How to Get Truly Prepared, by Ryan M.

There is a distinction between being ready and prepared. In my own personal journey I have found myself often in need of guidance. I know what it is to be prepared and what it means when you find out that you should have had or brought this or that. As a former US Marine and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) combat veteran I have done my fair share of getting both myself and others ready. Having lists of what is needed and training to be conducted was an asset that I had overlooked and perhaps even taken for granted. “Higher ups” would tell us what to bring and tell us what to skills we needed to develop in order to be ready for the mission. Now as I am no longer able to rely on the plans that they had assembled, I realize the value of the worth of logistics and planning. My Lieutenant was fond of saying “Proper prior planning prevents p**s poor performance” and truer words were never spoken.

How does one properly plan for the collapse of the world around him? Well the best way that I know is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. There are a myriad of different web sites out there that will try and sell you the cure all for this or that situation, the problem is that you never really know what you will need and what will be extra weight. Kits are a great way to start if you are unsure what to get but want to get something. Do not let yourself be fooled though. No kit on the market has everything you need. In my opinion the best way to be prepared is to get what you need and get the best that you can afford. SurvivalBlog.com so far has been my greatest resource for recommendations but nothing beats reviews and research. Firsthand knowledge is great and first hand working knowledge is better. What I mean by that is, do not buy supplies and store them somewhere, use them. My personal plan is divided into several categories. Each of the categories are Listed below with a greater amount of detail in each.

Water
You cannot store enough water for an extended emergency. Face that fact and accept it. You could have hundred of gallons on site but there are too many what ifs to face. What if you have to leave your retreat? What if your holding tank gets contaminated? What if you get a leak? I am not advocating not storing water when you are able I am saying that simply having water does not make you prepared. You need to have a way to replenish that water. Whether it is through a spring, or through some form of rain collection, filtration and purification capabilities are a must. Filtering will work for a while but when you run out of filters hopefully the world will be back up and running and there will be more available. If not then You need to have a purification method that you can utilize. Water is certainly the number one resource that humans need on a daily basis for survival and beyond the basic needs of hydration sanitation and comfort is a need that your water will have to provide for. I have been in “the Field” or “outside the wire” for long stretches of time and believe me when I say that having a shower is a luxury that become a necessity in short order. Clean clothes keep moral up and clean bodies keep the odor signature down.

Food
Food is a renewable resource like water and must be treated as such. Storing food is only the first step to having food. In order to be prepared you must have a plan for replacing the food that you eat from your stored foods. Active people will eat more that people who are just waiting out some civil unrest so if your plan includes farming or hunting then you should plan to feed those people responsible for those activities accordingly. Earlier I stated that you need to use your supplies and tools. Well I mean it. Your food storage may have a shelf life of 10 or 15 years and that’s great but if you don’t incorporate the foods that you will be force to eat later into your diet today how will you know that they are going to provide for you? Working knowledge. A simple plan that we do at my home is we have some freeze dried foods as well as dehydrated, shelf life of 10 years or so, stored for future use. 5 years from the date of purchase I reorder the same quantity and start to eat the older supplies after the new ones arrive. Not only does this rotate my stock and ensure that I will have the longest shelf life possible within reasonable expectations but it also provides me working knowledge of what spice I will want to add, how much water it take to prepare the foods themselves and it also allows me to pick and choose favorites to add to my next order.

Shelter
Shelter is one of the hardest topics for me to cover. There are so many options but the key to this part is to have a stationary and a mobile plan. If you are lucky enough to be in a great spot to be stationary then you could build your shelter and have it in place where you live. If not then you are going to have to get some good quality lightweight shelter to take with you to your specific destination. A stationary shelter at home if great and will allow you to monitor the supplies that you have stockpiled as well as being able to have more supplies at the ready when TSHTF. In either case a mobile shelter plan is a must. Having supplies is great until some unsavory characters decide that those are their supplies. If you must vacate the area that your supplies are in then having a mobile shelter plan in place is great. What will you take, where will you go, what is your ultimate destination and where will you stop to rest on the way? These are just the basic questions that you need to ask yourself, after you have these figured out you can figure out how much food water and other supplies you will need to make the journey and if you have a location that you can store some of these on the way or even at your destination then that’s all the better. My family and I have a site at home as well as a secondary destination further north. The plan to get there includes both vehicular and foot based routes. Road travel may not only be unsafe but may be impossible depending on what has happened to cause TEOTWAWKI.  

