Letter Re: Sustainable Rural Cabins

Jim;
In the article, “Sustainable Rural Cabins”, under the headline, “Designing the Outer Periphery”, the author wrote, “Evergreen windbreaks should be planted to block winter winds”.

That works fine if the evergreens, (or other trees), you plant and the way you group them is consistent with the way the same trees occur naturally in the area. For example, if white pines grow naturally in the woods around where you are establishing your homestead, then you can plant more white pines and they won’t be noticed. But if you plant, for example, blue spruce where none normally occur, you can see them from a distance, and any observant woodsman will know that humans are there. Camouflage includes becoming unnoticed. If you plant not appropriate species of trees or bushes in an area, you might as well put up a billboard that shouts, “Here I Am!. If you are trying to conceal your whereabouts, remember to observe nature, work with nature, be consistent with nature. – Jim Fry, Curator, Museum of Western Reserve Farms & Equipment



Economics and Investing:

Kevin S. recommended this from the Global Guerillas Journal: What Makes a Home Valuable?

CBO chief says debt ‘unsustainable’. (Out thanks to reader S.M. for the link.)

GG and Chad S. both flagged this: Gold hits record high for British investors; The price of gold has risen to an all-time high in sterling and euro terms.

Also from GG comes this video clip: Meredith Whitney: Housing Will Fall Again

S.M. sent this: Is the World’s Second Biggest Economy On the Ropes?

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Trade Mixed After Alcoa Results Fall Short

February Trade Deficit Increases to $39.7 Billion

Oil Price Slide Continues for Fifth Straight Day

Pensions: The Untold Crime of the Century

The Power of Gold

With 1 in 5 Americans Out Of Work, Obama Issues One Million Green Cards

A Mortgage Crisis Picturebook Even a Progressive Could Understand

Commentary from Dan Denninger: Did The Fed Just (Surreptitiously) Bail Out Europe?



Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Lee C. sent this: In California, Louder Calls to Prepare for Quakes

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Reader RBS mentioned a 2008 news story that was recently highlighted in The Survival Spot Blog. This illustrates how even fairly large communities can “disappear”, with terrain masking and some rudimentary camouflage: Lost middle-class tribe’s ‘secret’ eco-village in Wales spotted in aerial photograph taken by plane.

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The WRSA says: 19 April 2010: Bring Your Sidearms and Longarms To The Banks of the Potomac

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From Brian B.: Cap and Trade: A License Required for Your Home.





Notes from JWR:

I just heard that Jerry Pournelle’s next Chaos Manor Reviews column includes a brief review of my latest non-fiction book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”. Most SurvivalBlog readers will of course recognize Jerry Pournelle as a co-author of the now-classic survivalist novel Lucifer’s Hammer, a columnist for Survive magazine, and a key contributor to Mel Tappan‘s P.S. Letter. So I daresay that Pournelle’s review means more to me than all of the other extant book reviews, combined!

Today we present another entry for Round 28 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Federal 5.56mm XM193 55 Grain FMJ ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $199 value, and includes free UPS shipping.

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, and B.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 28 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.



HK Roller Locked Clones, by John Parker, Jr.

I came up with the idea for this treatise several weeks ago, but never made it to the point of putting it into print until the recent article on the Saiga family of weapons urged me to move forward.  As most readers of the Blog and all owners of “Boston’s Gun Bible” know, the Main Battle Rifle (MBR) is the ideal foundation for the citizen’s defense of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Boston’s does a great job of enumerating the pros and cons of the various rifles, and based on his evaluations, my associates and I chose to go the M1A route.  Recently, though, we’ve changed the group standard, and I’d like to share why with the blog readers.

We’ve recently switched the group standard to the HK family of roller locked rifles and clones thereof.  Specifically, the reason that made this switch possible is the PTR91 family of rifles.  Original HK91s are priced beyond their utility value due to rarity, and previously, building a rifle from a parts kit was hampered by the lack of quality, in-spec receivers for the builds.  PTR’s receivers are truly in-spec, and form the basis for a great platform, to the point that almost all other current builders are using their receivers for their products.  Rifles now are down around the $1,100 price point, with some caveats, which is very reasonable for a high quality MBR.  I would like to explain some of the “goods” which swayed our thinking, as well as some of the “others” that made it hard to seal the deal for us, and the mitigation factors that we’ve arrived at.  In no particular order, here they are:

Cost.  The going rate on a decent M1A or FAL clone these days has been headed north.  The basic PTR rifle, the PTR91F, or an equivalent build from a parts kit based on a PTR receiver, will run a little over $1,000 from CDNN and other vendors.  Apart from the 7 US parts required for 922(r) compliance, most of the internals will be either original HK G3 parts, or contract parts made of German steel on German machinery in Pakistan or by FMP, which are available inexpensively, thus the low cost for a fine rifle.  A new member to the group can swing this easier than the $1,400 to $1,900 for the various Springfield Armory M1A variants.  The savings only gets better when we get to accessories and spares.

