your children make you proud. That our dogs have fleas that are easily banished, and that the skunk spray easily rinses off (my dog-ownership week has been a bit extreme.) That our appropriately dirty children (come on, more playground, less Play Station, you know its better for them) come home with, and transmit nothing worse to us, than strep throat. That whatever your personal spiritual or religious affiliation, you extend and receive good karma, blessings and tidings – as we extend to you.

May God bless us and the United States of America.

Letter Re: Making Cow Pie Fertilizer “Tea”

Letter Re: Making Cow Pie Fertilizer “Tea”

I’m writing to describe how to make cow pie fertilizer “Tea.”

This mild natural liquid fertilizer solution is for use on continuous production vegetable plants and ornamental’s.
Use it just like you would when watering. It does not burn plants, the nutrient value is about 1-1-1.
Materials:
-We use a 325 gallon metal caged water tank (this tank will never again be used for potable water), sitting on a small portable trailer that can be pulled with a riding mower, tractor, or ATV, you can also use a non-toxic 55 gal. drum or even smaller containers, like 5 gallon buckets if you only have a few plants.
– For one 55 gallon drum, use two old clean panty hose legs, placed one inside the other (for added strength when you retrieve them for refilling and reuse) multiply this hose requirement if using larger than 55 gallon containers.
– some 1/8 inch poly rope, 2 feet longer than your container
– dried cow pies (barter with a cattle rancher for a few bucketfuls if you don’t have any of your own.)

Note: Wear rubber gloves when handling any animal dung. [JWR Adds: And of course show special care in washing produce from your garden with warm soapy water.]

Place the barrel or stationary container for easy filling access and to watering the garden plants!
Fill container with water. Fill an old unused panty hose leg with several dried cow pies, tie it off and then tie the rope to the tied off hose and put it in the water. Leave the rope tied off to the lid of your container, so you can retrieve and reuse the hose again later. It is now brewing just like tea, and when the water turns a medium deep brown, it’s ready to use.
As the water level lowers, just keep adding more water.
When the color of the tea lightens just pull up the rope, untie the hose and add more cow pies. Don’t forget to retie that rope.
If you decide to totally refresh your cow tea and remove your panty hose to start again, hang your hose up under a tree to drip dry first, and then untie the opening, dump any used dung fiber in the compost heap, and refill the hose and reuse with a fresh full water tank. Plants being hardened off for transplanting, if shallowly submerged in this liquid in a tray overnight, will root easier, stand firmer, grow stronger,and have to be watered less in the new soil. – Regards, – K.A.F.

Economics and Investing:

Jerry P. sent this: Greece, Europe struggle to contain debt crisis

Porter Stansberry: Enough Already, Let’s Return To The Gold Standard
 
Amid Market Turmoil, Gold Stocks Find Heavy Accumulation

Willem Weytjens: Gold 1980: Deja Vu?
 

Items from The Economatrix:

International Oil Prices Fall as Demand Eases

Fear of Greek Default Hurts Markets in US, Europe

Bank of America Cutting 30,000 Jobs

The Gold and Silver Precious Metals Tsunami

Odds ‘n Sods:

 

Alt-Market’s Safe Haven State Project has selected Montana as their prime destination. And not coincidentally, Brandon Smith (the founder of Alt-Market) recently relocated to northwestern Montana. Congrats! If you aren’t familiar with it, Alt-Market is an information and community web site that has an emphasis on sound money, preparedness, and barter networks. Check it out.

   o o o

Argentina: Surviving without money. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.)

   o o o

Steve M. sent this: Gun store owner had misgivings about ATF sting. This whole fiasco has a rotten stench…

   o o o

Tamara (of the always entertaining View From the Porch blog) reviewed Mike Williamson’s new sci-fi novel. (“Rogue”.)

