Preparedness Through Tapping in to the Craig’s List Culture: Doing Well by Doing Good, by D.S.

I do not consider myself an expert on Craigslist.org. However, I do cruise our local Craigslist several times a day as I am fascinated with what people are buying, looking for and selling. It helps me keep a pulse on our local economy that I don’t get through the Mainstream Media. To that point, I have noticed a strong uptick, since the New Year, of people selling anything of value that they can. This tells me people are really starting to hurt from this incipient Economic Depression.

On items I have an interest in I call or e-mail to enquire. Lately, the conversation has veered towards why folks are selling stuff. “I am getting rid of my ‘stuff’ as I don’t know what the economy is going to do.” “My husband lost his job.” “I have a small business but my clients are not paying me what they owe me.”

What has also started happening, at least from my perspective, is more and more folks want to barter goods than simply accept cash. 120 bales of horse hay sounds better to them than $1,200. Firewood has become huge as a barter item as has quality hay and, of course, firearms. Quality reliable cars for less than $2,000 are very desirable. Items like Sterling silver tea sets and Grandma’s china are falling fast.

I am not sure when I began doing this, but in the past few months I started offering folks alternatives to fiat money. ‘Would you prefer payment in firewood, Sir, or some other item, or is cash what you are looking for?’ I had no set protocol, I made it up as I went along, but pretty soon I started crystallizing some thoughts on bartering on Craigslist. Here they are:

1. Say what you can do and do what you say.
2. “No, thank you.” is a great response. Never be afraid to say “No” if the deal does not work for you.
3. Craigslist is not a community in the sense that one seller does not (often) hear directly from another on your reputation. But still, people can tell if you are honest or are looking to skin them. Act Honorably always.
4. Get clear on what your natural assets are that you have to trade. One of mine is firewood.
5. Timing can be everything – scan Craigslist frequently in your desired categories since you want to be (to use an old Army Cav expression) ‘the firstest with the mostest!’
6. When I see a particularly nice item in the ‘free’ category I often inquire if I might make a small charitable contribution to the charity of their choice as appreciation of their item. I do this for one primary reason – it is the right thing to do. It has had the ancillary benefit of having ‘jumped me to the front of the line’ on some items. I offered my desire to donate to a Craigslister for three free garage doors. He responded quickly that I was the only person to do so, and that it touched his heart. He even delivered the doors to our ranch (I can no longer drive as a Disabled Vet). I subsequently donated to the local food-bank.
7. Always say please and thank you. Honest and sincere appreciation is a scarce commodity today.
8. Never begrudge folks an honest profit. If someone makes great money from an item you swapped or sold – congratulate them!
9. I use Ronald Reagan’s motto: ‘Trust, but verify.’ I start off assuming I can trust folks. But I always verify that what they are telling me is so.
10. Have fun! As long as you are helping others get what they want, you’ll likely always get what you want. That is satisfying from a servant’s heart perspective, and you meet a lot of nice people (not all though) while you are building up your supplies and stores for your retreat.

The following are not a ‘bragging’ example. I hope you will simply see these as examples of what is possible:

Four weeks ago I found a Mercedes 300TD wagon for sale ($3,000) or trade. I enquired to see if it was still available, and to my happy surprise, it still was. The young man (a survivalist) was moving to Belize with his wife and young son and needed ‘camping gear.’ I asked what he really wanted and his reply was ‘a really good tent to live in while we build our house, and some nice backpacks.’ I have been a Boy Scout Leader for 20+ years and have way too much camping gear. I offered him a Golite backpack (acquired from Craigslist for $40 – originally retailed at $190) and a [US Army surplus] GP Medium Tent (like the tents one would see in the old television series MASH)
I paid nothing for the tent as I had bartered, through Craigslist, for two of these GP medium tents for allowing a fellow to come hunt Elk on our property. Very nice man, very generous, two amazing high quality canvas tents with all the poles. As an aside, he never came to hunt though I wish he had.

As I type this, I am waiting for a fellow (a Senior NCO recently returned from Iraq) to come over for three cords of firewood. He is giving us two barely-used Australian saddles and two snowmobiles. The snowmobiles may need a good cleaning and rebuild, but I have 30 acres of dense woods that need to be cut back for fire safety – I suspect I can find someone to help rebuild the snowmobiles in trade for firewood.

Bear in mind, please, that I don’t actually do the cutting of the firewood. My left arm is pretty weak from nerve damage and holding a chain-saw really hurts. So, again, I barter. If folks need wood I ask that they cut and split a cord for me and they, may then, cut a cord for themselves. Sadly, I used to offer firewood to folks if they’d come help me put some up. After they got their firewood I never saw them again. So, now, I get ‘paid’ up front.

I may be close to closing a deal, today, for a beautiful Savage shotgun that looks like a Browning A5. My cost? Giving the owner permission to come hunt on our property for Elk. We both get something we really want and would be tickled that the other loves what they get!

Reloading equipment ‘grab bag’ I had a gentleman over this past week looking at antiques I had in our basement that had simply been gathering dust. He mentioned, that right before he came over he had picked up a box of RCBS dies (new in the box) and three reloading presses. I swapped an antique table of my grandmother’s for the box of reloading gear. . After going through it I’ll have several dies I won’t use (.243 Winchester, 7mm Mauser, etc.) that I can trade for items I do want (clean brass, Nosler or Barnes bullets, etc). I met the man by looking through Craigslist collectibles to see who was selling items similar to what I had to sell.

Final example: A small herd of registered purebred Longhorn Cattle. A lady listed four Longhorns for $1,300 on Craigslist. She was willing, according to her listing, to barter for items other than cash. After talking with her on the phone I offered her any combination of hay, firewood, firearms,etc. The two cows are bred and expected to calve this spring around May. So, with items I have accumulated from others by bartering, and maybe $300 in cash, God willing, I will own six purebred Longhorns.
I have helped others heat their house, hunt for meat for their family, feed their livestock hay, and house their family while they build their home.
That is pretty cool! The satisfaction I receive from helping those folks is immense.

Here is a tally of what I have received (or am about to) :

4 registered Longhorns (two due to calve)
An 1987 Mercedes 300 TD wagon
2 snowmobiles
A beautiful Savage shotgun
Reloading equipment
2 Australian saddles

Bartering is a very valuable skill to learn for a grid-down world. It is far better to learn it now when the stakes are not nearly as high. Be willing to make mistakes and have fun. And please, if there are bartering skills that you think should be mentioned to supplement those that have already been discussed in SurvivalBlog, please e-mail them to Jim.

Go out and barter now, and do well by doing good! – D.S.

