Odds ‘n Sods:

K.T. sent this YouTube video: The Lost Art of Cut Shells. JWR’s Comment: Don’t attempt to feed cut shells in a pump or a semi-auto from a gun’s magazine–instead, drop them into the chamber, one shot at a time. (Otherwise, you can expect some horrendous jams.)

   o o o

Cheryl N. sent this: From Stockpiling To Living Off The Grid, More Colorado Residents Preparing For Disasters

   o o o

Tam, over at the View From The Porch blog mentioned this bit of whimsy: The Silver Bullet. Also by way of Tam comes an article guaranteed to make your blood boil: A Tale of Modern Healthcare, or why does this cost so much?

   o o o

Wheat Advances for a Third Day on Deteriorating Crop Conditions in U.S. (Thanks to Marilyn R. for the link.)

   o o o

Reader J.B.G. sent this news item from Nanny State Britannia: Farmer menaced with death threats by gang of travellers dials 999… and police turn up to confiscate her shotguns. JWR’s advice to freedom-loving Britons: Take the Gap and move to the U.S., soon!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The Fed is in a bind. No matter which way it turns, utter failure is a risk. Putting more money into the system risks no less than the dollar itself. Stopping quantitative easing (QE) risks plunging the economy and financial system into another period of turbulent decline.” – Chris Martenson

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.

Survival Preparation in Small Spaces: How to Grow and Store in the Space You Have, by L.N. in Texas

I live in the country and so I am used to gardening, canning, saving and preparing.  However, when I talk to many people who live in the city and live either with minimal land and perhaps apartments, they do not seem prepared or not as prepared as they could be.  When I ask if they store or grow any food, they just sort of look at me.  When I tell them they should either grow some food or store food not only in case of natural disaster, but even due to inflation and rising prices, the looks become bewildered.  They’ll say that they have no place to grow or store food or they may even act as if that is not important to them.  But, in this time and day, everyone should prepare some food and essentials.  There are reports that crops are being destroyed by elements of drought or floods or freezing and as we can all see, prices are rising and companies are becoming creative at giving us less for the dollar when we buy items.  The world we knew or thought we knew is changing and survival is a key for everyone.  Even in a small space you can prepare for the worse while you continue to hope for the best!

Before we begin talking about how, lets talk about things that are helpful in storing food.  Of course you can go with large buckets and Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers which you can find online at Survival web sites, but what if you do not have that much room?    

You are still in luck!  Invest in a FoodSaver vacuum sealer and get the jar sealer attachments online.  Food Savers will help you store food in either the bags they sell or if you get the jar attachments, you can store food in Mason jars!  We tested the jar attachment by putting dry beans into a mason jar and using the Food Saver jar attachment.  When the machine turned off indicating it was ready, we tried to open the flat metal lid on the Mason jar.  It wouldn’t come off.  When we took a butter knife to the edge to help open it, we heard that vacuum seal pop as we opened it.   So right then and there, we knew we were getting a nice vacuum seal on our jar.  This now allows us to store beans, rice, pasta and other dried foods in jars such as this.  Store trail mix for example in the Food Saver Bags.  These bags are sealed and are easy for you to put into a bin for later consumption.  You can look for Mason jars at local grocery stores, some hardware stores and we also found some really large jars at our local pharmacy of all places!  If all else fails, you can always order them online.   By putting things in the Food Saver bags, it also saves a lot of space rather than bulky boxes and such.  The Food Saver bags are also something quick you can grab if you need to evacuate and put in a back pack.

So you space is small – where can you store?  Start opening your eyes and look around at where you can add space.  A bin on a bookshelf is one more than what you had before!  Get creative and utilize any open spaces you may have.  When the earthquake happened in Japan, many people did not have food stocked up in their apartments and then found they were empty handed and grocery store shelves empty as well!  Remember, grocery stores only have about three days worth of food.  If there is a disaster, that food will disappear quickly.  What if trucks cannot get to your area?  Are you ready to be self-sufficient for a few days, a month or so?  And, when storing, think about climate control.  Do not store anything near heat such as a fireplace, hot water heater or any place that heat can deter the value of the food.

 The following are some ideas of the kinds of places you can store – even in small places!

