Notes from JWR:

To those who have asked, the anticipated release date for the first sequel to my novel “Patriots” is September of 2011. The manuscript has been submitted, and the editors at Atria (a division of Simon & Schuster) are now working on it. It will be It is tentatively titled: Veterans: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse. Unlike most novel sequels, the storyline of “Veterans” is contemporaneous with the events described in my previously-published novel. Most of this first sequel takes place in Arizona and New Mexico. There is also major sub-plot about a U.S. Army officer who is released from active duty and must find his way home 11,000 miles from Afghanistan, right in the midst of The Crunch. OBTW, I’m already drafting the second sequel, which should be released in September of 2012. Watch for further announcements in the blog, closer to the publication date.

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Today we present a guest article by Steve Collins, a staff instructor for Suarez International, Inc.

Why Not Carry the Big Gun?, by Steve Collins

Carry the gun you want to fight with if you have to! What ever happened to carrying actual fighting guns? If I never see another article touting a ‘lightweight, easy to carry all day’ such and such, I’ll be ecstatic. When a fight comes, I want a chunk of gun in my hand, not some featherweight Mattel toy.

I’m not going to tell you how to live your life, or what you need to carry. Some people simply can’t carry a bigger gun by virtue of the fact of where they work or they live in an Non-Permissive Environment (NPE) where the discovery of a handgun would be disastrous. But to purposely carry something small, because you don’t want to be inconvenienced by it, is just foolish.

Decades ago, mens’ fashions were such that one could carry a full size revolver or semi-automatic pistol in complete concealment without much fuss. Men wore full cut suits with large pockets. It was much easier to carry guns such as a Colt New Service, an N-frame Smith & Wesson, or a Colt Government Model [1911]. J.H. Fitzgerald, legendary professional shooter for Colt, used to carry a pair of cut down Colt New Service .45 Colt revolvers in each of his front trouser pockets. These were called ‘Fitz Specials,’ and were the precursors to today’s short barreled concealment revolvers.

If you knew you were going to be in a fight, and couldn’t take a long gun, what would you want to have with you? I should think the biggest pistol you could control well and shoot accurately. That leaves out the keychain guns like the Beretta .25s, the Kel-Tec .32 and .380, the Seecamp .32 and the like. It also leaves out the 5 shot snubby revolvers. There are very few people, even gun people, who can shoot them well enough on demand to be effective with them. Yes, I have small guns, too. My Smith & Wesson 642 .38 Special has traveled many places with me, along with my NAA Guardian .32ACP. But they are not, in my mind, true fighting handguns. Please, please, spare me the “beware the man with one gun…” blah, blah, blah. The ones that spout that are trying to justify their unwillingness to look at armed conflicts as they really are. You don’t get to choose what kind of fight it will be; it’ll be a fight. You had better be prepared to handle it.

When folks go to the range, what do they normally shoot? The gun they like to shoot, which is normally a full sized pistol! They have no problem shooting a couple hundred rounds through them, but when they’re done, the big gun gets put away, and the little gun, which hasn’t been shot in six months or more, is the one chosen to protect life and limb. Do you see the problem here?

So, the answer is, carry the big pistol. By big, I’m talking about guns like a Glock 17/19 9mm, Glock 21 .45 ACP, the Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum, the 1911 .45ACP, the 4” K and L frame Smith & Wesson revolvers, etc. It’s not hard to carry or conceal them, as long as you put a little thought into it. This is not the place to cut corners; if you do, the whole process will fail miserably.

First, dress around the gun. Stop trying to look like the 17 year olds with skin tight jeans if you’re 40 and for cryin’ out loud, pull up your pants, Snoop Droopy Drawers! It isn’t attractive and it severely limits what you can carry concealed. Pick the gun and holster setup you are going to use, then shop for your clothes with them in mind. If you are using an inside the waistband holster, buy your pants a couple inches bigger in the waist to accommodate the holster. Get your shirts a size or two bigger to cover the gun and extra ammo on your belt, along with your jackets. If you wear a suit, find a tailor who isn’t afraid of guns, or who deals with police officers on a regular basis. Take the gun, holster and belt, and whatever accessories you are going to use to the tailor, they will cut the suit around it.