Three Letters Re: The Community Retreat

James:
When it comes to real-world advice that applies to real people, Kathy Harrison’s article ranks right near the top of the list. There is a sizable portion of the survival community (including my family) that believes that the community retreat model outlined in this article is, for most scenarios, the single best strategy for survival. While there are certainly some scenarios in which a remote retreat would be advantageous, those (in my opinion) are relatively few and unlikely. The community retreat strategy is one that can be used by just about anyone regardless of family or occupational requirements. It takes full advantage of the very reason that people have always congregated together. It’s followers are well positioned for recovery efforts that leave out the isolated retreater, and it incorporates one of your key points – live at your retreat.
I look forward to more articles of this type by Kathy Harrison and others. – Stephen in Florida

Dear Mr. Rawles,
The recent post “The Community Retreat, by Kathy Harrison” prompted me to write with some comments about municipal retreats. Her comments are about a community retreat that is privately operated. I recently had an opportunity to see how a municipal shelter/retreat functioned. It was illuminating.

Recently we had a pretty severe ice storm here in the American Northeast. Many folks feel that it was the worst since 1987, when a storm knocked out power for two weeks. I wrote about my experiences with that storm here.

One thing about this storm that was new to me was that it was the first time my municipality had activated its Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP).

I live next to a municipality of 1,600 people. The Village covers a little under two square miles and has 386 households.

Like most municipalities these days that receive Federal grants, the Village must meet certain eligibility conditions. One of those conditions is that there must be a municipal Emergency Preparedness Plan. This plan describes the village chain of command, who is responsible for what (fire, police, DPW, etc.), how to contact those departments/individuals and what resources they have. It also lists resources available in adjoining municipalities and what resources (fuel, water, etc.) are available within the village.

Another aspect of the EPP is that the village has to have a facility to shelter residents during an emergency. That is what I wanted to address here.

This was the first time the village had activated their shelter plan and I thought it might be useful to describe how it was supposed to go and how it actually went.

When the village wrote the EPP, the plan was that the American Legion [Hall] would be used to shelter residents. The Legion had large open spaces, a large commercial kitchen, was located on high ground and had ample parking. There were large bathrooms with many toilets and sufficient storage for reserve food and cooking items. To this end a trailer mounted military generator was permanently acquired from the Federal government and the buildings wiring slightly modified so that all one had to do was plug the generator into the building, throw a transfer switch and you were good to go. Sleeping cots were stored in the building as well as assorted small items that would allow for sheltering a large number of people. The American Red Cross would set everything up.

Like most municipalities, the village worked very hard on the EPP, sent copies to all the right people/departments, filed it with the Feds and States and then put it on a shelf and never paid attention to it until this ice storm hit. They –never- updated it. The plan was 2.5 years old.

The Legion hall is privately owned. About 8-10 months ago a decision was made by its owners to put it up for sale. When the time came to implement the EPP, the building was no longer available and a replacement had to be immediately found.

The –only- other building available was the Village Hall. It had emergency power and water and as a village owned property was immediately available. The downside was that it was considerably smaller; only about 25% of the capacity of the Legion [Hall]. The Village Hall contained both the police and fire departments so it was being used as a command & control facility. The Red Cross switched gears from Legion to Village Hall. A space was found for about 20 cots but fire and police personnel had to go through this area to meet with their commands. The radio room was right next to the sleeping area and the sandwiches and coffee for the firefighters and cops and everyone else was also in the same room. I don’t see how anyone could have slept.

While there was no disorder or major crime, the police maintained a presence in the shelter that did seem a bit ominous. People were allowed to come and go freely, but it would not have been a stretch of the imagination to foresee a time when people, once entering the shelter would not be allowed to leave. Commander Zero [, the editor of the excellent Notes From the Bunker blog] commented on the New Orleans, Louisiana authorities doing this at the Super Dome: They said that the citizens had [effectively] signed an unwritten contract with the authorities by entering the Dome and that they were being prohibited from leaving ‘for their own safety’. Commander Zero called this the “Guantanodome.”

The food supplied to those people seeking shelter in the Village Hall was limited to grilled cheese sandwiches and coffee and water. There were no diapers, no provisions for pets, no toys or distractions for younger children. The bathrooms were small, each containing only two toilets. There was a single television but it’s volume was kept low so as not to interfere with radio communications.

Finally, there was no guidance or protocol from higher authorities on how long to keep the shelter open. After five days or so, staffing the shelter (all the staff were volunteers) became more difficult and a decision was made to close it down. By this time only about 10 people remained and they were directed to shelters in another town. I don’t know what became of those people when those shelters closed. I like to think that power was restored to their homes by then and they went home.

It would be very easy to say that this shows that an individual really should not rely on government in an emergency. In a large way, that’s correct. While I advocate that the goal of being prepared is to prevent having to go to this type of shelter, I do not think one should ignore the need for a municipal shelter. While I will still prepare and strive to not need to leave my home, I will work with the Village hierarchy to update and improve the plan that they have. If I know the village residents have a place to go and resources to draw upon then there will be that many fewer people out scavenging for what I have put aside for me and mine. – RMV.

 

Hi Jim…
It never ceases to amaze me how the majority of US survivalist wannabes adamantly contend they must live in the major cities. Fully 80% of all survivalist wannabes want to hunker down in their urban or suburban homes according to our polls.

Yet, they subscribe to and post ‘survivalist’ articles to survival forums like my Surviving The Day After list at Yahoo Groups], Rourke’s Survival Retreat and Secure Home [list at Yahoo Groups], or Brad’s HunkerDown06 [list at Yahoo Groups]. Their topics are often centered around a socialist/communist theme of a secure, remote survival retreat paid for by pooling money and resources of would be members and living a communal existence after TSHTF.

None of that is a viable plan, especially with the coming economic collapse of the USA, worldwide depression, and World War III. But, they won’t even consider getting out of the cities now! It’s frustrating to survivalists like me.

BTW, I am in West Texas and we are developing a problem here in such a sparsely populated area. Pecos, Texas is about 5,000 people around mile marker 40 on Interstate Highway 20. They have a 3,000 bed county-run prison that houses 3,000 Federal prisoners. Last Saturday night the prisoners rioted and burned out the R2 unit. About 45 days ago they had rioted and burned out R1 unit. My brother is a prison guard there and called during this riot to warn me the inmates were expecting help from MS13 [gang] contact/associates from Mexico.

The night before, a Hispanic youth gang called Brown Pride Gang torched six homes in and around Pecos. Two of those homes had Hispanic families asleep inside. Those responsible have been apprehended and are facing attempted homicide by arson charges. These gang “youths” were organized and incited to commit this attack by MS13 members in Pecos.

