Odds ‘n Sods:

Frequent content contributor Cheryl N. flagged an article at WorldNetDaily: 1930s Bank Runs Are Back. Speaking of banks, a recent Market Oracle article notes that Wachovia will soon close its wholesale lending unit and henceforth will lend only to bank customers, not brokers. Meanwhile, Bank of America’s purchase of Countrywide that supposed to close this quarter may not happen after all. B of A says it will not guarantee the Countrywide debt.

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The latest from Ultra Nanny State Britannia: Now there are 1,000 laws that will let the state into your home

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Matt in Tennessee recommends checking out this energy plan from a Big Oil Baron, T. Boone Pickens. As has been the case, irony aside, the oil people have been the first in the renewables market. Anyway, this plan is most revealing and is on a huge or macro scale what you propose and promote on an individual or micro scale. Good stuff!

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In his most recent e-letter, veteran economist Howard J. Ruff recommends divesting from precious metals exchange traded fund (ETF) investments and substituting physical metals that are held in your personal possession. He cites some shady business practices by Barclays, the owners of the Silver ETF (SLV), in particular, as cause for concern. It seems that there is not nearly 1-for-1 equivalent storage of physical ounces of silver versus electronic shares. I strongly concur that there is no substitute for having tangible precious metals stored securely at home, preferably in a hidden wall or door cache. (Such as a Rawles “Through the Looking Glass” cache.) OBTW, in anticipation of the unlikely event of a home invasion burglary, you should store a smaller quantity of silver coins in a separate cache, so that you can “toss a bone” if the bad guys hold a gun to your head.

Note from JWR:

Many thanks for your continuing prayers for The Memsahib. We are praying for a quick and full recovery. The bills for her hospitalization are piling up rapidly, so we’d appreciate your prayers that those needs will be met, as well.

Letter Re: UV Light for Sterilizing Water

In my reading about water purification one of the things that I read about was ultraviolet (UV) light purification. I discarded it because I live at a fairly high northern latitude (lower intensity light) and it is fairly cold here most of the year. I just noticed something though. Sitting next to me I have a “halogen gooseneck desk lamp” with a 20 Watt halogen JCD bulb in it. While looking at the glass piece that sits between the light and outside world I noticed that it says “UV Filter 001”. This got me to wondering how much UV light this bulb is throwing off, and if it could be used for water purification (assuming power is present and water is down or contaminated). I wasn’t able to find much info on UV output of halogen bulbs, other then G.E. claims that their bulbs put out very low amounts of UV.

Near the bottom of this page I did find a nice set of tables talking about how much UV is needed to kill various micro-organisms. – Ben

JWR Replies: To sterilize water, it is best to use a light bulb that is optimized for transmitting the UV portion of the light spectrum. As koi fish fanciers discovered a decade ago, UV light does a great job of sterilizing water.It actually does not kill all the bacteria, but it renders them harmless by making them incapable of reproduction. (Typically, folks with koi ponds use a water pump to circulate water in conjunction with a UV light that shines on a clear plexiglas section of water pipe, gradually treating all of the water in the pond.

On a smaller scale, the same technology is used with the SteriPen device made for backpackers. (SteriPens are available from SafeCastle, Ready Made Resources, and many other Internet vendors.)

Letter Re: Pre-Assembling Charity Food Packets for Storage

Jim-
As always I love your site (that’s why I’m a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber), I am so sorry to hear of your wife’s accident and hope and pray she returns to her normal routine quickly.

Taking your inspiration (and some info from others) my wife and I have expanded upon a concept called “365 meals”. My original idea (after reading your info on “Dispensing charity from a safe distance” was to use our impulse sealer to make “quick meals” of some rice, bullion cubes and TVP to distribute in the event that we needed to dispense charitable food stuffs to others. It was also a great way to allow us to have home-made “MREs” that could be easily made by our children.

My good wife then said “Yuck, we can do better than that” and found/made several recipes that only require adding water and heat. We used our sizable stores of dehydrated vegetables, legumes and seasonings and TVP. We were originally going to make 365 (one for every day), but after testing, (and discovering that a little went a long way) we calculated that we only needed half as many. These meals are delicious, satisfying, and nutritionally balanced.

