Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty."- John Adams (1735-1826) Founding Father, 2nd US President June 21, 1776 Source: letter to Zabdiel Adams, 21 June 1776, (Reference: Our Sacred Honor, Bennett, p.371)

Note from JWR:

Today is the last day of the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a brand new Big Berkey water filter, kindly donated by the fine folks at Ready Made Resources–one of our most loyal advertisers. The auction ends tonight at midnight, eastern time. The current high bid is at $330. Your bid includes postage. (It will be mailed to you at no extra charge.) Note that the current retail value of a Big Berkey is $335 plus postage, and prices are expected to rise further, with the ongoing decline of US Dollars versus Pounds Sterling. Just e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat–Medeco M3s at Risk!

Jim:
If a minimum of one of the pins is cut for full length, then a bump key won’t open the lock. You can tell if your key has that one magic pin because the cut on the key will extend all the way to the bottom of the key. Bump keys work on many locks but definitely not all.
Medeco locks have a good reputation but they aren’t like a military armory padlock. But then again, good locks only keep honest people honest.
For survival, everyone should buy and learn to use a clicker [lock opening] gun (These cost approximately $50) as well as a good German surplus wire cutter. if you have to take shelter in an abandoned building, you can unlock the door, go in and re-lock the door. Keeps you a lot safer and makes it a lot more private. (Read “less noticeable”). [Comments on other topics deleted, for brevity.] Best regards to all. – The Army Aviator

Three Letters Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol?

Jim:
Regarding the recent inquiry about the 5.7×28 weapons. Here at the Teutoborg forest we have amassed two of the pistols and two of the P90 rifles. There are serious issues about the rifles, pistols and the ammunition.
Ammunition. The Federal government, in their infinite wisdom, restricted the most effective ammunition. The [SS]190 armor piercing ammunition never made it (broadly) to the civilian marker. It is rumored to be able to defeat most military armor and helmets at distance. The stories vary from 300 yards to 600 yards. I find the 300 yard figure credible. There was also a tracer and a sub-sonic round produced, also, alas, restricted. The most potent velocity ammunition which was broadly distributed was the [SS]192 HP ammunition. Clocked on my chronograph at 2,100 [f.p.s.] in the rifle and 1,980 in the handgun. I immediately went out and filled three .50 [caliber size ammunition storage] cans with this stuff. Concomitant with my acquisition of 192 ammunition 195 and a lead free round started filling the shelves of my local gun emporium. This stuff is a polymer tipped ammunition, 35 grains, variously made in Belgium, Italy, and U.S.A. 1,650 or so for velocity. At the same time the 192 dried up. Hmmm. A call to FN USA revealed that the 192 was cancelled for “marketing reasons.” The less effective ammunition remains on the market. 192 penetrates both sides of a 2A vest. 196-96 penetrated 1 side of such vests.
If you get either rifle or pistol then take up reloading. Surf the Internet for 5.7×28 reloading data. There is a lot out there.