Next, having a quality holster and belt is critical. You spent a bunch of money on your pistol, why are you buying cheap holsters? There are many good holster makers out there; you don’t have to look really far to find one. Be ready to spend $100-to-$200 on a quality holster, belt and ammo pouches. Kydex is all the rage these days, and you can usually get these holsters at a lower price, simply because it’s less expensive and time consuming than leather to work with. It is also more water and weather resistant, especially if you are carrying inside the waistband. On the downside, they aren’t that attractive, they are hard on the finish of your gun, and if the holster is inside your pants, it can be hard to get accustomed to their rigidness. Leather holsters are easier on the gun and the body, and can be made as plain or as attractive as you want, but suffer from getting weather beaten, soaked in sweat and generally require more maintenance. Many of the leather craftsmen out there are backlogged, so you may have to wait some time to get their merchandise, also. Kydex makers can usually get their goods to you in a couple of weeks, or less.

If you don’t have a good belt, you’re setting yourself up for failure. I normally wear a 1-¾” nylon or leather belt, since I’m in jeans most days. If your belt loops won’t accommodate that big a belt, it’s an easy thing to find narrower belts that are designed to carry a gun. The cheap belts you find at the local super store out there won’t cut it. I know it’s a pain for gun shops to stock a bunch of belts in different sizes, but they are really doing the public a disservice by not having them there for people to try out. At the very least, it’d be good if the guys behind the gun counter had some knowledge about what is out on the market, instead of just what’s in the store and you will be lucky if they even know that.

Spare ammo carriers are given short shrift all the time, and I really don’t understand why. Probably because there is a segment of the gun carriers out there that doesn’t carry spare ammo! If you fall into that category, you need to go back to school, ‘cause you still haven’t figured it out yet. Carrying spare ammo is easy, whether it be on a six round loop carrier for revolver ammo, or a magazine pouch or two on your off hand side. The same holster makers will make ammo carriers to go with them, and you should buy everything at one time to make sure it all fits together.

Tell you what, next time you go to the range, do all your shooting, all your drills, with the little gun. Shoot at point blank range all the way out to 100 yards. See how difficult it really is. If you want to fall in with the ranks of the gun shop and keyboard commandos who have never been in a fight, who always rattle off the “all you need is a two-inch J-frame, ‘cause all fights happen at close range,” mantra, go right ahead. However, if you are willing to look at things objectively, and really think it through, you’ll see it’s better to have the bigger gun with you.

Stephen J. Collins
Suarez International, Inc. Staff Instructor
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor
Cellular: (706) 593-0783

Letter Re: The Importance of Garage Sales in Preparedness

Mr. Rawles;
I thought I’d share this little bit of excitement from my corner of the world, that can serve as a reminder on the importance of scavenging yard and garage sales.

So, I’ve wanted a grain mill for about a year and a half. Because they’re dead useful and I’m growing corn and amaranth in the garden this year. I was really lusting over the Country Living Grain Mill, because it seemed, well, awesome. But $395 plus shipping, plus extra parts was a little out of my reach. I’m a single girl tied by employment to the suburbs, so I pinch every penny I can. [Yes, actually, I do go through my change and fish out the old ones made with copper. I’ve a nice little collection, and it gives me something to do while watching Mythbusters]. So I waited, and every now and then checked Craigslist and eBay. But everyone who was selling one knew what they were selling, and nothing was selling for less than $395.

So I waited.

Then Friday, pondering the recent offer I’d put in on a house, had a sudden whim to check craigslist. I found two listings for a grain mill– one turned out to be a Country Living Grain mill with motor and cart, and the lady was asking $550 for it. That was disappointing. But, there was another listing, for a family yard sale on the other end of the county, and it only listed “Grain mill”.

I figured it was one of those small mills. I shrugged to myself, thinking that if the economy collapses before I collect 40,000 pennies, a small mill is better than no mill, so I might as well get whatever they were selling, as long as it still worked.

Well, I was wrong.It was a huge, cast iron, fire-hydrant-red grain mill, with a motor that the lady included. I turned the flyweel with my hand, and it turned easily. When I asked the price, she said “Oh, five bucks . . . “

Five? Shoot, I’ve got that. I came home, cleaned it up, inspected the really nice lookin’ burrs, found the maker — C.S. Bell Co– and then looked up on the Internet how much it was worth: $399 plus freight, without a motor. I was ecstatic.

If we round up to $400, and I paid $5, then I purchased this mill for 1.25% of retail. (A discount of 98.75%.) This is, again, not counting the motor, or what freight would have cost. (Some options I saw with a motor and a cart ran into the thousands).

