How to Harvest, Process, and Store Vegetable Seeds, by Grandpappy

A Quick Comparison of Vegetable Seeds to Silver Dollars
The small seed envelopes available for sale at hardware stores and supermarkets are generally priced between $0.97 to $1.69 per package. Each individual package usually contains somewhere between 100 mg to 3.5 g of seed, with an average of 900 mg of seeds per package. 1000 mg equals 1 gram and 1 gram equals 0.035 standard ounces. Therefore 900 mg equals approximately 0.0315 standard ounces or 0.0287 troy ounces. If the average seed package contains 900 mg of seeds and cost $0.97 then that is equivalent to $33.80 per troy ounce, which far exceeds the current market price of a one-ounce United States Silver Eagle. (Note: $0.97 / 0.0287 troy ounce = $33.80 per troy ounce.)
Therefore, in today’s normal global economy, seeds are more expensive per ounce than pure refined silver. And history has repeatedly demonstrated that during serious worldwide famine conditions, food and seeds eventually become more valuable than gold.
Heirloom Vegetable Seeds Available on the Internet
Heirloom vegetable seeds can be purchased at most hardware stores and supermarkets.
Or you can buy heirloom vegetable seeds over the internet. One advantage of buying seeds over the internet is that you can quickly compare the prices of different sellers. When you look at the seed prices also consider the net weight of the seed package the same way you would do if you were buying groceries. In other words, calculate the cost per gram or the cost per ounce of seeds.
Internet sellers usually have detailed information about each individual heirloom seed variety that they sell. If you purchase seeds over the internet, then you should print a hard copy of all the information the seller has available about the seed varieties you purchase and then keep those printed pages with your seeds when they arrive. The following heirloom seed companies would be happy to receive your business. And it would probably be wise to split your heirloom seed order between at least two or three of the following companies for a variety of good reasons.
AbundantLifeSeeds.com
OrganicaSeed.com
HeirloomSeeds.com
SeedsTrust.com
SeedsOfChange.com
SeedSavers.org
SouthernExposure.com
[JWR Adds: I also highly recommend buying heirloom seeds from The Ark Institute, in Bandon, Oregon]
Basic Instructions for Saving Vegetable Seeds
1. SEED TYPES: When you first purchase seeds you should avoid “Hybrid Seeds.” Instead you should buy “Heirloom Seeds” or “Open Pollinated Seeds.” Hybrid seeds are “man-made seeds” and they are only good for one planting. (Note: If you plant hybrid seeds and then save the seeds from the hybrid plants that are produced, and then plant those seeds the following spring, the results will be unpredictable. The plant that grows will usually resemble one of its parents or grandparents or something in-between. It is also possible that it may produce no fruit at all.) Heirloom seeds, on the other hand, will produce crops that yield seeds that will reproduce the same plant year after year after year as God originally intended. (Genesis 1:11 – Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth;” and it was so.) When you purchase a package of seeds, you should not plant all the seeds from the original package the first year. Instead you should save some of them for planting in future years if the event your first year’s planting efforts are not successful. You should also clearly mark exactly where you plant each type of seed with the name and variety of that seed so you can keep track of which varieties of seed do best in your climate and in your soil.
2. DISEASE AVOIDANCE: After you have planted your seeds and the plants appear, do not collect seeds from a diseased plant because the disease will have infected that specific plant’s genes and all future plants grown from those seeds will be easily susceptible to that same disease.
3. SEED SELECTION: Use the very best looking, strongest, and most productive plants in your garden for seeds. Generally, you are not looking for that one special fruit on the vine. Instead the characteristics you should look for are: early bearing of fruit, total fruit yield, fruit size and flavor and aroma, and disease resistance. Also, if applicable, late bolting to seed. Resist the urge to eat your most delectable looking vegetables. Those are the ones you want to duplicate every year in the future. After you have selected the fruits you want to keep for seed, identify them with a special marker such as a wooden stake beside the plant, or a ribbon or string loosely tied to the plant or vine. In most cases (but not all) it is important to save seeds from at least three different plants of the same variety to provide good pollination opportunities the following spring.
4. SEED RIPENESS: Allow seeds to fully ripen before harvesting to achieve the best germination yield the following spring. The seed must be given time to store enough nourishment so it can germinate the following spring and grow into a healthy seedling.
5. DRYING: Seeds must be dried before they are stored (between 5% to 13% moisture content, with an average of 8%). Individual seeds should be separated from one another so they can dry more evenly. Larger seeds will require more time to air dry whereas smaller seeds will require less time. Do not try to dry the seeds too quickly or they may shrink and crack. And do not dry at a temperature higher than 100°F. Indoor air drying is usually the best. However, if you live in an extremely humid area, then you may dry your seeds by placing them in the sun in front of a southern facing window for about two days. Since there is no easy inexpensive method for measuring the exact moisture content of your seeds, you will need to use your own judgment based on your personal experience. Generally the drier the seed (but not below 5%), the longer the seed will remain alive in storage. Based on Dr. James Harrington’s research, each additional 1% decrease in the dryness of a vegetable seed from 13% down to 5% will double its storage life, However, below 5% will normally kill the seed and above 13% will usually result in the seed not surviving the first winter. Since the home gardener does not have the expensive equipment to accurately measure the exact moisture content of a batch of seeds, the home gardener may wish to use a trial and error approach. When you first suspect that your seeds are dry enough, put half of them into paper envelopes and label the envelopes with the variety of seed and indicate how many days the seeds were dried. Continue drying the remainder of the seeds for a few more days. Then put half of those seeds into paper envelopes and label them as your second drying with the total number of drying days. After a few more days of drying put the remainder of the seeds into a paper envelope and label them as your third drying with the total number of drying days. When you test each envelope of seeds in future years, you can use this trial and error method to estimate the optimal number of drying days for each type of seed based on your climate, and your humidity, and your average normal drying conditions.
