Letter Re: Preparing Your Spouse

I really liked the post about preparing your spouse but saw one thing missing or at least not stated explicitly. Your spouse needs to know how to do these things and the only way to really learn most of these practical tasks is to do them with your spouse. Binders [full of information] are great but unless you know how to execute all the steps, where all the necessary tools and pieces are and how to use them binders are not going to help much. To illustrate the importance of actually doing something I will relay a recent tale from my house.

A while back I tried to make Spanish rice from the recipe Wifey always uses. Every ingredient and step was there but I didn’t know what a couple of the steps meant. I was able to get her help me figure them out but if she wasn’t here I definitely would not have had Spanish rice with dinner. Now that I know how to do all the steps I could probably look back at that same recipe in a year or two and make it.

That same point could be easily applied to getting the chainsaw ready for the season or making soap or any other task which is done (even almost) exclusively by one spouse. Think of it like an Infantry Platoon. You are probably never going to be able to shoot the M240 like the gunner or program the radio as fast as the RTO but everyone should at least know how to use both of these essential tools. An added benefit of making sure your spouse is at least somewhat familiar with all of the household/ preparedness tasks you do (and visa versa) is spending time together doing productive things. Spending a weekend afternoon doing something together that is normally done alone can sure make another boring chore into a fun day. Also as always many hands make light work. – TheOtherRyan (of Total Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest)

Letter Re: Mountain Money Isn’t

Mr. Rawles-
I’ve seen it repeated everywhere that an item of big importance in survival preps is toilet paper. I do not understand this, myself. While I do use the stuff, I grew up as the son of immigrants from an impoverished nation, and learned a bit about the bathroom customs of the old country. Basically, my progenitors would use a small bucket of water and their hand to wash themselves post-elimination. Frankly, I think it gets the area cleaner than the best 3-ply can. It would put less of a load on a septic tank, if you’ve got one. It certainly costs less. It’s far more gentle on your skin than wiping, and less likely to irritate or exacerbate a hemorrhoidal condition. And you can store a lot of food and ammunition in the space that a 1-year supply would occupy. It’s even a more “green” solution to that particular problem, if you’re into that sort of thing.

I understand that there may be a bit of a “blech” factor in getting used to this manner of post-BM cleansing. And in areas where water will be difficult to obtain, this may prove less convenient than storing a pallet of hind-end wipes. I think, though, for a great many people, this would be a superior hygienic solution.

Sincerely, – E.B.G.

JWR Replies: This method is not appealing to most First Worlders, but I must admit that it is pragmatic, if the requisite sanitary measures are taken. Just be sure to to store lots of soap, and in the long term, be prepared to make your own soap. (Regardless, be sure to get a copy of Anne Watson’s book Smart Soapmaking.)

Letter Re: Which Items Need a “Cool Dry Place”, and Which Don’t?

Mr. Editor,
It seems that when we have to store anything it is always recommended to store in a cool dark area with low humidity. What things can we store in less than favorable spots like attics or outside sheds where the temps and humidity varies greatly? Thanks for all you have done for us. – Bill H. in Delaware

JWR Replies: Humidity can be problematic, but some items that can tolerate fairly high temperature inside a shed include salt, ammunition, paper products, and many cleaning supplies and lubricants. (But do your homework on potential leaks and fire danger, especially for items in liquid form, or that are packaged in aerosol cans!) If you live in a humid climate, then be sure to keep your eyes peeled for airtight containers–the bigger the better. Five and six gallon plastic buckets with gasketed lids have become ubiquitous. If you are creative, you can store a surprising variety of items in these buckets. For example, I found one brand of meat butchering paper that come in 10″ diameter bulk rolls, that when turned on end fit perfectly in a 6 gallon bucket, with just an inch to spare at the top.
Also note that in addition to the tried-and-true milsurp ammo cans, some military surplus stores sell airtight shipping containers that were originally made for military electronics–made variously of metal, plastic, or fiberglass. I’ve see these up to nine cubic foot capacity! In the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course, I describe using silica gel desiccant packets, as a well as Golden Rod Dehumidifiers. OBTW, these days, the least expensive source of bulk silica gel, is the new variety of “crystals” unscented odor -absorbing cat litter, such as Tidy Cats Crystals and the Amazing Cat Litter brand. (OBTW, these cat litters are often sold in three or four gallon rectangular HDPE buckets, which can be re-used for storing non-food items.

Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Safe Food Storage, and Recommended Sources

Mr. Rawles,
My test indictor for properly functioning Oxygen Absorbing Packets while packaging bulk storage in food grade buckets is the downward pull on the lid. If a good seal is formed by the lid (which is imperative for any method of purging the Oxygen) the packets will cause a vacuum to be created in the bucket and the lid will be concave. It may take up to three (3) days for this to happen. I have had one bucket so far not seal properly and it did not display the concave lid. I replaced the lid and absorber packets and the lid then showed that a vacuum had been created. This is also how I determine if the seal is holding over the long term.

A good source for the absorber packets is Walton Feed [in Montpelier, Idaho, near the Wyomimg state line]. They sell packets of 100 at a very reasonable price along with buckets, lids, and bags. Not to mention all the other bulk foods at good prices for those of us located in the Pacific Northwest. I drove from Montana to their location in Idaho to pick up my first large order and saved twice what the shipping would have been over what I spent in fuel to make the drive. I also liked not having to explain to anyone about a large delivery of food. – K.L. in Montana

Economics and Investing:

GG flagged this: The Debt Bomb: Uncle Sam on teaser rate

Randy F. sent this: Payback Time – Wave of Debt Payments Facing U.S. Government

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Climb on Report Showing Jump in Home Sales

Late Payments on Credit Cards Drop in 3Q

IMF Chief: Global Economy Still Fragile

AP Survey: Debt Stress Turns Shoppers into Scrooges

Gas Prices Fall to Begin Busy Travel Week

Bets Rise on Rich Country Derivative Defaults

Gold Hits New High Among Rising Political Tension

Couples Turn to “Shift-Parenting” to Stay Afloat

End of the Checkbook: Bankers Drawing Plans, Could End by 2018

Dollar Slump Persisting as Analysts See No End

From that oft-quoted French Think Tank: Red Alert: The Second Wave of the Financial Tsunami. It could hit between the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2010

The Great Stimulus Debate of 2009

Letter Re: Preparing Your Spouse

Mr. Rawles,
Several years ago I took a serious fall and was out of commission for several months. My husband had to completely take over the household responsibilities during that time. Fortunately, he was working at home and I was available to give him direction and information. Had I not been, he would have really struggled to figure out just how I got things done. As he was buttoning up the house in preparation for winter this year it occurred to me that, if he were suddenly unavailable, I too would be at a loss to remember all of the details that go into his part of household management. Realizing that each of us has a critical role to play in running our mini farm put me to work on putting together a plan that will provide each of us with a guide for taking over should we be thrust into managing alone.

I started with two simple three ring binders, a sheaf of notebook paper and twelve pocket dividers for each notebook. Each divider is a one month plan. I use the notepaper to jot down what we each do each month. November would include things like planting the seed garlic, getting my daughter a birthday gift and ordering the turkeys (for me) and getting the cider press under cover, turning the compost heap and replacing furnace filters (for my husband). I use the divider pockets for things like business cards of businesses we use or to hold index cards with instructions for various tasks. This month, we have to get new tires put on the truck so the pocket will hold the information on tire size and the contact information for the business we use. In December, when I usually put in a big wheat order, I will include the recipe I use for the bread we all like, the contact information for the farm I order the wheat from and directions for how I store it.  My husband knows when to order a load of compost for the garden and I know when the fiddleheads will be out. He will note when he orders new queens for the hives and I will jot down where the best place is get the kids new sneakers.

