Notes From JWR:

To generate some cash for an upcoming major purchase, I have reduced the prices on many of the guns, gun accessories, and books in my mail order catalog. Please take a look.

The bidding is now up to $155 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a fully tested and recently professionally calibrated U.S. government surplus Civil Defense CD V-717 fallout survey meter with remote sensing capability. The meter was donated by Ready Made Resources (one of our first and most loyal advertisers). This auction ends on October 15th. Please submit your bid via e-mail.

Letter Re: Advice on Storage Foods Not Requiring Cooking







Dear James,
My wife and I work long hours and hardly ever cook. We would like to store food but don’t want to rely on anything that has to be cooked. Any suggestions? Thank you, – M.P., Fort Lauderdale, Florida

JWR Replies: Although their per ounce/per calorie cost is higher, there are a couple of approaches that I can suggest for your situation: retort packaged cooked entrees (including U.S. military”Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) entrees, and freeze dried Mountain House entrees. Neither require cooking. The retort packaged entrees are “heat and eat.”, while the freeze dried entrees are “just add water, heat and eat.” For general guidance on the various methods of long term food packaging and their respective storage lives, see the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. Several of our advertisers sell retort packaged and freeze dried storage foods. To help support SurvivalBlog, please visit the web sites for the following food storage vendors, first. When you contact them, please mention the blog. Thanks!
 Survival Enterprises
Freeze Dry Guy
JRH Enterprises
Ready Made Resources
 Safe Castle
PrepareTV
Civil Defense Supplies
Best Prices Inc. Storable Foods of Texas
Nitro-Pak

Letter Re: Swords and Bows for that Dreaded Multigenerational Scenario

Dear Jim,
I agree there are crossbow-type weapons that are very powerful. However, 1,200 lbs draw weight is not a typical crossbow. That is a later period steel-proded piece, and were typically used with a pavise (portable shield), two assistants and infantry in support. A good many were dolly mounted. Payne-Gallwey’s book was written in 1886, when it was still believed that a longbow was at most 70 lbs of draw, and that the stories from the Hundred Years War were exaggerated. We have since found archaeological evidence that supports the longbow. (Not to mention all the dead crossbowmen at the Battle of Crecy.) Also keep in mind that these heavy crossbows weighed a lot more than the 2-3 lbs of a longbow, and required external mechanisms–cranequin or windlass–to be attached and detached between every shot. There were specific needs for those weapons, but it’s not something the typical survivalist should worry about. The larger arbalests shot what amounted to short, heavy javelins that certainly had better range than any tactically employed bow, but the rate of fire was greatly reduced.
The main consideration for power is that there is a limit to the velocity one can accelerate an arrow to. All things being equal, the longbow’s greater draw length allows more arrow mass that retains velocity better. A 700 lb crossbow accelerates its bolt to about the same 130 fps an 80 lb longbow does…and a recurve is much more efficient than most longbows. The heartwood/sapwood Welsh bow is the textbook “longbow” in this discussion. There are definitely crossbows that have better range than most normal longbows. But when the subject is hand-spanned bows without external cocking aids, the longbow or recurve is far superior in range. In both cases, modern materials provide superior results–fiberglass crossbows achieve better range and velocity with a lower draw weight because of reduced internal friction, lighter string mass and better acceleration of the prod under tension.
The crossbow has several advantages I mentioned but didn’t detail at length. If the first shot counts (and a crossbow is easier to aim), all is well and good. But the longbow archer will get off multiple shots in return before the crossbow is ready again. Both have their place. For defense inside the house or other close quarters, I’d certainly go with a crossbow, as it is easier to wield within the confines, and one can have a shot ready for an intruder at one’s moment of choice. Against multiple opponents at range, however, the longbow (or recurve) comes into its own. Also consider that a crossbow string gets more friction from the stock and release mechanism and will wear out faster.
The re-enactor groups also have plans for both tension and torsion driven engines, as well as for counterweight types (Trebuchets) which can hurl spear-sized projectiles several hundred yards. I haven’t built one, but they are typically constructed of standard 2 x 4s and 2 x 6s, often with pick handles as the arms. These are certainly viable point defense weapons to conserve firearm ammunition, though they are bulky.- Michael Z. Williamson

Letter Re: The Developing Oil and Gold Price Divergence

Jim,
This is just my opinion, based on years of observation (rather than facts and figures) but I think I know where most of this is coming from. Politics. The oil companies are thriving under Bush/GOP rule and so they’re playing their part like they so often do, rolling back the source of so much anger and irritation (gas prices) and giving the false sense that things are “getting better”. I fully expect them to rise again, quickly, right after the election. Bush and company will restart their massive theatrical performance of real and implied violence against oil producing nations (always a moneymaker) and his friends in the oil business will go back to shoveling lucre into their accounts. I would remind you of the overwhelming preponderance of oil company people who took up residence in the Bush administration and that some of them (like Dick Cheney) continue to collect a sizable paycheck from the companies that they either order non-bid contracts for or who have tremendous influence on pending business that comes up for consideration by the administration. As soon as the election is over (and whatever the outcome) oil prices will rise again. Bet on it. Regards, – Jim K.