Glenn Beck was saying on Fox News that the border violence is intensifying and yet neither the Democrats or the Republicans are willing to close and regulate the border with
Mexico. And to top that off, Beck was warning that Texans will soon get fed up and take matters into their own hands, arming themselves and protecting their families and property from invasion.

This all has an effect on my personal survival plans long term of course. The lack of population, the distances involved here in the desert of West Texas, and the proximity of our paid-for mountain retreat to our paid for farm in the valley puts us in a much better prepared position than 95% of the populace. It has taken years of preparation and planning, though. And, none of it came cheap.

I am still a voice in the wilderness crying: Get out of the cities, now!

Regards, Lawrence R.
List Owner, SurvivingTheDayAfter at Yahoo Groups

Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale

I have read your list of recommended retreat areas and agree for the most part. My wife and child and I are leaving Texas in March and heading north. Idaho and Alaska are the only places we are considering because they are the only two western states that have 100% parental autonomy on homeschooling.

As for Alaska not being recommended, I would have to disagree somewhat. Yes, it is not for everybody. Some people don’t like cold and that’s fine by me. However, the issues of supplies and resource shipment I think may become moot. When TSHTF the shipment of goods will be disrupted everywhere, and in the lower 48 there will be more people fighting for what is left. For those of us looking to get off the Made-in-China Wal-Mart matrix, these are changes we are preparing for and will welcome.

In Alaska there will be an advantage not found anywhere else. First, it’s cold climate and geographic separation from the lower 48 will keep it very well protected against the roving bands of thugs and immigrants already overpopulating the lower 48. People simply won’t be able to get there, and borders will likely close to all such traffic. Second, Alaska has a long and well-ingrained tradition of self-sufficiency and the character of the people there will be more immune to the shock of having to get back to basics. Additionally it is the most likely candidate to be the first state to secede. The crime rate statistics are misleading as well, due to the low population and the fact many “crimes” are not crimes at all, or they represent alcohol-related petty crimes, eskimo tribal feuds, bar brawls, etc. All in all, I believe the spirit of Alaska will prevail and people will get along better than the lower 48 on many levels, regardless of whether or not there is a Wal-Mart. On another note, [Governor] Sarah Palin has also proposed the creation of a new natural gas line just for the state residents. – Brad in Texas

Odds ‘n Sods:

I just heard that JRH Enterprises (one of our first and most loyal advertisers) has a very limited supply of new, genuine AN/PVS-14 night vision monoculars with Gen III tubes (complete with ITT factory data sheets) on sale for $2,995.

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Heather H. found this article from El Paso, Texas: Mexico collapse unlikely: Experts say government stable despite mounting border violence. The journalist/pianists in El Paso are obviously standing on the soft pedal!

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I hope that folks took my advice and stocked up on full capacity magazines. It is amazing watching the prices escalate, much as I predicted. DPMS 19 round AR-10 magazines were $26 just before the election, $40 the week after the election, $65 two weeks ago, and $90 today.

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More Gloom und Doom news and commentary, courtesy of Cheryl: Senate GOP Blocks Extra $25 Billion in Stimulus Bill — Central Bank Tested as Rouble Hits Floor — Beijing Rocked by 26 Million Lost Jobs — Hitachi Set for Biggest Japanese Firm Loss — California Crisis Deepens; Other States to Follow? — California Pension Funds Close to Bankruptcy — Bailed-Out BofA Drops $10 Million on Superbowl — Macy’s Cuts 7,000 Jobs, Slashes Dividends — Workers Scramble for Safer Jobs as Layoffs Rise — Consumer Spending and Incomes Fall, Savings Rise — Treasury Needs to Borrow $493 Billion this Quarter — The Lag Between Cause and Effect

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"There are two kinds of fool. One says, ‘This is old, and therefore good.’ And one says, ‘This is new, and therefore better’" – John Brunner

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 21 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article will be awarded 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 21 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Solar Water Disinfection and Pasteurization, by Ariel

This article describes so me simple and practical methods for providing drinkable water in disaster situations. They fit with my motto: “Keep calm, and carry on!”

According to the EPA, if you can’t boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. Do not use non-chlorine bleach to disinfect water. Typically, [when freshly-purchased] household chlorine bleaches will be 5.25% available chlorine. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers. There are two big disadvantages of treating water with chemicals. First chlorine can be potentially dangerous if used improperly and it may not be readily available when you need it. But there is a safe, chemical-free, and inexpensive option for disinfecting your water.

Cardboard and aluminum foil are unlikely tools for disinfection water until you factor in sunshine. Solar water pasteurization uses the heat of the sun to raise the temperature of water to a point where microbial pathogens are destroyed. Disease-causing organisms in water are killed by exposure to heat in a process called pasteurization. Water that has been heated to 165 degrees F is free from living microbes including Escherichia coli, Rotaviruses, Giardia and the Hepatitis-A virus. [JWR Adds: The water need not be “held” at a boiling point for ant period of time. Just make the water reach 165 degrees F, and it is done]

Although traditional fuels can be used to pasteurize water, on sunny days solar energy is the better choice. A major problem with boiling water for disinfection is its energy consumption in relation to cost and availability of the fuel supply. If you do not have electricity you might not be able to sanitize your water..

With full sunshine, it can takes up to two hours to reach 165 degrees F pasteurize two liters of water. In order to determine when water has reached pasteurization you will need to invest in a simple device called a Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI). The WAPI is a simple reusable device containing a special soy wax. The wax melts at the same temperature as the water is pasteurized. The tube hangs on a string inside the container with the wax end up, and once the water around it becomes hot enough to kill the bacteria the wax melts, running from the top part of the tube to the lower end. Although it is designed for solar pasteurization, the WAPI can be used for pasteurizing over most fuel sources including gas, wood, and charcoal. WAPIs generally cost between $5 and $10.

As described previously in SurvivalBlog, SOlar water DISinfection (SODIS) involves filling clean PETE (Polyethylene Terephtalate) transparent plastic bottles with water and exposing them to full sunlight for six or more hours. [JWR Adds: Do not use polycarbonate water bottles, such as those made up until recently by Nalgene, since that type of plastic blocks ultraviolet (UV) light!] The combination of UV-A radiation and raised water temperature disinfects the water. There are a few drawbacks to this method. SODIS efficiency depends on the physical condition of the plastic bottles, with scratches reducing the efficiency of the SODIS process. There has been some concern over the question whether plastic drinking containers can release chemicals or toxic components into water, a process possibly accelerated by heat. A solar cooker will make the SODIS process more efficient.

While pasteurizing will solve a lot of disease problems, it does not remove other things found in the water such as chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals.