6. STORAGE: AFTER your seeds are dry, store your seeds in a standard small paper envelope, or a paper bag, or a cloth bag in a dry, cool area. Do not allow the seeds to remain in direct contact with the air or they will gradually absorb moisture from the humidity in the air with the passage of time. After placing the seeds in a standard small paper envelope or cloth bag, you can store that envelope or bag inside a standard plastic freezer bag. Freezer bags are more expensive and of a higher quality than regular plastic bags. Do not seal your seeds inside a vacuum plastic bag without air because seeds are living organisms and they need a minimum amount of air to continue their life cycle. The best place to store seeds is in a plastic freezer bag inside a refrigerator at a temperature between 33°F to 40°F. This will more than double the storage life of your seeds.
7. LABELING: Clearly label each of your seed envelopes or bags using permanent ink to identify the exact variety of seed and the year the seed was harvested. Also include the number of days the seed was allowed to dry, along with any unusual weather conditions during the drying process, such as unusually humid weather or unusually warm or cold weather during the drying process.
8. SEED BANK: Most seeds can successfully germinate for three to five years after harvesting, even if they are not stored in a refrigerator. Therefore, it is prudent to have your own “Seed Bank” into which you deposit approximately 10% of the seeds you harvest each year. If an unexpected disease attacks your crops one year then you will not be able to harvest any seeds from that year’s crops, even though you may be able to eat some or most of that year’s poor quality marginal vegetables. In this type of situation your “Seed Bank” will permit the re-establishment of the quality of your crops in future years. The seeds in your “Seed Bank” are your insurance against unpredictable future diseases that may sweep through your geographical area. They are also good insurance against an unexpected cross-pollination that produces a seed that is different than you expected. In most cases you will not become aware of this type of problem until harvest time the following fall. Once again, your “Seed Bank” will allow you to re-establish this variety the following spring using seeds saved from previous years before the problem appeared.
9. EMERGENCY SEED RESERVE: Each spring you should gradually plant each variety of seed over an extended period of several weeks. You should not plant all your seeds of one variety at the same time. This reduces your risk of loss to late frosts and it provides a longer harvest period for fresh vegetables for the table. If you have seeds that are more than one year old which are not part of your “Seed Bank”, then your first planting the following spring should be one-half of those older seeds. If you do not have any two or three year old seeds, then do not plant more than half your previous year’s seed the following spring. Save at least half of the previous year’s seed as an “Emergency Seed Reserve” (in addition to your “Seed Bank”). Occasional late snows or an unexpected late frost can kill everything you plant at the beginning of spring. Your “Emergency Seed Reserve” will allow you to plant a second time that same year. Later during the spring or summer other problems may arise, such as heavy rains or no rains or insect damage or tornados or hurricanes, and these disasters could result in no crops to harvest in the fall. In disaster situations like these, it provides some comfort to know that you still have a reasonable amount of seed reserved for planting the following year. If you are forced to use your “Emergency Seed Reserve,” then only plant half of them and keep the rest of the seeds in reserve. Always keep at least half of your remaining seed as an “Emergency Seed Reserve” for really hard times. This means each future planting will be much smaller, but that is much better than having nothing to plant at all. Because of unpredictable situations such as the above, each year it would be wise to harvest at least twice the amount of seed you think you will need the following year. This strategy will also provide you with seed to share, sell, or trade and it will bring you one step closer to being an independent, resourceful human being in God’s natural order of things.
10. PREPARING SEEDS FOR PLANTING: (Note: These suggestions are optional.) Place the seeds you wish to plant in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator for three hours. When you remove the seed from the freezer the rush of warm air will help to break its winter dormancy. Then place the individual seeds between two damp paper towels for one day in a warm area. The seed is now in an optimal condition for immediate planting.
11. SPRING GERMINATION TEST: (Note: This step is optional.) You can test the viability of your seeds before you plant them in the ground in the spring. Use a medium-tip permanent marker to write the name of the seed and the year it was harvested on a dry paper towel. Then dampen the paper towel and place ten seeds on one-half of the towel. Fold the towel in half so the seeds are between the two halves of the damp paper towel. Place the damp paper towel inside a plastic trash bag and put it in a warm place. You can put several damp paper towels containing different seed varieties in the same plastic trash bag. Keep the paper towels slightly damp but not soaking wet. Periodically check the seeds based on the average germination time for each type of seed. You can determine the “approximate” germination rate by counting the number of seeds that sprout and dividing by the original number of seeds tested. For example, if you tested 10 seeds and 8 of them sprouted, then the germination rate is 80% (8/10 x 100). You can then plant these sprouted seeds in a peat pot indoors if the outdoor weather is too cold, or you can plant them in the ground if warm weather has arrived.
If you would like some additional seed information about a wide variety of different vegetables, then please visit my web site.

