Odds ‘n Sods:

Bob G. spotted this: Ammo Long Term Storage Tips

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K.T. mentioned a web site that houses some rare photos of Assorted Black Ops Toys.[ JWR’s Comment: Some of the conclusions drawn in the captions ramble off into incoherent UFOlogy, so I ignored them. Still, it is a great collection of photos. It is fun seeing photos of the fruition of some of the codeword programs that I had heretofore only read about in text descriptions. Shrouded even deeper in secrecy, of course, are the compartmentalized intelligence products derived from some of these platforms. Those may not see the light of day for a century or more.]

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Individual preparedness for terrorism: Are you ready? (Thanks to The Baker for the link.)

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Rented Books and Custom Pants: Clever Newbies Buck Retail’s Downturn

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 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 copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 31 ends on November 30th, 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.

Tell No One, by Mary F.

I left the city earlier this year, and have settled in on property that my grandmother bought 70 years ago. I work from home, in the arts, doing publicity, proofreading, and copy-editing. I have a very quiet life, very private, a few good friends, a deep knowledge of the region. I rarely go more than five miles from home.

The world frightens me much more than it did when I was younger and stronger and living in the big scary city. Havoc, it seems, has already been cried, and it’s not out of the question that the dogs of war will be let slip in Times Square. About six months ago, I began stockpiling. It’s been quite a journey. My emphasis has been on canned goods, dehydrated and freeze-dried food, and first-aid supplies.

And I haven’t told anyone about this except my son.

So, here I am, lady of a certain age, on my own, my only family 100 miles away, my closest neighbor is a man I don’t actually like very much (although he has, if you hold his feet to the fire, a certain grudging and oddly unpleasant generosity of spirit). I never expected I’d spend my golden years alone, but it’s not so bad, come to find out. There’s a lot worse things can happen to a girl than not having a husband. I’d prefer they didn’t happen to me, which brings me to the subject at hand.

Content as I am, I find I want to live a good while longer. I didn’t need a lot of convincing, but there are some good, scary scenarios depicting what it’ll like for those who don’t make any preparations. The movie “Testament” is extremely distressing. So are “The Day After ,” “The Road ,” and “Children of Men.” I don’t have a bug-out bag: I’m not going anywhere. I’m too old, and I can’t think of a place I’d rather be. And besides, I expect people will be bugging out to my place.

My little home has always been a weekend retreat—I own about an acre on a quaternary road. The house is on a wooded hill overlooking a 50+ acre lake on which there are only a half-dozen other houses, and it can’t be seen from the road when the trees are in leaf; it’s not terribly conspicuous even in the winter. It very unlikely it will get flooded. Occasionally in the springtime, at very high water, the little access lane—is there such a thing as a quinternary road?—will be covered with up to three feet of water. I found out a few years back that I was the only person who knew how to get into and out of our little enclave when the lane is under water.

The far shore of the lake is part of a conservation easement on which can be found the remains of the local limestone mining industry, which went belly-up before the Civil War. There’s another lake about a mile back in the woods, and several mines.

My brother and I explored those mines, or caves, as we called them, and, when I was a youngling, I entertained TEOTWAWKI fantasies of hiding out there, finding true love while keeping civilization alive. The caves are unsuitable as retreat locations, for a number of reasons, but my little house is not. It’s my redoubt, where I plan to live out my days and where I will hunker down if the worse—or even something only moderately bad—comes to the worst.

One of the most annoying phrases to come out of the New Age, that lavish font of faux philosophy, mock wisdom, and do-it-yourself religion, is that “God doesn’t give you anything that you can’t handle.” I can handle a lot, but my feeling is that, whether God gives it to me or not, there are plenty of things I couldn’t handle. [JWR Adds: That phrase is a derivation, and a corruption of 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” That verse is about temptation, not physical trials,] Nuclear war, for instance. Nor am I arrogant enough to think I could handle the death of a child. The problem is with the verb: “handle” is trivial, the kind of action taken in ad copy, which is, come to think of it, what a lot of that jejune new-age nonsense actually is. I’ll stick with King David and St. Paul, thanks. And I’ll allow as how “handling” is not the action you’ll want to take when faced with catastrophe of the apocalyptic sort.