The pistol. Robust and mostly polymer, the pistol has many good features. Magazine capacity is 20 rounds, a 10 round extension is available after market. The weapon is lightweight. The safety is engages/disengaged by the index finger. It causes some adaptation by shooters new to the weapon. The fully adjustable sights are very high over the centerline of the bore. Possibly higher than any handgun in my experience. It is a devil to take down for maintenance. Tricky. It does suppress well and here at the forest we have a Gemtech can for one pistol
It is accurate and flat shooting with little recoil There is a rail for lights. We have lights on all our FN products.
The P-90 rifle.
Compact. I recall 27-28 inches. 16-1/2 inch barrel. Lightweight. It uses a 50 round magazine which snaps onto the top of the weapon. When ammunition is pressed into the magazine the previously-loaded round swivels perpendicular to the axis of the bore. The body of the magazine is smoke gray, thus one may ascertain remaining ammunition. There are two types of the P-90: one comes with a non-battery powered holographic sight (similar to a Trijicon) or a flat top requiring an Eotech or other sight to be mounted. Other rails are available after market. We have the factory sight on our P90s and each has a light. The safety is in the lower triggerguard and is ambidextrous. This weapon is a delight to shoot, easy to maintain and accurate. The perfect weapon in urban/close quarters situations. It is sold with a 30 round magazine. A brief experience with an Exacto saw by the intrepid owner makes it a 50 round.
The FN 2000 rifle.
Nearly equally compact as the P90, this weapon is in .223. One virtue is that it takes 30 round AR-15 magazines. Do not put in a 20 [round magazine] because if it locks in, it takes disassembly to free it. The safety is as on the P-90. Barrel length is around 17-1/2 inches. The flash hiders on the 2000 and the P-90 work well in low light/darkness. There is no factory sight that I am aware of. I mounted an Eotech 522 which is night vision compatible. One problem that we encountered is that we adjusted to the end of the sight’s travel at 100 yards and the weapon groups fine but is 4 inches high. Tennessee windage seems to resolve this. Disassembly is easy. All in all a compact weapon as is the P-90.
The greatest downside is price. List for the handgun is nearly $1,100 or more. The P-90 is nearly $1,950. The 2000 lists for $2,200. I considered all of these critical additions to the “collection”
I purchased a green stocked P-90 and later obtained a black stocked one for Mrs. Oscar. The day after I took home the black stocked one I hit a local gun show. Lo and behold there was a black stocked P-90. I like to play the rube at gun shows. It gets the gun show goons really into BS mode.
The yarn was astonishing when I asked about this interesting gun I paraphrase “Well y’know the black stocked ones are restricted/rare/only sold to dealers as a sample”, and so forth. He was merely asking $2,350. Rare, eh? I [had] paid $1,800.
By the by, the U.S. Secret Service carries short barreled P-90s in full auto for their protection units. The Mexican army issues to special units. The Chilean military used suppresses P-90s in their re-taking of an embassy years ago in their country.
Portability, capacity of ammunition, storability (squad cars, military vehicles, Buicks and pick up trucks) all virtues.
However, it is hard to defend the price. – Mr. Oscar

