Letter Re: Going Into Debt to Purchase a Retreat Property?

Jim,
I read your blog nearly every day and benefit from it greatly. I am sending by “snail mail” my Ten Cent Challenge. Thanks for a great site.

My wife and I both are 55 years old and have been “survivalists” for about 10 years. We have been able to create a preparedness larder of 8-to-12 months of food, water and other necessary supplies. For self-defense, we have several shotguns, two AR-15s, two SKSes, a .22 [rimfire] rifle and one handgun – plus several thousand rounds of ammo for each. We hope to take some of the Front Sight courses this fall. Our home is now paid for and we are completely out of debt. We have our business in our home and have the freedom and modest income to do more in preparedness as needed. By God’s grace, we have numerous skills and the mindset to tackle whatever situation God’s providence allows.
The one major thing we don’t have is a retreat property. Our brick rancher, 1,800 sq. ft. with full basement, is in a golf course subdivision about 20 min. from a city of about 200,000 people. Over the years, I have always thought that we could “bug-in” during any kind of crisis; therefore, we concentrated on stocking up and paying down our debt. But now, partly through reading SurvivalBlog and partly through thinking through more thoroughly the ramifications of the present mindset of the masses, my thoughts are changing on staying put during any “Schumer” scenario, and I want to get away to a retreat.
However, my wife is against going into debt again – with good reason, since debt usually is bad in most crises. Also, we need to remain within 30-45 minutes [driving time] of our present location to maintain many of our present business contacts and to take care of my mother who lives by herself. And while we have looked at numerous properties over the past year, everything seems to be way over-priced or not suitable for our needs. To purchase any retreat property in the areas desirable far enough away from the city, we would have to sell our existing house and still borrow $200,000 or more – a hefty sum when you’ve been enjoying having no debt at all for the past few years. Therefore, I am uncertain what to do, especially as regards to going into debt for land, etc., versus staying put where we are and remaining debt free. I cannot decide which is better: to be debt free but in some possible danger being closer to the city, or in debt again but more secure at a retreat. I readily see the value of a retreat, but cannot get past the danger of too heavy a debt load – especially if the economy tanks quickly or even goes into a hyperinflation; we could lose everything through bankruptcy. I need some help sorting this out and wondered if you and/or your readers had any other insights. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for a great site. – Greg in North Carolina

JWR Replies: In essence, you must ask yourself: What do I fear more? The wrath of the bankers, or the wrath of my erstwhile “peaceable” suburban neighbors? I agree that debt is bad. I agree that debt should be avoided, if at all possible. There might be some alternatives to taking on additional debt to buy a retreat:

One alternative that you may not have considered is: buying a modest retreat free and clear, but encumbering your house with a second mortgage. That way, if times get really bad–particularly in a 1930s-style deflationary depression– then you might lose your house to the bankers, but not your retreat.

Another approach would be to sell your present home, and with the proceeds buy a rural retreat house with a “granny cottage” and live there year-round. Encourage your mother to sell her home and move there with you. That might even allow you to remain debt free.

Yet another approach is to pool your resources and set up a group retreat with like-minded relatives. The retreat could ostensibly be a jointly-owned “vacation cabin.” I’ve also seen this done with homesteaded family farms to “keep them in the family.”

Regardless of what you decide to do, don’t plunge into a major purchase without some careful study and prayer. One key consideration is that here in the U.S., the real estate market is currently softening in inland areas, and deteriorating rapidly–almost to the point of panic—in some coastal and resort areas. Meanwhile, the sub-prime lending market is nearing a crisis, and bankers are starting to dump some foreclosed properties at a loss. It might be best to wait a while and watch for the opportunity to pick up a foreclosure or otherwise “distressed” property at a bargain price. One of SurvivalBlog’s affiliate advertisers is Foreclosure.com. I suspect that in the months to come that they will have some suitable rural property listings at genuine “fire sale” prices. Watch the foreclosure market closely, and be be patient

