Note from JWR:

There is just one day remaining in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. The high bid is still at $500. This auction is for a big mixed lot: a NukAlert radiation detector, donated by KI4U–a $160 value), a DVD of 480 E-books on Alternative Energy (donated by WK Books–a $25 value), and the following package of survival gear all kindly donated by CampingSurvival.com: One case of MREs, one pack of water purifications tablets, a bottle of colloidal silver, a fire starter, a bottle of potassium iodate tablets, an emergency dental kit, a pack of “Shower in a bag” bath wipes, and one messenger bag to pack it in. The auction ends tomorrow–Friday, August 15, 2008. Please e-mail us your bid.



Note from The Memsahib:

Many thanks for your e-mails of love and encouragement. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. I am now feeling better each day, and am uplifted by your heartfelt prayers!



Letter Re: Buying Storage Food and Precious Metals on a Budget

Jim,
Thanks so much for SurvivalBlog. I’ve been lurking there for around six months now, ever since I started to realize the value of being prepared. It’s a daily stop for me, because I know I’ll learn something new nearly every day.
I read with interest some of the recent writings about preparedness on a budget and investing in metals. I’ve combined the two. I, like many people, don’t have a lot of money to spend on preparedness (good thing, otherwise I might be a mall ninja). But at the same time, I want to prepare for everything at once. So I started preparing food through a link I found through your pages — with the $10 a week food storage. At the same time, I wanted to continue my metals savings.

I had been saving up $40-$60 a month and buying gold coins. When gold went to $1,000 per ounce, I switched to buying silver. Now each month I set aside just $20. I then either head to my local coin shop or use the Internet to buy a silver coin or bullion. I actually get the silver in my hands. I read a recent article on SurvivalBlog that mentioned how to invest in silver and how to obtain certificates or deposits, etc. But I want the silver in my hand. Now I know that if there’s a total meltdown, no one will want coins. But if there’s just a partial meltdown, I know I’ve got something that will be worth trading. If there’s no meltdown, know what? I’ve still got something worth something. And I like that by taking physical possession of it, that I’m assured that no matter what bank fails, I’ve still got it.

There is great value, in my mind, in having the peace of mind to know that I’m prepared. – Ogre



Letter Re: Flexibility and Adaptability

Hiya!
Just discovered your site. You have lots of useful information, but I have noticed a few points that may have been overlooked, or that I haven’t gotten to [in the Archives] yet.

1. Off road or utility motorcycles: I feel safe to discuss this,being a former off road racer! A 4 stroke bike is the way to go,it gets 4 to 5 times the gas mileage. A big 2 stroke will smoke anything that can fit thru the woods but sucks gas like a maniac. My [two stroke] race bike was lucky to get 5 mpg–a 500 cc Husqvarna. For trail use, ease of handling, and easy for a novice rider. Go to Pep Boys and get a couple of the 100cc [four stroke] trail bikes .Cheap, easy to ride and learn, and great gas mileage. Get a trailer, not just for the bikes, but for everything else. As a last resort you can ditch your main ride, and ride the bikes.

2. Electric power: I also feel safe to discuss this topic,as my father owned a Recreational Vehicle (RV) dealership! All of the RVs had a “three way” refrigerator,12 volt DC, propane, and 110 volt. They also owned a place in Mexico, way out of the town proper, with solar power. Why not use those cheap little solar lights that you use along the sidewalk for lighting?

3. All heck breaks loose, no time to run: I always’ stock up on any sales at the grocery store. Canned food,”10 for $2″ or whatever, hot dogs on the 4th of july, turkeys around Thanksgiving, whatever fits in my deep freeze. Also, I always keep water bottles in the deep freeze, not only for the water, but should the power fail, you have instant huge ice blocks to maintain it a bit longer. Living in Arizona, water is a more required item, than comfort. I have a small jacuzzi, which can be used just to cool off when it hits 110 degrees here, as it does often. It holds 400 gallons. I wouldn’t use it for drinking or cooking, but it makes the day a lot more comfy [since it can be used for bathing and toilet flushing]

4. Tools: As a machinist, I think I have two of every tool known to mankind! Learn to use them, properly. An improperly used tool won’t last long. A screwdriver is not a chisel, and a chisel is not a screwdriver. You may never have a chance to find another 9/16″ wrench for a while, so buy quality tools, use them right. The same logic applies with chainsaws, generators, and whatever. You may need to rely on them more than you believe. As an off-road motorcycle racer, I have!

5. Think outside the box: A Marine Corp #1 rule: improvise! I was in a [long distance off-road] race in Mexico, and got a front flat tire. I was pretty much out of the race, right? Wrong! I stuffed the front tire full of weeds grass, and twigs, zip tied the tire to the rim, and rode slowly to the pit stop. I ended up placing second in the race. The moral of the story? Nothing is impossible! You just haven’t thought of the solution yet!