Dear Jim and Family,
Speaking from research I’ve read and memories of the Spec Ops deciding against the 5.7 as ineffective for US needs back in 2000, the 5.7 FN pistol is an interesting toy, but its mostly a toy.

The round attempts to get rifle velocities from a pistol, duplicating the results of the British 5.56 BOZ experiment. The main problem is its effectiveness is poor, the barrel is too short to get proper rifle velocities, and the projectile just doesn’t fragment like a proper 5.56 NATO would without getting full 2,500 fps velocity. If you want armor piercing, you’re much better off either using an AP round designed for a standard pistol, or manufacturing a special round yourself, which has its own expenses and dangers. Because high (rifle) velocities just aren’t reasonable in a concealed pistol, experiments with very small calibers have met with limited success. The problem is, punching a small hole in body armor does not necessarily lead to a “quick kill”, which matters a lot at 7 yards range, where most self defense shooting occurs. You must have enough velocity for explosive kinetic fragmentation of the projectile, which in the 5.56 is around 2,500 fps velocity. Once below that critical threshold it has a tendency to “zip through” with little damage, allowing the target to keep firing and suffer consequences later. At 100 meters this may be enough to save you, but at 7 yards, you probably just make him mad. Personally, I’d much rather have a 10mm than a 5.7.

Or you can stick to existing firearms and just choose your bullet carefully. That’s a lot less work. At present, Short Barreled Rifles are illegal in many states and the risks of possessing one without the proper license and paperwork could turn counterproductive. The 5.7 FN is legal, at least. Some states ban “armor piercing pistol ammunition”, some ban pistols that can shoot rifle ammunition, and the 100 year old 7.62 Tokarev CZ 52 pistol is capable of the same feat as the 5.7 FN, though it was discarded due to unreliable stopping power thanks to “blow through”. The same problem we’re having with 5.56’s in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When it comes to close range self defense, use your brain to avoid the confrontation in the first place, and aim for the head if you must defend yourself against an armored opponent. A 10mm or .40 S&W are a good compromise, and the .45 ACP is dandy, if you can take the recoil of 230 grain hardball. It makes me flinch so I stick to 9x19mm. To each their own, and work within your limits. Best,
– InyoKern

 

Mr. Rawles,
Regarding Toby in Oregon and the 5.7x28mm handgun. The SS190 (armor piercing) round is only available to Military and LE agencies. Unless he has a source for the AP ammo he can write off the benefits of this cartridge. The SS195LF (LF=lead free) SS196SR, SS197SR (SR= sporting round) are training and hunting rounds . SS195LF is a 28gr copper jacketed aluminum core, SS196SR is a 40gr V-max and SS197SR is a 40gr V-max at a higher muzzle velocity. SS196SR is now discontinued. SS195LF and SS197SR is around $750.00 per 2000 round case.

SB193 subsonic. Restricted
SS190 ball. Restricted
SS191 tracer. Restricted
SS192 ( formerly legal now restricted due to the Brady Bunch raising cain and FN caving in )
SS195 lead free training round. Not restricted
SS196 V-max Not restricted
SS197 V-max Not restricted
5.7×28 Blank Not restricted

I don’t know if this would apply to Buddy’s Board. The following quote is from BATFE web site:
(b) It shall be unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to sell or deliver–
(5) any firearm or armor-piercing ammunition to any person unless the licensee notes in his records, required to be kept pursuant to section 923 of this chapter, the name, age, and place of residence of such person if the person is an individual, or the identity and principal and local places of business of such person if the person is a corporation or other business entity.
& sect; 923

All that being said, the ability to feed a pistol and a carbine from the same box is awful nice. The P90 carbine is very handy in a vehicle or around the homestead and with 50 round magazines you have a “Tacticool factor” of around 9.7. – Mark K.

JWR Replies: Regarding the Federal restriction on AP ammo, the key phrase is: “…any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector …” I’m not an attorney, but my reading, any secondary sale and subsequent possession by private citizens would be unrestricted.

And regarding the Tacticool Scale, which here at the ranch is also known as the Airsoft Mall Ninja Scale. Don’t mistake looks for lethality. If looks could kill, there’d be dead bodies littering the streets.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Felix D. mentioned an interesting piece over at The Discerning Texan blog: The Coming Age of Urban Terror

  o o o

Our colleague Bill Bonner, co-editor of The Daily Reckoning notes that “Bank Owned” is the latest real estate brochure newspeak to describe foreclosed houses.

   o o o

Frequent contributor Michael Z. Williamson notes that there is a nifty new development that may revolutionize lubricants in the near future: Boric acid nanoparticles.

Four Letters Re: Providing Crucial Fats and Oils in Your Diet

Jim,
One oil that I think is very good for us and has exceptional storage life is coconut oil. That is, organic, extra-virgin coconut oil. There is quite a bit of info out there on it, the two best sites that I have found are, www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com, and www.tropicaltraditions.com.
In our research, coconut oil is better for your health than even olive oil. We have been using it exclusively for about nine months. God Bless, – Bob P.

 

