Odds ‘n Sods:

 Alan E. sent us an article about Californians envisioning “The Big One.”

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L.S. suggested a web site with some useful resources on Rooftop & Urban Gardening.

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I heard about a small company in Illinois called Eden’s Way that is selling a “weed-free” and organic raised bed gardening system that reportedly will produce as much as four times more vegetables than other garden systems.

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Lynn G. forwarded this piece by Ronald Kessler: EMP Attack Would Decimate America

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Rufus sent this: Finnish post to open love letters, payslips in digital mail trial. [JWR’s Comment: Hmmmm. I thought that Finland was one of the last bastions of individual liberty in Europe.]



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The spirit of liberty is not merely, as multitudes imagine,
a jealousy of our own particular rights,
but a respect for the rights of others,
and an unwillingness that any man, whether high or low,



Note from JWR:

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.



Letter Re: G.O.O.D. Vehicle Preparation and Maintenance–Is Your Vehicle Up to the Task?, by Barry B.

In a “Schumer hits the fan” (SHTF) scenario where you need to get out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.), will your vehicle be up to the task? Is your cooling system robust enough to handle unusual demands? Are your fancy new wheels hurky enough to withstand off-road conditions? Is your vehicle ready to tow a trailer over rough terrain and for long distances? Is the trailer ready? We don’t get to pick when the SHTF, so keep your vehicle ready! Here are some of my suggestions based on over twenty-five years in the automotive maintenance and repair business.

Catastrophic failures often begin as seemingly small problems, which lead to increasingly large problems, and ultimately to failure. On something as critical as your G.O.O.D. vehicle, it is important to trap “error chains” and address seemingly small problems right away, or better yet, prevent them from happening in the first place. I will begin by addressing the most critical systems, where failure would be most likely, and which would bring you instantly to your automotive knees.

Engine Cooling System
Face it, if your car your car overheats, you’re not going anywhere. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, I recommend you flush your coolant every two years (three years max), or 50,000 miles. The new “eco-friendly” long-life coolant (which is reddish) tends to be harder on engines than the old, pre-1990s (green) coolant. When the new coolant came out, we started seeing water pumps and seals leaking far more often than we used to. I have switched all my family’s cars back to the old green coolant. Beware, however, if your vehicle is still under warranty, you may void your warranty if you don’t use what the manufacturer recommends.

If you do switch coolant types, you cannot mix one type with the other. This is bad. The mixture will turn to sludge and sludge doesn’t cool well. If you need to top-off, use water. If you switch coolants, be sure to completely flush the system (two times at least) using water, then refill with the old-style green coolant.

Don’t wait until belts and hoses fail before replacing them. If your vehicle is over five years old and/or has over 100,000 miles on it, replace all your belts and hoses. Consider it cheap insurance and prevent the first link of a catastrophic error chain.
Check your cooling system regularly and if you have coolant leaks, get them fixed!

Tires and Wheels
When was the last time you really inspected your tire pressure, tread, sidewalls (inside and out), and wheels (including the spare)? Do you carry a tire repair kit in your vehicle? Generally it is better to plug a tire and re-inflate it than fill the tire with a can of Fix-A-Flat. The kits for plugging leaking tires are in expensive and small and plugging is a stronger fix and won’t throw your tire out of balance. But you should still carry a can of magic tire juice for when you have to fix a flat in a hurry. Get a good quality 12-volt air compressor so you can re-inflate a tire. Small compressors have many other uses as well. Carry one.
You may need to tackle rough terrain, loose dirt, mud, or even cross rivers and streams. Traction in loose terrain can be improved if tire pressure is lowered to around 20 lbs.

When driving on under-inflated tires, keep your speed below 20 mph, or risk the tires getting hot and failing prematurely (most likely the sidewall will fail). Once you are back on solid ground, you can use your 12-volt compressor to re-inflate your tires.
Be sure you have a reliable jack and wrench to remove lug nuts. Instead of a cheapo universal lug wrench, I carry a breaker bar with the proper sized sockets for my lug nuts. Don’t leave this wrench in the garage—carry it with you.

A G.O.O.D. vehicle shouldn’t sport over-sized “bling” wheels, locking wheel nuts, or fancy aftermarket hubcaps. Over-sized wheels require low-profile tires. (“Profile” is the distance from the edge of the wheel to the tire tread.) I’ve seen low profile tires with less than three inches of sidewall on otherwise “manly” trucks! The problem is, if you have to go off-road or over obstructions or debris, low profile tires will not absorb the impact, and you will damage your wheels. Sell the sissy bling and put some money and testosterone into tires and wheels that are up to the task—or buy more ammo—but dump the bling!

Avoid locking lug nuts. Should you have to change a wheel in a hurry (assuming you can even find the wheel key) locking nuts will make the job more complex and time consuming. The odds of someone stealing your wheels–even in a SHTF situation–are slim.