You can purchase elaborate solar cookers or build one using simple materials. You can find a large number of solar cooker building plans at SolarCooking.org. I have included instructions for a simple windshield shade solar cooker as an addendum to this article. I have also included instructions from Needful Provision, Inc. on how to construct a simple solar water-distilling unit.

Building and testing a solar cooker also makes an excellent school science project. The last project I worked on with my child was, “Can you bake cookies in a solar oven in North Carolina in the month of January?” The conclusion was yes. Solar cookers should certainly be one the items at the top of the list for TEOTWAWKI. They are portable, use only the sun as an energy source and they work!

This is one of the easiest cookers to make and it works great. You can make it for less than $10:

Kathy Dahl-Bredine’s Auto Windshield Shade Solar Cooker

Materials Needed:
Reflective accordion-folding car sunshade
Wire frame or grill)
4 inches of Velcro
Black pot
Bucket or plastic wastebasket
Plastic baking bag
1. Lay the sunshade out with the notched side toward you.
2. Cut the Velcro into three pieces, each about one inches long.
3. Stick or sew one half of each piece, evenly spaced, onto the edge to the left of the notch. Attach the matching half of each piece onto the underneath size to the right of the notch, so that they fit together when the two sides are brought together to form a funnel. If using stick-on Velcro, you can align the two pieces easily like this: Stick down one side of the Velcro, then press the two pieces of Velcro together, fold the shade into the funnel shape and stick down the second side.
4. Press the Velcro pieces together, and set the funnel on top of a bucket or a round or rectangular plastic wastebasket.
Place a black pot on top of the rack, placed inside a plastic baking bag. A standard size rack in the U.S. is 10 inches. This is placed inside the funnel, so that the rack rests on the top edges of the bucket or wastebasket. Since the sunshade material is soft and flexible, the rack is necessary to support the pot. It also allows the suns rays to shine down under the pot and reflect on all sides. If such a rack is not available, a wire frame could be made to work as well.

Tips:
1. The funnel should be tilted in the direction of the sun.
2. A stick placed across from one side of the funnel to the other helps to stabilize it in windy weather.
3. After cooking, simply fold up your “oven” and slip the elastic bands in place for easy travel or storage.

Source: SolarCooking.org (A modification of a design by Kathy Dahl-Bredine, Oaxaca, Mexico)

[JWR Adds: As Reader William B. pointed out, distilled water is NOT good for you, for any length of time, as the minerals your body needs, have been effectively removed! Consider it a very short term contingency method!]

The Needful Provision Solar Water Distiller:

Select a place with good access to sunlight. Dig a hole in the ground about the size of 2-bushel basket, then smooth the bottom of the hole, and add about an inch of sand as necessary to cover any objects that have sharp edges. Line the hole with black plastic (10 mil if possible), and leave about 10 to 12 inches of the plastic around the outside edge of the hole. Use rocks, gravel, or course dirt to hold this edge to the ground. Fill the hole half-full of polluted water (or salt water). Then float a clean, potable water-tub, with open top, on the water. Use ropes and ground-anchors to secure the tub in a center position while floating on the polluted water.

Once the preceding steps are completed, place a siphon-type tube (suitable for potable water) so one end is anchored on the bottom of the tub–and one end extends a few feet beyond the edge of the hole. Now add a clear sheet of plastic over the hole, and allow enough plastic to extend 6 inches beyond the black plastic around the edge of the hole. Place a small, round rock in the center just over the above-described tub, so that the top plastic sags to within 4 to 6 inches of the tub. Now seal the edges of the top and bottom plastic using a layer of dirt at least 6 to 8 inches deep. Cut a circle of white cloth, or similar material, a few inches larger than the collection tub, and then place this over the tub, on top of the plastic, and under the rock (this covering should act to shade water in the tub).

By means of solar water distillation, pure water vapor collects on the underside of the clear plastic where it re-condenses and forms water droplets. The water droplets slide down the plastic, and fall off into the collection tub just below the rock. The siphon tube is then used daily to drain-off the daily ration (1 gallon per person day) of potable water. Hole sizes may be adjusted to meet the water demands of a particular family, as well as adjusting for changes in climatic conditions. If the same water distillation hole is to be used on a regular basis, then a tube and funnel system should be included to add more source water daily, without the need to move dirt or the plastic cover. Pure, potable water was the result of all our prior uses. We do know that there are 2 or 3 chemicals that may evaporate at about the same temperature as water. If such chemicals were present in the source water, then potable water may not always result.
Source: Needful Provision, Inc.

Letter Re: Advice on Accurizing a FAL or L1A1 Rifle

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I was lucky when I purchased a Century Arms L1A1 (British Commonwealth inch pattern FN/FAL) Clone a few years back. Not only does it function flawlessly, it also can use both metric and inch pattern magazines reliably. I purchased the rifle at a gun show for $400. Like I said, I was lucky.

I see that in the past few years you have changed from the M1A to the L1A1 as your primary weapon. I could do the same, if I could get anywhere near the accuracy from the FAL that I get from my AR. But the accuracy of this ugly FrankenFAL clone is just okay–not great, not terrible. I’d like to improve upon that. Do you know of any reputable companies that sell accurized FAL uppers, and would it be as easy to upgrade for accuracy as to simply add a new upper (like with an AR) and maybe a trigger job?
Thanks, – Steve E., Loyal 10 Cent Challenge Subscriber

JWR Replies: Since the serialized upper receiver on a FAL or L1A1 is legally the receiver, here in the US you can’t just buy one by mail order. (That is the part that is subject to FFL controls, in interstate commerce). This is often confusing, because with the more ubiquitous AR-family rifles, things are just the opposite: The serialized lower is restricted, but the unserialized upper is unrestricted. This is the case simply because one day back in the 1950s, Eugene Stoner decided to stamp the serial number on the convenient broad slab expanse of the trigger group (“lower receiver”) of his new AR-10 design, rather than on the part that everyone else would consider the “receiver.”–the chunk of metal where the barrel is attached.

OBTW, if I ever establish my own Libertarian Seastead or island nation out in the Pacific, I will decree that it is illegal to put serial numbers on any “Books” made there. Then, we will proceed to shower the Peoples of the Earth with good tidings of unregistered receivers, via convenient Internet mail order. (Yeah, I know, only in my dreams…)

The accuracy problem with your Franken-L1A1 is likely due to just the last 20 millimeters of barrel rifling, at the muzzle. L1A1 muzzles were often butchered by the Neanderthal gunsmith imposters at Century Arms, when they welded their ugly Section 992(r)-compliant intra-ban muzzle brakes on. So I recommend that you have a qualified gunsmith shorten your barrel by an inch, and either crown it, or install a proper American-made L1A1 style flash hider, or install a Vortex-style flash hider from “Moses”. You will likely see you group size cut in half.