Mr. Rawles:
One of your readers recent comments about geese as a source of fat served to jog my memory about the origins of what is now commonly considered a gourmet food.
Goose confit and duck confit were made as a way of preserving the meat from birds slaughtered for foie gras. Birds are plucked, cleaned and sectioned, the fat from around the internal organs is saved and the skin is left on the carcass. Pieces are then liberally sprinkled with salt and whatever other spices one might wish to apply (thyme, rosemary, black pepper and garlic are all good choices). The heavily salted sections are then held overnight in a cool place, for most that would be the fridge but traditionally it would be either a root or wine cellar. The next day, the excess salt is shaken off and the pieces are cooked in a dutch oven over low heat for 2 to 3 hours uncovered. The fat will melt and should be allowed to get hot enough to gently boil, but not hot enough to smoke. As the fat cooks it will clarify. When it’s finished, strain half the fat into an earthenware container, let the fat cool until it begins to firm up then lay the pieces of cooked meat on the fat in a single layer and arrange them so they don’t touch the sides of the container, now pour the rest of the fat over the meat. Cover the container and leave the confit in a cool place for up to one year. Confit can be reheated or eaten cold, additionally the fat is commonly used as either a spread or to fry potatoes in. Domestic birds fattened on grain (they do not have to be force fed) will have more than enough fat but wild ducks and geese probably won’t yield enough fat to cover the whole bird so, either supplement the fat with lard or just preserve the thighs and legs.
I noticed that the Walton Feed web site has a description of meat potting, that’s basically the same process minus the salting step. So if salt isn’t available you might be able to get some short term preservation with just the fat.
If all of this seems like a big hassle there is a French foie gras company, Rougié, that sells canned duck confit. Rougié says the shelf life is 4 years. They also sell big cans of duck and goose fat, but I’ve never seen those on this side of the Atlantic. – B. from New York

 

JWR:

Something anyone with a couple of cows or more found indispensable was a cream separator in the 30’s Particularly where it pertains to making butter. Skimming doesn’t quite cut it.
Here is a small modern hand unit. I would prefer S Steel spouts, but they would be easy to make. The important/indispensable part is the centrifuge. Old ones, except the centrifuge, bowl, and float, were usually cast iron on their own base. (About 4&1/2 feet tall) This one needs to be bolted down onto a bench. (Bit of a pain to use.) Replacement “O” rings are essential, you don’t use more than one a year, but getting others will be very difficult. The rest of the machine should last indefinitely if maintained. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

P.S.: Tell Carl, of the manual grain harvesting letter, that for practice, oats would probably teach him faster than wheat, but given potential drought problems? Plus, given the current state of the financial world, I doubt he will have the extra year to learn. – JustamereFarmBoy

 

James:

To get to the survival bottom line for me first – the long-term storage of food oils and pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and health food products and the long-term storage of live local heirloom seeds plus the short-term storage of venison, beef and fish have set many of my equipment investment decisions here on the farm. I believe the most critical pieces of survival gear are two very efficient electric chest freezers and a small efficient electric upright freezer and a way to power them inside a survival envelope. My freezers are electric because I would not have a propane/ammonia freezer anywhere within the survival envelope. My propane generator and propane freezer are in a barn about 400’ away (not one used for animals, but one used for equipment) with an underground propane tank. If a propane/ammonia freezer explodes or leaks ammonia, it will most likely to render a shelter unusable for a critical period of time (days not hours). My propane freezer and propane generator sit unused in the far equipment barn waiting for a time when power consumption may become critical. While the price of the wire alone from the barn to my pump and generator was $1,500, it was worth every penny for long-term security and short-term quiet during power outages. Recent solar electric pricing changes have switched me even further toward electric with propane planned mainly for convenience and the possibility of a nuclear winter.

My main long-term food oil stored is frozen 31.5 oz. (1 qt.) plastic-jarred LouAna coconut oil (92% saturated) bought at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club. I also store a smaller amount of frozen unsalted clarified butter that I have processed myself to add taste to my diet when I feel it is critical. Most of the Essential Fatty Acid/food oil academic studies of saturated oils and cholesterol have used lard (39% saturated) as the “straw man” saturated oil. The reason I recommend coconut oil is complicated and requires study into the role of arachidonic acid in the body. While the case may be overstated at The Scientific Debate Forum, all the appropriate journal articles are referenced there and there is no need for me to repeat them here.- Southsider in Georgia

Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns

Sir:
I have read a number of responses on SurvivalBlog on the best shotgun for survival. Many like the 870 Remington and many like the 500 Mossberg. Please give me your opinion on the Maverick 88 Mossberg field grade shotgun. Thanks, – Lynn:

JWR Replies: I’d recommend getting a Mossberg 500 or 590 series rather than the Mossberg Maverick 88. With the Mossberg 500 you have more versatility on both magazine capacity and forend accessories–such as Sure Fire lights. It is noteworthy that you can turn a 6 shot Model 500 into a 8 shot with a magazine tube extension, but you can’t with the Model 88. Thankfully, the 500/590 series guns are not substantially higher priced than the Maverick 88.

Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future?

Dear Mr. Rawles,
When it comes to ordering ammo, I have had excellent experiences with the folks at Century [International] Arms. While their selection has narrowed down a little lately, Century has one feature that few can match: a $7.50 flat shipping fee for ammo and guns. I have literally ordered 200 pounds of ammo from them and the shipping was only $7.50.
Since ammo is essentially lead (one of the heaviest things going) shipping has always been a big issue. That $25 can of ammo from a dealer in Arizona isn’t such a great deal when it costs $30 to ship it to my AO!
I own a gun shop and I order fairly decent quantities of ammo. I especially like to lay in surplus ammo when the price is right. A couple months ago Century had Yugoslavian 8mm Mauser ammo on stripper clips in sealed 900 round cans for $49.95 per can (dealer price). I ordered 15,000 rounds of it. This weighed several hundred pounds and shipping was free because the order was over $500.
Definitely shop around for ammo prices and buy big when it’s priced right, but if you can find free shipping, then that can often make a slightly more expensive ammo purchase a bit more palatable. – RMV

Odds ‘n Sods:

Aside from some overtly political Quote of the Day blog entries, I do my best to downplay political issues in SurvivalBlog. This is primarily because the blog has an international readership. (After all, what interest would someone in France or Indonesia have in American politics, any more than I would have an interest in theirs?) But I do make an exception for the border control issue. Clearly, lax border security could be the modus operandi for terrorists, possibly with weapons of mass destruction. So that makes this political issue also a survival issue! If you are concerned about border security, then please take a few minutes to sign this on-line petition. Thanks! (A hat tip top Sid for mentioning the poll to us.)

  o o o

Reader Mark H. mentioned The Backwoodsman magazine. Mark’s comment: It has a lot of good survival and low-tech living information and isn’t full of itself like a lot of the better know outdoors magazines are.

  o o o

Mike the Blacksmith flagged this Financial Times piece for us: Learn from the fall of Rome, US warned

A Full Scale U.S. Dollar Panic Before November?

The news wires were abuzz last week about the global credit squeeze. Bankers are unwilling to make loans when they can’t calculate risk. What risk? Here is a big one: Many of their clients have derivatives exposure, which means that lenders can no longer calculate their credit worthiness. In the banking world, the standard “safe” answer to any loan question in the absence of data is almost universally no. I surmise that if this situation gets any worse, governments may step in and make loan guarantees. (Meaning that the taxpayers would shoulder the risk instead of the bankers.) That may be the only thing that will get bankers to start making new loans to derivatives holders–which include nearly every major corporation, these days.

With the sub-prime contagion spreading, there is the potential for a sharp break in the U.S. stock market. That will surely push the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. (With the hope that the increased liquidity will stave off a recession.) But lower interest rates will discourage foreign investment and may spell doom for the U.S. Dollar. The Chartist Gnome tells me that if the U.S. Dollar (USD) Index drops below 80 for more than one week, all bets are off for the dollar. In a recent commentary, Jim Sinclair sized up the massive liquidity injections by the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. His conclusion: These moves will badly tarnish the dollar and will likely push the USD Index down to around 72. I concur. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a breakdown to the 65 level.

There could be a major devaluation of the dollar–whether formal or informal–within the next few week or months. If foreigners start dumping their dollar-denominated assets, watch out! This could even snowball into a full scale dollar panic. The Chinese have already threatened to jettison their U.S. Dollar holdings. If carried out, that alone could have huge implications. Economist Peter Schiff has an even gloomier prediction than mine. He predicts that the US Dollar will lose half its value.