Letter Re: Advice on Diesel Vehicles–Motorcycles and ATVs?

Dear Mr. Rawles:
I already had a diesel Ford tractor, so I took your advice and got a diesel pickup, and I’m shopping for a used [diesel] Mercedes. Those things run forever. And as my budget allows, I’ll also plan to buy a diesel generator to replace my gasoline backup generator. So now I have logistics problem: I have two types of fuel to store, since my motorcycle, Polaris ATV, and my Husqvarna chainsaw all use gasoline. Diesel stores way longer than gas. But I guess that there is no way to avoid having some gas vehicles and tools.

JWR Replies: If you do some searching, you can find diesel-powered dirt bikes. Last year, Arctic Cat introduced a diesel ATV, and Roush Industries has developed an interesting variant of the diesel Arctic Cat. But I suppose that the jury is still out on reliability of these new diesel ATV models. (One of my grandfather’s sage mottos was: “Never buy the first year of any new model car or truck.” I suppose that the same caveat should apply to other vehicles and any other complex machinery.)

As for chainsaws, there were a few diesel saws made decades ago, but they never caught on, since diesels are inherently heavier than gas engines of the same displacement, and they typically have lower RPM. However, one possibility is the ethanol chainsaw variant made for the Brazilian market by Stihl. But I’m not sure where you could lay your hands on one in the U.S.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Two readers mentioned this article: National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic. This is more evidence that every family needs to have a three month supply of food and essentials on hand in case they have to “hunker down” in self-quarantine. A good start on this can be found in the family provisioning details included in my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course.

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Reader Jason in North Idaho sent us this story Supreme Global Warming Derangement: Having Large Families ‘Is an Eco-crime’ Jason’s comment: “This is the same rubbish I have heard for years from the secular/socialists that have so much influence over young people. I heard this article quoted today on a couple of different talk shows and it really angers me. This reminds me of the tripe that was spoken of by Paul Erlich, 35 years ago. He wrote an alarmist book that said that the earth would cease to be able to feed its population back in the eighties

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Indiana will be the base for new military nuclear terror response exercises. OBTW, the anonymous reader that sent me this link also mentioned that he had heard that Aljazeera will be part of the press corps covering the exercises. His comment: “Why don’t we just invite Osama Bin-Laden, to observe?”

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Reader SF in Hawaii notes that the recent European interest rates meeting is temporarily pushing up the US Dollar and pushing down the spot price of gold. On May 8th , New York spot gold closed at $685 per ounce. Yesterday (May 10th) it was $665. So SF notes that now is a good time to buy previous metals. As I often say, buy on these dips!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“There are those in America today who have come to depend absolutely on government for their security. And when government fails they seek to rectify that failure in the form of granting government more power. So, as government has failed to control crime and violence with the means given it by the Constitution, they seek to give it more power at the expense of the Constitution. But in doing so, in their willingness to give up their arms in the name of safety, they are really giving up their protection from what has always been the chief source of despotism—government. Lord Acton said ‘power corrupts.’ Surely then, if this is true, the more power we give the government the more corrupt it will become. And if we give it the power to confiscate our arms we also give up the ultimate means to combat that corrupt power. In doing so we can only assure that we will eventually be totally subject to it.” – Ronald Reagan

Notes from JWR:

This morning we counted 17 elk at our livestock salt lick blocks just 50 feet from our house, and another eight from the herd farther down the pasture, toward The Unnamed River. Oddly, they seemed less skittish than the deer that we see nearly every evening. (Since elk are generally more wary.) It is amazing how thick the wild game is at the Rawles Ranch. We certainly will never starve here!

We begin today’s posts with the first round of results from our current poll that was recommended by SF in Hawaii.

Poll Results: Why are You Preparing to Survive?

Here is the first round of responses to this question: Those who are well educated enough to see a societal collapse of some sort or another in the making fall into two groups, the merrymakers and the preparers. The merrymakers don’t see life worth living post-SHTF, so they live it up now. We on SurvivalBlog are the preparers and have chosen to survive, but why? Our children? To rebuild civilization? Because the collapse will only be temporary? Because we can and we’re stubborn with a stronger than normal will to survive? The following is just the first batch of responses. I plan to post at least one more batch. Please send your responses (one paragraph or less) via e-mail, and I will post them anonymously.

The survivalist is an optimist — not merely because he/she thinks he’ll make it through the crisis, but because of the (possibly subconscious) hope that something good will emerge in the aftermath. It’s the logic of any kind of apocalyptic thought… Theological systems that have a conception of a climactic struggle or an “end times” imagine that, after Armageddon, we’ll see the dawning of a new age. Not surprisingly, a lot of Hollywood movies follow this script, too: After the aliens are defeated, for example, in “Independence Day”, mankind stands united, having put aside their differences; After catastrophic weather changes in “The Day After Tomorrow,” the planet begins to heal itself, etc. Heck, this theme can be seen, too, in your fine book, “Patriots”. In the same way, I plan to live not only because I’m stubborn and have a finely-tuned sense of justice — and thus hate the idea of turning over the planet to looters, thugs, and others who would prey on the innocent — but also because I’m both curious and hopeful about what will emerge as society reconstitutes itself.

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My modest preparation springs from the knowledge that I and the Lord are the protectors of my family (there are five of us). Our ultimate trust is in Him, but it is on me to do what I reasonably can do to protect my family from in the event of hardship and/or disaster. (After watching [Hurricane] Katrina, it seems apparent that the government cannot do that.) Anyone reading your web site thinks that there is at least a fathomable chance that our nation’s run of blessing/luck will end (or be suspended) at some point in the future. Nothing lasts forever. If and when that time comes, I would never forgive myself if my family suffered unnecessarily because I did not take reasonable steps to prepare for such a time. In addition to that, it’s just plain fun to learn about this stuff. (Anyone who says otherwise is lying!)

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Because the alternative is inconceivable to me!

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I’m currently going through some things in my life that are agonizing (but subject to change) and make things feel almost hopeless for me at times, yet every day I wake up again and thank God that he breathed the breath of life into me. I won’t waste that breath. I’m motivated to prepare to survive and overcome by many factors. Here are some examples:

I’m a 7th generation descendant of a settler in my current state and I’m motivated to survive by the risks my settler ancestors took, the struggles they went through, the multiple battles they fought in, the children they lost prematurely and the price they paid to be here. I recently visited some of their graves for the first time. I see it as my responsibility, honor and duty to live freely and survive. The stock I am from is cut out for it.