Okay, I’m done ranting. Thanks for your site. It is very informative – Dean



Odds ‘n Sods:

Prince Charles warns GM crops risk causing the biggest-ever environmental disaster. (A hat tip to Bob G. for the link.)

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Keith recommended an article by John Silveira with some alternative thoughts about Peak Oil. Keith notes: “The article will remind you what makes this country still work and it points out the pitfalls of assuming that how things are in the present will continue into the future. I’m not saying they are the do-all end-all, but you cannot discount technology, innovation, and free enterprise.”

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Mike McG–a veteran intel Cold Warrior–sent us a link to an interesting New York Times article about the Soviet invasion of Georgia: Before the Gunfire, Cyberattacks

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KT flagged this one: Why food is the new oil

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Red in Oklahoma sent us this alarming news: One Third of New Owners Owe More Than House Is Worth. Red also found this: Fed holds first auction for 84-day loans. OBTW, George Ure over at UrbanSurvival.com had some great commentary about the new Treasury auction term.



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"If ever time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." – Samuel Adams



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 18 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article in the next 60 days 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 18 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entries. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.



Icelandic Sheep Offer Great Versatility for Self-Sufficiency, by Sigrid

Icelandic sheep are the ultimate survival livestock for anyone living in USDA climate zone 6 or colder. Why?
Because unlike other small livestock they are triple purpose: meat, milk, and fiber. They were bred by the vikings who settled in Iceland for 1,000 years. The viking husbandry practices only favored the hardiest and smartest sheep. In Iceland the sheep are turned loose to forage for themselves as soon as the snow melts and not rounded up again until late Fall when no forage remains. Typically the oldest daughters spend the summer at pasture with the sheep milking them and making cheese. The sheep are expected to raise twins and have excess milk for cheese and butter by foraging alone. They are never feed grain. This makes them ideal for a self-sufficient farmstead. Other Icelandic owners we know have a business making gourmet cheese. At one month old they separate the lambs each evening from the ewes then in the morning they milk the ewes in the morning. Then the lambs and ewes are turned out together for the day and the lambs can nurse freely all day.

Unlike nearly all other breeds of sheep Icelandics are browsers as well as grazers. They will make use of all the forage on your property. Our property which had nearly 20 different species of noxious weed when we bought it has been improved dramatically since grazing our Icelandic sheep. We used cross fencing to divide up the pastures. Our Icelandics eat it all down including all the noxious weeds to four inches and then we move them onto the next pasture. Furthermore, because the Icelandics browse bushes and shrubs and trees of all sorts the wildfire danger to our property has been dramatically reduced.

I can’t say enough about how tasty Icelandic lamb is. Even our friends who thought they didn’t like lamb enjoy Icelandic lamb chops. Most Icelandic ewes easily raise twins to market weight in four months. Of course another byproduct at butcher is a gorgeous pelt.

They are excellent mothers. They are very protective and aware of their lambs. They lamb easily and rarely require and help. Most all of mine lamb so easily I miss nearly all the lambing even though I was going out to the pasture multiple times in hopes of seeing the births. They are super attentive to their newborn lambs cleaning them off vigorously. And urging their lambs to nurse promptly. And unlike other breeds of sheep Icelandic sheep can count to three meaning they can and will raise triplets. The lambs are vigorous quick to stand and search for the teat. Just because I think it is so interesting I really want to be there for the birth. But I always end up missing the whole thing and I find the new mama ewe and lambs are already dry and nursing vigorously.

Icelandic sheep also are recognized for their intelligence. Aside for some being especially intelligent, in each lamb crop, we have had some that are especially tame and interested in people. These lambs come to see us to be scratched and petted. As adult ewes they are great to have in the flock because they come whenever they are called and the rest of the flock follows them where ever I lead. These ewes are also very easily milked. Also Icelandic rams in general have exceptionally docile temperaments. Our rams are best friends and graze side by side and occasionally amble over to us if they want to be scratched.

