Two Letters Re: Investing in Nickels, in Quantity

Jim,

Thanks for the blog. I’m a huge fan, and your blog is literally a rock-solid anchor for me and my family during all this turmoil.

I took “Rick in Kentucky’s” claim that he could get $190 worth of nickels into an ammo can as a challenge. My ammo is flat green can has yellow paint on it which reads as follows: “200 CARTRIDGES, 7.62 MM, NATO 0 M80…” I took out a full can that I have where the coins are arranged laying down, dumped out the rolls, and started stacking vertically as described by Rick. It was quite a trick to insert the last one in the corner of the bottom row. But it works out! 4×12 x2 high x2 dollars each = $192 dollars and 45.9 pounds. Wow, I could easily see where there is even a slightly dented ammo box that it would be impossible.

One could get away with adding [loose] individual nickels to bump up the value, but certainly not to the $200 threshold, and of course, then the can’s contents would no longer be all rolled coins. – Jeff in Colorado Springs

 

Hi James,
Regarding the letter about fitting more nickels into a standard U.S. 30 Caliber ammunition can. One reader wrote that he could get $190 worth into a can.

I have been experimenting trying several stacking methods and I found one that I like the best.  I stack the nickel rolls vertically (on end, standing up) four to a row across the width of the ammo can.  (Think of like stacking one shotgun shell on top of another.) Each of the two layers takes 11 rows of 4 plus one odd row of 3.  That makes 47 rolls per layer equaling 94 rolls total.  I’ve tried everything to squeeze the last roll in on each layer but it just won’t go.  Interestingly, it makes it easier to pull the rolls out having one roll missing per layer.  This makes for $188 of coins per can.  I call this method “the standing shotgun shell technique” of coin roll stacking/packing, LOL.

What I like about this system is that when you open the can, you are able to immediately see what’s in the can; that there are 4 standing rolls across, and 11 columns of 4 plus one odd column of 3. It’s great, because at a glance I can tell how many are in the can and it’s very easy to count.  Using the other method, it’s a lot like guess work, particularly if any bottom layer has odd numbers by not stacking directly one on top of another..  It’s also very easy to pull a roll straight up and out.

I tried prying that last coin roll in to each layer and couldn’t do it, but I’ll happily settle with 94 rolls per can equaling $188.  It amazes me how versatile the ammo can is, and what a great idea it is to use these containers. Thanks for all your good work. – M.

JWR Replies: Thanks for doing that experimentation, folks.

Economics and Investing:

Loyal reader “OSOM” (“Out of Sight, Out of Mind”) pointed us to an eloquent piece by Bill Bonner (of The Daily Reckoning) titled: “Where to Be When Black Swans Appear” OSOM’s comment: “This is a great introductory article for those folks who don’t yet read SurvivalBlog.”

Daniel H. flagged this evidence of flight from the U.S. Dollar: China sells $34.2bn of US treasury bonds.

Jon R. mentioned this at The Daily Reckoning: The Food Crisis is a Dollar Crisis

The latest FDIC Friday Follies: Regulators shut two small banks in Georgia; makes 20 US bank failures this year. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Rising Wholesale Prices Spur Inflation Concerns  

How To Fake An Economic Recovery  

UK: Shock Rise in Unemployment as Workers Hit by Wage Cuts 

Oil Rises to $104 Amid Middle East Tensions  

China Rice Laced with Heavy Metals

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Lynn G. sent a link to a web page on nuclear EMP.

   o o o

Attention SurvivalBlog readers in Colorado: Reader James A. just alerted me that Classic Mustangs in Denver, Colorado recently bought 100 U.S. Army surplus CUCV diesel pickups and Blazers at auction. (I assume these came from Fort Carson, Colorado.) They are offering them either semi-restored (with custom paint jobs and engine block heaters) or essentially “as-is” with their original CARC paint..

   o o o

John B. sent this: NRA-ILA :: Senator Grassley Presses BATFE On Project Gunrunner

   o o o

Reader Pierre M. spotted this: Jeffrey on Socialism’s Trajectory: Obama’s HHS is Bigger than LBJ’s Government

   o o o

Attention SurvivalBlog readers in the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington region: Razor wire at a bargain price.

Note from JWR:

Today we present an article by Dr. Cynthia J. Koelker. Regular SurvivalBlog readers will recognize her as a frequent contributor to SurvivalBlog and the editor of ArmageddonMedicine.net. She was also just named SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor.