Mind you, I’ll be taking the motor to a local servicing station to make sure it’s in good condition and not a danger to operate (I know the power cord needs replacing), and I’ll need a belt (or a few so I’ve some backups). So those will increase the ultimate price. But, whatever I pay for making sure the motor is good, it’ll still be a huge bargain since the motor was free and the mill almost free. And, having a flywheel, there’s always the option post- TEOTWAWKI to connect a bike to the mill to give my arms a rest.

My roommate also obtained $150-$200 worth of candle and soap making supplies for $15.

I always thought that the stories of people getting major deals at yard sales were just stories, exaggerated by re-telling. Well, I don’t think that anymore.

Thank you, Mr. Rawles, for your blog site and for “Patriots”. (I bought a copy of your novel and gave to the roommate for Christmas!)

May God Bless You. Sincerely, – Christine C.

JWR Replies: I concur that local garage sales, yard sales, farm auctions, and estate sales are great sources for preparedness gear such as tools, shelving, and canning jars. Also, don’t overlook you local Freecycle and Craigslist web pages. Watch them like a hawk!

Letter Re: Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up

Hello Jim,

I just wanted to comment on the article, Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up. I have been stocking up on most of the items Scott mentioned for my own use, but had not considered them for barter. I’ll be looking at them differently, now. One which I have given thought to bartering is tobacco.

Your readers can forget stockpiling commercial cigarettes, they will go stale, shortly. As Scott mentioned, you’ll need to know how to roll your own, or purchase an inexpensive rolling machine. Cigarette tobacco can be bought in sealed cans and one-pound bags, though I can not attest to their shelf life.

My suggestion, should one want to stock tobacco for barter, is pipe tobacco. Like some wine and cheese, it improves with age. I have a friend who smokes pipes, and frequents high-end tobacco shops for good tobacco. But he is tickled pink when he can find a 3 or 5 year old bag of cheap tobacco at Wal-Mart. He says it is as good as the more expensive brands (which you are probably paying the manufacturer to age for you).

Pipe smokers are also picky about their pipes. The type of wood apparently makes a big difference. But they have a secret: The lowly corn-cob pipe smokes as well as the high-end pipes. Its only drawback is that it does not last as long. Corn-cob pipes could be stockpiled, also. And, if there is a market after TSHTF (i.e. someone in the area is producing tobacco), learning to make the pipes could be a small business.

Thanks for a great web site, – Stew in Missouri

Mr. Rawles,
With regard to the article, “Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up, by Scott in Wisconsin” from July 11, I have some suggestions:

1) Standard coffee filters. These can be used to pre-filter water that is full of sediment or other debris, so as to lengthen the life of one’s primary water filter. Even if one doesn’t have a primary filter (like a Berkey-type ceramic filter), it will help with whatever other method is being used in a SHTF scenario to purify water. These are available for far less than $0.01 per filter, especially at dollar-type stores.

2) Mason jars – cheap at roughly $1 a bottle in case quantities, these will always be of use for canning or for storage of dehydrated food (and, yes, there will be canning and dehydrating post-SHTF).

3) Mason jar lids and rings – self explanatory; no lids means no canning, and the lids are single-use items. Boxes of one dozen are usually price from $1.75-$2.50, but you can almost always find these on sale somewhere.

4) Steel wool – to use with salt to help preserve food. Take a small quantity of steel wool (maybe 1 cubic inch or so) and an ounce or so of salt, put them together in a napkin or coffee filter that’s tied together with string or a rubber band (string will last longer, as it won’t dry out), and you have a quick-and-dirty oxygen and moisture absorber when sealed inside of a good barrier (like a 5 gallon bucket). Steel wool absorbs oxygen, salt absorbs moisture. Lesser quantities are needed for smaller containers (like Mason Jars). Steel wool is very cheap at most grocery and big box stores like Wal-Mart and Target.

5) Salt – for use in food directly (for flavor and nutrition – Mayor Bloomberg notwithstanding), and also for food preservation (by direct salting or with steel wool, as described above). Available in the blue cylinders for less than $0.50 in many stores (certainly for the store brands) for 26 ounces (cheaper at the big warehouse stores). An alternative is the little salt packets that you get at fast-food stores – these can be purchased for about $6 per 3,000 (yes, you read that correctly) at a warehouse store. Yet another alternative is to put salt purchased in large quantities (e.g. 25-pound bags, available for under $5 at a warehouse store) into cleaned ½ pint plastic water bottles. Post-SHTF, I’m quite sure that no one will care much that the little bottle may have had some germs before, and in any case those germs won’t survive contact with all of that salt. Regards, – Paul from Texas