Due to the switches by many of the countries that employed the G3 to 5.56  military weapons, there are currently large amounts of spares and accessories available very inexpensively.  The biggest bargain of these is full capacity magazines.  Used, HK German manufactured, 20 round aluminum magazines for the G3 family of weapons can be had for as little as 97 cents each in perfectly functional condition.  Depending on the vendor you may find as many as 5 or 10 out of 100 that have dents or are otherwise suspect, but these can then be used as spare followers, springs, and floorplates.  Most of my batches of used surplus had no bad magazines at all.  In many of the batches that I’ve ordered, I’ve received up to 10 or 15% new, in VCI wrap magazines.  If you want to eliminate the chance, $6-8 will get you new magazines.  Steel magazines are available for about $3 each, although most of these are in rougher, but functional shape.  Spare parts and accessories are available from RTG Parts, HKParts.net, and HKSpecialist.  RTG has both original HK and POF (Pakistani Ordnance Factory–not to be confused with POF-USA) G3 parts, so you can find spares there much more cheaply, in general, but both of the other sites have high quality and original HK parts, and sometimes better prices.  Service from both HKParts and HKSpecialist is lightning fast, and all three companies are great to deal with.  In any case, if you shop wisely, a complete doomsday spares kit with everything from spare rollers, locking pieces, ejectors, extractors, sears, hammers, springs, pins, recoil rods, buffers, sights, stock sets, trigger packs, lowers, cocking handles, etc, can be had for a very reasonable price.  If you live on the southern border of the US, or anywhere near it, you probably already know that the Mexican army still uses G3s, so there is also a potential future source of spares and compatibility there.

Reliability.  There is an item of contention here with the barrel flute specifications and ammunition sensitivities, which we’ll cover in “others”, but for basic design, it is definitely a “good”.  The HK roller locking delayed blowback action is beautiful in its simplicity.  It doesn’t rely on any sort of gas system at all, so there’s nothing in that vein to fail.  The system is extremely dirt tolerant, and proper flutes are somewhat self cleaning.  Even if you dip a round in thick mud and toss it in the chamber, (not recommended, however) the firing of that round will tend to clean out the chamber.  Since it is recoil impulse and not gas expansion that powers the action, powder burn rate is not an issue as it is with the M1A.  There aren’t a whole lot of things that break with this rifle.  Out of all my spare parts, I’ve never used any of them, although someday, I’m sure I’ll lose or bend an extractor spring during detail cleaning.  The current Thompson Center-made PTR barrels are of conventional construction, very accurate, and will probably last 8,000 rounds or so as with any conventional 7.62 barrel, but several sources of surplus and US made hammer forged barrels are available, which may easily double that number.  Rim Country Manufacturing (www.rimcountrymfg.com) makes a phenomenal selection of hammer forged barrels with correct flutes and us-made compliance parts for the entire roller locked series of weapons.  In general, the quality of the PTR rifles is very, very good, and the welds compare favorably with the original HK91 I had as a frame of reference.

Sights.  The HK battle sights are not generally hailed as the best out there, a distinction generally reserved for the M1A sight.  The M1A sight is indeed a piece of artistry, and I was a huge fan until I saw real combat.  Although the M1A sight is still a great piece of kit, I learned from practical application that target identification is the limiting factor in many armed engagements.  I have never fired upon anyone that presented a full “B” silhouette to me.  People tend to hide behind stuff when you shoot at them, or when they expect you to shoot at them, and after about 400 yards, you’re a better man than me if you can pick out a head and shoulder sticking out from behind a rock with an AK with enough fidelity to precisely engage with iron sights.  Optics and the single focal plane that they bring to the fight are a huge force multiplier when you get out there in range.  At 400 and in, the HK sights are very good.  The 100m “notch” is very fast for close range engagements and low light.  The apertures create an odd magnification effect that makes it easier for me to form a clear sight picture.  Although they are only graduated to 400m, it’s easy to get hits at 500 by holding at the top of the head of your intended target.

