Note from JWR:

A brief reminder that the special “six pack sale” for autographed copies of my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” is still underway. The sale price of a box of six books is now just $90, postage paid. (Normally they are $22 per copy, but during this sale you get six autographed copies for $90, mailed in a Priority Mail Flat Rate box, sent to anywhere in the Unites States, including APO/FPO addresses.) This sale ends on October 31st. This is your chance to buy some extra copies for Christmas presents.



Letter Re: Building Design Questions for a Retreat

Mr. Rawles:
Several years back I purchased 40 acres next to a National Forest. In three months I will have the property paid off free and clear so I am using the cooler months ahead to clear a homestead site, put in a well/septic system and try to move ahead faster than the world is declining. (It is surreal at times to live a nice life now but constantly prepare for what a lot of folks are seeing coming down the tracks – a huge train wreck!) I am always feeling I’m behind the curve, but I’ve decided that if I do several things each week toward preparedness, then I’m better off in the end. I get a few tools here and there, round out the food stores, etc. And sometimes not do anything at all–I need the mental break from it. It took many years for the wife to get “on board” but after she saw how my preparedness paid off after [Hurricane] Katrina, she is a total believer. Hang in there guys, sometimes you are alone for awhile but you still have to do the right thing to protect and provide for your family.

My question is this: Do you have a design of a homestead house that is practical, defensible and can be built by a do-it-yourselfer in short order? I don’t want a “bunker” but am looking for something that blends with the landscape, can be buttoned up in a moment’s notice for security, and most of all is affordable. ([House construction ] prices aren’t going down, ever.) I’m not sure if I can get a cement truck out this far so foundation designs are a concern also. I figured on building a base structure first for essential living, and then add on extras after that. “Pay as I go” is also my motto. Off-grid solar is a must, although my property has a road with power/phone running close by. I noticed a local saw mill so I plan on purchasing rough cut wood there. Metal roofs, noncombustible siding and ability to secure windows/doors (“Patriots” gave good examples on doors and windows.) Thanks for your advice. Also, I’m in a hilly area. Do you build toward the top of the hill, but not on the ridge?
Your “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course is great. I need to re-read it again.

JWR Replies: Your letter raises a number of related issues, many of which I discuss at length in my books Rawles on Retreats and Relocation.and SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog – Volume 1. First, in terms of house siting, the traditional “castle on a hilltop” (with lower ground in all directions) still makes sense if, from the vantage point of the nearest road that there are higher hills beyond your house site. This way your house (and anyone walking near it) will not be “skylined.”

Many of the designs that I have worked with for my consulting clients have involved copious poured concrete. If you are limited to pickup loads of concrete sacks and a small portable mixer, then perhaps you’d be better off with a log house, rammed earth house, cordwood house, brick house, or Earthship (tire house). If those sound like they would significantly “stand out” from among your neighbors’ houses, then consider building a traditional wood frame house with metal roof and metal siding, but with specially reinforced floor sections to support the weight of sandbags that could be added at a later date. (For in-house defensive positions.) This would fit in with your “pay as you go” goal.

For your photovoltaics, take advantage of the free consulting available from Bob at Ready Made Resources.

Thanks for your positive feedback on the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. It is gratifying to know that the course has both informed and motivated so many people.



Letter Re: Estimate on the Likelihood of an Economic Depression or Full-Scale Collapse?

Jim,
What a lot of folks don’t think about is that during the last depression, almost 80% of the population was still connected to a family farm. They also knew how to can meats and vegetables and had all of the equipment to do so. It was a way of life for them. Today less than 1% is connected to a family/small farm. That is daunting. Even if some of the population knows how to can and has a small garden, How many of them have 500-600 jars, lids and rings? Got lots of Salt, a working smokehouse that doesn’t attract the attention of the local toughs?

The final blow to the “My-parents-survived-the-last-one-so-I can-too” crowd is that we were still on a Silver and Gold backed currency system in 1930. Dollars were still very valuable during that time, they just weren’t easy to come by. After we converted to [irredeemable] toilet paper for money, with zero backing, we discovered inflation. The next depression will be a lot more like [SurvivalBlog correspondent] FerFal‘s stories about buckets of cash to pay for a meal in Argentina. The problem for most is that we don’t even have one bucket of cash. Thanks and God Bless, – Melbo (Editor of SurvivalMonkey)



Two Letters Re: New Scanner Technology — An Emerging Threat to COMSEC

James:
Regarding the “signal stalker” technology: This type of thing has been available for years in the form of frequency counters. Perhaps the best known in the ham/scanner community is the Opto Electronics Scout series. These units let you scan for radio transmissions and will store the last detected frequencies in memory for later recall. This is a handy feature if you are visiting a race track, for instance and want to find out the frequencies in use while you tour the pit area.
They also sell a cable that will interface to various scanners, allowing you to immediately tune in to the detected frequency. Some models also decode the PL tones for you.
Keep in mind that these work best when you are in a “quiet” area, i.e. not too many commercial radios, cell phones, etc in use. They have a pretty short range in a noisy RF environment like a major city.
For enhanced COMSEC between locations, consider using low power and directional antennas. If you’re not radiating the energy in 360 degrees, there are a lot fewer places it can be intercepted from.
Cheers, – JN-EMT.

