Economics and Investing:

For the Horrible Irony Department: White House Warns Failure to Raise Debt Ceiling Would Mean Economic ‘Crisis’. (Thanks to Chad S. for the link.)

John R. sent us this: Never Forget the Fed Caused the Economic Downturn     

Also from John: Bernanke Only Adds Fuel to the Fire with Quantitative Easing  

Albert Edwards: China is a “Freak Economy” and it Will Crash, and Take Down the Rest of the World. (Our thanks to Siggy for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Commodities Beat Financials Making Silver Top Pick  

Credit Card Withdrawal-Banks Pull Plug on Consumer Revolving Debt  

Economy Ends 2010 with Sigh of Relief  

Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers E.D.M. and Jonathan R. suggested Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre’s extraordinary photographs documenting the dramatic decline of a major American city: Detroit in Ruins. These scenes look like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie like The Book of Eli. I think that Detroit has had a few too many mayors like Louis Miriani, Coleman Young, and Kwame Kilpatrick. It is no wonder that Paul Verhoven chose Detroit for the locale in his movie Robocop.

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One week after the blizzard: The “Big Apple” Looks Like The “Big Dumpster”. So how would sanitation be in New York after three months without garbage collection? (Thanks to Mrs. M. for the link.)

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Tam over at the View From The Porch blog recommended this piece about Ciudad de Juarez: Death of a City.

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More strange news from Arkansas: First it was 2,000 dead birds. Now its 100,000 dead fish. Must be some new kind of Arkancide…

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The folks at Ready Made Resources have just updated their search and shopping cart features at their web site. Their broad line of stoarge foods and preparedness products are now much easier to find with the improved search box. Check it out.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Ben Bernanke made a fatal error by launching QE2 too early, with an incoherent justification, by dribs and drabs for fine-tuning purposes. The QE card cannot easily be played a third time. If he now tries to print money on a nuclear scale to crush all resistance and hold down Treasury yields, he risks exhausting Chinese patience and invites the wrath the Tea Party Congress.” – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Notes from JWR:

The new year is a reminder to make tax deductible donations. One charity that I highly recommend is the Anchor of Hope Orphanage and Mission School in Zambia. This is the charity that my late wife (“The Memsahib”) designated for her Memorial Fund. This is a very deserving charity, so please give generously! Please mention the Linda Rawles Memorial Fund when you contact them.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 32 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 $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 “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, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.

No Matter Where You Live, The Most Important Thing Is, by E-Grandma

America, Australia, Europe or Antarctica. No Matter Where You Live, The Most Important Thing Is…

Water?  Food?  Firearms?  A good Bug-out Location, or reliable vehicle to get to it?  There are probably as many answers to the important question of  what the most important thing to have in a survival situation as there are those who would call themselves Survivalists.  Go to any internet board which purports to be survivalist-related, and you will see many conversations telling the new and scared Survivalist- wannabe what they need to have in order to make it past the pole shift, the imminent crash of earth by Planet X, or the end of the world according to an ancient calendar.  You  have probably  heard people argue vehemently that they have the correct answer, and of course it is the answer they have come up with, one they think will provide them the security they seek. 

Why not look at some of the things we have heard touted as the most important thing any self-respecting Survivalist must have in order to survive, one by one?

According to the Webster’s Dictionary which I have sitting on my desk, water is the substance H2O, a clear, thin liquid, lacking taste or smell, and essential for life. If it is essential, it makes sense that some would think it is the most essential, right?  Most sources indicate that without water a person could exist for a few days, but that the human body starts to exhibit distress within hours of starting to dehydrate, especially in less than ideal situations such as a natural disaster.  Dehydration is insidious, and most people do not even realize they are suffering from it.  A source of  clean, reliable water would seem to be the most important thing, but let us move on.

Food by its very nature is something very close to most of our hearts.  Culture, religious beliefs, locale or even personal quirks give us a background of biases regarding what may be acceptable to eat, and sometimes even what to grow or harvest; someone in a small, remote agrarian society might view with disgust something a person in America would find a delicacy.  So, knowing that what we call food is not the same thing the world over, can we at least agree that food is a necessity to survive?  It seems not; there are countless anecdotal stories of people surviving extremely long periods of time without ingesting any food. So if the most important is not food or water, could it be something else?