I prepare to survive because I’m ultra conservative, at times feeling like an endangered species or “minority” and I’m tenaciously defiant to those who would like to see my “kind” exterminated. I am equipped with a few trusted friends that are peers in regard my views (though mostly surrounded by sheeple) and have inspired some to begin to prepare. I discern a negative spiritual force is taking action to see my country’s sovereignty given away. I am motivated to be a hindrance to that spirit. My country is worth saving.

I prepare to survive because as a young man I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, despite the fact that there have been some truly sorry individuals working to undermine that Constitution since before I was born. I intend to see my oath fulfilled.

I prepare to survive because I read “Patriots“, awoke to how fragile our economy really is and saw how foolishly I’d been behaving in the past (assuming life would always be normal) and am in the process of repenting of any residual foolish, sheeple-like attitudes and habits I have.

I prepare to survive because I’ve been in a city where gasoline was temporarily not available and walked through the local grocery store at 3:00 AM (less crowded) and have seen the store shelves stripped of food for a short period of time. It’s pretty convincing you need to prepare when the fuel in the tank of your vehicle and few 5 gallon cans (at the time) may be all you’ll have for a while.

I prepare to survive because if things ever Schumerize I have multiple skill sets that can help a number of people in a number of survival situations. I believe I was created to help people, when possible. I gather info, educate, discuss and leave food for thought for those who are unprepared, but willing to listen and consider my views on the subject.

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Why an I preparing? For the simple reason that I live in the middle of the midwest. Bad winters, heavy snow, and ice storms. The rest of the year heavy rain , floods, tornados, et cetera. You can’t depend on the government to come through when needed, so if you don’t have what you need than you are SOL! You have to be able to get by on what you have or fabricate something to do the job needed. I haven’t depended on the government to help and I really don’t think they have the capacity any more if ever. It will be your self and friends and neighbors pulling together that will make the difference. I prepare for me and mine so that we may be able to help others if need be. I’ve traveled extensively in South America, off the beaten path, and if you don’t have what you need or can fabricate it than you should not be there. The same goes for having all your ducks lined up at home.

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I’m a Jesuit educated 38 year old Bachelor, Eagle Scout, USMC Gulf War Vet, working for a major aerospace company in Seattle. The reason I’m preparing is I inherited ~$500K from my grandfather, who sold the family farm in California to housing developers. He worked hard for all of us and I don’t want that blessing of wealth to be squandered. I’m preparing because being prepared is what’s been beat into my head since I was a kid. You can’t play the “victim” card on the Four Horsemen.

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Why do I prepare? Probably because I read too much science fiction as a child! Probably because surviving is so much more interesting than succumbing. Born in the late 1950s, I remember bomb shelter salesmen and diving under my desk during A-bomb drills. I always assumed something, a war, or a pandemic, could change life as I knew it. It never occurred to me not to want to survive. Both my parents were alive during the depression, and that contributed to not taking food/housing for granted. Perhaps my uncle, who survived Bataan, or my aunt, who was a prisoner of war in the Philippines, might also have had something to do with my mindset?

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Because I believe that life is worth living, and I have no intention of simply “biting the dust” unless I give it the old college try. I believe that trying and ultimately failing is far better than not trying at all.

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Bottom line: I owe it to my family to be prepared. I could not bear to look into their eyes as they look to me for help and have to say “Sorry.”

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I am a preparer. Not because I’m smarter than anyone else, but because from what I see, there just is no other choice. I do it for my family; my beloved husband who humors me but thinks I’m slightly nuts, my grown children who love me but roll their eyes whenever I speak about what is happening around us. look, I don’t have any college degree or any fancy smarts, no one would call me well educated. But I can see what I can see. I read, study, research and from my angle, we are gonna be toast and I bet my surly one eyed cat that it will be ugly. so I plod along doing the best I can when can. I don’t have a retreat, I don’t have a bunker or fallout shelter, I don’t have 10 acres or two years worth of food. But I’ve got God. I keep plodding on doing the best with what I have and I know He takes care of the rest.Will we survive the whatever that comes? Heck if I know. But I’m a fool if I do not give it my best shot.

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As a man of firm Christian beliefs, I believe all our days are numbered and have value. In those number of days we are to protect and provide for our our own selves, our families and so on. Examples in scripture are numerous how people were commanded to defend their homes, their cities, their neighbors, and their land. Unless we (like some were) are destined to go into Babylonian captivity I see no other proper choice.

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I am taking what steps I feel necessary to survive in a societal collapse of infrastructure because I realize that the more intricate a system of living becomes, the more possible facets of failure are therefore created. As the machine known as Society grows in scale and complexity, so do the required aspects of its function; increasing the number of things that can go wrong, thus eventually causing a critical failure of the system. With the statistical (and historical) inevitability staring one in the face, how can someone not do everything within your power to be prepared?

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I feel its my duty to four fathers, kids, grand kids, friends, although they are getting harder to find these days, an it just feels like the right thing to do,also its interesting,fun, a great learning expense,i spend hours on your site an i want to really thank you for it. I’m sure you make money off of it an you should, but I’ll bet you are the type of person that really believe in what you do. I love my guns an have about 25 [of them], I try to go to the range at least three times a week, its the most relaxing time in my life ,by myself or with someone, I’m sure a lot of people don’t understand, I love the military weapons a lot, I have .303s, Mausers, and others. I’m proud of my beliefs, thanks.