My focus recently has been water. I always thought I could count on the lake as a sure supply of water, albeit water that would have to be filtered and purified six ways from Sunday. After reading Paul Erlich’s book The Cold and the Dark: The World After Nuclear War, however, I understand that not only can surface water be contaminated by other than organic means, i.e. radioactive fallout, it is likely, in the event of a nuclear war and subsequent Ragnarök, to be frozen.

There are two wells on the property. The original well is about 70 feet deep, and when I was a child there was a hand pump (and an outhouse). My father modernized the house in the 60s, getting rid of the outhouse, installing electric baseboard heaters and running water, and putting an electric pump on the well. That well went dry in the parched summer of 2002, and I had a new, 400-foot well put in. I’m in the midst of arranging for a hand pump for the old well. (It has filled up again and is perfectly functional. It’ll only cost a couple-three hundred dollars, as the water is quite close to the surface.)

There’s also a pretty constant supply of water in the basement of the house. This has always been a nuisance that called for a sump pump, but now I’m beginning to think I need to collect it in a cistern.

I’ve begun to think about security, too. As I said, I’ve told no one about my preparations, other than my son. I’m on good terms with my immediate neighbors, known all of them for many years. But this is private, and I have told no one.

The woods across the lake are somewhat accessible, although the resort that has title to the land installed, a few years back, some substantial fences (think, Arbeit Macht Frei) at key access points. The lake itself has a public landing where fisherman occasionally put in. I’m not too worried about hordes of refugees from the city, I’m far enough off the beaten path, but local people who haven’t fished that lake for years are likely to remember it and show up for water and dinner and laundry and who-knows-what else. Up until five or six years ago I always had a Doberman or two. Now I’m thinking I should dog up again, but I’m thinking Rottweiler. More intimidating but actually gentler, their less exigent exercise demands more suited to a woman of my years.

Here are the other preparations I’ve made so far:

  • Many, many kerosene/oil lamps, both the table variety and the “railroad” kind that swing from a handle; lots of spare wicks, many gallons of oil. I got these lamps years ago, when my life was very different, when I used to entertain rather a lot. I hung them from hooks in the trees, and they lit up the paths and woods around my house, quite a magical effect. I use them instead of a flashlight when I need to go out at night.
  • Books, for reference and to replace what I’m used to finding on the Web. Joy of Cooking is simply indispensable. I don’t know a lot about Irma Rombauer and Marion Becker, but their magnum opus evokes a solid, Midwestern, roll-up-your-sleeves-ladies pioneering spirit. I’ve had a copy since 1976, and have gone through several editions. The recipes themselves range from down-home to haute—Christmas cookies, pâté de foie gras, chicken and dumplings, apricot soufflée, anything you need, it’s here. There are instructions for the field dressing of game (“Find and take hold of the large intestine as near as possible to the already loosened anus…”), stuffing a boar’s head (…a gloriously glazed and garnished presentation, so gird up your loins and prepare to receive a hero’s reward…”), tapping a maple (“Hammer the spout in gently but firmly so as not to split the bark, which will cause a leaky tap hole.”), and beating eggs (“The French dote on copper.”).  A more recent acquisition has been a volume published by The Success Companies in 1908 called Household Discoveries & Mrs. Curtis’s Cook Book. If you anticipate living a lifestyle that doesn’t depend on the internal combustion engine, you’ll want this book. It’s long out of print, of course, but you can find it on the Web. My copy is in excellent shape. It’s full of hints and procedures, recipes and advice. The recipes should be taken with a grain of salt, as it were, but I’ve always been fairly liberal in the interpretation of quantities and oven temperatures, myself. There are substantial disquisitions on laundry, care of the teeth, nursing the sick, household hygiene (“Never throw dishwater from the kitchen door.”), childcare, household and garden pests, preserving and canning, and much more. Things like using slippery elm bark to preserve animal fat and oil; fireproofing and waterproofing; preserving fresh meat for several days with sour milk, vinegar, charcoal, or borax; the fireless cooker; Favorite Meals In Famous Houses; etc. Household Discoveries & Mrs. Curtis’s Cook Book is chock-full of vital information and vastly entertaining with it.
  • Speaking of entertainment, I have many books, as well as board games, decks of cards, and vocal music. I don’t know how many people can actually read music anymore, but I have hymnals and books of vocal arrangements of pop songs, folk songs, and madrigals. Find your own favorites at Singers.com.
  • Blackout curtains from Wal-Mart ($11.99 per panel). These will serve as insulation and as security, keeping light indoors and the house invisible at night. I’ve put self-adhesive Velcro along the window frames and sewn it up the sides of the curtains.
  • My 12-gauge pump-action Mossberg. A five-shooter. I have 10 boxes of shells and pick up a couple or three more every time I go to Wal-Mart.
  • Peppermint oil to keep the mice away, and steel wool to plug up holes where they can get in. Mousetraps for the stubborn ones. Fly-bait powder and flypaper. Flea bombs. Insect repellent (at a deep discount this time of year). I also have hornet bombs that shoot a powerful spray 25 feet.
  • I expect one or another of my gentleman callers will be coming by. Helpless as they seem to be, one of them can dig the sanitary pit and another the cistern in the basement. And of course my son, who’s not at all helpless but who’s not made any preparations and who will, he’s told me, hop on his bike and cycle up here from the city. He can do it, too. He bicycled across the country, solo, in 2001. All the way from here to there and back again. Granted, he’s nine years older, now. But he’s quite fit and just as stubborn as I am. In any case, there’s an advantage to preserving any niceties we can, so I’ve laid in a supply of disposable razors and a shaving kit by Burma-Shave with mug, soap, and brush.
  • For currency, I’m putting aside cash, $10 a week or so. I don’t make a lot of money, so it’s slow going, but I have a substantial collection of sterling silver, from the days when the family was flush. It’s quite valuable, but I need to find how barterable these knives, spoons, pickle forks, and gravy ladles really would be after TEOTWAWKI.

