Odds ‘n Sods:

Due to the recent huge storm in Northern California the Freeze Dry Guy‘s phone lines are down. (But they can still handle orders via e-mail.) Yesterday, Professor Jim McCanney likened the recent storm to a hurricane.

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RBS kindly sent us this (and the two subsequent): Russia raises grain export duties to 40%. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the US make a similar move, to stem the flood of grain out of the US, primarily to Asia.

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News from Australia: Mozzies in plague proportions

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China could be winner in Alaska oil war

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Punishment is now unfashionable… because it creates moral distinctions among men, which, to the democratic mind, are odious. We prefer a meaningless collective guilt to a meaningful individual responsibility." – Thomas Szasz

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 14 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Round 14 ends on January 31st, so e-mail us your entry soon! Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Elements of Quality Pistol Holster Design, by Steven

Does a good holster really make a difference? The answer is that sometimes it doesn’t. That may sound odd coming from a custom holster maker, but lets consider the average handgun owner. They keep their firearm on the top shelf in a shoe box in the closet, or in a nightstand drawer. On the way to the range, it might ride in a plastic case in the car trunk and back to the closet again. Should they need a container for their pistol that affords some protection and allows belt carry for short-periods of non-critical use, then factory produced budget models will fit the bill nicely. I’m glad to refer them to my local sporting goods store. The elements of quality holster design and construction are only noticed at the upper levels of performance.

The Situation Report.
Since I do a lot of concealed carry holsters, most of my clients are off-duty, plainclothes, undercover officers, and private citizens. But contrary to popular belief, it is the latter group which will benefit most from a quality concealed carry holster. Private citizens with Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permits have lost those permits by allowing their weapon to become visible (called “flashing”) or show through their clothes (called “printing”). A panic “man with a gun” 911 call then summons uniformed officers to the scene. Their officer survival training will make them assume everybody is a bad guy until they sort out the mess. Off-duty and plainclothes officers often wear their badges on the belt next to the holster. If their piece should inadvertently “flash”, the fearful person also sees the badge which settles them down. This tends to create a cavalier attitude among some officers toward concealment. Intentionally or unintentionally broadcasting the fact that you are armed can create a tactical disadvantage. Determined predators who know in advance that a shopkeeper, for instance, is armed tend to come in shooting. And it is the height of foolishness to draw on an already drawn gun.

General Holster Notes.
A quality designed and executed holster is part of a overall system that is used in emergency situations. A defensive pistol is an emergency rescue tool, like a fire extinguisher. The problem is having it handy when you need it. This may seem obvious, but the first rule of gun fighting is have a gun. Having a pistol that is ready without restricting activities of daily living is exactly the mission of the well-designed holster. The holster is a means of always having it when you need it, on your person. For this reason I do not suggest using a bag or purse holster for your primary pistol if it can be avoided. A purse or bag is difficult to draw from, and is often the target of the assailant in the first place. If you expect trouble grab your shotgun or rifle. Holsters should be precisely fitted to the pistol they will carry and should be used only for that pistol, or a pistol with identical dimensions. The selling of holsters marked “Large Auto” or “Medium Revolver” is a common practice but totally ill-advised when serious use is intended. Factory produced holsters can and do make compromises in their design, the primary one of which is ease of production. Factory produced holsters are no better than the least skilled worker who builds it. Two types of makers design most holsters: Firearms enthusiasts with no leather experience, or secondly, experienced leather craftsman with no firearms and specifically, no concealed carry experience. The good designers have a combination of both like the late Bruce Nelson, Milt Sparks, Andy Arratoonian, and Thad Rybka, etc. Some of the best designs have been collaborations of these two knowledge bases. In addition, when a holster style or design is successfully created, the manufacturer then attempts to make similar patterns for other types of handguns with subtle differences in weight, balance, and handling characteristics. This compromises the original for the sake of simplicity of production. Some manufacturers contract out the R & D aspects of holster design because they have lost the ability to innovate in house, whereas the custom leather craftsman seeks to address a specific design problem with every project. I have never made two holsters exactly alike. The rule, “form follows function” applies here. The second restriction on quality is that the best materials are expensive and in most instances hard to obtain in quantity. When the dense, tough leather is found that makes the best holsters, the supply may not remain constant in its quality. A parallel example exists with bench rest shooters who demand premium reloading components so that they can make their own highly accurate ammunition.