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I consider preparing my Christian duty. I’m also stocking up lots of extra food, clothing, and so forth for charity, which is also my Christian duty.

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Myself, I am what would be called a “millennialist” based on my beliefs from the Bible. The majority of mankind is stupid and sinful. Thousands of years and we are still doing the same mistakes over and over. I do not believe in any Gene Roddenberry vision where mankind, by its own efforts, rises from the ashes and evolves into a benevolent a Star Trek society. Nothing sort of divine intervention will save us in the long run from permanent self-destruction—-Now aren’t I a cheerful one to invite to a social gathering?;)

Just for the record, I’m not one of those nuts that believe in trying to hasten or encourage the Second coming The world is dong a fine job all by itself.

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While I had read about survivalism and planning for a couple of years, the importance of having some sort of plan didn’t hit me hard until I was living in the South, had a new baby, and [Hurricane] Katrina hit. All of a sudden the importance of having an evacuation plan, supplies, and a known destination to retreat to were very important. I am not as prepared as many of the readers, but I know where to go and what I’ll do when I get there. Also, thanks to some great books on small farming and some great advice on here I know how to avoid some real pitfalls.

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I’m preparing to survive for my wife and my children, because I can and because it gives me a feeling of confidence. I say “because I can” since most of my acquaintances don’t have a clue of the probable upcoming changes in society, but of those that do have a clue they can’t prepare for survival. They can’t prepare for survival because they’re financially tapped out by having been brainwashed into living on credit today figuring somebody else will take care of them tomorrow, but it won’t be me.

And it drives me nuts. A 45 year old single female friend of my wife owns a boat, owns a camper, had two vehicles, bought a scooter and recently bought a house within the last two years. When I first started preparing for survival, my wife made a comment to her about it and her friend said when the SHTF “we’ll all be as snug as a bug in a rug.” I said“What do you mean we? I think you need to make your own preparations.”

I used to try and educate our acquaintances but have started taking more of an inquiring approach with regards to what they think are the possible upcoming changes in society. A couple we know refinanced their house to buy a travel trailer but they only camp within 45 minutes of their house because they can’t afford the gas and their tow vehicle is not reliable. I asked the husband what he thought was coming in the future, he said he figured things were going to get pretty bad. But then they just put down a deposit on a trip to Hawaii so I’ve got to figure you just can’t help people like this.

And it’s not that I wouldn’t help anybody, I saw value in a comment on your web site with regards to helping neighbors and I will. (Is it okay if I only help the ones I like?). We live in a conventional neighborhood and I wish we didn’t but at this point it would take too much of our resources to move to a property with more land. So our best defense is to bond with the good neighbors but I don’t want all our irresponsible acquaintances coming to live with us.

We have a good life and are lucky to be able to make preparations for what may come. And I am thankful for every additional day I have to get better prepared.

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I am preparing to survive because I believe the threats to our way of life are manifold. We are in a global war. China strength’s grows, our borders are not protected. Our government is shredding the constitution. Natural disasters, environmental concerns, the basic depravity and selfishness of man–its reason enough. I was a volunteer during [Hurricane] Katrina. Not one person who had preps, was sorry. Many other equivalent societies in this century have fallen, why is America better ? It is inevitable, one disaster will prove the wisdom of preparing.

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1. Life is worth living.
2. I want to be around if there is any defending of this nation to be done.
3. Who said one can’t prepare and merrymake? (I guess it depends on one’s interpretation of ‘merrymake’).

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It’s something that was raised in me. Whether it was the Boy Scout’s motto of always being prepared, or just the human instinct of survival, if I see something on the horizon, I won’t back down. Not to mention I get to justify spending a lot of money on camping gear and guns, my two favorite hobbies.

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We are trying to prepare because it is the right and responsible thing to do for our family, friends, neighbors, and country. If we all became part of the solution, then there would be no problem.

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Jim, I grew up in the bomb shelter/Cold War era. A neighbor two houses down actually dug out their front yard to install a bomb shelter. My folks had a rudimentary bug-out bag and we always kept a month’s worth of food on hand. Hey, for the 1950s, that was progressive thinking so I guess I come by being into preparedness naturally.

I hold advanced degrees but my education does not get in the way of exercising common sense. It is obvious that our complex society is too interdependent to survive major interruptions and we have numerous examples to look at (the L.A. riots, Hurricane Katrina, and such). To believe that a major interruption of services could not occur is delusional. The empirical evidence is right in front of us. The family which is prepared has far fewer worries.

Do I believe we are headed for TEOTWAWKI? Not particularly. Do I believe that we will see significant disruptions that will affect us for 10 days or so? Yes, definitely. Disruptions lasting to 30 days or beyond? Less likely, but I maintain a “year’s supply” nonetheless. Also, my Church has preached being prepared for years. Our leaders have constantly cajoled us to have a year’s supply of food and other necessities and my guess is they know something we haven’t heard yet.

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Most pundits state that human beings are constantly evolving. The point they have ignored or can’t see is that the evolvement of the human race in the last 50 years has been a deterioration, not an advancement. We survivalists are, quite frankly, throwbacks to the pure genotype that got us to this point in time.

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I prepare because the end is nigh (at least TEOTWAWKI), and there will be a lot of merry-makers who suddenly changed their minds, post-collapse. If you’re prepared and you decide the going is too rough, you can always quit,but if you’re not prepared, your options are zero. You’re done. Besides, my family is Finnish, and we’re stubborn SOBs. You can always tell a Finn, just not much…

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I prepare to survive because I see it as part of the natural cycle of human civilization. Something in us wants to forget the lessons of what makes us a great society and start living on borrowed riches and capabilities. Eventually, that living beyond our means catches up with us via a natural disaster, economic collapse or societal conflict.