   o o o

Karl W. sent this disturbing news article about “justice” being meted out in Kentucky: Amish men jailed for not displaying buggy safety signs. Now the judge can sleep soundly, knowing that these evil-doers are safely behind bars–where they will be sleeping along with thieves, murderers, and rapists. We need less government!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is the greatest absurdity to suppose it in the power of one, or any number of men, at the entering into society, to renounce their essential natural rights, or the means of preserving those rights; when the grand end of civil government, from the very nature of its institution, is for the support, protection, and defence of those very rights; the principal of which, as is before observed, are Life, Liberty, and Property. If men, through fear, fraud, or mistake, should in terms renounce or give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the grand end of society would absolutely vacate such renunciation. The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave." – Samuel Adams, 1772

Note from JWR:

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

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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

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

Odds And Ends That You Won’t Want To Be Without, by Sonny Jim

I believe in having all the “big” things, to prepare for the possible breakdown of civil society.   I have a large home outside of a small mid-west town, and expect 12 people to arrive to hunker down, if things do fall apart.  I need to be able to feed and supply of them, perhaps for years.

So I have 1,200 gallons of Kerosene.  This is intended for heating the home for 3 winters, and I have 3 Kerosene heaters to do the job.  The Kerosene is stored in in 3 large 330 gallon plastic totes, half buried in my back yard, hidden by a wood pile, as well as four 55 gallon drums buried under my deck. I have a hand-crank pump to get fuel from either type of container.  I have treated it all with PRI-D, and I expect it to last for decades.  I have stored more PRI-D just in case.

I have 12,000+ pounds of food on site.  Along with lots of canned goods and dried meals, I have barrels of white rice, rye, Triticale, 5,000 pounds of hard red wheat, pinto beans, and 250 pounds of popcorn.  I have another 4,000 pounds of wheat in a barrels in a second location.

I bought the rice, beans and popcorn at Restaurant Depot in 50# bags, and the rest as “seed” from a local grain dealer, for around $14 per 60# bushel.  It’s mostly stored in 55 gallon drums, with liners, and dry ice to drive out the oxygen.  Some is also in 6 gallon buckets. 

I have 300 gallons of water.  100 gallons of this is instantly drinkable, in 1/2-liter bottles.  I also have 100 gallons in two water heaters, and 110 gallons in two 55 gallon drums in my basement.  I could filter and/or disinfect this water if I needed to drink it, but it’s intended for washing and toilet flushing.  I also have 1,000 coffee filters, and various-sized of commercial filters, to handle drinking water for the foreseeable future.  I have a 165 gallon tank collecting rain water from my downspouts as well, for gardening.  I bought that for $20 off Craig’s List.

I have 36,000 rounds of ammo and eight guns.  I try to double up on calibers, so I have two rifles that use .223, two hand guns that use .40 S&W, and a .22 rifle and .22 pistol.  Much of the ammo is stored in sealed 4-gallon buckets with desiccants, but I always keep about 500 rounds in magazines ready to go.

I have bags of silver, mostly in junk pre-1965 coins, as well as gold in 1 oz coins.  I don’t know if this will be needed for actual spending during a breakdown, but it should transport a chuck of wealth thru a hyperinflation.  Once there is a new currency, I can exchange the silver a little at a time to buy items I need. 

I also have Canadian dollars, which I think will do better than US currency at holding it’s value.  And I have it in a Canadian bank, and I renewed my passport, in case I need to bug out for real.  I’m just a few hours from the border.

But I don’t just want to survive if TSHTF.  I want to thrive.  So over the past few years I have gathered lots of other items that I don’t want to be without, when there is no store to run to.  Once you have the big things, be sure to look for these “little things”, to make life easier. 

I have way too many of most of these items for our own use, unless things stay broken down forever, but I like them for trade items as well.  Barter may become very important.

I bought small 400 bars of soap.  These are individually wrapped hotel-size bars.  I paid $17 on eBay, or 4 cents each.  I want to be clean post-apocalypse, and these should trade well.  To help conserve water, I also bought a bucket of 500 Clorox disinfecting wipes.  Then I added 40 tooth brushes, at 5 for $1.  Dental hygiene will be important, and they should be trade well too.

