Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The US is the world’s most indebted nation and is trying to bail itself out by printing money, thus monetizing the debt. The world knows it and many are concerned because of their large holdings of US securities. The printing of money would force up interest rates (long bond rates are already rising), thus putting more strain on the US and global economies. A debt downgrade of US debt could follow, and the looming debt battle in Congress could see a US debt default in the worst case. Any or all of these events could lead to chaotic conditions in the US and a break down in the social, political and economic order.” – David Chapman

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 33 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 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), 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 33 ends on March 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.

Basic Climbing Gear for Preppers, by T.F.

As preppers I think we all have the same mindset. If we did not, we would not be returning to SurvivalBlog on a daily basis, or stockpiling all the things we do. I am four months new to the blog and have always been a prepper at heart. With the blog, several things have been brought to my attention that I was lacking in my prepping. As these issues surface, I take immediate action either to correct them right away, or they make my very short “To Do” list.

With that, I bring to your attention the need of some basic climbing equipment and the possibility of a new book to your book shelf, but you will have to read on. I know what you are thinking, “If I’m bugging in. Why would I need any climbing gear?” Whether you are at your retreat or have to G.O.O.D. you need some basic climbing gear. I too plan on bugging in, but I always prep for the inevitable need of having to abandon my retreat. Basic climbing gear can be used to fabricate a comfortable stretcher, make river crossings easier (and more dry), vertical haul lines, a suspension traverse, a Z-pulley, fixed ropes, aid in climbing, rappelling (everyone’s favorite), among others. For this article I will cover just the very basics of climbing gear (ropes, carabiners, runners, protection, and harnesses) and cover the above mentioned benefits in later articles. I recommend and would push attending a basic climbing course. There are hands-on things that can be taught far better in a class rather than reading them in a book.

SAFETY

First things first, safety is always a must! Safety is everyone’s responsibility, so always observe the few following safety points with basic climbing gear:
1. Inspect all equipment prior, during, and after use. If any flaws are detected, mark and discard immediately from your climbing gear.
2. Make sure all locking carabiners are locked. If using non-locking carabiners in their stay, make sure their gates are opposite and opposed.
3. Properly wear your climbing harness-double check buckles.
4. Climb within your ability.
5. Before you start any climb, use your best judgment, and do not take any unnecessary risks.
6. Use the buddy system always!
7. Climbing difficulty ratings are subjective.
8. Gravity is a constant!

[JWR Adds: If you fall, kick loose a rock, or drop something, be advised that the acceleration will be 32 feet per second, per second! That means a drop of 16 feet the 1st second, and 64 feet the 2nd second… until terminal velocity is reached!]

These are just a few safety points for the basics as more will follow in additional articles as needed. When obtaining climbing gear, make sure you know its history. If you do not, it’s not worth your life!

ROPE

There are two types of rope, dynamic and static. Dynamic ropes are designed for climbing by stretching when needed, i.e. falling. The low impact force is one of the factors we are looking for when considering a dynamic rope, lower is better generally speaking. Ropes with low impact force means the climber falls, the rope stretches, and that stop is less abrupt at the end of the fall. Not only is there less stress on the climber during the fall, but less on the belayer, the anchor system, and all the hardware being used. Diameter and length are two additional factors in deciding on which rope to purchase. With these two factors come common uses and yes ounces. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain. The military typically sticks to 11 millimeter diameter ropes. Obviously they will hold up better while lasting longer, but weigh more. Dynamic ropes drop in diameter to 8 millimeter, but at this diameter they are used in pairs, or twin rope systems! Lengths are typically 50 meters (165 ft), 60m (200 ft) or 70m (230 ft). I have an 11mm and a 9.7mm diameter dynamic rope, both 60m. If I am packing it for a few days I use my 9.7; if I am walking directly to my climb and back, it’s the 11. As always, not only does your life depend on your equipment, but that of your climbing buddy does as well!