Now, as to what I plan to do in the coming months: goats. I’m made arrangements to get two Nigerian dwarfs in the spring. I can milk ‘em, I can ‘eat em, although someone else might have to slaughter them for me. They’ll nibble on my fingers and keep the lawn mowed. I’ll have to fence in my tiny acre before they arrive, but that’s fine, a little electric barrier (with a solar charger) between me and the rest of the world. It won’t keep the rest of the world out, but it will make them stop and hello-the-house or at least get my attention with their cursing and give me time to grab the twelve-gauge before they’re across the yard and into my stuff.

And ducks. They’ll like the lake.

Over the winter I’m planning how to sequester my supplies. There’s a good-sized dead space where the kitchen backs up to the stairs. It has shelves, and could be easily masked with a false wall of sheet rock and molding, all of which can be held in place with Velcro. (I’m a great believer in Velcro.)

Music is important to me. What I need is a solar charger for the iPod, which is loaded at all times with the Desert Island play list, not as important as keeping gas in the car, but up there. It would be nice to have a working computer, including my music library, whether or not the Internet survives the apocalypse. I have the solar charger from the VW Jetta (turbo-diesel, thanks for asking) with a cigarette lighter male half. GoalÆ has an Anderson-to-female cigarette lighter adaptor that’ll power the amplifier for $6.99 plus shipping. I think. Internet and blogosphere talk of such items gets, usually by the second paragraph, into geek talk that goes straight over my head like a 787. There’s a bit of head-scratching involved in studying up on these power sources and applications. For instance, when I do web search on “female cigarette lighter” I tend to get web sites of Chinese manufacturers of elegant combustion devices designed to be held by dainty hands. Obviously these are of no use to me as I stopped smoking some twelve years back and left daintiness behind sometime later.

Grates from the oven and the Weber grill will do for cooking on the fire pit I have out back, but I’ll be wanting a wood-burning camp or military stove, preferably one that will heat the house, as well. There are such available, and I expect I’ll get one in the spring. I have a good selection of cast-iron cookware, heavy for a lady to lift but useful for pre-industrial cooking situations. I’d like to put in a fireplace insert to heat the house.

What have I learned, making these preparations? I’ve learned that stubbornness and leverage are as important as brute strength. And that it’s not at all painful to buy a little at a time; whenever I shop for groceries I pick up a few more cans of fruit or vegetables, a few more rolled bandages. And I’ve learned that it’s important while making all these preparations to  maintain at least the semblance of a normal life. Normal now is not what it was.

I look at what I’ve done, all by myself, and I’m kind of amazed. I’m not finished with my preparations, not by a long shot. But if the hammer fell tomorrow I would feel, if not safe, at least not destitute by the altered standards of destitution that would obtain in such a development. I’ll have told no one, but I’ll have enough to share if Polite Society comes calling.