These may seem like small things but they aren’t. They are the details that make this house run smoothly. It is very easy to lose sight of the contributions of a partner, especially when they are done so well as to be invisible in execution. For instance, I expect that no one in my family actually notices when I make up a new batch of laundry soap. It just appears. I never see my husband sharpen the saw blades. I just know they are always good to go.

If we are both diligent in keeping our notes, in one year we will have a comprehensive guide to what needs to be done, when and how it is managed. An added benefit is that it will be kind of gratitude journal. We each know the other works hard but to see it on paper will probably be an eye opener. I know my husband had a new appreciation for just how much I accomplished when he had to do it.

If a crisis catches one of us away from home, the other is going to have to do the work of both. How much easier it will be with a guide. – A Prepared Wife

Three Letters Re: Seeking Advice on Safe Food Storage, and Recommended Sources

Jim:
For anyone in Northeastern Ohio, look into taking advantage of the resources in and around Amish country. Lehman’s Hardware in Kidron, Ohio is an excellent place to find non-electric household and farm equipment. They do sell some bulk grains to be used with their wide variety of grain mills, but I would also suggest looking at Swiss Village Bulk Foods in Sugarcreek, Ohio. They run sales weekly, and there are often coupons and additional discounts offered in local newspapers. There are many other similar resources in the area, but these two stores are the largest, and the ones I most often shop at.

Mr. Rawles, I would like to personally thank you on behalf of my husband and myself for all the work you’ve done via SurvivalBlog and your books. While we are on a very limited budget, we are surely and steadily working ourselves out of debt and acquiring the skills and materials to better prepare ourselves. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Do you have any suggestions for newlyweds on a limited budget who are renting? Also, any prep suggestions for those who travel for a living –my husband is long haul semi driver– in a SHTF scenario?

May God bless and keep you, – Mrs. A.

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I wanted to give some input regarding buying food items in bulk. For folks who live in areas where there are larger populations of Amish, often you can find bulk food stores that cater to their needs. In northeastern Ohio, I frequently shop at The Ashery Country Store, near Kidron (not too far from the Lehman’s Hardware). They also have a satellite store in Heath, Ohio, called Ashery Farm Store. I often buy items in bulk (50 pound bags) from these locations. Prices for spices are the best, too, often one-quarter of what I would pay at a grocery store.

Also, I found another source for bakery supplies. I contacted a local mom-and-pop type bakery and asked them who supplies them. They gave me the company name and phone number and this bakery supplier has been willing to sell to me and my friends. I pick up the items at the local bakery when the delivery truck arrives. I am able to buy flour, shortening, oats and other supplies for cheaper than what I would pay at the bulk food store. I also bought a 50 pound bag of baking soda (and I have been stocking up on cream of tartar) so I can make baking powder and to have on hand for cleaning.

Thanks for all you do for the preparedness community. Be blessed! – Star K.

Hi,
One good source to buy bulk dried corn, wheat and other grains is at a store that sells farm supplies and animal feed in bulk. You can buy 80-100 pound sacks (save the sacks, they are very useful) and the price is low. I purchased several tons of grain years ago this way. Tell them that it is for human consumption, not for animals or seed. You don’t want it treated in any way. You can buy food grade buckets or barrels online, or find cheap or free used ones. Check bakeries, grocery store delis/bakeries, restaurants, etc. Avoid buckets that held anything like mayo or pickles, the bucket will retain the smell and your food will pick it up. Good buckets are often free, or maybe a dollar or so. Invest in a tool to open the lid (Emergency Essentials sells one). The buckets are usually clean, but clean them again to be sure. Use a screw driver to carefully pry the rubber gasket out of the lid and clean that area thoroughly. Make sure everything is dry before you fill the buckets.

