Odds ‘n Sods:

Just when we thought that things couldn’t get any worse in Zimbabwe, we opened Cathy Buckle’s latest letter. The inflation rate is now at 1,070 percent per annum. Life expectancies are plummeting. Starvation deaths are increasing. Government mismanagement, nepotism, and corruption are rampant. Cathy’s October and November letters are “must reads.” Please pray for the people of Zimbabwe.

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Joe Farah, Editor of WorldNetDaily opines: ‘Jericho’ and ‘Heroes’ TV Series Spark Concern with Civil Defense.

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Our friend Kit, author/editor of the delightful Forever Vain blog suggested the following: “I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned this site on Survivalblog before, but FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute offers lots of courses free of charge to the general public with respect to emergency preparedness and disaster planning. Check it out:”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Great cities, the emblems of Western Civilization, began as a walled defenses against marauding enemies. In a world turned upside-down, they are now our great vulnerability. They are suicidal concentrations of expensive economic, cultural and political assets waiting, exposed, for destruction. The only way to ignore nuclear terrorism will be to “redeploy” preemptively out of the crosshairs. Within years our cities will die – abandoned or incinerated.” – “Flamethrower”, at the FreeRepubliic Forums

Letter Re: 12 VDC Wall Outlets and Power Cord Connections

Jim,
For anyone using 12 VDC in their vehicle or home, you should strongly consider using Anderson Power Poles. Compared to the standard cigarette lighter plug, these are far more reliable and safer. (Cigarette lighter plugs have no uniform rating, and can melt if used for high [current] load applications.)
These connectors come in ratings from 30 Amps (A) to 350 Amps. The 30A size is the de-facto standard for Ham radio operators now, and the larger sizes are what you see used for things like large battery racks in computer rooms and tow truck jumper cables.
They are easy to install, using a soldering iron or special crimp tool, and they last. Additionally, there is no male or female, as the blades are flat and wipe against each other, unlike a regular spade or butt connector.
I have changed out the cords on all of my 12V chargers, inverters, and other devices. You can make an adapter cable with a cigarette lighter on one end in case you do need to plug something in to a car socket.
To make a 12V wall-mount outlet, you can buy a chassis-mount power pole holder, then cut a hole in a regular house wall plate and pop it in. When installed, it looks neat and tidy.
Chassis mount:
http://www.powerwerx.com
Here are some tutorials on using them:
http://home.comcast.net/~buck0/app.htm
Remember to to either fuse your 12 volt circuits or install a breaker panel. A quick way to set up a 12V fuse box is with the Rig Runner. (Westmountainradio – Rig Runner.)
If you install a 12V breaker panel, be sure to check if the breakers are rated for DC. Some breakers do not trip properly if used for DC. You can order DC-rated breakers from most alternative-energy stores if you can’t find out for sure. Good luck! – JN

Four Letters Re: Prowlers and Lighting

James:
The subject of handheld lights is as long as it is wide. Ask 20 people what is best, get 40 answers and recommendations! As with many things, today we live in a great time for flashlight technology. My recommendation is to immerse yourself in www.candlepowerforums.com. Some guys there are truly on the cutting edge of lights.
Some of the modified lights are incredible. Have fun and enjoy a winter’s worth of reading. – Straightblast

 

Jim:
Just enjoying a last respite prior to retiring in my mountaintop isolated home and read the letter on Prowlers and Lighting at SurvivalBlog. Since this is still pre-TEOTWAWKI, I use car headlights [with my retreat DC power system.] I got them for free from a couple of salvage yards. Not just the lights, but the entire fixture. They mount rather nicely to trees and such and can be aimed. ( I might mention that if done right, they don’t draw attention or look tacky). I use military WD-1 [Army field tele]phone wire and the lights seem to function ok even at the distance I’ve strung the wire (surprised me?) I can turn them on selectively or all at once (panic switch). I set them so they backlighted the intruders (The intruders were between me and the lights). Only had to use it once and it turned out to be a neighbor (Boy, was he surprised!) He’d been over a lot and never noticed the lights before. He said it sort of took his breath away when the woods behind him lit up like a football field.
For four legged varmints, I use a surefire whit light and a red laser on the rifle.
For two legged varmints, I use an infrared laser, night vision goggles and a really good flash suppressor.
BTW, the latter works great on coyotes, which should tell you something.
Oh, it was the seismic intrusion detector set that told me somebody or something big was in the woods.