  • Under the bed – with under-the-bed storage bins or boxes.  This is a lot of space that you have available right now that you can utilize!  You can even get some bins on wheel
  • Your closet – what about bins under the hanging clothes?  On shelving?
  • Install shelving in your rooms and buy nice storage bins–which can even look decorative–to hide items.  If you have no wall space, then what about above the doors?   Put an extra shelf in the laundry room.
  • Use a storage tote bin for storage next to your bed, couch etc. and cover it with a cloth turning it into a night stand or small table.  If you have an end table that is open underneath, again, you can put items in the open area, then cover it with a cloth to hide the stored items.
  • Place or build storage behind your couch and again, cover it with a cloth and place décor on top of it.  No one will ever know!
  • Look in your cabinets – try to consolidate items out of bulky boxes and containers and once you get more room, utilize that space.
  • Purchase an armoire or storage unit with doors on it and use it completely for storing items.  You can use an old entertainment cabinet that has doors on it. Where the television would have gone, you can stack cases of food, put medicines or smaller food or items in the drawers.
  • Plant patio gardens in whiskey barrels or other large planters.  You can grow onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and any dwarf variety of fruit this way.
  • Plant herbs in window gardens or in planters among the house. Herbs can be nice house plants and will offer you spicing to your food than an ordinary house plant so begin utilizing planters in the house as well.

Note:  Craft stores sell photo boxes that are usually decorative. These are perfect for putting in small Food Saver bags or making a box for emergency supplies for children.

If you live in the city and have a little land, do all of the above plus:

  • Build yourself a raised bed garden – even a 4 x 4 will give you lots of growing space.  If you have room build a larger 8 x 4 or as many that you can fit on your land.
  • Plant fruit trees if able.  Find out what trees grow in your area and plant trees that bear some type of food for you and your family.
  • Plant berries or small bushes that produce food. 

What items should you think about storing besides food?  Think about everyone in your household, including young children and pets.  When storing things like water and food, be sure to do your homework and research either in books or on the internet on best practices for safe storage. 

 Besides food, think of places you can store:

  • Water    
  • First Aid and Medicines
  • Toiletries 
  • Paper goods    
  • Wet wipes in case you lose water
  • Baby formula and other baby needs for babies in your family.  If small children, think about snacks for them as well as items that will keep them occupied if there is no electricity and no TV.  Colors, coloring books, books, games, and so on.
  • Coin or cash to have on hand
  • Seed for planting
  • Store some “comfort” items.   Comfort can be some candy for example, but whatever comfort means to you, you may want to store that so you have it – especially at times you may want it.
  • Bartering items – Think along the lines of the old days where people would trade one good for another.  If there is a disaster, you may not be able to go to work, drive your car and so on.  What could you trade a neighbor for something they have you may want?    Some people say to buy ammunition for bartering and that just happens to be something I wouldn’t buy as a bartering tool.  That ammo may be what you need for food and they could in turn, use that ammo on you to get the rest of your stash!  Think items like razors, tooth brushes, alcohol, coffee and such.

Right now you may be thinking – this is too much to store.  Wouldn’t you rather have it and be prepared than not have it when you need it?  These items are important to your survival.  Our economy could change overnight by one ruling of say not using our currency as the reserve or some solar flare or EMP that affects our electronics.  Preparedness is key right now. 

The next complaint I hear is, “I have fruit or vegetables, but we can’t eat all of it and some goes to waste.”  What you need to do is start thinking along the line of storage again.  You can freeze or can most vegetables and fruits and you can dry your herbs.   There is vast information on the web about freezing, canning, storing and drying food you produce.  This means you may need to look into a water bath canner and pressure canner.   I’ve made for example, homemade salsa, jelly, and pickles and am researching more information on canning and freezing my vegetables.   Making jelly may take you and another person a day of work, but you will quickly find your shelves filling up.  You can use the under-the-bed bins for other items and use shelving for your canned items.  If nothing else, home-canned foods make great gifts too so never think you would not know what to do with it all. 

By now, most people know that rotating their stored food is important.  But, what if you ran across cases of food that will expire in the next month?   Most people without thinking will say they cannot possibly eat all that or do not want to.  Think of others at this time.  Donate it to a food pantry, a large family and so on.  Just do not wait too late and never donate food that will expire within a few days or that is expired!

Of course, all of the above is just a small list of ideas.  Start researching survival items and you will find many more you should be considering right now.   Never think your space or yard is too small.  You will be amazed once you start looking around at all the opportunities you truly have to store or grow food.  And when you shop at a plant nursery – always look for plants, shrubs and trees that will bear food.  It may be what you have to survive on one day!

My Kids are Preppers Too!, by The Non-Nurse

The lessons of my essay are simply this: talk with your kids, include them in your preps, and listen to them.

My foray into prepping began in 2008, courtesy of my then 10-year-old son. My astute older child noticed how stressed mom and dad were with the rising costs, lowered wages, and cut hours that we were experiencing thanks to the newly developed recession. My son asked if he could put in a garden, a novel idea for my core family unit. He felt the need to help contribute to the family in some way.

I must inject a little background into my story… My brother has been preparing since 2006 so the concept was not foreign to my family. We live rurally and hunting has always been a part of our lives. But despite my attempts at persuasion I could not convince my husband to jump onto the prepping train. Little did I know it would take our kids to convince him.

