Note from JWR:

There are just a few days left in the pre-election 33% off sale for the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. This course only rarely goes on sale, so don’t miss out on the discount price! BTW, the demand has been so great that a rush printing had to be scheduled. There may be brief delay before some of the most recent orders are shipped.

Letter Re: A Useful Heated Steel Color Emission Chart

Dear James:
I came across this table in a reference book and thought it may be useful to everyone. Note: This chart should not be used as a guide to combating fires. Remember all fires are dangerous, and you should call the fire department, if that is a possibility, when you see flames. All degrees are in Fahrenheit below.

Yellow 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Brown to Purple 550 degrees Fahrenheit
Blue 600 degrees Fahrenheit
Faint Red 900 degrees Fahrenheit
Dark Cherry Red 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit
Full Cherry Red 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit
Salmon 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit
Lemon 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
White 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit
Sparkling White 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit

Regards, – Mikael

JWR Replies: Of course all the usual torch and metal-working shop safety rules apply.

That chart, BTW, is handy companion piece to the Combustion Temperature Reference that was posted previously in SurvivalBlog. I recommend printing out hard copies of both posts for your shop reference binders. Keep in mind the standard provisos that the true measurement of the volatility of a stored material is its “flash point”, which in most cases is considerably lower than the flame point figures noted in the Combustion Temperature Reference.

Also, when using color as a reference for gauging the temperature, keep in mind that the ambient light available can skew the color observed. Holding up a piece of metal in the dim light of a blacksmithy will not show the same color as holding up the same piece of metal heated to the same temperature in bright daylight. This can lead to heat-treating errors. This was best illustrated in the classic book “Hatcher’s Notebook.” In it, Colonel Julian Hatcher recounted the story of the “Low Number Springfields”, that many shooters in the current generation might not have heard: Here it is in a nutshell: The smiths at the Springfield and Rock Island Armories were manufacturing Model 1903 Springfield rifles. One of the steps in the process was heat-treating the receivers to a certain color of redness. This was before the days of precise industrial pyrometers–back when heart treating was judged “by eye”.) It was found that some of those receivers failed–due to the heat treating being of insufficient hardness. The Board of Inquiry discovered that some receivers that were heat treated on overcast days, lacked sufficient heat treating (and blew up dramatically when fired), while those made on sunny days had the specified strength. This was because on overcast days, the heated receivers showed the correct “color” when they had not yet actually reached the requisite temperature. This failure in process control was of course soon corrected, but ever since, “low number Springfields” have not been trusted for full-pressure pressure .30-06 loads. (The manufacturing transition BTW, was with Springfield Armory M1903 rifles that had serial numbers below 800,000 and Rock Island M1903 rifles with serial numbers below 285,507.) Just an interesting historical tidbit…

Letter Re: Prisons and Other Institutions Amidst a Societal Collapse?

Hello Jim,
I work at a Correctional Facility. It is a Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) prison with some 1,900 inmates currently housed.

Our facility is cross-fenced inside with a 12 foot fence topped with the military razor wire. Yes, you can get across it but you are going to pay a price. They have tried that here and the one that got across would have died in hours from the cuts without an emergency room.

I have experienced a full blown riot. This was only 98 prisoners but they trashed the whole mess hall and it spilled out into two of the fenced off areas.

These interior fenced in areas can be gated off to reduce movement.

It is just not possible that the staff could not get control if they have not exhausted their supply of CS [tear] gas. One of those large CS guns can fill a large outdoor area with enough gas to choke down the best of them.Then you cuff them all and they are contained. I have seen this happen.

All of the admin buildings have top positions from which the COs [Correctional Officers]–note they are not called “guards” anymore–can dispense from shoulder weapons canisters to any point in the yard to supplement the big foggers.

Is the potential for losing control a problem? Yes, of course…

Is anybody at our prison talking about it? Me… but not the administration that I know of.

My county sheriff (headquartered some 25 miles away) has discussed this with me in detail. He is prepared to protect this area if a general prisoner break takes place.

And when the electric locks fail they stay closed. You can only open them with a key at that point.

So, if the inmates take control of a few pods and some interior yard space: You retreat behind a series of doors and barred gates until you are all back beyond “central”. Central is the command and control center with all the electronics. If you lock [the facility] down and all the doors through to the admin area and leave by the front gate. The only way they can get out is under the fence or over the fence with the concertina wire on top.