On another note: When you’re doing everything all by yourself, you’re bound to forget something. You might want to remind everybody who is using batteries and inverters that it’s Fall headed into Winter. I checked the water in my batteries and was feeling good about everything being fully charged and ready for winter and then, just happened to wiggle all the battery connection wires. Whew! Only a minor spark on one connection (batteries were on charge) and lo and behold! A loose connection. I was just lucky to have seen it. I took the volt meter and checked each and every battery and sure enough, two were lower than the others. Cleaned the connections, and the batteries started bubbling as they took a charge. The batteries are all series and paralleled in my 24 Volt system using L-16, 6 volt [deep cycle marine] batteries. If I hadn’t caught that, two of my sixteen L-16 batteries probably would have frozen and burst this winter.
Best regards to you and yours. Check Six! – The Army Aviator

 

Jim:
I bought one of the Thor-X lights at Costco last year for about $25. There great and have a high and low setting. High is 10,000.000 [candle power]. It also can be run off a 12 volt car hookup or charged and used off the battery. Great light and rugged. I found the light on this page so you could see a picture. I have seen them at Costco since I got mine but I don’t know if they still carry them
http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/third/thor.htm
As you say there are times for light and many times the night is my best friend, use it to your advantage. – D.M.

 

Hi Jim,
I was reading the inquiry L.K. made regarding spotlights and I thought of the Maxa Beam. Perhaps you’re already familiar with it, but if not it is very powerful and versatile, and can be used covertly with NVD. I haven’t priced them yet, but they do look pricey (no prices listed on their web site). A short video showing the capabilities is can be found here –
http://www.peakbeam.com/video.html
I thought you might be interested in knowing about this product if you weren’t already aware of it. Take care, – Tom

JWR Adds: Beware when using handheld spotlights. They draw a lot of current and can drain a car battery in a hurry. Be sure to leave your engine running if using a spotlight for more than a minute.

Odds ‘n Sods:

At the library today, the kids were immersed in Brian Jacques books. The Memsahib was checking out books on fly fishing and travel. Meanwhile, I picked up the book: “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” by Jared Diamond. The Memsahib commented with a bit of sarcasm: “Oh, so I see that you found some of your usual light and cheery bedside reading.”

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Venezuelan president Chavez distributes free energy efficient light bulbs and promises a “energy revolution” including distributed small power generation for emergencies.

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U.S. police department radio “10 Codes” being phased out.

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T.W. sent this one: Global Hawk UAV to Fly First Mission Over U.S.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." – Thomas Jefferson to A. L. C. Destutt de Tracy, 1820. FE 10:175

Letter Re: Preparedness and Charity

Dear Mr Rawles,
As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, churches and charities are conducting food drives. Besides being a chance for us to act in a charitable manner to the less fortunate, it is also a terrific opportunity to cycle out some of our food stockpiles. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been donating excess wet-pack canned good (with 2007 expiration dates), and replacing them with new, 2008/2009 expiring items. From my way of looking at things, it is a win-win for the recipients and us — the donors; the hungry are fed, and the shelf life of our food reserves are extended. Best Regards, – Jim K.

JWR Replies: I have always placed a strong emphasis on Christian charity. Rotating your food storage is a great opportunity to dispense charity. If the food goes to a charity organization rather than an individual family, be sure to thoroughly vet the organization. Many charities have huge staffs and overhead costs, resulting an less than half of cash ending up in the hands of the needy. Such organizations should be shunned. Also, some food bank organizations are distrustful of donated long term storage canned foods and have been known to discard or destroy them, even if they have clearly marked expiry dates. Ask a few key questions before making a donation! If in doubt, then donate it elsewhere.

Two Letters Re: Another Perspective on Selecting Barter Goods

Mr. Rawles:
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one that thinks having skills in different areas is a great barter tool. I worked for years as a mechanic, in my thirties I changed careers and went into construction as a General Contractor. After about 10 years in construction. I semi-retired and when to school to become a professional farrier. I spent seven years shoeing horses and working metal in a forge. That lead me into custom knife making. My wife & I have been selling handmade and factory knives for the last several years. I have always kept a stock of materials to make knives for along time. We keep a fair number of handmade and factory knives for exactly the reasons of barter. In fact we barter a lot or as we call it trade all the time.
I really enjoy your blog. It has become my daily reading. There is some very good ideas from your readers also. – C. J.

