Odds ‘n Sods:

Florida Guy found us this one: The great depression of 2008 – the mother of all depressions

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Frequent contributor RBS flagged this article from Time magazine: After the Oil Crisis, a Food Crisis?

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The US Dollar dropped below the crucial 1.10 Swiss Franc level. There is an old saying, “Its a just a stumble and short trip from the limousine to the gutter.”

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John the Bowhunter recommended some commentary from Michigan’s Attorney General Mike Cox, writing in The Wall Street Journal: Second-Amendment Showdown

Notes from JWR:

JRH Enterprises (one of our most loyal advertisers) is having a Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) sale, today only. The on-sale items include PRI fuel preservative, children’s and adult gas masks, night vision gear, medical items, and long term storage foods. Be sure to visit their site and check out their great line of reasonably-priced preparedness and outdoors gear.

Letter Re: The Best Way to Stock Up on Food at the Eleventh Hour?

James,
I currently live in a studio apartment, and my storage space is limited. I have already done my darndest to get creative on storage. For example my “coffee table” is actually eight cases of bottled water, topped with a slab of plywood, and then draped with a decorative print throw. And my bed is a “stylishly” extra tall four-poster, just for the sake of the storage space underneath. But I still lack the space needed for seeeeerious food storage. Because of some deep family commitments, I don’t plan to bug out, but instead “hunker down” in place. (I live in a suburb of Memphis [,Tennessee.]) Here is my question to you: Assuming that I would mind filling up half of my apartment with food now, but that I wouldn’t mind doing so right when a disaster seems imminent, can I get everything that I need in one big supermarket trip with my Ford (F250 model) [pickup] truck? (It has a big A.R.E. camper shell.) I’m talking 10 to 12 grocery carts full, all in one trip to the store, with [the help of] two of my relatives. If we make several trips into the store, with enough planning (I mean like actually mapping out the store and setting up a shopping “battle plan”) I think that we could buy everything in less than three or four hours. What do you think? I realize that this sorta approach is less than optimal, but is it at least viable? Thanks, – Pat J.

JWR Replies: Stocking up on canned and bulk foods can be done as you describe. Of course, waiting until the eleventh hour is not recommended, but if your circumstances necessitate it, then consider it a calculated risk. (Just don’t hesitate, once you see the first warning signs. You my have only one day to do your shopping before the hordes descend and strip the stores clean!) However, instead of making these purchases at a supermarket, I recommend buying at a membership “warehouse” store (such as Costco or Sam’s Club.) Buy a store membership card and scope out the store in detail, well in advance. Some items like jerky, batteries, and bottled water will sell out first, so make those your first stops. With proper planning, you could buy everything in under two hours.

The case lots that “Big Box” stores sell, combined with the large large flat cargo carts that they provide makes large volume procurement much more efficient than shopping at a typical grocery store with individual cans and small boxes, piled into a standard shopping cart. (One of the Costco cargo carts–piled up with case lots–can carry the equivalent of about eight grocery carts full.) You can buy a lot of food in a very short period of time, and get better prices to boot, buying at a place like Costco. By the way, just this sort of procurement is described in detail in my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. The core portion of the course is literally a guided tour of a Costco store, describing what is available. It also compares food shelf lives, distinguishing between the various types of packaging. And, by coincidence, the course (with accompanying audio CD) is currently on sale at 33% off.

Letter Re: Climate Change Myth and Reality

Jim:
Regarding the recent Odd ‘n Sods link to the article about “The Prophet of Climate Change”: This planet on which we live has been “globally warmed” before, during that episode of time sometimes referred-to as the “Medieval Warm Period”. This warming (which is acknowledged to have been even warmer than our present-day) occurred without benefit of (the) Industrial Revolution, or even of a large human population. It (the Warming) waxed into being beginning around 750-850 A.D., waned, and then moved into the next bit of planetary-cycle, often thought of as (the) “Little Ice Age”.

This globe on which we all reside has seen these warm/cold cycles wax & wane for long before humans became the (supposedly; insects are said to be more widespread) dominant species. As I indicated above, the cycles have come and gone with little or no previous influence from humanity. Hysteria (and, making an “time ‘honored'” institution of trading “carbon credits” worldwide) aside, from where do these supposedly “experts” think that we humans have put our planet into “irreversible” warming, and that “6 billion people will perish by the end of the century”?

