Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“In an urban society everything connects each persons needs are fed by the skills of many others our lives are woven together in a fabric, but the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable.” – Threads. A 1984 BBC television drama about the effects of a nuclear war on Sheffield, England.

Letter Re: 550 Cord–The Use of Arts and Crafts for Survival and Practical Tasks

Mr. Rawles and SurvivalBlog Readers,
I am a newly dedicated reader and have had an interest in your contests since day one. I have a few skills I’ve learned in life (hunting, fishing, marksmanship, tracking and writing) but the newest one is macramé. This is the art of weaving knots to make beautiful and often decorative pieces and is just a craft some folks use to entertain themselves. I’ve combined both of these and applied one more purpose for the art: rope-making, belt-making and strap-making.

All three of these have occupied my time overseas for almost a year now. I’ve made straps that can tow a truck out of nylon material purchased from military surplus sites. (Specifications on military grade parachute cord, or “550 cord” can be found online through various suppliers). Clevises and simple weaves can be learned online and in books. The number of useful items I’ve made the past few months has only spiked my interest in this craft. Your site suggests olive drab parachute cord and ropes as two items that can be used to barter or for charity. What a better way to deal in these two items than to make them one.

Parachute cord can be found in many different colors, but for the purpose of this article, I use military grade 550 cord. It has a minimum bursting strength of 550 pounds. It’s weight makes it a no-brainer for survivalists, campers and many other outdoor uses. For every 260 feet, the cord weighs a mere one pound. That is a benefit all to itself.

The first items I made were simple bracelets. We call them Ranger bracelets, but I’ve seen them go by different names. They are sold online but can be made less expensively and much better, if you do it yourself. What I found in the end is you can have up to 12’ of usable cordage wrapped around your wrist all the time.

Next stop were watch bands. Decorative, interesting and yet simple to make. Again, more than 12 feet of cord to be used at a moment’s notice with this item. It’s simple enough that once you’ve learned you can pass the information on to members of your group or teach your children how to occupy their time in a post-TEOTWAWKI situation.

Other devices that I learned to make were belts and straps. These are time consuming, resource heavy and take patience to make. But, with time comes patience, so the resources are the only thing to worry about. What I thought would be an expensive hobby turned out to be an easy way to make money. Teach a few folks a new trade, or keep it a secret, it’s up to the individual. I’ve opted to only charge someone if they aren’t willing to learn.

Finally, tying ropes was the final idea for use in the long term. Will we have resources available during an TEOTWAWKI situation or will we have to scavenge or create them? My idea is to make them while things are available. Ropes will be extremely necessary for everyday uses in survivor camps, at home or when living alone. If you can make a rope, let’s say 12’ long with 12-strands of parachute cord as the “guts”, there is 144’ in those guts, and another 250’ of usable cordage mixed into the weaves. Take the cordage apart and you have more than 2,800’ of usable light twine because the insides of parachute cord contain 7-individual strands of nylon. Strong and lightweight, this item can be used for anything your imagination can dream up.

I’ve read on this site that survivor camps may only take someone if they will be an asset to everyone. If you’ve got a skill such as this, you might prove to be worth your weight in gold.

For example, you learn to make just one item on here: ropes. In your camp you will have men and women that are hunters, fishermen and gardeners. Hunters take their prey many different ways; they trap, shoot or live catch their prey. For hunters the cordage can be used as a deer drag; trappers can hand furs on the rope and live catch can be taken by making a noose or snare.

I hunt from a tree stand and have made a safety harness that can stop me if I were to fall from my stand. The force it takes to blow parachute cord apart is amazing. (Remember, nothing replaces a tested safety device and I used mine under my own understanding of these dangers). But, when the SHTF, there will be nobody around to test anything for you, so it’s up to your new-found skill to keep you safe.

Fishermen need rope to catch, carry and dry out their fish. As I mentioned earlier, the inside of the cord is filled with fishing line, line that can be used to hang the fish, one section can be used as a strand to float the fish until they are ready to be killed. I’ve heard of men using 100’ sections as bank lines along rivers and creeks. Endless possibilities.