The first year of gardening was not a success in the typical sense. Our garden bounty needed to be greatly supplemented by local produce auctions. But it did open the door for more preparations.

I’m getting off track here. The story is about my children: I have two sons, currently 13 and 11. They have always been a part of our strategic planning meetings. We feel our children need to know as much as we do about what we have purchased, need to purchase, and would like to purchase. Your kids are going to know that something is going on, it is better to include them than to keep them in the dark. Trust me; if they do not fully understand your situation, they are going to discuss it at school or with their friends. You cannot expect them to notice that you are bringing in pallets of supplies, but not to ask questions about it. Children are curious by nature and that curiosity has led my kids to becoming well educated about some survival topics. Your children also need to know how to use every piece of equipment as well as you do. You owe it to them, as their parents, to ensure that they have all the necessary skills to survive if you are somehow injured or unavailable. Making your kids key elements in your preps not only makes them more desirable, if the need were to arise that you band with another group, but it also makes your group as a whole, superior.

My eldest is still interested in gardening and we have expanded our garden for the third straight year this spring. He is also an avid reader. Along with numerous other genres of books, he is currently reading all the apocalyptic books that he can get his hands on. I read the same adolescent novels that he enjoys. This opens the lines of communication and leads to interesting conversations. Conversations ranging from: Are the teenagers in real-life as ignorant as the teenagers in the books? (He says they are–that is scary if true) How he would handle the situation of surviving on his own? Is he ready to protect himself and his family? Can he live without all the electronic babysitters? (I.e. video games and iPods)

My younger son is the gun enthusiast. He can list more weapon makes and models than my husband, which is saying something. He is more athletic then my older son, but he is also more indolent and stubborn.

Both of our children are required to help in the garden, target practice, and help canning food preservation. They carry in the groceries and help me rotate the shelves. We have raised our children to be contributing members of the family unit. That is not something that can be taught overnight. Nor will it be a lesson easily learned when the times get even more desperate. Because of their hard work, responsibility, and maturity they are rewarded in several forms. They are often the hosts of sleep-overs. Besides the fast that I love having the extra 2-8 kids over, I consider it a form of prepping education. Do you know how much and how often 10 teenage boys will eat? I do. I have needed to increase my food stores because of that reason alone. I also can witness the interaction between the kids. I know which kids have no problem running out in the dark to chase off a stray cat that is threatening our kittens. I know which kids are willing to help in the garden and mash applesauce. I know which one of my sons’ friends treat me with respect. This is all important for when the time comes and my home may become a safe haven for parentless children. I know, it sounds frightening and alarming, but I have come to love some of these kids and would take them in as my own.  

I bring up the point about the extra kids for several reasons. First, I consider the sleep-overs to be an essential par t of our prepping training. I need to know that that I can trust my kids with our secrets around other kids. I like to see how the girls and boys react with a good ole’fashioned game of ghost in the graveyard. I also like to make note of the kids that pitch in with the chores and who can be counted on to follow instructions. Secondly, I use the guise of hosting sleep-overs to hide several of my preps in plain sight. Do you know how many kids will come over without proper winter gear? All of them. So it of no surprise that I have numerous pairs of boots, jackets, hats, and gloves stored in my closet. Lastly, tactically their games of hide-and-go-seek outside in the dark along with Nerf gun wars in the house are great practice. Now, I know that most of you are going to scoff at the suggestions that such childish endeavors have any real practical application. But I know exactly which one of the kids are willing to lie silently in a patch of raspberries for an hour hiding from the rest of the seekers. I also know which kids go running screaming into the night at the first hint of movement. My children have learned every hiding place outside and inside. They also know every line of fire that is feasible. That sounds practical to me.  

Due to my career in health care, I am well stocked in the band-aids area of beans, bullets, and band-aids. My children have practiced drawing blood and starting IVs on a dummy arm. I need to know that they know how to apply an Israel bandage to me if I am not able to care for myself. As an 11 and 13 year old they are more than capable of performing basic to moderate first aid if the need arises, but only if you have taught them. Recently, my younger son took a spill while I was at work. My eldest child calmly called me and asked for advice. He monitored his younger brother for an hour (until my husband got home and took over) for signs of a concussion or a more serious condition. He checked the reactivity of his pupils and his memory skills. This was the exact advice I received from the emergency room physician when I asked him if I should bring my child in for evaluation. Educational opportunities come every day and around every turn. It is our duty as parents to help our children recognize these occasions and step back and allow them to learn. Talking to your kids is not as productive as talking with your kids.

