Odds ‘n Sods:

Sid mentioned the Space Weather web site, which had been mentioned at least once before in SurvivalBlog. This site has great information on close-call asteroids, solar flare predictions, and so forth.

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Rookie found a link to an interesting story about firearms ownership in Switzerland: An Armory in Gun-Shy Europe. Rookie’s comment: “It’s good to know that in at least one country it’s considered normal to keep a high power defensive rifle in your closet. And that the government gives it to you for free, for life! Of course, it’s no surprise that the Washington Post spun the story to make it sound like the Swiss want to get rid of them.”

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Reader Alfie Omega recommend the Backwoods Home Magazine e-newsletter. I’ve been a fan of Dave Duffy’s writings ever since the first year that Backwoods Home was published. It is a great magazine, well worth a subscription.

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Aaron mentioned an article from MIT‘s Technology Review, with more on the U.S. Army’s “Tactical Biorefinery”, which was mentioned once before in SurvivalBlog.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The greatest threat facing America today is not terrorism, or foreign economic competition, or illegal immigration. The greatest threat facing America today is the disastrous fiscal policies of our own government, marked by shameless deficit spending and Federal Reserve currency devaluation. It is this one-two punch – Congress spending more than it can tax or borrow, and the Fed printing money to make up the difference – that threatens to impoverish us by further destroying the value of our dollars.” Congressman Ron Paul

Four Letters Re: Storing Oil and Lubricants for TEOTWAWKI

Jim:
I run synthetic motor oils in all of my vehicles, it’s barely any more expensive any more and it reduces engine wear, especially on tight-tolerance Japanese motors. Mobil (for example) recommends a
5-year shelf life for unopened quarts, but I wonder if any of your readers have any more info on whether this is CYA on Mobil’s part or, failing that, a lead on long-shelf-life synthetics?
Also, speaking of oil, if you’re looking for very high mileage on diesel trucks (and I know we all are), bypass oil filters are the holy grail. A quick explanation, they’re very fine particulate filters that
are way too low-flow to be a normal oil filter, so the oil lines pass them by. Most of the oil for running the engine goes right past it, but a little bit goes through and gets filtered out back to
almost-new. This will eventually clean the entire circulating oil supply. OBTW, SurvivalBlog readers will find lots of oil info here. – PH

 

Dear Jim,
While facilities sometimes dictate needs, I’d be very leery of storing propellant, caps and explosives in the same building as flammable liquids. It’s not just the decay of the explosives if exposed to vapor, it’s the massive amount of fuel for a fire or vapor explosion if the explosive detonates.
My explosive experience isn’t huge, but I have done some for the military and I’m aware of their storage requirements. A container of primers, propellant or caps will probably make a loud bang or series of them, with some damage and possible fragmentation. But if stored near a fuel that can vaporize and disperse, the risk of an impromptu FAE with a large overpressure wave is certainly much higher.
I recall a worker from an ammunition factory noting that the primer line was kept well-separated, so that “When, not if” it popped, the damage would be minimized.
At the very least, I’d consider a solid wall of sandbags with a vapor seal between the two types. – Mike

 

James:
I suggest that you add to your list chain lube for the chain saw, as well as bearing grease. Thanx for all you work. God bless y’all – Monty

 

Jim:
It is very likely the use of non-detergent motor oil will cause very early engine failure in modern high tech equipment.! Read the code on the top of the can (bottle). These ARE important and will save you a lot of trouble. It is OK to use a higher rated oil in a less demanding service. I would like to learn the source of the info about detergent oil going bad early. This is truly bad info that will cause grief. Take Care PS Do some research….the auto and oil companies are not your enemies here. Regards – Don C.

JWR Replies: From what I have read in manufacturer bulletins and web sites, detergent motor oil has a roughly three year shelf life. I recommend using detergent motor oil on a day-to-day basis, but storing a couple of cases of non-detergent motor oil, just in case of TEOTWAWKI. Yes, detergent motor oil does foster longer engine life, but is nice to know that there is still one sort of motor oil with an essentially indefinite shelf life. (The only limiting factor that I can foresee is UV degradation of the containers, and keeping your stored cases of oil in a dark place should prevent that.

Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Gardening Skills, Seeds, and Crop Mixes

Mr. Rawles:

I’d like your advice on gardening. What skills should I concentrate on, pre-Crunch? What crops should I plant to be ready for a major Crunch? (If it makes any difference, I live in the Midwest.) What is the best source of seeds? Thank you, – T.D.W.