The quicksand, as it were, of hysteria is that nobody thusly involved wishes to be on the back-end of the proverbial horse. “Jumping on the bandwagon” is a very old and time honored way of “proving” to ones’ peers that they (the jumper[‘s]) have “gotten with the program”. I should know; in my time I’ve shouted-down common sense, jumped on bandwagons, and altogether told intelligent & common-sense to “take a hike”. In my case, however, I’ve come to my senses and decided to “Investigate, (but) not pile-on the wagon of hysteria” (noted above, a sad-to-say, but increasingly-popular, social-phenomena). Truly yours, – Ben L.

Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Update

Isolation, Neighbors, Security and the Golden Rule
This week we’ll look into some characteristics of retreat shopping that normally won’t become an issue until you have actually spent time “in theater” and have narrowed your search to several possible retreat properties to purchase. After taking the time to look at the properties available through SurvivalRealty.com and/or working with an experienced local agent in your selected retreat region, you should eventually work your list up to perhaps a half dozen prospective retreat properties that are on the market. . Then it is time to whittle that list down, by selecting the “best of the best”.

First, let’s assume that you are purchasing a retreat that will someday become a full time residence, but maybe not for a few year, yet you’ll need to get it stocked and prepped so you have a place to go should the SHTF. Some things to consider would be the lifestyle that a certain property will afford you both pre- and post-TEOTWAWKI and the security of your supplies while your retreat is unoccupied.

The quality of your immediate neighbors will be very important, especially for someone that may have a young family in tow. Providing the family with a home in an area that will afford certain socialization opportunities for all the family members. That should be high on the check off list in the final stages of a retreat purchase, as friendly self sufficient neighbors will become invaluable during a crisis. So, how would one learn about the neighbors? Knock on their door of course. Your real estate agent might become a little unnerved but who cares, it’s your life, right? (If your agent offers to run rear security while you talk to the new neighbors, you got a good one, let’s get ’em on the Blog!). If you have narrowed your search down to one or two properties I would simply go neighbor snooping. Introduce yourself and be forthcoming (to an extent of course, don’t tell them you read SurvivalBlog, yet) and let them know you are contemplating purchasing the property nearby and wanted to get an idea of who is in the neighborhood. And remember, these neighbors will most likely have anywhere from 5 to 100 acres maybe more so make it an all day journey.

Ask them if they do any canning, hunting, fishing, if they home school, raise livestock, or grow organically, et cetera. (These are all good buzz words to check for self sufficiency.) Get a little dialog going then ask them a few questions about the locale and once they get going just smile and listen. You’d be real surprised at what you’ll here in a small town. Really. Also, be sure to ask them where they moved from and why, this will give you an eye into who they are and what their motivations may be towards newcomers. Your neighbors need not be SurvivalBloggers, they simply have to be trustworthy (easy to find in smaller towns) and demonstrate some sort of self-reliance skills (noted above). It does help if they actually like you enough to want to watch your property while your not there also.
Being isolated in a cabin 20 miles from the nearest paved road may sound like fun, and it may be better in a total social collapse but remember, you have to live your life in between now and then. Being able to walk a few hundred yards to ask a neighbor for help with a tough chore or to drop off a freshly baked pie will add a lot to your family’s life, whether you are religious or not. If you have kids you’ll need to be comfortable with little Johnny walking a 1/4 mile to his friends house and vise-versa knowing each neighbor along the way does a mental check off as they see your child run by their home and will call you if they don’t see him come back home by nightfall. A sense of community is important, don’t leave it out of your checklist.