Product Review: SteriPEN UV Light Portable Water Sterilizer

The folks at Safecastle recently sent us a SteriPEN Adventurer, charging case, and pre-filter for evaluation. Our #1 Son tested them in the secret laboratory beneath the JASBORR. Here are his findings:

Model Tested: SteriPEN Adventurer

The SteriPEN uses an ultraviolet light to sterilize microbes in water. The pen can treat water in 1 liter batches, in only 90 seconds. It runs on standard CR123 batteries, which are becoming ubiquitous. (A plus for anyone that already stocks these batteries for their tactical lights and/or lasers.)
USE: You just push the power button, put it into a bottle of clean water, and stir for about 90 seconds.
DESIGN: The pen is about 6 inches long and only weighs 110 grams (about 4 ounces), so it is certainly portable enough to take on lightweight backpacking trips. It is water resistant and has a sturdy plastic casing.
ADVANTAGES: It is very easy to use, lightweight, and sturdy. The price of filtration per liter is much less than most filters, and it runs on rechargeable batteries.
DRAWBACKS: The pen can only treat water in batches of up to 1 liter. Also, the water needs to be clear of any sediment, or microbes will survive.

Water Bottle Pre-Filter
The filter attaches to standard Nalgene-thread water bottles. It has a replaceable 4 micron filter, which removes sand and dirt. The pre-filter works quite quickly but still leaves the water a bit cloudy. so it cannot be depended on by itself. (We surmise that a couple of thickness of t-shirt cloth could be used as a “pre-pre-filter.”) But the pre-filter still makes a useful compliment to the SteriPEN.

Charging/Carrying Case
The case is hard plastic, with a small photovoltaic panel on the lid. It has a charging slot for two CR123 batteries, and a foam padded slot to hold the SteriPEN. There is no direct charger for the pen, so the batteries have to be charged separately, and then put in the SteriPEN. The case also comes with a 117 volt wall (grid/utility power) adapter for charging the batteries at home. (Both chargers, BTW are great to also keep on hand for charging the rechargeable varieties of CR123 batteries for tactical lights and lasers.)

The bottom line: Both the SteriPen and the chargers are easy to use and sturdy. We endorse this product. SteriPENs are available from Safecastle, Ready Made Resources, and several other Internet vendors.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Brian H. mentioned an interesting note from retired journalist Charley Reese regarding Swiss preparedness.

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Umpteen SurvivalBlog readers have mentioned the new proposed OSHA regulations on ammunition, gunpowder, and primers. Please get involved and write a few letters during the public comment period,.

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SF in Hawaii was doing some research on potable water storage and he found this low cost supplier for barrels, and this supplier for large tanks.

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Richard of KT Ordnance sent us the link to this entertaining and informative video: Chevy Pickup Truck Versus Various Brands of AR-15/M16 magazines. I should mention that upon seeing it, The Memsahib declared that since “it includes a truck, gun stuff, and things getting broken”, that this video has nearly all the key elements to make it a perfect “guy video.” OBTW, Magpul PMAGs are available from Green Mountain Gear (one of our advertisers.)

Letter Re: My Adventure in Growing Wheat, by Carl in Wisconsin

Sir:
Regarding Carl’s question of cleaning and harvesting grain. First get some horses and a binder, it’s much easier than by hand.

Regarding proper use of a scythe: It is largely a matter of gaining a rhythm. Proper rhythm will allow you to cut all day without much effort., merely swinging your body. To exaggerate, swing the scythe to catch between 1?2 and one inch of grain/grass. At the last second jerk it toward you. In practice, if you have a good swing, it more or less does the jerk by itself. I have found that doing it properly will lay down the crop in rows, and it is almost as easy to pick it up by hand, rather than raking it. If you are using an 18th century basket to transport (No ends but a long handle) Pick up a handful of grain/grass, lay it on the basket with the heads in one direction, and you get about a bundles worth before you have to transport it. If the grain is ripe, and you lay the heads over the end of a flat surface, all you have to do is whack the heads only, and the kernels will fall out. (Or you can do it on a tarp or something on the ground. But still, whacking the heads only on ripe grain makes it easy to remove the straw by hand.) After cutting, the grain should be let dry to loosen the seeds from their hulls.