Seven Antibiotics to Stockpile and Why, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Assuming your personal physician will help you stockpile antibiotics for TEOTWAWKI, which should you request?  Is there a logical reason to have amoxicillin on hand rather than doxycycline? 

Here’s what I would suggest and why.
No antibiotic is effective against every type of microbe.  Certain ones will kill aerobic bacteria, others are used for anaerobic bacteria, still others are effective against resistant strains, and certain people are allergic to or intolerant of various antibiotics.  The following are all generics, running about $10 for about a month’s treatment.

  •  Amoxicillin is the old standby for most respiratory infections (probably most of which are viral and don’t even require antibiotics).  It is excellent for strep throat and some strains of pneumococcal bacteria.  It is also safe for children and pregnant women.  It is well-tolerated, causing little stomach distress or diarrhea.  The drawbacks are that some people are truly allergic, and many bacteria have developed resistance to amoxicillin (especially staph) through overuse among both humans and animals.  Anyone truly allergic to amoxicillin should substitute erythromycin or another antibiotic. 
  • Cephalexin works on most of the same bacteria as amoxicillin, plus is stronger against Staph aureus, which mostly causes skin infections.  It rarely works against MRSA (resistant staph), however.  It is also well-tolerated in children and is safe in pregnant women, causing few side-effects.  Like any antibiotic, it carries the risk of allergy.  People who develop anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergy) with amoxicillin probably should not take cephalexin, as there is a good 10% cross-reactivity between the two.  If I had to choose between stockpiling amoxicillin or cephalexin, I would choose cephalexin.  The combination drug, amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin), is as strong against staph, but more expensive and harder on the stomach.
  • Ciprofloxacin is useful for anthrax (which I’ve never seen), urinary tract and prostate infections (which are very common), and many forms of pneumonia and bronchitis.  One of the more important and selective uses of ciprofloxacin is in combination with metronidazole for diverticulitis.  This potentially life-threatening infection usually (or at least often) requires two antibiotics to resolve.  (Levaquin and Avelox are a bit stronger than ciprofloxacin and could be substituted for this, but are much more expensive.) Ciprofloxacin is not used in women or children unless the benefit clearly outweighs the risk, although the risk of joint damage (seen in animals) appears minimal.  Taking ciprofloxacin by mouth is nearly as effective as taking by IV.
  • Doxycycline is useful in penicillin/amoxicillin-allergic adults for respiratory infections and some urinary/prostate infections.  It is avoided in children and pregnant women unless the benefit clearly outweighs the risk (of permanent tooth discoloration in children under the age of 8).  Doxycycline is sometimes effective against penicillin-resistant bacteria.  If I were limited to either doxycycline or erythromycin, I would choose erythromycin for stockpile.
  • Erythromycin is useful for most of the same infections amoxicillin is used for, and thus can be substituted in penicillin-allergic patients.  However, erythromycin tends to cause the intestine to contract, often causing cramps or diarrhea.  (This property is sometimes used to help patients with conditions that impair intestinal motility.)  It can be safely used in children and pregnant women. 
  • Metronidazole is an unusual antibiotic used for very specific infections.  It is aimed primarily at anaerobic bacteria, primarily those found in the intestine.  It is also used for certain STDs, including trichomonas.  As mentioned above, it is very useful in combination with ciprofloxacin (or SMZ-TMP, below) for diverticulitis.  It is the only inexpensive antibiotic effective for Clostridium difficile (c. diff, or antibiotic-related) colitis.  It is also effective against certain amoeba.  This drug is not used in children unless the benefit clearly outweighs the risk.
  • SMZ-TMP is a combination drug of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim.  The latter antibiotic is used mainly for urinary infections.  The sulfa component is effective against many respiratory bacteria and most urinary pathogens, although ciprofloxacin is somewhat stronger.  The main reason to stockpile SMZ-TMP is due to its effectiveness against resistant staph (MRSA). 

Of course, only the most understanding fellow-prepper physician is likely to prescribe all these in quantity.  The list can be narrowed a bit, by dropping doxycycline (since erythromycin covers most microbes that doxycycline would kill, and can be used in young children) and amoxicillin (because cephalexin covers most amoxicillin-sensitive bacteria and has the benefit of effectiveness against staph aureus). 