Odds ‘n Sods

In response to the recent posts about off-road capable campers, Doc at www.bigsecrets.cc mentioned some very well made utility trailers, ATV trailers, and camper trailers–all in the same unit. He highly recommends them.

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Economist Dr. Gary North comments on the debt burden for the next generation. Sobering stuff.

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Once again, BATFE agents have re-interpreted both their agency’s standing rules and Federal law, as it suits their fancy. This time a field agent decided that a rifle parts kit, less a receiver, constitutes a “firearm.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is in the nature of government to grow like fungus. The framers of the Constitution set out bottles of bleach and sponges, and left general indications of where the general populace could get more if they wanted. These days, most people are arguing whether they want black mildew or pretty shrooms." – Xander Opal

Notes From JWR:

The bidding is now up to $125 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a fully tested and recently professionally calibrated U.S. government surplus Civil Defense CD V-717 fallout survey meter with remote sensing capability. The meter was donated by Ready Made Resources (one of our first and most loyal advertisers). This auction ends on October 15th. Please submit your bid via e-mail.

Tonight will be the first airing of the new CBS television series “Jericho.” I hope that this show is long on practical skills and short on sentimentality, but I suspect that the reverse will be true. Regardless, I ‘m hopeful that the show will at least help wake up some of the Generally Dumb Public (GDP) and inspire them to get their beans, bullets, and band-aids squared away.

Letter Re: New Jericho TV Series

Dear Jim:
CBS will air its new drama Jericho tonight, where a small Kansas town is suddenly faced with a nuclear explosion in the distance. As Larry from Kansas in Yahoo groups points out, there is in fact nowhere in Kansas where one can stand on a roof top and see mountains in the distance. While it will no doubt be entertaining to see what other liberties Hollywood takes, I do hold out great hope of this new take on nuclear war as a continuing drama, and that for the first time, many folks will suddenly realize: “Hey, I might not die, so then what do I do?”. The show holds promise, but cynicism as to how the major media treats survivalists is of course warranted if not wise, and historically supported. I have started a group on Yahoo (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JerichoCBS/) for discussing this show specifically, and plan to welcome non-survivalists into our discussions. All are welcome to join as long as they abide by certain rules of etiquette and go easy on the newbies, the intent is to be inclusive – Rourke

Letter Re: Winter Fuel Blends and Fuel Storage Life

Jim,
If [liquid fuel] prices continue to plummet then a good thing to do is stock up on winter fuels when prices bottom out. Didn’t you say winter/cold weather fuels have an advantage over warm weather production? – Jason in North Idaho

JWR Replies: Yes, gasoline formulations do vary seasonally here in the United States. Here is a good reference on the subject, although I think that it overstates the risk of vapor lock running winter blend gas in the summer. The most notable difference is that winter blends are oxygenated in some regions of the country (typically with a light admixture of ethanol) and extra butane is added nationwide, to make starting engines easier in cold weather. The ethanol does not significantly affect the storage life of the gasoline. However, because the butane gradually evaporates from stored fuel, it is best to store “winter” blended fuel. (This generally available at gas stations between October 15th and April 15th of each year. The extra butane will typically make the fuel viable for an extra year. Regardless of the blend that you buy, you should store it in sealed, full containers that will not allow moisture to be absorbed from the atmosphere. Also, be sure stabilize it with PRI-G, STA-BIL, or a similar product. Also, be sure to buy a couple spray cans of ether-based engine starting fluid. That way you can probably still start an engine even when using very old gasoline that no longer has any significant quantity of butane. (Inevitably though, even if you compensate for the loss of butane and avoid water contamination, even well-stored stabilized gasoline will build up tars, gums, and esters as the gasoline decomposes. To assure that you have at least one vehicle that is still operable three+ years into a long term scenario, be sure to buy a diesel or perhaps a liquid propane (LP) conversion vehicle. Both of those fuels store much longer than stabilized gasoline!

Letter Re: Investment Recommendation: Palladium

Dear Jim,
My recommendation for an investment metal is palladium. The first thing we need to look at in relation to this is rhodium.
As can be seen in the Kitco charts, rhodium’s value has gone to insane levels, due to a combination of supply troubles–Russia and South Africa are the primary sources, and neither is tremendously stable–and demand issues. As China and India develop, all the commodities will be more in demand, and India has made great strides in the last few years as is noted from this Indian American blogger. So the industrial metals in limited supply will feel the bite even more than the base metals. Rhodium is used for mirror surfaces, catalytic converters, catalytic chemistry for hydrogen reactions, including all the state of the art research into fuel cells and for some jewelry concepts.
What does an industry do when one of its critical resources increases 15-20 times in cost? They find a substitute.
Is there a metal that can substitute for rhodium in most chemical processes? Yes. Palladium. See the Kitco chart on palladium.

