Letter Re: David in Israel on “When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer” Syndrome, and Building a Post-TEOTWAWKI Shelter

Hello James,
David in Israel has done a great job sparking original thought in certain topics of discussion. I really like his log home ideas. I have one problem with it is: Today’s generation!
I don’t think very many of us could muster up enough fortitude let alone man power to fell trees, drag to the site, de-bark and notch them, lift them into place and head from there, (without modern technology, equipment, and power). I grant him that he was talking about a smaller shelter which would be more feasible. His comments have made me think about creating a home after TEOTWAWKI, and more so having a shelter/home that is mobile. It is my opinion that almost any homeowner/ do-it-yourself type guy could build a home with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). These are not labor intensive at all. No special tools are needed, and the foam does not rot. Instead of concrete, how about mixing earthen mud and using it in the very same way? If a few courses were done at a time and allowed to dry, it would greatly reduce the likely “blow out” from excessive un-braced hydraulic pressure. If a guy was lucky enough to have some 2x4s around, he could temporarily brace, or build a semi-permanent wall inside of the structure to minimize any later movement until the roof was installed and mud dry. I grant you that it could take some time for the mud to dry as it won’t receive much air, but small holes in the foam may exit the water satisfactorily. In the same token, once the mud dries,… it really is protected from outside moisture if installed with a roof that sheds water.
For further reinforcing, one could install vines or green tree branches into his “pour” to help provide some minimalist reinforcements. Keep in mind under those circumstances, dire is dire.
Thought this was about the lightest weight, least labor intensive and safest method of a “portable home” in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Some of the ICF’s fold in half, others are fixed blocks. In this example, the more space saving “folder” type ICFs may be more efficient in space while transporting to your new locale. Food for Thought, – The Wanderer

Odds ‘n Sods:

Be sure to check out my new “big box” preparedness course. The special pricing for SurvivalBlog readers ends on July 4th.

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From Bulgaria: Lightning strike kills 70 goats, but their goat herder survives

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One of my favorite science fiction films, The Quiet Earth has finally been released in a Region I (North American) format DVD. (Heretofore it was only available in PAL format.) The movie has some disturbing sequences, but it is a thought provoking piece. (This is not a children’s film!) The DVD is now available on Amazon.com and eBay.com.

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Japan Warned of a Potential Food Shortage

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The southern end of the San Andreas Fault is “Ready to Explode”

Note From JWR:

You may have been wondering what has been keeping me so busy for the past two months. I’ve been working on two projects: The first is a new expanded edition of my novel. That should be available in August. The second has been editing the first of what will be a series of courses and nonfiction books. Jake Stafford (you’ve seen some of his letters and articles on SurvivalBlog under a pen name) spearheaded this project. It is a family preparedness course that is now available for ordering. It features my guidance on stocking up a family for a year–everything from food and cleaning supplies to batteries and band-aids. It includes a lot of material that has never appeared in SurvivalBlog. Jake and I walked though a COSTCO store a couple of months back, and he digitally recorded several hours of our discussion. He quizzed me on a wide variety of topics related to food storage, food packaging, storage food shelf lives, et cetera. My responses became the core of his new course. Eventually, it branched out into a variety of related topics like sprouting and the issue of complete proteins versus incomplete proteins. I may be biased, but I highly recommend this course! For more information about the course, click on the link in the upper right hand corner of this web page.

Today is the longest day of the year for our readers in the northern hemisphere. We hope that all is well with your gardens. We’d appreciate your comments and “lessons learned” on practical vegetable gardening and grain growing.

Letter Re: Why Christianity? and Recommendations on the Great Lakes

Mr. Rawles,
I just finished your novel (“Patriots”), after a marathon reading session that consumed my entire weekend. It was marvelous. I loved every aspect of the book except all of the religious references aimed towards Christians. Can a man of your obvious intelligence really believe that “being a good Christian” elevates someone morally to a higher level than perhaps a Muslim, Jew (yes you showed respect in the book for [a Jewish character’s] beliefs, but…), or myself a fence riding atheist? I want so much to believe in god, but it appears that god has abandoned this world.