Gardeners who plant beans need something for the plants to crawl up toward the sun on. They may need something to keep critters out so they erect a cordage fence. Certain trees must be tied up while they are young to keep them from being swept away by wind and rain. Again, there are endless uses in the gardening category as well.
The plant hangers mentioned earlier are an idea I thought of to put some of your straps to use while they aren’t “being used.” The color combinations can be made to blend into your homes paint scheme, then taken down when needed to string up something other than your begonias.

Just one rope, containing more than 400’ of cordage can help all three of these assets increase their productivity by leaps and bounds when synthetic materials run out. And another benefit, it can be worn around the waist like a belt, rolled into sections or just stretched out along a garage wall for future uses.

The one thing I’ve considered is running out of nylon parachute cord. What would happen if this occurs? Nothing. These ropes can be made using many natural materials available (grasses are the most common, but that’s outside my scope of knowledge). But one thing the nylon cord has is its strength and durability. That’s why I would recommend anyone willing to learn this, learn it now. Make as many ropes, bracelets, watch bands, dog collars, rifle slings, plant hangers, lanyards, leashes, belts, whatever you can think of. If you have a nice stockpile of these items, you can trade them, sell them, barter them for the things you will need later.
One last point I would like to make is the benefit it could have to teach your child/children this skill. I’ve had rocky times with my boys, but teaching them this trade has proven to be a great method to build a strong bond between a dad and his sons. The first time I showed my oldest he was thrilled. He would hover over more for hours at a time and watch as I wove the strands in and out. Then, he would try. His frustration would begin immediately, but as he learned it waned. I was amazed at how fast he learned. This little skill I have taught them has given them the patience to take on most anything new. I’ve tried to pass my other skills to them, but for one reason or another, they haven’t yet learned. They will, with time, learn to tag a deer, trap a raccoon or snare a rabbit, but this was something they picked up on immediately and we are using this as a stepping stone into these other skills.

I’ve used tens of thousands of feet of parachute cord over the last 12 months and an untold amount over the past 12 years of service. How foolish of me to not have seen the usefulness of this fine product long ago and taught more people to make their own ropes, belts and various straps with it.

There are resources available to learn this trade. The Internet, the library and there are still folks out there who’ve been doing macramé their entire lives. But find someone or somewhere to learn, it will pay off in time.

All these items are something that will have value to others in emergencies, catastrophes or disasters and usefulness is a benefit worth its own weight in gold. They will be used by me, my family and the many people I’ve taught or made these items for in the past and in the future. – J.L. from Kansas, currently in Egypt

Letter Re: Scam Alert on an Heirloom Seeds Dealer

Hello Mr. Rawles:

Back in February we ordered a batch of 100 vegetable seed packs from Vegetableseed.net. To date we’ve not received them and the company steadfastly refuse to respond to e-mails, either to their direct e-mail address or via their payment people, Digital River.

Now they may just be incredibly busy but we’re beginning to think we’ve been scammed out of our £42.09.

We’d hate to see any other SurvivalBloggers getting stiffed Very best wishes to you all. – Michael

JWR Replies: Thanks for your warning. There are indeed a lot of fly-by-night mail order companies. But at least I can vouch for the companies that advertise on SurvivalBlog. They are reputable and can be trusted with your business. If you plan to do business with any other firms, check on their reputations first!

Six Letters Re: Suburban Survival

James,
In response to “Suburban Survival, by The Suburban 10” posted on April 10th: I expect that the author will receive a lot of feedback on what he considers ‘Security’. Based on his erroneous assumptions on the role and proper use of a firearm in a suburban TEOTWAWKI situation, I can conclude that he is among the anti-Second Amendment crowd. Living in New York under the Bloomberg/Schumer cloud has obviously affected him.