A safe, defensible place to dig in our heels ( that which Survivalists sometimes refer to as their Bug-out Location, or BoL) should be an important part of the plans (and perhaps one of the first to be thought of) most who would think of themselves as Survivors should face.  Long term survival requires pre-emptive planning.  One of the first things settlers to the New World did was to plant trees, especially fruit trees, even when they knew it would be many, many years before they bore fruit.  Many Survivalists count the trees they grow as one of the best investments of their time and money.  Digging a well which can provide safe, reliable water and tilling and planting a garden are also things which many of us think of when we want to prioritize and make our bug-out location one where we can foresee spending what could turn out to be a very long time, perhaps even the rest of our lives.  It could be said that, like every good  real estate agent knows, location, location, location is the most important consideration for a Survivor to consider.  But is it?

What if a person has a location which he thinks is safe from predators, both human and animal, has plenty of clean, safe water and the means to procure more, can plant a prolific garden, is near forests which can provide his meat, and a cellar of foodstuffs enough to last through any impending apocalypse?  Is it the most important possession of a Survivalist?  Doesn’t he have to be able to protect his family and castle from possible encroachment?

Perhaps his arsenal is the most important thing a true Survivalist can possess.  Without the means to keep his water, food and home from marauding pirates, wild animals bent on finding their own supply of food or zombies out for their own type of destruction, a person will lose everything he has accumulated, perhaps even his family.    Everything he holds dear can be taken if a Survivalist can not defend what is his.  In the U.S., it is an inalienable right to be able to do so.  In other countries being able to defend one’s turf can also be paramount to being able to survive.  Having adequate firepower may mean the difference between having enough to survive and starving (or worse).  Is it the most important thing someone waiting for The End Of The World As We Know It can have?

It has been said skills might be the most important thing anyone can have.  Someone who knows how to farm will surely have an easier time of it if, or when, his life depends on being able to grow food.  A man who has the skill to hunt reliably has a much better chance of his family and small community not going hungry.  A doctor or midwife, or even a knowledge of basic medical needs could mean the difference between his family staying healthy or not in the long run.

Water, food, a good bug-out location, and the ability to keep from having them taken away have been mentioned as important and vital things, items we would all do well to gather and constantly improve upon, as are valuable skills.  All of these are important, but not what would be considered the most important in the life of a Survivalist.

So what is it that is arguably the most important thing a person can possess to ensure a healthy survival for himself and those he loves?  What is the one thing that makes the difference?

Charles Swindoll has said  “ The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.   Attitude, to me, is more important than facts…it is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.  It will make or break a company…a home.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have,  and that is our attitude…life is 10% what happens…and 90% how I react to it.” 

There are countless stories about how one man will overcome a seemingly almost insurmountable obstacle, while another will crumble in front of the face of what some would call a trifle.  Is the difference that one man is stronger, more knowledgeable, more gifted, than the other?  Definitely not!  The difference is attitude- that indefinable attribute that keeps a person going well beyond that which we often think of as humanly possible.  The can-do attitude which kept the early settlers going west through blistering summer heat and dust storms which filled their lungs with sand and silt, which put one foot ahead of the other during winter storms the likes of which many of them had never experienced, and which left their paths riddled with many graves, unmarked except for memories, is the main difference which sets apart those who will make it and those who will capitulate under the pressure.

The Webster’s Dictionary (still sitting beside me on my desk) defines the word attitude as a manner of thought, or feeling.  A manner of thought…one’s thoughts are the defining attributes.   It does not say anything about skill, knowledge, that Mossberg in the corner,  or a pantry full of canned goods, as important as these may be. 

One can have a cupboard teeming with food, enough to last several lifetimes,  an armory which could power a small army, or farming skills accumulated over many decades, but without the attitude to persevere, survive and overcome, he will not last long.  Many a hunter has perished in forests he knew very well when his attitude allowed him to give up.