As to the cleaning of grain, I have seen several versions of a hand operated fanning mill. All were about three feet to 40 inches square. (And about 5 feet tall.) At the top, a hopper the width of the machine and between two and three feet wide with a sloped bottom so the grain would gravity feed. Depth of hopper about 18 inches to a max of two feet) (The whole machine shakes somewhat so feeding isn’t that difficult.) At the bottom of the hopper a variable crack feeds the whole screening area. (A metal or wooden bar that you can tie down with clamps when you have the right amount of flow.) (Facing the machine from the front, the hopper feeds the back of the first screen, and the crank handle is on the right.) The first screen slopes downward to the front. The crud pile is right at your feet.

I think at this point it would be wise to interject that the majority of the machine (except for the fan, the hopper, and the frame,) is a series of sloping screens. All of these screens are zig zagged downwards in a “Screen frame” that all move or vibrate more or less in unison. (Separate from the frame of the machine total.) (And which will be described later)

The screens are the difficult part in an 18th century setting. The top screen has holes large enough for the seeds to fall through. (Of course different grains have different sized and shaped holes.)(Wheat, oats, barley for example so you need different screens.) This first screen is to remove stones, straw, rabbit poop, or any larger items. It simply dumps all of the garbage that makes it to the end of the screen onto the floor in front of the mill.

The second stage (screen) is sloped in the opposite direction. And depending on how the fan is situated, is designed and sized so that the wheat must travel the whole distance because the holes are too small for it to fall through, but weed seeds and dirt get through the small holes and are directed on a solid metal sheet to discard. Either before hitting this second screen, or after, the stream of air coming from the fan is directed at the stream of falling grain. This, if adjusted properly, blows all the light stuff onto the refuse pile. The grain, being heavier than the air can readily move, falls down to the next screen.

Depending on how fancy you want to get, you can get other screens as well, but the two major things are to remove the big, heavy stuff, and the small light stuff which leaves you with the grains you wanted. (And sometimes some very small rocks)(Heavy enough to not be moved by air, and the right size to make it through the screens.)

Regarding the fan. Most of the units I have seen were a sort of straight sided barrel on its side. (Mounted on the rear of the mill.) (15-18 inches in diameter, some smaller. 18 is too big IMHO.) A metal rod with a gear at the end, driven by a chain off the crank, went in one end through a larger than necessary hole (Acts as air intake) You have seen these river boat stern paddlers? That is exactly what the interior fan looks like. A series of flat boards which move the air by centrifugal force, out through a variable slot on the side of the barrel. In what I think were the more efficient (Albeit more prone to breakage and more difficult to repair) models, the air was piped by a stationary oblong box type pipe to the area where the grain was falling off the first screen on its way to being caught by the second screen. This blows the light crud out into the same pile as the heavy stuff falling from the first screen. Not a lot of air is required. Usually the problem is that you are blowing light seeds out into the refuse, and if nothing else they can be fed to the animals. But then, if you are fanning for seed, you can re-fan the crud pile using less air and get the small grain.

In this simplified model, with two screens and one air output, the grain comes out the back. (Which most of them were.)

The “Screen frame”. I saw one (never saw it in operation.) that had a rigid box frame. I would think with so much vibration going on that it would not have lasted long Usually the tray type holders for the screens were part of the screen frame. Under the screen frame was usually two, but occasionally four eccentrics which had a gear on the end, driven by the chain from the crank handle. (Often the gear itself, with a protrusion on the side acted as the eccentric.) The crank chain had three contact points. The crank handle gear, the fan gear and the eccentric gear.