You can get food grade Mylar bags from Emergency Essentials. These will be necessary if you use barrels. When you open a 55 gallon barrel you can remove one bag without exposing everything to the air, moisture, etc.. Also you can put multiple things in barrels and separate them. Full buckets will weigh 40-60 lbs, barrels can weight 450-600 lbs. You can stack buckets and barrels (loading the top barrel after stacked). You will need to invest in a hand truck if you plan to move those barrels. Whole grains should last nearly forever if stored properly. Do not buy flour unless you intend to use it within a year or two. The shelf life is short. Once wheat is ground the nutrients are lost fast. For short term use we store some flour, but our bulk supplies are whole grains. Invest in a quality grain grinder to make your own flour (Lehman’s).

You will need to pack your buckets using some dry ice. A Google search for the nearest city and dry ice should turn up a nearby dry ice company. You can learn the dry ice method by reading Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens. We have tons of self-stored grain, for over 20 years. We use some of it periodically to check it, and it is perfectly fine. A family can buy an extensive supply of bulk food this way at a very low price. Gather the buckets and barrels first and plan for some work to haul and bucket things up. Then enjoy the security and peace of mind of having all of that food. – Don in Ohio

JWR Replies: The containers to look for are 5 to 6 gallon HDPE food grade plastic buckets. If any of them come without lids, don’t worry. since you’ll surely want to have a few to equip with Gamma-Seal lids. These lids have a screw top that makes them very convenient to access the bulk grains and legumes that you use the most often. In the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course, I describe a couple of methods for creating an oxygen-free environment for bulk storage foods in plastics. I actually prefer the dry ice method over using commercially made oxygen-absorbing packets. This is because there is no way of knowing if an O2 absorbing packet might have inadvertently been exposed to atmospheric oxygen, thereby rendering it useless. When you buy O2 absorbing packets, buy only from the most reputable dealers. Less reputable dealers have been known to repackage O2 absorbing packets that they have had on the shelf for months or years. In contrast, with the dry ice method, you know for certain that you are creating a bucket full of CO2 that critters can’t breathe.

Three Letters Re: The Fabric of Our Lives

James:
Thanks to Jeanan for raising a very important but easily overlooked point. It’s amazing how we take for granted having drawers full of clothes!

Curiously, though, I do know folks who know how to spin thread and weave cloth. Some of the ladies in a Dark Age re-enactment group that I’m a member of perform demonstrations of these very skills. I have seen them work with raw wool, spin thread, and demonstrate weaving on period looms. Granted that the Dark Ages are a little too primitive (no spinning wheels, for example) but it does point to a partial solution, namely consulting with re-enactment groups from, say, the 18th and 19th centuries. Of course, very few do this sort of thing full time (usually more of a hobby) but some are nevertheless quite passionate about period crafts, and probably possess some useful information. Also, museums like Colonial Williamsburg might be able to point you to instructions and so forth.

One comment on “going back to the Indian method of tanning hides for clothing.” That is technically Stone Age, not Dark Age. Would that we could be fortunate enough to only fall back to the Dark Ages! – G.F.L.

JWR,
Thank you for your huge contribution towards the preparedness of us all. I thought I would share a darning trick I grew up seeing my mom using. Instead of finding a darning ball, a standard incandescent light bulb works fine. It keeps the form well and is cheap, effective, and easy to get hold of. A reader in his teens. – Callum

Mr. Rawles,
In regards to the readers letter about making fabric/yarns for clothing, here is an interesting machine most people have never seen: A hand crank sock knitting machine. Extremely interesting to see in person, it does still require a tad bit of hand knitting to finish the socks. American ingenuity at its best. – D. Fish

JWR Replies: Knitting machines do work. However, as The Memsahib learned with her Bulky Knitting Machine, they are very sensitive to variations in yarn thickness and texture. Only the most advanced hand spinners develop the uniformity of yarn thickness required to feed a knitting machine without jamming it. Therefore, I only recommend knitting machines for someone who has set aside a large quantity of skeins of commercially made yarn varieties that you’ve proven work without trouble with your particular machine. (They can be very finicky.) In a short term disaster situation, a footlocker full of socks purchased inexpensively on closeout may make more sense, for most preppers.

