Living Like TEOTWAWKI Could Come at Any Time, by Mrs. C.J.

If you even so much as glance at the news or if you’re like me and check out The Drudge Report every morning, you can’t help but realize the world is becoming more and more uncertain. It seems that anything could happen at the drop of a hat and without little, if any, fore-warning. Volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods seem to be changing or taking the lives of unsuspecting people almost daily. The threat of nuclear warfare is always just beyond the horizon. If we ever experience an EMP, we could be without power and [utility-supplied] water for months. Most of western civilization isn’t nearly prepared for something like that!

My family and I don’t live in fear, though, because we take comfort in God’s word which tells us to not to fear or be anxious about anything. However, He also tells us to have understanding of the times we live in. My family and I live day to day with an awareness in the back of our minds that we’re living in uncertain times and need to be diligently prepared for anything that might happen. For my family, preparedness is a part of our daily lives. I’ve noticed over the last few years that the more we practice living prepared lives, the more naturally it comes.

PREPARED FOR EVACUATION
My hubby and I keep two large green totes in the back of our van at all times. We packed these totes (which we got at a local hardware store) with MREs, cases of bottled water, a large first aid kit, hand sanitizers, blankets, tools, and other things that might be necessary if we have to leave at a moments notice or, if for some reason, we just won’t be able to go home because of an unforeseen emergency.

We always keep “to-go” bags packed, too. We have four young children (twin girls who are six years old, a daughter who is five years old, and a little boy who is two years old.). Needless to say, things need to be as prepared as possible when there are such young children in the picture. The girls have one bag with numerous articles of clothing. My son’s bag is simply his huge diaper bag which has been fully stocked since the day he was born. We also keep small totes filled with clothing that we could easily throw into the van at a moment’s notice. My own personal bag contains a few days worth of clothing along with weeks’ worth of toiletry items for the whole family (those handy to-go toothbrushes with the toothpaste already in them, single use Clorox wipes, soaps, etc.) These bags don’t just sit around in a closet forgotten. We use them often and keep them “updated.” They come in handy when my hubby and I decide to take a getaway to a hotel or camping trip while the kids stay the night with Grandma. We can make plans with minimal notice and everything’s all ready to go.

PREPARED FOR POWER/WATER OUTAGES
Two years ago, we had a power and water outage that lasted five hours. The kids were already in bed but the sudden pitch-blackness woke them up and they started crying. We let them get out of bed to play with flashlights and glow sticks for an extra hour. We gave them a small LED light to use as a nightlight. Thankfully, everything was right where it was supposed to be and we had everything we needed. Once they got used to the power outage, the kids went peacefully back to bed.

While it’s hard to imagine living without power or water for weeks or months at a time, I have to admit that a short power outage can be a bit of an adventure. It’s also a learning experience. Let me pass along one interesting tip I learned during our “adventure.” By the time my hubby and I had put the kids back to bed, we were getting thirsty. It was August in the southwestern desert and the house was beginning to get a little warm. I was only too excited to use some of the bottled water from one of our emergency totes in the garage. I opened my bottle and took a nice big gulp before rushing to the sink to spit out what was left in my mouth! The water, which had been stored with candles for about two years, tasted distinctly of Glade Vanilla. I’m not sure if it was dangerous to ingest but it sure tasted like it! Note to the reader: never store bottled water with scented candles!

Besides candles and bottled water, it’s also a good idea to have some good, old-fashioned items handy. Do you have a washer-board and a clothesline? You just might need that. Do you have a battery-operated or wind-up radio in the house? You just might need that, too. Do you have a water filter? Do you have a dehydrator? Use them now! Use all of these things now. Especially if you have kids, using these things can go hand in hand with a history lesson and can be just plain ol’ fun and interesting.

PREPARED TO LIVE OFF THE LAND
Just this year, we began growing our own fruits and vegetables in our backyard. We don’t have as much yet as I would like, but it will help supplement our food stores. I home school my children and based an entire month long curriculum on gardening and cultivating our own food. The children love it and it’s helping to prepare us for anything from inflation to a deflated or non-existent marketplace. My two year old son was incredibly excited when he got to pick his own blueberry from one of our bushes and eat it. Besides being a good preparation for a future catastrophe, gardening is daily rewarding (especially if you live in a warmer climate where you can grow food year round). It is also possible to turn one of your rooms into a greenhouse. I don’t know much about that myself since it’s always so warm here, but that might be worth looking into if you live in a colder climate.