Once you get your sturdy tires, have the vehicle aligned. Have it aligned every 15-to-20,000 miles. [JWR Adds: Or do so even more frequently, if you do a lot of true off-road driving, or if any drivers in your family have a tendency to bang their front wheels into curbs, when parking. Watch for signs of misalignment, such as uneven tire tread wear, or the advent of a tendency for the vehicle to “pull” to one side when driving on straight and level highways.] ] Rotate your tires about every 5-to-6,000 miles, and since the wheels are off, use this time to check the brakes and wheel bearings. If your wheel bearings are worn, replace them. If you have “packable” wheel bearings, pack them with clean, fresh grease and replace the seals.

Brakes
Brake fluid should be flushed at least every two years. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. When it does, braking efficiency decreases and you will experience brake fading on long stops. This can get quite exciting, especially if you’re towing a trailer! If you find that your brake fluid is low, and don’t have brake fluid to fill the system, do not add oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, or any other petroleum based fluids to the system. You can use water in an emergency. If you mix petroleum-based fluids into your brake system, the seals in your brake system will swell, rendering your brakes useless.

Make sure your brake pads have at least 50% pad life left, and if you need to replace them, don’t buy cheap pads. The little bit extra that a reputable brand will cost is worth every penny.

Ensure the technician checks that your brake rotors are true, smooth, and not too thin. Check the brake lines for leaks. If your G.O.O.D. vehicle is over ten years old, play it safe and replace all the brake lines. If you have drum brakes, ensure the brake cylinders are in good condition. If they are over ten years old, replace them.

Fuel
My wife and I have a rule. We fill-up whenever the tank reaches half. This does two things—it lessens the chance of getting moisture in the fuel from condensation, and it ensures if there ever is a sudden emergency, we have at least half a tank to drive with.
If your “service engine” light is on, get it checked right away—it is on for a reason! It may be something as simple as a loose or worn gas cap. Replace the gas cap if you have doubts. Getting water in your fuel will put a real “damper” on things. If you have a miss-fire it can lead to other problems, such as failure of your catalytic converter. If your catalytic converter fails, it can plug your exhaust (just like a potato) and leave you stranded. This has happened to me—the converter, not the potato.

If your G.O.O.D. vehicle is driven infrequently keep the tank full and consider adding a fuel stabilizer.

Lubricating Fluids
Changing your oil and oil filter every three months/3,000 miles is a good rule of thumb (every six months/5,000 miles if you use synthetic oil). Many new cars have “oil life” indicators that monitor the condition of the oil, but not the oil level. Make sure you check the oil level at least every 1,000 miles, and if you think you may need to G.O.O.D. soon, change your oil—you may not have a chance to change it again for a long time.

Flush the transmission fluid every 30-50,000 miles. If your vehicle has a transmission fluid filter, change it at least every 100,000 miles. More often if you tow. Fix any leaks. If your transmission goes down, so do you.

If your vehicle is all-wheel drive, rear wheel drive, or a 4×4 change the fluids in the differential and transfer case roughly every 50,000 miles (or approximately every 25,000 miles if you tow). If your car is front wheel drive, the differential is part of the transmission, and serviced as part of a transmission service. Some vehicles require synthetic fluids, which are expensive, so brace yourself for the cost.

Filters
Gasoline engines should have their fuel filters replaced every 30,000 miles (15,000 miles for diesels). Some vehicles have permanent filters attached to the fuel pump (in the tank) which I don’t like, but nobody asked me.
            Air filters should be replaced every 15-30,000 miles, depending on conditions.

Spark Plugs and Electrical
Most plugs now have platinum tips and don’t need replacing until around 100,000 miles, which for most vehicles is fine, but I replace mine at 80,000 miles—just because.

Make sure all your lights work (not only for safety but to avoid tickets and law enforcement stops). Be sure your lighter and other outlets work—you may need them to run your compressor or a spotlight.

Spares and Tools
Spares and tools should always be of high quality. If the thing cost $1 at a sale table, it’s probably not very high quality. In a serious G.O.O.D. truck, I advise carrying the following:

  • A set of both metric and standard box end wrenches, and sockets (Unlike the old days, many vehicles now use both standard and metric sized parts!)
  • An assortment of screwdrivers (Larger screwdrivers can double as a pry bars.)
  • Locking-type (push-button adjustable) channel lock pliers
  • Vise grips
  • Regular and needle nose pliers, and a set of hemostats
  • Ball peen and claw hammers
  • Spare fuses, several feet of wire, solder, and a butane powered torch/soldering iron (It is nice to have a propane torch as well.)
  • Extra fluids and lubes
  • Radiator “Stop-Leak” (In a jam you can use the white of a raw egg! Make sure the coolant is hot enough to cook the egg. As the white cooks and hardens, it will get stuck in the low pressure area created by the leak!)
  • Air, fuel, and oil filters
  • A spare belt or two
  • Extra hoses
  • Self-fusing silicone tape such as Rescue Tape. It bonds to itself permanently, withstands 500°F, and has 950 p.s.i. tensile strength.
  • Duct tape (man’s other best friend)
  • Super glue [Also known as Crazy Glue, Cyanoacrylate glue, or just CA glue]
  • Stainless and mechanic’s wire
  • A 6-foot+ length of ½” hose (for siphoning)
  • Roll of parachute cord
  • Spare keys, well-hidden

I hope you found these ideas thought-provoking and that this article motivates you to keep your G.O.O.D. vehicle maintained and ready, so you can indeed G.O.O.D. if you need to.



Letter Re: Advice on Rifle Flash Hiders

Hi,
I’ve seen your posts about the L1A1 rifle and I’m asking you for some help. I would like to change the original flash hider, for a new one like the Vortex. But they make only 9/16 x 24 threaded devices with left hand threads [for Metric FALs]. Where can I buy an adaptor, or do I have to transform the barrel? Thanks for your help. – Philippe

JWR Replies: The original L1A1 military-issue flash hiders are actually quite efficient. (The only exception is the short Papua New Guinea (“PNG”) variant flash hiders, which has about 20% more flash than with the standard “bird cage” flash hider.) Therefore, I’d recommend leaving your rifle as is.

But if for some reason you must put on a Vortex, then you’d have to re-thread the barrel. Keep in mind that this will detract from the resale value of the gun. If you do go aheabd nad have it re-threaded, then I suggest that you specify a 1/2 x 28right hand thread, for versatility. This is because there are lots of different 1/2 x 28 muzzle devices available. WARNING: You’ll need to get a .30 caliber specification Vortex (the one made for AR-10s), or have a .223 Vortex drilled out to at least .328″ (or any dimension slightly larger), for safe bullet clearance! Failure to do so would be catastrophic.



Letter Re: Dirt Time–Learning Practical Tracking Techniques

Jim,
I really enjoyed the article on tracking by James K. Actually, I have enjoyed all of the articles in Survival Blog.
I try to test my tracking skill whenever I get the change and have been doing it for almost 60 years now. Besides the ones mentioned in the article another guide that I have found to be valuable is: Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species, by Mark Elbroch. It was published by Stackpole Books in 2003. Unfortunately it was printed in China but of very high quality. (I prefer U. S. made products when I can get them.)

I sure wish that I had a book like this when I started tracking in the early 1950s.

Incidentally, I used my hard-earned tracking skills to great effect in Southeast Asia in the 1960s as a member of the Big Green Machine.

Thanks for a great Blog. From the end of the gravel road in very rural North Dakota, – Bob P.



Letter Re: Spokeo and OPSEC

Greetings,
This is in regards to the recent letter about the web site, Spokeo: T. in Oregon was right to be annoyed and worried about such a site. But, following their directions to “remove” your name from their DB is not accurate. The privacy link is merely a phishing link to verify your e-mail and your existence. Yes, once you do that your name will not show up for the free search, but it greatly expands their ability to gather info about you and anyone with $30 can get that information.

On a side note, I want to thank you for all you do. It is the Lord’s work. God bless you and God bless your dearly departed wife. – Dan D.





Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader F.J.R. liked this piece over at the Lew Rockwell site, that includes some great audio clips: Gerald Celente: What to Do in a Crisis. The video clip includes his account of surviving the recent earthquake in Chile.

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Felix wrote me to mention that Michael Bane’s The Best Defense: Survival! television series from 2009 is now available on DVD. The series features a number of subject matter experts, including SurvivalBlog’s own Editor At Large, Michael Z. Williamson.

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Mike Williamson spotted this: Hunt fraternity has new quarry in sight: a Conservative government.



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“People put up with the devils they know. They do not look for a lifeboat when they hear the ship’s hull scrape the iceberg. They assume that it will be business as usual. Then, one fine day, it isn’t.” – Dr. Gary North



Letter Re: The Storage of Food as a Strategic National Reserve

Mr. Editor:
Many nations around the world, including the USA, place great importance on Fuel Reserves as a Strategic National Resource. However, of growing importance and also greatly unrealized, is the fact that food reserves are at least as strategically important as fuel reserves to the security of any nation and maybe more so.

When thinking of a primary food reserve, one would assume that wheat is a major food resource of the USA, and it is. In 2009, the USA was responsible for producing 2.22 billion bushels of wheat. However, of growing national importance and a growing possible concern to the USA, is the fact that strategic reserves of food and therefore the security of the national food supply is being compromised.