Static ropes are just that, static. Static ropes can be used for several things ranging from fixed ropes, haul lines, to rappelling. Static lines should never be used in lead climbing. There is no stretch in a static rope and even the smallest of any fall could cause a severe failure in any of the components of the climbing system. Whether that failure is in the rope or right on through to the anchor system, you or your climbing buddy pays the full price! Static ropes come in the same diameters, lengths, and characteristics as dynamic ropes (minus the stretch).

If I was forced to choose between static or dynamic, I would chose dynamic. Dynamic can do everything a static rope can do, though you may have to work with the stretch. Static cannot do all that of dynamic. Certain manufactures color code their ropes in the middle and the end to inform the climber of just that. Others have wide stripes in these areas. Each rope has a fall rating as well. Though no one wants to fall, it happens and the higher the rating the better the rope. Kernmantle ropes are now the only climbing rope approved by the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme (UIAA). With the Comitee Europeen de Normalisation (CEN), you want to make sure your rope, as with all your equipment, has met their standards of approval.

CARABINERS

Not to be confused with the one on your key chain, carabiners are a tool used in every aspect of climbing. There are numerous styles and shapes. As I stated earlier, I am trying to stick to the very basics. With that, there are just a few I will discuss. I prefer the basic D-shaped non-locking carabiner over the oval shape for a good general purpose carabiner. The D-shape keeps the stress away from the gate (opening) of the carabiner. The gate is where most failures occur. D biners are generally stronger than oval as well. Gates can be wired gates to help reduce the weight. Locking carabiners provide extra security and safety. As long as the gate is locked closed is that safety there. You must always check to make sure the gate is locked. Most locking carabiners now have a visual check, red shows when the gate is unlocked. Locking carabiners are used for rappelling, anchors, and belaying to just name a few. Pear-shaped carabiners are larger at the gate opening to help aid in belaying and rappelling. If you do not have a locking carabiner, you can use two non-locking carabiners in opposite and opposed configuration. You would work the rope through the carabiners and the opened gates should form an X when opened. This prevents the rope or runner from coming out. You can never have too many carabiners. Again, I have to throw safety in here: Make sure the carabiners are climbing rated and not the ones off your key chain.

RUNNERS

Runners are loops of tubular webbing or cord that are either sewn or tied together at the ends. Runners come in three basic lengths, single (1.7m), double (2.9m), and triple (4.6m). A good rule of thumb is to have at least six single, three double, and one triple. That is not to say you cannot obtain them in various lengths, you can. Sewn runners can be purchased from two inches to as long as a triple, each size has its place. Additionally you can have varying widths. Sewn are generally stronger than tied. Tied runners can vary in a length to your choosing. Most tied runners are one inch tubular webbing tied with a water knot. As with all knots, a minimum four inch pig tail is a must. Runners are a very useable piece of climbing gear.

PROTECTION

I am not going to go in much detail at all here for safety. Protection and anchors should be discussed in a class where you can practice and test your placements. Protections come both natural and removable. Natural protection that you tie into can be that large tree, rock cropping, or multiple shrubs used together. Your imagination is the limit. Only make sure it will hold the stress. Removable protections are stoppers, hexes, tri-cams, and spring loaded cams just to name a few. Pitons are no longer used [by civilian climbers] due to the damage they cause to the rock. But post-TEOTWAWKI, pitons can be hammered into cracks and crevasses to make an anchor point.

HARNESSES

Harnesses are no exception to the number of varieties. You have the traditional seat harness that most know about, chest harnesses, and body harnesses. For what we are dealing with, the traditional seat harness will be more than sufficient. Characteristics that you want to look for in a harness are adjustable and padded leg loops. Leg loops that can be unbuckled are nice in getting situated, using the bathroom, and so on. A padded waist belt, along with the leg loops are just added comfort. But if you can be comfortable, why wouldn’t you, you might be there for a while. An off center waist buckle can be nice when you are tying into your harness. Gear loops are a must. All your climbing gear will be either attached to you through your gear loops or on a rack system across your body or usually both. Try a harness on before buying it, if you can.