That being said, I shouldn’t have been so surprised when he wrote:

“8. I have friends who are police officers and have never fired their weapon in the line of duty. Do you really want to shoot someone? I train my family for a chaotic attack. We have code words and all have set actions when the code word is mentioned. No matter how crazy things get remember that everything is negotiable. Have a planned system for dealing with a threat other then sending bullets all over the neighborhood. If you can offer an item or two to the desperate individual (who may truly need help) then do so. If they really look like trouble or if they are armed then at least have pepper spray ($11.99 per can here in New York). If you are going to shoot someone, then expect to be shot at as well.”

a) Police officers in the line of duty are not being attacked for their food (or other goods) by hungry, desperate people, but you (Suburban 10) will be.
b) “Do you really want to shoot someone?” Well, if they are attacking my family or looting our means of survival in a desperate situation, that is a resounding yes.
c) Code words and “set actions” Huh? Will they function when Mr. Murphy, of Murphy’s Law fame comes a-calling? Not likely. And be very careful with ‘set actions’ because when your plan starts to unravel, what then?
c) Everything is negotiable?! Are you kidding me? (Okay, deep breaths…) Many of those you should expect to face will have already shot you – and your family – before your first word is uttered.
d) Plenty (if not most of us) who read this blog have trained to do a whole lot better than to ‘send bullets all over the neighborhood’. Besides, that would waste ammo.
e) If you can offer an item or two to the desperate individual and do so, you should expect to be attacked for the rest. Maybe not immediately but they will return – that’s why charity through a Third Party is the way to go. And what if you cannot offer anything to these ‘desperate individuals’? Do you think they will shrug their shoulders and walk away?
f) If they are armed, and you are planning to use pepper spray? Your plan is going to get your family raped, killed and eaten.
g) “If you are going to shoot someone, then expect to be shot at as well.” — I can understand the “Live by the sword, die by the sword” sentiment but I have news for you Suburban 10, playing nice with the desperate, hungry zombies is not going to keep them from shooting at you. You should be expecting to be shot at regardless.

“Protection – The Lord gave us our eyes, ears and intuition.” — Yes He did. But he also gave you the right, (no scratch that…) the obligation to defend yourself and your family by any means necessary. Our Second Amendment recognizes and affirms that God-given right. You owe your family a lot more than pepper spray and positive thinking.

Good luck Suburban 10, you’re going to need it.

James,
In response to Suburban 10 his ideas are good, except weapons for self defense (I’ve also trained in Aikido with a 3 foot wooden staff. I would imagine it would work great for dogs if you had that issue and it is better then nothing, but not by much) and at 8 feet with a shotgun his weapon is out of reach and his life and all his possessions will be someone else’s in a matter of seconds. I would say that if you came at me with a stick and I had a shot gun it wouldn’t be much of a fight.

He really needs to rethink that people will be dealt with by talking about compromise when they are cold, hungry and what-ever might happen happens. I am happy he shared his views, and only a psycho wants to shoot someone else or be shot- it’s nothing anyone wants to do. but it would seem that criminal elements know a show of force and weakness being shown will end up being an easy mark for someone or a group of armed people intent on taking something for nothing.

I also taught New York City (NYC) youths at a Job Corps, and know most people are generally good, but the gang elements are everywhere and underestimating them is a major mistake for urban survival. (The good news is without city lights most of these guys are afraid of the woods at night and won’t stray far from the main roads if things get bad.) No one should ever tell me I can’t defend myself when my life is in danger- nothing is off limits in that case, and the only people who will tell you ‘you should not use a gun for self defense’ is someone political that probably has armed guards to protect themselves. I value and note the anti-gun opinion. It is valiant but naive. If you have ever had more then one attacker assault you, then you will totally understand where I am coming from. Personally it’s not even from a place of fear, it’s more about being realistic and having a chance standing against someone physically bigger and stronger or someone more advanced in martial arts. People can only wake up to the reality of what it means to be beaten and or be defenseless in a life or death situation.