Another such learning opportunity came about just as our first thunderstorm of the season also came about. I was just walking out of work when my son called to inform me that our power was out. By the time that I arrived home five minutes later, he had learned that a transformer was struck by lightning and that we would be without power for several hours. I took the opportunity to open the door for conversation and teach my kids a lesson; little did I know they were going to teach me one. As we were discussing the different scenarios of a storm situation, we also went over our other tornado and fire procedures. That is when I thought I could throw them a curve ball. I asked them, what if not only the power was out but also the phones? (a common occurrence around our place) No problem, they have their cell phones. Well, what if the cell phones were out also? The first things my sons’ ascertained was that I was referring to an EMP blast. Wow, they are good. Yes, my eldest had been reading One Second After and my youngest watches way too much History and Military channels. They went on to explain that one of them would “stand guard” at the best look out window in the house (but not too close to the window so no one from the outside can see them), while the other locks all the doors and pulls all the blinds and secures the property. Pretty good plan for never having discussed it with them. So now, because I’m mom I’ve got to keep throwing curve balls at them. “What if they knew I was not at work that day but off on a prepping/shopping run an hour away? Dad is 25 miles away for his work too.” No problem. They would continue to switch off look out duty, napping when they could until someone made it home. “But what if we don’t make it home?” They would consume the perishables in the refrigerator first, eating them cold or reheating them over the Sterno cans that we have stored.

Great, so they wouldn’t starve. “But what about if someone came up our driveway?” Besides wanting to hide inside the house they told me they know how to access the weapons and better yet they know how not to use them unless they are fired upon first. Okay, so I was pretty dang proud of them. We went on to discuss other problems, an injury, the pets, picking up the stairway so they didn’t break their necks in the dark. Now, for the real kicker. What if they weren’t home when this happened? Hmmm, Yes! I stumped them for a moment. They immediately said they would leave school and head for home. “But how would I know that they were even allowed to leave school?” They hadn’t thought of that. They developed a route for making it from school to my work (less than ½ mile away) and we would walk home together (a mile). They would try to convince another sibling pair that lives close to us to travel together with them. “But, what if they do not allow the grade school children to be dismissed?” My eldest is in the middle/high school located right next door to the grade school. We discussed how the eldest would go and try to convince the younger son’s teacher to allow him to released into his care. If the elder son was not successful he was not to leave the grade school without his brother. If they do not meet me at the hospital in a timely manner, I would travel the route (backwards) and pick them both up. By this time my husband was home and he was upset that I would not immediately leave work to gather our children. That sounds great in theory but our emergency procedures do not allow for staff to leave the building. I realized that an EMP is not quite the same as a tornado warning but how many of the staff members are going to realize what is happening immediately? It would be more suspicious if I took off running, screaming the sky is falling, immediately.

The conversation turned to other scenarios and crisis types. They talked about filling the bathtubs for additional water and how they can get into our locked house. They made their point though. They are better prepared than most of the adults I know. That is a reassuring notion for a mother to carry with her. Times will be difficult enough; I will be worrying about my children every minute. But can you imagine how much harder it would be for my husband and I to function if our children were not well prepped? I’m sure some of you are saying that you don’t want to unduly frighten your children. I agree. During our discussions my youngest son expressed some fears about being able to carry out his duties and “pulling his weight.” It is better to openly address these fears now before they become a reality, rather than to shelf them for a rainy day. No, I do not want my kids to live their lives in fear nor do I want them to grow up too fast. I explained to my sons how we in the medical profession practice and practice every emergent situation hoping that we never have to experience them. I would have been perfectly happy never performing CPR on an infant during the course of my career, but when that time came I am glad that I practiced that skill. It is just like training for a sport, if you don’t practice you cannot succeed. The same is true for prepping.

Another skill my sons are extremely proficient at is shooting our weapons. I realize that almost everyone on here would have multiple reasons against me touting the benefits of a .22 [rimfire] pistol. Some of them I would agree with, some I would not. Our .22 pistol has allowed our sons to become extremely good marksmen. I don’t know about you, but I cannot afford to go out and shoot up a box of .45 or .357 cartridges. The pistols are small and light, easily manageable for their smaller hands and bodies. They are not scared of the recoil. Those are all important features for learning the skills of handling a firearm. The same can be said for the .22 rifle. If I can teach my children inexpensively, safely and confidently how to handle both a pistol and rifle and that is an indispensable skill. Master the .22 and you can master anything. My eldest son proved that lesson this past year by shooting his first deer at over 120 yards, walking, with an open-sight .30-30. That is pretty impressive.