How then can a person determine if he has the right attitude?  Being prepared for a situation helps.  Having the knowledge that you have done everything you can, from building up your reserves of food, water, defensive systems and skills is a large step in getting that positive attitude ingrained in your pysche.  Continually adding to your stock of knowledge is something that will always pay off.  Above these, the one thing that anyone can, and must do, to ensure that his attitude will carry him through is, in the words of the famous ad, Just do it!  Get out there and practice your skills, join groups of people that are doing what so many only dream of.  Reading is good, but doing is better…reading and doing are best.  So get up off your keester, and get out there.  You know you want to. Let your attitude determine your altitude.

Letter Re: Extreme Couponing

James,

I read your book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” and immediately began my prepping.

I was watching a program on television last night about “Extreme Couponing”. I think this might be a great topic for those of us who are prepping but have limited financial resources.   The gist of the show was individuals took advantage of coupons, grocery store membership rewards and in-store sales all at the same time. One example on the show was a woman had over $1,000 worth of retail groceries and after coupons and other discounts offered by the store, she paid around $8 for those same groceries. Another gentleman paid around $250 for over $5,000 worth of groceries. The guy ended up donating close to 1,100 boxes of Total brand cereal to his church for families in need. These people save an average of over 90% of their retail grocery bill and their food storages are massive   I will do some research and it may take some serious planning and dedication, but to acquire food storage at 10% of retail cost will be a great advantage. As long as you don’t mind I will pass this research along to you to disseminate as you see fit.   Thanks for your time, – Tim S.

Letter Re: The Queensland Floods

Jim,

I’m almost 58 years old –  have lived in North Queensland (“Qld”) most of my life.  This is the worst flooding in Qld that I can remember – it is so widespread.  I have a house in Townsville, but have spent most of the last two years at my retreat area, 4.5 hours by car from here, and Townsville does not usually experience a lot of rain. 

However, found myself in Townsville before Christmas, and the road then flooded over at Ingham, and was not able to drive to my retreat area to be with my daughter for Christmas (we Skyped instead).  My daughter lives 10 minutes by car from my r/area.

People just do not listen.   So many people just too intent on doing what they wanted – and drove right into towns north of Townsville – but road blocked further ahead, and then, rivers rose – and they could not turn around…we have a single lane national highway for most of Australia.

We have one National Highway. Are you laughing?  I am serious, look it up. Our overtaking areas are few and far between.  And it is circa 120 kilometers between Ingham and Townsville.  There is not much between Townsville and Ingham – bush, trees and more bush.  (However after Ingham, each small town Cardwell, Tully, Innisfail – usually 30-40 kms from each other at – 100 kms maximum speed limit in Qld.

People had to spend the night in their car – there are few places to safely take refuge on either side of the road and it is hot and humid here for about 9 months of the year.  With all the rain, more humidity.   If one tries to just pull off the road and park, the semi-trailers will just drive right up the back of the parked car if they do not see you in time …the road does not even have a decent shoulder area in a lot of places in Nortth Qld. 

As an aside, our railroad system is a joke – more for carrying minerals – nickel, zinc, etc than for transporting people.  Our island continent is so vast – easier to travel by plane. 

So, you have to continue until you can park right off the road.  Yet with the flooding – people were stranded in the middle of the road.  One stranded guy on the news footage complained he had mosquitoes buzzing around his head all night…and he was about my age…yet did not have the sense to stay off the road during torrential downpours.

And then the flooding further south just kept increasing.  People are still being evacuated from their homes as I write this at circa 10:30 pm – and flooding started before Christmas. 

My back yard and the neighbour’s yard were covered in water.  The water level in my in-ground pool rose fast – I am used to lots of heavy rain – from Innisfail – but this was incredible. And I was not going outside with the lightning / thunder just to drain the pool.

I normally listen to the TV at 17 volume. I had to raise it to 31 just to hear the news during the heaviest of downpours. 

The strangest thing is – we had thunder and lightening starting in the morning and continuing for most of the day – for about 3 days – this is very unusual and rare – I have lived here for 17 years and can only recall afternoon storms.  I had to have the lights on in the house in the middle of the day…can you appreciate how bright it is here in summer (compared to summer in Europe or London). 

The news footage shows people of various ages, walking about without footwear.  And their arms and head are exposed to the elements.

It appeared from the news footage that people were just throwing what they could into their cars, or carrying containers in their arms or perched on their shoulder, or being lifted into the boats without even a carry bag with personal items / medications.