On the same note taking to a friend, his brother who is an ex-convict for armed robbery discussed how in his mind he didn’t need to prepare for anything. He stated that he would adapt as his neighbors had a nice 4WD that would be his when he took it from them, other people had food that they would part with when he would give them the choice of food or life (and even got the idea that after taking the 4WD he would rob the nearest gun shop by backing in to it and stealing anything and everything he could carry.) thinking that criminals aren’t going to be armed after the world changes is not only delusional it is a dangerous underestimation of the worst in human elements at large. Do I think that he’d actually rob people and stores for survival in an TEOTWAWKI situation? I don’t know but I can’t discount how his mind works and his talk about it when we discuss preparing for the worst.

Suburban 10: Please get an inexpensive shotgun and learn about safety and how to use it–that is if you are legally allowed to have your Second Amendment in the suburbia of New York– the worst of the worst out there are not going to stop and talk about things like ‘sharing’ with you when they think you have something they want. They will kill you and anyone that gets in their way to get what ever they feel entitled to. This was created by the culture the Federal government is still making today with programs of entitlements for anyone that doesn’t want to work.

BTW, the reason the police haven’t pulled their firearm out in the line of duty is because they have one [in plain view] on their body while dealing with bad people every day. (And most smart criminals don’t want to be shot ever by someone that is armed- they will find easy pray every chance they get.) You never hear about unarmed police doing the job, even in England where they were not armed they carry guns for their protection now! Criminals don’t want to risk getting hurt or killed when they can steal from a defenseless old lady or man next store. Don’t make yourself an easy target for the thugs out there by not thinking that some form of arms shouldn’t be in the house. I also know that if you have kids you might have concerns over their safety, that is a matter of parenting properly and controlling your arms and ammo, and controlling your children. Another friend of mine had in the past more than 20 guns and his 8 year old daughter has gone with him to the range shooting (safely) her Cricket .22. She listens to her mom and dad and they all understand gun safety–such as keeping ammo away from the guns and items secure so she’s not able to make any mistakes. He loves his daughter and wants more then anything for her to be a survivor, and self sufficient in a world of people ingrained to be dependent on others. (Safes, locks and secure areas are only part of the safety- teaching your kids about gun safety and giving them knowledge means ensuring their survival on a lot of levels.) Some of my friends that defected from NYC left great paying jobs to escape the pressures of having their kids deal with drugs, gangs and crime.

I know a lot of NYC people who have defected from socialist controlled NYC for more freedom out in the eastern Pennsylvania area. Sadly some of them have brought their NYC anti-gun bias thinking and bad logic with them to an area where the gun culture is in full swing. Most people in this area know that if someone robs a homeowner they risk being shot and crime for the most part is way lower then in the cities here in the woods. – Fitzy in Pennsylvania

Jim,
The teacher who wrote this letter seems to be serious enough about survival preparation, but he seems to eschew firearms or any weapon more effective than a walking stick or pepper spray. I believe he is overestimating the decency of mankind and his control over chaotic situations. There are some people you simply cannot negotiate with. They will take what you offer and then torture your family to death for the fun of it. The veil of civilization is thin and humans have a dark side. If law enforcement disappears and the fear of being punished disappears with it, a small percentage of people will behave very badly. The first group of looters he encounters are likely to have him for lunch. He sounds like exactly the kind of prey the predators will be looking for.

His preparations sound pretty good for a regional problem or any temporary service interruption. They should also prove handy in a depression or decline where the grid stays (mostly) up and law enforcement are on the job, but without a more comprehensive defensive plan, he is depending on law enforcement to keep the big bad wolf away. If he has done a risk assessment and really believes that there will never be a total meltdown, his preps are good enough.

But, just in case things turn ugly, I would encourage him to at least get hold of a shotgun and load it with bird shot. His dog will warn him that a gang of looters has invaded his property, but then what? Call the police? If no police are coming or the phones don’t work, then he will be out of options. If looters want what’s behind door number one (his safe room), they will break the door down and take it. Pepper spray is not an effective defense. Any non-lethal defense [used on better-armed opponents] will likely provoke an escalation of violence rather than end it. Negotiating with hungry people is much safer if there is the threat of force to back it up. Trying to survive TEOTWAWKI in suburban New York will be a real challenge anyway. I would hate to try it unarmed.

