Notes from JWR:

Wow! I guess that by now you’ve heard that the spot price of silver jumped nearly a dollar an ounce yesterday and in early morning (Asian) trading to $15.70+ per ounce. Meanwhile, gold topped $830 an ounce. I told you that the precious metals bull would continue his charge. This is hardly the top! The full implications of the housing market collapse and the credit market melt-down have yet to be felt. To use a quaint aphorism: “You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!”

Speaking of surging numbers, from our hit map I can see that Europe has developed a severe case of SurvivalBlog “measles.” Welcome to all of our new readers in continental Europe and the British Isles! I’m also gratified to see that the US and Canada are well-blanketed with SurvivalBlog readers. Please keep spreading the word!

Are You Ready to Get Out of Dodge in Winter Weather?

Here in the northern hemisphere, winter is rapidly approaching. So it is timely that I write about vehicular mobility in winter weather.

Every well-prepared family should have one or more four wheel drive vehicles with snow tires or chains. For those of you that have “11th Hour” Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) plan, I trust that you have pre-positioned the vast majority of your food and gear at your intended retreat. Towing a trailer on icy winter roads is a dicey proposition even in the best of times. In my estimation, piloting an overloaded vehicle with an overloaded trailer WTSHTF is tantamount to suicide. If you’ve planned things properly and pre-positioned your gear, then there is no need for a trailer. Just one quick trip with fuel cans, bug-out bags, backpacks, web gear and weapons cases should suffice. Enough said.

So what do you need in your vehicle to make sure that it gets you from Point A to Point B? I assume that at all times you carry a tool kit, flashlights, road flares, engine starting fluid, first aid/trauma kit, chemical light sticks, a CB radio, and your usual “Bug Out Bag” basics including food and water. So lets talk specifically about mobility essentials:

Traction sand. You probably already have a couple of bales of USGI sand bags. Just fill a bag (or two) with coarse sand and tie them shut with a pair of plastic cable ties to prevent leakage.

Single-Bit Axe, at least 3 pound. (Such as Northern Tool & Equipment Item# 119922)

Shovel. A proper USGI folding entrenching tool (not a cheap Asian knock-off) might suffice, but I prefer a more substantial 40-inch D-handle round nose shovel, such as the Kodiak, available from Hector’s hardware.)

Hi-Lift Jack (aka “Sheepherder’s jack”) (Such as Northern Tool & Equipment Item# 14421)

Choker/tow chain (such as 4WD.com Item # 26083.) These should also be available from JCWhitney.com 4WD Parts and most local auto parts stores.

Ratchet hoist aka “Come-along”. (Or better yet, carry two.) I like the Dayton and Tuf-Tug brands brands. (Such as Northern Tool & Equipment Item# 152911)

Several short lengths of chain, steel sleeve-locking carabiners, and large Grade 8 bolts with nuts that can be used to connect/secure chains. (Sometimes you need to improvise.)

Tire chains (Yes, even if you have studded snow tires.) And if you must depend on a trailer for winter G.O.O.D., then get chains for the trailer, too.

And to risk some controversy: Bolt cutters–at least 24″ length. I prefer 36″. (Such as Northern Tool & Equipment Item# 558397). Sadly, very few of these are now made in the States like my trusty old Woodings-Verona brand. Note: Please don’t do anything illegal. Also be advised that in some of the liberal Nanny States, carrying bolt cutters in your rig could be considered “criminal intent.” But here in The Un-named Western State, they just call it a “A real good idea.”

Other Cold Weather Essentials (this list assumes that you will be transiting snow country–modify it accordingly if you live in the South):

Warm Clothing, pile caps, and gloves

Extra pairs of dry socks

Ice creepers (such as “YAKTRAX”, available from Lehmans.com)

Snow shoes and spare binding parts (Such as the Huron-made snowshoes available from Lehmans.com)

Sleeping bag(s). I prefer the Wiggy’s brand FTRSS. We have five sets of them here at the ranch, and they have served us very well for nearly 15 years.

Fire starting kit with plenty of tinder.