It is also important to understand that in 2009 it was reported that in many agricultural sectors, food production declined not only nationally but globally. It is therefore relevant to consider that US food production capabilities may be declining at a time when oil based agriculture production is threatened with long term fuel price increases, possible supply reductions over time and unreliable market prices due to price manipulations internal to national markets.

It follows that it would also be relevant to consider that nations outside of the USA, already impoverished because of major shortages of commodities worldwide, would continue to further suffer and as a result, future US influence in these markets, geographic regions and with those regimes so affected would necessarily decline or lessen.

Environmentally, world shortages are the result of many influences, not the least of which is drought coupled with sales to market timing problems, shipping problems, increasing insurance to the supply side shipping problem and because of market price manipulations, standard food business practices and food distribution stratagems.

If strategic national reserves are not maintained inside the USA and if global capacity and therefore capability to produce food is reduced over time, then the ability of the world to feed itself becomes a chronic, growing problem.  Over time, this marginalizes the USA as a leading food exporter worldwide. Over time, the influence the USA has within world regions and sub-regions will be greatly diminished and its ability to provide humanitarian food relief worldwide will also be diminished. In addition, problems may be created within the USA’s own borders as the nation loses the ability to feed its own citizens, especially if environmental conditions were to worsen, or should some other catastrophic problem beset the agricultural industry of the USA as a whole.

Many variables come into play in determining the value of a strategic food reserve in the importance of national security. It is apparent that a surplus of food stored strategically inside the USA becomes a resource not only for national security, it becomes an asset is securing peace and stability beyond the borders of the nation as it becomes an aid for allies, secures global regions from famine and helps reduce or avoid altogether conflict arising from shortages or famine. – S.D.

JWR Replies: Where public officials have failed as a nation in recent years, we should take up the slack as families. I most strongly encourage SurvivalBlog readers to stock up on wheat, rice, and legumes in quantity. It is best to do so now, while they are still affordable. (They may not be affordable, if and when inflation kicks in, or if and when there are crop failures.) The food storage vendors that advertise on SurvivalBlog are all reputable. Some of them even specialize in bulk quantities of grain. Please patronize our advertisers first!



Letter Re: Understanding Hydrocarbon-Based Fuel

Mr. Editor:
I wanted to comment on the article “Understanding Hydrocarbon-Based Fuel”: There is good info in this article but it really sells ethanol short. I think it will give preppers the misconception to stay away of ethanol.

I’ve been studying ethanol for a couple years. I run an oil burner I’ve converted, and intend to build a large still. My 2000 Ford F-150 will run 50% ethanol without issues. It will run 100% E-85 fine but the check engine light will come on because the oxygen sensor sees too clean of exhaust.

There are lots of false and manipulated statistics are intentionally circulated about ethanol. I agree with the mileage in an engine designed for gas, but the fuel versus food is spun misinformation.

The article dismisses ethanol as a viable fuel, when it is probable the only good option preppers have in an TEOTWAWKI.We should clarify ethanol’s pros and cons.
Thanks, – W.G.B.



Letter Re: Spokeo and OPSEC

Howdy,
Last night on the news I heard a report about a new web site called Spokeo that combines phone book information, map info, personal info and social networking site info to create a profile for people. [It is an OPSEC threat.] I typed in names for my family and was surprised at the amount of info that was available. You can go to their “Privacy” page (linked at the very bottom and on the right) to remove a name. I did it this morning and it already took us off. Just to let you know in case you also want to remove your info. Happy Easter! He is Risen! – T. in Oregon



Letter Re: Advice on Pistol Holsters

Jim,
One more small tip on holsters, specifically the Blackhawk holsters with the single finger tension release. As an NRA Instructor who’s taught many handgun shooters, I’ve seen problems with the release when someone is under stress, as in a practical range exercise. One of my fellow instructors showed me a small addition to the holster, which I have retrofitted on all of mine. Simply take a small piece of stair tread tape, sometimes called skateboard tape (which is essentially sticky backed sandpaper), and attach it to the area of the release that needs to be depressed to release the firearm. When indexing your finger during the process of drawing the firearm, the rough patch provides positive feedback and a reminder that you need to depress to release. In my neck of the woods, a one foot-long piece of the tape from the local hardware store was about $1.50 and will allow modifications to 12-to-18 holsters. – LVZ in Ohio



Letter Re: Concealed Carry Reciprocity Resources

JWR,
While concealed carry reciprocity [as recently discussed in the blog, with accompanying maps] is the best way to ensure legality of concealed carry in other states, it does not tell the whole story. For example, Washington state does not recognize a concealed carry permit from Idaho or Montana. However, Idaho and Montana honor one from Washington. If I was to only have looked at the Washington reciprocity page I would not have known that. I have found the best way to be absolutely sure it to check the individual states web site, but the previously given links did do a good job. – Travis H.