Modularity Across the Family. 
The entire line of HK roller locked weapons is now available in clone form from one maker or another.  Many of the parts work across the spectrum of rifles.  Century, although having a bad history with roller locked builds, is now producing 93 (roller locked 5.56) clones that are generally very good, and they are priced at under $600.  Pick one that you can measure the bolt gap on, and you’re ahead of the game in picking a winner.  Vector makes very good 93 clones for under $1,000, and you can get parts kits for a build for under $400 from the flood of Malaysian surplus on the market.  Although 93 magazines are pricey, Special Weapons/Coharie makes guns and receivers that take AR magazines, and several good HK smiths can modify any of the guns to take AR-15 mags.  Coharie is selling out all their remaining 9mm clones, so an HK94 or MP5 clone can be had for around $1,000. MKE is also importing Turkish contract 9mm clones which are getting great reviews, as well.   9mm isn’t much of a long range round, but for training youngsters with little recoil on a weapon system that will translate well to the full size rifle while still possessing more “oomph” than a .22LR trainer, the MP5 family is valuable.  Korean contract MP5 mags that work very well are available for $15 each from HK specialist.  The nice thing about all of these weapons is that with the exception of the ejectors, which are caliber specific, and a reduced power hammer spring for the 9mms, the lower receivers are interchangeable.  All fire control parts swap freely back and forth, with very few exceptions.  PTR is now also making the PTR-32, which accepts AK mags and fires the 7.62×39 round if you want to have a capability to fire the Russian round and still interchange with your main battery.  In addition to the differing calibers in the family, each is available in a variety of configurations.  Without getting into the 51 series and its 9-inch .308 barrel, you can get everything from a 12.7” G3k copy (requires a custom rebarreling) to a 16 inch carbine, to the full 18” rifle, on up to the MSG clone with a fluted barrel, Magpul adjustable stock, and welded-on Picatinny rail for optics. [JWR Adds: In the U.S., rifles with barrel length s under 16″ require a $200 Federal tax stamp as “short barreled rifles (SBRs.)

Optics.  The original HK claw mounts are still available, and work well on the PTR series with either STANAG rings or with a Picatinny rail adapter, and you can pick up an original Hensoldt scope with mount for under $400.  MFI also makes a great low-profile mount that has been newly improved with steel claws.  It is a Picatinny-compatible rail that is low enough for iron sight usage with it attached, so there is no need to ever remove it.  They are available from hkparts.net and other vendors for around $125.  PTRs also now come with an aluminum forend onto which picatinny rails are sold to easily screw on.  I’m not a big fan of hanging stuff off of a battle rifle, but a rail section on the bottom allows easy compatibility with standard bipods, and a vertical foregrip on the short models allows you to torque them down for faster follow up shots in close.

Information.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the roller locked series of HK-designed weapons and all their clones can be found on www.hkpro.com.  It’s a forum with a lot of knowledgeable folks who are more than willing to help, and the search function will answer most of your questions anyway.

And now, the “others”…

Manual of Arms.  I put this in “others” because it is different than many other rifles.  The forward cocking handle and “HK slap” take a bit of getting used to, and the lack of a last-round bolt hold-open is seen as a handicap by some.  I don’t think it’s a big factor.  I tend to do tac reloads, anyway, so the gun never runs dry, and in high stress situations, most folks try to pull the trigger anyway when the bolt is locked back on rifles so equipped.  The forward location of the cocking handle allows for the non-firing hand to sweep the handle back on it’s way to the mag well, remove and replace the mag, then slap the cocking handle on its way back out to the forend, making for a relatively fast reload.  The ergonomics are difficult for those with small hands, although this is less of a factor if a paddle mag release is added, as was on the original G3.  With training, my mag changes are about the same with the HK series as with an M1A.  I’m still faster with an AR, but I don’t intend to be getting close enough for it to matter after TEOTWAWKI.

Trigger.  Most HK roller locked weapons have abominable triggers.  There isn’t much reason for this, though. The principles at work in the trigger pack are very similar to the M14 or Garand trigger.  Bill Springfield (www.triggerwork.net) will do a phenomenal job on the trigger for around $45 on any HK-type trigger pack.  I’ve been a gunsmith for many years, but with no experience with the weapon system, in about 2 hours, I had my first trigger pack down to 5.5 pounds and relatively crisp, and now I’m down to about an hour to get 4.5-6 depending on what I’m going for.  The point is, it’s not that hard to fix the trigger pull.  (Please use the services of a qualified gunsmith and insist that he leave “positive engagement” (this is a battle rifle, after all, not a dedicated match rifle)) The extra durability is worth the cost to achieve the minimal, smooth take-up.

Ammunition Sensitivity.  Here is the one area that may give someone fits.  PTR made their guns under the JLD name originally.  These guns have Axxxx serial numbers.  They used Wilson 10 flute barrels.  Later, when the employees bought the company out, they started using Thompson Center Arms 12 flute barrels, serial numbers were now AWxxxx.  Many of the early barrels will shoot any ammo you want, just like an HK, even though they have less than the 12 standard flutes.  Many of the AW series guns, however, will not shoot anything that is tar sealed, like South African, Radway Green, Winchester White Box, and ironically, DAG (original German ball meant for the G3).  They will however, shoot Federal American Eagle, UMC, Wolf steel cased, Port, etc.  The problem is that the flutes are not to original HK spec, but I’ve run through 200 round range sessions of Wolf, reloads, and federal without a single hiccup, and Wolf is”‘dirty” [and hence known to cause rapid fouling.].  The failure mode is in failure to eject.  The shallow flutes fill up with tar, and the action doesn’t cycle.  There is also some disparity in the latter runs. My 18” 91F will not shoot SA well, but likes Radway, and my 16” KPF won’t shoot either very well. So, to fix this, either shoot one of the many ammunition types that these guns like, or re-barrel with an RCM or contract hammer forged barrel with correct flutes.  There are also a few folks who will re-cut the flutes in the stock barrel.  I am waiting on a G3K build with an RCM barrel that will be the I little pal to have slung while doing chores.  Small enough to be out of the way, but effective to 500 yards, and the RCM barrels will shoot anything, just like an original HK.  Even if you decide you must rebarrel off the bat, the cost of a rebarreled 91F will be about even with a new M1A, and the money you save on mags and spares will easily put you out ahead in short order.  Also, Wolf is cheap, and shoots around 2 MOA out of my rifles, which is good enough for any battle rifle.