As I stated before, safety is paramount! My intent was only to touch on the basics with more to follow in additional articles. I highly recommend attending a climbing course. That said, a book you might want to add to your library is, “Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills”. It is a very informative book encompassing everything from clothing to climbing gear to glacier traversing. You will find many of the illustrations from it in the Military Mountaineering Handbook and FM 3-97.61 Military Mountaineering. As always, remember: gravity is a constant!

Why Living Prepared Pays Off, by Brad in California

We live on the western slope of the Sierras about half way between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. We recently experienced the worst snow storm in the last thirty years, with snow depths in excess of 36″, massive, wide spread power outages, and closed roads. We had virtually no inconvenience because we have literally have lived being prepared for decades.

Our home is small, about 1,000+ square feet and we have an adjoining cabin of 525 sq/ft., which serves as my office. A few years ago I added an additional 12″ of insulation in the ceilings of both units, double glazed windows, and availed ourselves of the PG&E [California power utility company] energy saving policy which allowed us to seal and repair every air leak in both residences and receive a rebate from PG&E for being good, green citizens. In other words, PG&E paid us for doing some common sense thing we were already planning to do, even without the enticement of the rebate. (You gotta love this country!)

My wife is, after 31 years, used to my peculiarities. For example, I have been what is euphemistically called a “survivalist” since the age of 11. We never buy a home on a flood plain. We always check out the USGS maps located in the county planning offices to avoid buying on a known geologic fault line. I consider these things as basic as breathing, and wonder why everyone doesn’t take these simple trouble avoidance steps. Being a survivalist should be, literally, a part of your psychic makeup. It should be part of your very existence.

When we first moved up to the mountains to this property in 2000, we had two separate propane tanks, the larger one (170 gals) for the home, and the smaller one (90 gals) for the cabin. Both were located right next to the wall of the cabin in plain view, and were an eyesore.

The first thing I did was replace the two smaller tanks with one 500 gallon tank and relocate the tank closer to the road, and out of sight behind some trees inside our gate. This relocation not only concealed the tank from view, thus greatly improving the “curb appeal” of the home and cabin, but made it more accessible for propane deliveries. I make it a practice to never let this tank drop below 50% full, as even 250 gallons of propane will last us a few months in the winter.

Both the main house and the cabin have full kitchens and full baths. Both water heaters are propane, as are the stoves, the heaters, and even the dryer. Next I added a propane generator large enough to power the well, the fridges, some lights, the television and the Internet.

When this last storm shut down the entire area for days, literally nothing changed for us except we could not go anywhere until they finally managed to get the roads plowed. We have one four wheel drive vehicle with studded tires and chains for back up if needed, and when snow is in the forecast, we always park it facing out at the end of the driveway and near the road. I hate shoveling snow, and this keeps it to a minimum.

We have two dogs, and in our planning, we extended the decks so that there is ample covered dirt areas for them to do their business when they cannot get into the yard due to the snow depth. These areas are easily accessible from the main house without having to traverse snow of any depth. Because our dogs have short legs (Corgis) this allows them to live comfortably when many other pups are confined to the house. When you plan for emergencies, you have to plan for all your family members, two and four legged.

Of course we had ample food on hand for several months and when the crunch came, I got to enjoy some work free days because while I still had phones and internet, most of my clients did not.

The point is, by advance planning and living our normal lives from a survivalist viewpoint, we have the luxury of maintaining our normal lives even in the extreme situations such as we recently faced.

While I absolutely believe TEOTWAWKI is rapidly approaching, many crises we face between then and now will be somewhat less that TEOTWAWKI, but serious enough in their own right. Growing up on a ranch, my father taught all of us that almost any fool can survive in discomfort. It takes planning and skill to survive in comfort. Now in my sixties, my father’s advice still rules my life, and for this I am eternally grateful.