PREPARED FOR INTENSE FRUGALITY
Since my four children were born (the first 2, six years ago), I haven’t spent more than a few hundred dollars on clothes for them and those few hundred dollars were spent on holidays and birthdays. I swap for everything. I very rarely buy anything new and no, we don’t run around looking like vagabonds wearing someone else’s cast-off clothing. I don’t have to do this but since I do, I can spend the money I save on more important things. Certain friends brag about the good deals they get at garage sales. I get just as many things as they do but don’t spend nearly the money! Once in awhile, I pay a small postage cost to mail something to someone, but often I’m getting something for nothing at all but my time. I can use those extra funds to store up canned food and other necessities. I can invest in charities and my church, storing up treasures in Heaven where there is no rust or moths to destroy. Because frugality is already so much a part of my life, I’ll be more able to adapt to a lifestyle of bartering and trading if TEOTWAWKI ever comes.

PREPARED TO LEARN
I think most people reading this blog are prepared to learn, considering the wealth of useful information on this web site alone. There could come a time, though, when the Internet might not be accessible for weeks, months, or even years at a time. You might not be able to call friends for help. You might not even feel that it’s safe enough to venture out of your house. You need your own special survival bookshelf to go to in case of an emergency. Even a very well-prepared and knowledgeable survivalist may not know how to create a solar still, or remember which mushrooms are edible off the top of his head. Books like the SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman are a necessity in case of TEOTWAWKI. Cookbooks like “Food at the Time of the Bible” tell you how to prepare, store, and trade food like they did back in the day. These are just a few references I want to always have near, but there’s such a wealth of good survival books out there! Build up your library now, while times are good (enough) and bookstores are easily accessible. Someday, they might not be.

PREPARED TO SING
Maybe it can be like that old REM song: “It’s the End of the World as We Know it and I Feel Fine.” I’m being a little facetious; I don’t know how fine I’ll feel if and when TEOTWAWKI really happens. I hope I will be able to sing. Singing brings joy when there is none, peace when it seems distant, and comfort in uncertainty. In any case, there is quite a measure of comfort in knowing that you’re living as prepared as is practical for you and your family. Living this way is rewarding in itself even if that day never comes. For me, living diligently prepared, having things ready, acting frugal, practicing for unexpected changes to life’s plans, and gardening makes each day richer.

Two Letters Re: Precious Metals Buying Tips

JWR:
When I first started investing in precious metals, I was very unsure of how to do it. My first problem was to find a place that sold them. That is no mean feat in Canada.

Naturally my first response was to buy paper metals. As an investment, these were cheaper and more convenient to buy and sell than taking physical possession. When I decided that it was important to take physical possession, I was faced with the problem, how do I buy an ounce of gold without getting burned by fluctuating prices. For the last five years, I have been using a combination of paper and physical that seems to work pretty well.

Jeff’s Gold Lay-Away Plan:

1. I ended up using Kitco as my precious metals provider. They are a Canadian company (no cross-border issues for me), and they offer both paper and physical [precious metals]
2. Every month, I write a cheque for the same amount of money and send it to my provider. They put the amount on my account.
3. I order the most paper gold that I can. My provider tracks the paper to four decimal places of an ounce. Some people will recognize this as dollar cost averaging.
4. Eventually, I have a full ounce of gold in the account. At this point, I sell the paper, and use the funds to buy the physical and have it shipped to me.

This has several benefits:

1. In the event of the company going belly up, I never have more than an ounce of gold at risk.
2. I am regularly saving. It doesn’t hurt to put a little away every month.
3. By buying regularly in small amounts, I don’t get burned by regular fluctuations. I buy less when it is more expensive, and I buy more when it is less expensive (dollar cost averaging)
4. In the event of the price of gold going steadily up, I am not sitting around with a bunch of dollars, watching the gold become less attainable.

This worked for me, and I think the general principal is a sound way of going about it. Naturally, there is plenty of room for refinement depending on your situation.

One little refinement I have involves silver. Really, when I send the cheque, I put half toward gold and half toward silver. Silver is expensive to ship because you get so many more pounds per dollar. To reduce shipping costs, I wait until I have an ounce of gold, and then I cash in both my gold and silver. This meant that I am getting less frequent shipments, but also less expensive (dollars to pounds). – Jeff C.

 

Hi Mr. Rawles,
FYI, I bought (back-ordered) a half bag of junk silver (about 26 pounds) on Friday, May 21st ($500 face = approximately $6,500. That is 75 cents per ounce over the spot price of silver). It’s cheap now like you said, especially in relation to gold’s premium ($1,178 spot, $1,272 Am. Eagle 1 oz., on Kitco, and over $1,325 in coin stores)

The owner is an honest, mellow, like minded guy I’ve been buying from for many years. A good man. He said he’s been talking over the last 15 years to a family friend, a $2m/yr stock broker. The guy always said gold was old fashioned, just a relic left over for “survivalists like those nuts that run up into the mountains”. This week the guy called him and said, “buy me $100,000 in gold. I’ll mail you the check.” My guess – Now he just wants to protect his wealth from the fiat erosion.

