Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Amateurs talk about strategy, dilettantes talk about tactics, but professionals talk about logistics." – Attributed to various American military officers, but most frequently to General Omar Bradley



Mexican Flu Update

Cheryl wrote to mention an article that described using Vitamin D to prevent a cytokine storm The dose is 2,000 units of Vitamin D per kilogram (1 kg = 2.2046 pounds), once per day. Thus, for an average 150 lb. adult, the dose would be would be 136,060 units of Vitamin D. This is to be taken for three days. (I.U. Equivalence: 50,000 units = 1.25 mg) My Strong Proviso: The usual fat soluble vitamin (KADE) warnings apply. Don’t over-do a good thing. You should discuss vitamin D testing and replacement with your physician before acting on that doctor’s recommendations! Vitamin D supplement limits vary depending on body weight, diet, and exposure to the sun.

Today’s flu headlines:

WHO pandemic threat level raised to 5 out of 6

New Flu Strain is a Genetic Mix

First US Swine Flu Death, Cases Now in 10 States

France urges Mexican flight ban

Cuba Halts Mexico Travel (First Country to Do So)


Pandemic Risk Grows as New Cases Emerge
US cases now at 64, Mexico 152 dead, over 2,000 infected

US Flu Deaths Seem Likely as Outbreak Spreads


Scary Advertisements From 1976 Flu Outbreak
Today they tell us to stay calm

Mexico City Mayor: One more death, toll stabilizing



Letter Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten Intolerance

Hi Jim,
I wonder how many other preppers out there have the same issue we just discovered. My wife has always had trouble with her digestive tract. Recently we discovered that she is has Coeliac’s disease which means she is gluten intolerant. She can no longer eat gluten which it seems is in just about every type of prepared food. It comes from Wheat and is obviously in anything that has wheat in it, but it is also in lots of other things including vitamins, tomato paste, some candies, etc. It has been quite an adjustment for us!

This makes it difficult for us to store wheat as she cannot eat it. The rest of us can, but it is hard to have lots of wheat based meals that part of the family cannot eat. So, does anyone else out there have any experience storing wheat substitutes or will we have to stock up more on rice and beans instead?

Best Regards, – Tim P.

JWR Replies: This topic has been raised before in SurvivalBlog, but because Celiac Disease (aka gluten-sensitive enteropathy) is so commonplace, it is worthwhile to discuss it further.

The good news is that because gluten-sensitive enteropathy is so common, there are a wide range of gluten-free foods on the market, and their are a wealth of gluten-free recipes available online. The book Gluten-Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern is an excellent resource. Needless to say, to start, you will need to adjust your food storage program to have a much higher ratio of corn and rice rather than wheat, to accommodate having some family members that are gluten intolerant.

So that you don’t get totally bored with eating rice and beans, look into the non-gluten “grains” available, such as Quinoa. Another possibility is Spelt. However, I should note that some allergy doctors contend that Spelt is too closely related to wheat for it to be trusted as a celiac replacement grain. Both of these grains are available in bulk from Internet vendors such as Walton Feed for much less that you’d pay at your local health food store.

The Lengthy List of Aliases

Gluten is found in the following: malt flavoring (from barley), hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, caramel coloring (non US made), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (non-US made), dextrins (especially vitamins and medications), wheat starch and the big catch-all “natural flavors”. These could be anything, so you need to ask the manufacturer, and even then they may not be able to tell you with certainty whether of not they are gluten-based. Of these, MSG is the most difficult to identify because it is now pervasive in prepared foods, and can hidden under a profusion of aliases. These deceptive labeling practices have been flagged by the FDA. According to the book Battling the MSG Myth , some MSG synonyms include: Calcium Caseinate, Sodium Caseinate, Gelatin, Hydrolyzed Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Textured Protein, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Monopotassium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) Yeast Extract, Glutamate Autolyzed Plant Protein Yeast food, Yeast Nutrient, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast, Vegetable Protein Extract, Senomyx (a wheat extract that is often just labeled as “artificial flavor”), Calcium Diglutamate, Monoammonium Glutamate, Magnesium Diglutamate, and others! Beware of any ingredient that includes the words Hydrolyzed or Autolyzed. Similarly, beware of: Malted Barley Flour, Malt Extract, Soy Protein, Wheat Protein, Whey Protein, Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Corn Syrup, and Dextrose.