The simple, lowly .22 pistols and rifles have taught our kids how to handle a gun safely and how to hit their target accurately. Tell me another weapon that offers that without that same result without costing a fortune. Given the option of a .22 pistol or no gun at all, that is a silly question. And yes, a .22 pistol can kill all manner of beasts; just ask most local farmers that use a .22 to put down cattle. It works, but only if you can hit your target. My coworker was laughing at my choice in firearm when I purchased my Walther P22 (an excellent gun, BTW) saying that it was a waste of money and has no stopping power. My reply was simply this, “I can afford to target practice daily and fire thousands of rounds through it. Better to hit my target with all of my 10 rounds, then to have a larger caliber pistol that I cannot afford to target practice with but once a year and miss with every shot.” Pistol shooting is a skill and an art that cannot be learned in an afternoon with a couple of magazines worth of ammo.

Of all the skills my sons have learned through these difficult times, the most important is the value of being fiscally responsible. My kids rarely ask for toys, treats, or presents. They would rather have a used book or better yet an afternoon all together as a family playing board games. They know the value of a dollar (less every day) and they respect what it means not to spend the money when you don’t have it. Often when I ask them what they would like to do for a special occasion or afternoon together, they tell me they would like to play a board game or bake bread together.

What is going to happen to all of those kids that cannot live without their parents spending a fortune on them? You know what kids I mean, the ones that get a $60 video game for cleaning up their own room. Really? It is their mess they should not be awarded for that, they shouldn’t have to be asked. And yes, it is really that bad. Or the girls that I had the privilege of witnessing this past weekend, strutting around a band competition wearing a mini-skirted tube dress and heels and then throwing themselves to the floor and kicking and screaming when their results were not posted fast enough. I am not making this up, I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes. (And for the record they were 13 years old.) My kids are not perfect; I will never claim they are. But I know that in whatever situation we are faced with, be it tomorrow, next month, or in a year, or never, that my kids will be responsible and mature. I know I will be able to count on my kids to be able to survive TEOTWAWKI, high school, or the real world with confidence and dignity. Please talk with your kids, start right now because a family that preps together survives together.

Letter Re: Joining Your Local Volunteer Fire Department

Mr. Rawles,
Thank you for all you do. I cherish my daily visits to SurvivalBlog. The recent letter titled “Living in a Small Town – An Australian Perspective” by Margaret G. inspired me to write you.

We moved from a large city to place just outside a small town a year ago. We are just now being accepted as part of the community. I agree very much with Margaret G.! Another thing I can add is joining the local Volunteer Fire Department. Through the dept and a lot of hard work we find ourselves a part of the community. Because I am over 60 (and not as physically fit as they require) I cannot fight fires. On the other hand, there is a heck of a lot I can do to help the dept in terms of administration, cleaning equipment after a fire, etc. Now the department has a “Rehab” group that supports the firefighters in a larger fire with water, food, taking vitals and so forth to keep the firefighters functional and thus safer.

I’d like to encourage other preppers to look into volunteering. More than 70% of all firefighters are unpaid volunteers, and without them we are in serious trouble, SHTF or not. By the way, with very rare exception, volunteer firefighters have just the kind of character and selfless courage you want as neighbors. OPSEC still applies, of course.

In God we trust, – W.B.

Two Letters Re: Confronting Those Who Plan to Rob Others, Post-Collapse

JWR:
I read with interest the recent letter that included this:

“I  fully realize what a hungry man will do to feed his family and have even been told by a law enforcement officer that he don’t need to store food. He said that he could take it for his family so they don’t starve. I know he has a large arsenal and I get his drift.”

This fallacious and frankly un-Christian belief that the writer encountered is not unique.  I was discussing the need to obtain an emergency food supply with a couple of  lads who work at the local shooting range.  I told them that the hard times that are fast approaching and they needed to make some preparation now while there is still time to do so.

They laughed and said they had plenty of ammunition and weapons and figured they could “take what they needed” when TSHTF.

I told them: “There’s one problem with your ‘plan’.  The people you could take from won’t have what you need.  The people who do have what you need are in all probability going to be a lot better prepared and organized than you are, and you aren’t going to be able to take anything from them.”

Anyone foolish enough to think they can easily prey upon their fellow citizens to make up for their failure to prepare is going to be in for a rude awakening. Living in this country several million very hard ex-military and current military or law enforcement, not to mention rural farm boys and girls who literally grew up shooting.  They are not going to be easy to victimize.

In conclusion, anyone planning on looting their fellow citizens when the Crunch comes, should probably consider a Plan B.  That, in and of itself, might just ensure their own survival. – Brad in California

 

Sir;
The writer mentioned that a LEO with a large arsenal stated he did not need food storage because he was well armed, implying he would shoot innocent people and take their food, or at the least, threaten with the use of deadly force to acquire food.  I worked in a gun store for almost three years, selling directly to and interacting with all sorts of customers.  I would make it a point to mention how uncertain the times were and encourage them to stock up on food as well as ammo.  The answer I got 90% of the time was to the effect of: “I don’t need to do that, that’s what guns are for.”  