Letter Re: Inexpensive and Face Value Sources for Silver Coins

Sir, First, from one veteran to another, let me thank you, like so many others, for this outstanding blog. I would like to share my experiences with my like-minded brothers and sisters in the hopes that they too can fill their coffers of coins and silver bullion for free or pretty darn close to it.

We most certainly all know the importance of tangible assets at this critical juncture in our Nation’s history. But with upward trend of gold and silver as of late, who wants to pay $23 or more for one ounce of silver? Not me. So I don’t. Now, I may not be able to fill my safe twice over with this method but it most certainly can help out. And the contacts and friendships made can be invaluable.

As creatures of habit we all have our preferred places were we fill up our gas tanks, get our groceries or make deposits into our checking accounts. We also all have many untapped sources in our friends and family or coworkers. I started looking for free or really inexpensive coins about 5 years ago at work. I realized that many of the people I worked with were not of the prepper mindset and that they may be more willing to let go of whatever silver coins they had. I was right. I let it be known that I collected old coins and that I was willing to pay for them if necessary. Eventually one of the nurses brought in a handful of silver coins and gave them to me. For free. I then had other coworkers checking their change for silver whenever they had a chance. If you have a good relationship with your coworkers you can do this, too. Some may even be willing to bring in their change jars and let you go through them in your search for silver coins.

Always be on the lookout for silver. Just the other day my mother was looking for her lost keys and had poured out the contents of her purse onto her kitchen island. She had left all her change on the counter and when I came over that day to do some home repair work for her, and made my customary first stop at the refrigerator, I noticed two silver quarters sitting in the pile. After a little work on the house those two quarters were mine. Become good friends with your local gas station attendants. Let them know to keep an eye out for silver coins for you. Deborah, who works a gas station in a nearby town, has been saving silver and wheat pennies for me for the last two years. Each time I see her she has a small handful of wheat pennies for me and when I’m lucky, silver coins. Show your face often at gas stations and get to know the clerks. I have done this at other gas stations and it pays off. Not only can you get coins that the clerks get at the counter, but they may know others who have coins you can get or they may have great leads on some prep gear you may need. Just recently, at a gas station in a town eight miles from me, the attendant was paid for $40 in gas with Morgan dollars. The old man who bought the gas informed him that the coins were old, which he already knew and obviously the old man knew what he was spending, and the attendant took them home with him and added to his silver bullion. This same attendant had a woman buy a single cigarette from his store with four silver quarters. The woman told him they were silver quarters and still only bought a cigarette with them. This particular attendant is smart and holds onto all silver coins that he comes across. But it gets to my point that gas stations are a major way point for silver coins. These coins do still get into circulation, and in hard times like these people are willing to spend them at face value, so keep an eye out and get to know those clerks. At that same station another attendant just sold me a roll of silver quarters for $100. That is more than $67 off of the current going price!

Most people are familiar with asking banks to hold silver coins for them. This is a great source. The gas station strategy works just as well at banks, however, you most likely will have a little more competition from other customers. Make sure you show your face at the bank very often and become friends with the tellers. Let them know that you collect old coins and to hold them for you. Also, never pass up the opportunity, while you are standing at the counter, to make a quick pass through their coin trays. I have pulled many silver half dollars that were sitting right there in the open on those trays. Any coins you get at a bank will obviously cost you face value, so to make it easier on everyone carry a handful of change into the bank with you so the exchange can be quick and painless.

Not only can the tellers get you silver coins at face value, but the boxes of rolls they carry can net you a small treasure. Just this week I bought a box of dimes for $250. I found 7 silver dimes. I replaced the 7 dimes and exchanged that box for another box of dimes. I found 1 more silver dime. I then bought a box of nickels and found a silver war nickel. Take into account the time involved in this silver finding tactic and decide if it is worth it to you or not. And also remember that finding a silver quarter, worth $4.19 today, could be worth over $8.00 in the next few years. That is quite the return on a .25 cent clad coin investment and a little time.

If you decide to pursue this, I will offer some words of advice. When searching rolls of dimes do not bother to strain your eyes looking at the dates. They are too small to read quickly and it would take a lot longer to check them all. Look at the edges of the coins in small stacks. Silver coins will stick out due to the lack of cupronickel “sandwich” layers. Some dime edges will be too dirty to tell so when in doubt, check the date to insure it is pre-1965. When looking for quarters, follow the same guidelines as for silver dimes. Checking the edges, in small stacks, is easier and less time consuming.