Letter Re: Bathing in a World Without Electricity

Good Morning;
My wife and I were once again looking at our list of to-do’s in our quest to prepare. I was looking at the list and noticed she wanted to find a wash tub that we could bathe in. Fortunately we live about one hundred feet from a year round creek and water will not be a issue. I started looking around  the house and my eyes fell on the woodstove and the 2.5 gallon water tank on the side. Now that water gets very warm obviously and I thought ok well that solves the hot water problem. Well, wait a minute. That is only 2.5 gallons out of about 10. Dang! I asked her why we couldn’t use the regular bathtub and she said “What if there is no water and it would be a lot of work to haul water back and forth”. Well that’s reasonable. So as I was taking a shower the next day I looked up and I got my one idea a year. I went out to the trailer that holds all my camping equipment. I grabbed our Solar Shower and filled it up and then placed it by the woodstove. It heated up within an hour to a temperature that was good for showers. I thought to myself that worked well. I then went into the attic space and reinforced the ceiling above the bathtub. I mounted a 4×4 post to the rafters and then placed a large eyehook into the 4×4. The eyehook extends down about 5 inches from the ceiling.  I placed the bag on the hook and it worked great. I bought three 2.5 gallon bag showers and then three 5 gallon bag showers. With those on hand, we will have no problem with bathing now.     Thanks, – David W.

JWR Replies: Solar shower bags are a very good suggestion. FWIW, when I spent some time in a small back-country hunting cabin that had spring-fed running water but that didn’t have hot water coils in the stove, I simply put every large pot and kettle on the stove and heated them to near a boil. Then I positioned a large wash bucket (aka “gut bucket”) next to the stove. I decided to use it right there rather than back in the bathroom, to minimize the distance that I would be carrying containers of scalding hot water. The air temperature was also more comfortable, close to the stove! By starting with a couple of gallons of cold water in the gut bucket and adding the hot water, I was able to achieve perfect bathtub temperature. A crouching position seemed to work best. (A 60 gallon galvanized stock tank would have been more comfortable, but I was “making do.”) After each bath, I used a 25-foot garden hose the siphon the water out the front door, and down hill a short distance. That way I didn’t have to bail out the tub and carry any buckets or pans.

Two Letters Re: Pomona Universal Pectin

Sir:
I asked my cousin to respond to the Pomona Universal Pectin article. She is the  production manager and head nutritionist at a commercial jam manufacture. Here is what she had to say: “Pomona Universal Pectin is a low methoxyl pectin.  This means that it will gel without the presence of sugar if a salt (monocalcium phosphate) is added at the critical time.  If the salt is added at the wrong time, the resulting products have an “applesauce” type consistency.  The biggest problem with this type of pectin is that it is inconsistent across different fruit and different degrees of ripeness of the fruit.  Since all fruit has natural pectins, those that have more natural pectins will set more firmly and be rubbery, while those with less pectin will be runny.  We use some low methoxyl pectin in our products, but we also add xanthan gum, locust bean gum (all natural, 100% fiber products) to our jam to alleviate these problems.”  Regards, – Robert E.

Jim:
First, I’ve used Pomona Universal Pectin for years. Great product. And it’s cheaper to buy in quantity, by mail.  It the last couple years the price went up  25+%.   Coming from Europe, I believe, it’s sometimes on backorder for weeks at the local coop, right when you need it, in the summer. To make sure it keeps indefinitely I put both parts [pectin and activator powder] in plastic bags, then in mason jars, and then removed the air [and more moisture] with my Vacu-saver. However, do plan on using much more fruit. Regular pectin jam with 7 cups of sugar to 4 cups berries is about 64% sugar. Pomona made jam with it’s maximum of 2 cups sugar to 4 cups berries, is 33% sugar.  Much better for you, but you’ll get about 1/2 the yield of regular jam. My experience is that jam consumed in about five months is fine with 1.5 cups of sugar; but if you plan on keeping some jars for 6 months or more, then 2 cups sugar keeps the flavor better.  Also the jam, with it’s lower sugar content, only keeps for about 3 weeks, once it’s opened;  Not months, like the store bought high sugar jams.  So if you live alone, or like to keep several kinds of jam opened all at the same time in the fridge, the pint jars may be too much. Have fun jamming. 