Letter Re: Home and Ranch Methane Gas Generators

Jim:

I saw the following post concerning Gober (“dung”) gas, dated 27 April, 2009, over at Michael Yon’s web site:.

“During breaks from tracking training – I was sweating like crazy in the jungle heat – I asked many questions about Afghanistan and Nepal, and he talked about a simple way to make many of the Afghans lives easier. Most Afghans don’t even have electricity. When he was about fifteen years-old, his dad installed a “Gobar Gas” (methane) generator next to the house in Nepal. The generator is simple: the owner just collects human and animal waste, and through a fantastically simple process, the contraption creates methane, which is then used for lighting, cooking, heating in the winter. It also creates excellent fertilizer, all while improving sanitation. What’s the catch? None that I’ve heard of. He said that his dad made the first Gobar Gas system in his village, and today it would costs maybe $300 total investment. Between their own toilet and four cows, they create enough methane to cook, heat and light the house. More than two decades after his dad made it, the thing is still working and doesn’t cost a single rupee to operate. When the other villagers saw it work, hundreds of Gobar Gas systems popped up around the village. I’ve seen these systems in use in Nepal, and photographed one about five years ago. It worked like a charm. But this Nepalese man, a British soldier, never saw a Gobar Gas system in Afghanistan, but he is certain that the idea would take hold in the villages. My guess is that the only real disadvantage is that the idea is incredibly effective, simple and cheap, and so we probably wouldn’t want to get involved.”

Wikipedia has an entry on Gober Gas.

Regards, – Larry

JWR Replies: The usual safety (for piped explosive gasses) rules apply, and of course the usual sanitation rules must be enforced, but this looks like a great set-up for anyone that keeps livestock. Aunty Entity would be proud.



Two Letters Re: My Experiment with a Field Gear Invention

Hello, Mr Rawles,
I´m writing to you in response to Mike B´s letter “My Experiment with a Field Gear Invention.”

Halfway´ through the second paragraph I began to smile since I instantly recognized the item he was writing about. How different outdoor culture can be from country to country. In Sweden this is called “sittunderlägg” and is somewhat of an household item among outdoors people. However, I would like to add some tips about the manufacture of the same. In Sweden they are made of closed foam, the same material as in the cheap camping mattresses. This has several advantages. First it´s cheap. A car mat can supply material for maybe one or two but a six foot mattress can be cut up to comfortably sit five or six people. Seeing both can be had for ten dollars or less the camping mattress saves some money, Secondly, weight. This I have not tested but I can´t imagine that car mats are lighter per square inch. Third and most importantly, closed foam insulates from cold. A car mat seat may be all right during summer treks but if you have to bug out in low or even sub-zero temperatures you would want to sit down without losing precious body heat.

As always, thanks for a great blog! – D. from Sweden (Editor of Att Leva Efter 2012)

Jim,
The “Posterior Flap” described by Mike is popular among skiers, who use it to stay dry and warm while sitting on the ski lift. I believe some ski pants have the flap built in. There are also commercial “belt mounted” flaps available; so it may not be necessary to build your own unless you have unique requirements:



Economics and Investing:

From reader GC: Economy Shrinks at 6.1 Percent Pace in First Quarter

Unemployment Up Again in Chicago In March, But Many Cities Fare Much Worse (thanks to Ray L. for the link)

Linked at The Drudge Report: Phoenix leads nation in home price declines in February (Down 51%!)

Commentary from Michael Pento: It’s Stagflation, Not Hyperinflation-For Now

Items from The Economatrix:

Government, Chrysler Lenders Reportedly Reach Deal to Avert Bankruptcy

Shares of BofA, Citi Drop on Stress Test Concerns

GM to Force Over 1,000 Dealers to Close


China Admits to Building Up Gold Stockpile

Small Caps Rally, Lifting Stocks



Odds ‘n Sods:


America’s Most Dangerous Cities

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The Scientific American asks: Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization? (Hat tip to KAF for the link.)