When searching for silver halves you need to check the dates. They are larger, easier on the eyes and from the edges you would probably miss out on halves minted from 1965 to 1970, which contain 40% silver, are worth almost $3.50 each as of this writing and appear very similar to the less desirable clad halves. Nickels, if you choose to search them, can be a little more difficult. You want to look for Jefferson nickels dated between 1942 and 1945 and that have the mintmark above Monticello on the reverse. You can’t miss it. If you’ve seen enough ‘war’ nickels you know that the silver ones take on a whole different look than their undesirable cupronickel counterparts. When searching through rolls you may be able to spot a silver one just by its much more dark gray color. Again, when in doubt check the date, and in the case of nickels, check the placement of the mintmark. Some 1942 mint date nickels were minted with no silver and carry their mintmark on the right hand side of Monticello. Beyond searching these rolls to get silver coins at face value, we need to consider the time spent in re-rolling these coins. If you are going to start doing this regularly I strongly suggest in investing in a automatic coin roller. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy as we are trying to keep our silver coin searching overhead to a minimum, but it would be wise to get one as it will save you an immense amount of time. I only suggest forgoing the coin roller if you are going to infrequently search rolls. And again, gas stations are also another great source for rolled coins to search.

When you take your trips to the grocery store, do not forget to search the coin rejection slots in CoinStar coin counting machines [often seen at supermarkets]. These are great places to find silver coins that have been rejected by the machines and forgotten by the person using them. Metal detecting is another great way to find some lost silver. I will not get into the specifics of what detectors are better than others, but nonetheless, for the price of a decent detector you can find all sorts of old silver coins, not to mention gold and jewelry.

This may go without saying, but make sure you check your own pockets and change jars. You could have silver right under your nose and not even know it! This also goes for your family, friends and neighbors. Don’t be afraid to ask to go through their change jars and let them know that you will replace the face value of whatever you find or pay them for the coins. More than likely you will be given permission to keep whatever you find for free, but always offer anyhow.

I hope that some of these tips help you find silver for free or for face value. These are great ways to come into the possession of a metal whose value is on a meteoric rise that will most likely only go higher in the coming years due to what governments around the world are doing to the monetary systems. Like anything else, what you get out of searching for free silver will be in direct correlation to what you put into it. Don’t forget to always be on the lookout and keep your eyes and your mind open for possible sources of silver coinage. Think outside the box. I sincerely hope that your searches are fruitful, and remember to get while the gettin’ is good! – Mitch in Bremerton, Washington

JWR Replies: Readers are warned, do not take take advantage of the naiveté of neighbors and co-workers. You need to make it clear that the market value of what they are giving you at face value. Also beware that some of the silver coins sold by lowlifes are from residential burglaries. Don’t compromise your principles for profit! (And it is also a security risk to do business with lowlifes. If they seem even he slightest bit “hinky”, then just make and excuse and walk away. And never give your name or contact information to a private party seller! Otherwise they may later come your your unattended house and reclaim their coins, and a lot more.)

As I’m writing this, pre-1965 dimes, quarters, and half dollars are selling for around 14 times their face value. (Hence, a silver dime sells for about $1.40.)

In my experience, the best “bang for you buck” is achieved by buying rolls of half dollars from small town banks. I have often found rolls where the majority are 40% silver and even a few 90% silver. If possible, find out what bank in town is used by the local school district to deposit lunch money coinage. Also specifically ask for an assortment of roll markings, or any that are known to have come from the local school district. (They will sometimes be stamped as such.)

For information on using metal detectors for finding coins, see the Coinshooter Forums, and for information on searching bank coin rolls, see the CRH Forums. Good hunting!

Economics and Investing:

Reader Bill R. liked this piece by Brett Arends: The Great Mortgage Mystery. The article begins: “The big question from the mortgage meltdown isn’t why so many distressed homeowners are defaulting on their loans. It’s why any of them are still making payments.” Oh, and FYI, here is a list of non recourse (“mortgage walkaway”) states.

27 Signs That The Standard Of Living For America’s Middle Class Is Dropping Like A Rock

Siggy recommend this white paper from QB Asset Management: Who is John Galt?

Susan H. sent this: The 19 Countries Most Likely to Default: Ireland Surges Higher

Frightening Charts Show Record Low Revenue, Worst-Ever Austerity Measures For US Cities. (Thanks to P.D. for the link.)