What does all this mean for the average American? Already, the weaker dollar has made some imports painfully expensive. Does the next few months spell ruin just for the bankers and big stock traders, or does it spell ruin for most Americans? I think that inevitably everyone that holds dollars will suffer. Granted, bank accounts are insured by the FDIC to up to $100,000 per individual. But that won’t mean much if our currency tips over into hyperinflation. That will make bank deposits effectively worthless in very short order. So how will this play out? I’m not entirely certain. Credit squeezes are traditionally deflationary. But government invention like last week’s is highly inflationary. (To better understand deflation, see Bob Prechter explanation of credit squeezes, deflation, and economic depression.) I’ll still predict an inflationary outcome. Governments love inflating their way out of monetary crises. It is much less painful for them that way. (Deflation is painful for everyone involved.) And since inflation is a hidden form of taxation, it will be the citizenry that ultimately bears the burden. (Just ask the average Zimbabwean how the past 10 years has treated his real net worth.)

My advice: Shift the majority of your investments out of anything dollar-denominated, right away. The only exception would be holding no more than 20% of your assets in short-term TIPS, which are automatically inflation adjusted. (Series I US savings bonds are also inflation protected, but I discourage investing in such long term bonds.) To be ready for mass inflation, you’ll need your wealth primarily in tangibles. That way, if the dollar loses value, you’ll be protected. I’m talking about silver, gold, productive farm land, and hard goods like tools, guns, and common caliber ammunition. The timing? Again, hard to predict, but look for some continuing large ripples in the financial waters for the next two months. Then, perhaps in October, be prepared for some massive wave action. Historically, major move in the US equities markets tend to happen in October. Be prepared.

Letter Re: Food Reserves and Summer Kitchens

Hello James,
Not long ago, our friends at FEMA destroyed six million MREs, (which we taxpayers had purchased at a cost of $40 million). Why? Because of storage conditions. Now this is an extreme example: FEMA placing food products in unrefrigerated containers under the Gulf Coast summer sun. But it does serve to illustrate that no matter how large one’s pantry may be, to avoid turning that food into so much garbage, you have to monitor storage conditions.

Our “summer kitchen” at our home/retreat occupies a 200 square foot area in one of the outbuildings. This room is double insulated and drywalled. In the summer, with outside temps as high as 100 degrees, it seldom rises above 75 inside and no air conditioner or cooling mechanism is used. We do have a 220 volt thermostatically controlled baseboard heater, plus a wood/coal stove to provide backup heat in the winter when it may drop below freezing inside. Two deep freezes and a small refrigerator are situated here, as well as an apartment sized propane gas range/oven. (A 500 gallon propane tank sits outside.). In a true emergency, we could prepare all our meals here. It is 50 feet from the main house.

A door on one wall of the summer kitchen leads to our insulated and finished pantry area. (In essence, the pantry is a room within a room). Both cooling and heating are provided, although ambient temperatures generally stay above 40 degrees in the winter and below 65 in the summer. We monitor the temperature using a remote thermometer with a readout in the main house. The walls are lined with commercial grade shelving (sold at the big box stores), so nothing rests on the concrete floor. Our food storage is deep and diverse, supplying a well-rounded, 3-year diet for a family of four. To track all this inventory, shelf-life, etc.., we have come to depend on a computer program called “Food Storage Planner”.

Our freezers are stocked with meats, fish, butter and other perishables such as chocolate bars, nuts and dehydrated fruit. We have a commercial grade vacuum packer and everything that goes into the freezers is vacuum-packed and labeled. Hint: When vacuum-packing fish, freeze it before packing, or you’ll end up with seafood mush. During the summer, the refrigerator holds several cases of canned cheese (University of Washington Dairy Farm) and canned butter ([Best Prices Storable Foods aka] The Internet Grocer). In cold weather, the refrigerator is shut down and the contents moved into the pantry. We recently added a 5 cubic foot freezer which is filled with MRE main meal (entree) packets.