I worry about lighting, especially in the winter, so I bought 3 gross (432) votive candles from TheCandleDepot.com, for 30 cents each.  They burn 15 hours.  I also bought sixå of the 120 hour Nu-wick candles on eBay for about $10 each.  They cost more per hour of light than the votive candles, but you can put 3 wicks in them, and cook over them if needed.  So combined, I have about 7,200 hours of candle light.  I think the small 15 hour candles will be good trading items as well.

I bought 200 Fish hooks for $1 at a flea market.  Others will need them.

I bought 12 rolls of Vietnam-era trip wire, 160 feet each, on eBay, and 1,000 feet of 6# fishing line.  I want to have lots of trip wires and booby traps to protect the homestead.  I also bought 50 old-fashioned mouse traps, 25 cents each, to use with the trip wires.  (You can attach the trip wire to the “cheese spot” and rig a shotgun shell primer under the spring arm, and make a nifty trap or alarm. I put aside 100 shotgun shell primers for this too.)

I bought 100 tubes of Super Glue on eBay, for about $20.  Good for trading, good for quick small repairs, and also good for treating minor cuts.  In a pinch you can glue the cut shut.  Nice pocket size item for trading.

I bought 4 gallons of Barricade Fire Blocking Gel for about $250.  You can but buy it on eBay.  That’s a lot of money, but my house backs up to a woods.  If that woods starts on fire, I can quickly coat my roof and deck with this stuff, and it simply will not burn down.  Very important if there’s no fire department available because TSHTF.

I bought three Water dispensing Fire Extinguishers via eBay, from a guy who salvages old buildings.  Just $15 each.  They hold 2.5 gallons of water, and you pump them up with a bike pump for pressure.  You wouldn’t believe how far they throw a powerful stream of water!  They are like water cannons.   I could use them with a mixture of Barricade Gel to coat my roof will standing on the ground, if needed.  Otherwise, I have handy fire extinguishers that I can refill with water again and again.

I bought 1,200 doses of Antibiotics, from various Pet Med places on line, and Amazon.  I’m convinced they are the same as people meds.  I did my research, and settled on 200 doses of Cephalexin, 200 doses of Ciprofloxacin, 100 Metronidazole, 200 Doxycycline, 300 Amoxicillin, and 200 Ampicillin. 

I have them in the refrigerator until TSHTF, where they should stay near full potency for a decade.  After the electricity fails, they should still last for many years, and only slowly loose their punch.  After a decade, I may need to take double the dosage for the same effect, so I have stocked a good supply.  I hope to have a doctor to diagnose any problems, but in an emergency, I have some medical books, and may have to roll the dice in the face of a serious infection.

To help prevent illness, I also bought 100 of the N95 masks, and 200 pairs of rubber gloves.  (Don’t ask me why, but I also bought 300 unopened, empty insulin syringes, on Craig’s List for $20.)  I also bought four boxes of 100 count butterfly bandages, as well as many boxes of band aids, and 30 rolls of wrapping bandages. A primitive lifestyle can lead to lots of cuts and bumps, and I want to be prepared. 

I have all the standard over-the-counter stuff, purchased as Sam’s Club.  This included many bottles of Imodium, Benadryl, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Pepto-Bismol and Robitussin.  I also bought a gallon of Chlorhexidine for washing wounds, and Silver Sulfadiazine and Ichthammol, based on articles I’ve read on treating injuries.  I also tucked away 4 quarts of Hydrogen Peroxide and 4 quarts of rubbing alcohol.

I’ve also stocked up on bottles of vitamins.  If TSHTF, nutrition will suffer.  So I have 50 big bottles of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Acidophilus, and a good multiple vitamin.  This should handle my crew for years, and also allow some trading of bottles.

Having fire will always be important, so I bought 4,600 Strike Anywhere matches, in 32-match boxes.  These individual boxes should make great trading items, so I bought a gross of them.  I also bought more than 50 lighters, and spare fluid.

I am about to have installed a solar panel system and windmill to power the whole retreat, but I did buy 100 NiMH AA and AAA Batteries, and a small solar recharger.  All my little flashlights and tools use these, so I wanted a bunch.  There may even be a business opportunity, where you recharge batteries for people, and swap them charged ones for dead ones, as needed.