The great solace of this endeavor is that we now know for a certainty that we have at least one meal per day for our family, for an entire year. This is not our only supply of food, but an important part of it. We have made a four part, video presentation of a lecture we gave on the subject, at a recent Emergency Preparation seminar that I teach once a month. These can be seen on YouTube.
Thank you for all that you do. – Kory

A Reader’s Observations on Preparedness for Hurricane Dolly

Mr. Rawles,
As you may remember from our profile we recently moved to new residence in luxury community in South Texas because of a job loss in the Pacific Northwest. Last week my wife and I learned of the tropical wave that ultimately created this storm, immediately we stocked up on gas and purchased some cheap extra batteries. (The pantry is still full). We also threw some clothes together and pre-positioned those in the car. We withdrew some extra money and got ready to board up (Our G.O.O.D. bags were already prepped and a once over was sufficient to add to and update them).
I mention this because all the Government officials, locals and people who have lived here for quite a while were doing nothing until the 21st. (Per the evening news reporting of this.)

This storm developed rather quickly enough to catch all the local government off guard and they quickly put together some meetings, et cetera.

Afterwards they were basically notifying the public that the storm had developed too quickly for a mandatory evacuation of the scope required and you’re on your own (YOYO–something I’m sure all your readers already know). In their defense it looks like at the time of this writing that the storm will hit much lower than this area maybe even Mexico. That said, I had a flashback to video from Hurricane Katrina and those school busses sitting there empty. We also watched the evening newscast at 10 PM Monday night that was live at the big grocery chain and there were people interviewed that ‘thought it was a good idea to stop and get some extra food and batteries’. On another newscast one vacationer to the coastal area of South Texas from San Antonio (also considered South Texas) exclaimed ‘this is exciting”.

There are no absolutes when it comes to the path prediction of hurricanes and this couple of examples are pretty much the norm around my community. This has convinced me that we were wrong in coming here and I am resolute that we will get back to the Pacific Northwest at all costs to get back to a culture of preparedness and self sufficiency. IMHO, if and when TEOTWAWKI hits only the prepared few here in South Texas will survive and those that do will most probably be swallowed up by those that stopped by the grocer for some extra batteries or the Golden Horde from Mexico (the Alamo comes to mind) and I pray for the sake of my neighbors and friends that I’m wrong.

Keep up the work. And again our prayers are with Memsahib, – Mr. Foxtrot

P.S. I’ve decided that I sure get my money’s worth on your site which is up until today I hadn’t supported (except for purchasing your books and making purchases from your advertisers), but I’m sending snail mail cash for the 10 Cent Challenge

Odds ‘n Sods:

Courtesy of Eric B.: World warned over killer flu pandemic

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Reader Bill N. suggests checking out what Schmidt & Bender (a European rifle scope maker) has to say about their pricing and the declining value of the Once-Almighty US Dollar

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Eric B. and Brian H. both sent us this: Saving rainwater: Does it belong to the state?

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Regional Banks in Fear of Cash Calls. (A tip of the hat to Cheryl N. for sending that link.) JWR’s comment: The credit crisis is far from over, and we are just starting to see the effects at consumer banks. It is noteworthy that the failure of IndyMac will deplete a one-tenth of the $53 billion reserve of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The FDIC has a list of some 90 “troubled” lenders, and IndyMac wasn’t even on the list at the time that it failed. Buckle up for an bumpy ride in the very near future, folks!

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Hawaiian K. sent us this one: Gold to $1,200?

Letter Re: Disseminating Local News and Information in a Grid-Down Societal Collapse

James:
I haven’t seen much information about this, so I ask you: How do you plan on “Getting the word out”? Once the ink/toner runs out of your printer, what will a survivalist group do? We’ve nearly lost the ability, and knowledge, to operate hand-presses. Moveable type suppliers are long gone, and there’s precious little available on eBay. Certainly not an entire printing press. You might find some blocks of moveable type, but not enough to actually make an entire flyer, book, or other piece of information, such as a book or even a Bible.

And we can’t rely on the Internet running after a crash, right?

So I pose the question to you, Sir. Have you considered this aspect of post-crash survivalism? The printing press, and the ability to print, is a key technology that I don’t think we can afford to lose. – Brian in Austin, Texas

JWR Replies: As I described in my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”, I advocate acquiring a couple of used manual typewriters and a used hand-crank mimeograph (stencil duplicator) machine. This is tried-and-true 1880s technology. Because they are considered largely obsolete, mimeographs are incredibly cheap (in fact usually free, if you place a “wanted” ad at Craig’s List). Surprisingly, the supplies to operate them are still available.