 

Sir:
Having just recently found your [SurvivalBlog] web site, I’d like to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed it so far.
Regarding barter items : there are a few things I’ve not really seen anyone mention (at least in the articles I’ve gone through so far)
1. This may sound silly but – toilet paper. Much like ammo it is fairly easily divisible into small amounts, and lets face it, it’s one of those things that no one really thinks about until they need it. Also it has the advantage of being relatively cheap and long lasting if stored in a dry place. It does have the disadvantage of being bulky but if you have the room to store a large quantity it makes an excellent trade item that can’t be used against you at a later time.
2. Nails and screws. Once again, relatively cheap and easy to store. Easily divisible into small quantities and one of those things that you may not think about until you really need it.
3. Feminine hygiene products (pads and tampons) : Until I got married recently I certainly wouldn’t have thought of it but now its definitely on my list. Also pads have the added advantage of making excellent bandages for wound dressings.
To my way of thinking its the little things like this, the things that make life a little more bearable WTSHTF that may have as much, if not more, value as gold or ammo. – M.B.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Roger sent an article as a reminder to all readers of SurvivalBlog that being prepared is not just for TEOTWAWKI: Vancouverites boil water for 5th day as rain continues

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It looks like the spot prices of silver and gold have recovered solidly from their slump, just as I predicted. I still expect higher prices by the end of this year, and sharply higher prices in another year

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Wanted: Man to land on killer asteroid and gently nudge it from path to Earth

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U.S. housing construction plunges in October. “Housing construction plunged to the lowest level in more than six years in October as the nation’s once-booming housing market slowed further.” I told you so…

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“In a time of drastic change it is the learners who survive; the ‘learned’ find themselves fully equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” – Eric Hoffer

Note From JWR:

We had three nice days of weather in succession here at the Rawles Ranch, giving us a chance to get into town in comfort. The nearest large grocery store is more than 50 miles away. We saw several large flocks of wild turkeys while en route. Even though I try my best to show restraint, I usually end up with two or three times the canned goods that I had planned to buy. (I can’t resist sale prices on staple items, and the “squirrel” in me always wants “a little bit more” to keep on hand for winter.) Invariably the clerks at the cash registers roll their eyes or make comments. This time, when the clerk saw my two nearly full shopping carts, she asked: “Did you leave anything on the shelf?” Maybe its a good thing that I do this sort of shopping more than 50 miles away from home.

Letter Re: Prowlers and Lighting

Jim:
What do you and your readers suggest for someone living in a rural area who needs a good strong light for prowlers? I live on top of a mountain in a cove surrounded by three sides by hills.

On occasion, we have trespassers at night riding the ATV trails along the hills who are out to steal tools, gas, etc. There have been more than a few occasions when I’ve walked out to my car late at night to get something and realized there were people in the trees.

One night I turned my rather anemic Surefire 6P [flashlight] in their direction, and spotted the bottoms of boots or tennis shoes heading up the hillside.

What Id like to have is advice on a good hand-held spotlight that I can use to pick out people in the trees up on the side of the hill late at night. Is this a viable option for an armed person, or should I just try and get a 120 lumens lamp for one of my Surefires?

Do rural folks maintain any light equipped firearms for nighttime problems with prowlers, or even predators after their livestock? Thanks, – L.K.

JWR Replies: To properly answer your questions, I need to do so to address two disparate circumstances, pre-TEOTWAWKI and post-TEOTWAWKI, which in many ways necessitate mutually exclusive security preparations. I once had a consulting client tell me that he was planning to purchase a big 10 KW propane generator for his isolated retreat, so that he could power numerous vapor lamps around his house, if and when the Schumer hits the fan. It took a while to convince him that he needed to think about some alternatives, to match both his locale and the severity/circumstances of potential Schumeresque situations. Let me explain:

Pre-TEOTWAWKI: Under present circumstances, security lighting is a benefit. You will have law enforcement available to call. Prowlers aren’t likely to shoot at you. For pre-TEOTWAWKI, it is best to think in terms of active defenses, such as vapor lights, 1,000,000 candlepower 12 VDC handheld spotlights (such as those sold by US Cavalry Store and JCWhitney.com), full spectrum trip flares, noisy dogs, peafowl, and noisy electronic alarm systems.