My top five antibiotics would therefore be:

  • Cephalexin
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Erythromycin
  • Metronidazole
  • SMZ-TMP

Of these, SMZ-TMP and ciprofloxacin have the most duplicate coverage, as do cephalexin and erythromycin. Since the intolerance of erythromycin is much higher than is allergy to cephalexin, I would favor cephalexin.  Ciprofloxacin is stronger for intra-abdominal infections than SMZ-TMP, and is less likely to develop resistance.  Although its use in children is a bit of a concern due to the question of joint pain (although this is rare), I would favor ciprofloxacin over than SMZ-TMP, even though SMZ-TMP is effective against MRSA.  However, when the use of antibiotics is severely curtailed, antibiotic resistance will also decrease, and therefore MRSA will become less of a concern.

Therefore, my top three antibiotics to stockpile would be:

  • Cephalexin
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Metronidazole

Using these three alone or in combination would cover around 90% of the infections physicians commonly encounter, as well as several less-likely threats (including anthrax and C. diff).

About The Author: Cynthia J. Koelker, MD, SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor is the author of the book 101 Ways to Save Money on Health Care, which explains how to treat over 30 common medical conditions economically, and includes dozens of sections on treating yourself.  She also hosts the popular medical prepping blog at www.ArmageddonMedicine.net.

Letter Re: Food, Nickels, Silver and Gold

Mr. Rawles:  
Like the ridiculous commercials touting Internet stock trading in the recent past, today the sheeple are treated to commercials extolling the wisdom of investing in gold, all the while the economic world is apparently heading for a meltdown of epic proportion.  As an ardent fan of your novel “Patriots” and a daily reader of your site, I must question the wisdom of investing in either physical gold or rolls of nickels as one will not be able to eat either. And frankly, if someone appears at most doorsteps offering either as payment for goods or services after the proverbial SHTF, I would believe said traveler would more than likely walk away disappointed and still hungry.  I believe in the wisdom of investing in tangible goods that can be used in some form or fashion along the lines of food, ammo, etc.  How many folks even know what they are looking at when presented with shiny, gold jewelry as an item of barter?  Let’s face it, the average person has little or no knowledge or means to determine the value of shiny baubles and coinage while true tangibles can quickly be assigned value in today’s world and tomorrow’s.  Furthermore, I must admit the amusement of picturing said travelers hauling ammo cans full of nickels around while wondering what it was they left behind which could have helped put a little food in their bellies either thru trade or application. Respectfully, – Jon in New York

JWR Replies: You are mixing two concepts: survival preparedness and investing. For more than 10 years I have warned people that they need to get their “Beans, bullets, and Band-Aids” squared away before ever thinking about doing any hedging with metals.  Food comes first!

I’m also on record as stating that common caliber ammunition will be a better barter item than silver coins in the event of a severe crisis.  You can’t eat precious metals, but ammunition will be recognizable and sought after because it can both help provide self defense and be used for hunting. Furthermore, I’m a strong advocate of investing extra funds in silver rather than gold. Just read the “For an Ounce of Gold” chapter of my novel “Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse”.  I first drafted that chapter in 1990. My position hasn’t changed appreciably since then. Here is a brief except:

Next, Kevin reported on his transactions.  “I got an entire buffalo hide in really good shape for 10 rounds of .30-06.  I figure that it’ll help keep us warm up at the LP/OP next winter.  Another guy traded me a small Bearcat scanner–one of the portable ones the size of a walkie talkie–for 20 rounds of .45 ACP.  It runs off of batteries, and we have plenty of ni-cads, so I thought, ‘why not?’  Not many people have any source of power nowadays.  I figure that’s the only reason the guy was willing to sell it so cheap.  I also got a pair of Belgian white rabbits–a buck and a doe, for 25 rounds of .22 long rifle.  My mother would be proud.  She’d say that I got ‘Such a deal!’  The cage for the rabbits cost a lot more, though.  For it, I had to give up a whole 50 rounds of .22 and three pre-’65 silver quarters.  I think it’s amazing what a few silver dimes or quarters will buy.” 