Letter Re: Tree Planting Hardiness Zones Map for the US

Sir:
I guess this has been out for a year but it’s new to me that the Arbor Day Foundation has come out with a new Hardiness Zone map. I live in northern Ohio so I moved from a 5 to a 6 zone. Global warming? This makes a big difference in the fruit trees I can plant. Some areas have moved up two zones! In the past I was considering putting in a few acres of Paulownia trees for future timber but the nursery recommended only Zones 6 and above for timber production. This is a big deal for me. I’d love to get some advice from your readers whether I should start following the new Zone map or stick to zone 5 trees. An acre of Paulownia trees are about $ 2,000 for just the seedlings. I’d hate to be out that money and the labor involved if they don’t grow well. – Adam in Ohio

JWR Replies: I’m the ultraconservative type, and I’m suspicious of alleged climate change (versus short term changes that are caused by the 11 year solar cycle.) You never know when a hard winter will wipe out a planting. Am I too conservative? I’d appreciate comments from readers on this issue.

Two Letters Re: Advice on Rifle Stock Pouches

Sir
I saw in the blog someone mentioning the stock pouches soldiers have on their rifles overseas. Sadly these pouches are there because our servicemembers are not trusted with a loaded weapon while on the FOB. We are required to maintain possession of the weapon and a minimum amount of ammunition (usually one magazine) but we are not allowed to have the weapon loaded. Unfortunately we don’t teach our servicemembers to be safe with weapons–we simply don’t allow them the possibility to have an accident. – Jake

Dear Jim:
I use the SpecOps [brand] Ready Fire Mode pouches, and second your recommendation.
The biggest advantage I see is that you will often not have all your web gear (with spare mags) on your body in a self defense or survival situation. Standing guard duty in a crisis, of course you will, but often you are doing other work or resting, and not wearing full “battle rattle” 24/7. So having an extra mag on the gun – in one grab and go package – could be a lifesaver.
Secondly, the extra weight of a mag at the end of the buttstock counterbalances the front-end heaviness of many .308s. So, even though you are adding weight to the gun, the weapon handles better and feels better. Most noticeably, it is easier to balance in one hand while changing mags. Plus the extra weight helps with recoil.
Finally they have very thoughtfully provided a D-ring to attach a sling to the top of the buttstock.
Better photos and more technical details at the Spec-Ops company web site …but Midway USA offers it at a better price than the factory [for direct sales]. Regards, – OSOM

Odds ‘n Sods:

SF in Hawaii suggested this BBC article: State of the planet, in graphics.
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My brother mentioned the WikiHow article “How to Cook Food on Your Car’s Engine”. Back in the early 1980s, before MREs were widely issued, in the US Army we often warmed C-Ration cans on top of our vehicle engine blocks.

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From perennial contributor RBS: Credit Bubble Bulletin: Structured finance under duress

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Stephen in Iraq sent us this: Atlanta water use is called shortsighted

Note from JWR:

The high bid is now at $400 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction, for four items: a Baygen Freeplay Summit AM/FM/Shortwave digitally-tuned radio, and a Baygen Sherpa hand crank flashlight. These were kindly donated by Ready Made Resources, one of our most loyal advertisers. Also included in the auction lot is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and an autographed copy of my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”. These four items have a combined value of more than $350. The auction ends on November 15th. Just e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: Home/Retreat Power Generator Noise Reduction

Hi Jim-
I wanted to comment on the generator noise reduction article by Jerry. An easy and relatively inexpensive solution that gives dramatic noise reduction for portable generators: Rubbermaid-type plastic storage sheds. These sheds typically have about a 5′ wide x 2.5′ deep footprint, a composite floor, and are an ideal size for a typical, 2,000 to 7,500 watt generators.

To modify the plastic shed for running the generator inside, four important, simple modifications are needed: 1) Cutting a small intake port on one side, and covering it with any type of breathable, mesh screen, to keep critters out. 2) Cutting a 3″ or 4″ round exhaust port on the opposite side from the intake. 3) Mounting a marine/bilge type 12 VDC exhaust blower motor to the exhaust port and wiring it to the 12 VDC circuit of the generator. 4) Placing an aluminum-faced fiberglass HVAC insulation panel where the generator’s exhaust will most closely hit the plastic interior wall of the
shed. The exhaust is hot enough to melt the plastic without the insulation.