The trigger pulls on most FALs and L1A1s are usually decent, but if your rifle’s is particularly bad, then trigger work is available from T. Mark Graham at Arizona Response Systems (ARS). Since the lower on a FAL or L1A1 is a non-restricted part (unlike an AR-15 or AR-10), you can mail the lower to ARS for a trigger job with no lasting paper trail. I highly recommend their gunsmithing and metal finishing work.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Norman in England spotted this: Plight of the Humble Bee

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KI4U (the NukAlert folks) just announced a 10th Anniversary SurvivalBlog Special: In celebration of our 10th year in business, and gratefulness for the support and encouragement of SurvivalBlog readers, if you order any two of the same products using their online order form and you’ll be shipped a third one free. (Buy 2, Get 3). The order form won’t reflect it, but type “SurvivalBlog” in the comments section, and you’ll be shipped a third extra item for every two you order. This special will be honored up until midnight CST on Sunday evening (February 8th.) Again, be sure to type “SurvivalBlog” into the comments section of the order form.

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Craig W. suggested this “must read” piece with some alarming charts: We’ve Only Just Begun? Craig also suggested this editorial by James West: U.S. Debt Default, Dollar Collapse. (“Imminent”???) Here is more de-leveraging news: As economy needs cash, Americans are saving. (I stand by my prediction of two years of deflation, followed by substantial inflation, as the government massive “stimulus” MOAB overspending devalues the currency.)

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The Economatrix sent all this swell news and commentary: The Next Catastrophe: Pension Funds — Allstate’s Catastrophe Bonds Face Imminent Default — World Stocks Fall on Poor Earnings, Economic Woes — Closing Car Dealers Stun Buyers with Liens on Trade-Ins — Violent Unrest Hits China as Crisis Hits — Dissent Beginning to Spread Across Russia as Crisis Bites — US-China Currency War Eclipses Davos, Threatens World — Don’t Rely on Dollar, Putin Warns Davos — Global Crisis Has Destroyed 40% of World Wealth — Is it Time to Bail Out of the US? — Banks Can Americans, Hire Foreign Workers — Global Food Prices are Rising Fast — 6 Billion Pounds to be Pumped Into Irish Banks — Huge Drop in Peso Value — 46 of 50 States Could File Bankruptcy 2009-2010 (Jim’s comment: Note that three of the four excluded states are on my Recommended Retreat Locales list. Any guesses where taxes will increase the most? Can you spell N-a-n-n-y State?)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"I have often thought that if heaven had given me choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well watered, and near a good market for the productions of the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. Such a variety of subjects, some one always coming to perfection, the failure of one thing repaired by the success of another, and instead of one harvest a continued one throughout the year. Under a total want of demand except for our family table, I am still devoted to the garden." – Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Charles E. Peale, 1811.

Note from JWR:

We’ve had a big spike in SurvivalBlog site visits, after Yahoo News picked up this article from the AFP news service in France about me and SurvivalBlog: Thought things were bad? US survivalists await worse. This in turn inspired a lively discussion at the MetaFilter blog. Many folks there are having a outsider’s hypercritical heyday, complete with cliched caricatures of survivalists as racist, ignorant hicks. You can see the diatribes (as well as a few well-reasoned posts) at: What if things just keep getting worse? Largely posted by entrenched unprepared urbanites, the majority of those posting obviously are not willing to accept that there may come a day when incivility will go beyond just someone cutting ahead of them in a movie theater queue, or talking too loudly on their cell phone and spoiling the ambience at their favorite eatery. And the whole concept of private civilians owning guns for self defense sends some of them into paroxysms of apoplectic horror.

To all the newcomers: Welcome! Please take the time to look at SurvivalBlog objectively, rather than just dismissively deriding the blog as a gathering place for misfits and malcontents. You will find that the vast majority of those posting are well-educated and well-adjusted. SurvivalBlog is inclusive and anti-racist. Once you start looking through the archives (now nearly 6,000 posts), you’ll also see that SurvivalBlog has a wealth of well-reasoned articles and letters on practical preparedness, largely from intelligent, articulate and common-sense viewpoints.

Sometimes newcomers are overwhelmed with the scale and complexity of the training and logistics that they see described by more seasoned SurvivalBlog readers. Just take a deep breath and think through the basics: Food, water, and shelter. Make the best preparations that you can afford, take advantage of low-cost training, and rest assured that in the event of a disaster you will be able to provide for your family far better than most of your neighbors. You can start by evaluating your own locale and situation and then develop a list of lists. Whether it is just a storm that knocks out utility power for a few days, or The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI), you’ll be way ahead of the power curve. – JWR

Inauguration Fallout: Will Retreat Locale Priorities be Skewed?

The recent inauguration of BHO and the establishment of a quasi-socialist majority in congress will have some far-reaching implications. Today, I ‘m just going to focus on one of them, because it is of concern to many preparedness-minded individuals: The possibility of Federal gun laws becoming just as bad or perhaps worse than those extant in the most gun-grabbing states.

For many years I have advised my consulting clients and SurvivalBlog readers to “vote with their feet”, if they live in states with restrictive gun laws. Unlike the UK, that has a uniform set of national laws, the US has always been characterized by it patchwork of state laws, which vary widely. Here in the US, if someone dislikes paying sales tax, they can simply move to a state like Alaska, Delaware, Montana, or Oregon, that have no sales tax; or someone that doesn’t like income tax can move to Florida, Nevada, Texas, South Dakota, Washington, or Wyoming. Likewise, someone that feels oppressed by the gun laws of New Jersey or California could move to a mecca of firearms freedom like Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, or Wyoming . These various taxes and restrictive laws weighed heavily when I developed my ranking of 19 western states for their potential for relocation for those that want to be prepared for long term societal disruption. The recent paradigm shift in Washington, however, may change that. It now appears that Federal gun laws may become more draconian than the worst of the existing state laws. This will make those state laws essentially a moot point. So how will this affect my rankings? Depending on how things play out, this could push up the rankings of Arkansas, California, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington. I’d appreciate your comments on this issue.

Moving Offshore?
I plan to stick it out here in the States, but for the sake of showing other points of view, I’d also appreciate hearing from any American readers that have gone the ex-pat route. Please let us know you reasoning in deciding to move offshore, and a description of where you settled. Do you feel more of less free there? How are the gun laws in your new country? Are they more or less restrictive that in the US? Is registration required? Are the gun laws openly flaunted?