Gear
Use it, and use it often. Gear that is unused is unknown. You would have a rifle that you’ve never fired right? The same goes with the shovels, axes, medical kits, and all other supplies. You need to train yourself in how to use everything. The best use of your gear will be to put it to use as it is intended for after TSHTF. If you plan to grow your own food then, then you should grow your own food now. If you find a brand of tools that you like and that last after being used then buy another one and prepare it for storage. If you feel that you should test it as well then do so, but remember to clean it and store it. The “Working Knowledge” that you gain will not only be invaluable as far as the tools go but for the simple peace of mind that you gain from knowing that you have the skills to use the things that you have. Plus when you use something that you have you are going to find out that you need x y or z in order to clean it or to get the most out of the tool/piece of gear that you are going to end up relying on. There is not really a general store and supplies will not be plentiful. You may have to rely on what you can carry. You will want to know that your stuff isn’t just extra weight.

No one told me how to go from being ready to being prepared. I am finding out every day that there is more and more to learn and more and more scenarios that I need to prepare for. If you want to prepare yourself for the transition from ready to prepared then James Rawles’ book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” is a real eye opener. I have read it, gifted it, and recommended it often and refer back to it on multiple occasions. There are so many things that could tip the world into a SHTF scenario my best advice is to get started. Buy what you can and start implanting preparation into a weekly and then daily habit. You will see the world differently. All of a sudden everything becomes useful or not. Research everything that you intend to purchase, use everything that you do purchase and review it for others. The only way we are going to get through this is together.

This is a small insight into what to do to get prepared. There is no one size fits all scenario, and certainly not a single way to do this. It is not possible to ready for every scenario but being as prepared as possible will certainly give you an advantage. Being ready is knowing what to do with what you have, and being prepared is having what you need.

Letter Re: Warning of Massive Solar Flares?

Jim:
After reading several articles on EMP in the form of a CME/solar flare, my understanding is that we would have hours or even days in which to prepare for such an event. Although I imagine that a massive CME would still cause damage to our electrical grid, I would also think that many homes could be disconnected from the grid and electrical equipment shielded in metal containers before the CME reached us. Any thoughts?

JWR Replies: Yes, there will be 12+ hours of warning, but do not depend entirely on the mass media. At times, they seem clueless about space science. (And thus they have a habit of either under-reporting or over-reporting events.) So be sure sign up for free solar flare alerts from the Australian Space Weather Agency.

As I’ve previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog: Any radios and other modern electronics with microcircuits that you don’t use on a daily basis should be stored in Faraday enclosures. (Wrap them in plastic bags and put them in a galvanized trash can with a tight-fitting lid.)

Immediately after you get warning of a big solar flare, disconnect all of your home electronics from both grid power and antennas. And, as your storage volume permits, also store those in Faraday cans/boxes, until after the solar storm subsides.

Three Letters Re: The PTR91 Rifle

Dear Mr. Rawles,

The five examples of PTR91 rifles in my “collection” are all fine pieces of work by Scorpion Arms (PTR-91) with numerous aftermarket and military accessories to make them more tactically friendly to the end user. I will agree that there is some ammunition that they do not like though not many (mine are early rifles with match barrels all).

An important addition to Panhandle Ranchers comments regarding the ejection system is that you should NOT shoot from the driver’s side window of any vehicle with an HK family rifle. Each and every piece of brass will make a big impact star on your windshield. It cost me $300 US to replace the nicely beat up windshield of my 1988 Ford Propane Conversion Pickup later that week after firing a single magazine out the drivers side window. I didn’t hear or see it happening until the deed was done.

Most dents in the fired cases caused by my particular sample of these fine rifles are not terribly case destructive and are small enough that upon loading them again and firing them in another rifle, you will fire-form the case back to normal. Only damage by extractors to the base or damage so severe that a resizing die fails to remove should exclude them from further service. A dimpled case neck should come out with a case neck expander. At any rate, one or more reloads should be safe with most of the case damage I have observed from these rifles and I load professionally every day. Your damage may vary but a general rule is, don’t reuse a case that has been creased, dents without creases are fixable but sharp lines weaken cases. – F.B., 14 Miles From Asphalt

 

Sir:
I would like to second the view held by Pat, your reviewer of the PTR-91.  I had the identical experience with failures to feed and extract. I sold the PTR and firmly feel that they could have done much better.  But if you have an HK91 [or an HK clone that functions well.] there are great magazines available from Allied Armament. They make 50 round drums for about $200.  However, they are slow to load and cannot use stripper clips for quicker loading.   JB in Tennessee

Jim,  
RTG International sells a “port buffer” for the PTR91 rifle.  It is a rubber bumper that mounts to the rear of the ejection port and helps eliminate the ding in the brass, as well as moderate the ejected distance (about 30 feet in a 2-o’clock direction,without it).  I have shot Federal, Prvi Partisan, and Remington hunting and FMJ ammo through my PTR91 with no issues, as well as my own handloads.  I have not found any ammo it does not like but have not shot Winchester or Wolf in it yet. I recommend using an RCBS X-Die for full length sizing all semi-auto brass since it reduces the need for case trimming and you get many more reloads per case.  The PTR91’s profile is not as smooth and trim as the M1 Garand or M1A, but it is built very robust, is accurate and the mags are cheaper than AK mags!  I have dozens of the used aluminum and steel mags and have had no feeding problems with any of them. – Jeff in Oregon

Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. sent this: ‘Underwater’ Homeowners Rise to 28 Percent: Zillow. JWR’s Comment: Please don’t try to tell me that the U.S. housing market has “reached the bottom”. It will continue to deteriorate. The bottom won’t be reached until after hundreds of billions of dollars in bad debt unwinds. At this point, the only viable way for the government and the Federal Reserve banking cartel to extricate themselves from this morass is to inflate their way out. It will only be when houses start selling for more than they did in 2007 that the market will start to “turn around.” But even that will be an artifice and a sham. Look for Quantitative Easing 3, Quantitative Easing 4, and so on, in next few years. Protect yourself by getting out of U.S. Dollar denominated investments, and into tangibles.

Oh, a reminder: I recommend that whenever you write Federal Reserve that you append it with “banking cartel”. Because that is what it is. It is not a government agency. It is legalized cronyism. The Federal Reserve banking cartel is no more “Federal” than Federal Express or Federal Cartridge Company.

It appears that the spot silver market has turned around. Last week’s plunge was a bit of a scare. It was triggered by some margin increases, just as I had predicted. There will be more scares like this in the months to come. The silver market is thin and volatile. As silver gets up past $55 per ounce, the COMEX Governors will likely try more shenanigans to que the futures market. (Yes, they’ll raise margin requirements even higher.) But even if they can manipulate futures, they can’t stop the global demand for physical silver. Just keep your seatbelt tightened, and look at each big dip as a buying opportunity.

Items from The Economatrix:

Energy, Metals Stocks Rise With Commodity Prices

Oil Roars Back After Last Week’s Big Plunge

What Really Triggered Oil’s Greatest Rout

Huge Numbers Dumpster Diving For Extra Cash

Odds ‘n Sods:

The Other John B. mentioned the new Internet Gulag Museum.

   o o o

Jordan J. wrote to mention that he found a new iPhone app that identifies tree leaves by taking pictures on your phone.  Jordan noted: “It is currently limited to New York City and Washington DC trees, but should grow to a hold a much larger database.”

   o o o

Consumers and Investors Seek Protection With Guns and Gold. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

   o o o

J. McC. forwarded this link: Techno Germans at Play.

   o o o

Then there’s our kind of fun, Out West. (Thanks to K.T. in Montana for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Civilizations rise, decay and die. Time, as the ancient Greeks argued, for individuals and for states is cyclical. As societies become more complex they become inevitably more precarious. They become increasingly vulnerable. And as they begin to break down there is a strange retreat by a terrified and confused population from reality, an inability to acknowledge the self-evident fragility and impending collapse. The elites at the end speak in phrases and jargon that do not correlate to reality. They retreat into isolated compounds, whether at the court at Versailles, the Forbidden City or modern palatial estates. The elites indulge in unchecked hedonism, the accumulation of vaster wealth and extravagant consumption. They are deaf to the suffering of the masses who are repressed with greater and greater ferocity. Resources are more ruthlessly depleted until they are exhausted. And then the hollowed-out edifice collapses. The Roman and Sumerian empires fell this way… Civilizations in the last moments embrace a total severance from reality, a reality that becomes too bleak to be absorbed. This time when we go down it will be global. There are no new lands to pillage, no new peoples to exploit. Technology, which has obliterated the constraints of time and space, has turned our global village into a global death trap.” – Chris Hedges

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

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

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 34 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Stocking Up on Grains and Legumes (Part 2), by Sky Watcher

Every report I hear or see in news lately (and there have been many) confirms to me over and over again that I did the right thing and the smart thing in stocking up on grains and legumes from Bob’s Red Mill.  It sets my mind at ease having a secure food supply. 

After receiving my large order (6,711 lbs) it was time to pack it all up.  Prior to placing the order I had researched extensively and ultimately decided which storage method I would use and then placed orders for those items.  I decided to use 5 gallon buckets with Mylar liners with dry ice. I decided on dry ice because it sounded easier and less expensive then oxygen absorbers and the dry ice also acts as a fumigant to kill bugs or larvae that may be present in your food.

I had read that you shouldn’t use 5 gallon buckets from paint or hardware stores since they weren’t “food grade”.  When I checked some out I found they were HDPE 2 plastic, which can be used for food although perhaps not labeled specifically “food grade”.  I checked lots of places that carried food storage materials and even warehouse plastic manufacturers.  Each one of them wanted $8 to $10 per bucket.  That was a little steep for me to pay.  I considered trying to collect them from bakeries, etc. but considering I needed about 260 of them, that would take too long to accumulate.  I finally decided to go with the food grade ones from Wal-Mart at $2.44 per bucket with $0.96 per lid for a total of $3.40 a piece.  I felt comfortable doing this because I was going to use thicker than usual Mylar bags in them. 