Recoil.  Some claim that the recoil of the delayed blowback roller locked system is greater because of the lack of a gas system.  I don’t think it’s all that big of a deal, or even that noticeable.  It is a bit of a different recoil impulse and noise because of the large bolt carrier riding back and forth through that sheet metal receiver, but I don’t think there will be any measurable difference in realistic engagements.

All told, the HK roller locked family of weapons and clones, including the PTR91 and other builds, makes a fine choice for an MBR.  The ammunition sensitivities on PTR rifles are an issue for some, but read the ammunition warnings on the DPMS site, or the DSA FAL site for comparison, and it won’t seem so strange.  It’s a problem that can be easily solved by stacking the right ammo or shelling out for a rebarrel.  The other aspects of reliability, ease of maintenance, optic adaptability, modularity, price, and availability of inexpensive magazines and spares make it a first-rate choice for the family battery.



Letter Re: The S-250 Vehicle Shelter

James Wesley:
Just a short note on the S-250 information. The original writer made an error in assuming all of these are shielded. There are several manufacturers of the S-250 and models differ in not just shielded or non-shielded, but also the level of shielding. NSA shelters (not generally available) have the highest level.

Here is a link to one of the manufacturers. My point is that a buyer should investigate the National Stock Number (NSN) of the unit they are interested in and contact the manufacturer to confirm that a specific level of EMP/EMI shielding is installed, if any.

Best regards as always, – Bob S.



Economics and Investing:

Ben in Tenn. sent this item from Zero Hedge that shows that the MOAB is going global: IMF Bailout For Greece To Come At SDR Rate Plus 300 bps Plus 50 bps Service Charge, Greece Says “Thank You US Taxpayers”. Here is a quote: “The IMF, realizing it had a catastrophe on its hands, has caved in and according to Reuters will provide US taxpayer money to Greece at vastly below market rates.”

Reader “F1F” recommended this from The Washington Post: Debt Burden Weighs on Developed Nations

Items from The Economatrix:

Greece Debt Fears Hit Fever Pitch

Consumer Credit: OUCH!

The Latest Gold Fraud Bombshell: Canada’s Only Bullion Bank Gold Vault is Practically Empty

New Depths to Plunge To (The Mogambo Guru)

Greek Banks Seek More Aid as Savers Withdraw 10 Billion Euro in Deposits



Odds ‘n Sods:

R.R.S. sent us this YouTube video link: Army Pro Shooting Tips: How to Speed Reload a Shotgun. Those AMU shooter techniques are fast, but note that they both looked down continuously, while reloading. (Watch it twice, and count how many seconds they take their eyes away from scanning for opponents.) I do not recommend that much loss of situational awareness! Instead, learn to both reload by Braille, and the “shoot one, load one” drill. These may be a bit slower, but I think that you’ll live longer. The “by touch” reloading method is a practiced skill that will serve you well, especially when you are shooting at night. Practice, practice, practice! To practice reloading safely, dummy (snap cap) aluminum shells are available from Midway.

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Reader K.P.C. spotted this one: Ashtabula County: Judge tells residents to “Arm themselves” (following sheriff’s department manpower cuts).

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Reader “Bookish” suggested: an article titled Manual for Civilization, over at The Long Now Blog.

 



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“In an urban society everything connects each persons needs are fed by the skills of many others our lives are woven together in a fabric, but the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable.” – Threads. A 1984 BBC television drama about the effects of a nuclear war on Sheffield, England.



Letter Re: 550 Cord–The Use of Arts and Crafts for Survival and Practical Tasks

Mr. Rawles and SurvivalBlog Readers,
I am a newly dedicated reader and have had an interest in your contests since day one. I have a few skills I’ve learned in life (hunting, fishing, marksmanship, tracking and writing) but the newest one is macramé. This is the art of weaving knots to make beautiful and often decorative pieces and is just a craft some folks use to entertain themselves. I’ve combined both of these and applied one more purpose for the art: rope-making, belt-making and strap-making.

All three of these have occupied my time overseas for almost a year now. I’ve made straps that can tow a truck out of nylon material purchased from military surplus sites. (Specifications on military grade parachute cord, or “550 cord” can be found online through various suppliers). Clevises and simple weaves can be learned online and in books. The number of useful items I’ve made the past few months has only spiked my interest in this craft. Your site suggests olive drab parachute cord and ropes as two items that can be used to barter or for charity. What a better way to deal in these two items than to make them one.