Three Letters Re: Advice on Motorcycles

James:

I just wanted to forward some info re: motorcycle purchase and operation. I’ve been riding since ’85, have owned four motorcycles (two Suzuki and two Harley Davidson), and keep up with current trends/technology of motorcycles. Here are some fast facts to consider prior to buying:
1. The highest statistic for motorcycle fatalities is individuals operating borrowed motorcycles. Do yourself a favor and be familiar with the bike you ride. Completing a motorcycle training course could be a lifesaver.
2. Both my large displacement Harley Davidson get approximately. 45 MPG each. One operates on premium [gasoline]. The other is carbureted and uses 87 [octane regular] grade. If fuel savings is the most significant factor, you can do a lot better than a large Harley. However, 45 MPG isn’t bad. Furthermore, consider the types of errands you can (or are willing) to do with a bike. For example, I can get four bags of groceries inside of my Harley hard bags.
3. Having a larger / heavier bike will not get blown over a lane when riding alongside large trucks. The key here is to pick your route carefully if you are traveling on a route that has lots of traffic and you are on a smaller bike. If the author of that letter knows he has to get onto a busy highway for ‘x’ miles, ask yourself how soon you will get tired of operating a light 400 pound bike on such roads.
4. My personal opinion is to buy a used motorcycle. You will save a bundle. Just look in the ads and you will find dozens of bikes of all sorts with only 5k on the odometer. Why? I guess people like the idea of riding but the bike just sits in the garage.
5. If your budget is tight, factor in your safety gear (helmet, cool/cold weather jacket, gloves warm and cold weather, chaps, goggles/glasses, tank bag), it adds up. The difference between getting up and driving home versus going the hospital some times comes down to your gear.
6. A personal observation of motorcyclists’ is that the more you ride, the more you wish you had some sort of windshield or fairing in front of your face.
7. If you are considering an Enduro (on/off road legal) consider a KTM, especially the Adventure model, if you can afford it.
8. There is an old saying amongst bikers, ‘there are those who have been down and those who are going down’. Obviously, the point is that biking is dangerous and you can’t be too careful. See #5 again if it went in one ear, and out the other.- Flhspete

 

Sir,
Posted on your web site, 22 July 2008, a reader was asking about motorcycles. I have recently purchased a 250cc Enduro (street legal dirt bike) from a company in Oklahoma City. This is an air-cooled, wet clutch, 4 stroke, 5-speed motorbike. The down side is that the bike is made in China. They call it the Hi-Bird. They are very similar to the old Honda XL series. Full purchase price was just $1,200 and shipping was free. The bike required some set up at delivery such as installing the bolt that holds the rear monoshock to the lower A-arm, putting on the front wheel and the handle bars and some the trim and the fenders. Pretty simple work if you can read around the errors in the Instruction/Assembly manual.

The bike is electric start but still has a kick starter. It is not a speed demon, probably wouldn’t survive too many back flips but all-in-all it is of good quality. I don’t ride it too fast, hardly ever over 55 MPH but I do ride trails in the hills and it is light and stable with good low RPM torque. My worst complaint is that there is a lot of vibration (buzz) at speeds of 60 and over. So far the economy has out paced my expectations averaging between 73 and 81 MPG depending on speed and usage. You know I thought long and hard before buying a bike made in China, but how many of us absolutely hated SKS rifles before we tried one for fun? If you should choose to share this with your readers they can get more info at chinariders.net. Thank you for your time and best wishes to you and yours. – Walt in Idaho

Hi Jim,
About motorcycles. We believe the Honda Trail 90 is a practical choice and will acquire our sixth one in a trade for a spare utility trailer. There are frequent new listings on Craig’s List in the $800 to $1,500 range in our area. The Trail 90 is rugged, reliable, easily repaired and gets about 80 to 100 MPG. Cruising speed is about 45 MPH. These are often low mileage, but one should expect that some work would be required. Usually little goes wrong. A battery and a carburetor rebuild kit are often all that’s needed to bring them back to life. Other spare parts are inexpensive and plentiful. Replacing the decades old tires is a good idea. Choose one that runs and has the hi/low sub-transmission. These bikes comfortably pull a lightweight trailer and several hundred pounds and do well in the woods. Much like the hi/low range of a 4WD, the low range feature is a big advantage. The hefty and large rack on the back allows a large box to be mounted. A [hard plastic] milk crate is ideal. The spare one gallon can latched to side gives one an extra 90 miles of range.