I also shopped around for the Mylar bags.  I learned that most places have bags that are between 3-4 mil thick only and they are $2-$3 EACH.   I ordered Mylar bags from USA Emergency Supply.  The bags are 5 mil thick, come in a variety of sizes, and depending on how many you purchase, may be less than $1 each.  I measured the dimensions of my bucket and ordered the 20 x 30 inch flat Mylar Food Storage Bags.  Remember you want the bag to be somewhat bigger than the bucket to allow for expansion as you place the food item in it and to allow for sealing the top.  The bags came 150 per case and I ordered two cases.  My price per bag was $0.92 each!

I hope the following explanation of the way I did this helps you readers by learning from my mistakes and maybe from some of the things I did right the first time.

USA Emergency Supply, as well as many other web sites, has a very good explanation of how to pack food items using the dry ice method.  They even have a chart as to how much of a certain item will fit in a certain size bucket.  This makes it easier to ascertain how many buckets, liners, and dry ice you will need.  I followed the suggestion to practice heat- sealing an empty Mylar bag prior to a packed one in order to get the technique and temperature setting of my specific iron correct.  It was very easy.  I found a temperature setting of 3 on my iron was enough and not too hot.  I had a 2 inch wide wooden board that I placed across the top of the bucket and laid the top of the Mylar bag across, then ran my iron down it.  You could also use a hair iron to seal both sides quickly with no need for the board then.

Organization and a system is key to this!  I will say that I was woefully unprepared and had only 65 buckets bought by the time my food order arrived, although I did have enough liners.

How to label the buckets?  Bob’s Red Mill had provided to me free at my request at least one of their company labels for each item I had ordered.  I decided to make enough copies of these labels to tape on each bucket.  I am fortunate that I have the time and resources down at my job to make these copies and cut them to size.

I decided to start packing one afternoon after work.  I went to the grocery store and bought 20 lbs dry ice.  This cost $1.19 per lb.  I placed 1 bag in the freezer and broke the other bag into chunks and placed into a covered bowl.  I had read this would help prevent evaporation as well as keep water vapor from contaminating the dry ice and thus potentially introducing water into the food I was packing.

Working alone, I got out 10 of the buckets and labeled them with the labels corresponding to the 10 bags of food I had taken off the pallet.  Working with 1 bucket at a time I placed a Mylar bag in the bucket and then a chunk of dry ice in the bottom of the bag.  I opened the bag of food and poured it in.  I picked up the sides of the Mylar bag and shook the bag and bucket up and down a few times to ensure the food settled in the bottom completely.  I then sealed the top of the bag using my board and iron except for about 1 inch on 1 end.  I thought this would help prevent air from reentering the bag as the dry ice forced it out of the small opening.  When I finished those 10 buckets I stopped to have some dinner, then finished sealing the bags up.  I folded the Mylar bag into the bucket forcing out left over carbon dioxide leaving the open end on top.  I then came along with my board and iron again to finish sealing.  Finishing my evening chores I began to see the sealed bags inflating again, an indication that there was still carbon dioxide buildup in the bags that needed to be vented.   So I had to cut a small slit in the bags at the top where I had sealed it and then reseal it again.  Unfortunately this happened again and some of the bags I ended up resealing 3 or more times.  I then placed the plastic lid on the buckets.  The next morning I saw that a couple of the lids had partially popped up indicating they would need to be vented again.  This was turning into a lot of extra work!

The next day I was going to pack more buckets and hopefully improve my work speed and flow a bit.  I went to the freezer only to find all my dry ice had evaporated!!!!  Discouragement was creeping in.

Mistakes I made:

  1. Working alone
  2. Buying more dry ice then I could use at 1 time.
  3. Pre-sealing the bags, which probably prolonged the time it took for the dry ice vapor to evacuate oxygen from the bag
  4. Trying to completely seal the bags too quickly.
  5. Placing plastic lids on buckets right away after sealing.

 

Solutions:

  1. Use multiple family members if you can.  Many hands make the work go faster and smoother.
  2. Only buy what dry ice you think you will use at 1 packing session.
  3. Leave the top of the bag fully open to allow more area for the carbon dioxide to rise and force oxygen out of the bag.
  4. Allow at least 3 hours or longer for the carbon dioxide to rise before attempting to seal the bag to prevent a lot of extra work reopening and resealing bags.
  5. Leave the plastic lids off overnight in case there are still some bags you may have to redo.