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Frank S. sent us: When Did Your County’s Jobs Disappear? An interactive map of vanishing employment across the country.

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I just noticed that Wiggy’s is continuing their 25% Off Sale for their sleeping bags. Their FTRSS sleeping bags are fabulous. When I was having back problems, I gave my FTRSS the equivalent of three lifetimes worth of use, and it performed flawlessly. Wiggy’s bags are warm, tremendously durable, and American made!



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“For a Westerner to trash Western culture is like criticizing our nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere on the grounds that it sometimes gets windy, and besides, Jupiter’s is much prettier. You may not realize its advantages until you’re trying to breathe liquid methane.” – Neal Stephenson



Notes from JWR:

The Tennessean newspaper (published in Nashville), recently featured an article about my novel: Survivalist author has end in sight

Amazon.com is now so backed up on orders for “Patriots” , that they have sent e-mails to customers, asking if they want to cancel their orders or hang on until perhaps mid-June for shipment. (If you do cancel, and then re-order at the new lower cover price ($8.97), be advised that you probably won’t get your copies until late June.) My publisher tells me that there are now 40,000 copies in print, but it may take a couple of weeks to get them though the supply chain to customers. Amazon.com has now ordered almost 14,000 copies. Other large orders have recently been placed by Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Costco. Thanks for making the book such a huge success, and thanks also for your patience!

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!
Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing

Round 22 ends on May 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.



Mexican Flu Update

It has been reported that the incubation period for the Mexican Swine Flu is 4-to-5 days, and perhaps as long as 10 days in children. That’s the “hot” period when someone infected is shedding the virus. This is bad news for epidemiologists. With modern air travel, this means that there is probably no stopping the flu from making it to the far reaches of the globe. So now, all that we can do is wait, watch, and pray that it doesn’t mutate into a more lethal strain. Barring that, my guesstimate is that it will be every country with a couple of months. The crucial time will be next winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is now Fall in the Southern Hemisphere, so their upcoming flu season might give us a preview of what will happen up here, next year. Are you ready to hunker down when the flu hits your town?

Here are today’s flu headlines:

The Government’s Forecast if Flu Problem Explodes: Two Million Americans Die “Ninety million citizens would get sick. The economy would shut down.”

DHS Sets Guidelines For Possible Swine Flu Quarantines

Official: US Flu Victims May Be Infecting Others Confirmed cases in Asia Pacific and New Zealand

Schumer Bragged About Cutting Pandemic Funding (Well, now we are all in Deep Schumer.)

Swine Flu More Dangerous than Bird Flu

Why Does the Swine Flu Kill Healthy People?

WHO Revises Scale For Pandemic Alerts

Mexican Reports: Flu Much Worse Than Reported “The truth is that anti-viral treatments and vaccines are not expected to have any effect, even at high doses. It is a great fear among the staff. The infection risk is very high among the doctors and health staff. There is a sense of chaos in the other hospitals and we do not know what to do. Staff are starting to leave and many are opting to retire or apply for holidays. The truth is that mortality is even higher than what is being reported by the authorities, at least in the hospital where I work it. It is killing three to four patients daily, and it has been going on for more than three weeks.” – Dr. Antonio Chavez

Two Swine Flu Cases Confirmed in Scotland

Swine Flu Boosts Demand For Face Masks, Antivirals

Swine Flu Warning Raised as Virus Crosses Continents Now at Level 4. Could become Level 5 in the next few days.

Washingtonians Prepare for Swine Flu

Flu: Worst Case Scenario

Swine Flu Epidemic Enters Dangerous New Phase “The virus poses a potentially grave new threat to the U.S. economy, which was showing tentative early signs of a recovery. A widespread outbreak could batter tourism, food and transportation industries, deepening the recession in the U.S. and possibly worldwide.”

