Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“So what’s the difference between republican and democratic forms of government? John Adams captured the essence of the difference when he said, ‘You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe.’ Nothing in our Constitution suggests that government is a grantor of rights. Instead, government is a protector of rights.” – Dr. Walter Williams

Note From JWR:

The high bid is still at $260 in the current SurvivalBlog benefit auction, This one is for a big batch of 16 survival/preparedness reference books, courtesy of the fine folks at Ready Made Resources. (They are one of our first and most loyal advertisers. Be sure to visit their site and check out their huge inventory of preparedness-related products. BTW, they have additional copies of each of the titles listed below, as well as more than a hundred other titles.) The auction ends on January 15th, so get your bid in soon.

Letter Re: Tritium Night Sights for Rifles

Mr Rawles:
Given that it is illegal anywhere that I know to hunt at night, and extremely inadvisable to hunt in low-light conditions – what in the heck are they making night sights for that fit hunting guns? It does seem okay to make them to fit on a rail – as backup, but for a typical battle-outfitted rifle with an ACOG or EOTech you can’t use those sights, they would be obstructed by the base. And if you’re going to put backup iron/night sights on a hunting rifle – would the money be better spent on a scope with an illuminated reticle? I may be barking up the wrong tree, but could someone correct my logic if I’m wrong in believing that XO has produced a product that is nearly illegal to use, with a limited market? – Jim H. in Colorado

JWR Replies: “Self defense” is a legitimate use to cite as justification for installing night sights. Also, in most states, hunting some species of predators and varmints–most notable raccoons is done almost exclusively at night, and allowable under fish and game regulations.(See you state’s “hound hunting” regulations.) I haven’t heard of these sights being illegal in any state, but pleas correct me if I’m wrong. I highly recommend getting tritium sights on all of your battle rifles, as a backup to a tritium lit scope, such as an ACOG. Ditto for you hunting rifles if you can afford to do so.

Letter Re: Advice on Retreat Locales–Former Microwave Sites?

Jim:
I finally got a gallery for pictures to the microwave relay bunker that I mentioned near Whitehall, Montana. . Most of them are self-explanatory but there may be some captioning later. Note that even the outhouse was galvanized and grounded. Mil-Spec!
I culled through the photos and left mostly the ones that I thought showed the most interesting features – the high ceilings, thick walls, armored shutters,grounding wires, blueprints, commanding view, and of course the tower itself. I also checked my notes and saw that the internal area was approximately 1600’…or about 40’x40′. For those wondering how such a place was found, someone emailed me a link to an auction on eBay. Turns out that once in a while these things and similarly useful facilities turn up there. Throw some interesting terms into the eBay’s search function, limit your results to the real estate section and you may be surprised. The asking price, by the way, was $90,000…a very, very optimistic amount in my opinion for what was being offered. If it had water on it, it might have been worth it but since it didn’t. OBTW, there are sometimes underground bunkers offered on eBay. They are out there if you know where to look.
Underground bunker on eBay. They are out there if you know where to look. – Commander Zero

Two Letters Re: Sno-Seal for Boots and Gaiters

Mr. Rawles,
In response to the recent article on Sno-Seal. I have owned several pair of the upper end work boots ( Nicks mostly now, used to wear Whites and even Danners ). I tend to use them a lot through a normal work week and go through a pair about every year and a half (not due to poor workmanship..just rugged work conditions ). Therefore I treat my boots with a lot of love since they cost $350+. I had a gentlemen at a boot store recommend to never use sno-seal, as he claimed it clogs the pores in the leather making it harder to condition the leather. My boot regime is simply this, Pre-warm the boots, apply Obernaufs or Nicks boot wax. Chuck her in the oven on low until it soaks in. Then I use a toilet bowl ring (a cheap source of beeswax) that has been softened and smear it on good. Later in reapplying I tend to reapply the obernaufs as a conditioner and then re-wax. I once had a pair that I just waxed and dried the leather enough to crack it. Also a neat trick I picked up from the folks at Nick’s boots is when you have a new pair of boots and are breaking them in: Carry a spritz bottle of 1/2 rubbing alcohol and 1/2 water. Any tight spots or rub points spray some on that spot, rub it in and walk around. It instantly relaxes the leather. Also people in wooded areas should look into calked (spiked) boots. Better any day of the week than Vibram soles, except on rocks and wet snow. Peace and Grace to you from God our Father, – Eric B. in the Northwest

 

Jim:
I melt Sno-Seal into the seams and hard to get spots by using a hairdryer, with good results. – Desert T

Letter Re: Pirate Radio Stations as a Post-TEOTWAWKI News Source?

Jim,
Alternative news during a crisis could potentially come from unusual sources. There is thriving shortwave “pirate radio” activity in the 6.925-6.955 MHz range even during “normal” times. During weekends and especially on holidays, you can hear many pirate radio broadcasts during the late afternoons and evening. Alternative and sometime simply odd programming abound here. If a crisis occurs, this may be a good source of information as there are quite a few pirate broadcasters located all across the US. (In the UK, the pirates tend to broadcast around 6.200-6.400 MHz.) Some pirates broadcast in upper side band (USB) mode, while others broadcast in AM mode. There is even one that even sends out photos via slow scan television (SSTV)!
More information can be obtained from the Free Radio Network’s message board and on BlackCat Systems Pirate Radio Central Owners of shortwave receivers should check out this part of the spectrum to see what they can hear. – 6xddx6

Note From JWR:

Even though there are more than 12,000 people that read SurvivalBlog every week, just handful of you chime in with your letters or suggested Odds n’ Sods tidbits, via e-mail. I suspect that most of you choose to “lurk” because contacting a fairly controversial blog directly would be a security risk. That isn’t “tin foil hat” paranoia. Rather, that is just a prudent precaution in our modern age. One great way to contact us is through an Anonymous Remailer. We’d love to hear from some of you Secret Squirrels. Drop us a line–anonymously.