After a pause, Kevin said, “I feel sorry for all those people I knew who bought one ounce gold coins as a ‘survival hedge.’  I can see now that a full ounce gold coin is too compact a form of currency, and it isn’t easily divisible.  I suppose that people who bought the gold coins minted in the one tenth of an ounce weights are more fortunate.  What would a full ounce of gold buy?  That Corvette that we saw advertised?  A half a dozen cows?  Maybe.  It certainly wouldn’t do much good for someone trying to buy day-to-day necessities.  It’s pretty apparent that our stock of .22-rimfire ammo is a lot more useful as a store of value and as a means of exchange.”  [End quote]

For those that already have their survival preparations squared away, some hedging with metals is indeed appropriate.  The alternative is to watch our savings consumed by currency inflation. We cannot store our net worth in the form of food. Unless the economy is totally destroyed and doesn’t come back within a generation, then metals will have utility. But again, it will be silver, not gold that will be better for barter. The chances of a total, multi-generational “wipe out” are microscopically small. That is just about the only situation where metals investing would be folly.

On a related note, SurvivalBlog’s poet laureate “George Gordon” just forwarded me some commentary by Gary Gibson posted over at Whiskey and Gunpowder that echoes what I’ve been recommending for three years: Gold, Silver, Copper, Nickel and the Slow Death of Money. And today I noticed this new article: Today’s Best Investment…Rhymes With Pickles. So it it is clear that I’m no longer a lonely voice in the wilderness that recommends socking away some Nickels as a hedge on inflation. Wake up, folks! Nickels are already worth 145.35% of their face value. I can’t think of many other investments with that sort of assured gain, starting on Day One.

The mass inflation that I expect in the next few years will quickly destroy the purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar, and will quickly propel the value of Nickels to thrice their face value, and beyond. In essence, when paper money starts to become worthless, then even base metals will be seen like precious metals. The alternative is holding paper currency that is not even suitable for toilet paper, because it is unsanitary. At least for as long as you can continue to obtain Nickels at face value, they are a good investment. That is abundantly clear.

Letter Re: Gauging Government Over-Spending

Dear Mr. Rawles,

Thank you for your hard work on the blog. I did some thinking and research today concerning the Federal budget and want to share what I found with you.

How much does the Federal government spend and how do we put this into context? There are several ways to look at this data. First, one can compare the dollars spent today versus those spent in 1962. Using the data from supportingevidence.com, I found: The government spent $106,821,000,000.00 in 1962 (106 billion dollars) according to http://federal-budget.findthebest.com/detail/64/1962. However, adjusted for inflation this would be about 700 billion dollars. The government spent $3,552,000,000,000.00 (3.553 trillion) dollars in 2010. This is 33.25 times larger, accounting for inflation. One might ask, are things 33.5 times better now than in 1962? Are we getting more or less for our money? Is health better? Are we more secure? Are we happier? Are we closer to God?

Still, there are several differences between 1962 and 2010 that we need to take into account. First, the population is bigger and second the GDP is bigger. Accounting for population, in 1962 the government spent about $3,800 per person, adjusted for inflation while in 2010 that same figure was $10,250.00. One could argue that there should have been a savings of scale. Things should be less expensive buying in bulk. We don’t need more warheads, for example to protect the population but we do need more roads. Unfortunately there is not a savings of scale regarding retirement benefits (as in Social Security). Anyway, the government is spending 2.7 times more per person now than in 1962. This is somewhat better but still begs the questions of whether we are 2.7 times better off now and whether we needed to spend $3,800 inflation-adjusted dollars per person even back in 1962.

Finally, we can look at the budget compared with GDP. In 1962 the Federal Budget was roughly 18% of the GDP whereas in 2010 the budget is fully 25% of GDP. Projections are that it will again fall to about 22% of GDP but that assumes lower spending, increased productivity or both. A major assumption is that the size of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will shrink as the “Baby Boomers” die. We are currently seeing a major argument in Congress concerning the size of the budget and what gets cut and what doesn’t. It is clear that any way you look at it, pure dollars, inflation-adjusted dollars, dollars per citizen or size of the budget as a percentage of the money we make, that there has been a gargantuan growth in the budget. Some of this is inevitable because of the aging, retirement and health care costs of a disproportionately large segment of the population, but I would still maintain that there is a huge part of this spending that has gone to

1. Services that we don’t need

2. Complete waste

3. Inefficiency and bureaucracy

4. Services that should not be part of a Federal Budget

As for myself, I plan to:

1. Advocate for cuts on the local, state and federal levels that I personally see as meaningful and appropriate and ethical

2. Re-evaluate my own personal budget to look at my own expenditures and income to see if it is consistent with my ethical and practical values

3. Keep in mind that simply making more money, or spending less, or even preparing for TEOTWAWKI won’t necessarily make me or my family happier, wiser or closer to God.