Most will die inside once the water is shut off and they strip the kitchen. Most of the food is stored beyond the kitchen in separate security areas. Ultimately the smart ones will try to retrieve enough solid items to build a ramp up to the top of the wire; or dig underneath. After constructing a ramp they’ll probably throw a couple of mattresses over the top and try to get over the first fence. Yes, that’s right, the first fence. But then 15 feet away is the second fence just like the first one. But now they have to build another ramp by moving the objects up the top of the first fence and pushing them over. By this time the locals may be barbecuing just across the fence and shooting one or two now and then just for fun…

So, in my estimation, getting out of our Correctional Facility will not be easy.

I have sat in my car in the parking lot waiting for time to go in for my shift and looked at the security fence and thought “just how would the inmates get across this?” Given enough time, yes they will do it. But only under conditions where they are not opposed from the outside. But any locals who oppose them will keep them inside until they turn to drinking the blood of the weaker inmates. Cordially, – Joe in the Midwest

Odds ‘n Sods:

Ready Made Resources (one of our original advertisers) just launched an unusual 25% off sale on Mountain House and AlpenAire freeze-dried foods. Unlike many storage food dealers, they actually keep considerable stock in-hand. This is a limited-time offer, so don’t delay in placing your orders!

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They say a picture is with a thousand words. Well, these photos are worth 100 Billion: Chuck mailed us a link to a series of amazing photos from Zimbabwe, posted at blogoncherry. Make sure that you scroll all the way down to see the Z$100 Billion note. I suppose that next year’s “reform” in Zimbabwe will be mandating wider tapes for cash registers, to make room for more digits. Seriously, Comrade Mugabe and his band of fools need to be escorted at gunpoint to the airport. Oh yes, I should also mention that if you want to keep current on Zimbabwe, then read Cathy Buckle’s blog.

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Stephanie sent us a link to this US Army article: Blending used oil and vehicle fuel, that describes how to blend used crankcase oil with diesel fuel. Provisos are in order: All of the usual fuel and oil handling safety precautions apply. Avoid letting used motor oil contact your skin, since it is a carcinogen. I also have my doubts that USEPA would approve, but this is something to keep in mind for stretching your supply of diesel fuel in a post-disaster situation.

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The latest economic news and commentary, courtesy of Cheryl: Wall Street Bolts Higher To Add To Week’s Large Gains — Evidence Of A Recession Piles Higher With New Data — Japan Cuts Interest Rates to 0.30% — US Heads Towards Recession — Interest Rate Conundrum Heralds More Market Distress — US Fed Zero-Interest-Rate Policy Coming? — Financial And Geopolitical Forecasts For 4Q 2008 — Stock Market Forecast Current And For The Next 30 Years — Florida’s Freedom Bank Closed By Regulators; 17th Failure This Year — Panic Strikes Hungary, Poland Borrowers As Banks Cut Dollar, Franc Loans

Note from JWR:

Round 19 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. is still underway.The contest prizes include:

First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article will be awarded two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!
Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing

Round 19 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Letter Re: Warning on Insect Pests Getting Into Storage Food

Dear Jim,
I thought that due to the recent influx of newbies on your site, I would send this warning to not do as I did. Last year, I lost a lot of my stored food as I left it in the original packets in which it was shipped. I ended up with a major infestation of cupboard beetles, losing food and having to steam clean my cupboards. The bad news is thee bugs reproduce unbelievably quickly. The good news is the die just as quickly, and won’t harm you if you eat them, but they sure are unsightly. It’s sugars and starches they go for, even eating through cardboard, cellophane, thin plastic etc. I now keep all my grains, dried pulses and sugar in heavy-duty food-grade plastic or metal containers. Regards, – Luddite Jean.

JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that. BTW, I describe a simple “do-it-yourself” CO2 packing method in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. With CO2 packaging, you can protect even foods that have already been contaminated with adult insects, insect pupae, insect larvae, or insect eggs.

Letter Re: The Least Expensive Way to Stock Up on Storage Food?

Sir,
In regards to TJD, “Somewhere in Kansas” lamenting that he is in the middle of nowhere and can’t easily stock up on food, I must say I find his worries a bit hard to understand.

In the Bible, Joseph stored up seven years of harvests to prepare for seven years of famine. Those stores were made up of grain crops. That is how Egypt made it through a great famine and gained great wealth by selling their grain at high rates to nations that did not prepare.