40 Cases of Swine Flu in US to Date (No Deaths)

WHO Confirms Pandemic Alert Level Raised to Level 4

Swine Flu Cases Around the World

Swine Flu Fears Close Schools in CA, TX, NY

Americans Told to Wear Masks as Swine Flu Spreads Around the World



My Experience with a Field Gear Invention, by Mike B.

I would like to share with everyone something I have in my Bug out Bag (BOB) that I have yet to see mentioned in any post or forum on the subject. I stole the idea fair and square from survival expert Les Stroud (of Survivorman television series fame) and modified it to suit my needs and budget. This simple addition weighs very little, costs very little, and makes so much sense I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it for so many years.

In Les’s treks through the Canadian wilderness, he would often be seen wearing what looked like a tail. What Les had was a waterproof ‘flap’ that hung off of his belt which he tucked underneath his backside whenever he wanted to sit down. What this allowed him to do was sit on any wet fallen tree, rock or anything else that was hard but damp. While he was dressed in layers with his outer layer being water proof, Les regularly removed layers to avoid sweating. The effect was always having a dry place to sit, rest, or work.

Without any details on the construction, I looked around for a suitable alternative which would perform the same function and still be affordable on my budget. My answer was a common, everyday car floor mat. A simple, rectangular rubber mat with ‘carpet’ on the top was all I needed. Both the rubber and the carpet are extremely durable materials.

For a few dollars new and even less if you get one from the junk yard or ‘you-pull-it’ lot, all you need to do is poke a few holes along one of the short ends and tie it around your waist or through a few belt loops. The rubber underside is waterproof while the carpet side affords some level of comfort and warmth. This will not feel like your lazy-boy, but if you have ever had your shorts ride up on you because some part of them has soaked through, then this will be a welcome, light, and cheap luxury.

My original design was a rectangular mat that I picked up from Wal-Mart for about $10. I poked four holes along one of the short edges and wove a small rope through each hole so that the majority of the rope was behind the mat and not against my back. Unfortunately, this arrangement did not work out well because the mat was too small. The mat was designed for the back seat floor boards. I did not correctly account for the length of the L-shaped that would form between my lower back and the beginnings of the back of my legs.

My current version was more difficult to find: A longer rectangular mat that was designed to be used for the front seat floor boards. I was able to find it at K-Mart. (Nothing succeeds like success so it doesn’t matter where it comes from as long as it works.) I also replaced the rope with a ribbon style belt. Instead of cutting holes in the mat, I cut four slits and wove the belt through the slits. This keeps the mat closer to my body, is easier to put on and take off, and is generally more comfortable. Now the mat reaches from my lower back to just below my lower legs. This is more than enough length to give me a large footprint to sit on if a log or rock is especially large. The shorter version one only worked when the diameter of the log was small or the rock was about the same size as my backside. The new version lets me sit down in wet grass and leaves to rest or to sit on the bumper of my dew-covered car to adjust my boots.

You will need to size the mat for your height and the size of your backside and length of your legs. Remember to check that the mat will bend into an L- or Z-shape. You can get away with an irregularly shaped mat if you would like, I just thought that a rectangle would give the most coverage for the least amount of weight. An irregular mat may give you more dry space to put things down next to you.

The mat may tap you in the back of the legs as you walk (especially when walking up or down hill). You will either need to get use to that or, after attaching it around your waist, roll the map up and put a rubber band on one or both ends. The rubber bands allow for a quick unrolling before sitting. However, if you roll the mat up after you have used it, you may transfer some moisture to the carpeted side Personally, I just got use to it tapping me in the back of legs. Given the movement of my pack while I walk, it is hardly noticeable.



Letter Re: Bike Frame-Mounted DC Power Generators

James,
Just a follow-up to the question about bicycle power: If you do a Google search on the phrase “bicycle power generator” then several interesting options come up. One is a web site that offers free plans.