It’s a very small store that’s doing $50,000 to $250,000 per day, six days a week! Business is up several times over last year.

He had just two gold coins (other than numismatic) left in the store for over the counter sale, they sold while I was there. Most sales are back-ordered.

Silver eagles are advertised on Kitco at $3 over spot, ($17.66 = $20.72/oz, a 17% premium). But can you get them? The coins he can get are about $22. (about $5/oz. over spot). I saw a man take deliver of 100 of them while I was there. Clearly, junk (pre-’65) and bullion (as in silver rounds and 100 oz. bars) are the bargain. Still, people that won’t or can’t buy gold seem to like those Silver Eagles.

According to this coin merchant bottom line- it’s concern, not fear or greed. he’s “seeing folks that (I) never saw before, lots of them, buying one or two coins at a time.” (that means they’re paying tax). “They say they’ll never sell them, won’t even watch the price – they want to save for their kids and grandkids. They just don’t trust the dollar.”

Thank you for you efforts sir. God bless, and keep you safe, – G2

Letter Re: Some Gardening Comments from a Northern Gardener

As a gardener of over 30 years, I garden for the most produce from my limited garden spaces. I can tomatoes, salsa, beans, relishes, corn, applesauce, pickles, etc. At this point in time I have no illusions that I could feed our family of four on our gardens. I’ve been growing what we like to eat versus what will give us the best nutrition and can sustain us year round. The SurvivalBlog site has been a wonderful wealth of information and the books they recommend have enhanced my gardening knowledge in ways that lead to being self-sustaining. I’ve used the list of books on the web site to check them out at the library, skim or read thru them, and then purchase what I feel I need to keep on hand. Many garden books will cover similar materials. Here is a list of my newest favorites:

The Plant Propagator’s Bible by Miranda Smith (ISBN 1-59486-448-9). Did you know you can work with hybrids to either develop them or breed back from them to develop an open-pollinated cultivar? It takes time and effort but I’m glad it is possible. I personally prefer certain hybrids because they yield much better and survive much better. Maybe keeping seed from both your favorite hybrids and some non-hybrids is a better plan. Many hybrids cost much less.

This book also shows many types of propagation techniques and which methods work best for specific plants. It has inspired me to try grafting some Japanese plums onto existing native wild plum stock!

Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel (ISBN 978-0-88266-703-4) our basement is to warm to keep vegetables in good condition all the way to spring. I will have a better basement root cellar by this fall and this book has various options that can work. Last year, we stored apples in our shop in two ways, inside a refrigerator and in a big cart surrounded by big Styrofoam blocks and covered with blankets and a tarp. We had some intermittent heat when we used the shop for repairs. The fridge failed because the apples froze at -30 degrees outside. We spent two weeks making applesauce with the others the end of January. They didn’t freeze and they didn’t spoil. We give thanks for the ideas in this book!

The The Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman. I live in a gardening Zone 4 and never even thought about growing anything in the winter. The Coleman’s book shows how they grow year round in a Zone 5 with unheated greenhouses and/or cold frames. I am really excited about this opportunity as we have a small greenhouse. Some of the varieties grown are new to me, but we will be trying them.

The Farmer’s Wife Guide To Growing A Great Garden And Eating From It, Too!by Barbara Doyen (ISBN 0-87131-974-8) She gives good information on growing, storing, freezing, and cooking for 30 vegetables. There are over 200 recipes included. I hate growing something and then not finding a way to use it or share it with others.

For pure inspiration, This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow. (ISBN 1-931498-24-5). Joan and her husband lived self-sustaining and they share their story, recipes, and tips that will save you countless hours of back-braking work. It also showed me that I need to prepare in other ways than just in growing my own food. A garden failure should always be in the back of our minds.

Everyone should have the book Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth, as suggested by SurvivalBlog, to learn to grow, find and collect seed. Label and date all seed collected! Even if you can’t read it right now; have it for reference.

Our gardens feed us well from July to October. Our fresh garden surplus stores until about January. The garden canned and dried goods last until about June or July. We have four in our family and a pint of applesauce works for a side dish for one meal. I guess my point is that providing a majority of your food from your garden is very hard work and takes planning. The Root Cellaring book tells you when to plant certain vegetables so they will store longer-you don’t just plant everything over Memorial Day weekend. I know how to produce massive amounts of food; for a short period of time. Keeping it and using it efficiently, not so much! (Hint: a compost pile helps gardeners deal with the guilt of growing something and having it go to waste!). I’ve always given lots away and will continue to do that. I am changing what I grow, from just favorite food to more storable food. This also means cooking new produce and in new ways that my family will enjoy. One resource for storing and cooking is Jackie Clay. She is a writer for Backwoods Home magazine and her article archive has some wonderful canning tips. Everything of hers that I’ve read is very practical; safety minded, and useful; especially her cookbook/canning book.