Well, what about commute time (convenience) versus isolation and security? My take on the matter is that I would rather commute longer than I would like for the next who knows how many working years I have left, than to live too close to a cesspool of society that I know will come looking for a handout should something ever happen, thus possibly threatening the safety of my loved ones. If you have to drive an extra 30 minutes to your 9 to 5 job to guarantee that the urban sprawl will not surround your retreat in 10 or 15 years, then suck it up and do it. You’ll thank yourself one dark day in the future! Remember, any property you see that you think is “out there” from a city dwellers perspective, will have a gas station (or storage unit for that matter) next door to it in 20 years, as the baby-boomers move out of the cities and some of the rest of the horde get smart and punch out as well. Location, location and most importantly, location! Saving a dollar may cost you a pound of lead someday!

Next on the list would be the security of your very valuable supplies, be it firearms/ammo, food and clothing stores and/or general survival supplies that you have worked hard to get over the years. This is one item that a lot of retreat shoppers don’t concentrate on very much. They assume that somehow a magic survivalist angel will hover over their cached gear and keep it safe. Not a chance. Better to presume that everyone within 5 miles will know the old “Jones Ranch” was sold and that the new owner is some out-of-towner that just vacations there. One more reason to have good and trustworthy neighbors who have a visual on your property and are like-minded.

Now, should someone break in (an assume they will, because, they will) you’ll need to construct a storage room with a false wall and hidden entrance so all that they get is the old Readers Digest on the toilet. Personally, my thoughts are that no retreat should be without a basement, either full or a walk-out will do. Either way, you’ll want to pick a back corner and have it walled off with concrete and a safe door as well as a solar-powered climate controlled system. I’m sure there are countless articles on the Blog about how to do this so I won’t waste time in detail, but just make sure that the wall and door are completely covered from prying eyes and hands. It also would be prudent to have a trusted friend that lives in the area come check the place out every week or so just to make sure all is well and you don’t have a disaster like a broken pipe waiting to fill your house for months until you arrive for that holiday trip to the retreat. That person could also help with logistics. Why ship supplies to yourself then drive them to your retreat, when they can be shipped direct and placed in your retreat by that person (a neighbor you get to know over time?) Who knows.

So to recap, make sure your retreat will provide a good social base and trusted neighbors (location!) as well as having a basement or out building for a secure storage room(s) to be built, concealed, and maintained. If these two items are checked off during your final purchasing phase then you’ll be much happier should you actually have to live full-time at your retreat, either by choice or happenstance.
Oh, and the Golden Rule? Naw, it’s the one who has the most lead that rules! God Bless, – Todd S. in northern Idaho

Odds ‘n Sods:

Just a reminder for those of you that assembled the $20 First Aid Kits last year. (See JN-EMT’s prize-winning article.) It is now time to replace your medications and re-stock. Also, consider making up some first aid kits for your friends/family and giving them away as Christmas gifts. You never know when you might get it back when you need help.

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It was announced that the US supreme court court will hear an appeal of the Heller case, wherein Washington, D.C. residents sued to overturn DC’s gun ban. God willing, the court’s ruling will expand the U.S. v. Lopez decision and thereby negate some of the plethora of Federal gun laws that were enacted in the last century. My prediction for the upcoming Heller appeal decision and subsequent Federal court decisions: The court will indeed recognize the second Amendment as an individual right. Many of the extant Federal statutes will stand as-is, but the Lopez doctrine will be expanded, allowing intrastate gun ownership to flourish. Conceivably, full autos and suppressors could be de-regulated (exempted from Federal controls and taxes) for ownership that does not involve interstate transfers.

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I just got the following note from the long term storage vendor Mountain Brook Foods: “We’re moving so we want to get you moving. Take advantage of our 50-to-70% reduction on the limited inventory that is being reduced. We will move it from our place to your, Nov. 23rd thru 30th. For your readers in California if they are close to our Tracy, California warehouse they can come and pick it up [to save on shipping] on selected items.”

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Several readers sent us the link to a book excerpt from veteran economist and “soft” survivalist Howard J. Ruff: The Watershed Years

Note from JWR:

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a national holiday celebrated in the US (and a few weeks earlier each year in Canada), to give thanks to God for his providence. We indeed have much to be thankful for!