Given his circumstances, it sounds like he has done well. Taking it to the next level necessary to survive a total meltdown will be much more expensive. Relocation is probably the only viable prep he can make for the worst case scenario. If civilization totally breaks down and a significant portion of the population are doomed to starve, his current situation is likely to be untenable. I believe living in the shadow of any major city could turn out to be a death sentence. As a teacher, his job moves with him much easier than most professions. Since I believe in the possibility of TEOTWAWKI, If I were caught in his circumstances, I would consider moving to a small town in Idaho or somewhere similar. – JIR

 

Mr. Rawles-
I admire that the writer has personal convictions, but not everything is negotiable. The safety and welfare of my family is one on those [non-negotiable] things. No, I don’t have weapons because I want to shoot someone. I would like to believe that the weapons are a deterrent and might convince a bad guy to look elsewhere. Unfortunately the bad guy will look to a target that is not defended.

I know ownership of firearms is restricted in some locales, but I don’t think pepper spray will dissuade an armed person intent on having their way. It is kind of like the old joke about bringing a knife to a gunfight.

I dare say that a preparedness plan that does not include a means for security and defense is nothing more than a stockpile waiting for a new owner that does have a gun. That would-be new owner probably doesn’t have much in the way of negotiation skills. – Gordon in Georgia

 

Sir:
There’s probably been a rash of letters regarding the rather hopeful advice of “The Suburban 10”, but I’ll add my two cents worth…

For one, dispensing charity from your front door is surely an invitation to a worst case scenario, especially if you are relying on pepper spray (at best) to defend your children. Talk about “bringing a knife to a gunfight”!

Secondly, while i have previously advocated small dogs for a number of reasons, they are ill advised in this situation. After a week of barking, people will wonder: “Where is that dog getting its food?”

This letter seems to assume that things will get bad, but never “bad bad”. It’s a serious gamble, no matter how many “code words” you have.

If you plan to survive in the suburbs with no guns you really have to strip your house bare (like it’s been picked through) and live in your panic room. Then, when a real intruder arrives they might assume there is nothing left of value, but you might want to keep a rabbit’s foot, a lucky penny and keep you fingers crossed while you’re at it. Kind Regards, – Bodes

 

Suburban 10:
I can appreciate the plan that you outlined here. You are among the 10% that are doing something. You have a great approach. However, I say this with the greatest respect, Learn about firearms. As you will recall, when Jesus was in the garden before they took him. Peter attacked the Roman guard and cut off his ear. Jesus healed him. He didn’t tell Peter to disarm. And Jesus knew Peter was armed. Why do you think this event played out like that.? Because Evil needs to be resisted. With Prayer yes, but with action too. Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple. He didn’t pray them out. I respectfully suggest you and your family learn about firearms. They are the sword of our times. Doesn’t mean you have to use them. If you have one and know how to use it, you have a choice. If you don’t have one or don’t know how to use one, you will have no choice. Just my opinion, but the world is a better place with you and your family in it. – Brad S.

Economics and Investing:

GG flagged this: Property Tax Rebellion Brewing After Real Estate Collapse. Here is my prediction on how this will play out: Property values will eventually drop by 50% in most of the more populous states. Assessed valuations eventually drop correspondingly, but only after a public uproar and some foot-dragging. Tax revenues will decline. State legislatures will respond, increasing property tax rates by 100%. Net result: The politicians still get their money.

Also from GG: Total Fed Credit: A Credit to Fed Stupidity (The Mogambo Guru)

K.L. in Alaska suggested this piece about U.S. Treasury auction shenanigans, posted by Chris Martenson, over at Seeking Alpha: The Fed’s Shell Game Continues…

Items from The Economatrix:

Sovereign Debt Crisis at Boiling Point

Thanks to Greenspan and Bernanke the Next Crisis Could be Even Scarier

How the Wall Street Crash Changed America Forever

Notes From Jim Sinclair’s Toronto Seminar

Shadow Government Statistics Hyperinflation Special Report (Update 2010)

BLS Releases Latest Jobs Openings Data, Number of Unemployed People Per Open Spot Increases in February to 5.5. (Some “recovery”!)