Then there is the fiber!!! Icelandics are unique among all breeds of sheep in that they are dual wool coated. Each animal produces an extremely soft underdown wool that rivals the finest Merino and a top wool which is strong and especially suited for hard wearing articles such as rugs and socks. The I use a dog brush to brush the soft underdown out of the long guard wool. The underdown I spin up into baby soft yarn that makes gorgeous next to skin soft articles. [By the way many people who think they are allergic to wool are actually allergic to the harsh chemicals used in the modern processing.] The long wool I spin worsted into sock yarns and warp yarn for my loom among other uses. Though usually we hire a sheep shearer to shear our flock all on one day. Though I have used scissors to hand shear my sheep. Icelandics naturally shed their wool. The vikings gathered the sheep around the vernal equinox when the shedding was underway. The viking selected a sheep, tied their feet together and used a dull knife to scrape off the fleece. Icelandics come in colors!The outer wool comes in white, black, or chocolate brown. The under down wool can be white, black, brown, cream or gray. So simplest terms you can get Icelandics that are white white, black black, black gray, brown brown, brown gray, or brown cream. We have some white sheep because I enjoy dying wool different colors just for fun. But my very favorite are my black blacks. Their wool great for making tactical watch caps and sweaters without the need for dyes. Another fun thing we do with the fleece which comes off in one piece is felt it into a pelt. This is a really fun project the kids and I enjoy. We take the whole fleece and lay if on top of a vinyl table cloth. Then I poor hot soapy water over the whole fleece the the kids and I side step round and round the fleece singing. The underdown turns into felt and the guard hair remains in loose locks and does not felt. except at the base into the underdown. It really is quite amazing! When we are done we have created a gorgeous “pelt”

In conclusion I believe the Icelandics intelligence, dairy potential, and dual wool coat make them superior to all other sheep breeds for survival purposes for anyone living in the northern US.

The Memsahib Adds: It is advisable to buy livestock that is appropriate for your particular climate. Readers on the Gulf Coast might consider Black-bellied Barbados sheep, while those living in rainy western Washington might consider some of the British breeds.



Letter Re: Advice on Preparedness for Travelers?

Jim,
Thank you for dispersing such a wealth of knowledge on your blog. My prayers are with your family and for the Memsahib’s recovery.

I concur with D.J.’s post on Third World Experience. Having done mission work in Central America, Australia, and Nepal I have seen a broad range of austere environments and it truly does open your eyes to have a more prepared mindset. Being in Nepal during the onset of a small civil war brought to my attention the need to be prepared while travelling.

Other than the obvious G.O.O.D. kit within arm’s reach while overseas what are your recommendations for being prepared for survival type scenarios (civil unrest, natural disaster, conflict, etc.) while travelling abroad? Thanks, – J.R.S.

JWR Replies: See the SurvivalBlog article: Preparedness While on Business Travel–What to Pack, by LP, which was posted in November of 2007.



Letter Re: Chia Grass Sprouts are a Super Food

Mr Rawles,
I don’t recall if I have ever seen a mention on the blog about this widely known (or maybe just remembered) product so I thought I would give it a mention. We have been using Chia (of “Chia Pet” fame of yesteryear, a.k.a. Salba [grain/grass seed] ) for a little over one year now and this stuff is incredibly versatile for anything food related.

Ounce for ounce this stuff is far more nutritious than any other grains on the market. Here is a link to one of the places I found to purchase in bulk: Hidalgo Foods. They also have documentation about the product as well.

Note: I have no vested interest in this company other than I have purchased more than 100 pounds and their service was excellent. Last, with the cost of wheat and other commodities today this stuff (purchased in bulk) is not much more expensive and nutritive value is more than worth the added expense. Regards, – R.E.

JWR Replies: I am a big believer in sprouting. The nutritive value of sprouts is tremendous There are quite a few articles and letters on the topic in our archives. Using our Search window (at the top of SurvivalBlog’s right hand bar), just search on the words “sprouts” and “sprouting”. I haven’t tried sprouting Salba, but I plan to soon give it a try.



Odds ‘n Sods:

Five Years After Blackout, Power Grid Still in ‘Dire Straits’

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I spotted an interesting thread over at the LATOC Forums: Questioning my rural relocation strategy… Obviously, some in the Peak Oil “Doomer ” crowd discount the threat of looting and other lawlessness in a Grid Down America. I’m not one of them!

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Cheryl N. found us this: Wachovia boosts loss to $9.11 billion, cuts more jobs

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Cheryl also spotted: Credit Crunch Misery Deepens for UBS–Writes Down Another $7.6 Billion





Notes from JWR:

Note from JWR:

There are just three days left in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. The high bid is still at $500. This auction is for a big mixed lot: a NukAlert radiation detector, donated by KI4U–a $160 value), a DVD of 480 E-books on Alternative Energy (donated by WK Books–a $25 value), and the following package of survival gear all kindly donated by CampingSurvival.com: One case of MREs, one pack of water purifications tablets, a bottle of colloidal silver, a fire starter, a bottle of potassium iodate tablets, an emergency dental kit, a pack of “Shower in a bag” bath wipes, and one messenger bag to pack it in. The auction ends on Friday, August 15, 2008. Please e-mail us your bid.