Two Letters Re: The Essential Gun for Survival

Jim,
I absolutely concur with Cory M.’s article extolling the benefits of the .22 RF cartridge. If you are limited in the number of firearms you can own or can afford to own, there are two options using the .22 of which everyone should be aware. A multi-barrel long gun (sometimes called a drilling) was one of my first firearms. The Savage .22 RF in combination with a .410 shotgun (aka 22/410 over under), makes a great hunting firearm, and when using a rifled slug in the .410 shotgun, a pretty effective defensive tool. The other is the ubiquitous Black Rifle (the AR-15 or the M4 carbine) chambered in .223 / 5.56mm). [Several brands of] .22 RF conversion kit are available with 30 round magazines for around $150 new. (Perhaps less if you can find a used one.) Add a few more magazines and you’re sitting at just about $200 total. With .223 ammunition running around $300 per 1,000 rounds and .22 RF running around $40 for the same quantity, the first 1,000 rounds you shoot pretty much pays for the entire setup. Switching between the conversion and the original bolt takes less than 60 seconds. This allows you to practice a lot with your Black Rifle, which is how you become proficient in it’s operation, something that could be essential in a TEOTWAWKI situation. – LVZ in Ohio

 

Dear Jim,
One minor point on Peter Hathaway Capstick, .22s, and elephants. I have all of his books, and highly recommend them. I recall him mentioning .22 Magnums being used for Springbok, and calibers as small as .303 British for elephant, on a rear quartering brain shot through the open back of the skull, behind the ears. I doubt a .22 would even penetrate a couple of inches of jumbo, much less reach a critical organ or brain.- Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog Editor at Large)

Economics and Investing:

G.G. was the first of several readers to mention this New York Times article: Crisis Awaits World’s Banks as Trillions Come Due. Be ready folks. We could be on the precipice of a global debt implosion that will make the current crisis seem small, by comparison. I’ve warned you before, folks: be ready for bank runs. Here is a quote: “Banks worldwide owe nearly $5 trillion to bondholders and other creditors that will come due through 2012, according to estimates by the Bank for International Settlements. About $2.6 trillion of the liabilities are in Europe.”

From David W.: Historian warns of sudden collapse of American ‘empire’

Jesse spotted this piece by Paul Krugman:Trending Toward Deflation

Brett G. suggested this article: How the Economy Will Look On Election Day

KAF recommended this: G20 looks to Beijing to drive global growth.

Also from KAF: European banks mull 20 billion Euro private bailout fund: report

Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. liked this PDF: Guide to Sustainable Utility Free Living

   o o o

After eight months of R&D with military contractor, KI4U is exclusively releasing a new product, The RADSticker™. This is an inexpensive, peel & stick postage stamped sized, instantly color changing radiation dosimeter.

   o o o

Mike H. mentioned a Daily Oklahoman newspaper editorial: Americans are petrified about their future.

   o o o

Kelly D. flagegd this: Top 10 Public Health Disasters of the 20th Century.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The next amendment is,’A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.’ One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish their purposes without resistance, is, by disarming the people, and making it an offence to keep arms, and by substituting a regular army in the stead of a resort to the militia. The friends of a free government cannot be too watchful, to overcome the dangerous tendency of the public mind to sacrifice, for the sake of mere private convenience, this powerful check upon the designs of ambitious men.

The importance of this article will scarcely be doubted by any persons, who have duly reflected upon the subject. The militia is the natural defence of a country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms had justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpations and arbitrary power of rulers; and it will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them. And yet, though this truth would seem so clear, and the importance of a well-regulated militia would seem so undeniable, it cannot be disguised, that among the American people there is a growing indifference to any system of militia discipline, and a strong disposition, from a sense of its burdens, to be rid of all regulations. How it is practicable to keep the people duly armed without some organization, it is difficult to see. There is certainly no small danger, that indifference may lead to disgust, and disgust to contempt; and thus gradually undermine all the protection intended by this clause of our National Bill of Rights.” – Joseph Story, “A Familiar Exposition of The Constitution of the United States“, paragraphs 450 and 451 (1840)

Notes from JWR:

The recent Agence France-Presse article “Apocalypse now? In US and abroad many are prepared” was a bit of mixed bag. To begin, I must mention that I hardly deserve to be called “the patron saint of survivalism”. Only one man deserves that title: Mel Tappan. The article included a biting subtext that I’ve seen before from statist journalists. It sounded condescendingly anti-survivalist and anti-Christian. (One data point: The journalist’s name is Sara Hussein. That is one of the reasons that I declined to do an interview for the article. I suspected that it might be a hatchet job.) I should also mention that for some reason Sara Hussein also described me as being “anti-tax”. I don’t recall ever articulating that view per se in any of my writings. But I’m happy to go on record as being opposed to unequal or unfair taxation schemes. I could handle flat, reasonable taxes. I’ll also go on record that the planned Federal tax increases that go into effect in the U.S. in 2011 are likely to delay any economic recovery.