New Impetus to Buy Pre-1899 Guns

The other major fallout of the new Washington paradigm for gun owners is the prospect of almost universal nationwide registration of firearms. Knowing that registration is often a precursor to confiscation (as in Australia, Canada, and the UK, for example), this could be a proverbial Very Bad Thing (VBT). I predict that if nationwide gun registration is established, many Americans will refuse to comply with what they see as unconstitutional law. Then, much like in Finland and Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain, rather than register their guns, owners will simply hide huge numbers of them in elaborate wall or attic caches, hidden rooms, and underground caches. (Not surprisingly, some of the highest rates of unregistered gun ownership are in countries that were occupied by Germany during World War II, wand where there has been a fear of occupation by other invading armies. (With the reasoning being “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”)

Massive noncompliance with gun registration will lead to a predicament: If most guns get buried somewhere, then what will people use on a regular day-to-day basis for target shooting, hunting, and self-defense? Certainly, some wealthy owners might embark upon buying a “second set” of registered guns. But this is prohibitively expensive for most of us.

I predict that many shooters will begin “collecting” Federally-exempt cartridge guns that were made in or before 1898. These guns have always been outside of Federal jurisdiction, and the December 31, 1898 cut-off date has been set in stone since the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968. Thankfully, Federal legislators consider pre-1899 guns a thoroughly obsolete non-issue, and they will likely be exempted in any nationwide gun registration scheme. I predict that the prices of pre-1899 cartridge guns will increase substantially in the next few years, regardless of changes in Federal gun laws. But if there is indeed a nationwide registration law and pre-1899 guns are not included, their prices will likely quadruple or quintuple, practically overnight. Keep in mind that there is a very small, finite supply of these guns! Presently, you can buy a Mauser rifle made in 1898 for just 20% to 30% more than one made in 1899. But in just a few years, there might be a 5X difference! Plan accordingly. For details on pre-1899 guns and how to identify them, see The Pre-1899 Antique Guns FAQ, that I authored.

County and City Divergence

In addition to the sharp differences at the state level, there is also the issue of divergent county and city ordinances. For example, the state of Nevada as a whole has fairly non-intrusive gun laws, but just Clark County (home to the sprawling Las Vegas metroplex) has some absurd gun laws on the books. Residents of states without firearms law preemption laws share this predicament. I find some of the local restrictions on full-capacity magazines particularly onerous, and hard to keep track of. Here are some examples:

No magazines with a capacity over 12 rounds are allowed in Chicago, Illinois
No magazines with a capacity over 15 rounds are allowed in the state of New Jersey, South Bend, Indiana, or Aurora; Illinois.
No magazines with a capacity over 20 rounds are allowed in the state of Maryland (without a special permit), Wichita, Kansas, or the City & County of Denver Colorado

There are also some idiotic restrictions on sales of firearms ammunition at the local level. For example, it is illegal to sell ammunition by mail order (using common carriers such as UPS) to private parties in:

The city of Sacramento, California

Marin, Napa, Ventura, and Yolo counties in California

Cook County, Illinois;

Alaska

Hawaii

The Chicago metropolitan area,

New York City

New Jersey

Massachusetts

The District of Columbia

Puerto Rico

APO or FPO (US m overseas) addresses

But state, county and city laws also provide a few interesting loopholes. One well-known loophole was mentioned to me by reader F.G., who forwarded this article link: Old firearms given new life by restrictive New York gun control laws. I’d be interested in hearing about others.

The flip-side to all this is state reservation of rights, wherein states effectively thumb their noses at over-reaching Federal jurisdiction. A recently-introduced bill in New Hampshire is a good example. (A hat tip to SurvivalBlog reader Larry T. for that link.) Another example is HB 246, Montana’s proposed “made in Montana” Federal firearms jurisdiction exemption bill. I predict that if new Federal gun laws are enacted, many more states will do their best to exempt themselves, citing the 10th Amendment and the Lopez decision. Some might even go so far as to start rumbling about secession from the Union.

Keep the Change, Pal

It is difficult to predict how gun laws might change at the Federal level in the next few years, and any broad implications thereof. All that is certain is that the majority of the American electorate consciously voted for change in the last election. We may soon find that we are the recipients of more change than is comfortable.

Retreat Building Lighting Systems, by The Old Yooper

Lighting systems in a retreat home (not connected to the grid).

My home does not fit the definition of a retreat. I built it about 30 years ago in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) when the idea of a retreat location was not on my radar screen. Only by coincidence has my home worked out to fit a retreat definition, better situated them many, not as good as some. It is quite secluded, the only house at the end of a dead end dirt road. It has never had grid power run to it. The utility company wanted as much money to run the power lines through the woods back to my cabin as the cabin cost me to build. It’s not that I didn’t know that when I built the cabin, I just did not think it was anything I needed to have at the time. This is not that unusual in the UP as it may seem to most people. There are lots of homesteads too far off the beaten path to have grid power connected up here in the UP. The cabin is 2000 sq. ft. with three bedrooms, two baths, living room, kitchen and dining room. Also a full basement, not included in the square footage above. It is as modern as most houses today except for how every thing works. I will only concentrate on lighting in this essay. In later essays (if anyone is interested) I can explain cooking, refrigeration, heating, electricity, etc. I hope you don’t mind my folksy/personal writing style; it’s just the way I am.

Today we are heading into a monumental depression of historic magnitude. No one truly knows how bad it will get or how long it will last. I think it was Benjamin Franklin that said “prepare for the worst and hope for the best” and that’s as true today as it was over 200 years ago. I know the subject of lighting may seem somewhat mundane and even silly to some, put a few candles away and we will be OK, they hope. But without sustained, reliable lighting, day to day life can get pretty difficult at best. It’s important to try to keep your home as normal as possible in the hard times ahead for you, your family and whoever may be seeking refuge with you. All lighting systems take energy of some form just as cooking and heating do, this is the first thing to keep in mind when planning for your lighting systems.

As Mr. Rawles has said in the past “two is one and one is none”. I have learned this the hard way, by experiencing a failure in a system. I have four, separate, distinct and independent (from each other) lighting systems in the house. So a failure of one or even two will not make my lights go out.

The first lighting system is AC electric. The cabin is fully wired for 110/220V AC power, normal household electrical current. Supplied via gas generator, wind generator, and inverter/charger battery bank system, again if anyone is interested I can go into greater detail about the electrical systems in another essay. For the most part the electric lights in the house are compact fluorescent with a few exceptions. One of the exceptions are the under-cabinet 10 watt halogen lights in the kitchen. Ten watts is not much but there are 13 of them under the cabinets. I must admit that they are nice to have on and 130 watts is not all that much either, however I tend to forget about them being on and along with the TV and lights on in the living room, bathroom and a bedroom (kids, you know how that is) the batteries are drawn down much too fast. Well I can’t use the kids excuse anymore, it’s grandkids now. We all know how electric lights work; you flip a switch and the lights come on. That is true with inverter power also, as long as you use the right inverter system.