And to that end I need to work more directly on those aspects. – Mr. Bennington in Pittsburgh

Economics and Investing:

Brett G. sent this: John Hussman: Stocks Too Expensive, Correction Due

Frequent content contributor John R. recommended this analysis by Monty Pelerin: Faking Our Way to Sovereign Bankruptcy

Karl Denninger reports on the collapse of the MERS house of cards: MERS Caves

Items from The Economatrix:

Dim View of Housing Market Weighs on Economy

A Tipping Point is Nearing

Oil Prices Fall on Economy, Supply Concerns  

Bartering, Inflation & Growing A Garden

Inflation Watch:

The latest from Gonzalo Lira: Ballsy or Crazy? Where are We on Inflation and Hyperinflation. (Be forewarned that Mr. Lira uses some crude language.)

Reader Brett G. sent us a snippet from an e-mail that he received from a friend who lives in Alaska: “[Rapid price inflation is] really happening up here [in Alaska], overnight: $3.91 [per gallon] for gas $4.89 [per pound] for butter and that was with it ‘on sale’. Milk is $3.89 [per gallon]. It had been $2.99 [per gallon] until this week. Plant seeds! Get ready. Tomatoes will be $7.75 per pound soon, but people just aren’t listening. They will be so un-prepared…”

Stacy C. sent us a television news piece on unprecedented food price escalation.

World Bank:  Food Prices at “Dangerous Levels”   

Brett G. highlighted this piece: UK Inflation Surges to 4%, Highest Since Nov. 2008

UK:  Official Statistics Hide True Increase in Cost of Living  

Can the U.S. Sidestep Growing Global Inflation?

Consumer Prices in U.S. Climb More Than Forecast

Odds ‘n Sods:

I’m scheduled for a one hour interview on EMPact Radio on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. Please feel free to call in to the show if you have any preparedness questions that would be of interest to the majority of listeners. If you miss hearing the show, it will be available post facto as a downloadable podcast.

   o o o

Reader Troy H. mentioned a fascinating Wikipedia page that is presented in tabular form: List of countries by real population density (based on food growing capacity). That table is food for thought for anyone that is considering emigrating. Notice how far down the list that the U.S., Canada, and Australia are positioned. OBTW, I should mention that the Wikipedia table doesn’t give sufficient credit to some of the less populous island nations, to reflect the food value of their offshore fisheries, bird rookeries, feral pig herds, and the tropical fruit trees scattered on ostensibly “non-arable” land.

   o o o

Huge solar flare jams radio, satellite signals: NASA. (Any readers that live in a rural region without light pollution and north of 47 degree latitude should be on the watch for aurora borealis displays for the next few nights. And perhaps shortwave listeners may finally get some decent propagation, as the ionosphere emerges from many years in the doldrums. Thanks to Gary U. who was the first of several readers to send the link.)

   o o o

CampingSurvival.com has added the Wise Food Storage Packets to their inventory. These are nitrogen packed and have a 25 year shelf life and are efficiently packed in rectangular 5 gallon buckets that can be stacked. These foods are offered in increments from 56 servings up to 4,320 servings, with competitive pricing.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The people don’t like to be conquered, sir, and so they will not be. Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars. You will find that is so, sir.” – John Steinbeck, The Moon Is Down

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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 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.

Preparedness on a Tight Budget, by Mrs. R.J. in Arkansas

I have read many of the stories on survival blog but have yet to read a one from someone on a very tight budget. That leaves those of us with tiny incomes at a disadvantage and feeling vulnerable. For about two years I have had a small voice inside me telling me to fill my storehouses with food for the coming famine. As a Christian and minister I believe that voice is God and He wants His people to be ready. Although Many Christians think we are crazy and don’t believe they should have to worry about storing foods for times of famine because they are sure God will provide for them. One pastor told me that God wasn’t telling her to prepare so someone else must be going to prepare their food for them. I pray she is right but felt God had me pass on the information to her.