Jim:
I agree with you that throbbing out high power Ham signals is not needed, but most ham kits I’ve seen allow down powering; there’s even a subset of the hobby that specializes in low power operation.
I am having the devil’s own time finding many MURS rigs. Still lots of CB out there, but MURS seems to have fallen out of favor with FRS/GMRS and the remaining CB users. Where are you finding your gear? Are there the same line of sight VHF troubles as with FRS? If so, how are you getting a good lightning proof antenna up? I’d have to have my nice radios burned out by EMP, or worse a simple thunderstorm. Regards, – Michael G

JWR Replies: One nice feature of many 2 meter handhelds is adjustable output power. I agree that it is best to use minimal power and directional antenna. If you suspect that someone might be trying to intercept and possibly conduct direction finding (DF), then use terrain masking. In my novel “Patriots”, I also describe a method for bouncing signals off of metallic structures, to confuse DFers.

Until recently, we had $49 MURS Radios as an advertiser on SurvivalBlog,. They sells Kenwood MURS hand-helds. They stopped advertising only because they are now nearly out of radios. (They bought them as trade-ins, in a big package deal.) Sadly, they are having trouble finding any more to sell

The range of the Kenwood MURS seems much better than FRS. By comparison, the FRS hand-held radios are pipsqueaks. For very short range communications (such as within a retreat perimeter), that might actually be a COMSEC advantage.) MURS hand-helds are still under 5 watts of effective radiated power (ERP), so they have fairly low probability of intercept (LPI.) beyond about 8 miles, in all but dead level terrain.

Our base station antenna here at the ranch is equipped with a good ground and a coaxial in-line surge protector. (A DLS “Surge Ender”, model SE-1), to provide at least modest lightning protection.



Odds ‘n Sods:

From The International Herald Tribune, via our friends at SHTF Daily: Dollar hits bottom, and then falls again

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Dave Duffy, the editor of Backwoods Home magazine (one of our favorites) offers some very useful Recommendations for Handling/Storage of Specific Fruits and Vegetables:in his latest e-newsletter. If you don’t already have a subscription to the magazine, then I highly recommend it.

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“The Fox” sent us a link to a CNN video clip with more about Zimbabwe’s black market and hyperinflation

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Frequent contributor RBS recommended this eye-opening primer from Financial Sense on the ravages of “low inflation.”



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is not the responsibility of the Federal Reserve — nor would it be appropriate — to protect lenders and investors from the consequences of their financial decisions." – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, speaking at the Jackson Hole Federal Reserve conference, August 31, 2007. (Just 25 days before doing exactly that–by lowering interest rates by 50 Basis Points, to the advantage of banking lenders and equities investors, and at the expense of the value of the US Dollar in foreign exchange, and to the detriment of all holders of US dollars.)



Note from JWR:

My special thanks to the anonymous SurvivalBlog reader that recently made his 10 Cent Challenge subscription donation in the form of pre-1964 silver dimes. (He sent us a small box containing 365 silver dimes.) Considering that US 90% silver coinage is now worth nearly 10.3 times its face value, that was very kind of him. Many thanks!



Letter Re: New Scanner Technology — An Emerging Threat to Retreat COMSEC

Jim:
I was not aware of this until last weekend. I visited a friend of mine who lives up in the hills. I brought with me a [older] handheld 2 Meter radio that I got for free when I bought a Kenwood 50 watt [2 Meter Band] mobile radio. Anyway, this handehld has crystals in it. It works excellent and can be used ether simplex or to bring up major repeaters. I did not know that or what frequencies it had.

Now for the story. My friend showed me a new type of handheld scanner from Radio Shack. It has a button called “Signal Stalker.” What this does is find a local strong transmission. It was able to identify all the frequencies in my 2 meter radio; I keyed up just briefly and it found them all. I mention this because hoodlums could use just such a scanner to find someone at their retreat property. Few [recently produced] scanners [in the US] cover 225-300 MHz and it would be difficult to modify one to do so. I like to operate on the 220 MHz ham band where just a few scanner models can listen–and of course other hams with 220 gear. Just thought you should know about this new type of scanner with the “Signal Stalker” feature. – Fred The Valmet-meister

JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that. I have long been an advocate of using field telephones and relatively low power handheld for most retreat communications. Why unnecessarily blast out 40 to 50 watts with a 2 meter rig, when a few watts with a MURS radio will suffice? Save the higher power transmitters for longer range communication, and then use them only when needed.