Don’t forget long sleeves and pants for protection with the boiling water, despite the heat. Make plenty.   It’s the perfect Christmas present for relatives and neighbors “who have everything”. – T.H.R.

Letter Re: Some Woodstove Experience

Mr. Rawles:
I would recommend that your readers get a copy of the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.  Many of the breads in the book use a high-quality, half-inch thick baking stone, much like the types used for pizza.  Also shown is a pizza peel. The book has many recipes using many types of grains to make  peasant loaves, rolls, baguettes, flatbreads and pizzas.   

Another suggestion from an outdoor cookbook is to use a large Dutch oven and put small stones or nails in the bottom, then set your baking pan on the stones, and then cover.  This way you create a more controlled heat for your baking pan.   

As for the pot holder issue, many online kitchen supply stores sell high heat gloves and mitts.  I believe Chef Depot has some mitts that will withstand 700 degrees.  Also at this time of year it is easy to find high heat gloves in the Barbeque section of most stores.    Hope this helps. – Yvonne

Economics and Investing:

Reader Scott M. sent us this: “No Way Out” of Debt Trap, Gross Says: U.S. Living Standards Doomed to Fall

Welfare State: Handouts Make Up One-Third of U.S. Wages. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.)

Will China’s ‘Have-Nots’ Be Next to Rebel?

Items from The Economatrix:

US Wants To Take Your Dollars And Replace With Coins

Financial Dismantling Of The American Middle Class  

Physical Silver is Really $50 Per Ounce  

People Of Earth:  Prepare For Economic Disaster  

Bank Stocks Push Indexes Higher; Oil Prices Dip  

Beyond Libya, Oil Market Warily Eyes Saudi Arabia

Odds ‘n Sods:

Another Self Reliance Expo is planned for April 8-9, 2011 National Western Events Complex, in Denver, Colorado. There will be a number of panel discussions and many exhibitors putting on product demonstrations. Topics will include aquaponics,canning and food dehydrating, ham radio, solar ovens, and much more. Admission is $9 at the door or you can get a 20% discount on tickets by registering online (click on the “Admission” tab.) Another Expo will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 7-8.

   o o o

Paul Farrell: The 2008 crash isn’t over, only covered up

   o o o

File under Z Division: ABC News reports: North Korea Nears Completion of Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb. (Thanks to Larry M. for the link.)

   o o o

After some temporary production problems, the WaterBob is again available! These make a great short term water supply for homeowners whenever there are power failures or other potential water supply disruptions expected.

   o o o

Jim B. sent this from New Scientist: The Internet is a Tyrant’s Friend. Jim B. notes: “I look at the Internet as neutral. We need to be aware that while the Internet can be a Freedom Fighter’s best friend, it can also be the Tyrant’s best friend as well.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“1. Human societies are problem-solving organizations.
2. Sociopolitical systems require energy for their maintenance.
3. Increased complexity carries with it increased costs per capita.
4. Investment in sociopolitical complexity as a problem-solving response reaches a point of declining marginal returns.” – Joseph Tainter, The Collapse of Complex Societies

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 33 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 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), 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 33 ends on March 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.

Some Woodstove Experience, by C.V.Z.

Being without electricity in the middle winter is cold. We didn’t have any heat during an ice storm. With that winter in mind, we finally purchased a wood stove for heat and cooking opportunities.

As the wife and mother, I had this horrible image of an old black pot bellied stove belching smoke and catching the roof on fire. I could hear the neighbors complaining about the smell and my kids going to school smelling like they had just burned down the house. Images of black walls and ceilings and truck loads of firewood haunted me with every winter wind. I finally relented after four years of planning and saving.