Letter Re: Light, Noise, and Smoke Discipline for Retreat Security

Sir:
I was reading your postings on light security and blackout curtains for a home that would be secure in the nighttime. I thought about it on my way home after work, and realize that you’re right. I’ve
driven around my area during power outages and know who is home, due to their having generators running and lights shining, or even just those using candles or lanterns of various types. As I was pondering those things, I pulled into my driveway and looked at my home and a question popped up immediately. Here in the Northeast, (Maine) we’re in the heating season.
If anything were to happen, it would be a dead giveaway to know who is home or who isn’t by looking at the chimneys and observing smoke coming out. Especially when you’re just starting the woodstove.
It has a tendency to create a lot of smoke until the stack temperature begins to heat up and cause an updraft. Do you know of any way to decrease smoke from a chimney, or any way to camouflage the
emissions?
Thanks for your blog and all that you do. Rob in Maine (Proud owner of an autographed “Patriots” book!)

JWR Replies: Aside from burning only well-dried wood and using your stove’s damper judiciously, I don’t know of any means of minimizing smoke from a chimney. (It is rapid changes in damper position that seem to generate the most smoke.) If you are in the habit of cranking up your stove with an open damper for roaring hot once a week to burn out any accumulated creosote from the upper reaches of your stove, then do so only after dark. Ditto for cleaning out ashes and re-kindling the stove.

Two Letters Re: Storage Foods for Vegetarians?

Mr. Rawles,
Just a quick note which may be of interest to your recent correspondent who inquired about long-term storable vegetarian meal options… please pass this along and/or publish it, or not, as you see fit.
There are indeed vegetarian MREs in the standard army-surplus offerings, but there have also been been some specialized vegetarian long-term shelf-stable rations developed under the names of (among others) “Meal, Alternative Regionally Customized” (MARC) and “Humanitarian Daily Rations” (HDR). The MARCs were designed to feed prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and the HDRs were designed for emergency feeding in natural disasters; neither contain animal products or byproducts, in an effort to make them, by design, as acceptable as possible to end-users with belief-based food taboos.
See, e.g., these web pages MARC and HDR.

Some judicious Googling will turn up some purchase opportunities for surplus MARCs, such as this supplier. (Where MARCs are [euphemistically] described as “Vegetarian Indian Food MRE Entrees.”
I’ve sampled a couple of these, and while they will not make you forget your favorite Indian restaurant (to put it mildly) they’re pretty damned good for what they are.
Standard disclaimers apply: I have no affiliation with any vendor of MREs, including anyone who’s linked above… I am just trying to pass along some possibly useful information to vegetarian/vegan readers of the blog.

I enjoy SurvivalBlog very much, by the way. I grew up in the country but have been living in New York City for many years now, and as a man whose only currently viable plan is “hunker down and shelter in place for anything that’s short-term survivable” (working on it!) I’m learning a lot, and I appreciate the calm, sane, rational approach you take to the subject matter.All best, – Barry C.

 

Dear Mr. Rawles,
First thank you for “Patriots”, your excellent blog, and your leadership.
Second, I have to laugh at the current blog discussion regarding preparing and vegetarians, with most input coming from non-vegetarians.
I’m 44 years old, have been vegetarian for over 15 years, and hold a first class FAA medical. Furthermore, my cholesterol has been routinely in the 130-150 range for years. To clarify, I’m probably the least “picky” eater I know. Basically don’t feed me anything with chicken, pork or beef in it and I’m happy. (Anything requiring a .gov warning to burn to a cinder before it’s fit(?) for human consumption.)
To the point: Protein is not an issue and never has been. (B vitamins and in particular B12 can be, though.) Supplementation with a good multivitamin is a good idea with any kind of diet.) Complete protein for a vegetarian is as easy as rice with beans, or corn with beans. Done. American Indians subsisted and prospered with “The Three Sisters”: corn, beans, and squash. Sounds good to me, and with proper seed selection is even a sustainable menu as well.
As for a stockpile, I’ll take rice and beans over cows or chickens any day! And as you already pointed out, I’ve been eating the stuff for years. When TEOTWAWKI happens, basically from a diet, gastric, and menu perspective, I really wouldn’t notice much of a change. That’s probably a significant advantage.
Ideas like buying prepackaged vegetarian “meals,” though well intentioned are kinda silly, considering the 50 pound bags of staples/seeds that are already available, inexpensive, and easily storable for years.
Thanks again and God Bless, – Ed in Oregon

JWR Replies: I agree that at a fixed-site retreat, pre-packed meals (such as MREs and MARCs) don’t make much sense. But when operating in the field, they save time, obviate the need to carry a stove and cooking utensils, and reduce the noise, odor, and light “signature” of a campsite. In my experience, 80% or more of the food supplies that a family needs to store can be found in bulk at very competitive prices at your local “big box” membership store, such as Costco or Sam’s Club. This sort of procurement is described in detail in my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course.