Combat Grip.
The most important aspect of achieving a consistent firing grip is the burying of the web between the thumb and forefinger into the upper blackstrap of the pistol. This is particularly true of recoil operated semi-automatic pistols, some of which have grip safeties that must be depressed by this proper grip. Many holster designs require the changing of ones grip prior to achieving a firing stance. Any holster that, by its inherent design, prevents a full and final grip upon first contact with the pistol while still in the holster is fatally flawed from the outset.

Front Sight, Press. Proper aiming requires focusing on the front sight and allowing the target to blur somewhat. The holster needs to be designed so that the front sight blade does not shave slivers of leather off the inside of the holster. This can be very distracting.

Belt holsters are by far the more popular holsters for people who carry a handgun concealed for serious social encounters. Belt holsters come in two general types: those worn inside the pants, and those worn outside-the-pants. Inside-the-pants rigs are commonly called inside-the-waistband (IWB) holsters. Generally IWB holsters conceal pistols better than outside-the-pants holsters since the pistol is only visible above the belt line. There is a downside to this level of concealment, however.

Comfort.
Even the best IWB holsters won’t change the fact that you are carrying a big chunk of steel in your pants. Some people like IWB, some do not. Reinforcing the holster mouth for re-holstering is good for all holsters, but essential for IWB holsters.

Weight and balance are very different between revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. While revolvers center their weight in the cylinder, semi-autos will center their weight in the grip area. Particularly with semi-autos, so-called “high ride” holsters can be very top heavy. Positioning the trigger guard any higher than belt level, places up to 80% of the weight of the pistol from one to three inches above the belt. Example: With a “high ride” Colt Officers ACP pistol on a 1″ belt, one could grab the holster and pull out and down until the holstered gun was upside-down on the belt. Smaller torso women find high-ride pistols hitting them in the armpits on the draw, looking like a “chicken wing” motion. With revolvers I position the cylinder at belt level.

Belts should be wide enough to support the weight of the pistol. At least 1 1/2″, preferably 1 3/4″ for larger pistols. (Caution, wide gun belts scream “Cop” if they are not otherwise common in your area). Gun belts should be leather lined and about 1/4″ thick or otherwise reinforced torsionally. Fabric and braided leather belts should be avoided. Cutting the belt out on a curve creates a more comfortable belt, especially for women. The belt should fit tightly into the holster slot when new and will break in to a proper snug fit. Constantly adjusting a poorly fitted holster is the sign of a novice and a dead give away that you’re “packing iron.” This solid belt/holster connection assures that the pistol will be in the same place with every draw. In time, your firing stroke will be as natural as reaching for your wallet. Consistency leads to smoothness, which with practice leads to speed with accuracy.

Strong side holsters have been the preferred position for belt holsters. Traditionally these holsters were made with the barrel angled as much as 45 degrees back from vertical. This position is commonly called the “FBI rake” or “FBI cant”. When first introduced with medium frame revolver holsters with single fold-over belt loops, the design helped to conceal the larger butts of these pistols. In the early 1960’s with the advent of practical pistol competition, it became apparent that this angle was detrimental to achieving a good grip on the pistol. The hand as well as wrist should be in as close to firing stance as possible. Imagine a line running through the forearm, wrist, hand and parallel to the barrel of the pistol. In 1967, with the introduction of the #1 Professional for semi-auto pistol, Bruce Nelson was among the first to correct this problem by designing his holster with no rearward cant (vertical). A 10-degree angle is still good for revolvers due to their longer curved backstrap, however. He solved the problem of the butt printing by using a belt loop with a trailing slot to pull the butt in tight to the body, Askins style (i.e. Charles Askins). This allowed the proper firing angle to remain consistent throughout the firing stroke. The further one wears their holster rearward from the right hipbone toward the back, the more angle is required. For this reason, most Small-Of-the Back (S.O.B.) holsters are nearly horizontal. A word of caution on S.O.B. holsters, falling backward against a hard surface wearing a full-size handgun in a S.O.B. holster could lead to injury of the lower back. Use of S.O.B. rigs with only smaller frame pistols is advisable.