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Today we present another entry for Round 29 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, and B.) 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 29 ends on July 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 Essential Gun for Survival, by Cory M.

At least one firearm chambered in .22 Long Rifle (LR) rimfire should be part of every survival plan.  If you do not currently own a firearm or if a .22 is not part of your current arsenal it should be high on your “next to buy” list, if not at the top.  The .22 is essential to your TEOTWAWKI preparation.  From providing food for the family to [marginal] self defense, the .22 will work for you.  Here are a few reasons the .22 LR is so important to your preparation and survival.

Practice
Whether or not you are currently familiar with firearms practice is vitally important.  Practice now can mean the difference between life and death later.  Any great musician or sports star doesn’t wake up one day with great abilities, they have practiced and practiced.  When all of a sudden the world ends as we know it you are not going to magically be proficient with a gun, you must practice now.  There is no caliber better suited to practice with than the .22.

It is inexpensive to shoot.  With ammo prices sky rocketing the last few years many gun owners are unable to afford the price of ammo to practice with their larger caliber firearms.  The .22 on the other hand is still very affordable to practice with.  Where I live you can buy a box of 550 .22 LR cartridges for around nineteen dollars.  I keep several thousand rounds, and when I shoot one box up I go get another.
The .22 is also ideal to practice with since there is virtually no recoil.  If you are an inexperienced shooter it is easy to pick up the habit of flinching.  Flinching happens just before the trigger is pulled in anticipation of the recoil. This will cause your shooting to be very inaccurate.  With the .22 having no recoil shooters are less likely to pick up this habit.  Since the .22 has no recoil you can shoot hundreds of rounds without your hand or shoulder getting sore. 

The .22 also comes in about every firearm style imaginable.  It can be found in bolt actions, single shots, semi auto rifles, pump actions, lever actions, revolvers, and semi auto pistols.  By practicing with the .22 the fundamentals of shooting can be obtained with your favorite style of gun.  Once you get the basics down of breathing, trigger control, and sight with the .22, switching to a larger caliber gun of the same style you practiced with will be much easier.

Every member of your family that is mentally capable of shooting a gun should be taught the basics.  The ideal cartridge for this is the .22.  While some women may be scared of guns, the .22 is quieter, and as mentioned before their shoulder won’t get sore when learning now to shoot it.  For kids the .22 is also ideal, a father and their child can spend great time together shooting tin cans and also get valuable practice time in.
One last thing about practicing, I would rather own a .22 that I can hit a rabbit running with than a .50 BMG that I could not hit the broad side of a barn with.  Or what good are thousands of rounds of ammo but you can’t place the one round on target that will save your life?  If you are planning on using a firearm when the world goes into chaos make sure you practice weekly with it, because if you don’t the gun you are counting on will let you down due to operator error when you need it the most.

Transportation
You all know when things start to collapse there may be times when your G.O.O.D. plan with have to be put to use.  More than likely it will not be practical to take a whole arsenal of weaponry along.  So which gun will go, and how much ammo can you pack because what good is gun without bullets.  The .22 LR is the ideal caliber of gun to factor into your G.O.O.D. plan.

Ammo takes up less space with the .22.  Compared to 12 gauge shotgun shells you can pack 550 .22 rounds for every 25 shotgun shells.  That is a big difference, you could pack 2,200 rounds of .22 LR in the same space only 100 12 gage shotgun shells would take.  What good will that shotgun do you when it is out of shells? 

There are also several models chambered in .22 that are ideal for packing away in case of an emergency.  Henry makes a [AR-7] survival rifle that breaks down and all of the components fit in the stock, which floats in case it is dropped in water.  Marlin makes the Papoose which breaks down and fits in a small case.  With the Ruger 10/22 folding stocks are available in order to make them more packable.  Don’t forget about the pistols, all of which can easily fit in a holster on your side or in a backpack compartment. The .22 LR is also one of the most popular firearms in the world, so wherever you go there is a lot better chance that you could come across ammo for it than cartridges for other firearms.  The same thing goes for the gun itself, what if your gun breaks beyond repair and you still have thousands of rounds of ammo.  Finding a firearm chambered in .22 LR will be easier than almost any other caliber.