The low cost of ownership means one can justify storing it [just] for fair weather use. It’s overall design seem ideal for the survivalist. There is a reason the Trail 90 remains popular today. These are tough and useful bikes.

BTW, recently ordered your novel “Patriots” and can’t wait for it’s arrival. – E.L.

JWR Replies: There is certainly no “one size fits all” solution when buying a motorcycle. An Enduro type design (trail/street capable) is a compromise, but they are probably best for those of us that can only afford to buy just one motorcycle. There are some that argue that bigger is safer (on pavement), while others assert that dropping a big bike is sure trip to the hospital. But regardless of what you decide on, be sure to get plenty of training, and of course wear a helmet and all the safety gear. (If anything, err on the side of caution!)

On a related note, SF in Hawaii, mentioned two-cycle motorizing kits for bicycles. They get phenomenal mileage, but you will need to carry mixed gasoline. (Just like with a typical chainsaw engine.) And for nearly silent operation, reader Paul D. mentioned a maker of electric motorcycles. These use the new lithium ion battery technology. They have a range of 40 miles with a 2 KWH battery pack.

Letter Re: The SurvivalBlog Ten Cent Challenge

Sir,

This is a note to follow up on the envelope that I mailed you last week, for my first year of 10 Cent Challenge subscription. (I’m the guy that sent you a stack of ’bout $70 worth of Liberty [Bell “Forever” US] postage stamps and the newspaper clipping on the IndyMac bank run. You were right in your prediction about bank runs!) I just want to let you know how much your blog means to me. I read it almost every day. It is amazing how much practical knowledge you have passed on to us readers. I am very grateful! You’ve raised my awareness by a mile, and what I’ve read [in SurvivalBlog] has saved me from making some mega-costly mistakes in my preparedness. Those two things by themselves are more than enough justification for pitching in my ten cents a day.

Your economic predictions have been spot on–almost eerie! I like your blog so much that I put a graphical link to SurvivalBlog down at the bottom of my e-mail template, so I can be an Ambassador for SurvivalBlog. I think that your blog is “just right”as a mix of education, motivation, practical and old-time skills, tactical goodies, news summaries, and inspiration. Don’t change a thing sir, just keep it coming!

Please let the Memsahib know–she is in our prayers for a quick and complete recovery. I know that hospital bills can be insane these days. I hope my subscription helps a bit.- T.G., in northwestern Nevada

Odds ‘n Sods:

Cheryl N. sent us a link to an article over at Stan Deyo’s web site that indicates that the freeze-dried storage food shortage is now even more severe than was previously reported: Mountain House Out of #10 Cans Through 2009. Most Mountain House dealers have sold completely out, and a are refusing to take back orders for # 10 cans. Meanwhile, Walton Feed has temporarily suspended taking new Internet orders, presumably so they can catch up on their order backlog. OBTW, the folks at Ready Made Resources tell me that they still have a few #10 cans of Mountain House freeze dried foods “in captivity.” Call them immediately, if you want any of the following: Instant White Rice, Beef Teriyaki with Rice, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice, Oriental Style Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Sliced Strawberries, Eggs with Real Bacon, Sweet Peas, Green Beans, or Super Sweet Corn. Their quantities still on hand are extremely limited, so don’t hesitate!

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SF in Hawaii forwarded a good background piece on adenovirus: Emerging Killer Virus Starts Like a Cold, But Kills Many

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The every cheery Ambrose Evans-Pritchard offers this economic analysis: The global economy is at the point of maximum danger. (Thanks to Trent C. and “Wolf” for the link.) And speaking of bad news, don’t miss this commentary by Jim Jubak: The huge threat to the US economy. (Thanks to Micah for finding the latter.)

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For the next couple of weeks, the folks at SurvivalRing are offering an expanded set of their reference CDs, which includes two extra CDs, and a DVD data disk of their entire file sets. Enter the password “patriot” to get the special discount price. The regular price for their two CD set was $40. For this special, they’ve knocked off $5 off the price, and they have almost quadrupled the data of PDF and HTML documents. I highly recommend getting a set for your reference library. And even if you decide not to get a set of their CDs, you should still check out their large library of free manuals and other resources.