Cross draw Holsters are good for concealment purposes for two reasons. They provide easier access while sitting and simplify the clearing of the coat since you reach inside the coat rather than “sweeping the coat” out of the way as in a strong side draw. Cross draw holsters are better for women, who are actually faster with them than their male counterparts due to their narrower torsos, greater flexibility, and more limber arms . Some people however give cross draw holsters a bad rap as being easy to snatch away since the butt of the pistol faces forward. With the belt loop and trailing slot design, the gun butt is pulled tight to the body making it less obtrusive. Weapon retention is primarily a training issue and not a holster design issue. Attempts to make snatch proof duty holsters have made them difficult for officers to draw themselves. In addition, the use of a retaining strap can slow the draw and interfere with obtaining a proper grip on the pistol if not designed properly.

Shoulder holsters are also better for women for the reasons cited above, in addition they are good for pregnant women who can’t wear belts. The hardest part to conceal in a shoulder holster is not the holster but the harness; since most harnesses “print” through jackets. BTW, one way to discover (“make”) a person wearing a shoulder rig is to pat them on the back. One-handed blind re-holstering is almost impossible with shoulder holsters. As an experiment, try to simultaneously cuff someone while re-holstering your pistol in a shoulder rig. Not only is it a two-handed operation, but you will probably have to look to see what you are doing. On a personal note, as a certified firearms instructor, horizontal shoulder holsters (where the muzzle points backward), have always made me cautious. If you are new to concealed carry and must use a shoulder rig, use a vertical shoulder holster. I use an Andy Arratoonian SHR vertical, it’s the best. Sorry “Miami Vice” fans.

Ankle holsters are well suited for guns of back-up size such as medium to small semi-autos and shrouded hammer or “hammerless” J-frame revolvers. Why might someone who is not an officer, carry a second gun? The fastest reload is a second pistol. Also, imagine a situation where your client is confronted by multiple assailants (read: gang). He can now arm his fully trained and trusted associate who doesn’t have a firearm, thus greatly improving their odds of survival. For a right-handed (strong side) person the ankle holster should be positioned above the inside ankle of the left (weak side) leg. Ankle holsters work well when seated or pretending to tie your shoe, but are not particularly fast. One draws his primary pistol, reaches for his back-up gun, and struggles for his hideout piece (don’t let things degenerate to hide-out phase please). This is one mode of carry that would benefit from a pull-through type of retention strap. However, always hand bone the holster for proper fit first, then size the straps, never rely on the retention device for proper holster fit. This maxim applies to all holsters but especially ankle rigs. I do not generally use linings for holsters, but ankle rigs need to be padded and lined on the leg side of the holster. Thick wool fleece is often used, but an orthopedic (silicone tannage) suede over non-crushing foam seems best. Wool fleece will absorb moisture and get matted down. Also, if you are apt to break into impressions of Gene Kelly doing “Singin’ in the Rain”, an ankle holster may not be right for him.

Pocket Holsters work well with handguns of back up or the smaller hideout size. The practice of carrying a pistol loose in a pocket presents several problems. A pistol loose in your pocket looks like a pistol loose in your pocket. It will probably not be oriented butt up for a proper draw when you need it. Dirt and pocket debris can foul the action if not protected. In addition, the loose lining of some pockets can block hammer travel on revolvers causing a jam. These issues should be addressed in both weapon selection and holster design. Firing from inside and through the pocket should be possible, should things get “up close and personal”. Semi-autos have to eject the empty brass cases somewhere and they tend to jam the piece. Revolvers contain the fired brass cases within the cylinder until manually ejected and are better for in pocket firing of multiple rounds. Yes, you are going to ruin your jacket, better that ruining your whole day!

There are almost as many design elements of a quality holster, as there are people to wear them. Holsters can be a very individual and personal item. I’ve attempted to highlight what I feel are some of the more important design elements, and this article is by no means exhaustive. The following resources listed below are well worth the addition to the custom holster users library. РSteven at The Gunfitters

References and Some Suggested Reading:
Bruce Nelson, Combat Leather catalog, 1986
Trey Bloodworth and Mike Raley, Hidden in Plain Sight, 1995
Bill Jordan, No Second Place Winner, 1965
Massad F. Ayoob, In the Gravest Extreme, 1980
Massad F. Ayoob, Handgun Primer, 1986
Col. Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed, 2nd edition, 1951
Col. Jeff Cooper, To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth, 1988
Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Luke 22:36, KJV, 1611

The Four Laws of Firearms Safety

For the benefit of those that are new to SurvivalBlog, it is important to again mention The Four Laws of Firearms Safety, developed by the late Col. Jeff Cooper

1) All firearms are loaded. – There are no exceptions. Don’t pretend that this is true. Know that it is and handle all firearms accordingly. Do not believe it when someone says: “It isn’t loaded.”

2) Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy. – If you would not want to see a bullet hole in it do not allow a firearm’s muzzle to point at it.

3) Keep your finger off the trigger unless your sights are on the target. – Danger abounds if you keep your finger on the trigger when you are not about to shoot. Speed is not gained by prematurely placing your finger on the trigger as bringing a firearm to bear on a target takes more time than it takes to move your finger to the trigger.

4) Be sure of your target and what is behind it. – Never shoot at sounds or a target you cannot positively identify. Know what is in line with the target and what is behind it (bullets are designed to go through things). Be aware of your surroundings whether on a range, in the woods, or in a potentially lethal conflict.

Odds ‘n Sods:

I finally got the chance to go see the movie “I Am Legend“. A friend who is not preparedness- minded went with me and he commented that he found the film terrifying only because it seemed plausible. He said that unlike “Resident Evil” which seemed like an unrealistic video game to him, “I Am Legend” was genuinely frightening. This leads me to believe that the film might encourage some erstwhile sheeple to get prepared. My friend did mention that if he was in Dr. Neville’s position he would have dynamited and bulldozed all of the buildings in a three block radius to clear fields of fire.

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Matt in Texas suggested this must-read piece economics article: Enter 2008: The System Breaks. Matt’s comment: “This article by Jim Willie is an 11 on a scale of 1-to-10 for the ‘Sphincter Quotient'”.

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Ready Made Resources has reduced the prices on the new photovoltaic (PV) power product in their line. For those of us that can’t afford a full-blown PV system, they sell the Brunton Solarport –a 4.4 watt compact folding PV panel designed to charge electronics like cell phones, digital cameras, GPS receivers, and PDAs via a USB port, as well as charging batteries for radios and flashlights, with and included charging tray. It come with a 20″ extendable power cable with a modular adapter plug. Up to three units can be linked together for more current output. See the Ready Made Resources web site for complete specifications. The price is now under $110 each!

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The Memsahib has been receiving seed catalogs in the mail ever since Christmas. Seems like those catalogs are arriving earlier and earlier every year.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle awakens knowing it must today run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning a lion awakens knowing it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It matters not whether you are a gazelle or a lion, when the sun rises you had better be running.” – African Proverb

Letter Re: Strategies for Saving a House in a Foreclosure Situation?

Sir,
I just read your piece on foreclosures. People who are about to get behind on their payments should contact their lender. Banks do not want the properties, they want the cash.
Some lenders are willing to negotiate a modification of the loan terms rather than accept the expense of a foreclosure and resale (usually at a loss) of the property.

Selling the house before the foreclosure process begins is better than waiting because the cost of the foreclosure will be added to the amount they have to repay the bank.
If a person knows they’re going to get behind on their monthly payments, it may be better to fall behind on the credit cards and car payments instead of the house. Credit cards will yell and threaten, but usually little else. The car may be repossessed, but if the house payment is not made it will lead to foreclosure.

Also, in most places (Idaho for sure) bankruptcy will not prevent foreclosure of a residence if the borrower is delinquent on the payments. The borrower granted the lender the right to have the house sold at auction when they signed the deed of trust.

Walking away from the house does not absolve the borrower from the obligation of the debt. More lenders are going after borrowers for a deficiency judgment when the house sells for less than the debt owed.

Finally, those who take advantage of a “Short Sale”, or a transaction where the lender is persuaded to accept less than is owed so the borrower may sell the house may be in for a nasty surprise. The IRS has determined that that portion of the debt which is forgiven may be taxed as income. The lenders will often report that amount to the IRS on Form 1099, thus creating a tax liability which may pop up later when the IRS finds the borrower has assets/income again.