Locals have been caught out – and most of us have been through floods/cyclones etc before – one lady on the evening news said she had no medication with her and that her animals were home unattended – she was just sitting in her car – unable to go forward or back – no way around – huge expanse of dirty water everywhere.   

When the fatigue sets in – there will be anger – but to what avail.

The local government authorities cut electricity to the towns – people were walking about in flood water – they do not understand that fallen live power lines in the water that they are walking in, and skimming their body boards on, can electrocute them. 

Two local government employees were removing timber boards that had blocked the drains – the force of the water dragged them both in (yet they were only waist deep) for 20 metres underground. Both emerged alive at the other end – one was unconscious and taken to hospital …they were both fit and experienced people – and they were lucky.

People were told to stock up, but then, authorities cut power off, and people were told to evacuate. This shows how quick this unfolded as town after town became inundated.

Now there are reports of looting – people were evacuated out of the towns, police officers and the State Emergency Services personnel stayed behind to prevent looting – now the residents have been allowed to return to some towns as the flood waters have continued south – and today’s news showed a resident stating that his house had been looted.  Another elderly gentleman had his wife’s jewelry taken – this is going to hit the elderly severely – the vigor seems to have left their speech. 

There have been an unusually high number of ‘natural disasters’ occurring around Christmas day lately.  We are also seeing the chaos from the amount of snow the US/UK/Europe has had – so your kind words acknowledging Queenslanders’ sufferings are received with thanks.  I will pass them on. 

One reason I did not become one of the stranded people on their way to relatives before Christmas was because I heeded the messages posted on your blog.   I am thankful.  I have been doing my QuickBooks, catching up with reading, baking bread, repacking my BOB and spending way too long on writing emails such as this one. 

A belated Season’s Greetings to you and your family. Regards, – Mrs. G. in Queensland, Australia

Economics and Investing:

Greg C. sent this: Coins vs. Bags: Comparing Two Options in Physical Silver. Pre-1965 90% silver coins are not only a better buy, but they’ll have wider acceptance for barter in the U.S..

SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent an indicator of incipient higher fuel prices: Crude Oil Inventory Watch: U.S. Inventories Plunge as Demand Soars

Siggy mentioned this over at the Calculated Risk blog: Unofficial Problem Bank List Dec 31, 2010

Items from The Economatrix:

Treasury Prices Rebound After $29 Billion Bond Auction  

Metals Gain As Investors Seek Protection

2011:  Baby Boomers Come Of Age:  16 Statistics  

Inflation Watch:

All Evidence Points To A Dramatic Increase In Food Prices Worldwide, Possible Shortages

Reader Tom C. wrote to mention: “I just bought some K-1 kerosene. It was priced at $3.49 gallon, up form $3.09 only six weeks ago.”

“Hyperinflation Will Drive Gold To Unthinkable Heights”

Oil’s Surge In 2010 Paves Way for $4 Gasoline  

News from India: Soaring metal prices ring death knell for 25p coins. Does this sound familiar?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The Year of the 1911: Gear up for it… Every gun magazine in the world is going to be running articles and photos about every kind of 1911 on the market past, present and future.  And that’s cool… but not everyone likes a 1911.  We call those people, ‘Wrong.'” – George D. Hill (Editor of the Mad Ogre Blog), writing about the 100th Anniversary of the John M. Browning’s Colt Model 1911’s adoption by the U.S. Army. (To be precise, it was adopted on March 29, 1911. We are planning a special family M1911 shooting event here at the ranch for March 29, 2011, to celebrate.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 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 $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 “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, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.

The Razor’s Edge, by Don V.

“The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard.” – W. Somerset Maugham

The United States and a majority of the world stand at the proverbial razor’s edge and as most preppers realize, the road to salvation will definitely be difficult.  The coming changes may happen tomorrow or ten years from now but the grand clock is in countdown mode.  Many experts like to focus on specific issues but it is the culmination of these separate issues that will create the ultimate crisis.  Evaluating each issue allows the opportunity to see how quickly the clock is counting down. 