I hate bugs, so I bought 200 bottles of Mosquito spray!  Just 17 cents each from a guy who had overstocked.  Not aerosol cans, but the pump kinds, so they’ll never go flat.  I did the research, and the active ingredients seem to have a long shelf life.  Farming would be unpleasant without bug spray, as would summer nighttime patrolling, and the bottles should also command a great deal in trade.  And when they finally ban DEET, I’ll be all set.

I should get more, but I do have 10 bottles of sunscreen.

I’m obsessed with home security, so I bought 600 feet of razor wire (20 rolls of 30 ft each) and 10,000 feet of barbed wire.  (Remember to get the special gloves for handling the razor wire!)  I know wire won’t keep people out if it’s undefended, but we plan on it slowing the bad guys down long enough to shoot ’em.  Or just discourage them, so they move on to easier targets.  There are some good free PDFs on the net describing how to layout a good Soviet-style tangle foot obstacle.  Print one out and save it.

I may want to fortify defensive posts, and observations posts, so I have 500 sandbags.  Get the clear plastic self-sealing bags, from Home Depot, for about 35 cents each in boxes of 50.   They store/stack well, and self-sealing plastic bags have lots of uses besides home defense. (Such as human waste disposal.)

I expect we’ll need to build stuff after TSHTF.  The lumberyard is unlikely to be open if things really fall apart.  So I bought about 10,000 nails and screws.  I bought dozens of trays of them at an area flea market, for about $50.  

The attic above my garage was not floored when I bought my home.  I put in a pull-down stairway, and “floored” the attic with loose 8-foot 2X4s.  I put about 100+ of them up there, not nailed down. [JWR Adds: That approach is not recommended in earthquake country.] So now it’s a great place for me to store stuff like my barbed wire spools.  If and when I do need the wood for building, I can slowly un-floor my garage attic and have 100+ 2X4s for construction.  Until then, they make a fine, inexpensive floor.

I have 720 packets of various vegetable seeds.  I found a seed company distributor online, and ordered one of their vegetable variety display racks, at around 10 cent per packet.  These are the packs that sell for 59 cents. 

They are hybrid seeds, so the next-generation seeds collected from their veggies won’t always reproduce true.  But I look at it this way – they are bred to produce bountiful first generation crops, unlike heirloom seeds, so my early crops after TSHTF will be reliable and big.  And I have so many packs, I won’t need to save more seeds for decades.  Like all seeds, they should store well in my cool, dry basement, and the $70 they cost me wouldn’t have bought me all that many heirloom seeds.  I expect the packets will make great trading items too.

I have 50 red laser pointers with white LED lights included.  I buy these on eBay for under $1 each, batteries and shipping included.    I think the little white lights are handy for in your pocket or hanging on a nail.  And we will use the red laser lights, in the hands of some of the women-folk, to make any raiders think we have even more guns aimed at them than we do.  (I also want to rig up a sort of hand-held “laser light gun” with dozens of lasers, which can be used to blind siege folks.  People are very afraid of looking into one of those lasers, and being blinded, so they should be intimidating!)

I worry about a large group rushing the retreat, in greater numbers than we can shoot quickly.  Or at night or as a surprise attack using a distraction.  If a group crashes through multiple doors and windows at once, we could be screwed.  So I bought a 150 ft long heavy fishing net, 12 ft wide, on eBay, for $100.

I cut the big net into various sizes for hanging over all the doors and ground-floor windows.  These individual nets can be hung quickly with the hooks I have, and should secure all the entries long enough for us to defend them.  Even if you shoot my front door of its hinges, it’s just going to hang there in place, held up by the heavy netting inside.  Then I’m going to shoot you through it.

I bought 7 pounds of calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) for less than $20 from InyoPools.com.  Each pound will make enough chlorine bleach to disinfect 12,000 gallons of water.  I intend to make bottles of bleach in my 1/2-liter water bottles, and sell them as a business when TSHTF.  Each little bottle will itself disinfect 12 gallons of water for someone.  I’ll make some money, and save some lives at the same time.