The field guides about wild edible plants are another reference that have been mentioned in previous articles and should be on everyone’s bookshelves. Even if you live in a very barren environment, there are plants you can eat—but you need to know how to identify plants and what is safe to eat. If nothing else, pick out 5-10 plants in the guide that grow in your area and become very familiar with them. If you have children, give them a summer assignment to identify these plants until they are proficient at finding them. With your supervision, make meals or meal additions with these plants and serve them several times a week. You’ll save on groceries and be giving everyone life skills. (Be sure any collected plants are from good locations as ditch banks, edges of fields and roadsides are often sprayed with herbicides. And of course get permission if it’s not your property!)

I suggest as you read and research, do not overlook experienced gardeners and farmers, and your own grandparents. Ask them what they ate in the 1930s. It may surprise you! Start growing now, when inputs are readily available and tools can help. Better to start now, even if you fail; and learn to improve.

Seed viability is important to know. It doesn’t always follow what the seed catalogs say.

Maybe they want to sell more seed! An example: I had an old pack of Jalapeno Pepper seeds that had a few left in it. It was from 1995. I planted them and ½ of them grew. Some seed will not keep even until the next year. This gives me hope as God will provide for us and if we start out with good seed, we can expect a harvest. He will multiply it and we can bless those around us. Thank you Jim for your web site and knowledge, it is all good seed. – Jack G.

Economics and Investing:

K.S. suggested this article by Chris Blasi: Is Your IRA or 401K a Target of Government Appropriation?

British Expert: Great Depression II is Possible. (Thanks to Steve C. for the link.)

Reader Brian B. sent us this: California pension fund asks state for additional $600 Million.

Thanks to Sue C. for spotting this: Crisis in Europe raises ‘double-dip’ recession worries

Items from The Economatrix:

Chrysler Adds 1,100 Jobs At Detroit Jeep Plant

Even A Trillion Can’t Save The Euro

City Fears “Great Depression Mark II”

German Finance Minister: Markets Out Of Control

Loan Demand to Buy US Homes Sinks to 13-Year Low

Sears and K-Mart To Offer Cash-For-Gold Service.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Dan V. mentioned that a scanned copy of the scarce Operation and Maintenance Manual for the AN/PSR-1A Intrusion Detecting Set (TM-04074B-15) is now available online. You can find it linked near the bottom of this page.

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RBS spotted this: Why Snakebites Are About to Get a Lot More Deadly – Cost of Antivenom Production Creates Shortages

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Jack T. sent us a link to some good reporting from C.J. Chivers of The New York Times: A Firsthand Look at Firefights in Marja. It is refreshing to hear from a mainstream reporter that understands firearms. (Most of them don’t.) Jack had this comment: “[I]f the shooter did indeed have a bolt action rifle as suggested, and apparently commanded a good deal of respect, imagine what he could have done with a real battle rifle like the FAL which you so highly recommend.”

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Greg S. wrote to mention that he just purchased the Imperial Berkey water filter with two Black Berkey elements from Directive21.com for $225 (normally $305). It was a “scratch and dent” sale item. (There was a dent on the lid.) Greg reports that the company has just a few more of them available in the special “scratch and dent” sale. Call this number directly to order, since they are not listed on their web page: (877) 886-3653.

Notes from JWR:

We are rapidly approaching the milestone of 20,000,000 unique visits to SurvivalBlog. Our readership is still steadily growing. Many thanks for spreading the word. If you haven’t done so already, please mention SurvivalBlog to your friends, co-workers, and members of your congregation.

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Today we present another entry for Round 28 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.), and D.) A 500 round case of Federal 5.56mm XM193 55 Grain FMJ ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $199 value, and includes free UPS shipping.

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 28 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.

Lessons from Nashville, Tennessee–That “Oh My Gosh” Moment, by Cheryl C.

I live in Nashville, Tennessee.  Most people have heard about the devastation of the recent flooding of  our city –what a  lot of folks don’t know is that there were over 1,400 boat rescues of stranded people who could not (or would not) evacuate their homes before the water overtook them.  The events of these past few weeks has heightened my disaster preparedness and has proven to me once again “that being prepared” is paramount “to surviving” any natural or man-made disaster.

This brings me to share with you what I call the “oh my gosh” moment.  When the forecast for Nashville was for heavy rain on Saturday, May 1st it was just that –heavy rain.  I work at Opry Mills Shopping Mall right next to the OpryLand Hotel.  Saturday it was pouring cats and dogs.  I worked from 2:00 p.m. till our normal closing time of 10:00 p.m..  A lot of the employees were hoping that we would close early not only because of the torrential rain – but because we were also in a severe storm warning.  The roof was leaking in several spots so we had to keep bringing buckets from the stock room to hold the water.  The store was busy – we even had customers until the last register closed. I live 10 miles from work but had no trouble getting home.