Many Applications
The .22 LR has many applications, in fact it is probably one of the most versatile rounds in the world.  Many guns have specific uses they are intended for.  Take for instance the 9mm, it is a good self defense round but it is impractical in many hunting situations.  Shoot a squirrel in the chest cavity and it will probably blow it apart.  The .22 on the other hand can be useful to take squirrels all the way up to whitetail deer if the shot placement is correct. [However, the hunting regulations in most states prohibit its use for taking big game.] A book by Peter Hathaway Capstick even claims elephants have been taken with the .22 LR.  While there are not many that would try such a feat, the .22 LR is capable of killing any animal in North America.

The .22 can also be used [marginally] for self defense.  There are some that may scoff at this statement, but they wouldn’t volunteer to take two rounds the chest with a .22.  If you have practiced, and you can place your shots correctly then the .22 can [under ideal circumstances] stop an intruder.  Anyone taking two rounds to the chest and one in the head won’t shake that off.  I would rather defend myself with a .22 than a snub nose pistol that I couldn’t hit anything with.

Proven
Who wants to put their lives and their family’s lives in the hands of a piece of equipment that has not stood the test of time?  The .22 LR has stood the test of time, in fact it has been around since 1887.  This cartridge is used in competition, training courses, hunting, and everything in between.  It has proved itself time and time again.  There are more powerful guns out there than the .22, but there are none that are more suited to survival than the .22.
I am lucky to have the gun my great grandfather used when he was a boy during the Great Depression.  My great grandfather’s dad died in an accident 1929, just before things got really hard for people all across the country.  Unable to make enough money my great great grandmother lost her house and was raising her children all on her own.  It was up to her boys to put meat on the table, the only gun they had was a single shot Stevens .22.  The gun is worn out today, it still shoots, but not as well as it did 80 years ago.  Every time I shoot the gun I think of how my great grandfather kept his brothers and sisters alive.  How he killed everything from birds to deer, and how things could be very different for me if they hadn’t owned that gun to provide for them.  While I am not planning on using this same gun to keep my family and I alive when it’s TEOTWAWKI, I am planning on using the same caliber of gun.  It has proven itself.

I hope this has shed some light as to why the .22 is so important to your survival.  I know there are calibers out there that are more powerful, will shoot farther, and are better adapted to specific situations, but there is no caliber that is more universal than the .22 LR.  I can stock more ammo, practice more, transport it easier, [marginally] protect my family, provide food for my kids, and perform more tasks with this caliber than any other.  So head down to your favorite firearm dealer or gun show, buy a .22 and lots of ammo.  Start practicing today, because as I said before, practice now can mean the difference between life and death later.

Letter Re: Finding a Job in Depressed Economy

Good Afternoon, Jim,
What can Christian people do if they have lost their income when the economy crashed in October 2008 and they still have limited funds? I am a professional and the market I serve is in decline. Suggestions? I have applied to hundreds of jobs with no reply. Thanks, – Paul S.

At this point, the prospects for economic “recovery” seem remote, especially with the planned tax increases (January 1, 2011) and the inevitability of higher interest rates.

I recommend that you start your own business, in something recession/depression proof.

Look through the 75+ SurvivalBlog articles in the “Self-Employment & Home-Based Businesses” category, starting with the oldest ones first.

And for some hourly and salaried job possibilities, see my discussion of “Three K” jobs.

Pray hard, and start digging a market niche!

Economics and Investing:

Frequent content contributor KAF flagged this: IRS starts mopping up Congress’s tax-reporting mess. KAF’s comments: “It’s becoming more and more apparent and important for preppers to make all purchase transactions of multiples of items in cash only. Read on…these new laws and IRS regulations are aimed at squelching any competitive incentives for trading with the small businesses of America. As a result, they’ll be thousands of small businesses closing in the next two years. And, this is what the Feds call building employment opportunities?”

Larry T. sent us this: Bank Fix for Unpaid Commercial Property Loans: ‘Extend and Pretend’

N.I.M. spotted another piece in The New York Times claiming that there has been a recovery. N.I.M. facetiously suggested: “I think that it’s safe for you to shut down the blog.”

Tom in Georgia pointed me to a great piece over at Zero Hedge on bank financing of the Federal Reserve. Tom’s comment: “This article has a good explanation of how the Fed may be continuing Quantitative Easing 2.0 while publicly proclaiming that it isn’t. The banks are using their cash reserves received from the Fed to now buy 10 and 30-year T-bills rather than the Fed purchasing them outright. This plausibly explains how the US bond market and equities can rally, while funds experience massive outflows all at the same time. The government Ponzi scheme continues.”