Parachute cord can be found in many different colors, but for the purpose of this article, I use military grade 550 cord. It has a minimum bursting strength of 550 pounds. It’s weight makes it a no-brainer for survivalists, campers and many other outdoor uses. For every 260 feet, the cord weighs a mere one pound. That is a benefit all to itself.

The first items I made were simple bracelets. We call them Ranger bracelets, but I’ve seen them go by different names. They are sold online but can be made less expensively and much better, if you do it yourself. What I found in the end is you can have up to 12’ of usable cordage wrapped around your wrist all the time.

Next stop were watch bands. Decorative, interesting and yet simple to make. Again, more than 12 feet of cord to be used at a moment’s notice with this item. It’s simple enough that once you’ve learned you can pass the information on to members of your group or teach your children how to occupy their time in a post-TEOTWAWKI situation.

Other devices that I learned to make were belts and straps. These are time consuming, resource heavy and take patience to make. But, with time comes patience, so the resources are the only thing to worry about. What I thought would be an expensive hobby turned out to be an easy way to make money. Teach a few folks a new trade, or keep it a secret, it’s up to the individual. I’ve opted to only charge someone if they aren’t willing to learn.

Finally, tying ropes was the final idea for use in the long term. Will we have resources available during an TEOTWAWKI situation or will we have to scavenge or create them? My idea is to make them while things are available. Ropes will be extremely necessary for everyday uses in survivor camps, at home or when living alone. If you can make a rope, let’s say 12’ long with 12-strands of parachute cord as the “guts”, there is 144’ in those guts, and another 250’ of usable cordage mixed into the weaves. Take the cordage apart and you have more than 2,800’ of usable light twine because the insides of parachute cord contain 7-individual strands of nylon. Strong and lightweight, this item can be used for anything your imagination can dream up.

I’ve read on this site that survivor camps may only take someone if they will be an asset to everyone. If you’ve got a skill such as this, you might prove to be worth your weight in gold.

For example, you learn to make just one item on here: ropes. In your camp you will have men and women that are hunters, fishermen and gardeners. Hunters take their prey many different ways; they trap, shoot or live catch their prey. For hunters the cordage can be used as a deer drag; trappers can hand furs on the rope and live catch can be taken by making a noose or snare.

I hunt from a tree stand and have made a safety harness that can stop me if I were to fall from my stand. The force it takes to blow parachute cord apart is amazing. (Remember, nothing replaces a tested safety device and I used mine under my own understanding of these dangers). But, when the SHTF, there will be nobody around to test anything for you, so it’s up to your new-found skill to keep you safe.

Fishermen need rope to catch, carry and dry out their fish. As I mentioned earlier, the inside of the cord is filled with fishing line, line that can be used to hang the fish, one section can be used as a strand to float the fish until they are ready to be killed. I’ve heard of men using 100’ sections as bank lines along rivers and creeks. Endless possibilities.

Gardeners who plant beans need something for the plants to crawl up toward the sun on. They may need something to keep critters out so they erect a cordage fence. Certain trees must be tied up while they are young to keep them from being swept away by wind and rain. Again, there are endless uses in the gardening category as well.
The plant hangers mentioned earlier are an idea I thought of to put some of your straps to use while they aren’t “being used.” The color combinations can be made to blend into your homes paint scheme, then taken down when needed to string up something other than your begonias.

Just one rope, containing more than 400’ of cordage can help all three of these assets increase their productivity by leaps and bounds when synthetic materials run out. And another benefit, it can be worn around the waist like a belt, rolled into sections or just stretched out along a garage wall for future uses.

The one thing I’ve considered is running out of nylon parachute cord. What would happen if this occurs? Nothing. These ropes can be made using many natural materials available (grasses are the most common, but that’s outside my scope of knowledge). But one thing the nylon cord has is its strength and durability. That’s why I would recommend anyone willing to learn this, learn it now. Make as many ropes, bracelets, watch bands, dog collars, rifle slings, plant hangers, lanyards, leashes, belts, whatever you can think of. If you have a nice stockpile of these items, you can trade them, sell them, barter them for the things you will need later.
One last point I would like to make is the benefit it could have to teach your child/children this skill. I’ve had rocky times with my boys, but teaching them this trade has proven to be a great method to build a strong bond between a dad and his sons. The first time I showed my oldest he was thrilled. He would hover over more for hours at a time and watch as I wove the strands in and out. Then, he would try. His frustration would begin immediately, but as he learned it waned. I was amazed at how fast he learned. This little skill I have taught them has given them the patience to take on most anything new. I’ve tried to pass my other skills to them, but for one reason or another, they haven’t yet learned. They will, with time, learn to tag a deer, trap a raccoon or snare a rabbit, but this was something they picked up on immediately and we are using this as a stepping stone into these other skills.