Jonathan C. sent this sad tale of The Fed, inflation, and the devaluation of the dollar: Fed Needs to Pump Trillions More Into Economy: Analyst. Jonathan’s comment: “It seems to me that if we hit a point where the Fed decides to make an additional $6 – $7 trillion in U.S. debt purchases, it might be time to take a drive out to the retreat and double check inventory and accessibility…”

B.B. spotted this: Review & Outlook: Shutting Up Business

Items from The Economatrix:

Jim Willie: Crisis Redux

Are Apocalyptic Events Closing In On Us?

Stocks End Flat At The Start Of Busy Earnings Week

Poll: Weak Economic Growth Expected Through 2011

Foreclosure Freeze Could Undermine Housing Market

Survey: Investors Fear Government Far More Than Inflation, Terrorism

Odds ‘n Sods:

I heard about RemedyLink.com, a small pharmaceutical manufacturer produces EDTA suppositories for heavy metal chelation. They offer a 50% discount for folks that identify themselves as SurvivalBlog readers. To get the 50% off, customers will have to phone them, since the web site isn’t set up for that sort of deep discount.

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Just a sign of the budget crunch times, or Anarchy, USA? In Multnomah County, Oregon (which includes the city of Portland), the county district attorney said that “low-level crimes” such as shoplifting, trespassing, and disorderly conduct will no longer be prosecuted due to budget cuts. “It is unprecedented”, said Michael Schrunk, District Attorney for Multnomah County for the past 29 years, in a press conference that was held on October 6, 2010. (Thanks to reader C.B. for the heads up.) OBTW, the same has already happened in Contra Costa County, California, and meanwhile in Oakland, California, the police will no longer even respond to many “minor” calls.

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RFJ flagged this: Surviving in the Wild: 19 Common Edible Plants

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 Bill M. in New York spotted this web page: Unusual Uses For Vodka.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The view which defines liberty as the mere ‘absence of restraint’ may be well-meaning, but this is the best one can say about it. It is a definition which permits, and even encourages, the substance of liberty to leak away. It undermines the sanctity of the person and property, it ignores the moral order, and it undermines the system of contracts. The truly free man is not a captive of his impulses; he controls his own actions so as not to impair the equal rights of others to their persons and their property; he is constrained by moral considerations; and he is meticulous about his contractual obligations. Such a pattern of conduct is not accurately described by the simple label, ‘unrestrained’.” – Edmund A. Opitz, Essays on Liberty 10:423

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 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 copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 31 ends on November 30th, 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.

Cross-Training for TEOTWAWKI Preparedness, by Beau F.

I’ve been preparing for a number of years now and found a great way to prepare others in your group as well. I realized a long time ago that I could not survive alone. Now that I have a family, and close like minded friends, I realize that I don’t have to. A couple of years ago I really started stockpiling my “tactical” gear. I would buy a lot of ammo, good mags, the right tactical clothing, and so on. I started reading up on certain things that would be helpful in a TEOTWAWKI situation and would start to practice some of what I studied. I just recently came to the realization that knowledge is great, but what happens if you are the only one with the knowledge and/or training in a certain area? What happens if you’ve failed to teach anyone else your skills and you became seriously injured or killed? The rest of the group is left with what they know and what you’ve left them with.

I realized that teaching others what you know and have practiced is essential for survival. I don’t want to lay there bleeding out while trying to explain to my wife how to fix me. I don’t want to have to try and figure out how to properly grow fruits and vegetables with only seeds in my hand and no training on what to do with them. After reading “Patriots“, my friends and family members have held several meeting to touch basis with each other, talk about current affairs, plan a few things, and do a lot of talking.
We started discussing the skills each of us possessed and didn’t posses, and quickly realized we each had a lot to learn. We realized that we need to start teaching each other the skills each of us posses that the others do not.

To start off, you need to assign each individual or family group a set of skills to teach the rest of the group. A few things need to be taken into consideration before assigning tasks. First, consider what people already know or have training in. For example, I work at a hospital as a nurse; it would make most sense to assign medical tasks to me. One individual is an infantry Sergeant, and has been to Iraq twice. He’s been assigned to teach the rest of the group infantry tactics and how to shoot, move, and communicate. Second, decide whether or not this individual is going to purchase and stock most of the supplies and gear needed to perform their specific tasks. You may want to have each person pitch in some money so this individual can order what the group needs and doesn’t have to pay for it all himself. My group of friends decided they wanted to have their own medical supplies, so I provided them with a detailed list of what I thought would be important and practical to have. These are discussions you need to have early on to make absolutely sure everyone is stocked correctly. You don’t want 20 people with silverware and dishes, and no one with food (you see this on camping and backing trips quite frequently).