Just the opinion of someone who is involved in the foreclosure process and not as a representative of my employer. – TheOtherChris

Letter Re: Sources for Gasoline and Diesel Fuel in a Grid-Down Collapse

Jim:
Here is a suitable electric pump that will lift fuel from underground tanks. It is 12 Volts DC, Facet Duralift pump , Facet part #40223 / Carrier part # 30-01108-01 SV (available from Carrier Transcold dealers.) They are typically used for commercial truck refrigerators. This pump is self priming to 120 inches (3 meters). Its designed to lift fuel 10 feet straight up.

It is not cheap, at an average price of $125 from the dealer, but it works. I have one on my ’88 F250 7.3 IDI Diesel to solve fuel delivery problems.

It also has a see-through water/trash separator bowl with a pre screen. Regards, – Tim P.

Two Letters Re: Small Town Newcomers and Home Development Covenants

Jim:
In my opinion Violas’s comments are balderdash! That’s my reaction to all the ranting over “restrictive covenants”. I wouldn’t buy a piece of property in any sort of subdivision that didn’t have such rules. Let me share the experience that convinced me:

About five years ago, I bought a piece of investment property in a small, rural Wyoming subdivision. Lot sizes were 3 to 10 acres and covenants were attached. Those covenants were common sense in nature. hey boiled down to simply treating your neighbor as you would be treated.

Problem was, the covenants weren’t enforced. “Nobody’s gonna tell me what I can do with my property.” You know the litany. The inevitable results:

Animals – The covenants had no restrictions against domestic or small-sized commercial operations–i.e., half dozen horses, 20 or 30 turkeys, goats, etc. Guess what happens? Some clod runs a dozen horses on a three acre lot. Takes about 90 days until all the vegetation is dead and the neighbors are treated to pulverized horse manure and dust blowing in on their pancakes every time a breeze kicks up.

Junk – Covenants allowed up to three junk cars, plus a camper, utility trailers and even farm machinery (junk or otherwise). What happens? You got it, doesn’t take long until 2 or 3 people have turned their yards into trash heaps: old tires, worn out swamp coolers, scrap metal, you name it.

Lighting – Covenants simply said we had a “Dark Skies” policy and that folks were asked to use motion detecting or intermittent lighting and that any outdoor lighting did not shine directly on neighboring property. Yep, the first thing you got is million candlepower “security lights” that blaze away from dusk until dawn.

Temporary structures – The covenants prohibit anyone from moving a camper in and living in it. However, if they were constructing a home, they could reside in a camper on-site for a “reasonable” period of time, up to two years. Thanks to unenforced covenants, a family moves in an old camper and settles in. Their septic system? They dug a hole in the ground and piped the sewage into that hole. (Yeah, thank God we don’t have to worry about covenants!)

The list goes on, but I’ve made my point. Anyway, property values drop, decent folks sell out and are replaced by down and outers who can’t afford to keep up the property. Pretty soon, it looks like Tobacco Road.

Our solution? We sold the property as soon as we realized that the covenants were being ignored. We are glad that we did! Keep the Faith, – Dutch

 

Hi Jim,
I wanted to write in response to the latest Weekly Survival Real Estate Update. He mentioned the phenomena of outsiders moving in and establishing “covenants”, restrictive ones, which help to alter the real estate landscape, among other things. This touches on something I’ve noticed in every town I work in that is experiencing growth. Dilution.
The locals at first love the idea of new services coming from the taxes and development fees from new construction. But after awhile, they find out that the new comers don’t give a rat’s furry behind about any kind of local tradition, culture, or even cordiality. They just buy-in, settle-down (maybe) and vote. The new people vote their own ways, chose a route they prefer, and eventually dilute the will and preferences of people having lived there for years, or decades.

My little town of what used to be 9,000 is now over 14,000. The extra 5,000 seem to think that “old town” doesn’t exist, or is so out-of-date that its concerns don’t matter. It’s not nice, and it’s not comfortable. Lots of the locals have moved out, and renters have taken their place, and we know about renters around here. They move in and show all the lack of concern mentioned above, and they add new problems – dirty yards, dead cars, smells and noise. They don’t care. They don’t have any investment. The newcomers form a serious voting bloc, and are ready to okay assessments and fees on the old town. We need to pay for their developments? Sheesh!