My setup has two 4″ Rule brand marine bilge blowers wired in parallel, plugged into the 12 volt panel outlet of my Generac portable generator. When the generator is started, the blowers start. I have taken temperature measurements inside the enclosure with the generator running, and it only varies a few degrees from the ambient air temperature. The blowers exhaust a tremendous volume of air; heat doesn’t build up inside the enclosure because the air turns over so quickly.

The sound reduction is tremendous. The generator becomes a distant background noise at about 50′. Much more than that, and it becomes nearly
inaudible.

Cutting a hole in the composite floor for some type of security fixture to lock the generator to is also an easy project.
Hope this is useful. Regards, – Rich S.

Letter Re: Drinking Water Sources and Microbes

Water is essential for human life and unfortunately some sources provide water unsafe for human consumption. There are several methods for treating water including osmosis, distillation, ultra violet, boiling, filtering, and chemicals such as chlorine or iodine. Most of these treatments are aimed at biological contamination and each of them has disadvantages in a WTSHTF scenario. My solution is to first pre-filter the water using coffee filters or a clean rag, then use a quality microfilter such as the Katadyn Pocket filter, and then boil or chemical treat the water as the situation allows. In this article we will briefly examine biological contaminates and why I came to my solution. Contaminates may also include chemicals but is beyond the scope of this article.
Biological contaminates consist of microorganisms also called microbes. There are four different groups. Arranged from largest to smallest they are, fungi, protista, bacteria, and viruses. The smallest bacteria which causes human disease is Mycoplasma pneumoniae which is approximately 0.2 microns in size. When selecting a microfilter, I want one that filters down to at least 0.2 microns (a micron is one micrometer or 0.000001 meter or 1 x 10-6 meter). While effective against bacteria and larger microorganisms, even a good microfilters (0.2 microns) can not be counted on to filter out viruses unless there is another mechanism to trap or destroy the virus. All the viruses I am familiar with are smaller in diameter than 0.3 microns, examples include Smallpox 0.250 microns, Rabies 0.150 microns, Influenza (Flu) 0.100 microns, and Polio 0.028 microns. Viruses are composed of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid. This construction allows them to be easily destroyed by boiling or chemicals such as iodine or bleach. While iodine or bleach is effective against viruses, it is ineffective against the protista Cryptosporidium. Since the first recorded human case of Cryptosporidiosis in 1976, it has grown to become one of the most common waterborne diseases. Rates from 6%, to as high as 54% have been found in day care centers in the United States. In 1993, an outbreak in Milwaukee, Wisconsin infected approximately 400,000 residents. 4,400 people had to be hospitalized and the cost of the outbreak was estimated at over $54 million. If this is a problem now, imagine what it would be in WTSHTF scenario. See the CDC web site for additional information. What about boiling water to kill microbes? Unfortunately, some bacteria produce spores (also called endospores) which can survive extreme conditions. They can survive being boiled in water (100 degrees Celsius) for two hours, survive in 70% ethyl alcohol for 20 years, or survive one million REMs ([just] 600 REMs is fatal to most people). One of the most infamous bacteria that forms spores is Bacillus anthracis which causes Anthrax. By using a microfilter, I am eliminating fungi, protista, bacteria including spores and leaving only viruses that can easily be destroyed with chemicals or by boiling.

I came across another product called “First Need Portable Water Purifier” that is supposed to remove viruses without any chemicals. I have no experience with this product but will be checking it out. See their web site for more information. – Bill N.

Letter Re: Using NBC Markers to Augment Retreat Security

Mr. Rawles,
I think that some attention should be paid to implementing psychological deterrents as a measure of improving retreat security after The Crunch. As food and water sources are depleted in the cities and the surviving population begins to mobilize you will more than likely see refugees passing through your retreat locale. These people may be armed and will be tough as they have survived to this point, but
mentally they will be tired. When they approach your compound they will view fences, antipersonnel barriers and armed conflict as obstacles that can be defeated. The point is to try and keep them from getting to this point. If you can create an obstacle that is impossible to beat they won’t even consider it.