Being from North Dakota, I know that the title for greatest wheat producer in the USA bounces back and forth between Kansas and North Dakota. He is in one of the most bountiful food producing regions in the world. He could probably travel to any small town grain elevator within 5-15 miles and fill up all his white 5 gallon pails with various grains (wheat, oats, corn, etc). Between bread and sprouting seeds, there’s plenty of energy and nutritional content in wheat and other grain crops. It doesn’t seem like he should have a hard time finding food. It is the crops grown in his state, perhaps not far from his location, that currently keeps America fed.

I think it is a testament to our modern society and the dependent and helpless nature of the people, that most people think food comes processed and prepared from the grocery store, and have no idea where it comes from. If a starving family in a big city was given a few bushels of grain, they’d probably look incredulously at their benefactor, leave the grain to spoil in the elements and continue their search for whatever scraps of prepared/processed food they could find. A pretty ridiculous situation but I don’t think it’s too far from the truth.

I think it was old time survival writer Mel Tappan who said if you want to store food cheaply and quickly, you can buy salt, grains and beans, and various vitamin tablets. You may miss some of the variety that you are accustomed to at the grocery store, but you won’t starve or develop nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy, goiter, etc.

TJD might want to look into storing bulk grain at elevator prices, and add desired variety with some of the bulk foods he can obtain at Sam’s Club such as rice, bulk condiments (ketchup, mustard, salsa, mayo), canned foods and some frozen foods. I think frozen foods have a place in preps as they can be eaten in the first weeks or months of an emergency situation, while families get their bearings and figure out how they are going to ration their long term food and prepare for the next growing season. – M. “Somewhere in ND”

Letter Re: Market Observations From The Trader Blog

Mr. Rawles –
Thank you for your recent mention of my site, TheTraderBlog.com. I am a former Lehman Brothers employee, I worked in New York City on the FX trading desk, but left in 2002, so I am glad to have missed all the recent excitement. I publish my blog in an effort to help me reason through my personal trading strategies, and also like to share my opinion about the markets and related events in general. I have not yet figured out how to make any money off of the site, so for now it is just a great hobby for me. I currently work in an unrelated field, so I have left my information anonymous on the site so as to not risk anything with my current employer.

I have become a regular visitor to your site since August, and coincidentally I have just finished your novel “Patriots” – and frankly I am scared to death about recent developments. In addition to the scenario you laid out, I have also just finished The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe, which describes the potential for an upcoming crisis – right about now – through 2025. Written in 1997, it is also very chilling. So, in addition to my own work and analysis of the markets (I see the DJIA going to the 6000 level over the coming two quarters), the confluence of all these sources really makes me ramp up my preparedness. It is like connecting the dots, and I have just come to a very clear picture. I feel as if I found your site a bit late, and am behind the curve. But better late than never. And thanks to the suggestions in your CD [that is included with your “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course,] I now have my wife on board! Thank you! Great stuff.

What just happened in Iceland is a microcosm of what can (will?) happen here in the U.S., if in fact the U.S. Treasury bubble does implode. I think a government debt default, USD devaluation and hyperinflation are very probable events into 2009 – 2010. Just how is the [US] Treasury going to finance an additional $2-to-3 trillion in 2009? As always I appreciate the information you publish. Best Regards, – Editor, The Trader Blog

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Mark A. wrote us to mention that he had found this web site that houses “more information then in one spot then I have seen anywhere else. The site is maintained to provide Third World countries information on farming and sustainability. All their information is free to download. Note, however that their ZIP files are very, very large. There are 4,000 titles, totaling 13 gigabytes.”

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In a recent e-mail, The Chartist Gnome mentioned two things about the precious metals market that confirm my observations: 1.) The COMEX spot prices now have no correlation with “real world” prices of bullion coins and small, serialized bars. “The ‘real world’ price for silver is more than twice the COMEX price, that is IF you can find any coins for sale, James.”. 2.) The recent slump in precious metals prices looks worse from your American perspective. “Your viewpoint is askew because the US Dollar is gaining so rapidly against so many other currencies, which are becoming Toilettenpapier. (The US dollar has no inherent strength–just perceived relative strength, in a time of crisis. It will eventually be toilet paper, too.) Take a look at the charts at BullionVault.com. The one year Gold in USD chart looks gloomy, but the Gold in Pounds Sterling chart doesn’t look bad at all. Hang in there with your metals holdings, and even acquire more, on dips. When the Dollar charges into double digit inflation, you’ll be joyous that you did.” OBTW, as further confirmation that inflation is indeed ahead, see this piece by Steve Saville: Inflation Watch.