I have stored 72 gallons of treated gasoline in twelve 6-gallon cans.  I empty one into my car each month, and refill it, to keep the stock of gas fresh.  I use the mid-grade without ethanol, in case I want to use it in small engines. 

I also bought 1 gallon of PRI-G, to rejuvenate 2,000 gallons in the future.  A few years after TSHTF, there will likely be lots of old “worthless” gasoline, that can be completely reconstituted if you have PRI-G set aside.  It costs about $85 a gallon on line, but I think it’s worth it–from www.Batterystuff.com.  Five years after a collapse, I still want to have a chainsaw!  (I bought several extra chains for the saw as well.  And 2 back-up chain saws, tucked away.)

Because I worry about bullets flying in through my walls, and I also worry about inflation, I have slowly accumulated 1 million pennies (400 boxes, $25 each).  Each box already has about $40 in copper (pre-1981 pennies make up about 30% of each box), so I’m ahead $15 the day I “buy” them.  I don’t sort out the good pennies. 

I have the unopened boxes stacked along the outside walls of the upstairs bedrooms.  I guarantee no rifle bullet is getting through the siding, the wall boards, and the boxes of pennies.  If we never collapse, I have a great inflation hedge in the pre-1981 copper pennies.  If we have deflation, my coins will increase in buying power.  And in a hyperinflation, if we get a new currency, the coins may be accepted as part of the new money, and avoid the inflation entirely.

Since they don’t make Sears catalogs any more, I have stocked up 200+ rolls of toilet paper.  I keep adding to the stash.  It takes up some space, but I don’t want to think about the end of the world without toilet paper.  Not with 14 people living in my home if things fall apart!  I also bought one of those handy 5-gallon bucket toilet seat tops, just in case.

I don’t expect your average thugs to have tear gas, but some left-over police state types may have some.  So I bought 10 Israeli M15 Gas Masks and 20 spare 40mm filters on eBay.  I can also use them if the woods behind my house is on fire, and I’m busy spraying Barricade Gel on my roof while the smoke surrounds me.

I also bought five canisters of Clear Out tear gas from one of your sponsors, KeepShooting.com.  $17 each.  (Remember to use the SurvivalBlog discount code “sb”!)  I figure I can roll a can down the stairs from my second floor if intruders do get in, and our gas masks will protect us from the effects, and allow us to fight while the tear gas gives us the edge.

I also bought a roll of 1,000 feet of 550 paracord for $36, from another of your sponsors CampingSurvival.com.  That stuff is good for so many things.  I added an 4-wheel block & tackle, so with the paracord I can lift some very heavy items.  I’ve practiced with it, and it’s fun to lift 100 pounds with one hand.  Don’t forget a few hundred cable ties as well.  Very handy.

Speaking of lifting things by hand, buy gloves when you find them inexpensively.  I also bought the expensive studded gloves for handling razor wire, and some “welding glove” for high heat, and some rubber coated gloves, but mostly you want a box full of more modest gloves.  Simple cloth hand-covers,  for doing regular outdoor tasks, will really save on the wear and tear, as well as precious water for hand-scrubbing.  At flea markets, I often see them for $1 a pair, so I have stocked up.  They should trade well too.  (If you find a couple nicer, leather gloves, stash those away as well.)

I continue to read survival blogs every day, and I am always looking for new items that will be both handy, and good for trading.  I usually buy them on eBay.  I also find the big outdoor flea markets offer a large variety of useful items.  And I watch Craig’s List for things I haven’t thought of.  I also love the Deal of the Day sites.  Each day, I stop by TodaysDOD.com, for a summary of all the deal site offers, and I often find bargains on stuff I think I can use.

Start a list of things you’d like to have on the shelf.  Add to it every time you read something interesting on the web.  Don’t rush out and buy them all at once, but check the items off as you come across them at a bargain price.  In a surprisingly short time, you will find you have stocked a lot of handy items for use, and for trading.  Good luck.