JWR Replies: I recommend concentrating on organic gardening and composting. (This is in anticipation of a long term scenario where commercial chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not available.) Learn seed gathering and saving.

Concentrate on vegetable crops that grow well in your climate zone. Practice using all–or nearly all–non-hybrid (“heirloom”) annual seed varieties. These will “breed true” and continue to produce well, year after year, from your saved seed. (Hybrids won’t!) As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, I highly recommend the heirloom seed variety packs sold by The Ark Institute, in Bandon, Oregon. Practice using those seeds this gardening season to see which varieties do well in your microclimate, and again, practice saving seed for future crops. (The book “Seed to Seed” describes how to do this for many types of vegetables and grain crops.)

Odds ‘n Sods:

“The Wrench Spinner” sent us the link to a British government web site from “The Respect Task Force”. Mike’s comment: “How Orwellian can we get.?” My comment: The Brits are incredibly naive to think that their bureaucratic system of ASBOs will keep the yobs in check. Law and order is clearly breaking down n England. Disarming the citizenry, and making self defense a crime has been wholly counterproductive.

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Michael Z. Williamson pointed us to this “report card” web page from The Brady Bunch on state firearms laws. Note that California and New Jersey both have “A-” ratings, while Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming all got “F” ratings. They may not have intended it, but these state report cards are a useful tool in deciding on retreat locales. Hint: If you love your liberty, move to a state ranked “D” or “F” by the gun grabbers. Mike’s comment: “Indiana is only a D. I’ll have to work on that. We asked if they will correlate crime as well, but I suspect they won’t.”

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This news story was highlighted by Aljazeera: Venezuela exits IMF and World Bank. Both the news itself and who featured it, are noteworthy. Meanwhile: Venezuela takes operations from big oil companies. Moves like that don’t go un-noticed in the international community. Look for an economic and/or military showdown with Venezuela in the near future.

Notes from JWR:

Because of a recent influx of book orders, I am TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK of copies of my novel “Patriots.” Another 250 copies are due to arrive in mid-May. Please don’t send me any orders for autographed copies until you see my catalog web page updated to show that the book is back in stock. Thanks!

Today we present another article for Round 10 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I might again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. If you want a chance to win the contest, start writing and e-mail us your article for Round 10, which ends May 30th. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Mountain Bikes as Survival Utility Vehicles for TEOTWAWKI, by Anetprophet

A quick look back at developing nations during recent/modern history will be adequate to put the bicycle in a top priority as a must have post-TEOTWAWKI asset. This simple, self-powered, mode of transportation has been a common stepping stone of all culture’s, building and development, as I believe we will experience “after a collapse” of our current society. In Asia, for example, bikes are used as taxis, trucking, and commuters every day, by a majority of the population.
Why:
Before I moved to our retreat over a year ago, I practiced martial arts for my fitness. After moving to the semi-hinterboonies, and the nearest dojo is a serious drive away, I reluctantly had to give up my regular classes. I looked around for a replacement activity and could not find anything that filled the void. I noticed one of my employees would come to work with a mountain bike in the bed of his truck several days a week. He told me that he went for trail rides after work. He brought in a stack of back issues of Mountain Bike magazines and let my interest germinate. I had a basic, entry-level, Trek brand bike in one of my sheds and after reading a few back issues, I dusted my unused bike off and asked him to take me along on a ride. That was it, and I was hooked. Across the canyon from my house there is national forest for miles and miles. This has hundreds of miles of trails and fire break roads that are perfect for mountain biking. I can travel on my bike using these trails and get to five neighboring towns, in all directions, in less than an hour. And, I can do so, on quiet and beautiful back-wood trails. Remember when you were a kid and all you had was your bike. I grew up in rural Kansas and I knew the 20 to 30 miles around our farm in a way that the adults did not. You experience the territory differently from a bike than you do in a car. This knowledge and perspective on your surrounding area could be very valuable WTSHTF. With most retreats being secluded and rural, even animal trails can be transformed in to “bike highways” to transport your surplus garden vegetables to barter.
What:
The Humvee version of this simple mode of transport is available to us now as “the full suspension mountain bike”. This is not one of those Wal-Mart, $100, so-called mountain bikes, but a real, good quality, piece of machinery that can go almost anywhere and can go places where other post-WTSHTF vehicles cannot. They have front and rear shocks, disc brakes, and 8-9 speeds.
Most good bike shops have demo bikes from the manufacturers that are meant to be ridden by potential buyers.
Try some out and find one that fits you and that is comfortable. Don’t be intimidated and take a lot of demos out before you buy. That is what they are for!
WHY? – Value Proposition:
A good bike will cost you. They start around $500 and go up to several thousand. I know this sounds like a lot for a bike but these are specialized pieces of machinery that can take you where only goats can run. Many people with a survival mind set will think nothing of dropping $1500 on a great rifle, and that much again or more, on a good stock of ammo and spare parts. Mountain bikes don’t need fuel storage, parts are cheap and easy to store, you will stay in great shape, they can go places that other vehicles cannot, they don’t eat hay, the view from a bike on the trail is great, the view from a bike on the top of a mountain you just climbed is priceless, you get to know the territory from the saddle of a bike, (like you did when you were a kid) plus, they are EMP proof! Bikes have a history, in developing nations, as a basic and first step in personal transportation. Take a look at Asia. Could billions of bike riding people be wrong?! Of course, bikes won’t plow your field for you, but that is why I have draft horses.