Post-TEOTWAWKI: At some future date, security lighting could be a potential hazard. If and when the power grid goes down, the few families that have alternative energy will be very noticeable, especially as time goes on and stored fuel for generators begins to run out. After that juncture, the few folks with alternative energy (wind, solar, microhydro, etc.) will be very noticeable unless they are careful. The consensus among looters may very well be: :”If the have the money to make their own electricity, then they have things worth stealing.” You do not want to present a “come loot me” beacon at night! In fact, it will be best to make blackout covers for all of your windows that can be installed from inside the house. These can be fabricated from scrap cardboard. Check carefully for light leaks.

Some other differences, post-TEOTWAWKI: You will have no law enforcement available to call. Prowlers will be likely to shoot at you. For post-TEOTWAWKI, it is best to think in terms of passive defenses, such as starlight scopes, infrared chemical light stick trip flares, quiet (but alert) dogs, tanglefoot wire, concertina wire, and silent alarm systems. (See the Profile for Mr. Tango for some ideas on infrared floodlights that can be used in conjunction with night vision equipment.)

Regarding your question about mounted lights: With the exception of infrared illuminators, I generally discourage mounting lights on guns intended for use post-TEOTWAWKI. If left turned on for more than just an instant before shooting, a visible light mounted on a gun can turn you into a natural target. If you feel the need for illuminating targets for post-TEOTWAWKI security, then I’d recommend that you be the armed man hidden in the shadows that remotely turns on a floodlight.(As opposed to being the man holding the light–or holding the gun with an attached light–who in effect announces: “Here I am!”

Letter Re: MURS Radios, Dakota Alerts, and PIR Sensors

Jim,
I for one I’m very happy that your novel “Patriots” back in print. For a long time I gave this book away to friends who I thought might like it, and to some whom I wanted to “feel out” as to whether they thought preparedness was a good idea. I had to stop this of course when your book went out of print, and the cost went skyward. Now I can stock up again.

Also I wanted to thank you for turning me on to MURS Radios. I just made an order with Rob, and will be making another order soon. I also gave Kenwood Radio a call and spoke with their technical department regarding the AA Alkaline Battery Pack for the TK-2100. I wanted to know if my NiMH batteries would work, considering they only put out 1.2 volts each, as compared to the 1.5 of the alkalines. The short answer was yes. – Though range may be decreased a little. The specs say the radios will work just fine with + or – 20 percent of the rated voltage. And since with 6 AAs the [nominal] voltage is 9 volts. That means that 6 AA NiMHs at 1.2 volts each would [collectively] put out 7.2 volts. And this is within spec.

I thought I would also add my two cents about the Dakota Alert system. Though I have not yet received my unit, I would like to address passive infrared (PIR) detectors in general. At one time I was the station supervisor for a UL alarm company, and one of my jobs was to try and limit false and no alarms. The short and sweet of it is that PIR detectors work by “seeing” a change in temperature.
And for them to work best, their sensing beam (it’s not really a beam, but just where it “looks) must terminate on an object within its advertised working distance. That means if it is supposed to cover 80 feet, it should be looking at something within that distance…not just air. When these units have no solid reference, this is when the trouble starts. They may not go into alarm, or they may false alarm, literally at the drop of a hat…or the blowing of a breeze. So when it comes to the Dakota Alert, or PIRs in general, make sure the “beam” is hitting a solid object. Even the ground
would be just fine.

I also now have the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course on my radar screen, and will be getting it real soon. You take care now, – R.E.M.

 

Letter Re: Herbal Medications and Remedies

Dear Jim:
I read ‘The Gray Nineties‘ [an early draft edition of the novel “Patriots”] back when it was shareware, and did some gun accessory business with you back then. [In the early to mid-1990s.] I finally got around to perusing SurvivalBlog.

One of the old posts includes a plea for ‘hard data’ on effectiveness of herbal medicines. My wife used to work for a ‘neutriceuticals’ company, doing literature reviews, and as an M.D. I have some exposure to the literature as well (though not as much as I should — I keep wasting time reading things that might have an effect on reducing my need for my own services). What I have observed is that there is not much out there in the way of good research on herbal preparations. What little there is shows mostly negative or equivocal results (which makes it hard to get published). What little halfway decent research my wife found back in the late 1990s was mostly out of Germany, but most of it was pretty disappointing.
I guess the bottom line is that under austere conditions (WTSHTF), it doesn’t look like mother nature is going to provide us with the equivalent of our modern pharmacy. In a long term collapse, preventative medicine, simple surgery, orthopedics, midwifery/obstetrics will be left. Life spans will be shorter. You won’t be able to prolong your death by a month with a $250,000 ICU stay if the technology isn’t there. – Simple Country Doctor