I really would like to get up there. But I gotta wonder, how many Kalifornians have already beat feet to Idaho and Montana and found that they can alter the balance? How many of my recently removed idiot neighbors have decided that the scenery is for them, and screw the locals and their backwards ways? Does the indigenous population understand what is coming their way? You’re concerned about the hordes from the cities in a TEOTWAWKI scenario, but you might well see plenty of them ahead of time. And they vote. They will vote according to their comfort desires. They may vote in a government that is hostile to your current freedoms. They may vote in politicians that will expand liberal Schumer deeper into your lives. They will do what they want, and “what’s best” for you – whether you want it or not.

I hope that the natives understand, and are prepared to fight the battles at the polls that will need to be won. If I ever make it up there, I’d really like to not see just another transplanted Californian mentality. – Randy in Central California

Two Letters Re: Grain Storage and Preparation

Sir;
We have what may be stupid question, however, we do not know how to grind wheat. We would like to ask how to prepare wheat for cooking and use.We have searched your great site but I did not find the answer on this. We would like to take advantage of this inexpensive food. Thanks so much . Your work is appreciated. – EG

 

Mr Rawles,
My family and I are doing our best to prepare for the tough times ahead. Something’s brewing, I’m sure we all can feel it. One thing we’d love to keep a store of is cracked corn. The versatility, caloric and nutritional value, etc., makes dry corn a great prospect for our stores. We get it in 50 pound sacks from our local feed store for only about $6.50, where 50 pounds of wheat now costs us $50 ($15 of which is shipping). Please advise me how best to keep cracked corn. I know it won’t keep long in the paper sacks. I’ve looked into five gallon buckets with seals in the lids, and we have a vacuum sealer. I would also like to know how dry corn holds up with climate change. Here we experience temperatures between about 5 degrees F and 120 degrees F throughout the year. Can corn be sealed and stored outside with these temperatures? For how long at best? We’re striving for five plus years if at all possible, most likely not having electricity. As time is short, please try to get back to me as soon as possible or link me to where you may have already answered these questions. Thank you very much in advance for any help at all which you’re able to offer. God bless you! – Mitch


JWR Replies: For someone planning ahead for “grid down” circumstances, I recommend getting a hand crank-powered grain mill. To make flour that is fine enough for bread baking, you need to run wheat through a mill twice. The best mills use stone burrs. Some of the less expansive mills use metal burrs. But these are just fine for making corn meal. The meal burr mills such as the “Corona” are less expensive but more labor intensive. With these you might have to grind wheat three times to make fine flour. Here at the ranch we use a Country Living grain mill. They are very efficient, and their crank wheels have a V-belt notch, which makes motorizing or pedal-power converting them quite easy. OBTW, I heard that this model will have a 15% price increase from the manufacturer on February 1, 2008, so if you want one, get your order in soon.

Metal burr grinders are available from Nitro-Pak, Lehman’s, and several other vendors. Stone burr grinders are available from Ready Made Resources, Lehman’s, and many other vendors.

OBTW, in addition to buying yourself a mill for grinding flour, don’t overlook the easiest preparation method of all: soaked wheat berries. By simply soaking whole wheat for 24 to 36 hours, it plumps and softens. When then heated, wheat berries make a nutritious breakfast cereal.

Corn stores best in whole kernels. Once it is cracked, the inner germ is exposed. This decreases its storage life and nutritive value by 80%. Running whole corn through a grain mill at a coarse setting to make cracked corn is quick and easy. A finer setting will yield corn meal.

Unless you have large scale grain bins, one of the most efficient means of storing wheat and corn for small-scale animal feed or human consumption is to buy new galvanized trash cans with tight-fitting lids. If they will be on a damp floor, put the cans up on 2×4 blocks to prevent rust. When galvanized trash barrels go on sale, buy a bunch. Another good storage method is 5 or 6 gallon food grade plastic buckets with gasketed lids. These stack well, but be advised that they are not as vermin-proof as galvanized steel bins or barrels. Determined rats have been known to gnaw their way through plastic food buckets. So if you choose this method, be sure to set traps, and check the buckets once every few weeks for signs of damage. As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, do not use utility-type plastic paint buckets. Even if bought brand new these can taint food, because they are often molded using non-food-grade (toxic) mold release agents.