While I don’t see palladium making the jump rhodium has, I do expect that a lot of industries will switch over to it on some lines, just to reduce overhead. This will take a few years, as it will require modification or rebuilding of existing facilities, but once it does, I can easily see palladium at $1000 an ounce, up from the $300 or so it’s at now. The Royal Canadian Mint produces .9999 Pd legal tender coins. They Canadian coin has become so popular that the other producers have stopped for the time being.
Also, since it’s currently half the price of gold, it’s not too tough to buy the five ounce minimum many sellers want to secure a good price.
This isn’t a coin to buy for after-SHTF trading, though many will still recognize it, but it’s a good metal to have against economic issues–in demand, with increasing demand and likely to become scarcer and more popular with political problems related to any worldwide disaster plaguing supplies of rhodium. – Michael Z. Williamson

 

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Jim K. sent this one: A bright kid put together his own flamethrower. Jim K. says “…and it seems to work like a charm.” My comment: If this could be done safely, it would be just the ticket for weed control. But where are the safety precautions? Where is the obligatory head-to-toe silver fire suit with hood and face mask? Where are his buddies standing by with fire extinguishers? Do not attempt this at home!

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Steve Quayle on Ammo Shortages and Price Increases

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Reader “Desert T” mentioned that there was an interesting article in the Las Vegas Review Journal about home values in Las Vegas. The article covers the over valuation of other markets as well. Here is the link to the LVRJ story. “Desert T” adds: “It’s going to be an interesting future.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." – J.R.R. Tolkien

From David in Israel: The 2006 Hezbollah Rocket War– A Lesson Learned

James
Sorry for the lag time, I have been very busy with Torah study and family time using up all the hours in a week. We are three days from Rosh Hashanna as I write this, the day the whole world is judged for the year (this Saturday). This past year has been tough on Israel but reinforces the reason I have chosen to live here. Our defeat on the military side is largely due to an incompetent army chief of staff and Kadima party cabinet appointments who were recognized even at the election to be incompetent in security issues but were massively supported by the media. Most of the ground combat was outside of useful information for SurvivalBlog so I will skip reporting on that. The way that almost one third of the nation rode out the war was to simply relocate. Israelis opened their homes to strangers in a way that we always have, I can still see the sparks of Abraham our father in even the most secular Israeli.
This rocket war was a big surprise to the inhabitants of our third largest city of Haifa. A major city was mostly empty for several weeks without a breakdown in civilization. The lesson to learn is that you need to find a place where the vast majority people have a true and deep feeling of family and a deep seated moral code who are willing to go to even painful ends to help out others, even if they are strangers. It would be an important goal of any survivor to place themselves in such a community since even TEOTWAWKI would not destroy the society. – David in Israel

The Moral Obligation of Survivalists, by Inyokern

The recent anti-survivalist post mentioned in SurvivalBlog dismissing survivalists is destructive. He’s entitled to his opinion. Everybody’s got one. I think that those who are brave enough and ethically strong enough to be survivalists have an obligation to their culture, people, and species to survive. It’s a thankless job, and too many survivalists go crazy from the sacrifices they make. Being a survivalist and being sane is tough because it requires many personal sacrifices. You have to balance work and home life, learning skills for independence, and skip buying fancy toys in favor of equipping yourself for a worst case scenario. Missing out on some parts of popular culture can be depressing though I’ll never miss regular broadcast television.

Some survivalists hope to make the rules if they get through a disaster, but that’s more of a fantasy than realistic, in my opinion. The real world of survivalism is having to deal with keeping secrets, ridicule, poverty, and constant training. The upshot? You learn to enjoy Heinlein’s checklist of Manhood. You learn to do things other men have forgotten, and you get the self respect that comes with it. It’s this reason I persevere, that and I’m too damned mean to die, despite my diabetes. While you and most survivalists will be heading for the hills, I have to stay near the insulin supplies and be an urban or suburban survivor, walking the tightrope between what will eventually look a lot like Fascism/1984 and rebellion in the cooling class wars as the Middle class descends into eternal Poverty. I will be learning gardening, teaching cooking to the ignorant masses, and repairing bicycles so the public can keep working their day jobs as the economy tries to stay afloat on local currency and inflated food and energy prices. I really don’t have any choice in the matter. Most of you aren’t going to be tied to civilization and I envy you your freedom. I will have to deal with oppression and probably various kinds of corruption. Like Argentina, with various differences. You will have the freedom to be your own boss and tend your own place to your own rules. Peak Oil, my particular Bogie, scares me well and truly because I understand its implications and it’s all happening in slow motion, just like glaciers, and just as unstoppable.

While that author thinks that survivalists are being selfish, he disregards the simple imperative of survival. Choosing to survive rather than go down with Titanic is hard to do. Choosing to live when others lose their humanity, to survive in order to remain both alive and human is very hard. The author of that opinion piece labors under the impression that survivalists are greedy and selfish but he’s dead wrong. Survivalists are choosing human dignity over squalor, and opting out of the rat race for moral and ethical reasons, and that’s one of the most important sacrifices a man can make. That demands respect. He doesn’t get it yet. Maybe someday he will. It’s not for us to be concerned about. We have to keep our little piece of Western Civilization together and pull through the mess that is bearing down on us like a semi on the expressway. – Inyokern