Investors Rush to Sell Greek Bonds

Odds ‘n Sods:

Readers R.V.L. and S.S. both sent this good bit of news: Arizona House approves concealed weapons bill. If it is enacted, I suspect that several other western states will follow suit with Vermont-style “no-permit-required” concealed carry bills.

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson forwarded this: More Air Marshalls arrested than arrests made.

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Jon in Wyoming sent these two articles that underscore the importance of finding a retreat locale with plentiful water:
Water publication focuses on drought, and Colorado Basin nears drought tipping point.

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Reader J.M.S. recommended that for greater web browsing privacy, SurvivalBlog readers should switch to the Firefox browser (version 3.5 or later) and install an add-on called BetterPrivacy.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“No one of us is ever safe. There is no security this side of the grave. A shipwreck or a hurricane can put man back to the brink of savagery, both in the means he uses to get his food and the lengths he will go to get it. The more ill-prepared people are to face trouble, the more likely they are to revert to savagery against each other.” – Novelist Louis L’Amour (1908-1988) from his novel “Bendigo Shafter”

Letter Re: The Sustainable Rural Cabin

Many people spend a considerable amount of time making evacuation plans, but seldom are people properly prepared when they arrive to their destination. The purpose of the article is to incorporate proper site planning into your rural cabin. All factors are broken into general relationships allowing the user to adjust the factors to meet the unique conditions at your rural retreat. All factors are overshadowed with the emphasis on silent security. By incorporating these fundamental ideas, you are ensured a safer and prosperous retreat location.

Selection of Property
Landscape conditions vary widely. Effective site planning works with existing site conditions while minimizing exposure to potential security issues. Initially, the retreat will be located on a south facing slope with moderate slope conditions. Avoid building on ridge lines or flood plains. The water source should be nearby, or located at the retreat location. This will minimize time spent hauling water in the future. Existing vegetation should be disturbed as little as possible, especially at the vehicular entrance to the site. Most site entrances will eventually begin to erode or grass over, so take care to eliminate initial tracks inward. The site location must also be secure from view of major highways or commonly-traversed areas. The surest way to encourage others to investigate is have them easily see your location while passing by.

Designing the Outer Periphery
Once the secure site has been selected and purchased, development can begin. Evergreen windbreaks should be planted to block winter winds. In many locations in North America this will be in the north, west, and east directions. Deciduous windbreaks should be established southward to provide shade from summer sun. After fall leaves drop, the home is naturally allowed to warm from the sun. An orchard should be established just inside the confines of the windbreak. If the retreat eventually grows into a working farm, additional expansion for your garden and livestock should be left open.

Designing the Inner Periphery
The rural retreat can grow to be as large and complex as money allows. I have broken the design into six main quadrants. All areas share a relationship to the adjacent quadrant, and are thus interconnected. Quadrant one is the cabin or home. It should be built to reflect an architectural style commonly fond in your region, as to not garner unwanted attention. Large, deciduous trees should shadow it. A basement would be ideal, given that soil conditions allow. To the left of the home will be a patio of impervious material (brick, concrete, etc). this will serve as an outdoor work space and lumber storage. Underneath the patio, a common cellar and/or cistern should be located. Underground storage will provide additional food supplies during cold, waning months. To the left of the patio will be the barn, or outdoor work shed. This facility will also house the solar power panels, inverter, and battery bank, since wind power may draw attention and risk mechanical problems. The barn will also allow a secondary outlet to the cellar for additional security reasons. Just to the north of the barn will be a perennial herb garden. They should be established early, then allowed to flourish until needed. The next two quadrants to the left will be vegetable garden space. They allow your crops to be easily accessed from the home, while being watered as necessary. A deer-proof fence should fall in between the spaces of the buildings and wrap around the inner periphery as necessary. Be careful to keep at least twenty feet from surrounding fence to nearby windbreak trees. This layout could be adjusted for existing site conditions. For example, flipping the layout right to left may work better for your site, but do not flip the layout north to south. The house would then be too close to the adjacent windbreak, providing a security problem.