The recent thread on fats and oils highlights an often overlooked area of food preparedness. Our pantry contains 25 gallons of oils, including olive, canola, peanut and corn, plus 100 pounds of butter (canned and frozen). We also stock a large amount of canned meats and fish, smoked salmon, UHT processed whole milk, etc.., so the dietary intake of fats and oils should be sufficient. We have found that by storing these oils between 45 and 60 degrees at all times, their shelf life is extended almost indefinitely.

Man does not live by bread alone, so comfort foods occupy some shelf space. Grandma’s Fruit Cakes (the big ones!), cases of MRE pound cakes and number ten cans of brownie mixes constitute the bulk of this category. Maple syrup, sweet sorghum, pancake syrup, cocoa and lots of coffee are also on hand.

Several shelves hold first aid and OTC drugs and medications as well as use-only-as-a-last-resort antibiotics and anti-fungals purchased at aquarium supply shops. Another shelf is stocked with whiskey. (Neither one of us drink the stuff).

A 6.5Kw Yamaha generator and a solar system provide backup power for the freezers. Plans are to install a fuel efficient diesel power plant and 500 gallon diesel tank next year.

How long did it take us to put this whole shebang together? A good ten years. We couldn’t afford a big shopping trip, so we always tried to bring home that extra item from the store. Maybe a brick of .22 ammo. Maybe an extra can of coffee or a bag of flour. It’s amazing how quickly the shelves fill. Those items that we can’t cycle through fast enough, we donate to the local food kitchen.

Hoping for the best, planning for the worst. – Dutch in Wyoming (A 10 Cent Challenge Subscriber)

Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators?

Jim:
A short comment on using any power source without a governor to drive a generator. While it will work, it will not maintain a constant voltage or frequency under varying loads. I am 69 years old and have watched people build “tractors,buzz saws, water pumps etc” over the last 60 years using car or truck engines. Usually with very little luck. A tractor has a decent governor and will maintain a near constant RPM from about 10 % to 100 % load. Old tractors often used oil pressure to control RPM, don’t know about the modern ones as mine was built by Case in 1964 and still works great. A lot of Ford 8Ns still in use were built before that. Many people have used a snow blower and it indicates how a good governor works. The unit runs at nearly a constant RPM as you use it and the load varies from near 0 % as you approach the snow, to near 100 % of its usable output as you go into the snow bank. If the governor is disconnected or fails, the unit is unusable for all reasonable purposes.

The major reasons for using a PTO generator are all given in the link, low RPM motor with excellent governor, used often so fuel and engine are fresh, easily portable as it usually is on a 2 wheel cart attached to the tractor, and you have a power unit that can be used for many purposes every day.

My personal choice is a 20 or so HP unit, compact, low noise, fuel efficient, reasonable cost, available in diesel or gas, can be used in the woods or for small scale farming now and for any number of things if TSHTF. – JDT

JWR Replies: Thanks for your comment. Until you mentioned it, I hadn’t remembered that constant RPM (via a governor) was crucial. Home lighting, pumps, and traditional refrigerators/freezers are relatively flexible on input voltage, but most home electronics are not. Unfortunately, with each passing year, more electronics creep into what were heretofore purely electrical appliances. Even some brands of mundane chest freezers and washing machines now have electronic circuitry including microchips. This has three major drawbacks: 1.) Vulnerability to EMP, 2.) Greater difficulty for individual owners to do their own repairs, and 3.) The requirement for relatively “clean” input power in a fairly narrow input voltage range. The latter is something that many generators cannot provide.

On a related note, SurvivalBlog reader “Poikilo” mentioned that some of the new hybrid trucks on the market (such as the Chevy Silverado Hybrid) can also in effect be used as a generator. The question is: Are the truck’s 110 VAC outlets sourced directly from an AC winding on the hybrid engine generator, or are they powered by an inverter that draws on the vehicle’s batteries? I’d be curious to know what sort of load those 110 AC outlets could handle.