Just to be clear about electricity, it is by far the most convenient and at the same time the most susceptible to failure of all the lighting systems I use. I have run out of gas, aggravating at the time but not a major problem, unless gas becomes unavailable? I have had generator and/or inverter system failures; yes even the best will not last indefinitely. The worst electrical failure I have experienced was lightning hitting the phone line coming into the cabin. The phone lines are underground but the lightning hit it anyway. It followed the line into the house, blowing every phone jack off the walls and ruined all three of my phones. It also crossed over to the electrical wiring and fried most every thing plugged in to wall outlets. NOTE: I have plug strips supposedly with electrical breakers built into them, so I can turn off the TV, stereo, and the like so they will not run down the batteries. All modern electronics and appliances use power even when there not in use. [JWR Adds: These are so-called “phantom loads”, typically caused the microcircuits for clocks and other sub-modules.] The lightning went across these plug strips as if they were hard wired in. This was a major system failure. My homes owners insurance covered all repairs and replacements. However in a TEOTWAWKI there would be no insurance and no repairs or replacements unless I fixed them myself and, spare parts would be out of the question.

My second lighting system is propane gas. The cabin is plumbed for gas lights in most of the main rooms down stairs and the master bedroom and bathroom upstairs. These are gas mantle lights. To light them I use a Bic lighter under the mantle and turn on the gas, and I have instant light. When I first installed the gas lights, I would use a kitchen match (wooden matches), to light them. I soon discovered I was very good at poking a hole in the mantle with the match; I soon switched to a Bic lighter. Mantles cost about $7.00 each. They are about as bright as a 65 to 70 watt incandescent light bulb. I have two styles of gas mantle lights in my home. The first and the ones I started with are Humphrey gas lights; I only have two of them. These are good dependable well made lighting fixtures of sheet metal construction; the only drawback is there a little homely. As far as I know there is only one style, a wall mount fixture. Humphrey gas lighting fixtures can be found at most propane distributors and country hardware stores.

The second gas lighting fixture and the one I prefer is Falks gas lighting fixtures. These are a much more elegant lighting fixture made in Canada out of solid brass. There are three styles of Falks lighting fixtures to pick from. A single mantle wall mount, double mantle wall mount and a double mantle chandelier, I have all three styles in my cabin. Both the Humphrey and Falks gas lights use the same globes and mantles. I have several spare mantles and globes on hand at all times. Falks gas lights can be ordered from Lehman’s. The cost for the single Falks gas light is about $80 US and $75 US for a Humphrey gas light. Gas lights are just as bright as electric lights.

When I installed the gas lights I used 1?2” soft copper tubing for main runs and 3/8” soft copper tubing off the main run for a single lighting fixture. If you put in gas lights never use hard copper tubing that requires soldering the joints. Only use soft copper tubing and flare fittings that are designed for gas applications. Use a soap swab to check for gas leaks at every connection. Never use a match to check for leaks. If there is a leak (and there will be some) at a connection you can have an instant blow torch on your hands, and that blow torch can just as well be in your face. If you do not know how to install gas fixtures have a licensed plumber do them.

Both Falks and Humphrey gas lights use about .085 lb of gas per hour per mantle. I think a little math is in order here.

One gallon of propane weighs about 4.23 lb.
A 20 lb. propane tank (type for gas grills) contains somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.7 gallons of gas. If you did the math you will find that it isn’t exactly 20 lbs., the numbers aren’t carried out properly to the last decimal place.

Therefore a 20 lb. propane tank will run one mantle light for approximately 234 hours of continues use. If you ran a gas light for 5 hours a night one 20 lb. tank will last for 47 days. However refilling 20 lb. tanks is the most expensive way to buy and store propane gas.

A 100 lb. tank will run one mantle light for approximately 1,176 hours of continues use. And if you ran a gas light for 5 hours a night, one 100 lb. tank will last for 235 days more or less. I’m sure someone will check my math to see if it works out and that’s Okay, I make lots of mistakes.

I have a 500 gallon propane pig (tank) for gas, which is kind of a lot for just lighting. I also use propane for other things in my cabin. The last time propane was delivered last October it cost $2.49 per gallon. At that price it cost approximately $0.05 per hour to run one light. Also propane will store for ever with no degradation of the gas (it doesn’t “go bad”). You can’t say that for gasoline, kerosene or diesel. A side note: I am told that we are in a deflationary spiral, but the only things that I can see going down in price is real estate and gasoline. Food, clothing, repairs of anything and the stuff you need day to day haven’t gone down at all. (Just a little whining).

My third independent lighting system; kerosene lights. I use two types of kerosene lights in the cabin. The first is Aladdin lamps. I have four Aladdin lamps, one is a Majestic Table lamp, and three Genie III shelf lamps one of which is in a hanging fixture in my bedroom, and the two others are on each end of the fireplace mantle. Aladdin lamps can be a bit temperamental to operate. All Aladdin lamps are mantle lamps similar to Coleman Lanterns however they use a round wick like an old kerosene lamp. The temperamental part, the wick must be trimmed evenly all around the top. If it is not you will get flame spikes (I call them horns) coming up into the mantle and if, (not when), these little fiery horns touch the mantle it will start building up with carbon. All you have to do is turn down thee wick so the horn is not touching the mantle and the carbon will burn off the mantle. However if you don’t turn the wick down, the mantle will continue to build up carbon and eventually put out copious amounts of lovely black soot, to coat your ceiling and fill the air with a witches’ brew of noxious gas and smoke. On the bright side, Aladdin lamps will generate the equivalent of a 50 watt incandescent light bulb and at the same time will put out about 2,700 BTU’s of heat, that’s a lot of heat in the summer time from one lamp. In the evenings in the fall and spring of the year, I can heat my cabin with nothing but Aladdin lamps (if it’s not too cold out). A log cabin retains heat very well, and all my windows are triple glazed. If you would like to try Aladdin lamps they are available at many country hardware stores and Lehman’s by mail order. After making it sound awful, I like my Aladdin lamps, it just takes a little practice to learn how to use them. If you are going to use Aladdin lamps you will need to stock up on Aladdin Chimneys, Mantles and Wicks. There are two types of Aladdin Chimneys. The first is the Lox-On Chimney; I’ve had them last for years and also had them break in a week. In my opinion the Heel-Less Chimney is superior, it allows the glass to move as it heats up and cools off without breaking. For about $12.00 a Gallery Adapter will convert a Burner to use a Heel-less Chimney. Newly manufactured Aladdin Lamps come with Heel-Less Chimneys.