The “screen frame” was simply four hardwood slats ”hinged” at the four corner contact points with the screen trays and the eccentric frame. (Hinged meaning it had a bolt type rod with a sleeve to act as a bearing so the whole thing could flex.) Note that they do require regular greasing, just as wooden wagon wheels.) The whole object of this exercise is to make the grain and materials bounce and roll down a bit so they can hit holes in the screens, and either fall through, or not, to separate them. Not a lot of vibration is needed, but enough bounce is needed get a kernel with its small end stuck in a hole on the screen out and on its way. In fact, I would think the old mills erred on the side of too much bounce if anything. It has been a lot of years since I saw and used these things, but from memory the bounce was about half an inch, and the slope of the screens was three to five inches in 36 [inches], with a favor toward the three inch end of that dimension. (I would use [a] four [inch in 36 inch slope] if I were building one)

To summarize, the whole machine is built of wood with the exception of: the screens, the crank handle and its attachment to the machine, the gear and rod for the fan, the gear and rod (and probably the eccentric itself) for the vibrator, and the flat chain to drive the latter two. (And of course the nails or bolts to hold it all together.) The crank handle could be mounted on the fan, but design problems would likely make it the wrong height, and therefore uncomfortable to operate for long periods. As well, you can vary the speed of the fan, and the vibrator too for that matter, by changing the number of teeth on the gears. – JustaMereFarmBoy

Letter Re: The SurvivalBlog Glossary

James:
I have been reading SurvivalBlog most every day for nearly a year now. I’m a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber. I had long ago read most of those “button” web pages up at the top [of the SurvivalBlog main page], but it wasn’t until yesterday that I read your new page on Peak Oil, and I took the time to read all the way through the Glossary page. That thing has gotten huge. Not only was it interesting and educating to read, but it was also a laugh riot. You snuck some very funny stuff in there, like your definitions for “BS“, “Contrapreneur”, “JASBORR“, “RV“, “Schumer” and “UA 571-C“. (That [last item] was from the movie Aliens, right?) ROTFLMAO!, – Phil in Arkansas

Odds ‘n Sods:

Courtesy of our friend Tom at CometGold.com, comes this blog link: Is Mexico About to Fail?

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More on the commodities boom: The price of tin reached an all-time high early last week, at over $7 per pound!

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Vic at Safecastle is offering SurvivalBlog readers an opportunity to purchase a lifetime membership in the Safecastle Royal buyers club at half-price now through August. Simply enter the coupon code JWRMEMBER on the payment page in the checkout process, and your membership will cost just $9.50. That membership gets you at least 20% off and free shipping on everything in the store. In fact, through August, members get 25% off any Mountain House or Maxpedition purchase. (Note that Mountain House will be raising prices for the first time in six years on September 1st.)

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I found this at SHTF Daily: The Five Stages of Counterfeiting by Gary North on LewRockwell.com:

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 11 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 $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. Round 11 ends on July 31st. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Digging Tools Basics, by JN EMT

Knowing how to dig holes, make trenches and move earth is an important, if often overlooked skill. Here are tips that I thought might be helpful.