The first thing in purchasing and planning our wood stove was to check with our local city government to make sure there were no permits or codes that had to be met.
The second thing was many years of research on the internet and attending trade shows.
The third step was saving what money we could spare and finding a stove that would fit into our allotted room space and budget.
We finally purchased a stand alone Lopi cast iron wood stove.
This Lopi stove is 79% efficient, burning the smoke before it leaves the stove. Thus no complaining neighbors or smoke smell in our home. When loaded with wood it can burn up to eight hours and warm a 1000 square foot home. It is lined with firebricks and will hold heat after the wood has burned. We did purchase the optional electric fan, but the stove will warm up the house without the fan running.

For the mother in me, it does not smell up the house, it is clean burning, sealed, and with the clearances recommended by the manufacturer, and following the installation instructions, we hope it won’t burn down our house. (For my further comfort I made the men of our house pull all the insulation away from the chimney in the attic.)
For the wife in me, it is stylish and functional. It looks great in the corner. The stove is matte black with matte black accessories. It does have a glass window.
For new chimney installers I would recommend the double walled chimney. This allows you to set your stove closer to the wall and also gives the wife and mother a larger piece of mind.
We purchased our chimney with our stove and the owner of the business talked us through the entire installation. Each box of the chimney, and there were six, had its’ own instructions. The telescoping inside black pipe was the best and most expensive part of the chimney. This pipe allows you to place your stove in your room and not have to cut, fold or bend the inside pipe to the correct length. It telescopes up to a box collar on your ceiling and then the attic part attaches to that box. Or, you don’t have to be exactly precise when measuring how much inside pipe you need. The brand we purchased was Metal-Fab. The inside telescoping pipe is black and very stylish with the stove.
My son and husband were able to install the chimney and stove in one day.  They did have to find more sheet metal screws.
This stove does allow you to cook on the top.

Cooking on a Woodstove

After learning how to light and burn the wood in the stove, I decided it was time to learn how to cook on the stove. I was amazed at how small the top of the stove was compared to the look of the stove. My cast iron skillet was too big for any area on the top of stove. I had to purchase a smaller skillet and lid. You do want to use a lid as you don’t want any grease or food build up on your stove.

We found that purchasing a small, inexpensive, oven temperature gage helped in knowing when the stove was hot enough to cook on and with a cast iron skillet, we can start cooking around 200 degrees. It is very warm standing in front of the stove while cooking, but you must have a very hot fire to cook. I have cooked many meals on this stove for practice. This practice has led us to some new and different realities of food storage and preparation.

We have found that we use more oils, and starch foods such as potatoes, corn and beans. Having pre-canned cooked foods such a vegetables and meat shortens the cooking time. We will probably eat more popcorn than we are used to. Coffee should be started as soon as you start cooking a meal.  Smaller but deeper skillets and Dutch ovens work better and stay hot longer. Baking on the inside of the stove takes time and patience. Using breads with the least amount of moistures helps in complete baking. Cast iron cookware will burn off its season when left on the inside of the stove too long and cast iron is the only pan to use when cooking on the inside. Cast iron will also continue to cook after you pull it out of the stove.  Metal bread pans will warp and can get a burn hole in them. (Only experience on my part.) We can not use our canner on this stove. We have no way of heat control and not enough space. (Nor would I want a wood fire in our home in the summer.) We will be building an outdoor fire pit for summer cooking and canning.

After having a melt down in knowing we had wheat stored, had purchased a grain grinder and then not being able to make bread in the new stove, I finally found a way to bake. A Dutch oven with lid and low burning coals is the only way this stove will bake bread. If your Dutch oven is seasoned well, don’t grease the Dutch oven. Greasing the Dutch oven will cause the bread to burn on the outside of the bread.  Don’t expect a loaf of bread to come out of this kind of stove looking like it came out of an electric oven.