If we were not to prepare to survive then we are doomed to fail and live miserably under the dictates of someone else. If we prepare we are not guaranteed to have prepared for the right situation, or enough, but at least we have a much better than average chance. In the end, I am an optimist. No matter how bad things get they will eventually get better. We can speed up our own recovery and that of our community’s by preparing now. If we do not, then we may end up wallowing in misery and struggling for the barest necessities. Is that the kind of life God wants for us? I think not. I believe God wants us to live wisely and prepare to prosper under all conditions. That takes discipline and short-term sacrifice.

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Jim, your blog rocks. I only hope that I can learn and earn fast enough to take advantage of the incredible information that your forum provides before TEOTWAWKI.

I have a beautiful 6 month old son who is totally innocent to the ways in which TPTB (the powers that be) are systematically destroying nature, American Democratic principles and threatening the survival of humanity. He deserves a chance in this life, regardless of whether or not he’ll ever get to visit Sam’s Club, get a college scholarship, drive a V-8 or own an iPod.

When things start to get dicey, and as the world as we know it begins to fall apart – most likely permanently- he will be just coming up in age and entering what should be the most wondrous years of a child’s life.

For him, and for my future children, I will fill their youthful imaginations with nature, tools, projects, outdoor adventure and practical knowledge. Before I let the idiot-box and America’s media-driven junk-culture destroy their understanding of their place in God’s kingdom (and the animal kingdom), they will know what to eat and how to hunt it, how to garden, how to fix stuff and how to avoid trouble in a society that in the future will eventually fail entirely by trying to eliminate all risk of failure here in the present.

They will be encouraged to learn practical trades: veterinary sciences, engineering, construction, medicine and alternative medicine, martial arts, food production and off-the-grid technology solutions.

No bankers, real-estate agents, financial analysts, politicians or computer graphic designers in this family, Jim. No sireeee bubba.

I have always believed that those people who want to throw God’s gift of life away through risk, recklessness, attempted suicide or plain old bad lifestyle habits are doomed to live longer.

I have also questioned since1987 when the U.S.S. Stark got hit by our”allies” escorting black gold in the Persian Gulf how long our cheeseburger-driven, cheap-oil, fiat-money, fake-friends and fear of loss-driven society can keep going.

Therefore I will survive this impending paradigm-shift in human existence in order to see my children prevail into adulthood, and for my morbid curiosity to see how all this B.S. I have put up with my entire life winds-up in the end of my days.

It won’t be easy however. Here in Texas, not 1 in 1000 people has a clue what might be coming in the next few years. Even after [Hurricane] Katrina pushed a not-so-golden horde of 150,000 low income welfare dependents onto the greater Houston area. I guess that bad stuff only happens to others, right?

I’ll be heading for the hills soon enough I hope, and taking my brood to a more austere, self-sufficient and remote lifestyle before Sugar Land Texas becomes a looter’s paradise.

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At first I prepared because it was an American act of self-reliance. Now, after all the weird looks and puzzled expressions, I get to have the biggest ‘I told you so’ in my lifetime.

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Great question. Do I have an answer? Yeah a couple. Peace of mind in these troubled times is the main one. We buy insurance for everything except peace of mind. Our power goes off we start our transition to alternatives without a worry. Lights, power,shelter, water, communication ability goes on. Food is here to be eaten fuel to use without need to purchase, cash on hand no worries. Another reason we do what we do is because “I” feel it’s my responsibility to my family. Part of my responsibility as a husband and a father is prepare to take care of them no matter what happens next I can’t sleep knowing I could have, but I didn’t. It’s a philosophy of maintaining the status quo to then have the time and resources to help others. It’s about being “ahead of the game.” It’s about life and meeting it’s changes head on, never stopping head down and moving constantly on forward to whatever it is that is next in life.

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My reason is: why give up? I have fought to hard in this life to just roll over and die.

Letter Re: The Importance of Proper Hearing Protection

Jim:
Regarding the [recently mentioned] Peltor tactical 6S (sound trap) [electronic earmuffs]: While the battery power for these is somewhat of a concern, they are well worth what you might spend keeping a few extra sets of AAA rechargeables (two for each ear) around. I, too, have been running these muffs for a number of years and really like them, especially under a helmet. The radio part works well too. On the qualification range with all the M4s going off, you can hear a hammer fall.
So here is my quandary and request for advice. I’ve tried NiCd and NiMH batteries and have been really disappointed with the battery life of any rechargeable in these earmuffs. (You know me, only hi-cap rechargeables!) Next thing you know, the volume is down. I’ve ended up using only Duracell throwaways, or equivalents. I mean rechargeables work but they are about 1/3 of the operating time that a throwaway battery has. Of course, they are AAAs and those are pretty puny anyway. Any advice, guidance or comments for enlightenment?
Thanks, – The Army Aviator

JWR Replies: Sadly, I don’t know of any rechargeable AAA batteries with decent mil-amp hour capacity. There just isn’t the room in that tiny battery casing for much “oomph”. Perhaps there is a SurvivalBlog reader out there that has a solution–either disposables or rechargeables. Oh! I just had one possible blinding flash of the obvious (BFO): As long as you already have a radio cable plugged in, how about running a co-axial power cable–modifying the earmuffs so that that they can “piggyback” from your radio’s battery pack? It would be fairly simple to rig resistors to drop the voltage to 3 VDC That would allow the muffs to run for weeks. Just a thought–it might be too difficult to McGyver into practical implementation.

Odds ‘n Sods:

The Secret Squirrel mentioned this great gardening and woodworking tool supplier: Lee Valley Tools.He particularly recommended their U-bars for gardening. (These were also recommended by the late Carla Emery.)