Letter Re: Hawaii-Specific Disaster Preparations

Jim,

Greetings from another SurvivalBlog newbie. I discovered your site back in the spring of this year and all I could say then was “Wow! I think I’ve found a home!” I’ve been lurking here ever since. I’d been wandering in the wilderness of flame-filled newsgroups and not-quite-filling-enough survival/self-reliance publications since the days of “Survival Tomorrow”, nearly thirty years ago. Back then, I mostly spent time just collecting information on various survival topics while making only small, half-hearted preparations. At last, here is a site that has revived my slumbering interest in the disaster preparedness movement and inspired my wife my son and me to undertake concrete measures to improve our family’s Readiness Quotient (RQ) if you will. One of the first things I did was to send off a check for a 10 Cent Challenge membership (That’s right, the check is in the “snail mail”: No kidding.)

As a bit of background, I’m ex-Air Force and my wife is former Navy; we have one grown son. Like “SF” and “Hawaiian K”, I’m a resident of the islands (Oahu.) I’ve been here going on 40 years now, which makes me an old-timer or “Kamaaina.” My wife was born and raised here. However, our family’s situation may differ somewhat from those of the above-mentioned islanders in that we live in a townhouse development and, therefore, have limitations on what we can do in the way of emergency preparedness. (Correct me, if I’m wrong, gentlemen.) Nonetheless, we’ve not been idle.

A couple of months ago, we began our food storage program with an “extremely productive” visit to the local Costco. Our one mistake was that we loaded up on a large amount of, subsequently recalled, chili and sauce items which we must now replace. We also laid in a substantial supply of bottled water, and we also have several 6 gallon plastic water containers that were purchased several years ago, which can be filled in an emergency and stored in an available closet (they’ve come in handy during several past power outages and at least one hurricane.) We’ll continue to add to our stocks, buying a little more than we use each time we go grocery shopping. We also intend to purchase the food storage planning software you mentioned, in an earlier post. Then, we can computerize the associated record-keeping (with hardcopy backup…of course!)

Now, having food supplies is one thing; but, one also needs a way of cooking without electricity if necessary. For that, we have available that great Hawaiian standby, the outdoor grill. Currently, we rely on a large propane powered model with two tanks of fuel, but will soon back it up with a smaller, charcoal fueled grill or “Hibachi” for lesser cooking duties and to act as a substitute if propane becomes scarce or unavailable.

Our emergency lighting needs are handled with a Coleman propane lantern and several bottles of fuel, as well as several sizes of battery-powered flashlights and a more than adequate supply of batteries of all sizes. In the future, we will be reducing both the types and quantity of conventional batteries on hand and adding more rechargeables, along with both AC & solar chargers to keep them ready to go. I’ve also been checking into various types of indoor & outdoor emergency lighting, but, again, options are limited due to townhouse association rules.

Family survival transport consists of two late model SUVs for the wife and me. We’re evaluating obtaining/storing backup electronic modules for both vehicles as the conversion to an older points/condenser style ignition system is not a practical or affordable option for us. Supplemental cargo capacity is available via our son’s 1990s-vintage mid-size pickup. If the need to “bug out” arises, we’ll be able to reach relatives elsewhere on this island, or (now that a practical inter-island passenger and vehicle ferry system is about to begin operation) more remote areas of the “neighbor islands” – given enough advance warning. I hold a private pilot’s license; however, I’m not sure how much use that would be in a rapidly developing emergency situation. You can’t haul many persons and their bug-out gear in a Cessna 172, at least not if you want to go very far.

Our weakest area, at the moment, is in the realm of first-aid and medical supplies and training. I’d like to take a beginning first-aid and CPR course from our local Red Cross chapter, but considering their schedule of course offerings and my work situation, it’s going to require quite a bit of juggling; but, later in September or October looks like a good bet. Right now, we have only a few band-aids and some OTC medications on hand to deal with minor cuts and scrapes encountered around the house. Also, we need to acquire our basic health and medical library. I took a medical terminology course, but that was over twenty years ago and I haven’t had to use it in the last five years.

Speaking of libraries, our survival library is small, but growing; and, includes books by Joel Skousen, Gene Gerue (“How to Find Your Ideal Country Home”), and Ragnar Benson. We also have Internet access to several other survival and self-reliance related web-sites in addition to SurvivalBlog.com.