Once you’ve identified who is going to specialize in what, it’s time to teach your group. Leave it up to each individual to plan their course, but be clear about how long they should teach and demonstrate for, and there should always be a lot of hands on. The learning process can be ongoing and doesn’t have to take place during one training session. However, be sure that you’re getting good training each time and it isn’t just a reason to hang out and talk again. You will be glad you actually learned these skills when it comes time to use them.

Making reference cards, laminating them, and handing them out to each member, is a great way to pass on knowledge. I made some quick reference cards, about 3×5, and put simple things to remember on them. Such things as the fundamentals of CPR, antibiotic dosages, and how to dress certain wounds were included. The cards are water proof and can easily fit in a pocket or bug out bag. Along with training, these cards will act as refreshers or quick references when needed. I know this sounds like common sense, but don’t burn things on to a CD/DVD. You’re probably thinking why would I do that? I had a friend put a lot of good information onto a DVD. Its great when there is still electricity and you still have access to a computer. You get the point!

Training the person next to you to do your job, and you to do theirs, is key to surviving and thriving. You can never count on any one person to always be around to perform a certain task. Although it is ok to be the expert in certain areas, your teammates need to be proficient, at the least, in the skills you’ve mastered. Continue to have refresher type courses with hands on exercises. This will help keep everyone up to speed with essential skills and will help refresh your memory as well. The ultimate goal is to posses a set of critical skills that are preformed by using “muscle memory”. Muscle memory is the term often used when referring to being able to react correctly without thinking. Practicing gardening so much that it becomes muscle memory isn’t as important as tactical skills and medical performance. The idea is too basically be proficient and confident in critical skill areas that will keep you and your teammates alive. Plus, learning new skills can only help in your everyday life, especially when it comes to basic first aid, mechanical issues, or performing carpentry around the house.

KEY SKILLS TO CONSIDER LEARNING AND TEACHING:

  • Advanced first aid and CPR (military medical FMs are a great resource)
  • Shooting skills at various ranges and environments ( Use battle rifles, long rifles, pistols, and shotguns or whatever you plan on stockpiling for protection)
  • Along with shooting, practice reacting to certain threats (ambushes, long range sniper fire, close quarters shooting, etc.) Be aware of each other and the expectations of each person in your group.
  • Auto mechanics (both small and large engine repair)
  • Gardening on a large scale
  • Meat and other food processing along with field dressing certain types of game animals.
  • Basic carpentry skills
  • Self defense
  • Communications

These are just some of the basic, but important, skills I think everyone should know. You could certainly add as much as you think necessary. Your group may feel that practicing foot patrols and reacting to certain types of threats is a little overkill, that’s completely fine. The idea is to think about what types of situations you might be in, plan for them, and practice the skills you think you need in order to survive and protect yourself.

Now, I would like to talk a little bit about what I said earlier. I said that I had been stockpiling tactical gear over the last few years as well. It’s always a great idea to have weapons, ammo, and the gear to haul it around with, but are you going to be the only one with it in your family? Some situations may arise causing you to bug out with your family only, or at least for a while until you can meet up with others. If you are the only one with the “tactical gear” you may find yourself in a tuff situation. Let’s assume you are married with one child. You will be solely responsible for their entire well being and safety. It will be hard to constantly keep a 360-degree surveillance of the areas you are in. It will also be difficult to shoot and move your family efficiently when you are the only one who is able to shoot back. You can only stay up for so long when it comes to pulling night security of the area you are staying in. You most definitely need someone else to share this duty with while each of you rotates sleeping schedules.

At the very least, your spouse, or significant other, needs to have the correct gear and be trained on how to use it correctly. I started buying all the nice tactical gear and training with it quite frequently. I thought “man if something ever happens I will be set up to shoot, move and communicate. I have all the best gear and it will be able to take a beating in the field. It looks pretty cool to”. My wife asked me what each piece of gear was for every time it would arrive in the mail. I started showing her how to use each piece of equipment, and found myself giving her basic lessons on what to do in certain situations. She later asked me if we could get her some gear as well. We did just that, and I couldn’t believe I had never thought to prepare her as well. Now, we both know how to use the gear we have, know the expectations of each other in a real world situation, and I feel confident that we, as a team, could come out on top of most bad situations. All of this goes back to, once again, training the person next to you to do your job, as well as you to do theirs.