JWR Replies: Just keep in mind that every hour spent trudging away on a bike frame generator is an hour that you could also use doing something else productive. Dollar for dollar and hour for hour, photovoltaic panels are the way to go–they make power every day with minimal maintenance. I consider bike-frame mounted generators fairly specialized devices for peculiar circumstances, such as when someone is cooped up in a fallout shelter. My general advice is: Yes, go ahead and build one, but make it readily adaptable to multiple purposes, by using perforated box beam construction for the back half. This is similar to the construction method often used for hobby-built electric go-carts and similar projects. With perforated steel box beams, you will minimize the amount of welding needed to fairly quickly reconfigure the back half. For example, you could attach various pulleys and V-belts that can in turn be attached to a Country Living grain mill, a meat grinder, or a metal grinding/sharpening wheel.



Letter Re: Another “Patriots” Book Sighting

Hi Jim,
I hope all is well with you and your family. I just want to let you know that I spotted a copy of “Patriots” today in an unexpected place. My April issue of Christianity Today arrived and on page 42 is an article about Pastor Doug Wilson. On that page there is a picture of him standing in front of a large bookshelf filled with books. I noticed right in the middle is a copy of “Patriots” on the bookshelf. – Nick in Indy

JWR Replies:
You just made my day. I have been a fan of Doug Wilson’s writings for many years. He is the editor of Credenda Agenda–an excellent magazine on Christian apologetics from a Reformed perspective. Wilson pastors Christ Church, that meets in Moscow, Idaho. Since my novel is set in the Moscow region, this probably explains why he has a copy.



Economics and Investing:

From G.L: US Housing Market Heading for a Bigger Crash

Ted spotted this: US Home Prices Fall, But Pace of Decline Eased Slightly

Courtesy of Lee H.: Falsifying Bank Balance Sheets

Items from The Economatrix:

Oil Drops Below $50 on Flu Fears

The Economy Looks Beyond The Recession to Disease and Terrorism Two key quotes: “The stock market responded with a shudder yesterday but at least did not collapse in response to the weekend media blitz about the Swine Flu outbreak. The reaction of the world’s markets is likely to be close to panic if this disease becomes widespread and lethal.” and, ” …what else [could] a weak economy could survive. There is an answer and it is that the economy can’t take much more.”

Flu Stock Index Continues to Move Up

Gulfstream, Cessna Sales to Slide 50% Next Two Years as CEOs Shun Jets

US Consumer Confidence Rises in April

Review of US Economic Data for 4/28/09


JP Morgan Collapse Could Trigger Next Global Stock Market Crash
” …the probability of another stock market crash within the foreseeable future is very high. The word “crash” is used advisedly. Since early March 2009, the industrial equity markets have been rising on misplaced hope. When that hope is dashed – as looks highly probable – the consequence is likely to be a wave of selling pressure given that the credibility of the financial authorities will have been shattered.”

Fed Using Currency Swaps to Boost US Dollar

ETF Chart Trend Comparisons

TARP Cop Sees Unstressful Bank Tests “The adverse scenario used to test the health of the 19 largest U.S. banks is “disturbingly close” to current economic conditions, sparking a concern that there might need to be a second “stress test,” a U.S. financial bailout fund watchdog said…”

Is “Possible Pandemic” A Diversion From The Economic Crisis?

20% of Asia Hedge Funds Closed Since January, 2008

Japan Facing Worse Economic Outlook Ever

Dying GM to Cut 21,000 Factory Jobs, Pontiac is History

The Chinese Yuan Goes Global



Odds ‘n Sods:

“Hoss” spotted this video segment: Ozark Mountain man’s ‘survival garden’ gains worldwide attention. Len Pense shows the SurvivalBlogger mentality, in action.

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Craig W. sent us a link to a Biogas generator demonstration. OBTW, unless you want to remove your chromosomes from the gene pool, never squirt lighter fluid from a can or bottle onto an active ignition source, as he does in this video!

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Reader HK sent us this article from a clever gardener up in Alaska: How does your garden grow? Former Iowa resident presents a different way to plant veggies

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Break out the ice skates! From Modern Maximum back to Maunder Minimum Sunspot Levels?