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Floods and drought: Insurance giant Lloyd’s of London assesses climate change. Meanwhile a study examining the national security consequences of climate change has been released by a senior U.S. military advisory board.

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RBS mentioned a fascinating book available for free download, The Upside of Down:Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization, by Thomas Homer-Dixon

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Clearly, there remains to this day a horrible, condescending attitude toward armed American citizens. Haven’t the British yet gotten over the fact that a ragtag, often disorganized force of American colonials, wielding their own arms, was able to defeat what at the time was the most powerful armed force in the world? Our forefathers, armed with their own flintlock rifles and pistols, and an assortment of muskets—the ‘assault weapons’ of their era—threw off the yoke of oppression under which they were forced to live. When British broadcasters today demand to know just what it is about gun ownership that Americans defend so vigorously, the answer is too simple for them to comprehend. Simply put, we defend this individual civil right because without our own guns two centuries ago, we would still… likely be British subjects…" – Alan Gottlieb

Notes from JWR:

SurvivalBlog is updated daily. We haven’t missed a day yet, since the blog was launched in August of 2005. So that you don’t miss each day’s new posts and letters, please make SurvivalBlog.com your web browser’s “home” page. Thanks.

Today we welcome out newest advertiser, Amaris Dobermans. Be sure to visit their web site!

Letter Re: Keeping Preparedness in Perspective

JWR
I often have discussions with my friends and business associates concerning world events and how they will affect our future and I have also read countless statements from others with similar opinions. I have noticed that many people seem to be narrowly focused on only one aspect of possible future events and are not putting the whole picture into perspective. Many are unable to take the actions that are necessary to deal with the probable coming changes. I would like to offer some of my observations and hopefully contribute something that would help others to move in the right direction.
In the first place no one can predict the future but through analytical thought a person can come up with the most likely outcome of probable events and proceed in the appropriate direction. To do this a person should search out the most accurate information available, make a list of probable events, prioritize them as to the impact on their life, and decide how to best prepare for each event. During this process, answers to questions regarding your location, necessary supplies, personal protection, shelter, etc. will become very apparent. This is how most successful business, governments, military campaigns, et cetera are accomplished.
The following are generally accepted as the most likely problems that will cause immediate risk and substantially affect our lives:
1. Overpopulation
2. Peak Oil
3. Dollar Devaluation/Economic Breakdown
4. Large scale terrorist attack such as a nuclear weapon detonation
5. Potable water
6. Global warming
I’ve listed overpopulation first because it has compounded the severity of all the other problems. Anyone living in the fairy tale that we can continue to support and increase this world population is extremely naive. Look around us at resource depletion, pollution of our environment, deforestation, et cetera.
There have been many theories on how large of a human population the earth can support but most agree that we have exceeded that number by many times. We are now living in locations, at a huge cost to our resources, which could barely support human life just a century ago. Las Vegas, Nevada is a perfect example. The availability of cheap oil has been the main contributor to this tremendous increase in world population in the last century. We have the ability to produce an abundance of food through the use of oil burning farm implements and oil related chemicals and then transport that food all over the world, again using oil as the main source of fuel. This supply of this magical substance has given us the ability to support a far greater population on Earth than its natural boundaries would allow. That container is now half empty and there are a lot more people drinking from it.
Peak Oil is the most understated problem we face today and it is extremely important that everyone educate themselves about this issue. There are many books available and good articles on the internet. I truly believe that there is no viable solution to this problem and as a result a substantial portion of the population of the earth will suffer greatly in the not too distant future. The cost of maintaining our oil-based economy is increasing daily and this is promoting inflation and devaluing the dollar. Americans have become totally dependent on the abundance of products resulting from the availability of Cheap Oil. We find it hard to comprehend how life will change as the cost of oil related goods goes through the roof. Most of us think of oil only as the fuel that propels our automobiles but the cost and availability of oil will affect everything including food, water, shelter, and every item we use each day. Because of the complacency of the general public and dependence on the news media as the main source of information, this crisis will sneak up on most people before they realize the Schumer has hit the fan. They will complain about the continuing escalation of the cost of living but in most cases will not make attempts to prepare themselves for the coming hard times believing the government will handle the problem. These are the sheeple that will become wolves when times get tough. We cannot simply go back to the way we lived fifty to one hundred years ago. Those less oil-dependent technologies and ways of farming and producing products worked when the population was much smaller. In the early 1900s most of the population of the U.S. lived and worked on farms and in small rural communities with localized industries. There were large uninhabited and unpolluted areas of the country with and abundance of wild game and natural resources. A family could realistically live off the land. In order for our civilization to move back to a similar lifestyle today, without the assistance of oil related products, will require a substantial reduction in the human population. The worst scenarios of the oil crisis would bring unimaginable hardship to large populations. The pressure on natural ecosystems will be devastating. In many areas the wild game population will be completely wiped out, small lakes fished out and forests cut down for firewood. This is why your location and preparations will be paramount to your well being.
The devaluation of the US Dollar followed by an economic breakdown is probable. U. S. Government debt is the worst it’s been in history and the weakening dollar is losing international support. We are a debt based society which purchases more foreign goods that it produces. In the 1950s the U.S. was a major world producer, exporting goods to the world and injecting the capital gained into our economy. When money runs low we simply print more paper which is backed only by the faith of other nations in our economy. That faith is rapidly coming to an end and we are seeing signs of foreign governments dumping the U.S. Dollar.
Another terrorist attack on the United States is inevitable.It’s not if, but when. Knowledgeable government agencies accept this and so should we all. There is no doubt that if nuclear weapons become available to terrorist they will use them. It would be very naive to believe that this is not being planned by someone, somewhere at this time. Our country’s economy and the lifestyle of its people have become so vulnerable that it could be easily disrupted by a few strategically placed highly destructive devices. I believe that at this time the chance of a major military nuclear strike from another country is very unlikely. The old military regime is again gaining strength in Russia again and this could become a threat sometime in the future but it is not immediate. Maintaining awareness of world events is important and this should be part of your ongoing research.
One of the major threats to the future of a quality life is the availability of good water. The shortage of potable water has become a major problem all over the world. A third of the people in China do not have enough water to drink and this same situation is repeated [in localized areas] worldwide. Here in the U.S. we are polluting our drinking water at an alarming rate. Many Southwestern cities are approaching emergency supply situations in the next few years. Most of the aquifers in the Midwest have been polluted with farm chemicals and rural residences are now dependent on centralized rural water systems for drinking water.
Global Warming is a given, no matter who or what caused it or how much it has been politicized. In itself it could be dealt with, but in combination with any of these other risks, the problems it creates will be substantially exaggerated. Barring any unpredictable “trigger effects”, global warming will come as a gradual change in climate that will affect food production around the world. Combine this with the Oil Crisis and the variables become unpredictable. There is much good research material to be found on the Internet along with some computer models. It’s still too early to completely understand as to how this will affect each of us in the near future, but it must be taken into consideration.
Everything I’ve talked about is already happening or is very likely going to happen in the predictable future. The wild card is number four; Large-scale terrorist attack such as a nuclear weapon detonation, and this is the one that could catch us off guard. If you prepare for the other events then you will have taken the right steps to survive civil breakdown after any disaster. There is a very good chance that we are facing a breakdown of civilization as we know it. To what degree is yet to be seen. It will depend very much on how our governments react and if they take the correct path. I personally don’t have much faith in that. Each of us should research as much information on these issues as we are able. Knowledge is power and to simply “be aware” is the first step in preparedness. Overreacting can led to dissatisfaction and negative attitudes about the future which will become counterproductive. This can alienate friends and family as well. Incorporate your preparation plans into your daily life in a manner that does not dominate everything you do. Become a “quiet expert” and you will find that those who are interested in this subject will seek your advice or at least initiate communication. Keep in mind that the general public’s knowledge that you have prepared yourself and your family for a major economic crisis can make you a target when necessities become scarce. Those that are aware of your preparations should be of the same mindset and pursuing a similar path to preparation.
Understand the timelines for likely changes. It’s unlikely that a major devastating event will happen tomorrow but the chances increase each day. As I said before, we cannot predict the future, but we can prepare for it and this can be done in small steps. Each and every thing that you do in the name of preparation will put you in a better position than you were the day before. Just the peace of mind and self confidence that is gained is of great value. Not all of us can move to the best locations and set ourselves up with the ideal survival retreat but with a little imagination, a lot of research and the initiative to move forward with your plan, you will learn how to “outrun the bear.”. A very smart man once said, “Chance favors the prepared mind”. Good hunting, – JR