Other things I learned:

  1. It takes longer for the carbon dioxide to rise through a dense material (such as flour) than through a less dense material like rice or whole grains that have a lot of air in between pieces.
  2. Start earlier in the day to accommodate the time it takes for the bags to evacuate.
  3. Don’t pack the bags too full, allow sufficient room at top of the bucket to fold Mylar bag into it and put plastic lid on.
  4. It probably doesn’t take as much dry ice per bucket as you think, but its better to err on having too much and delay sealing rather than too little and have the food spoil.
  5. Label each bucket in a consistent place on the bucket to ease identifying the contents.  The buckets I bought had a suffocation warning on them and I placed my label consistently to the left of this.
  6. When sealing the bags, elevate the bucket a little bit on a small stool or something to help prevent wear and tear on your back.
  7. Some of the grains, like the wheat, were really dusty and caused me to have an asthma attack.  I wore a bandana around my nose and mouth when packing those items.

A couple of days later I attempted this again.  This time my husband was home to help me.  In an assembly line fashion I labeled the buckets to which he then put the Mylar liner in.  Then I came behind and put a somewhat smaller piece of dry ice in each.  I held the bucket while he poured the contents in it.  I shook bag and bucket a few times to ensure food settled in bottom.  He lined them up across the wall to air out.  About three hours later we started sealing them up, starting with the ones we had first filled.  He brought the buckets over as I folded the Mylar bag down and sealed the top.  When I had a few completed he then lined them up against the wall again to set overnight. 

Using this approach we were able to complete 40 buckets in about five hours total time, having a rest and dinner while the buckets aired out.  I am pleased to say that the next morning there were only four buckets that I had to reopen to vent and then reseal.  A much better outcome!

I had never attempted anything like this before and there was definitely a learning curve.  I guess that’s true for so many things us preppers are trying to learn in order to safeguard ourselves, and our families from whatever the future may bring.

We still have about 200 buckets to pack, but with the kinks worked out of our system now it shouldn’t take us too much longer.  Next we will be enlisting the help of the kids and teaching them what we have learned to pass on to their generation.

Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

I’m sorry that I haven’t posted much in this column in recent weeks. My time has been occupied with helping Jim, homeschooling our children, keeping house, getting our garden in, and caring for our livestock. (It is lambing and calving season, which can be hectic.) This leaves me little time to read many books from cover to cover. My integrity dictates that if I don’t read through an entire book, then I don’t want to mention it in my column. So I will only post reviews when I have read and enjoyed a book and I find it relevant to SurvivalBlog.

Here are the current top-most items on my perpetual bedside pile:

  • The Survival Template by John A. Heatherly. This is one of those books that is “short but sweet” (just 58 pages). It is mostly at the conceptual level, and it is wonderfully succinct and concise. In some ways, it reminds me of Jeff Cooper’s book, Principles of Personal Defense. At just 80 pages, Cooper’s book was similarly succinct and concise. This book is chock full of information to prepare our minds and bodies for a lifetime of personal accomplishments through goal setting and steps that help achieve the goals in our daily lives which parallels a survival mindset in the event of a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Heatherly says :”The Object of this book is to provide a template, or model, to promote the development of a formidable, objective oriented mentality: a mental state that is not affected by negative conditions in any environment.” The information in this book is very important for everyone to incorporate into their daily lives. Without giving too much information away, Heatherly’s style is to have a quote from someone who has had to survive an horrible ordeal–Vietnam, The Holocaust, Siberia, etc. Then he expands on the topic of the quote by setting goals: day one, first week, one month, et cetera. One theme is the basics of life in a survival situation and the order to acquire them: build a shelter, start a fire, water, and food. Then the author parallels it with everyday life, today shop for groceries, make arrangements for vacation. Then plan for next week, two weeks, three weeks, a month. This is described for both a survival situation/”not rescued” yet it also parallels regular day to day week to week planning of your normal life. Heatherly describes planning for ten to fifteen years up to a whole lifetime. Some other topics are physical health: getting into shape, eating right and life-long goals, and your mental state of being. He also asks: What is in your memory that would help you stay sane and persevere in a dire situation: Memorized scripture, songs, games, stories, music, etc. He stresses that it is very important to have an active world of memories and imagination in our minds. No one can take that from you, so develop it! I highly recommend this book. It truly is a template for survival. Everyone would benefit from reading this book and implementing Heatherly’s ideas into their lives.
  • Unlawful Intrusion by J.L. Maxwell. This novel was a very quick read of a futuristic society where all of our freedoms are removed through intense government regulations (some examples: one needs to apply for a license to bear a child–only high class citizens are approved, everyone’s caloric intake are regulated) and every step you take is monitored by watching eyes, i.e., thousands of beautiful metallic robotic butterflies dispersed throughout the city with one hovering outside your two-hundred story apartment building window. The story is about hiding protagonist Noah Cason’s wife’s unexpected pregnancy and their subsequent child raising from the eyes of the authorities, finding an underground society, living free and independent from the prying eyes of the government and an high adventure search for Noah’s wife and child. The book didn’t have much “survival/prepping” information on how to live in such a society or in the underground society, except on how to block your RFID cards from being read by monitors. It was an interesting read in projecting what our future could look like if we continue to allow the government to tighten its regulations of our lives. (God forbid!)
  • The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. I recently read this novel with our young’uns. We very much enjoyed it. Woven into the storyline is information on teaching children how to live off the land without aid of a gun. The book gave good detail on how to trap rabbits and quail, how to fish using a spear, make your own hooks, and and how to make subtle signs in woods to mark your path. I won’t tell much about the story because I don’t want to spoil it, but basically, it is about a thirteen year old young man, Matt, being left behind at his parent’s cabin in Maine, while his father returns to Massachusetts to get his wife and younger children. The father is delayed and Matt loses his gun, and meets the local Indians, who help him. One of the themes of the story examines the Native Americans view of land versus white man’s view of land ownership. The author just presents the two views without pushing one over the other which I highly respected. I highly recommend this book to be read to your children. I believe it’s reading level is rated 5th grade and up.