Sadly, the majority of gun owners I met carried this mentality.  So should worst come to worst, we cannot simply rationalize that there are a hundred million gun owners in the country, so we will be able to resist any threat to our nation.  If the elite allow this country to starve for a few weeks during a hyperinflationary collapse, or prior to a foreign invasion, the fact is that the majority of gun owners will begin killing each other off while fighting for resources.  The minority will be prepared to weather the crunch period.  We will need to be prepared to defend ourselves against well armed, potentially well-trained (LEO/Military) who want our supplies.

This is why I always advocate having equipment that gives you a complete advantage in a firefight.  Body armor, night vision, [registered] sound suppressors, good optics (like ACOGs) that allow you to:
1. Identify threats at a distance
2. Engage accurately at a distance
3. Engage day or night
4. Remain concealed
5. Not draw attention to yourself. 

I believe it is likely that if you are not geographically secluded from population centers, as am I. you will need to be able to fend off numerically superior foes who come at day or night.  Range, stealth, and armor, multiply your ability to defend yourself, and go offensive if needed. Good luck, – R.R.

Letter Re: Storing Uncooked Country Hams

Dear Editor:
I recommend Gatton Farms, Fathers’ Country Hams.   These are the best hams I have ever tasted.  If you have never had one, you are missing out , it is not like any other ham in the world.

The hams that store are the Uncooked variety. I would inquire of them about storage temp and humidity requirements as well as aging out time.  The mold continues to grow on the exterior on the rind as part of the aging process and may have to be arrested at some point before it detracts from the meat quality.

Additionally you cannot just pop them in the oven. Here is a quote from the Gatton Farms recipe section for country hams:

“Clean ham with hot water and stiff brush to remove mold; if mold is very heavy scrape with knife. Ham may be soaked overnight to help reduce salt taste. Cut off about 3 inches of hock, which may be used for seasoning in cooking other foods. Remove the skin (easier done after cooking while warm); weigh the ham in order to calculate cooking time”.

You have to cover it with water in a tub and soak at least overnight otherwise it is much too salty.

It takes a little practice to remove the skin after cooking when warm, it is fairly thick. The first time I did this it slipped out of my hands and shot out onto the floor leaving a huge pork fat slick in it’s wake!  It really was the  “catching a greased pig ” moment for me, and the pig won!  I could not pick it up either. I was not smart enough to just stab it with a fork, I tried to grab it again and it slipped away even further across the floor, I slipped and fell as well.  At that point I had to stop laughing at my own stupidity before I could get ‘er back on the counter. The memory although 25 years old still makes me laugh, I was young and embarrassingly inexperienced as well as covered in warm pork fat

However, once on the platter surrounded by roasted, cinnamon stuffed, whole apples and pears it is the most incredible meat since man has been given divine permission to eat animals after worldwide Flood ( Genesis 9:3 ). I know some folks would argue that pork is forbidden even for Gentiles, but…

It is a good recommendation for a storage addition if it has an extended shelf life out of the farm’s locker. I will be considering and researching proper storage conditions for my own “larder”, pardon the pun. – Ann H.

Economics and Investing:

Robert R. wrote to recommend an interview with Bob Chapman of The International Forecaster wherein he lays out “details on where gold and silver is going and explains the shorts by the big banks, market crashes and dollar defaults, and warns to buy plenty of freeze dried foods, battle rifles, thousands of rounds of ammo, and plenty of spare magazines.”

Price of gold means panning supplies and metal detectors are flying off shelves. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

C.D.V. was the first of several readers to send a link to an article that was also featured on The Drudge Report: IMF bombshell: Age of America nears end

Courtesy of G.G.: A Dollar’s Worth of ‘Junk Silver’ – Now North of $30

More Shrugging news: Tom in southern California mentioned that Boeing is being sued for, of all things, building a new plant here in the United States. Tom explains: “It is not because they are threatening the environment (would be a logical guess), but because they are doing it in a right-to-work state (as opposed to doing it in China).”

Items from The Economatrix:

The Price of Silver is Rising and this Time There are No Scapegoats

Mainstream Media Puts Good Spin On Bad Real Estate Market

US Dollar Frail, Tokyo Stocks Slip, Gold Shines

Buffett Turns Against the US Dollar, Advises Against Investing in US

Mixed Earnings Reports Weigh On Stocks

New Home Sales Rose In March After Weak Winter

Odds ‘n Sods:

Feds mine Facebook for info. JWR Adds: I expect this sort of intrusive intelligence gathering to be commonplace, soon. Avoid social network services!

   o o o

Tom F. recommended these two Altoids tin hobby projects: Altoids Solar Charger and Altoids Emergency USB Charger.

   o o o

I just noticed that our SurvivalBlog visitors map shows that I have a reader on Madagascar and one in Antarctica. The Internet is a simply amazing way of linking folks, globally. I’d like to welcome our many new readers. (SurvivalBlog now gets well in excess of one million unique visits per month!)

   o o o

Tim R. sent this news item: State Dept. wants to make it harder to get a passport. JWR Adds: That sounds more like an application for Special Background Investigation for a security clearance, to me!