Home defense is one area of preparation we’re currently beefing up. We have one AR-15 rifle (one of those “mouse guns” you’re not fond of) and one .40 cal. S&W pistol with a couple of hundred rounds for each. Next up is a reliable pump-action shotgun; right now, I’m leaning toward a Remington 870. Planned additions include either an M1A or FN[-FAL]-type MBR. However, the cost of acquiring enough arms and ammo to equip each family member means that this aspect of our preparations will proceed at a slower pace.

Communications: Presently, that consists of FRS units for each family member; a CB base station – able to operate on either AC or 13.8 volt [DC] battery power – and one mobile [CB] unit in my SUV. Beside the usual emergency AM/FM/SW portable radio, we also have a trunking UHF/VHF scanner and a weather monitor with National Weather Radio/Specific Area Message Encoding (NWR/SAME) capability. All of these units have battery backup power. Our CB coverage is limited by the necessity of utilizing a low-profile base station antenna. (Again, due to townhouse association rules.) I obtained my Novice class Amateur radio license years ago, but never used it. That’s about to change as I will be upgrading to Technician and then General class within the next few months.

We are now seriously pursuing debt reduction. I will be eligible to retire from my present work as a civilian contractor for the Army in about three years. My wife also has 20 + years in Civil Service with the military. For my part, I’m not waiting for retirement, but have been preparing my resume and following job leads in addition to researching some ideas for a home-based business. Once the means of providing an income are more clearly defined, we hope to sell our Hawaii residence and relocate (as you’ve advised) to a more suitable area in the western mainland. I grew up a city kid, but with close family ties and much youthful experience in the Michigan countryside; I’m no stranger to farm life, though it has been a long time since I had to rise before dawn. My wife has a “passing” acquaintance with hard work as well, having helped to raise four younger siblings in a family of six while going to school and working in the pineapple cannery.

So, what would you say of our efforts up to this point, and what advice would you offer for the future; particularly with regards to our plans for relocation? I really enjoy my daily blog visits. I’m always anxious to see what you and your readers, especially, have to offer regarding their own disaster preparations and efforts to become more self-reliant. I urge you to continue to provide this timely and much needed service to those of us out here that have glimpsed the future and need your and your audiences’ experience and knowledge to prepare to meet it. Thank you, again, and as Michael Biehn’s character (the Colonial Space Marine corporal in “Aliens”) said, “Stay frosty.” Aloha, – Gandalf



Odds ‘n Sods:

Peter D. recommended a great article on CDOs and their impact on the world economy, written from the perspective of a market insider.

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Stephen in Iraq set us this: Canada’s Dollar Nears Parity on U.S. Weakness, Commodity Surge

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Thank to Dave R. and Bruce A., who both sent us this: International credit derivatives expert asserts that the current credit crunch is just the beginning. A big bear is looming.

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Take a look at this delightful web site and sporadically-written blog by a lady that is a SurvivalBlog reader: ChickenSense. It has a lot of useful information on gardening, and would be of particular interest to southerners.



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian" – Pat Paulsen (American comedian)



Note from JWR:

If reading SurvivalBlog has added substantively to your knowledge and family preparedness, then please consider becoming a voluntary 10 Cent Challenge subscriber. All we ask is 10 cents a day. I hope that the blog is worth that to you. Thanks!



Letter Re: Estimate on the Likelihood of an Economic Depression or Full-Scale Collapse?

Jim,
I know you get a lot of mail so I’ll be brief. I highly value your information and input on the current economy. I also have read your book “Patriots”, and your current assessment of our economy’s future terrifies me.

What are the probable chances of this turning into a worse case scale as seen in your novel? Even if it is not worse case, I have no idea
what a Moderate case would look like. Your wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.- William

JWR Replies: In the context of America’s current economic situation (namely, the implosion of the Debt Bubble), I think that the “Moderate” outcome would be a depression of the same severity and duration as the Great Depression of the 1930s. It is hard to assign percentage chances, because there are umpteen variables in play. But we are definitely now in a very volatile cycle.
Don’t panic, but do what you can to limit your US dollar exposure, get shed of rental properties, minimize your stock portfolio, diversify into precious metals, and be well-prepared, logistically. (Beans. bullets and Band-Aids). If you don’t know exactly what supplies to lay in, then get a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. Above all, pray hard!



Letter Re: Les Stroud (aka “Survivorman”) Off-Grid Living Videos

James,
I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned this series before, but on YouTube there is a video series called “Off the Grid” hosted by Les Stroud of Survivorman fame. He moves his family out of the city and into the country in search of an off-the-grid home and lifestyle. It’s a fairly realistic look and (I think) good introduction to what it would take to make the jump to living in the country and self-sufficiently.

The other videos in the series can be found linked from the first page, or just search for “Off the Grid”. Hope you enjoy this, and I think many of the SurvivalBlog readers would too.
I hope you and your family are well, – Jason U.

The Memsahib Replies: Been there, done that. Got a few scars to prove it.