The Tools of the Trade
Digging instruments are as sexy or fun to shop for as battle rifles and Snap-On automotive tools, but having a good selection of these can mean the difference between completing a task in a day or spending three weeks in agony. Here are the basics.
Folding Shovel – Every vehicle you own should have at least one shovel. A small folding shovel or “E-Tool” is compact and easy to carry. These get the job done when it’s time to dig out under a stuck car or dig a small trench. They are limited by their size and do not have much leverage for breaking hard ground or digging through roots. I prefer the wooden-handles models available as surplus, but any quality military-spec shovel will do. Beware the [flimsy] Chinese imitations. [JWR Adds: Ah, yes, the dreaded “GI Type” tri-fold shovel. Avoid!]
Short-handled shovel – This is the next step up from an Entrenching Tool (E-Tool). Any truck or utility vehicle should have one of these stashed somewhere. With more than twice the length and 3-4 times more area, you will move earth much faster. Get one with a spade point for cutting into hard ground. The flat-blade types are for mucking, or moving already broken up material around.
Full-Size Shovel – This is your basic digging tool for home or farm. You’ll want a sturdy model with a tempered steel blade and a quality wood or fiberglass handle.
Get several, as these are inexpensive and allow you to put your whole crew to work. One limitation of the standard shovel, however, is that you must dig your hole wider as it gets deeper. To get 3 feet deep, you may end up with a hole 4′ wide. That’s a lot of earth to move if you do not need happen to need such a hole, so specialty tools are in order.
Post Hole Digger – This is the best tool by far for digging deep, narrow holes. Some of the tasks you’ll want this for are installing fence posts, digging a pit toilet, or making a foxhole. Additionally, it’s nice to be able to make a small test hole when you’re looking for buried pipes or other objects. [JWR Adds: Here, JN refers to the type with two handles and two hinged shovel ends that “clamshell” together when the handles are separated, as opposed to a twist auger.]
Auger – These are available in hand or powered models. They basically look like a huge twist drill bit with a big ‘T’ handle. These are excellent for making fence post holes or breaking up the ground for bigger excavations (i.e. roots cellars, fortifications). This is the preferred tool for installing caches made from PVC tubes. [JWR Adds: Except in soil with rocks over 1″ diameter, where a clamshell type posthole digger works better.] Note that the gas-powered models are very powerful and can hurt you easily if they bind. I recommend only using a larger model with two people.
Digging Bar – This is a heavy steel bar, about [1″ to ] 1.5″ in diameter and 5 [to six] feet long. [JWR Adds: Typically these have a broad chisel point on one end, and a square-cross section point at the other. The points are hardened enough that they usually hold up to many years of service. This is is an indispensable tool for any property with rocky soil!] ] To use, a person picks it up and drops the pointy end forcefully down into the ground. This tool is excellent for breaking up hard ground and digging in places where a shovel will have major problems cutting through the dirt.
Pickaxe – Also good for tearing through hard ground. The point end can be used for breaking up rocks, while the flat end is best for hard earth and cutting through roots.
Hatchet/Axe – May be needed if you have lots of tree roots to deal with. A big tree root will stop your shovel cold. A hatchet is often easier to work within the confined space of a hole.
Sand Point – If you have pressurized water available, this is a really easy way to bore into dirt or sand. Basically, a sand point is a section of water pipe that is attached to a hose inserted into the ground. When the water is turned on, the rod is forced down through the dirt, and the flushing action of the water erodes away the dirt as it goes with very little effort. Additional pipe sections can be screwed on as needed. This is a great way to install an electrical ground rod for your generator, or run a pipe under a driveway or road. A homemade version would simply be a length of 1/2″ copper water pipe attached to a valve and a garden hose coupling.
Commercially made sand points are available that have a screen at the end and fittings for larger diameter pipe. These can be used to bore down 20+ feet to install a shallow well.
Demolition Hammer – This is a lightweight electric jackhammer. With a spade-style bit installed, a “demo” hammer can make it much easier to excavate hard ground. This assumes, of course, that electricity is available. These are often available to rent at home improvement stores, and they are much quieter to operate than heavy equipment or gas-operated tools.
Water Hose – A shovel works best for moving soft material. Pre-soaking the area to be excavated usually softens the first 12-18″ of hard soil. In sandy, desert areas adding some water makes it much easier to dig, as it prevents the sand from caving in. I’ve found that a 5 gallon bucket of water is just about right for digging a fence post hole.

Putting it all together
Now that you have a good assortment of tools, digging that drainage ditch or digging up a faulty water line should be much easier. But you will not have any idea how much work is involved in digging a large excavation unless you’ve tried it a few times in your [local] soil and discovered what works best.

Anyone whose plans include building a fallout shelter or other structure at the last minute should reconsider, especially if the only tool available is a shovel and the excavators are not accustomed to this sort of work. The time estimates on some of those Civil Defense plans should be taken with a large grain of salt. Some of the available [U.S.] Army manuals, such as FM 5-15: Field Fortifications are full of great earthworks ideas and include time estimates. FM 21-10: Field Sanitation and Hygiene is another great reference for long-term and temporary latrine plans.