33 Ways to Encourage Atlas to Shrug

Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel “Atlas Shrugged” is enjoying renewed popularity following the release of the new Atlas Shrugged movie. Rand’s story describes a group of American industrialists that lose patience with onerous regulation and taxation, and “shrug”–disappearing from their normal lives to relocate to a hidden valley called Galt’s Gulch. While this tale is fictional, it has some strong parallels to modern-day America. And despite the fact that Ayn Rand was an atheist and favored legalized abortion, she was a good judge of both character and the inevitable tendencies of elected governments. When I consider the regulatory and tax burdens that have been implemented in my lifetime–I was born in 1960–I believe that Rand had amazing prescience. Let’s face it: We no longer live in a free market capitalist nation. At best, it could called a “mixed” economy with statist tendencies, and verging on socialism.

Reading the news headlines in recent months has led me to believe that the Galt’s Gulch concept has a lot of merit. If The Powers That Be wanted to encourage the Atlases of the world to shrug, they couldn’t have done a better job. What is the best way to get the most productive Citizens of our nation to go on strike, and retreat to “gulches”? Consider the following “to do” list for those whom Ayn Rand called “The Destroyers”:

  1. Remove the homeowner’s mortgage interest tax deduction. Yes, they’re pushing for it.
  2. Reinstate the Federal estate tax and pre-Bush Administration income tax levels. They want to impose the old tax rates on anyone with an income of $250,000. Oh, and the CBO’s budget predictions are all using the assumption that the 2001 tax cuts are reverted. Is this wishful thinking (to make the increases in the Federal debt not look quite so bad), or a fait accompli?
  3. Nationalize IRAs and 401(k)s. Yes, its under discussion.
  4. Increase taxes for unemployment-insurance funds. This is already in progress.
  5. Drag out approval of new mining operations with endless Environmental Impact studies. They’re already doing it.
  6. Inflate the currency to rob those who save money–a hidden form of taxation. Standard practice for 40 years.
  7. Drag out approval of newly-developed medicines. Now the status quo.
  8. Push up the rates for “sin” taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and other items. Already implemented in 2010.
  9. Increase the Minimum Wage. Several states have done so, but even worse yet, some unions are pushing for more socialist “Living Wage” laws
  10. Raise import tariffs. Each new tariff causes problems. Didn’t they ever hear Ben Stein’s high school Economics lecture on the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? (OBTW, Ben Stein is now warning about an economic collapse.)
  11. Increase the tax paperwork burden by requiring “1099-MISC” reporting of all cash transactions over $600. (Attempted, but thankfully set aside for the time being.)
  12. Increase the cost of doing business through mandatory insurance. (The “labor burden” for an employee with a nominal salary of $17 per hour ($35,360 gross, annually) is an additional $20,029 per year.) Workman’s compensation, in particular, is getting painfully expensive.
  13. Increase sales taxes. Several states have increased sales taxes, since 2009.
  14. Increase property taxes, as home values decline. Many counties have hiked their tax rates.
  15. Continue to increase the size of the government (and its debts). The Federal debt increases are looking inexorable.
  16. Push for increased mandatory employer-paid benefits for company employees like mandatory health insurance for part-time employees and European-style long term parental leave. Also, push toward excluding companies from government contracts unless they have expanded health care coverage.
  17. Mandate payment of state sales taxes on out-of-state purchases for Internet and mail orders. Yes, they’re still pushing for these taxes, and for regulation of the entire Internet.
  18. Create a pervasive Nanny State mentality. For example: penalize companies and consumers for high trans-fat foods, and alcoholic beverages that taste too good.
  19. Sue the makers of guns that actually work just as they were designed. (At least a partial law shield law was enacted, in 2005.)
  20. Use taxpayer funds to destroy classic cars that are in running condition, while subsidizing hybrid cars that use batteries that will pollute landfills for centuries.
  21. Over-regulate small firms out of business. Dry cleaners are a prime example.
  22. Fine farmers and ranchers for using traditional practices.
  23. Create a European-style Value Added Tax (VAT). Yes, they’re still pushing for it.
  24. Legislate expansion of company-paid health insurance to cover everything from same sex “domestic partners” and autism to sex change operations.
  25. Lobby for mandating that companies pay for three weeks of paid vacation per year for all employees.
  26. Institute dozens of unfunded mandates from the Federal level, that must be compensated for with higher state, county, and local taxes.
  27. Increase license, permit, and vehicle registration fees. In progress. Meanwhile, institute “temporary” tax increases. These surtaxes on income, sales, or real property are described as “temporary.” (But don’t be surprised if they are not repealed.)
  28. Providing free education to illegal immigrants while levying taxes on home schooling families for services that they don’t use.
  29. Make it illegal for owners to protect their livestock from predators.
  30. Remove the salary cap on Social Security tax “contributions”. The liberal think tanks are pushing for it.
  31. Encourage a litigious society where huge lawsuits are filed over trifles, and where the makers of products can be sued even if product buyers intentionally misuse products.
  32. Implement carbon taxes and credits. Still in early stages of implementation.
  33. And lastly, the big one: Implement socialized medicine. Despite a strong public outcry, it is now Federal law. But thankfully there is a push to rescind part or all of it.