Secondly, I have a logistical question that you may or may not be able to answer. I currently live in Florida, but I was born and raised in Wisconsin. If you are familiar with that part of the country do you think that upper Wisconsin, or the Upper peninsula of Michigan would be desolate enough to ride-out trouble that you and I both see coming? I grew up hunting and fishing…living off the land for our meals on camping trips, but I worry about being “cornered” by the Great Lakes. Am I just overly paranoid after reading your book or do I have a legitimate problem? I’m finally in a financial position to start preparing for the future good or bad; but it would be a moot point to in that area of the country if I have no means to leave if necessary. I miss the area terribly, and feel comfortable there knowing that I can survive and even thrive there without a map. I’m sure you get hundreds of similar e-mails like this, I’m no better or worse, smarter or dumber than any of the other people. What I would like to do sometime with you is debate theology with you; I’m always looking for someone to convince me there is a god; and if you play, I’d love to play chess with you. I’ve beaten champions, and been destroyed by hoboes in the park at the game. I find it mirrors life in a lot of ways. Thank you for your time and your efforts to save everyone. – P.J.S.

JWR Replies: Thanks for your e-mail. In answer to your first question, I sincerely believe that Judaism and Christianity constitute the moral underpinning in western societies, and that the Ten Commandments are the basis of our legal system.With devout faith, people behave well toward one another regardless of whether or not a formal system of law and order exists. But without faith, in the absence of law and order (such as during a major disaster or a societal collapse) I only expect to see anarchy, widespread theft, and violence. This is not to say that there are not atheists and agnostics that have morals. Some, like you, clearly do. But I believe that you are in the minority. For the past 40+ years, the state-run school systems have preached “moral relativism.” (in essence, claiming “There are no absolutes of right and wrong”, and “what is right for me may be wrong for you”, et cetera.) The product of this system has been two generations that now do their best to get away with whatever they can. The higher crime rates, gang violence, drug abuse, pornography, graffiti, shoplifting, et cetera are all clear evidence of this dramatic change. Much of this change has crept in insidiously. In a situation where law enforcement is non-existent, I am certain that the vast majority of people will have no compunctions to take what they want, and that good portion of them will kill without much hesitation. I would much rather have conservative Christians or Jews for neighbors. I hope that you can understand and appreciate my position. (Although since you are a non-Christian, I don’t expect you to embrace it.)

In answer to your second query, I cannot speak for Wisconsin, but I think that the Upper Peninsula (“U.P.”) of Michigan will probably be a good place to ride out an economic collapse, as long as you have a large firewood supply. (By which, I mean an honest three winter supply, already cut and stacked.) Water certainly isn’t a problem there. You will find that most of your neighbors will already be fairly self-sufficient. If and when things fall apart, I predict that the vast majority of refugees and looters from the major metropolitan centers such as Chicago will head south. The first winter without grid power will be enough to convince them of that! Thus, the U.P. will in all likelihood remain relatively intact. My only two areas of reluctance on this recommendation are 1.) The risk posed by the higher population density of the Midwest and Great Lakes region (versus the lightly populated intermountain west–the region that I most highly recommend), and 2.) The entire region would be downwind of fallout-producing ground bursts on the missile fields of Montana and Wyoming. Granted, this is a less likely scenario, but if it were to happen, I would not want to be downwind!

As for your concerned about getting “cornered”, in my opinion that would only be an issue on the U.P. if you were north of Houghton or out on Mackinac or Bois-Blanc Islands. Otherwise, there is plenty of room to maneuver.

Letter Re: Indian Reservation Boundaries a Determining Factor for Retreat Locales?