Economics and Investing:

More than a dozen readers mentioned this London Telegraph article: Société Générale tells clients how to prepare for ‘global collapse’. Gee, folks must be catching on…

Beepaw sent this: Bloomberg news: U.S. Housing Recovery Delayed to 2010 as Market Wanes. BeePaw’s comment: “It is remarkable that the [same] pundits who failed to see the crisis at all are now able to pinpoint its recovery. I don’t believe the markets will recover in 2010. Or 2011. Or 2012.”

Peter D, suggested the latest installment of some speculative fiction from John Galt: “I Have Been to the Fields of Gettysburg” (The Day the Dollar Died Part III)

Odds ‘n Sods:

My old friend Fred the Valmet-meister has been helping me for the last few months in restoring several “All-American Five” 1940s vintage AM and Shortwave table radios. These have included a RCA, a Crosley, a Motorola and two Pilot brand radios. Fred has installed all new replacement capacitors, checked the tubes, cleaned the tuners, and realigned the radios. The end result has been EMP-proof dual band radios that can operate on both AC and DC power. As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, these are ideal for anyone that has an alternative power system where they have a 110-to-120 volt VDC battery bank. A surprising variety of replacement and replica parts for radios of this vintage are available via the Internet.

   o o o

Reader Steve S. recommended sfherb.com as a good source for mail order herbs and spices, with reasonable prices.

   o o o

SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this over at the Classical Values blog: Where Were You When Wood Became A Felony?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." – Joshua 1:9

Notes from JWR:

The special 33% off sale on the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course will only run through the 30th of this month. This is the first time that the course has been on sale in almost a year. Don’t miss out!

—

Today we present another entry for Round 25 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

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.) and C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.)

Second Prize: 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 $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 25 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.

The Fabric of Our Lives by Jeanan

We don’t often think much of the clothes we wear. Oh, we think of what color they are, whether or not our purse matches our shoes, does this make me look fat, blending in with our surroundings or not, but not the actual fabric. We lost our “fur” a long time ago, and we always seem to have items like jackets, sweaters, undies and socks in abundance. We now argue over the benefits of the latest innovations in fabric, whether it will wick moisture or not, how waterproof it is, but we never seem to worry about where we are gonna get the stuff to make all those wonderful new garments.

Fabric manufacturing was one of the first American industries to be moved overseas. Fabric is a commodity that is technical in manufacture, or it is extremely labor-intensive. Manufacturers searching for cheap labor were quick to jump on the “global” bandwagon and take advantage of low wages overseas.

I have long feared that in preparing for a TEOTWAWKI situation we would not realize how precious fabric is to us. The technology to create, for example, cotton fabric, even a simple shirt, is very intricate. One of the first beneficiaries of the industrial revolution was fabric manufacture, and not only do we not know how to do it anymore, we do not have the factory tooling nor the people who know how to work that machinery any longer.

In Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, the old car manufacturing plant sat idle, but at least I still have a husband who understands the parts of a car engine and how they work. And those engine parts don’t wear out very fast. But clothing, on the other hand, wears out relatively quickly.

When a fabric manufacturing plant in the US would close up and move overseas, most of the time the [capital equipment] buyers at the plant auctions were foreign. They came over here and snatched up the tooling and machinery so that they would not have to reinvent the wheel. If you look closely at the machinery in photos of oriental women slaving away at fabric factories, most of it is of American or British origin.

So, what would happen if say a global oil crisis (nuclear war breaking out in the Mideast?) were to occur and we could no longer get any import goods shipped here? Oh yeah, we would have plenty of clothes for a while. Every Wally World is full. But they wear out, and long term, we would not be able to fill the gap. Making the garments is not that hard, and there are still many people who know how to do that. But most folks don’t realize that there is maybe a handful of fabric manufacturers left in the United States. If there are any, I can’t find them.