The next day Sunday, I was scheduled to work at 1:00 p.m..  I had heard on the news when I got up that we had had 6 inches of rain – a near record amount of rainfall for Nashville and it was still pouring like crazy and was predicted to rain all day. At 9:30 my husband asked me to go to the store for a pack of cigarettes.  Well that ½-mile trip to the store scared me half to death.  Because of the heavy rain, every low spot in the area was filling up and with no place to go was now gushing over the roads. And not slowly – very fast. Small cars were having trouble going through it and even with a large car, I could see how this would very soon get out of hand. The road in front of Opry Mills- Briley Parkway -is a low spot and I knew that if I went to work it would be very dicey coming home.  When I got back from the store I told my husband I would not go to work no matter what – in fact I decided I would wait till noon and call out. I thought: “Well, I didn’t have to do that.”  At 11:00, my supervisor called and said the store would be closed because Briley Parkway was starting to flood and that tomorrow the managers would call the employees if it was safe to come in.

Later that night, my husband and I were eating dinner and the local news station was showing pictures of cars stranded on the freeway – people being evacuated from homes and the like. The announcer said ”Someone has sent us a picture of Opry Mills”  Well it showed the shopping center –the parking lot and the road completely under water and our store under three feet of water!  The Cumberland River had overflowed and would not crest for 12 more hours!

That was it- that was my “oh my gosh” moment when it hit me that this was not just some rainfall –not just some flooding – this was really a very serious situation. About one hour after that, I heard they were evacuating Opryland Hotel – a major feat since they had 1,500 people in the hotel and no place to go.

I had experienced this same moment about 15 years ago. I was living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. and was in the worst tornado that ever hit the city.  I remember that night- it was not storming- not even raining. We did not have any severe weather predicted.  Just all of a sudden, the wind started howling – I looked outside and all the trees were leaning almost horizontally because the wind was so strong. That’s when it hit me “oh my gosh” –this is serious- I got to the safest place I had access to and within  minutes a tornado fell from the sky and completely destroyed four of the eight buildings in my apt. complex.  I am happy to let everyone know that I was not injured and never experienced any loss of property in either disaster. After seeing the chaos and what happens in the aftermath of these situations there is one thing I learned: You need to try to get out of any bad situation as soon as you have that “Oh my gosh” moment. Why?  Because you may not be able to do so afterwards.  After the tornado –within about 10 minutes the apt complex was surrounded by police and fire trucks. You could smell gas in the air and I found out very soon that a main gas line had broken.  The chief fire marshal came in and did a door-to-door evacuation.  He knocked on my door and said I had to leave, immediately!  It was dark in the apartment and I couldn’t find my purse – he said to me – you must get out Now!  Okay – no purse, no driver’s license, no money – I had to go.  We were told to walk to the front of the apt. complex and that we would be taken to shelters.  I realized that even without my purse, I was one of the lucky ones – I had on sweats and a pair of moccasins.  Most people were in their pajamas, nightgowns or underwear, with no shoes.  The tornado had hit at 1:30 in the morning and many had been thrown out of their beds (literally into the parking lot.)  Everything was very chaotic – people were injured- many had cuts on their feet because over one hundred cars in the parking lot had imploded and there was glass and debris everywhere. Even with no experience about shelters and FEMA, etc. I knew I was not going to a shelter.  I had a friend that lived 3 blocks from the site.  During the confusion – when the fire marshal turned his back — I started to walk away — not fast but very controlled – no one saw me. I got to my friends house and stayed there.

One of the articles this week in the Nashville paper told of one neighborhood that was flooded out.  The lady that they interviewed told the reporter how they had called the police and emergency agency and asked if they needed to evacuate.  They could get no answers. Finally, her cousin that worked on one of the dams called her and said Leave!  They knocked on the doors of their neighbors and evacuated – just as the water was almost blocking their exit.

I thought to myself, “Why did she wait? She was concerned enough to call!  She doesn’t need permission to leave her house.  Why did some of the other people wait?” (Not leaving even when the water was 3 feet, 4 feet, some not leaving even when the first responders were there to help them.)  It reminded me of 9/11. When the plane hit the first twin tower someone called the police from the other tower to ask if they should evacuate- the police told them “no”.

Remember when you were little and something bad happened?  Maybe it wasn’t the end of the world, but it was disturbing your little world. You probably cried or screamed very loudly.  Then what happened?  Probably your mom or dad came and said – it’s okay – nothing is going to happen.  All the adults would “discount” your gut instincts and then through the years you no longer listened to your gut instinct.  You may have heard that“oh my gosh” this is serious -in your head initially but shortly after that you heard the words- It will be okay!  Well I want everyone to start listening to their gut instincts.  If you think it is be a bad situation, get out immediately!!  The worst that could happen is that everything will be okay and you can return home.  But if you don’t seize that opportunity, it may not come around again.