I’ve used tens of thousands of feet of parachute cord over the last 12 months and an untold amount over the past 12 years of service. How foolish of me to not have seen the usefulness of this fine product long ago and taught more people to make their own ropes, belts and various straps with it.

There are resources available to learn this trade. The Internet, the library and there are still folks out there who’ve been doing macramé their entire lives. But find someone or somewhere to learn, it will pay off in time.

All these items are something that will have value to others in emergencies, catastrophes or disasters and usefulness is a benefit worth its own weight in gold. They will be used by me, my family and the many people I’ve taught or made these items for in the past and in the future. – J.L. from Kansas, currently in Egypt



Letter Re: Scam Alert on an Heirloom Seeds Dealer

Hello Mr. Rawles:

Back in February we ordered a batch of 100 vegetable seed packs from Vegetableseed.net. To date we’ve not received them and the company steadfastly refuse to respond to e-mails, either to their direct e-mail address or via their payment people, Digital River.

Now they may just be incredibly busy but we’re beginning to think we’ve been scammed out of our £42.09.

We’d hate to see any other SurvivalBloggers getting stiffed Very best wishes to you all. – Michael

JWR Replies: Thanks for your warning. There are indeed a lot of fly-by-night mail order companies. But at least I can vouch for the companies that advertise on SurvivalBlog. They are reputable and can be trusted with your business. If you plan to do business with any other firms, check on their reputations first!



Six Letters Re: Suburban Survival

James,
In response to “Suburban Survival, by The Suburban 10” posted on April 10th: I expect that the author will receive a lot of feedback on what he considers ‘Security’. Based on his erroneous assumptions on the role and proper use of a firearm in a suburban TEOTWAWKI situation, I can conclude that he is among the anti-Second Amendment crowd. Living in New York under the Bloomberg/Schumer cloud has obviously affected him.

That being said, I shouldn’t have been so surprised when he wrote:

“8. I have friends who are police officers and have never fired their weapon in the line of duty. Do you really want to shoot someone? I train my family for a chaotic attack. We have code words and all have set actions when the code word is mentioned. No matter how crazy things get remember that everything is negotiable. Have a planned system for dealing with a threat other then sending bullets all over the neighborhood. If you can offer an item or two to the desperate individual (who may truly need help) then do so. If they really look like trouble or if they are armed then at least have pepper spray ($11.99 per can here in New York). If you are going to shoot someone, then expect to be shot at as well.”

a) Police officers in the line of duty are not being attacked for their food (or other goods) by hungry, desperate people, but you (Suburban 10) will be.
b) “Do you really want to shoot someone?” Well, if they are attacking my family or looting our means of survival in a desperate situation, that is a resounding yes.
c) Code words and “set actions” Huh? Will they function when Mr. Murphy, of Murphy’s Law fame comes a-calling? Not likely. And be very careful with ‘set actions’ because when your plan starts to unravel, what then?
c) Everything is negotiable?! Are you kidding me? (Okay, deep breaths…) Many of those you should expect to face will have already shot you – and your family – before your first word is uttered.
d) Plenty (if not most of us) who read this blog have trained to do a whole lot better than to ‘send bullets all over the neighborhood’. Besides, that would waste ammo.
e) If you can offer an item or two to the desperate individual and do so, you should expect to be attacked for the rest. Maybe not immediately but they will return – that’s why charity through a Third Party is the way to go. And what if you cannot offer anything to these ‘desperate individuals’? Do you think they will shrug their shoulders and walk away?
f) If they are armed, and you are planning to use pepper spray? Your plan is going to get your family raped, killed and eaten.
g) “If you are going to shoot someone, then expect to be shot at as well.” — I can understand the “Live by the sword, die by the sword” sentiment but I have news for you Suburban 10, playing nice with the desperate, hungry zombies is not going to keep them from shooting at you. You should be expecting to be shot at regardless.

“Protection – The Lord gave us our eyes, ears and intuition.” — Yes He did. But he also gave you the right, (no scratch that…) the obligation to defend yourself and your family by any means necessary. Our Second Amendment recognizes and affirms that God-given right. You owe your family a lot more than pepper spray and positive thinking.

Good luck Suburban 10, you’re going to need it.

James,
In response to Suburban 10 his ideas are good, except weapons for self defense (I’ve also trained in Aikido with a 3 foot wooden staff. I would imagine it would work great for dogs if you had that issue and it is better then nothing, but not by much) and at 8 feet with a shotgun his weapon is out of reach and his life and all his possessions will be someone else’s in a matter of seconds. I would say that if you came at me with a stick and I had a shot gun it wouldn’t be much of a fight.

He really needs to rethink that people will be dealt with by talking about compromise when they are cold, hungry and what-ever might happen happens. I am happy he shared his views, and only a psycho wants to shoot someone else or be shot- it’s nothing anyone wants to do. but it would seem that criminal elements know a show of force and weakness being shown will end up being an easy mark for someone or a group of armed people intent on taking something for nothing.