Some brands: (check out their web sites)
Ellsworth
Turner
Specialized
Santa Cruz
Giant
Kona
I have a Turner “5 Spot” bike. I like that they are built by hand here in the US and they have awesome customer support and customer satisfaction. Many of the high end bikes are built in Asia. Nothing inherently wrong with these bikes, and in some cases, but not most, they can be less expensive, but why not support the bike makers here in the US?!
Accessories:
Helmet – Get a good one, or two, believe me, you will fall off sometimes and your head is worth it!
Hydration = Camelback (you can use this all the time, as noted elsewhere on SurvivalBlog)
Riding shorts – These have padding built-in where you need it, and make long rides on the trail, much more comfortable
Jerseys – They are made of high tech materials that keep you warm or cool and wick away moisture. You will sweat climbing a 2500 foot uphill fire break and the right clothes make a huge difference.
Shoes – There are many types of mountain bike specific shoes. There are some with clips (that connect to the pedals) and some without.
Extra tubes – You will get flats on the trail, buy lots and lots of tubes. Or you can convert your tires to tubeless.
Tires – Kenda and Maxxis are two great brands; like tubes, buy spares.
Tool kit – Specifically for bikes. Includes tire changing tools, chain breaker, multi-tool with allen wrenches and screwdrivers, patches, air adaptors, etc… carry this in your camelback.
A couple of hand pumps – A large one for home and a small one for in your camelback on the trail.
Extra parts – Forks, shocks, brake pads, derailers, chains, shifters, cables, pedals, etc…
Sunglasses – Buy the ones made for bicycling. They have light sensitive lenses and are designed to not fog from your sweat.
If you are, as recommended by Jim Rawles, living at your retreat, planting your garden, pruning your orchard, tending your herd, and holding the high-ground, then just outside of your back door is where. You should be able to find trails all around your property and beyond. If you still live in the city, you too, can find trails nearby. Check the forums on the www.MTBR.com site for trails near you.

Recommendation and resources
Mountain Bike Action Magazine. There is an online version of this print-based magazine
(their reader’s average age is 30 something)
Mountain Bike Review (forums) great for FAQs and tons of opinions and information from around the world.
Get a mountain bike, get out there, and ride! – Anetprophet

Letter Re: Judging Soil Quality When Selecting a Retreat Property

Hi James,
I am a Ten Cent Challenge subscriber and an agricultural appraiser. Just thought I’d let you know that most areas of the US have been mapped and you can find your soil USDA classification on the web site. It takes some navigating through the site to find your soil characteristics, but most of the detail is there. Look for the Storie rating if available in your area, which will classify your soil type by its crop productivity, i.e., excellent, good, fair, et cetera. Will also tell you how many bushels of corn, alfalfa, etc, the soil can produce per acre if irrigated or un-irrigated. I really enjoy your site and keep up the good work. Best Regards, – Mike P.