A few Christmases ago, I wanted to see if I could purchase gifts for my family members and still remain in the “Made In The USA” camp. Toys, I could find. Kitchen appliances, that was harder, but I could still find some through Lehman’s. I was able to find some clothing still manufactured here, but not when I started asking about the fabric. As soon as I would ask the factory personnel about the origin of the fabric, they would say that they bought the fabric from some company or other, and I would have to ask them.

So I would. And in every case, the fabric was manufactured overseas. Sometimes it was even dyed here, but never actually made here. That part of the clothing manufacturing industry is the most technologically difficult.

When I speak of this problem to men, their reaction is always funny to me. “Well,” they say, “aren’t there weavers? You know, the people who work with those big looms?” Yeah, there are weavers. Got one in your town? Do you personally know of anybody who does that?

Besides that, the thread and yarn manufacturing necessary to provide you with the raw materials to weave that fabric is not in the US anymore, either. I recently purchased a set of “cards” for carding cotton [or wool] at an antique store. When I checked out, the lady at the counter asked me what they were, and she was at least 60 years old. So far, no one I have showed them to even knows what they are, much less how to use them.

Spinning is a very lost art, and the people who know how to properly use a spinning wheel are extremely rare. I’ve seen one, but it wasn’t actually a real one, merely a reproduction. They are mentioned in some of the “back to nature” books, but the actual method of doing it is glossed over. After all, any woman should be able to figure that out, right?
Let’s look at that cotton shirt you are wearing as an example of how long it would take to make it by hand. First, you’ve got to know how to grow the cotton. My grandfather told me once that cotton sprouted but after that it was a plant that just wanted to die, so it might be hard, but we do at least have a few cotton farmers around. However, now they are planting genetically-altered cotton seed exclusively.

After that it must be harvested and de-seeded. While we don’t normally do this here in the states, we do still have some old gins around. Probably could be done.
But then the cotton must be carded into “batts” and spun into thread or yarn. On a spinning wheel, folks. To spin enough thread to set up a loom would probably take a week or more, just for a couple of yards of fabric. Then the weaving has to actually occur. I once had a friend who had a big loom to make blankets, and it would normally take her weeks of working in the evenings after her chores were done just to make one blanket. And a shirt takes more [linear feet of spun fiber for] fabric than a blanket.

Knit or crochet it, you say? Have you ever knitted? It takes forever. That is why stockings were so highly prized during the revolutionary war period. Now, I can knit a sweater in a few weeks, but things like stockings are made with much smaller needles and much finer yarn. It is very hard to knit with yarn that small, and incredibly time-consuming. And, once again, you gotta have the yarn in the first place.
My husband thinks I’m crazy, but in my TEOTWAWKI planning, I’m stashing away some fabric, thread and yarn. I’ve been a needle arts hobbyist for years, and if I have enough of those things, I can keep my family in clothing and blankets for years. But I know that it is going to be that long before we can ever recover the process, if we can. It would probably be faster to find someone who can sail across the ocean in a sailing vessel and bring back some fabric.

I’m also stashing away some needles and an old treadle sewing machine, plus some spare parts for it.

Otherwise, we’ll have to go back to the Indian method of tanning hides for clothing. I really don’t want to go that far back into the dark ages, myself!

JWR Adds: When my late wife (“The Memsahib”) went to be with the Lord two months ago, our family lost our fiber arts expert. She hand carded, hand dyed, hand-spun, and hand-knitted (or wove) many items that our family wears. Getting fully proficient took her about seven or eight years. She got so good at it that she taught lessons. She could even hand knit socks. Her skills with fiber arts were just some of many that we now miss, as we mourn her loss. Her Ashford spinning wheels and hand-crank drum carding machine now stand idle. 🙁

OBTW, speaking of socks, one important skill is darning. If you can’t learn how to knit socks, then at least learn how to repair your existing socks, darn it! Find a darning ball, darning needles, and several different weights of thread and yarn, for sock repairs.