Letter Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source

Hi Mr. Rawles,
I’ve been able to pick up a lot of gear at garage and yard sales. Most importantly, I’ve found many practical books at yard sales and junk stores that sell books for $1 or even just 25 cents each. I was able to pick up a home medical adviser from the 1920s for 25 cents. I have also bought numerous books on small scale farming, canning, food storage, and living off the grid from the 1920s for a dollar each. Much of the information would be relevant to a post-TEOTWAWKI, as it was written for farmers or rural residents that didn’t have access to electricity and largely lived off the land.

I have a few books about working on houses from the post-WWII years since it is before plastics, which has inherent benefits in a survival situation since they will be hard to find at Home Depot. They also have information on how to make repairs that today the answer would be buy a new one, or use a hard to find/expensive par. (Impossible in a survival situation.)

These are the books that I have found most helpful:
The Home Handyman’s Guide edited by Hubbard Cobb copyright 1949
Readers Digest Back to Basics Copyright 1981 (most important by far with general info on everything)
2004 Emergency Response Guidebook (there is a new version every year, its given free to public safety organizations)
The Weather Wise Gardner by Calvin Simmons Copyright 1983 ISBN 0-87857-428-X
The New American Garden Book Copyright 1954 edited by Dorothy Sara
The People’s Common Sense Medical Adviser by RV Pierce copyright 1895 [JWR Adds: Keep in mind that some of the home medical remedies described in books of this vintage (such as “take a spoonful of kerosene…”) are not safe or recommended! OBTW, a similar encyclopedia titled “The Household Cyclopedia“, circa 1881, is now available online for free download. Thanks to reader “TinCan” for sending SurvivalBlog that link.]
Various USDA agricultural yearbooks from pre-1935, these are also great because a fair deal of them is geared towards the farms that existed as family farms and were quite self sufficient.

Also, on another note, for people that live in suburbia it is important to block visibility from neighbors or the street when storing cached gear. For example, I was driving through my neighborhood today and there was a small horse trailer (in neighborhood where livestock is prohibited by the homeowners association) inside a garage. That sort of thing draws attention and others will start rumors “Why does he have a horse trailer inside his garage? What are they trying to hide?” When TSHTF neighbors will start talking more and maybe something may come up. I hope these books and the advice helps someone. Regards, -Sam

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader John M. mentioned: “With Christmas coming up, this is a great time to ask friends and co-workers to save their empty popcorn and cookie tins. Placing small electronic items in the smaller cookie tins and then nesting those tins inside the larger popcorn tins is an inexpensive way to provide a measure of EMP shielding. And the price is right!”

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The special 33% off sale for the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course ends on November 30th. Be sure to place your order soon. The course only rarely goes on sale.

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For those of you that just can’t wait for the release of the “I Am Legend” movie on December 14th, an early draft of the screenplay (before Will Smith got involved, and when the locale was still San Francisco) written by Mark Protosevich is available online. A hat tip to PNG for sending us the link.

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MM suggested this article by Chris Laird: Monster Western Credit Crisis – Prelude to a Depression

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I haven’t used either my home fire insurance or my earthquake insurance. I am particularly pleased I haven’t used the life insurance yet…” – Jerry, 650k6

Note from JWR:

I am very pleased to report that the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course from Arbogast Publishing is now on sale, at 33% off the normal retail price! This publisher’s special pricing will only last for just over a week, so don’t hesitate! To get the special sale price, all orders must be placed online or postmarked by November 30th. Get a copy for yourself, or one or more to give as Christmas gifts for your relatives that have their heads in the sand.