Letter Re: Downsizing Your Oversize Wool Sweaters

Dear Editor,
SurvivalBlog has recommended stocking up on wool sweaters from thrift shops.  I took your advice, went to a thrift shop, and found lots of cheap sweaters in perfect condition, cashmere no less, that were hopelessly too big, as well as one baggy Merino sweater. 

Since cashmere is very warm, as well as comfortable, I decided to make them fit, and bought them anyway.  First, I turned them inside out (to reduce pilling) and put them in the washing machine on Delicate cycle, Hot water, without soap.  A couple of the sweaters shrank to the right size just from the hot water; the rest needed more work.

I put them into the dryer on Warm.  This is the tricky part: You have to stop the dryer every 10 minutes. Take out each sweater, and check to see how much it has shrunk.  If a sweater looks like it is now about the right size, spread it out and let it air dry.  Throw the rest of the sweaters back into the dryer for another ten minutes, stop the dryer, take them out, and check to see how much they have shrunk.  Repeat.

Almost all of the sweaters downsized perfectly.  Not only that, they were now thicker, warmer and more sturdy.  And unbelievably, the cashmere was even softer than before, and so was the merino.

A couple of sweaters needed a second complete treatment before they shrank enough.  I had to dry them on Hot the second time, rather than Warm.

Do not put the sweaters into the dryer and walk away, unless you want your toddlers to be wearing them!  Also, never put them into the dryer again, unless you have lost a lot of weight.  They will continue to shrink each time they are put in the dryer.

My sweater stash bin is now stuffed with cheap sweaters that I would have had to pass up without the downsizing method.  This will work with any kind of wool, merino, mohair, or cashmere, since protein (animal base) fibers shrink with heat. 

It will not work with synthetics or silk, and only a little bit with cotton.  Nor is it recommended for extremely thick, heavy wool sweaters, such as Irish fisherman’s knit, as the result is too thick for normal wear. I found this out the hard way.

I hope you find this helpful – Mary M.

Letter Re: The PTR91 Rifle

Dear Mr. Rawles:
In a past life I used the popular HK MP-5SD. It’s reliability prompted me to purchase one of the first PTR-91s directly from the manufacturer. (Back when that was possible–they are all now sold though distributors).

I found the PTR-91 capable of digesting a wide variety of ammunition thanks to the HK family of well designed roller delayed blowback systems. This functional reliability and availability of really cheap magazines indeed make it a popular battle rifle. What I haven’t read by those singing it’s kudos, is that the forcefulness of the extraction system throws the brass quite a distance, making policing brass difficult. The same ejection system creates dent in the brass that I believe compromises the integrity of the fired cases so as to preclude safe reloading. It also generates the tell tale HK chamber flute marks on the expended brass. This alerts anyone finding un-policed brass that someone was there with a HK family main battle rifle.

The factory PTR-91 plastic stock is overly large, clunky, and I believe fragile. I recommend replacement with much thinner and better made German military surplus furniture is often available from Cheaper than Dirt.

To someone well familiar with the 03A3 type sling system, that of the HK family rifles may present a puzzle. One should not overlook combined the weight of this rifle and a battle pack of at least 200 rounds of ammunition. Add a plate carrier, hydration system, pack, and helmet, and the load out can be tremendous.

The telescopic sight mount is also clunky and positions the sight well above the bore. The above comments notwithstanding, The PTR HK91 an effective and relatively inexpensive battle rifle. I am thinking about adding the new Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle (available in .308 Winchester) to the mix. What a shame that the Ruger Scout bolt action wasn’t designed around the HK91 magazine.    Sincerely, – A Panhandle Rancher

Economics and Investing:

C.D.V. sent this: Housing crash is getting worse: report.