The elephant in the room for the US, Europe and Japan is debt.  The sovereign debt crisis in Europe is spiraling wildly with Britain and Germany desperately lending to bring it under control so it does not end up in their countries.  The PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) are making news with riots, bailout packages and austerity measures, but the same austerity measures are being passed in Sweden, Iceland, France, and Britain.  Part of the ideal behind the European Union was to foster a closer competitive business unit and all banks in all European countries have some debt at risk in the other countries.  This is the root of the problem.  If one country cannot pay its debt, it can bring the others crashing down.

The US is not far behind.  In December of 2010, tax cuts were not only extended but enhanced, while increasing unemployment benefits while a funding bill is stalled due to earmarks.  This is not unusual for the US Government however it is while we are at a $13 trillion dollar debt.  If you put the debt on a line graph over the last fifty years, it is appalling at how quickly our debt as increased.  This does not take into consideration that municipal debt and both local and state governments are near bankruptcy which could trigger to a great US default.  Japan is at the same stage with a staggering debt and an inability to pay. With either the US or a grander European default, it has the potential of bring the other one down as well as Japan as the banks all hold debt from the other countries.

The second issue behind the debt is the devaluation of the dollar.  This is a unique issue because it could be a solely US problem.  Currently the US dollar is utilized as the international currency for trade and is also the world reserve currency due to its stability.  To explain, Europeans purchasing goods outside of Europe use dollars.  It is used largely in the Middle East and South America.  Other countries hold US dollars as a hedge against inflation or deflation of their currency.  According to the IMF, 62% of currency reserves in 2009 were US dollars.  The US in 2010 started quantitative easing which ultimately means that more dollars are being issued.  With many countries holding US dollars the sting is not so severe to those in the US as compared to other countries who print money during a crisis.  However, the small sting that Americans are feeling is felt by the rest of the world holding US currency.  Like all smart investors, they will reduce their holdings in poor investments, which the US dollar is becoming.  As more people shed their holdings, more will become poor in the USA, creating an inflationary hurricane that no amount of interest increases will ease.  This is already occurring as evidenced by the run on gold, IMF suggestions of a new world reserve currency and even prohibitions on the acceptance of the US dollar in some countries.  The fear of a sudden drop of the US dollar as the world currency is highly unlikely, but the continual reduction of holdings at a reasonable investment amount is very likely.  The reason behind this is that if any country suddenly decided to liquidate their US dollar holdings, it would create a panic and devalue them faster than they could sell.  Also it would create a secondary impact on the sovereign debt crisis as it would become obvious that all the US debts, while being paid rather quickly would be valueless.  Thus Japan and Europe will be very careful how the move on the US dollar, unless somebody like Russia or China provides guarantees. Whether our allies remain our allies or sell to the highest bidder, it will get worse for the average American as countries hold less US dollars and more reenter circulation.

We are also at an Oil Peak Production.  This is a fancy term to say that we have maxed out our ability to discover and produce oil easy and cheaply.  While global reserves may last a good long while (and nobody really knows how long) the fact remains that oil companies must drill deeper, farther off shore and other remote areas to access oil.  If oil becomes more difficult to produce and/or the amount of production becomes less, the law of supply and demand requires extensive increases in cost.  If we examine how oil impacts a single gallon of milk, we realize oil is utilized to create the carton that holds the milk, fuels and builds the truck that brings it to market, fuels the farm equipment and provides fertilizer for the grain eaten by the cows and hundreds of other tiny impacts along the way.  If oil becomes unavailable or too expensive, many of our everyday items will be very costly or simply cease to be made. 

The world is also entering a food crisis.  Russia prohibited the export of food in 2010 due to shortages.  Food is the main tension in North Korea and type in food riots in Google and you will be amazed at the hits.  Food production cannot be further increased.  Food production since 1970 was routine increased through mechanical and chemical enhancements until the mid-1990s whereupon we started to stagnate.  The promise of bioengineered and genetically modified crops did not provide the same advancements of the Green Revolution and many believe that it is detrimental.  In addition, many of the world’s fisheries are endangered with strict limits and much reduced harvests that are only allowing the loosest definition of sustainability. The ability to water crops is also becoming a significant problem, even in the USA where the traditional California farming productions is competing with individual water use. With the population continuing to grow and food production at a halt or potential decline; we are faced with hungry people.  Hungry people are desperate and dangerous.