Odds ‘n Sods:

Six Islamic ethnic Albanians have been arrested in a plot to attack Fort Dix, New Jersey.

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Michael Z. Williamson sent us this link to a site for a company that supplies parts for 6×6 and 8×8 amphibious all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)–the ones that you’ve seen advertised for 30+ years in the back of outdoors magazines. . (Such as ATTEX, ARGO, HUSTLER, MAX, AMPHICAT, SIERRA TRAIL BOSS, SCRAMBLER, COOT, CAMEL, JIGER, STARCRAFT, TERRA JET, TERRA TIGER, CUSHMAN TRACKSTER, CHAPPARAL, RIM, and SWAMP FOX. They have lots of parts for discontinued ATV models

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150,000 U.S. layoffs for IBM?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“In its proper constitutional sense, the term [militia] means all the able-bodied people who can be trained and disciplined to act in the community’s defense when it’s attacked. Since it encompasses every able-bodied person, it does not refer to those—such as the police, the military, or even the National Guard—who formally compose the official defense forces of the nation. Every citizen able and willing to act in an emergency becomes a potential defender against attacks aimed at the general population. Unfortunately, because of the anti-gun folly of the leftist media and politicians, we have lost sight of this vital element of our defense… The anti-gun crowd seeks to establish a modern version of [the medieval era], a kind of bureaucratic feudalism, in place of the republican self-government established by our Constitution… The answer is not gun control, but self-government, self-defense, and self-control. We must act to live as free people, else like sheep for the slaughter, we will die, and freedom with us.” – Alan Keyes

Note from JWR:

The latest update to our ClusrtrMap shows that there are now SurvivalBlog readers in at least 84 countries. Please keep spreading the word, especially to your friends or relatives that live in inimical and/or economically unstable countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Columbia, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, The Philippines, The Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, or any of the “Stans.” Also, consider mentioning this blog to anyone that lives in a severe climate, such as Greenland, Iceland, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, or Tibet. We are actively seeking volunteer foreign correspondents in any of the aforementioned countries.

Reader Poll: Why are You Preparing to Survive?

SF in Hawaii recommended the following topic for a SurvivalBlog reader poll: Those who are well educated enough to see a societal collapse of some sort or another in the making fall into two groups, the merrymakers and the preparers. The merrymakers don’t see life worth living post-SHTF, so they live it up now. We on SurvivalBlog are the preparers and have chosen to survive, but why? Our children? To rebuild civilization? Because the collapse will only be temporary? Because we can and we’re stubborn with a stronger than normal will to survive? Please send your responses (one paragraph or less) via e-mail, and I will post them anonymously.