Letter Re: Is the Threat of a Yellowstone Supervolcano Significant?

Hello, Jim!
I have been following your blog and every time the subject comes up on retreats in the [U.S.] Northwest, I have the same question. What about the volcano threat from Yellowstone National Park? Would you please comment on this. Thanks, – GCP

JWR Replies: Part of what you are reading in the mainstream media may be sensationalist hype, but there is definitely a long term risk. (An eruption sometime in the next 10,000 years.) The imponderable question is: Is there as significant risk in the short term? Clearly, none of the “experts” really know for certain. Yes, there are signs of increased volcanic activity at Yellowstone, but that could be a short term fluctuation. And yes, Yellowstone blew up at least once before–several thousand years ago–and when it did, it blanketed much of the eastern two-thirds of the North American continent under volcanic ash that was several meters deep, even as far as the east coast. The worst hit area was a swath that extended from Yellowstone through the Great Lakes, to New England, following the prevailing winds. Meanwhile, areas that were upwind (west of Yellowstone) were relatively unscathed.

Even though it was a couple of orders of magnitudes smaller, the eruption of Mount St. Helens more than two decades ago is a good data point. In essence, the lesson learned from St. Helens is: Upwind good, and downwind bad. If you are concerned about Yellowstone erupting anytime in the next couple of generations, then avoid living in the downwind path. Land anywhere at least 100 miles west of Yellowstone should be relatively safe. My personal risk assessment places a new Yellowstone caldera as a very, very low risk within my lifetime, but if it were to happen it would be truly catastrophic. (A classic “low probability, high risk scenario–much like a major asteroid strike or the “sudden pole shift” that alarmists on the Coast to Coast AM radio show talk about.) But, even still, we live west of the Rockies. Yellowstone is just one less risk that we have to worry about.

Letter Re: Advice on Underground Retreat Construction

James:
I agree with you Jim; your own home is not a first time DIY project, but. I would also refer Buddy to the $50 and Up Underground House Book. I have the book, and the author’s DVD/Video set. The book covers the construction method pretty well, and the DVD/Video, while not studio quality, is clear, has lots of models to illustrate his points. If I was going to build an underground home myself, this is the route I would take. Also, even though I have a significant amount of experience with construction, I would still spend at least a few weeks in an intern program, before undertaking such a project. Sincerely, – Fanderal

Letter Re: New Production of Steyr AUG Bullpup Rifles in the U.S.?

Jim,
I’d first heard of this product somewhat less than a year ago. Well, if the U.S. production ever starts up (rumor indicated that, because Steyr had supposedly sold some ‘things’ to Iran, that our President had decided the AUG would not be produced in this country), it’ll be a long time coming. Also, all those AUGs on Gunbroker.com selling for $4,000-$7,000 will take a steep nosedive; persistent rumor is saying the U.S.-made MSRP is expected to be around $1,300. (Even “under $2,000” will be a bargain). 🙂 Ben

Letter Re: Easy to Carry Fixed Blade Knives

Mr. R.:
I read OSOM’s letter on fixed versus folder knives and I agree. I’d encourage folks to go take a look at the HideAway Knives. These are semi-custom made: You measure the circumference around your index and ring finger combined, and the knife is finished to that dimension. The resulting knife is a two-finger custom loop with a 2-inch (or longer) blade attached. They are incredibly fast into action, razor-sharp, and you can open the hand up and continue to operate lights, doors, keys, magazines, etc without losing the knife. It stays in place, out of the way and instantly available again when you close the hand. It is a great design. The carry systems for it are just as innovative. It can be rigged anywhere on the person or outfit
They are more expensive than the Ka-Bar TDI, but definitely worth a look. One comment posted at the HAK site accurately describes the user as a “human velociraptor.” The knife comes with a standard Kydex sheath, and a Band-Aid for the inevitable cut one incurs before appreciating just how keen the edge and point are. – Murray

Odds ‘n Sods:

Economist Gary North commented in a recent e-newsletter about “inflation fighter” Alan Greenspan’s legacy: “Using the inflation calculator, located on the home page of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, we find that in 1997, an item that had cost $1,000 in 1987 [when Greenspan took office] cost $1,412 — a 40% increase in prices.”

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Tessy e-mailed us to mention: “One of the greatest and most valuable treasures in my survival library is the book written by the cadre of the United States Rescue and Special Operations Group based in Kansas City: “Six Ways in, Twelve Ways Out.” Their web site was a great resource for survival information. but for the last six months, the site has been down for some reason. I checked by clicking on my Favorites link tonight and wow! The USRSOG site is back up and looks great. Lots of great info even if you don’t buy the book about building shelters and other neat stuff. Look for the manual link on the right.”

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Rourke (moderator of the Jericho Discussion Group) pointed us to this thread: The Day After versus Jericho.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Does history warrant the conclusion that religion is necessary to morality — that a natural ethic is too weak to withstand the savagery that lurks under civilization and emerges in our dreams, crimes and wars? There is no significant example in history, before our time, of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion." – Will and Ariel Durant

Note From JWR:

I’ve received more than 10 e-mails from SurvivalBlog readers in the past 24 hours about the news story that ran in The Times of London headlined: “Revealed: Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran.” (It was featured in The Drudge Report.) I’m checking on the veracity of the article, but it seems incredible to me.