Letter Re: Great Results with MURS Band Handheld Transceivers

Sir:
I got two MURS radios from Rob [at $49 MURS Radios] and I am very pleased with these radios. They are in great shape and even though I live in the mountains of Western NC they have an excellent range, five times more than the GRMS radios that I have. Rob was excellent to deal with and answered all my questions. I would encourage anyone who is looking for short range communications s to consider Rob and the MURS radios. I will be trying the radios later on at my In-laws home because they live in the piedmont region and the radios should have even more range. – Randy in Asheville, North Carolina

Note from JWR:

I’ve caught up on my writing workload, so I have resumed sales through my Mail Order Catalog. (Which had been on hiatus for nearly a month) Note that I have added a number of new items to including the following full-capacity magazines, in limited quantities: Original Belgian FN-FAL, original CETME, original Imperial Defence SA-80 (AR-15) steel 30 round, original USGI contract M16 (AR-15) 30 round, original HK 91 / G3 alloy 20 rounders as well as HK 93 / 33 / 53–in the scarce 40 round “The Thing” capacity, original Beretta M9/M92, and Sterling 9mm SMG.

Letter Re: Be Prepared to Perform Tooth Extractions

Hi Jim,
A late night espresso kept me from sleeping, so I dove into some analysis of my dental office [records] for 2006. I practice in northern Idaho, so you know the population base I serve. My numbers surprised me. On average, I pull four teeth per day, perform three root canals per day, and fill 11 teeth per day, four days per week.
So in my office I treated about 1,350 people in varying degrees of pain in 2006. Those cavities I filled if left untreated would eventually cause mild to severe pain. Combine those numbers with all the other offices in the area, and the odds are at best that any person has a 12% chance of being inconvenienced with dental problems. Perhaps painfully inconvenienced.
People take their teeth for granted. It drives me crazy. Imagine your post-civilization lifestyle: try doing hard physical labor sunup/sundown with severe pulpitis. Try staying focused while standing guard when you are so swollen you look like elephant man. Try to shoot straight when the rifle recoil smashes into that rotten molar. Try getting your sweetie to kiss you when your mouth smells like jungle rot.

Now I haven’t read the book :”Where There Is No Dentist“, but it would probably be a good thing to have on one’s bookshelf. Laying on top of that book should be a #304 elevator, a 150 forcep, and 151 forcep. [Available from Zoll Dental and other Internet dental instrument suppliers.] I’ve pulled thousands of teeth with just these three instruments. Remember: elevate first and foremost! Get that tooth rocking, don’t force it or it will just snap and then the novice oral surgeon is probably SOL (the patient even more so). Check YouTube and the web, there might be some close-up videos of extractions. Get the instruments from eBay.
As I told an acquaintance: Research it now, or you’ll wish you had, later. Otherwise, you might be walking bare-a**ed and buck naked up my hill with nothing but a basket of eggs to hide your junk. That way I know you mean well and intend on bartering for my services. Alright, Alright, I’ll let folks wear boots and skivvies.
One other thing. I know your opinion on fluoride is negative. But as I treat people from all over the world, I can tell you from experience that fluoridated teeth are harder and much more resistant to tooth decay that non-fluoridated. I would have you consider this: post-civilization human life expectancy is going to drop. Violence and effects from malnutrition will be the primary killers, I imagine. Lets say you are right and everything you believe about fluoride is true–something else is going to kill you long before the effects from that element. I’d keep some on hand. Just my most humble two cents (copper) worth. Regards, – J.

Letter Re: Safety of Storing Ammunition in a Gun Vault

Jim,
Sorry if you’ve covered this topic before. First off, I’d like to thank you for the information on your blog. I bought a gun safe yesterday, and thanks to Bruce H.’s question a few weeks ago about the effects of an EMP on a safe’s electronic lock, I didn’t make the mistake of buying one with such a lock. (I’m close to Nellis AFB and somewhat close to the Nevada [nuclear] test site)
After I got done putting in my guns, family heirlooms, coin collection, etc., I put 500 rounds of .223 in the safe, too. I figured that if there was a break-in, flood, fire, or whatever, I’d still have some ammo to roll with. After I closed the rather large, armor plated door, I thought, “Now let’s see a burglar or inferno try and take our stuff away from us!”
Then the thought occurred to me: “What if it’s not the fire that destroys our stuff? What if it’s the 500 rounds inside that destroys our stuff after they cook off in there?” The manufacturer claims that the safe will withstand 1,275 degrees F for 90 minutes and writes about the safe, “Designed to maintain an interior temperature of less than 350 degrees.”
My question is this – Will ammo inside a safe at or near 350 degrees F cook off inside there? Thanks, Bill in Las Vegas


JWR Replies: Ammunition inside a vault will not “cook off” until temperatures reach very high levels–by that time your house will doubtless be totally engulfed in flames. And even then most ammunition is far less of a hazard than the house fire itself. (They essentially pop like firecrackers–their projectiles have very little velocity.)