Observations of the Silver Smack Down.

Steve K. forwarded a link to: Doomsday Scenario (from the Treasury Department, of all places!)

G.P. suggested: $2 Trillion Mile Marker on Road to Perdition

Items from The Economatrix:

Florida Bank Fails; 40 Shuttered In 2011

Global Economic Crisis to Worsen n Fall

The Silver Bull:  Despite This Week’s Selloff, We See Higher Prices Ahead

Hopes For A Quick Decline In US Joblessness Dims

Signs Are Pointing to a Big Commodity Selloff

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader R.B.S. sent this: Family details how woman survived in wilderness for 48 days

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Several readers mentioned that there has been news of more of the same old Schumer: Schumer Calls For ‘Do Not Ride’ List For Amtrak

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Seed for Security announced that they are offering a free gift to customers ordering $25 or more: A free packet of Detroit Dark Red Beet seeds, Bouquet Dill seeds, and Golden Globe Turnip seeds. All of these varieties are great for mid-summer planting. This offer ends June 30, 2011.

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Chip spotted this: Big Asteroid’s Approach in November Excites Astronomers

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Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent a link to this disturbing news: A Global Weapons Computer?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-1 (KJV)

Pat’s Product Reviews: The PTR91 Rifle

In 1987 at a Colorado gun shop’s “Going Out of Business” sale, I purchased a brand-new HK (Heckler & Koch) Model 91 .308 battle rifle. I got the rifle, along with 10 brand new spare magazines, 1,000 rounds of ammo, a bipod and carrying case for the gun – for the combined price of just $600. Oh, for the good ol’ days! Today, you’ll likely spend $2,500 just for an original H&K Model 91 – and they are now hard to come by. A wave of stupidity overcame me one day, and I sold my HK91 to my friend, and he then he later sold it at a gun show. I always regretted letting that gun get away – it was deadly accurate and never malfunctioned, no matter what kind of ammo I fed it. Since that time, I longed to get another H&K Model 91, but with prices being what they are today, it was beyond my reach.  

A company called PTR91 purchased some genuine H&K equipment from overseas, and brought it to the USA. Using a mix of surplus parts (from HK G3 rifles) are now manufacturing H&K Model 91 clones, that they call the PTR91 – and they have several variants to choose from. I saved up my pennies and had my local gun shop order-up a 16″ barrel PTR91. I was delighted when the gun came, it was much nicer than any H&K I had ever handled. The gun was better finished and tighter in all respects. But I didn’t much care for the newly-made polymer stock that came on the gun – it was “cheap” looking. Of course, that could have been replaced…  

When I took my new toy home, I started reading through the instructions manual and other material that was enclosed in the nice plastic carrying case my PTR91 came in. I ran across a separate piece of paper that listed several types of ammo you should not use in a PTR91. matter of fact, the list was rather lengthy. Some gun companies will recommend certain types of ammo or brands to be used in their firearms. However, this is the first time I ran across such a lengthy list of ammo that was not recommended in a firearm. I thought that PTR was being overly cautious, as is the case with many gun companies these days.   I purchased a 500 round case of Russian-made Brown Bear .308 ammo to test in my new PTR91. The gun functioned perfectly, and believe it or not, the Brown Bear ammo actually shot very well through this gun, with groups in the neighborhood of 1-1/2 to 2 inches at 100 yards. What’s not to like here? I also purchased a 500 round case of Wolf .308 ammo to use in my PTR91, and again, like the Brown Bear ammo, it shot really great, no malfunctions or problems of any time. Of course, as many of you know, most Russian-made ammo leaves very dirty powder fouling — so more time needs to be spent cleaning and maintaining your firearms if you use Russian-made ammo.  

The PTR91, is operated with a roller locking system, which is identical to the H&K91 system. Matter of fact, some of the parts in some PTR91s are surplus or brand-new H&K parts. The PTR91 also comes with a match-grade barrel, and I thought that was an added extra – and it did perform very well – with certain types of ammo. The PTR91 also comes with the Navy-type polymer trigger assembly – another plus in my book – it feels better than the old H&K pistol grip. There is also a tactical handguard that is machined out of aluminum, and you can add lasers and other toys if you so desire, but you need to purchase the rails to put on this handguard. My sample PTR91 weighed in at 9-lbs, which is about right for a battle rifle shooting the .308 or 7.62 NATO round. (And be advised that they are not the same round, be advised. The 7.62 NATO round is loaded at slightly lower pressures than the commercial .308 Winchester round.) I contacted my two favorite ammo makers for some of their .308 Win. ammo to test in my new PTR91. Black Hills Ammunition and Buffalo Bore and both sent me their 175-gr HP match-grade ammo to test in my rifle. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed with either maker’s ammo – both shot consistently under an inch, with open sights, at 100-yards. The PTR91 also functioned perfectly. Then again, I didn’t expect anything less from the gun or the superb ammo from Black Hills and Buffalo Bore. Their ammo is a step above if you ask me. Again, we are talking quality ammo – not bargain basement ammo from the local big box stores. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with the less expensive ammo, however, if you want sniper-grade accuracy you need to put the best ammo you can through your guns. I’ve been shooting Black Hills ammo for almost 20 years now, and have never had a bad round, and we’re talking tens of thousands of rounds of ammo. I’ve been shooting Buffalo Bore ammo for about eight months now, and I’ve yet to encounter any problems with their ammo, either.  