What I believe to be the largest and most threatening of issues is the Moral Crisis.  To determine where the moral crisis has originated is difficult but the factors include a bias toward the older generations values and learned lessons and that “newer” is better, a loss of basic Christian values and the replacement of civil government as God. This has brought us to the point where people are more concerned about whether something is “legal” versus “right.”  In the US today, the majority of people live in urban areas designed as residences instead of communities.  Companies no longer hire workers but have resorted to employers and employees who are often at odds with each other.  Ultimately, a society has been created that has very little care, respect or value for its fellow citizens, aside from times of national tragedy.  This Moral Crisis could be the damnation of us all as we need leaders who will make hard and tough decisions.  This requires strong moral fiber not only of the leaders but of the constituents who demand what is right. 

Any one of these five issues is a full blown crisis all alone.  All five are nearing catastrophic potential that would change everyday life for all of us.  The scary part is that each one of them could bring the others to a head at nearly the same time.  Even if by some fortunate stroke of luck that the main thrusts of each crisis is separated by years or even decades; their impact will be dramatic and we are feeling the effects now.  Yet somehow our government has kept up this juggling act of immense proportions.  It leads to the question of what will be the trigger that brings all the balls to the ground, or the proverbial razor’s edge.  Will the juggler trip over one of the props on stage; whether it be a pandemic, a war in the Koreas, a solar flare, a natural disaster, a massive boomer generation retirement or global warming?  Or will one ball drop and distract his attention bringing down the show?  Could it be that our juggler does not have an end of show planned and is simply fatigued to the point of failure?  We hope for the juggler to collect all the balls as intended and end the edge-of-our-seat-performance with a flourishing bow.  Yet until the show ends, it takes only a single spark to burn down the entire stage.

Two Letters Re: Thoughts on SHTF Communications

Sir:
I feel that any article that brings attention to the need for communications in the future is a very good article! However, Carl really needs to upgrade to a General or higher class license and experience just what some of the HF bands can do for him. How well something like 75 meter phone can cover a very wide area that will put his favored two meters to shame, no matter how “big” the two meter station is. Not to mention really long distance communications with no infrastructure whatsoever on whatever ham band happens to be working at the time.

There are a few radios on the market that are very well suited for doing most all of the things needed for a true “do it all” radio. The Kenwood TS 2000 is such a radio. For much more secure radio communications, the newer 900Mhz digital spread spectrum radios are the thing to have. This is the type that was used by the military a few years ago, And local listeners with scanners will not hear anything when these are operating. (Spread spectrum “spreads” the transmission over the whole band, And the digital breaks the transmission up into thousands of little “bits” ) This type of radio will be secure from all but the higher level government “snoops” who have some fairly sophisticated equipment. I would like to point out the article I wrote for SurvivalBlog some time ago regarding ham radio.

To update that article, The newly available “spread spectrum” radios is about all I could add.

Thanks again to JWR for a great blog site! – Extraman

 

James;
I really appreciated Carl L.’s well thought-out post on SHTF Communications.  Although we have a licensed UHF business frequency for our retreat, my like minded friend has convinced me to get my Technician licence for communications with him and others through the amateur  repeater system.  I plan on taking the test when I get back from an overseas trip next month.   I would like to point out another part of SHTF communications and that is SIGINT.  A good quality short wave radio is important to hear what is going on around the world and the country.  A wide band scanner is also a very useful tool to obtain raw data from local government sources such as Police, Fire, Sheriff, Highway Patrol, EMS, CAP, etc.  Since our location is remote and surrounded by federal lands, we also have out scanner programmed for all FRS, GRMS and MURS frequencies to detect anyone using these inexpensive radios near us in a SHTF scenario.   I recently purchased a CB radio and base antenna for our radio room.  I view the CB as another tool for SIGINT.  Truck drivers traveling cross country are constantly advising each other of their travels on the CB.  This could prove valuable in a bug out vehicle.    At night, with a good base antenna, you can listen to “skip” transmissions from all over the country.  This could be a very important and an inexpensive method of getting a SIGINT picture of what is happening around the country in a grid down situation since there are so many CB radios around the country, many of them in vehicles.  The radios are inexpensive and storing an extra radio in a Faraday Cage (a steel trashcan with lid) is cheap.   By being a good listener in days of a crisis, valuable intelligence can be gathered to make better decisions.   – P.D.