Grain storage is a crucial aspect of family preparedness. Grain will soon no longer be cheap or plentiful, so stock up! Readers JP and Commander Zero suggested this Financial Post (Canada) article: Forget oil, the new global crisis is food And meanwhile, we read: Japan to Increase Emergency Stockpiles of Grains, Wheat has jumped to $10 per bushel, but I anticipate that it will go much higher in the next year. Stock up, in quantity. Buy plenty for your family and your livestock. A total of 200 pounds of wheat and 50 pounds of corn per family member are good figures for planning purposes for a family without livestock. I also recommend buying plenty of extra for barter and charity. You’ll soon be glad that you did

Speaking of charity, if you store extra wheat and/or corn for charity, remember that your charity recipients will need a way to process that grain. So be sure to be on the lookout for a few inexpensive used grain mills. You can often find used Corona brand mills (or similar) on eBay or on Craig’s List

Letter Re: Strategies for Saving a House in a Foreclosure Situation?

Hi Jim,
Are there any strategies, (i.e.- negotiations, dickering, etc…) that you can recommend for a after a TSHTF situation in which the government has raised taxes so much that you are hinging on hanging on to your retreat? Any examples that worked back in the 1930s? I know you can relate due to your family’s history that you have spoken of. What could we do as a plan to save our properties?
Who can we expect to knock on the door, (i.e.- what entities)?
Do you think there will be more motivation to seize productive ground?
Do you think there will be more motivation to seize ground that has equity in it?
Do you think there will be more of a chance of the Government or the Lender coming to knock on the door if you fall behind on your mortgage payments or property tax installment?
Do you think legal representation will actually prove beneficial under such implied circumstances?
Would you recommend being overly helpful to them at that hypothetical point, or would you recommend dragging your feet hoping that maybe they go on to a quicker seizure of someone else’s property?
These are questions that I hasten to type, but, maybe someone has thought of the aftermath and can offer some good sound advice since we will unlikely be able to communicate or have access to the Internet under such circumstances, nor afford an expensive Attorney. – The Wanderer

JWR Replies: I’d like to address this from two distinct angles: tax delinquency and mortgage delinquency. I’ll address mortgage delinquency first, since it is far more likely.

Mortgage Delinquency:

It may sound like an elementary precept, but when you buy any property using a mortgage, you don’t really own that property until the mortgage is paid in full. It is the banker’s house, not yours, until it is entirely paid off. In essence, in the eyes of the law the lender is still the owner. If you get delinquent in your payments for long enough (it varies depending on the state where you live), then you can count on foreclosure and if need be, being forcibly evicted. Currently the county sheriff’s deputies in California’s post-bubble Central Valley are presently busy with a lot of evictions.

Before talking about delinquency and foreclosure, I should mention one protective measure. State laws vary, but a Declaration of Homestead can help protect your house (and typically just the one acre that it sits on) from creditors in some circumstances. Be sure to research your state’s declaration of homestead law thoroughly. In many states, a homestead exemption is automatic–you aren’t required to file a homestead declaration in order to claim the homestead exempt status. Again, these laws can vary widely, so do your homework.

Here are some of my thoughts on the four most-often suggested solutions for preventing foreclosure:

Borrow money from friends or family members: This might be an option, but unless you know for certain that you can meet the new payment schedule, then don’t do it. It will only cause familial strife that could last for decades.

Borrow from a different bank to get back up to date on past-due payments: This can be accomplished by means of a second mortgage, but I must warn readers that is having trouble paying a first mortgage, then taking out a second mortgage is most likely just a stop-gap measure.

File in Bankruptcy Court (Chapter 7 or 13): Generally not recommended, since it could take decades to recover. You could conceivably keep a mortgaged house when going through either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13.

Sell the property: Most people consider this a last resort, but my personal opinion is that it should be the first option that you consider. Typically, if you find new financing then you will most likely fall behind again on your payments and the end result will be the same: foreclosure. So it is usually best to cut your losses and sell the house. If you are in a situation where you “upside down” in the mortgage (where the value of the property has declined to below what you still owe on the property), then it is probably best to just pack up and move, and mail you banker the keys. (This has recently been dubbed “jingle mail.”) With continuing sharp declines in house prices expected in the next few years in the over-bought coastal markets, I predict that the “Midnight Flit” will become a commonplace occurrence.

 

Tax Delinquency:
This was the situation that my great grandparents were in, back in the 1930s. They owned a large sheep ranch in northern California. At the beginning of the Great Depression they were land rich but cash poor. By the end of the Depression, that had neither much money or land. By 1942, the county had taken most of the ranch for back taxes.