The shrugging and gulching has already begun…

Reading the foregoing might have you inspired to find your own Galt’s Gulch. Although I admit a personal bias, one practical option that I can suggest is the American Redoubt. (I’m the originator of the plan.) The Redoubt region is inside of the continental United States, so moving there is much more realistic than moving offshore–at least for most of us.

Many folks are now ready to vote with their feet. Atlas is starting to shrug.

—

Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved by James Wesley, Rawles – survivalblog.com Permission to reprint, repost or forward this article in full is granted, but only if it is not edited or excerpted, and all links are left intact.

Letter Re: Inexpensive Mailorder Eyeglasses

Letter Re: Inexpensive Mailorder Eyeglasses

James,

Just completed an order with Zenni Optical for a pair of “computer glasses” (as opposed to “reading glasses” for the tech age, I suppose) and I am very pleased.  For $11.90 with shipping and handling. I got a pair of glasses that I was able to customize for computer work.  You can hardly get a pair of generic Chinese-made readers from Wal-Mart anymore for that price.  I plan to make a bulk order of backup glasses for the family from them.  It took a while to get them, but it was within the timeframe that they post on their site.  I also had good service from 39dollarglasses.com in the past, but they’re more expensive.

Thanks for all you do for preppers. – Crusty

JWR Replies: It is important that everyone who wears eyeglasses or contact lenses to have at least two pairs of eyeglasses, and preferably three pairs. Remember our motto: “Two is one and one is none.”

Letter Re: Controlling Post-TEOTWAWKI Food Odors

Sir,
A point I would like to make to those that are living in a city, suburb or rural setting: If you are in a TEOTWAWKI scenario, then I am guessing you have read much of what is here and hopefully feel somewhat ready to take care of you and yours.

I would suggest that unless you are able and willing to feed a whole neighborhood–I for one, am not–then please realize what smells have to do with your survival. If you go out your door on any given day you will note what is cooking or burning within a few blocks of your house.

During a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI scenario, I venture to say that very few will be prepping food thereby drawing a crowd after the first few weeks. That being the case, if you decide to make food that is heated – realize that all within a half mile will smell your food and very likely come over to beg or or try to take it. I am not of the Christian faith and have no thought to feed any from my house or hand during any “scenario” as mentioned.

I fully realize what a hungry man will do to feed his family and have even been told by a law enforcement officer that he don’t need to store food. He said that he could take it for his family so they don’t starve. I know he has a large arsenal and I get his drift. If you don’t agree then its the safety of you and yours at risk and I at least did my service in penning this missive.

My thought is to use boiling water to make any and all food, without actually baking or broiling food so I can somewhat limit the smell of food.

To try and cook any food outdoors or to start a large outdoor fire will be dangerous. (A fire will be equated with food to everyone.) Even starting a generator might bring many from a half mile to further depending on the amount of time since their last meal.

Using precautions during the preparation of food might save you and yours from disaster. – S. Lobo

Letter Re: Book Recommendation: “Poke Greens for Breakfast”

The book Poke Greens For Breakfast? is a collection of memories of a woman who grew up in rural Arkansas in the early 1900s.  It is an excellent antidote for those who might overly romanticizing of that kind of life.  The author, Walta Sorrels Jennings, belonged to a privileged class.  Her step-father owned land, cattle and businesses.  He hired people.  And life was still a relentless, physical grind.  Step-mothers and step-fathers were the norm due to high mortality rates.  Some girls married at age 13. (The reason given was that they had “kissed”, but likely that was code for intimate relations.)

The title comes from when her step-father buys the milch cow from a down-on-their luck family.  He was invited to stay the night due to the late hour and the terrible roads.  Breakfast was a smidgen of cornbread, poke greens, and some black coffee.

The writing is not fabulous.  It has continuity breaks and you will read some of the same information in two or three places.  But the information is riveting. – Joe H.