Letter Re: Advice on Motorcycles

Good Morning:
What’s your opinion about motorcycles for personal transportation in the tough times ahead? Obviously much better on gas but I wonder if I would be more vulnerable to public disturbances? I live in a very rural area but have to commute into the city for my job. Would you spend the money to get one or would that money be better spent on eliminating debt? Thanks in advance for your thoughts. – Dave P. in South Carolina

JWR Replies: In a “slow slide” situation where the power grid stays up (“Grid Up”) and law and order are maintained, a motorcycle could have great utility. The current high gasoline prices are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, so owning a fuel-efficient motorcycle makes sense for day-to-day commuting and for other purposes. My general preference is for air-cooled medium-displacement engine motorcycles with off road suspensions (a.k.a. “dirt bikes”) that have the features to qualify them as “street legal.” About 350CC is ideal, but sadly that engine class is no longer available in the US market. (There are, however, lots of used 350 dirt bikes on the market.) Heavier bikes with large displacement engines (500CC, or larger) have inferior fue economy and more importantly are very difficult to get back to an upright position following a mishap in which you “dump” your bike. (The weight limit might be as little as 300CC for someone of small stature with limited upper body strength.)

Perhaps the ultimate for preppers would be a Kawasaki KLR 650 diesel/JP8 bike, which is the 611CC civilian equivalent of the M1030 tactical motorcycle.now fielded by the US Army, USMC, and US Air Force, in small numbers. They are a bit heavy (see my preceding proviso), but they are quite sturdy.

If you plan to use a motorcycle as a last-ditch “Get Out of Dodge” (G.O.O.D.) vehicle, then I recommend that you conceal any spare fuel cans inside panniers, to reduce the likelihood of being targeted by looters. (Auxiliary cargo racks for dirt bikes are made by ProMoto and are available from CycleBuy.com. Both hard and soft dirt bike cargo panniers are available from Moto-Sport Panniers.)

A motorcycle has great mobility advantages to most other vehicles–especially in stalled traffic situations, or for off-road trail riding–but keep in mind that you will also be far more vulnerable to attack than when riding in an enclosed vehicle. (So they’d be a poor choice for a “Grid Down” situation when things get Schumeresque.) As with any other preparedness measure, there are trade-offs.

I don’t recommend going into debt to buy a motorcycle unless you live in a dry climate and are certain that you will ride it almost daily, commuting. (In that case, the motorcycle will pay for itself in a few years, through gas cost savings.) If you aren’t sure that you will end up riding regularly, it is best to borrow of lease a motorcycle for a few months, just to see if you will stick with it.

Rather than taking on any new installment debt, I believe that is far better to sell off some non-essentials to finance a dirt/street bike purchase. Do you really need a big screen plasma high definition television, or a Hummel collection, or a Jet-Ski? Re-think your priorities and get practical.

Just as with buying a car, it best buy a used motorcycle, to get the most for your money. Just be sure to have it inspected by a qualified motorcycle mechanic before you make a purchase.

Letter Re: Advice on Photovoltaic Power Systems

Greetings! I’m a long time reader, first time writer. I have been interested in “off-grid” photovoltaic power systems as a way to generate power should the grid go down. I’m pretty well versed on electricity and concepts, but what name brands would you recommend for the main components (panels, charge controller, batteries and inverter)? Though I have heard of things like Trace, Xantrex, gel battery and pure sine wave, my practical knowledge is limited. I apologize if this has been covered before – point me in the right direction and I’ll check the archives. Also, have you ever heard of a dual setup where one could run their house the standard, “on-grid” way and then flip a switch near the breaker box to have all the outlets in the home powered by solar? Keep up the good work! – Josh in Illinois

JWR Replies: All of the major brands of monocrystaline weatherproof photovoltaic (PV) panels are essentially comparable in terms of their rated output, service life, glazing strength (impact resistance), and ability to withstand the weather. Most have similar warranties (although some are slightly better). For these reasons, PV panels should be considered a commodity, and as such, the price per watt should be the main determining factor in picking a brand. (Although if you are like me, you might prefer to buy an American-made product.)

Batteries are another commodity, at least if buy traditional lead-acid deep cycle (“golf cart” type) batteries. Because of their high shipping weight, I strongly recommend that you buy the batteries for your system from a local dealer, such as your local Interstate Batteries dealer. Be sure to do some comparison pricing before you buy. If the dealer offers a “core” credit and you are buying an entirely new system, be advised that dealers are often not particular about what you provide them for your trade in. (They are essentially just looking for a source of lead plates for recycling.) If their core refund terms are based strictly on battery weight or the combined number of Amp hours capacity, one trick is to ask around locally at venues such as Craig’s List, for free used car, truck, and tractor batteries. (Batteries that are so old and sulfated that they will no longer hold a charge.) Part-time mechanics often have a dozen or more such batteries available, free for the taking. Depending on the size of your system, if you have a strong back and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty, this can save you several hundred dollars.