My husband and I are both disabled and live on a modest $20,000 a year. Late last year we moved out of our double-wide mobile home and let one of our sons take over the payments and move in. We moved to the other end of the two acre property to care for my husband’s parents who both have COPD. He does all the driving to get them to their many appointments as well as takes care of their home and property. We live in a 16×20 shop building that we are slowly turning into a cottage. We have put in a bathroom with sink and toilet but need a little more room to put in the tub and shower. We are planning a tiny kitchen this spring and a built-in porch for extra storage. We gave away most of everything we had to make this move. Now we understand more of why we felt so strong about getting out from under the payments of the double wide.

When we lived in the mobile home we had nothing left for food or groceries each month. We were lucky to be able to buy our meds. Of course we are still spending a lot each month on things for the cottage and still have to watch our pennies. The crazy thing is that we did have chickens, goats and pigs to breed and sell. Unfortunately my husband got sick with an intestinal parasite that was eating away at his insides. The health department told us that most people don’t realize they have this until it is too late and they die. We traded our animals for an RV that is worth three times more than the animals were. We are planning to add some chickens this spring though. We had more animals than we could afford to feed through the winter before. We know to be careful to not let that happen again.

We started working on the existing root cellar when we had a couple of warm days. It is small and very wet with a sheet metal door that wouldn’t hold up to a big storm if we needed it to. We cleared the cement roof and plan to seal it and the build a shed on top of it for extra storage. We plan to use as much used materials as we can to keep costs down. We have to clean out all the old jars of food with rusty tops and clean, dry and seal the inside to get it ready for new shelving and stored home canned food from the garden as well as from the grocery and club store.  Once we finish that, we are planning to find someone to dig out a new storm shelter beside it. We are sure there is a neighbor that will charge a minimal fee to dig it for us. We also have one that plows our garden at no charge.

We plan to have the new shelter dug much deeper and as large as we can get away with in the place it is. After much research into earth bag building and other inexpensive types of building materials, we settled on cinder block walls with double thickness and with plenty of inside walls to help hold up a foot of concrete of roof on top of it. After our research, we found that the price of the cinder blocks was much more affordable than any of the other materials we looked at. We will seal up the concrete walls, floor, and roof to help keep it dry and tight inside. Before we back fill all the dirt on top and around our new constructed cellar, we will place thick plastic around the walls and roof as an extra moisture barrier. We are looking at the possibility of building an underground home here instead of just a shelter from the storms. With the heat waves we had last summer, we feel that it will be much easier to keep cool than the above ground cottage we are in now.

We will make two ways to enter and leave the new cellar, with both of them hidden to keep us safer in times of social upheaval since we live just outside the city limits. Inside the new shelter we will build plenty of bunks for the family that will join us when the time is at hand. None of which is very far away. In each bunk we will place egg crate mattress toppers with bedding sealed in space bags until they are needed. The bathroom will have a shower and at least two porta potties for back-up. We already have one. We hope to actually put in a septic system below the bathroom so we can use RV toilets when we can afford to add them. We plan to make a kitchen area as well as a living area and large pantry. We will also add a battery room for when we can add solar power. In this room we hope to have a place for freezers and a fridge that will run off of a low circuit. Not sure yet if this is possible. [JWR Adds: See the SurvivalBlog archives–search on “phototvoltaic” for details.] We did find some affordable solar power kits on Amazon.com. This was awesome news for us get before we even start the building.

Our large pantry will house plenty of food as well as medicine and wipes for washing up. We will also stock up on plenty of seeds for replanting the garden as soon as it is feasible. Although we would sell this place when his parents are gone and find a retreat that is more secluded, we feel that getting started now is very important. If we sell later, it will be worth more money that will help pay for what is needed for the new location. We never know how much time we will have to rebuild if we sell out. We don’t want to be caught without a place to keep us from harms way if the worst case scenario should actually happen.  We plan to do a lot of fishing this year so we can have lots of fish in the freezer. We are working on a couple ways of double sealing frozen products to keep them from getting freezer burnt and make them last longer.

We are planning to check out our locale army surplus store and see what is available to add to our preparedness. We have no guns or ammo as yet, and don’t know when or how we can add the grinders, expensive water filters or the solar power we will need. We do have a large construction grade gas generator that has come in handy when the power was down for an ice storm in 2009. We were prepared to use it again this year but so far haven’t needed it. We do have our eyes on a propane generator but the price is so far out of our reach. We at least can put in the wiring for solar electricity while we are building. I would love to have the plans to build the stationary bike charger though. If anyone wants to send them along to the blog for all who want to use it. We like having something to look at as we read plans for putting something together though. If there are any resources out there, please let us know.