The only safe and sure prevention for such situations is to have cash in the bank, or highly liquid tangibles (such as precious metals). With cash in the bank you can sleep well, knowing that you’ll always be able to pay your property taxes. The property tax rates vary tremendously from state to state. The tax rates tend to be the highest in the northeastern US, and lowest in the south and the west. Needless to say, I recommend relocation to states with low property tax rates.

If and when you can’t pay your taxes, you can try some legal maneuvers, but once the deputies arrive, don’t try anything melodramatic. They are just the instrument of the courts, and it is in the courts that you must find your remedy and recourse. When it comes to foreclosures, unless you live in a county with a particularly corrupt government, I don’t thing that it will make much difference how much equity you hold, and or whether or not the land is productive. If you get in arrears on your taxes, they will be “equal opportunity destroyers.” The tax sales may get delayed in some cases, but inevitably if you don’t pay the taxes, then the land will be seized.

OBTW, speaking of forfeiture for back taxes, if you are looking for bargain retreat properties in rural regions, you can occasionally find small parcels that are available for just the price of catching up on their back taxes. (Again, state laws vary widely.) Typically these are undeveloped parcels that were bought decades before. The owners, often out of state, changed mailing addresses, and somewhere along the line–often because of a death in the family–the property was forgotten, the taxes lapsed, and with no mail forwarding address, the property was eventually seized by the county for back taxes. You can find some such properties through services like Foreclosure.com. But in some cases you have to visit the County Recorder/Assessor’s Office to find out about such parcels. You should get to know the people at your Recorder’s office anyway, so if nothing else this is a good excuse to go and visit.

Letter Re: The Precious Metals Bull Charges Onward

Jim-
You noted gold reaching an all-time high on Wednesday the 2nd of January. But this writer says: “I’m not really sure how all the ‘Gold at 27-year high’ headlines came to be, but my own calculations tell me that gold would have to break at least $2,400 an ounce [adjusted for inflation] to break its supposed 27-year high.”

If that argument is accurate, perhaps it is not yet time to think about getting out of gold 20% at a time just yet. – Robert B.

JWR Replies: The “adjusted for inflation” calculations on the real value of gold are indeed valid, but those folks seem to assume that there are free markets. Sadly, there aren’t–they are unfortunately manipulated in a number of ways. The missing variables in calculating the next likely market tops for silver and gold are A.) market regulation, and B.) central bank metals selling and leasing. If The Powers That Be (TPTB) decide that the prices of gold and silver are getting “inflated” then they can either change the trading rules–like the CBOT and COMEX did in 1980, when they drastically raised the margin requirements on silver futures contracts and capped silver futures contract holdings, to stop the Hunt Brothers silver rally–or they can simply announce that there will be some big government gold sales. (Sales of hundred of tons of gold are commonplace.) Either of those would crash the relatively thin metals market. I believe that manipulators will start making such moves when they start to feel discomfort as rising precious metals prices reveal the real value of the fire kindling that they call “money”. I predict that this discomfort will reach painful proportions once the price of gold passes €1,000 Euros per ounce. The emperor cannot afford to be seen sans-culottes. If and when TPTB want to push down the price of metals, they will. I am merely recommending that SurvivalBlog readers conservatively unwind the speculative side of of their metals portfolios before this happens. I recommend that take your profit and reinvest your capital in other tangibles such as productive farm land.

An aside: The whole concept of the gold price being “inflated” is laughable, since it is the un-backed paper currencies that have been unbridled, while the metals have effectively been stable. There is only a limited supply of gold in the world, but a virtually unlimited supply of paper and ink. Understanding the “price” versus “value” of precious metals is all a matter of perspective. As economist Howard J. Ruff pointed out three decades ago: An ounce of gold would buy a nice man’s suit a century ago, and one ounce will still buy a nice suit today. It is not the value of gold that has changed, but rather it is the value of the fiat paper currencies that has changed. They have all been destroyed by inflation at various rates

There is one other factor that makes metals market predictions almost impossible: the small size of both the “above ground” precious metals market and the market for mining shares. Both of these are so small compared to the global “digits” economy, which–even without derivatives–is measured in trillions. The capitalization of all of the mining companies in the world combined is smaller than the capitalization of the Big Three auto makers. The metals markets are so thin that they are quite vulnerable to manipulation.