For all the people that have little hideouts outside the city there is a lesson to be learned. In Nashville both interstates I -24 and I-40 had areas underwater and were impassible as were many side roads.   I’ve had to re-do my evacuation plan to not just include the best routes out of the city but to include every route out. You never know which roads may be affected. Since this flood included 30 counties even into Kentucky, this made escaping extremely hard.  Like I said – if you want to get out it has to be done before things get out of hand. Fortunately, this disaster was local and was handled very well by our mayor and city officials.  Opry Mills went completely underwater and the Opryland Hotel had 6 feet of standing water – if you go to youtube there are some amazing pictures of the flooding of our city. We are without work until the rebuilding- 2 to 4 months.  Opryland Hotel may not open for six months.  It was very scary and will make me work harder to get my survival plan in place.  The next event could be worse, much worse.

Lessons from Nashville, Tennessee – Small Windows of Opportunity

I talked to you about the need to evacuate an emergency as soon as you realize the situation or that “oh my gosh” moment.  Now I want to tell you about the small window of opportunity you may have immediately following a disaster.  Although my home was virtually cut off from the main road (we live on a peninsula on the water).  We live in the very center of the peninsula and on the highest ground in the area.  That meant that although there was drama all around us – my husband and I were safe.  Nashville virtually came to a standstill on Monday after the rain.  Most businesses were closed- the Mayor asked everyone to stay home so they could assess the damage and the worst  was not over because after all the small rivers flooded and were receding the big river – the Cumberland would not crest until later that day.  People set glued to their television sets all weekend- the local channels broadcast the news 24/7.  There was so much damage over such a large area it took a long time to see everything that was going on.  The Cumberland River finally crested at 8:00 p.m. in Nashville 10 feet above flood level.  In Clarksville Tennessee, an area lower in elevation- the Cumberland crested at 20 feet above flood level.  It seemed strange that the worst flooding came after the rain on a beautiful warm and sunny day.  The next day –Tuesday I got up early.  People were venturing out of their houses for the first time and wow what a site.  Even though some water was receding it was awful.  Our local park was a mess – five feet underwater and every ballpark fence down.  So many roads were still flooded it was almost impossible to drive without being detoured. 

As people were gawking at the site, I had an agenda.  The first thing on my list was to get to the grocery store.  My regular store was closed – they lost power during the storm and lost all their frozen foods.  I went to the other store expecting it to be crowded. To my surprise and delight it wasn’t.  Being a prepper I already had a stocked pantry and freezer but my intent was to get some milk, bananas, fresh produce and bottled water.  Even though I did have some I knew it would be in short supply very soon. (At the time of this writing 20 days after the storm we are still on water conservation because one water treatment plant went down with the flood.)  I was right about the water – they had sold out of my brand. I left and went to another store and got what I needed but noticed that as I was leaving – people were getting up and figuring out they better get stuff before it is gone.  My husband needed cigarettes and when I asked for a carton I noticed the girl pulled the last one of his brand off the shelf. Hmmmm  I thought maybe I should go get another carton.  My next stop was the gas station where I topped off the car and bought the other carton of cigarettes. Now on to the bank(s).  We have four bank accounts for a variety of reasons.  I went to each of them and pulled out the maximum amount that you can get for one day at the ATMs.  I do keep cash at the house but decided to get a little more than usual just in case. I purposely did not go into the banks so as to not let my tellers think I panic in situations such as these.  Besides by having multiple bank accounts you can get so much more out without drawing attention to yourself.   By 9:30 when the majority of our neighborhood was just venturing out I was on my way home with everything we would need to be comfortable for at least a month- even longer in the event we would go into “emergency mode”.  Fortunately for our city the Mayor and city officials were very much on top of everything and even though there was widespread destruction there were only minor incidents of looting. Maybe it helps to live in the Bible belt.  At any rate you need to be aware that you have to act fast in any emergency and take advantage of these small  windows of opportunity.

Letter Re: Establishing a Veteran’s Bona Fides in TEOTWAWKI

Captain Rawles:
I am a fairly skilled soldier in the U.S. military. Without going into details suffice it to say that I am extremely capable mentally because of my military experience as well as a healthy desire to educate and train myself in my free time. However, I travel most of the time. I have no stored food and don’t own any possessions that won’t fit in my car. Due to travel I don’t even own my own firearm, even though I am trained in the use of dozens of arms and explosives. Assume that I’m am the perfect soldier for hire. How do I convince someone that is ultimately prepared for any scenario, specifically extra armaments and food, to allow my assistance? How do I make myself a walking resume in a time of crisis? Would a well-prepared person have any reason to accept my assistance? Is there some sort of “secret handshake” between survivalists that couldn’t be faked?
Sincerely, – Andrew S.