I have been pleased, very pleased with my PTR91 thusfar. And, I liked the fact, that I could find surplus, but like-new, 20-rd mags for this rifle for about a buck a magazine. What’s not to like about this kind of a deal? I purchased close to 100 spare mags to have on-hand. I know, sounds like a lot of extra magazines, and it is. However, I still remember the 1994-to-2004 ban on mags over 10 rounds and how expensive [full capacity] magazines s were and hard to come by. So better safe than sorry ’cause you know another magazine ban is gonna come down the pike soon.  

I decided to try some military surplus ammo through my PTR91 – which was now well broken-in. I tried ammo from South Africa as well as Germany, and a few other countries – none of it would reliably function in my PTR91. Then again, remembering the factory’s warnings not to use certain types of ammo, and military surplus ammo, I was getting worried. PTR also suggests that you not use the Winchester USA white box .308 ammo – the bullets are sealed with a black tar to water-proof the rounds. Well, I tried a box, and after several rounds, the gun wouldn’t function – empties wouldn’t eject and loaded rounds didn’t fully seat properly.   What was the problem with the PTR91? I started doing some research, and have found that I wasn’t alone with this problem. It seems that PTR91 is using match-grade barrels, and that’s not a bad thing – it’s good in my book. However, the chamber has flutes machined into it. The theory is, these cuts or “flutes” allow gas from the fired round to swirl around the empty brass, and allow it to more easily pull out of the chamber. Well, it appears that PTR91 didn’t cut these flutes deep enough in a lot of guns, and the rounds were sticking in the chamber. PTR91 denies there are any problems with the flutes cut in their chamber, or the fact that they cut fewer flutes in the chambers, than H&K does. I examined my own PTR91 sample, and it did appear to me that the flutes were very shallow, and I mean very shallow. You can find any number of blogs that are on the web, and many folks are complaining about this problem.  

I don’t know about you, but I demand the most accuracy and the most reliability I can get in my firearms, especially those I plan on staking my life on. While I could have just continued to use Brown Bear and Wolf ammo in my PTR91, I was looking down the road – to a time where maybe all I’ll be able to find is military surplus ammo, or some other ammo that won’t function in my PTR91. After a lot of thought, I decided to trade-off my PTR91 – as much as I liked it. I’ve heard talk that PTR91 is now producing a “GI” version of the HK91 and the chamber has the correct number of flutes and they are cut deep enough, and there are no problems with these guns. However, I’m not about to lay down my hard-earned money again, until I start hearing some positive reports on the “GI” version. The PTR91 carbine I had, retailed for $1,295 and I got it for slightly more than $1,000 through my local gun shop. It would have been a great deal, if the gun fired and functioned with a wider assortment of ammo.  

The PTR91 is finely made, almost like a Swiss watch. I could have lived with the cheaply made plastic stock. However, when I’m laying down a good chunk of change for a firearm, I expect it to work with most of the ammo I plan on using. Of course, you can find some type of ammo that won’t function in any particular firearm if you search around long enough. However, the PTR91 didn’t function 100% of the time with more ammo, than it did with some types of ammo. That’s not good enough in my book. I’ve read some blogs where many people are happy with their PTR91s – that’s great news. However, you’ll also read a lot of horror stories of folks with new PTR91s that won’t function with certain types of ammo – especially mil-spec ammo or military surplus ammo – that’s not acceptable in my book. Personally, I think PTR91 should fess-up to the problem. And, they need to produce a rifle that will function with the widest assortment of ammo possible, and stop blaming military surplus or mil-spec ammo for the functioning problems. Come on, PTR91 – you can do better than that! You are turning out a finely made firearm, and you only need to tweak it a little bit to get it to function 100% of the time, with the widest assortment of ammo on the market.

I once owned a ratty-looking Century Arms International C3 – which was a semi-auto clone of the H&K Model 91. Whoever owned it before me, spray-painted the gun in camo colors – it honestly didn’t look that bad at all. This gun functioned 100% of the time, with whatever ammo I put through it – never once missed a beat. If Century Arms could do it right, then so can PTR91 – if they want to.