As for inverters: Inverter technology varies considerably, depending on maker. The Trace brand inverters are now sold under the Xantrex Technology name, and they still control a large portion of the market. Their major competitor in the US is Outback Power Systems, an up-and-coming company that was started by a group of former Xantrex engineers, following some serious disagreements with the Xantrex corporate management. The Outback brand holds a slight margin in inverter technology.

Charge controller technology is still advancing, but all of the major brands are roughly comparable. Just be sure to get a controller that can handle your anticipated needs, even if you eventually add a few panels. Also keep in mind that the more “bells and whistles” on a charge controller equals greater vulnerability to EMP. (They are fairly inexpensive, so it is wise to keep a spare, stored in a Faraday cage enclosure, such as a a steel ammo can.)

Ready Made Resources (one of our most loyal advertisers) offers free consulting on alternate power system system siting, load requirements/system sizing, and so forth. Be sure to take advantage of this very generous free service. They can design true “turn key” system for you that will require no upkeep other than periodic battery maintenance. A grid-tied system can be set up to provide “automatic failover””–meaning that there will be no interruption of power to your home or retreat more than at most a few moments, in the event of a power failure.You can also design a system that will allow you to sell power back to your power utility–the much-touted “meter running backwards”–depending on your local laws and power company policies.

Letter Re: The Importance of Pistol Holster Selection

I ‘lurk’ a lot and by doing so, learn a bunch but a discussion came up in another environment and made me think and I wanted some feedback so here goes…
In responding to someone who planned on getting a hand gun as a part of their survival planning and was seeking advice I said this:
This topic however hits home as I’ve been in training over 20 years and am still a certified ‘pistol’ instructor. I spent a lot of time doing law enforcement, corrections officer and even civilian hand gun / shotgun training. With that said, getting a hand gun is a big step and will require a lot of time and effort to truly make it worthwhile.

So, get the weapon and supporting materials (ammo, cleaning stuff etc.) and very important, the training. Then practice – lots. A .22 [rimfire] conversion kit with what ever you get, while extra expense will be well worth the investment. A good holster, belt (and mag pouch if you go auto) are also necessary – don’t skimp on the holster/belt. Many cops and civilians training with the ‘off duty’ gun or weekend carry civilian style try to get by with an inexpensive holster on the belt they got at Macy’s in men’s clothing. I’ve got a holster, belt and mag pouch that set me back $300 made by a pro and custom cut – but the gun always fits, always comes out when I draw, never shifts all day long, and is very secure. You may be betting your life on your gear so get the best you can for your situation.

To wrap up: If you do this, you must commit to training and continued practice with re-training for as long as you carry a sidearm. That’s at least monthly and not a simple box of shells once or twice a year. That means time, money and serious (very serious) mental and physical effort on your part. Good luck and stay safe.

So, am I ‘on target’ with this or am I missing something? I know it always pays to have a second set of eyes look over anything critical going out and something like this I think is very important to get right. The other point is that I see all over the place information on this or that gun, this or that cleaning stuff and lots and lots about ammo but almost never anything about a carry system (holster for sidearm) and that concerns me as stuffing a .45 in my back pocket or waistband may work but it’s not safe, good or effective. Comments? Thanks! – Paul

JWR Replies: I agree wholeheartedly. I have often met consulting clients that invest $170+ in custom holsters from a fine holster maker like Milt Sparks, yet they expect a lightweight”dress” suit belt to suffice. The belt is almost as important as the holster. In general, the stiffer and wider, the better. In most cases you will want a sturdy belt to provide support and to insure that the holster, spare magazine pouch, and flashlight pouch stay securely in place. Parenthetically, I’m a believer in carrying a small tactical flashlight (such as a Surefire) at all times. They are useful for shooting situations and more mundane things like car maintenance, and finding a key slot in a dark hallway. Also, in these days when windowless “tilt-up” slab architecture has become the norm, when visiting an office building or a “big box” store, you might find yourself very much in the dark, in the event of a mid-day power failure.