JWR Replies: Yes, a well-prepared person would want to accept your assistance, if you can document that you have specialized skills–particularly in field medicine, sniping, and field demolitions and improvised weapons.

I recommend that you make two full-size laminated copies of your DD-214. In a double Ziploc bag, also carry copies of your commendations, OERs (or EERs), and at least two letters of recommendation from your current and recent commanding officers (COs). To get letters of recommendation from your COs (or perhaps your CSMs), tell them that you are thinking about working as a Personal Security Detail (PSD) contractor in the Stans, with a company like Xe Services (formerly known as Blackwater.) That way, their letters will highlight your tactical skills.

I also recommend that you assemble a full-blown Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) kit–also called a Bug out Bag (BoB). Think of it as a “sustainment load” for TEOTWAWKI. In your circumstances, you should try to fit most of this gear into a large backpack, plus a dufflebag or two. Keep in mind that since what makes you marketable is your skills, you consequently need to have the references to back them up. That means that you should be carrying copies of books like these:

A few key tools, such as a full-up medic’s bag (the bigger the better) would also be a comforting sight for someone that might hire you. Also, a pair of cap crimping pliers (or a Leatherman tool with a cap crimper) and a small blasting machine might also prove useful.

One last suggestion: Wearing a SurvivalBlog Operator’s Cap might also prove to be useful for introductions. In some circles, it is the next best thing to a “secret handshake”.

Letter Re: Conjecture on the Value of Silver in Barter Transactions

Hi Jim,
I would like your thoughts on something. I have been stocking up on silver for many years, but I’m wondering what you think will happen to the value of it at TEOTWAWKI. Here is my thinking, right now silver is worth around $18 U.S. dollars per [Troy] ounce, that is easy to understand. But if the dollar goes away then how do we put a value on the silver? I have been told that silver will go way up if the dollar fails but I can’t seem to understand how it will work. Currently I could trade silver for cash, but if there was no [functional] cash how would I know what the silver would be worth? So, right now an ounce of silver is worth, two laying hens, or $20. But what happens after the SHTF? Will an ounce of silver be worth twenty hens? Or maybe just a can of beans? How will it all work? Any insight? Thanks for all you do. – M. in Utah

JWR Replies: I think that a better long term perspective on “prices” versus “values”, we should examine four points of reference: Wages, manufactured goods, services and real property (houses.) First, let’s look at wages. Back “in the old days”–say before World War I–the average wage for a working man was around one silver dollar a day. One day’s wage right now for someone that works at a minimum wage job (at $7.25 per hour) is $58 for an eight hour work day. A more typical wage for a workman with experience is around $11 per hour ($88 per day.) One dollar (face value ) in 90% silver pre-1965 coinage contains 22.5 grams of silver, or 0.7234 troy ounces per dollar face value. Today’s spot price of silver is $17.55 per Troy ounce. So that makes a pre-inflation Dollar (a true dollar in silver coin) worth $12.79. (Or just think of it as roughly 13 times $1 in face value — “13 times face”, whether it is silver dimes, quarters, or half dollars.) So, to put things in perspective, it takes $6.76 in Pre-’65 silver coinage to equal one typical day’s wages ($88 in the current fiat paper money). Thus in terms of wages silver should have a spot value about five or six times it current value. By this measure, silver appears to be grossly under-valued.

Next, let’s discuss manufactured goods. As I mentioned once before in SurvivalBlog: In 1964 (the last year that silver coins were in general circulation in the U.S.), a basic blued steel Colt Model 1911 .45 automatic pistol cost around $65 retail. Today, a comparable Colt M1911 (a Series 80) costs around $775 retail. So if you were to sell $65 face value of your cache of silver coinage at your local coin shop, and they offered you 12 times “face”–that would net you $780 in the current funny money. You could then easily go buy a .45 at your local gun shop with the proceeds. The bottom line: it is not autopistols that have gone up in “price”. Rather, it is paper dollars that have gone down in purchasing power.

How about services? In 1964, a haircut cost around 75 cents, or perhaps $1 in the big city. Today it costs $14.

Now let’s look at the relative values of silver coinage and real property: In 1964, the median house price in the U.S. was around $18,000. Today, it is around $170,000. (A 9.4x increase.) If you had set aside $18,000 face value in silver coins in 1964 (18 bags of $1,000 face value each), and held them until the present day, they’d net you around $216,000 if you sold them to a bullion coin dealer. That is enough for an above average house. So obviously silver coins have held their value far better than paper dollars. Anyone who sits on paper dollars for very long–at least dollars that aren’t earning much interest–is a fool.