What I am suggesting is [simulated] NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) threat through the use of markers. Almost every adult is familiar with these symbols and their related colors and will probably do whatever they can to stay away from them if they know that there is a threat. So I would suggest that in areas where you feel that people may be traveling and wander into your territory that you use one of the placebo markers. You could even fashion some fake graves near the area or spread animal bones. [Most] people will not know the difference. Upon seeing these people may immediately rethink their route and destination and avoid your retreat.

To add to this, if the scenario is bad enough such that there is military conflict you could even use fake anti-vehicle/personnel mine markers. You could even combine the two–such as placing a burned vehicle with a scorched area around it to mimic an attack with depleted uranium, and then place nuclear hazard signs around it. I know that it is may seem cruel to play with people’s minds, but if they were to accidentally wander onto your retreat and pose a threat then their lives would be at stake. Regards, – Echofourcharlie

Letter Re: Wheat Price Inflation and The Importance of Buying in Bulk Locally

Hi Jim:

Last year I bought some wheat from Walton Feed: about $8 for a 50 lb. bag. Called then yesterday: $15.50 for the same 50 lb. bag: But inflation is running at only 4% right? Luckily I found an organic grower of wheat an hour away who will sell for $800/ton and avoid the $500+ shipping fee. Not many wheat growers in Massachusetts. It pays to shop locally. – John

Odds ‘n Sods:

D.V. suggested this article by Charles Hughes Smith that explains the hedge fund nightmare: The Great Unraveling Begins

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John at SurvivalistBooks.com e-mailed us to mention that there is a newer version of Alan T. Hagan’s collection of Food Storage FAQs, available for free download. I just updated my links to the FAQs–both in the blog thread, and in the SurvivalBlog Links page.

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Frequent contributor Hawaiian K. sent us a link to the Barefoot Motors web site. They make an electric ATV with regenerative braking. Check out their video clip. Do you recognize Jamie from Myth Busters?

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Mark in Montana told us about a web site for food grade steel cans and a can sealer in Canada. Its called Wells Can Company Ltd. They have a manual can sealer for $245.00 (U.S.) for sealing 301 and 307 cans and $26.00 more for sealing 401 28 oz. cans. Mark noted that they have many kinds of food grade cans and other canning items available.

Letter Re: Advice on Rifle Stock Pouches

Mr. Rawles:
In television news footage and magazine articles about U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, I often see soldiers with nylon pouches attached to their rifle [butt]stocks. They seem to hold extra magazines. That seems pretty handy, so you always have a spare magazine, even if you get separated from your “Deuce” [web] gear. Do you recommend doing this? If so, what sort of pouch do you suggest for my M1A and AR-15? I also have several bolt actions, but only one of mine takes [detachable] magazines, and only four rounders are available for it. What should I use for those rifles ? Thanks, – G.H.

JWR Replies: I do recommend using buttstock pouches, so long as they do not interfere with proper sighting and cheek weld. In my experience they work fine on fixed stock rifles, but are a bit cumbersome on folding or collapsing stock guns. Here at the Rawles Ranch, we use Spec-Ops brand “Ready Fire Mode” magazine pouches for our L1A1s, which each hold one 20 round .308 magazine. The same pouch should fit FAL, M1A, and AR-10 magazines, but I think HK91 magazines are too bulky–because of their reinforced top sections–to fit these pouches. The same company also makes a variant of this stock puch for AR-15/M16 and other .223 magazines. SpecOps brand pouches are available from a number of Internet vendors including Midway USA.

The Memsahib has a Valmet Hunter .308 that is equipped with a widely available Michaels of Oregon (Uncle Mike’s) stock pouch. It is used to carry a spare five round magazine, hunting license, and tags. All of our shotguns are equipped with similar Michaels of Oregon (Uncle Mike'”) stock pouches that hold five shells. We use the type that are covered with a velcro-secured flap. (This both prevents lost shells and cuts down on shell head reflections. (I do not recommend the more common type shotshell holder that lacks a flap cover. Those are an invitation to lose shells when in the field.)

For all of our centerfire bolt actions that have non-detachable magazines, we use olive drab Holland’s of Oregon brand zippered-nylon buttstock pouches with neoprene cheekpieces. These also work well for holding small (4 or 5 cartirdge) magazines. I noticed that they are not currently cataloged at the Holland’s web site, but I believe that they should still be available. (Call to inquire.) This is a first rate item.