I also taught New York City (NYC) youths at a Job Corps, and know most people are generally good, but the gang elements are everywhere and underestimating them is a major mistake for urban survival. (The good news is without city lights most of these guys are afraid of the woods at night and won’t stray far from the main roads if things get bad.) No one should ever tell me I can’t defend myself when my life is in danger- nothing is off limits in that case, and the only people who will tell you ‘you should not use a gun for self defense’ is someone political that probably has armed guards to protect themselves. I value and note the anti-gun opinion. It is valiant but naive. If you have ever had more then one attacker assault you, then you will totally understand where I am coming from. Personally it’s not even from a place of fear, it’s more about being realistic and having a chance standing against someone physically bigger and stronger or someone more advanced in martial arts. People can only wake up to the reality of what it means to be beaten and or be defenseless in a life or death situation.

On the same note taking to a friend, his brother who is an ex-convict for armed robbery discussed how in his mind he didn’t need to prepare for anything. He stated that he would adapt as his neighbors had a nice 4WD that would be his when he took it from them, other people had food that they would part with when he would give them the choice of food or life (and even got the idea that after taking the 4WD he would rob the nearest gun shop by backing in to it and stealing anything and everything he could carry.) thinking that criminals aren’t going to be armed after the world changes is not only delusional it is a dangerous underestimation of the worst in human elements at large. Do I think that he’d actually rob people and stores for survival in an TEOTWAWKI situation? I don’t know but I can’t discount how his mind works and his talk about it when we discuss preparing for the worst.

Suburban 10: Please get an inexpensive shotgun and learn about safety and how to use it–that is if you are legally allowed to have your Second Amendment in the suburbia of New York– the worst of the worst out there are not going to stop and talk about things like ‘sharing’ with you when they think you have something they want. They will kill you and anyone that gets in their way to get what ever they feel entitled to. This was created by the culture the Federal government is still making today with programs of entitlements for anyone that doesn’t want to work.

BTW, the reason the police haven’t pulled their firearm out in the line of duty is because they have one [in plain view] on their body while dealing with bad people every day. (And most smart criminals don’t want to be shot ever by someone that is armed- they will find easy pray every chance they get.) You never hear about unarmed police doing the job, even in England where they were not armed they carry guns for their protection now! Criminals don’t want to risk getting hurt or killed when they can steal from a defenseless old lady or man next store. Don’t make yourself an easy target for the thugs out there by not thinking that some form of arms shouldn’t be in the house. I also know that if you have kids you might have concerns over their safety, that is a matter of parenting properly and controlling your arms and ammo, and controlling your children. Another friend of mine had in the past more than 20 guns and his 8 year old daughter has gone with him to the range shooting (safely) her Cricket .22. She listens to her mom and dad and they all understand gun safety–such as keeping ammo away from the guns and items secure so she’s not able to make any mistakes. He loves his daughter and wants more then anything for her to be a survivor, and self sufficient in a world of people ingrained to be dependent on others. (Safes, locks and secure areas are only part of the safety- teaching your kids about gun safety and giving them knowledge means ensuring their survival on a lot of levels.) Some of my friends that defected from NYC left great paying jobs to escape the pressures of having their kids deal with drugs, gangs and crime.

I know a lot of NYC people who have defected from socialist controlled NYC for more freedom out in the eastern Pennsylvania area. Sadly some of them have brought their NYC anti-gun bias thinking and bad logic with them to an area where the gun culture is in full swing. Most people in this area know that if someone robs a homeowner they risk being shot and crime for the most part is way lower then in the cities here in the woods. – Fitzy in Pennsylvania

Jim,
The teacher who wrote this letter seems to be serious enough about survival preparation, but he seems to eschew firearms or any weapon more effective than a walking stick or pepper spray. I believe he is overestimating the decency of mankind and his control over chaotic situations. There are some people you simply cannot negotiate with. They will take what you offer and then torture your family to death for the fun of it. The veil of civilization is thin and humans have a dark side. If law enforcement disappears and the fear of being punished disappears with it, a small percentage of people will behave very badly. The first group of looters he encounters are likely to have him for lunch. He sounds like exactly the kind of prey the predators will be looking for.

His preparations sound pretty good for a regional problem or any temporary service interruption. They should also prove handy in a depression or decline where the grid stays (mostly) up and law enforcement are on the job, but without a more comprehensive defensive plan, he is depending on law enforcement to keep the big bad wolf away. If he has done a risk assessment and really believes that there will never be a total meltdown, his preps are good enough.

But, just in case things turn ugly, I would encourage him to at least get hold of a shotgun and load it with bird shot. His dog will warn him that a gang of looters has invaded his property, but then what? Call the police? If no police are coming or the phones don’t work, then he will be out of options. If looters want what’s behind door number one (his safe room), they will break the door down and take it. Pepper spray is not an effective defense. Any non-lethal defense [used on better-armed opponents] will likely provoke an escalation of violence rather than end it. Negotiating with hungry people is much safer if there is the threat of force to back it up. Trying to survive TEOTWAWKI in suburban New York will be a real challenge anyway. I would hate to try it unarmed.