In my opinion, you can trust tangibles (like silver and guns), but you shouldn’t put much trust in paper currency in the long term. To safeguard your net worth in the inflationary days to come, always remember: Don’t leave your earnings in paper money for long. As quickly as possible, convert it into tangibles, to protect your savings from the ravages of inflation. Consumer price inflation is mild now, but that probably won’t be the case in the near future. Adjust your monetary mindset and you modus operandi!

Yes, I realize the foregoing is simplistic. Among other things, it overlooks factors such as compounding interest and stock market values. But the essence of it is clear: In the long run paper currencies that are not genuinely redeemable for specie lose value. Inflation is a hidden form of taxation. Cui bono? Who benefits from currency inflation? The organization that runs the printing press.

In closing, let’s return to that hypothetical practical barter in a Schumeresque world. You asked: “…how would I know what the silver would be worth?” I surmise that it will probably buy you about the same value goods or services as it does today, give or take. The exact value is not important. Those things sort themselves out rapidly, in a free market. (Free markets reach price equilibrium very quickly.) Within a few weeks after a currency crisis, the “in silver” price of beans, rice, .22LR and gasoline will already be established and become common knowledge. The important thing to remember is that the relative values of precious metals and irredeemable paper currency. Metals hold their value, whereas paper currencies do not. You know where I stand, and where I suggest that you place your trust.

Three Letters Re: Use the Ground You Live on for More Than Walking

Jim
Explanations about constructing homemade slow sand filters are on numerous web sites and have been for years. Typically, they use 5 gallon buckets with layers of sand (sometimes they specify the size of the grains of sand), gravel and charcoal. A little bit of research will show how to construct one to experiment with and to maintain for use in an emergency. Typically these are not very effective against water that is contaminated by chemicals. While barrels will allow you to filter more water, you will not be able to move it and there will be the problem of bringing enough water to fill the barrel in the first place. Five gallon buckets of water will weigh about 40 lbs and that is a safe amount of weight for most adults to carry. Alan W. in Maryland

James,
For slow sand filter designs, see the OasisDesign.net web site.

The critical point is that the surface of the sand supports a film of slime that does the heavy lifting of the filtration. Disturb the film and you degrade the filter. Pouring 5 gallons of water into the filter from a height of 3 feet will degrade the film, so you need a way to drip the water in. Also, keep in mind that the slime is a biologically living film of bacteria. It takes some time to develop and will starve if it is not fed (used). Regards, – J.H.

Jim and Family:
See the Wikipedia page on slow sand filters. I used to work in an office that shared space with a water treatment engineer. They talked about using 60 foot deep sand pits to filter water for an entire town. The more sand it goes through, the cleaner the water coming out from the bottom is. It scales up nicely, and its very cheap to setup. Best, -InyoKern

Economics and Investing:

Reader Brad S. spotted this: PIMCO’s Gross: Markets exhibiting “flight to liquidity”. Mass inflation is coming soon, folks. Transition out of dollars and into tangibles now, while it is still affordable!

FDIC: Problem banks at 775. “A total of 775 banks, or one-tenth of all U.S. banks, were on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s list of ‘problem’ institutions in the first quarter, as bad loans in the commercial real-estate market weighed on bank balance sheets.”

K. in Montana sent me this one: Whatever Germany does, the euro as we know it is dead

Items from The Economatrix:

Regulators Shut Small Minnesota Bank

Jobless Claims Rise By Largest Amount in Three Months

Oil Settles 2% Lower After Wild Swings

Leading US Indicator Drops Unexpectedly

Worldwide Stocks Fall for Sixth Straight Day

Behind the European Drama Lies a Global Crisis

Mish: Meredith Whitney Sees Bleak Second Half in Stock Market, Small Business Credit Crunch, Double Dip in Housing, Says European Banks in Worse Shape

Odds ‘n Sods:

D.J.A. sent this article that illustrates how the mainstream is catching on: The Prepper Movement — a Growing Network Preparing for the World’s End

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For those of you that–like me–up until now have just been mildly bemused at the sight of people walking around with their prized Kindle readers, here is some good news: you can read Kindle books on PCs and most recently announced, on Mac desktop and laptop computers. And even better, the requisite software is a free download. Of course once you’ve done that, you can get the Kindle software editions of various preparedness books like “Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse” and “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It“. (Hint, hint.)

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A reminder that Safecastle is running a special sale from May 16-29 only, with 25% Off All Mountain House #10 Cans, and free Shipping to the Lower 48 States. There are additional freebies, depending on the quantity that you order. (See their web page for details.) There are just five days left in this sale, so order soon!

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Kevin S. sent this: Backyard gardens become income generators in lean times

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K. in Montana pointed me to a great series of posts over at the Rural Revolution blog, edited by Patrice Lewis: Preparedness 101.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 28 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.), and D.) A 500 round case of Federal 5.56mm XM193 55 Grain FMJ ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $199 value, and includes free UPS shipping.

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 28 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.