Things we would have done differently:
1. Saved more money and bought a larger stove, we need a larger cooking surface. Think about the kitchen stove you have now, four burners, you use the oven and the microwave when cooking a meal. Think about no electricity, you now have maybe two spots to cook with. A larger stove would have allowed us to have more room to cook, to use larger firewood and have a longer burn at night.
2. Installed the stove on an inside wall. Inside wall installation makes for better heating. You are not heating up an outside wall. We could have used less wall protection in the way of ceramic tile.
3. If money would have allowed, we would have bought a real wood cook stove and installed it in our kitchen with a water heater attached.
4. Built a higher platform for the stove so we don’t have to get on our knees to clean and load the stove.

Our stove was our most expensive prepraedness purchase. I am thankful that I have time to learn to cook and heat with this stove.  We have “survival night” once a week and only cook with this wood stove. It brings up a lot of different scenarios that we thought we had taken care of. We need another hand can opener. We also need a moveable table near the stove when cooking and much thicker potholders. We need more first-aid items for burns. We need to purchase more and longer metal spatulas and spoons. We also need to stock up more pre-cooked items when we home can during the summer and we need truckloads of firewood.

Letter Re: Lakeside Foods Outlet Store

Mr. Rawles;  

My family lives in southeast Minnesota.  We are fortunate to have a Lakeside Foods processing plant and distribution center nerby in Plainview , Minnesota.  Lakeside Foods is a private label food processor.  Its Plainview operation is quite diversified.

Their operation at Plainview has an interesting program for people looking to stock-up and save money on vegetables.  It has an outlet store that sells damaged cans of vegetables inexpensively.  These cans range in size from family size to one gallon.   For example, a case of 24 cans of corn, in family sized cans, sells for $6 and peas sells for $5.  Another example, a case of six, one gallon, cans of corn is $8 and peas $7.  We recently purchased 240 family-size cans of creamed corn, peas, French-styled beans, sweet corn, peas & carrots and mixed vegetables for $52.  

I have observed three types of damage to the cans.  These are 1) dents, 2) removed labeling and 3) surface rust.  Since my family began purchasing vegetables from Lakeview Foods, this damage has never resulted in spoiled food.  In my opinion, the canned vegetables are of the highest quality.  

Here are a few things customers need to know about this outlet store.  This outlet store is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM at the 900 Warehouse building.  It is a cash and carry operation.  Small bills seem to be appreciated.  Lakeside Foods will loan you a dolly.  The availability of vegetables varies.  The outlet store will temporarily close after March 17th and will open again in May.  

Lakeside Foods has 14 facilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  It is unclear to me if any of these operations have an outlet store, as well.  With My Regards, – Minnesota Bill

Letter Re: Pomona Universal Pectin

Mr. Rawles,

I recently discovered Pomonas Universal Pectin, for home canning. It stores indefinitely. It’s also very versatile: it makes regular, low-, or no-sugar jams, jellies, fruit spreads, gelatins, freezer jams, etc. (The other pectins I researched have about a 1-year shelf-life. It will work with sugar, artificial sugar, honey, stevia, or fruit juice as a sweetener. It will also gel things that don’t have any natural pectin, to make things like hot pepper jelly.

Their web site is PomonaPectin.com. It’s also available on Amazon. I’m not affiliated with them in any way. – Texas Sunflower

Odds ‘n Sods:

John R. sent this from Peter Schiff: A Little Understanding Goes a Long Way

Billionaire Carl Icahn returns $1.76 Billion to investors. The article begins: “On the eve of the bull market’s second anniversary, billionaire investor Carl Icahn had an unsettling message for his investors: Take your money back. Icahn told investors in his hedge funds that he didn’t want to be responsible to them for “another possible market crisis…” (Out thanks to “Air Force Dad” for sending the link.)

Kevin S. suggested this from over at Sovereign Man: The market is telling us that the dollar is finished

Items from The Economatrix:

More Record Prices In Gold, Silver And Oil Ahead  

Silver Outweighs Gold  

Inflation And The Value Of Gold Explained  

Gallup Reports Underemployment Surges to 19.9%, February “Jobs Situation Deteriorates” 

You Call This An Economic Recovery?