Letter Re: Computers – A Cache of Spare Parts For Your Guns

Greetings,
As the British would say, it was one of those rare moments of ‘serendipity,’ but I was watching “The Postman” the other night on cable [television], and decided to field strip and clean a couple of rifles while doing so. As I was reassembling my CAR-15 in particular, I told my wife, as I charged the bolt – and felt everything moving as it should in a rightly reassembled firearm – that, “guns are a lot like computers these days – either you put them (back) together the right way, or they simply won’t work at all.”
The very next day, I was attempting to mount a brand new MTI lo-mount scope base on my PTR-91, and sure enough, I stripped the threads on one of the tiny little hex-head bolts that clamped it to the rifle. In mid-panic, over possibly ruining a $155 mount, I suddenly remembered my own comment about “guns & computers,” and went downstairs to check my cabinet o’ spare computer parts. Sure enough, I found a tiny Phillips head bolt, that was long enough, and threaded perfectly, to work on my mount! Problem solved – expensive mount, saved!
In a worst-case scenario – nuke strike with massive EMP – most computers will be nothing more than over-sized paperweights anyway. But, since all of them are held together with a plethora of tiny, finely threaded bolts, nuts, and screws, they can be a treasure trove of spare parts for mounting optics, rails, and other rifle accessories, not to mention all the other uses you might find, or even dream up, while scrounging out an existence post-SHTF. As I also wear eyeglasses, computers just might be the difference between being terribly near-sighted, and of little use to anyone, and being able to put my eyeglasses frames and arms back together!
In my “can’t do without” bag, I have now added an empty medicine bottle full of assorted computer bolts, nuts, and screws, from my ample supply of spare parts, to go alongside the jeweler’s screwdriver set I also have in there. No guarantee that Lenscrafters will survive the apocalypse any better than any other business. Extra pairs of glasses are nice; extra screws and screwdrivers to go along with them, are even better. – Bob McC.

JWR Replies: Thanks for that tip. BTW, as The Memsahib can attest, I am famous for scrounging hardware. Whenever any appliance here at the ranch is beyond repair, I always strip it of any usable fastener hardware, cooling fans, lamps, lamp sockets, motors, batteries, battery holders, switches, wire, ribbon cables, fuses, fuse holders, annunciators (“beepers” and bells), and power cords. I’ve ve even bought “dead” appliances at garage sales for 50 cents or a dollar, just to strip them for hardware and scrap sheet metal. As I often say: “These things may come in handy someday”. I keep most of the parts in two large sets of well-labelled military surplus metal divider drawers, down in the JASBORR. OBTW, if you plan to do likewise, show great caution when working around capacitors or power supply modules that could still be holding a charge!

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Roger S. sent us an article by David McWilliams in Ireland: World’s financial community gives two fingers to the US. One note of clarification, however: The June 12th auction was of Treasury Bills, not Treasury Notes. The Auction on the 15th was Treasury Notes.

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From The Motley Fool’s UK edition, by way of SHTF Daily: It’s Heading For Crunch Time…

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Rob at Green Mountain Gear mentioned that he is continuing his special on HK91/G3 Alloy magazines in new, unissued condition. He has just a few 20-packs left. Rob notes: “Some of them might have slight handling marks from moving around the world over the years. The first 20rnd magazines I pulled look simply awesome! Hit them with a little degreaser and you have a great looking magazine at a rock bottom price. These are not “bargain bin” used magazines and each shipment will be hand-packed to make sure that no ‘junkers’ slip in. This is not a group buy and thus there is no wait time. First come, first served as there is limited quantity. HK G3 magazines in this condition are drying up fast so this is a great time to stock up. There are no additional quantity discounts available at this time due to availability. I want to make sure everyone has a chance to stock up. However, you can order as many 20 packs as you like. A 20 pack (Twenty HK magazines) is $84.99 mailed to the 48 continental states via USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate ($8.95 is included in the price). That is just $4.24 per magazine, delivered! Most people receive their shipments within three days via this shipping method so it is a real bargain and much cheaper than UPS/FedEx options.”

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 11 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 $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. Round 11 ends on July 31st. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.