I have several table and wall mounted old fashion kerosene lamps. I also have one very ornate Victorian hanging library lamp in my dinning room. It is solid brass with a ruby red hob nail, glass shade, and lots of prisms. If it sounds like my cabin is old fashioned, it is. One rule of thumb in lighting any kerosene lamp, light the wick with a low flame and let the lamp and kerosene in it heat up. As the kerosene gets hotter its viscosity goes down and flows much faster. As the kerosene flows faster the flame will get bigger and bigger. There is no reason for the chimney to soot up if you just start with a low flame and let the lamp heat up. After the lamp is hot you can adjust the brightness. If you plan on using kerosene lamps stock up on wicks and chimneys. The wicks are consumables and no matter how careful you are chimneys break. Almost forgot, every time the lamps are filled the wick should be trimmed, I trim the wick just to clean it up flat across its top and I cut a small 45¬? angle off each end of the wick, so the flame will have a domed appearance. If that is not clear just experiment with it, you will learn as you go.

How mush kerosene should be stored? I am told that kerosene will last for about 15 years before it goes bad. In 2008 I used about 30 gallons of kerosene; I use more in the winter then in the summer. In a TEOTWAWKI I would be mush more conservative than I am right now. If you’re going to use kerosene as one of your lighting systems I would suggest storing from 100 to 200 gallons in 55 gallon plastic drums.

The last lighting system is just old fashion candles. Several years ago I was able to acquire about 200 pounds of wax from a company I worked for. The company applied wax to one of the products they manufactured. When they had a product change on the coating machine they had to purge all the wax out of the machine and put in a different formula for the changeover. The purged wax was pumped out into five gallon buckets and discarded. It is amazing how much stuff is thrown away that could be used in a grid down situation. All this wax I have stashed will someday have to be made into candles. There are two basic ways to make candles. The first is to mold (cast) them in a candle mold. I have had one of these for a very long time; it casts 8 candles at a time. The candle mold is simple to use. Just feed a pre-waxed string (wick) through the hole in the bottom of each candle mold, bend it over so it will not come out. Tie the other end to a rod across the top of the mold and fill the mold with wax. Let the wax solidify, dip in hot water and pull out the candles. Trim the string off the bottom of each candle and store in a cool place until needed. Candle molds can be made fairly simply to just about any length and diameter you desire. I have made 1” diameter x 14” long candle molds. Use hard copper tubing, or PVC plastic pipe would work also. Cut to the length desired and chamfer both ends inside and out side (de-burr it). Take a cap that fits over the end of the tubing and drill a hole in the center of it to fit the size of wick you have, or make. Use the same procedure for casting candles above. After the candles are cast and hardened put the molds in vary hot water to loosen the wax from the mold. Remove the mold from the water and using a wooden rod with an end on it that fits the full diameter of the candle push the candle out of the mold and let cool. The ends of the candle will be flat, but this is not a drawback in my mind.

The second way to make candles is by dipping them. This way is a little more cumbersome [and time consuming] and I don’t recommend it. But if anyone is interested in hand dipping candles, just Google the subject to learn how.

One more safety concern, never melt wax in your house and never on your kitchen stove. Melted wax is highly flammable. A wax fire is almost impossible to put out with water; it just spreads the fire over the kitchen and all over you, and anyone that is with you at the time. Do not take this warning lightly. I make candles outside away from any buildings on a nice summer day. – The Old Yooper

Letter Re: Lessons from the January Ice Storm

Jim:
The Ice Storm that just plastered Kentucky brought some reminders of just how bad things can get and how being prepared – in advance – is critical. Within a few hours, everything became coated with a half-inch to an inch of ice: roads, cars, trees, power lines – everything. Throughout the night, we heard crashes as our neighbor’s trees lost massive limbs. We knew it was only a matter of time before trees limbs (which are not properly trimmed back by our utility company in an attempt to cut costs) collapsed on power lines and caused widespread outages. In the morning, everything had turned to crystal. About a quarter million people were without power in our county, but almost everyone in the western half of the state had lost power.

Our county actually did a good job of plowing and salting roads. Unfortunately, it didn’t help as hundreds of traffic lights weren’t working. Traffic was snarled badly and travel times easily doubled. Hundreds of businesses are closed and losing money every day the power stays off. Looking for a generator at the local big box home and garden center? Forget it, quickly sold out. Ice scrapers, gone. Gas cans, gone. Driveway salt, gone. Snow shovels, gone. The sales guy told me they weren’t going to get restocked for the rest of the season.

My daughter called from the university she attends about a four hour drive to the West. Their whole city was without power and water. The university asked students to leave, if possible, and those who couldn’t were sheltered in the campus auditorium. They didn’t have any cots so you had to sleep on the floor or in the auditorium chairs. She wanted me to come pick her up, so as I headed out the next morning on a full tank of gas, my plan was to stop at each significant town on the way to check their power and gas pumping status. Each stop was the same as the next – dead. As I neared the half-way point on my gas gauge, not one city on the way had electricity. It’s as if a nuclear ice bomb had been dropped on the state. I turned back.

It’s amazing when you fully realize how dependent our society has become on electricity. We are being told it will take up to 7 days to completely restore service in our county, which is completely urban. Out in the rural areas, they say it will be two weeks or more. Temperatures have been dropping into the teens at night. Lots of people I know have no alternatives to heat their homes or cook food. Fireplaces, like mine, are electrically controlled gas logs. I can’t even light it manually. I’ve learned a lesson: get what you need before you need it. Get extra. I will be buying a dependable generator once this crisis passes. My next home will be better equipped with alternative sources of heat and power. – J.S.

JWR Replies: Events like the recent ice storm underscore the need to be self -sufficient: Think things through, and prepare systematically: Wood or coal fired stoves with a horizontal cook top. Kerosene lamps and plenty of fuel, a backup power generator, again with plenty of fuel. Extra stored fuel for your vehicle (which would have allowed you to make that 8 hour round-trip). Often overlooked in winter is the need for a backup water supply, and water filtration, even if it mean melting buckets of snow–which is agonizingly slow and laborious.

Letter Re: Lost Tribe Bypassed by History: Ragtag Band of Khmer Families

James;
This is an old story but still interesting: Lost tribe bypassed by history.

My [Cambodian] wife, who is in her thirties, still has some of these jungle/farming skills. Her younger brothers and sisters who have lived in Phnom Penh do not. Most young people only know about Karaoke and mobile phones. Many of the under 15’s think the Khmer Rouge is something their parents made up.

See:

Lost tribe leaves the jungle for brave new world of mobiles.

Help runs out for the lost tribe of Cambodia

Slide show: Lost tribe

I don’t think most people want to copy their example. But their story does illustrate that long term survival is possible for people with skills even if they have little resources. Regards, – F.D.