Today, we present a piece from the early days of SurvivalBlog, that many of you who have joined us recently probably missed:



The Golden Horde and the Thin Veneer

Because of the urbanization of the U.S. population, if the entire eastern or western power grid goes down for more than a week, the cities will rapidly become unlivable. I foresee that there will be an almost unstoppable chain of events: Power -> water -> food distribution -> law and order -> arson fires -> full scale looting
As the comfort level in the cities rapidly drops to nil, there will be a massive involuntary outpouring from the big cities and suburbs into the hinterboonies. This is the phenomenon that my late father, Donald Robert Rawles–a career particle physics research administrator at Lawrence Livermore Laboratories–half-jokingly called “The Golden Horde.” He was of course referring to the Mongol Horde of the 13th Century, but in a modern context. (The Mongol rulers were chosen from the ‘Golden Family’ of Temujin. Hence the term “The Golden Horde.”) I can remember as a child, my father pointing to the hills at the west end of the Livermore Valley, where we then lived. He opined: “If The Bomb ever drops, we’ll see a Golden Horde come swarming over those hills [from Oakland and beyond] of the like that the world has never seen. And they’ll be very unpleasant, believe you me!”

In my lectures on survival topics I often mention that there is just a thin veneer of civilization on our society. What is underneath is not pretty, and it does take much to peel away that veneer. You take your average urbanite or suburbanite and get him excessively cold, wet, tired, hungry and/or thirsty and take away his television, beer, drugs, and other pacifiers, and you will soon seen the savage within. It is like peeling the skin of an onion—remove a couple of layers and it gets very smelly. As a Christian, I attribute this to man’s inherently sinful nature.

Here is a mental exercise: Put yourself in the mind set of Mr. Joe Sixpack, Suburbanite. (Visualize him in or near a big city near where you live.) He is unprepared. He has less than one week’s food on hand, he has a 12 gauge pump action shotgun that he hasn’t fired in years, and just half a tank of gas in his minivan and maybe a gallon or two in a can that he keeps on hand for his lawn mower. Then TEOTWAWKI hits. The power grid is down, his job is history, the toilet doesn’t flush, and water no longer magically comes cascading from the tap. There are riots beginning in his city. The local service stations have run out of gas. The banks have closed. Now he is suddenly desperate. Where will he go? What will he do?

Odds are, Joe will think: “I’ve gotta go find a vacation cabin somewhere, up in the mountains, where some rich dude only goes a few weeks out of each year.” So vacation destinations like Lake Tahoe, Lake Arrowhead, and Squaw Valley, California; Prescott and Sedona, Arizona; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Vail and Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and the other various rural ski, spa, Great Lakes, and coastal resort areas will get swarmed. Or, he will think: “I’ve got to go to where they grow food.” So places like the Imperial Valley, the Willamette Valley, and the Red River Valley will similarly get overrun. There will be so many desperate Joe Sixpacks arriving all at once that these areas will degenerate into free-fire zones. It will be an intensely ugly situation and will not be safe for anyone. In some places the locals may be so vastly outnumbered that they won’t survive. But some of the Joe Sixpacks will survive, and then the more ruthless among them will begin to fight amongst themselves for the few remaining resources. They will form ad hoc gangs of perhaps 6 to 30 people.

Once the Golden Horde has been thinned (and honed to ferocity) and they’ve cleaned out an area, the thugs at the pinnacle of ruthlessness will comprise the most formidable rover packs imaginable. They will move on to an adjoining region, and then another. But the inverse square law will work in your favor: Imagine that you take a jar of marbles turn it upside down on a wooden floor and then lift the jar suddenly upward. The marbles will spread out semi-randomly. But the farther from the mouth of the jar, the lighter the density of marbles. Hence, the rover packs will attenuate themselves into a huge rural expanse that is peopled with well-armed country folks. By the time the looters work their way out 150 miles from the big cities, they will be thinned out considerably. The rover pack is your primary threat in a total collapse, no matter how remote your retreat. Here are your potential adversaries: A squad to company size force (12 to 60 individuals), highly mobile, moderately well armed with a motley assortment of weapons and vehicles, and imbued with absolute ruthlessness. Be prepared.



Letter Re: Portable Two-Way Radio Recommendations

Sir,
Could you or your readers recommend any good two-way re-chargeable hand-held radios that are sold at outdoor places such as Cabela’s?
I’m particularly looking for a model that I could use while at University classes while my wife is one mile away at our apartment.
Thanks,.- Chad

JWR Replies: Reliable communication with a one mile range in a cluttered environment–as I assume yours is, if the city is large enough to host a university–is “iffy” for the typical FRS and GMRS hand-held transceivers on the consumer market. My preference is for the MURS band hand-helds. Not only will you get better range, but you will also be operating in a less commonly used frequency band. This will give you marginally better communications security. (Although, of course no radio transmission should be considered 100% “secure.”) I recommend the MURS Radios company (one of our advertisers). as a reputable source of transceivers. They also do custom frequency programming, and sell both accessories and MURS-compatible perimeter intrusion detection systems.