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David V. flagged this Bloomberg article: Greenspan Slept as Off-Balance-Sheet Toxic Debt Evaded Scrutiny

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Another batch of cheer from our Economic Editor: “Harsh Storm” Threatens Global Economy As US GDP Shrinks — Will Gold And Silver Futures Default? — Goldman Sachs Ready To Hand Out 7 Billion Pound Salary and Bonus Package After Its 6 Billion Pound Bailout — Russian Stock Market Up 18% On The Day — AMEX To Chop 7,000 Jobs — The Quoted Spot Price of Gold is ‘A Lie’ — Loans? Did We Say We’d Do Loans? — Trade Suffers As Banks Curtail Loans — Gold Coins Now Getting a 50% Premium — Fed Interest Rate Cut May End Up Making Matters Worse — House of Credit Cards About to Crash — Next Bailout Battle Rages In DC

Letter Re: The Least Expensive Way to Stock Up on Storage Food?

Mr Editor,
I’m a newcomer to your site. Last week, I followed a link from a news story that mentioned SurvivalBlog, and instantly found my favorite blog. I’ve been burning the midnight oil for the last few nights, going back through your archives. What amazing stuff! Thank you for sharing so much wisdom on preparedness and for so unselfishly putting out there free for the taking. (Oh, yeah, I should also say that you can count me in on a [voluntary] 10 Cent Challenge [subscription].Three bucks a month is a total bargain, in relation to what I’ve already gotten out of it, and will get out the blog in the future.) At the rate that I’m printing things out for my “Survival” binder, I’m gonna have to get a new inkjet cartridge! I can’t thank you enough for SurvivalBlog!

So now that I’ve come to recognize that I’m so pitifully under-prepared, where do I start? I want to buy some [storage] food, but I don’t live anywhere near any of the [storage food] companies. I tried your advertisers first, and then did web searches. None within 700 miles! (That is what I get for living in middle-of-nowhere Kansas. The only good news is that your “Golden Horde” won’t be anywhere near my house.) I’m afraid [that if I order from a distant vendor] the freight charges will make stocking up very expensive. So my question is: What is the least expensive way to stock up on food, by myself? There is a Sam’s Club only 80 miles away. (Which is considered “close” by people around here. LOL!) Will food that I buy in a warehouse store work for long term storage? Can I re-pack the pasta and other things that aren’t in cans? Speaking of that, I followed your advice and started gathering up five gallon [food grade] buckets from the local bakeries. You were right. They do just throw them away! But a few that I got are missing their lids, though.

Is there a good book that you can recommend on food storage for someone like me that is on a budget and wants to “do it myself”, but not go so far as “grow it myself.”?

Thanks in advance for your advice! – TJD, “Somewhere in Kansas”

JWR Replies: I may be biased, but I recommend the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course as a good reference on food storage.

For any buckets that you acquire that are missing lids, I recommend that you buy Gamma Seal Lids. These have threaded lid tops, making them very convenient for accessing the storage foods that you use the most frequently. Gamma Seal lids fit standard 5 or 6 gallon buckets, and they seem to last forever. (We’ve been using some of our lids on a daily basis for 20+ years.) In addition to our storage food, we also use them on buckets used for poultry feed, wild bird seed, and dog food. They are available from Safecastle, Ready Made Resources, Nitro-Pak and several other vendors. BTW, many of these same vendors sell a “lid lifter” tool, which is very helpful in prying open sealed buckets that are not equipped with Gamma Seals.

Stocking up on bulk foods at a warehouse-type store (such as Sam’s Club or Costco) is indeed a good idea. I describe exactly what you can and should buy at your local “big box” store, in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. In fact, the main narrative of the course was transcribed from a digital audio recording that publisher Jake Stafford made, as we spent the better part of a day at a Costco store. So you’ll find the course is a great match for your plan to stock up at a Sam’s Club. (The inventories at stores from both chains are quite similar.)

Letter Re: Prisons and Other Institutions Amidst a Societal Collapse?

James:
I live in a rural area in Wyoming. My husband, our children and I are lucky to have been raised in the area. We have access to thousands of family owned acreage to hunt, fish and garden on. Because we live in a rural area (at lease ninety miles in any direction from any large community) we are among the few that still have skills handed down to us that will allow us to be self sufficient. I have only recently found your blog and have enjoyed all of what I have read here. I agree wholeheartedly that our society is not even remotely close to the one that existed in 1930. Many people are naive to believe that if we faced even a long term recession let alone a true depression or societal collapse that things would be similar to what is found in historical texts.