Thanks to S.M. annd J.D.D. for this one: Debt Commission Chiefs Give Gloomy Fiscal Outlook

The latest over at Dr. Housing Bubble: The rich do it too – Los Angeles County and million dollar distressed properties. 1,947 homes in L.A. County valued at $1 million or more are three payments behind or in foreclosure.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader E.B. was the first of several readers to mention this article that has some TEOTWAWKI implications: Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in three-month span.

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F.J. spotted a useful piece on emergency kits for cars.

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B.B. sent this article that shows that the First Amendment and the Second Amendment go hand-in-hand: Federal judge orders Osceola County sheriff to issue gun permit. (And to attend a course on the First Amendment.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The concept most fundamental to long term disaster preparedness, in retreating, is having a safe place to go to avoid the concentrated violence destined to erupt in the cities. When you have a growing apprehensive awareness that the time grows short for you to relocate away from areas of greatest danger, then choose [where you will live] carefully." – Mel Tappan

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 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, and B.) 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 29 ends on July 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.

Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up, by Scott in Wisconsin

If the power grid fails for a weekend, dollar bills will always be accepted.  And I think it’s a good idea to keep at least $500 on hand in your home, in $5 and $10 denominations.  If the stores are open, but their credit card machines are not working, you’ll still be fine.

But what happens if things really fall apart?  It’s easy to imagine a time when cash will no longer be king.

What if an EMP knocks out all our electronic infrastructure?  If you’ve read “One Second After,” you get a feel for how quickly all our technology can go away.  And how useless cash would become almost immediately.

What if hyper-inflation destroys the value of those dollar bills you’ve tucked away?  If we see the kind of inflation that they have today in Mozambique, or that they had in Weimar Germany, that $500 in cash won’t even buy you a breath mint.

What if a virus sweeps the country, and kills millions?  Those who survive may have no interest in your paper dollars, preferring instead to have something they can use.

Suddenly, you may have no choice but to barter for what you need.  But barter is terribly inefficient as a substitute for currency.

How often will the guy with goat you want, need the generator you have to trade?  And how, exactly, will he make “change?”  Most of the time, even when two people each have something the other needs, the two trades won’t be equal in value.  That may well kill a deal.

And how will you buy small items, like a dozen eggs, or a pail of milk, without a good substitute for currency?  You can’t trade a cow for some cheese.

Silver  and gold may step in and function as a true replacement currency.  Historically, people have looked to the precious metals when currencies or governments fail.  So it makes sense to have plenty of Junk Silver coins tucked away.

But you can’t eat silver, or drink silver.  And when you’re hungry or thirsty, it just may turn out that silver will be shunned just like dollars bills, with traders demanding something they can actually use.

I believe that, when dollars stop working, some new, useful items will begin to function as currency – a pseudo-currency, like cigarettes do in prison movies!

And if other items are going to become pseudo-currencies, it would make a great deal of sense to stock up on them now, while they are cheap and readily available.

So how can we determine what people may turn to as a substitute for currency, when the balloon goes up?

First, we need to consider just what makes a good item for trading, so that it can act effectively like a pseudo-currency.  Simply put, it should be like money, but also useful itself.

So it should be small, compact, lightweight, durable, long-lasting, and fairly divisible, like currency.  It can’t be fragile, or need care and upkeep.

It should also be so obviously useful, that someone will take it in trade even if they don’t need it immediately themselves, knowing they can use it, or easily trade it in the future.

And the genuine nature of the item must not be in doubt. (That’s one reason I favor junk silver over small bars.  No one is faking 1958 quarters.)  Such coins need to obviously be “the real thing.”

After looking over what I use regularly, what I have put away for a rainy day, and what I think others will also want and need, I’ve identified the following items as potential pseudo-currency:

32 count Strike-anywhere matchbooks.  I bought 120 boxes for $20. on eBay.  Just $.17 per box.  Fire is life.  The boxes themselves fit nicely in the pocket, and are lightweight.  So handy and useful.  It’s clear at first glance that they are genuine.  For small trades, 2 or 3 individual matches may even be traded, if they are strike-anywhere matches.  Otherwise, you’ll need the box for striking.