We have already started on the food storage and will need to find a cool dry place for the five gallon buckets to be stored soon. We are also considering a couple other places on the property to place small cement block dry storage areas for extra food storage. We want to add some how-to books to our library on home canning, animal husbandry, storing food and water safely, and anything else we feel will be useful in any situation when we need to supply our own food completely, in the event that we can’t buy it. We are interested in special growing lights and are thinking about putting in an extra room for this.  

In a pinch, we can sell the motor home and some gold jewelry for the more expensive things we need. We are hoping to have some extra veggies to sell this year as well for a little extra cash. We are also looking into buying some produce and reselling at a fair market value for extra cash and to help others who can’t afford grocery store prices with inflation. Thanks to the person who wrote about buying from produce sources and reselling, we feel this will be a big help to us and any customers we can bring in.

In preparation for the coming hard times, we are also losing weight and doing what we can to eat healthier so we can be more physically fit. We have made some very important lifestyle changes in the last few months and have endured some jabs from family members about living in a shed and such. If they only knew what was coming!  After talking with our sons here and there, we have actually seen that they are more receptive because of the changes in the weather affecting our food supply. My mother has been ready for this for some time. People who watch the news and see what is actually going on the world can see that change is coming. Even if all that is ever affected is the weather going crazy and affecting our food supply, then at least we will be ready for that. However, this is not all that I expect to see happen in our very near future.

Another thing I find that is relevant to this blog and feel that your subscribers would want to know, is that many of the Christians we know have had visions and dreams of the coming famine and destruction of our country. I have not met one that can put a time on this happening, but believe we can look at God’s word as guidance to help us get prepared for what is coming, no matter when it arrives. My own visions have been of devastating destruction throughout the United States. Famine and sickness abound in those that survive. Many Christians don’t understand the need for being prepared since they plan to be “raptured” or taken care of by God Himself. If you are a Christian and are reading this, I pray you will see this as a warning from God to be prepared before it is too late and food is too high to afford, or it is completely removed from our grasp. It is important to trust that God will help you in your time of need, but you also need to be listening when He is speaking to you–even if He is speaking through someone else. Pray about what your hearing or seeing instead of letting religion keep you from being prepared for the famine that is coming our way very soon. We can all see clearly the signs of the times and know in our hearts that something big is coming our way. Be ready.

Survival is bred into many of us, but at the same time, others have to learn it. My husband and I grew up working in the family gardens and raising chickens and other stock. We have a leg up compared to some. Of course we are looking forward to learning to can food from the garden this year as well as learn to safely dry foods and pack them in a way they will stay fresh for at least a year’s time. We also are planning to work on water tanks that will be just under the surface to collect rainwater which will have pipes that run down to the bathroom and kitchen as needed. We will also look into different methods of filtering the water to make it drinkable and usable for cooking.

As yet we haven’t planned to put any gas tanks underground but are trying to at least keep our tank filled in case there is a shortage sooner that we expect. We get great gas mileage in our older car and will pay it off this year and that will give us a couple hundred dollars extra each month to work with. We will be ready for TEOTWAWKI no matter when it comes. I pray others begin to open their eyes to what is happening around the world and how it will affect us. In doing so, they will then see the need to have extra food on hand for those times when the store shelves are empty and no food can be bought. I pray they also see the same need for water storage as well as medicines and other necessities.

Letter Re: Getting Family Members On Board With Preparedness

Jim,
I’m looking to try and wake up some of my family members and have an idea, but may need a little help to execute.  My issue is one of gaining someone’s attention without turning them off. 

With several of my friends and family members I was able to buy them a copy of “Patriots” and their frame of mind was one that was open to jumping in.  I know several others, my brother chief among them, that, were I to give him an entire book, it would be overload and I’d lose him.  Obviously I’ve spoken with him, as far as I was able to push without pushing him away, but I feel I need something else.

I’ve seen some authors make the initial chapter of their book available and I’m wondering if you have done, or would be willing to do, this.  The opening of “Patriots”, especially given the current economic reality, it extremely compelling and I think would make an excellent hook.  It would be small enough so as not to intimidate, but I can easily see someone reading it and saying “what happens now?”

Anyway, I understand if that’s not something you’re open to, but I thought I’d check.

Thank you for all that you do! – Steven F.