I understand all too well that protection is important as I work with criminals on a daily basis, at a minimum security prison. Although it is a minimum security prison it houses inmates who have committed crimes that run the gamut. There are murders, rapists, burglars, you name it; housed behind only an industrial chain link fence. My question is in a time of societal collapse or WTSHTF what would happen (most likely scenario) with institutions run by the government. My biggest concern at this point is protecting my family from those that would take whatever they wish without thought. Thank you in advance for your response. – CL

JWR Replies: In circumstances where the power grids remain functional, prisons will probably not be much of a local threat. In fact, it will be relatives that are visiting the prisons that will be more of a threat than the inmates themselves. But if the grids go down for more than a week, then all bets are off. My prediction for prisons in the event of a worst case grid-down collapse are summed up in my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”. Here is brief quote:

Electricity also proved to be the undoing of prisons all over America. For a while, officials maintained order in the prisons. Then the fuel for the back-up generators ran out. Prison officials had never anticipated a power outage that would last more than two weeks. Without power, security cameras did not function, lights did not operate, and electrically operated doors jammed. As the power went out, prison riots soon followed.

Prison officials hastened to secure their institutions. Under “lock down” conditions, most inmates were confined to their cells, with only a few let out to cook and deliver meals in the cell blocks. At many prisons the guard forces could not gain control of the prison population, and there were mass escapes. At several others, guards realized that the overall situation was not going to improve, and they took the initiative to do something about it. They walked from cell to cell, shooting convicts. Scores of other prisoners died at the hands of fellow convicts. Many more died in their cells due to other causes; mainly dehydration, starvation, and smoke inhalation.

Despite the best efforts of prison officials, 80 percent of the country’s more than 1,500,000 state and federal prisoners escaped. A small fraction of the escaped prisoners were shot on sight by civilians. Those that survived quickly shed their prison garb and found their way into the vicious wolf packs that soon roamed the countryside.

But keep in mind that there is only a slim chance of a grid-down societal collapse. In a less severe recession or depression, having a large prison or mental hospital in your county might be a good thing. We may find that in an era of mass corporate layoffs, having a large and stable government-funded payroll might give some communities an advantage.

Letter Re: Anti-Hoarding Law of World War I as a Precedent for Future Laws?

Hello,
Thanks for all the helpful information in SurvivalBlog.

Regarding the reader who wrote in about the prospect of food hoarding laws; there have indeed been times where private U.S. citizens were forced to give up “unreasonable” stores of provisions, thus setting a possible precedent. For example: In 1918, Herbert Hoover (who would later be a US president), then working as head of the Food Administration, saw to it that a retired Navy doctor and his wife were charged for having about a year’s worth of foodstuffs in their home. (The law stated that more than thirty day supply was illegal.) Sadly, the couple’s goods were only found out when they read about the hoarding law and tried to comply, by giving their excess flour to a grocer to dispense to local charities.
Here is a link to the archived New York Times article reporting the incident. Best, – Mrs. Young

Odds ‘n Sods:

Larry in Cincinnati spotted a link over at the excellent Urban Survival blog to a classic book in the public domain: Handy Farm Devices & How To Make Them. (BTW, there are lots of other free references available at the Journey to Forever site.)

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Adrian mentioned an article over at The Trader Blog with some observation on Iceland’s economic turmoil and potential for hyperinflation: What Happens After A Country Implodes? Also, don’t miss this very recent piece by the same blog author: “We are approaching the apogee of the Treasury bubble”

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Ready Made Resources just added Three Tray Stackable Sprout Garden sets to their catalog. Every prepared family should practice sprouting. Sprouts are an important part of your survival food supply, providing crucial vitamins and minerals, even after your stored vitamin tablets have run out. Sprouting is also a healthy way to eat, in the present day.

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Cheryl’s latest gleanings: Stocks End Mixed In Late Slide After Fed Rate Cut — US Motor Industry: The Great Breakdown — Ukraine On Brink Of Financial Collapse — Bailouts Continue; China Takes Aggressive Action On Economy — Mints Struggle To Meet Metals Demand — Top Theorists Examine Rippling Economic Turbulence — Hungarian Currency Collapses — US Consumers Stop Spending — Banking Misery Engulfs Japan — China Cuts Interest Rates Again — Credit Losses Far Exceed Bailout Injections — Putin Suggests Russia, China Ditch Dollar — IMF ‘Has Six Days To Save Pakistan’

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Fed cuts key interest rate half-point to 1 percent. Artificially lower interest rates didn’t work for Japan, and it won’t work any better for the US. Ben Bernanke and Company have now painted themselves into a corner.