Given his circumstances, it sounds like he has done well. Taking it to the next level necessary to survive a total meltdown will be much more expensive. Relocation is probably the only viable prep he can make for the worst case scenario. If civilization totally breaks down and a significant portion of the population are doomed to starve, his current situation is likely to be untenable. I believe living in the shadow of any major city could turn out to be a death sentence. As a teacher, his job moves with him much easier than most professions. Since I believe in the possibility of TEOTWAWKI, If I were caught in his circumstances, I would consider moving to a small town in Idaho or somewhere similar. – JIR

 

Mr. Rawles-
I admire that the writer has personal convictions, but not everything is negotiable. The safety and welfare of my family is one on those [non-negotiable] things. No, I don’t have weapons because I want to shoot someone. I would like to believe that the weapons are a deterrent and might convince a bad guy to look elsewhere. Unfortunately the bad guy will look to a target that is not defended.

I know ownership of firearms is restricted in some locales, but I don’t think pepper spray will dissuade an armed person intent on having their way. It is kind of like the old joke about bringing a knife to a gunfight.

I dare say that a preparedness plan that does not include a means for security and defense is nothing more than a stockpile waiting for a new owner that does have a gun. That would-be new owner probably doesn’t have much in the way of negotiation skills. – Gordon in Georgia

 

Sir:
There’s probably been a rash of letters regarding the rather hopeful advice of “The Suburban 10”, but I’ll add my two cents worth…

For one, dispensing charity from your front door is surely an invitation to a worst case scenario, especially if you are relying on pepper spray (at best) to defend your children. Talk about “bringing a knife to a gunfight”!

Secondly, while i have previously advocated small dogs for a number of reasons, they are ill advised in this situation. After a week of barking, people will wonder: “Where is that dog getting its food?”

This letter seems to assume that things will get bad, but never “bad bad”. It’s a serious gamble, no matter how many “code words” you have.

If you plan to survive in the suburbs with no guns you really have to strip your house bare (like it’s been picked through) and live in your panic room. Then, when a real intruder arrives they might assume there is nothing left of value, but you might want to keep a rabbit’s foot, a lucky penny and keep you fingers crossed while you’re at it. Kind Regards, – Bodes

 

Suburban 10:
I can appreciate the plan that you outlined here. You are among the 10% that are doing something. You have a great approach. However, I say this with the greatest respect, Learn about firearms. As you will recall, when Jesus was in the garden before they took him. Peter attacked the Roman guard and cut off his ear. Jesus healed him. He didn’t tell Peter to disarm. And Jesus knew Peter was armed. Why do you think this event played out like that.? Because Evil needs to be resisted. With Prayer yes, but with action too. Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple. He didn’t pray them out. I respectfully suggest you and your family learn about firearms. They are the sword of our times. Doesn’t mean you have to use them. If you have one and know how to use it, you have a choice. If you don’t have one or don’t know how to use one, you will have no choice. Just my opinion, but the world is a better place with you and your family in it. – Brad S.



Economics and Investing:

GG flagged this: Property Tax Rebellion Brewing After Real Estate Collapse. Here is my prediction on how this will play out: Property values will eventually drop by 50% in most of the more populous states. Assessed valuations eventually drop correspondingly, but only after a public uproar and some foot-dragging. Tax revenues will decline. State legislatures will respond, increasing property tax rates by 100%. Net result: The politicians still get their money.

Also from GG: Total Fed Credit: A Credit to Fed Stupidity (The Mogambo Guru)

K.L. in Alaska suggested this piece about U.S. Treasury auction shenanigans, posted by Chris Martenson, over at Seeking Alpha: The Fed’s Shell Game Continues…

Items from The Economatrix:

Sovereign Debt Crisis at Boiling Point

Thanks to Greenspan and Bernanke the Next Crisis Could be Even Scarier

How the Wall Street Crash Changed America Forever

Notes From Jim Sinclair’s Toronto Seminar

Shadow Government Statistics Hyperinflation Special Report (Update 2010)

BLS Releases Latest Jobs Openings Data, Number of Unemployed People Per Open Spot Increases in February to 5.5. (Some “recovery”!)

Investors Rush to Sell Greek Bonds



Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers R.V.L. and S.S. both sent this good bit of news: Arizona House approves concealed weapons bill. If it is enacted, I suspect that several other western states will follow suit with Vermont-style “no-permit-required” concealed carry bills.

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson forwarded this: More Air Marshalls arrested than arrests made.

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Jon in Wyoming sent these two articles that underscore the importance of finding a retreat locale with plentiful water:
Water publication focuses on drought, and Colorado Basin nears drought tipping point.

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Reader J.M.S. recommended that for greater web browsing privacy, SurvivalBlog readers should switch to the Firefox browser (version 3.5 or later) and install an add-on called BetterPrivacy.