There are so many levels of training any one or more person can do. I’m not trying to turn every so called group into a highly trained militant organization. I just want everyone to realize some of the things we could be faced with in the future and be able to prepare for them before they happen. Each of you will be able assess the needs and abilities of yourself, spouse, and other like minded individuals you associate with. I hope that this article will give you some insight on how to prepare a little better and possibly open your mind to a few things you may not have thought about before. Good luck and God bless!

Letter Re: Self Sufficiency Christmas Gifts on a Budget

Dear Mr. Rawles,
My mom gave me a copy of your novel “Patriots” a couple years ago for Christmas. I am married but because college debt and being unemployed for seven months before finding my next job my wife and I do not have much money, (BTW, after reading your book my wife and I saved every penny we could and are now debt free) I have been trying to stash away survival gear, beans, bullets and band-aids, and I have been looking for affordable survival books. In my search for inexpensive books I found out that I could download books using books.Google.com for free as long as the copyright is out of date. [JWR Adds: The general rule in the U.S. is that books printed before 1923 are considered out of copyright. This law won’t change until 2019, when the copyright threshold will then roll forward one year, each year.] This led me to search for practical books of everyday life that were written in the 1800s. One of the best so far has been by Henry Stephens on farming. He wrote a three-volume book called “The Book of The Farm.” I was able to download the first two volumes but I am unable to find the third volume. Even so there’s over 1,000 pages of useful farming information everything from building plans for barns and houses to drainage ditches to caring for livestock. [JWR Adds: Keep in mind that the safety standards of a century ago were far more lax than today’s, so all the usual safety provisos on poisons, fire, crushing, un-warded sharp blades, noxious fumes, carcinogens, et cetera all apply!]

I have decided to print and bind over 30 books written from 1779 to 1908 and give them as gifts to my family. This helps because even though a couple of my family members have a survival mindset not all of them do. The topics of books I have chosen are blacksmithing, tanning, textiles, farming, medical, building, toolmaking, fishing, children’s games, biographies and history books. The best part of these books is that they are written before everything was powered by electricity. If we expect a TEOTWAWKI situation that puts us back into the 1840s technology, which is what I am prepping for, these books will become invaluable. I hope this helps others who like me can’t afford much but still want to prepare and learn. Keep your powder dry, Richard C.

Economics and Investing:

Harold Bradley warns: Far More Derivative Exposure Today Than Two Years Ago. He talks about “terrifying” risks.

More about derivatives, and some immediate, huge, repercussions: Tavakoli: Biggest Fraud in the History of the Capital Markets

California budget means lean times for the state – 5 reasons why the California economy will lag for years to come. High paying jobs gone, shadow inventory, state taxes, and re-writing history.

Have you noticed that the melt value of a lowly Nickel (U.S. Five Cent piece) is now worth more than 120% of face value? It is not too late to stock up, while they are still readily available in circulation at face value.

From The Daily Bell: Doug Casey on the Violence of the Storm, the Destruction of the Middle Class and the Coming Gold Standard

G.G. forwarded this: Three Horrifying Facts About the US Debt “Situation”

Items from The Economatrix:

Chaos Forces US Banks to Halt Repossessions. The buzzword for the foreseeable future will be: Foreclosuregate

“Imbalances” Threaten New Global Meltdown

A Sloppy-Foreclosure Plague Will Destroy America

Wal-Mart Ends Profit Sharing With Employees

US Loses Another 95,000 Jobs in September

IMF: Real Estate Slump Could Last Eight Years

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Gold is the Final Refuge Against Universal Currency Debasement

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Audrey H. sent this item: FDA Scrutinizing Farm Antibiotics

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Some detractors have called me a “yuppie survivalist”, even though I’m middle-age and very rural, and just a skilled worker rather than a professional. Well, here is a member of ill-famed Madoff clan that is the genuine article–a “young urban professional”: An Optimistic Seller of Disaster Plans.

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Choctaw Bob sent a link to “a handy item for those restricted from carrying more conventional weapons.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." – Arthur Ashe, American Tennis Player

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 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 copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 31 ends on November 30th, 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.