The information provided outlines the minimum requirements for a success rural retreat. Be careful to maintain the relationship between parts, but feel free to adjust as natural site conditions dictate. Remember avoidance is the best security measure, so by reducing your visibilities, the chances of success are greatly enhanced.

Letter Re: COSTCO’s Thrive/Shelf Reliance Storage Food Sale

Jim,
For blog readers who are COSTCO members, there is a deal running from April 5th to April 25th on a Shelf Reliance Thrive 1-year supply of dehydrated and freeze-dried food for one person. For this time period it is marked down from $999 to $799, delivered.

I couldn’t find this particular package on the Shelf Reliance web site, but I assume that it was made specially for Costco. Thanks, – Matt T.

Economics and Investing:

RBS sent us this from The New York Times: G.M. and Chrysler Pensions Underfunded by $17 Billion. (As Senator Everett Dirksen once famously said: “A billion here, and a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talkin’ about real money!”)

Reader M.Q. suggested this article: Should the U.S. Sell Its Gold? [JWR’s comment: Our gold reserve (the ostensible “backing” for the US Dollar–although US dollars are no longer redeemable for specie), if currently liquidated would fetch only $288 billion. There are an estimated $829 billion paper (printed) dollars in circulation, with more than half of those dollars held outside the US. But there are also TENS OF TRILLIONS of electronic dollars out there, as ledger entries. This illustrates why I prefer the genuine article. (Tangible wealth, not empty promises.) The US Dollar has become a pitiful joke. It is only tradition, familiarity, and good will that keep it from sinking to the level of its real value per square inch, which I estimate is somewhere between that of wall paper and toilet paper.]

Government stimuli like ‘narcotics’ for economy, Marta says

The latest installment of the Friday Follies: Myrtle Beach bank seized by FDIC

Items from The Economatrix:

Is Platinum the New Gold?

William Endahl: US Economy Will Not Recover for at Least 15 Years

Bernanke: Joblessness, Foreclosures Pose Hurdles

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:1-7 (KJV)

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 HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 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.

Suburban Survival, by The Suburban 10

I am a public school teacher with five kids and one income. There is little in the way of extra cash to protect the family, but I will do my best to prepare for TEOTWAWKI. If you want to plan well; plan as if it was a lesson plan and you are going to teach it to a class. My class is my family the the goal being not to get anyone panicked (Refer to # 9 below). Having a receptive audience is difficult, because of what I deem…complacent comforts. These are built into the core and routine of our everyday lives that we depend on all to often (you know what they are).

Suburban survival is a surreal world of isolation. You feel alone although you are surrounded by tens of thousands of complacent people who are very comfortable in their grid dependent homes and lifestyles. Try living in suburban New York in which neighbors think you’re getting wacky because you talk of preparing for an event that they deem impossible or extremely remote.

You ask that I provide what works. I provide to you what may work and what does not work when trying to explain to neighbors the concept that more people prepared the less people in need . Going Social and leading a group of individuals is not an option. Sorry, but human nature is 90% reactive and 10% proactive. If you are reading this wonderful blog and this story I tell, then good for you, welcome to the proactive10%. But does anyone really know what will work? You ask for what is proven. Nothing is proven when it comes to TEOTWAWKI. Just prove to yourself that you have prepared for the worst and hope for the best to the greatest of your ability without losing your mind.

What may work is what I have planned for this summer.