Cartridges.  .22 LR is very inexpensive now, but eventually may be hard to get.  I just bought a bunch of 50 round boxes, for $1.65 each, at Dunham Sports.  That’s just 3.4 cents per cartridge.  They should be highly sought after TSHTF for shooting small game, etc.  Like matches, individual rounds may trade for small things, and whole boxes for larger items.  Stock up on the size ammo you use yourself, as well as very common sizes.  I expect shotgun shells will also be very popular, and there are just a few common sizes to choose from.  Even if the worst never comes, you’ll have lots of ammo at 2010 prices, which may seem cheap a few years from now.

Candles.  I bought 144 of the 15-hour unscented white Votive candles for $48, or just $.33 each, at Candledepot.com.   I’ve seen 500 of the 6 hour candles for 20 cents each on eBay.  In either case, these are much smaller and cheaper than the Nuwick 120 hour candles.  (2 cents per hours versus 8 cents per hour).   They fit nicely in your pocket, and are lightweight and durable.  You get light, and can cook with them using several candles under a pan.  Others will want them, when the grid goes down.  If you’re looking for a business after TSHTF, I saw a Votive candle maker on eBay for $1,500.

Calcium Hypochlorite (granular chlorinating powder / pool shock)  1 lb bags cost just $3.50 at inyopools.com and will make roughly 12,000 gallons safe for drinking.   I’ve put away 4 bags.  
1/8 oz of the powder will make a gallon of Chlorine Bleach.  So each 1 pound bag makes about 1,000 pints of Bleach.  Each pint of Bleach will then disinfect 12+ gallons of water.
Pint-size plastic bottles should be very common, and part of your own water storage stash.  As a business, you could sell or trade pints of Chlorine Bleach that you have made with your powder.   A quick whiff of the bleach should convince your customers that it’s genuine.  Your customers can then disinfect 12 gallons of water that they acquire on their own.  You can have a business, and maybe save lives at the same time.

Seeds.  Once things shake out, many people will be anxious to get a garden started.  Seed packets are useful for you to have tucked away, and the perfect size and weight for trading.  And they have a long shelf life if kept cool and dry.  Sealed commercial packets will have instant credibility as being genuine. Plus, they’ll have instructions on the back. Watch for close-out sales after the planting season winds down and stock up on the most popular seeds.  Again, your trade items will make life better for others.

2 cycle motor oil in pre-sized bottles.  When trouble comes, people will have lots of 2 stroke items like Chainsaws that they need to keep running.  They’ll probably be able to find gasoline in small quantities, but a little bottle of oil, just right for 2 gallons of gas, could be very hot for trading.

Rechargeable AA and D batteries.  When the grid fails, people will turn to batteries for lights and small appliances.  And they will quickly go thru the few regular ones they have lying in the drawer.  IF you have a supply of rechargeable batteries, and the solar set-up to re-charge them, and offer to swap Charged batteries for their Discharged batteries, you’ll have a sustainable business.  You charge a high price for their first rechargeable batteries, but then swap charged batteries for discharged batteries at a discount.  Stock up now, and you can keep the neighborhood happy and electrified.

Nails.   When things are unsettled, people will need to work on their shelter and Jerry-rig various contraptions.  Nails will be vital.  Individual nails may trade like individual cartridges or matches.  Wood screws should be stocked as well.  Watch for sales, and buy lots of boxes.  Hit the garage and estate sales too.   While there, pick up non-power tools for your own use.

Thread, straight pins, needles and safety pins.  When Wal-Mart isn’t open to sell you new clothes, sewing will be important.  And that will mean repairing what you’ve got, as well as making new items.  Who will still be making safety pins, when the balloon goes up?  Better to stock up now, and fill that need when it arises. Shop at Dollar stores or Wholesale clubs for bulk pins and thread.  Also watch the garage sales and estate sales.

Cable ties.  Lightweight, and so handy.   When people have to fend more for themselves, cable ties will be very handy.  You can buy a big tube of various size ties, for less than a penny each.  I see them at bargain prices at flea markets, but test a few out, to be sure they actually work!

Candy Bars and Cigarettes.  This one is tricky, since they have a shorter shelf-life than the aforementioned items, and are a more fragile.  Still, they are so desirable, that they will be traded, I believe.  If you have the skills and supplies to produce candies from raw ingredients, or can roll cigarettes, you should have an ongoing business.

These are just the things that come immediately to mind when I try to think of items that would work as currency, when dollars no longer work.

Look over what you use regularly, identify the small reusable ones,  and see if they meet the requirements of a Pseudo-currency.  Then stock up on them while they are available, and inexpensive.  If the worst never comes, you can always use them yourself.