1. Two years ago, this house I bought has a chimney with the wood stove removed. I have since bought a wood stove on eBay and will install it this summer. Contact local tree services for what is known as a hook (someone who can give you free wood because around here it costs them money to get rid of it).
2. The back 6 feet of my garage is walled off as a walk in pantry and safe room. Steel racks from target $80 to store the basic recommended foods and three 5 gallon clear water containers. Stores such as Target.com and Harborfreight.com sell a nice three bottle storage rack and a $4.00 hand pump.
3. We like to go camping, so the escape gear is packed and ready to go in the garage. I have three day MRE food packs for each child. Books, games, toys and blankets. I like the items from www.lifesecure.com if you want it all pre-packaged.
4. The Aqua Rain Gravity Water Filter will be used for long term water consumption because I have a fifteen diameter above ground pool that maintains 5,000 gallons of water. Fun to play in and a nice supply of water when filtered. Five gallon clear containers will be wheeled to and from the pool to a basin and then filtered and stored.
5. As an alarm. We have a small barky Cairn Terrier. He has proven to be very territorial. I have encountered many dogs in my life and the small ones seem to bark at strangers the best. Not to scare them off but to let you know there is an intruder.
6. Pray. With the Lord there is confidence and the resolve that you are giving it your best shot and some things are just plain out of you hands and in His.
7. Stay fit. Run and stretch. Exercise with you family. Personally I run and work out with a 1” by 3’ wooden staff. [These are commonly called “dog chasers’] It is cane-like and there are many defensive and offensive forms that can be used.
8. I have friends who are police officers and have never fired their weapon in the line of duty. Do you really want to shoot someone? I train my family for a chaotic attack. We have code words and all have set actions when the code word is mentioned. No matter how crazy things get remember that everything is negotiable. Have a planned system for dealing with a threat other then sending bullets all over the neighborhood. If you can offer an item or two to the desperate individual (who may truly need help) then do so. If they really look like trouble or if they are armed then at least have pepper spray ($11.99 per can here in New York). If you are going to shoot someone, then expect to be shot at as well. You can always think from the other end of the barrel as well, by checking out this web site.
9. Communication – The FEMA and Ready.gov have suggestions on how to communicate to you kids so they know that what you are preparing for is legitimate. The other type of communication Midland Nautico NT3VP VHF 88-channel Two-way radio covers many of the important radio bands as well a my CC SWPocket AM/FM Shortwave Pocket Radio From C. Crane Company.

10. My preparedness approach, in a nutshell:

Heat- Wood

Cook- Wood Stove

Light – Oil Lamps

Food – Stocked bulk items

Water – Aquarain Water filter 2000gallons per filter

Books – Survival (I own three right now), and fiction

Kids – Lots of Books Games, Toys (Legos) and art supplies

Long Term:

Food – fishing and trapping (raccoon/squirrel, locally)

Barter – Lots of practical things and 1 ounce US Silver Eagles (Currently @ $19 each)

Money – $5 Bills (x 50) as a cash reserve

Protection – The Lord gave us our eyes, ears and intuition.

Letter Re: Home Brew Biodiesel Versus Vegetable Oil

Greetings James!
I just completed your book “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation”. Thank you for putting so much effort into this resource. I would like to make one point: You talk about [several] alternative fuels [including] Vegetable oil and Biodiesel. As a point of clarification, Biodiesel is significantly different than Vegetable oil.
Biodiesel is created by putting vegetable oil through a conversion process where by the glycerin is removed. This process creates a much cleaner fuel, burns more completely in the vehicle and does not require a separate fuel system to preheat the fuel to 170 degrees, as does Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO).

I have been making Biodiesel from used vegetable oil for six years now and have used my homemade fuel in my 1997 Ford F250 for over 70,000 miles.
We carry a very large 110 gallon auxiliary tank in the back and have a travel range of just under 2,000 miles, unless we are pulling the camper [trailer].

I digress. Making biodiesel in a survival situation would be difficult at best. It takes methanol, lye, water and heat–lots of heat.

Running straight vegetable oil in a survival situation would be easier [with a two tank system], as you pointed out in the book. Find it, filter it and put it in the tank, as long as the outside temps are good and warm.

Thanks for your work. I also enjoyed reading “Patriots”. Take care and God Speed! Rick H. of Omaha Biodiesel