James,
In your posted list of ‘Recommended Retreat Areas‘ you address Indian tribal government as a ‘minus’ because of an extra layer of bureaucracy only for Oklahoma. Doesn’t this apply to each and every state which contains reservations? Your top 12 recommended states all have reservations on them. Might not that Indian Nation independence be a benefit? Or, since my knowledge on Indian Tribal Lands and their political position being quite slim, might I just be missing some very basic information which would lend one to see the true position? I have been doing some research but haven’t uncovered anything which I would call reliable. But I never give up! 🙂 Thanks, – Ken

JWR Replies: I have mixed feelings about owning land inside the boundaries of a tribal reservation. I generally recommend against it unless you are of American Indian descent. If nothing else, living “on the res” means an extra layer of bureaucracy and certainly an extra jurisdictional layer, including Tribal Police law enforcement and a tribal court system with its own sovereignty. There is no way to predict in which ways the tribes might assert their sovereignty in the future. At present, this is relatively unobtrusive. For example, inside some reservations non-Indians have to buy a one day tribal fishing license in addition to an annual state fishing license. Indian tribal courts generally have a good reputation, but why subject yourself to an additional jurisdiction, with its own peculiar set of laws, when it can be avoided by simply buying land that is outside of the reservation boundary?

Two Letters Re: .50 BMG Rifles

Jim:

Those willing to pay a top price for .50 BMG rifles should look at the EDM Arms Windrunner, which bests the Barrett for accuracy, and takes down to a 4-foot-long case (heavy) for more discrete transport. It is also is available in .338 Lapua. They can sell you a “.338” [marked] receiver, which is unlikely to be a banned caliber, and a .50 BMG bolt and barrel. [Based upon the Form 4473] the feds will know only that you have a .338 rifle, and not that you also got some 50 caliber parts along with it, to make your rifle identical to one stamped 50 BMG (read: “ban me”) on the receiver. But the ideal is an AR lower (bought legally in most states in a private want ads sale) with your choice of upper, including a .50 BMG. Barrett and EDM have owners who have taken tough stands against California’s efforts to ban their products. – Mr. Bravo

 

Dear Jim,
In response to several threads I’d like to offer the following links: www.ultramag50.com this is a magazine fed, bolt action .50 BMG upper for an AR rifle. I haven’t handled one yet, but their machinework looks exceptional, and I find their attitude more professional than that of a couple of the other upper kit makers. [Their site has] good information on what they have. I would recommend the 29″ barrel, or even ask for a custom 36″. An 18″barrel is just too short for a .50. For single shots, www.cobb50.com has some very interesting options, and also their Multi Caliber Rifle built on an AR type receiver. – Michael Z. Williamson

Odds ‘n Sods:

The Colorado drought continues.

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SurvivalBlog reader J.N. mentioned Congressman Bartlett’s 2005 Peak Oil Presentation to the U.S. Congress. (The video takes a lot of bandwidth, but a PDF transcript with views is also available.)

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FEMA Wasted $1.4 Billion in Hurricane Katrina Aid

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Buckshot (of Buckshot’s Camp) mentioned a couple of specials: His “Misadventures” book is currently available with free postage. If you order both his Misadventures book and his new Survival manual, they will cost just $21 with free shipping. Retail on the book is 13.95 and the manual is $9.95 plus 5.90 S&H total would be $29.80. (Thus a savings of $8.80.) Buckshot’s new DVD will be $49.95 unless they are a SurvivalBlog 10 Cent Challenger subscriber–then it will be just $24.95. He also mentioned that he heard from his suppliers that prices will soon be going up on snares, most likely in July. So if you have been hesitating, get your order in for snares soon!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The only purpose of a government is to protect a man’s rights, which means: To protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, an agent of man’s self defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force. The only proper function s of a government are: The police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud from others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective laws. – John Galt in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged

Letter Re: Asian Avian Flu and Waterfowl Migratory Flyways

1) I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but there is a map of “Waterfowl Flyways of North America” (put mouse cursor on icon in lower right corner and click to enlarge). This shows the routes that migratory ducks and geese follow when they return to the southern USA in the fall after mingling with Eurasian migratory birds in the subarctic over the summer.
2) That is, the map shows the primary routes along which Avian flu would be transmitted into the USA:
a) Coastal bays like the Chesapeake and Delaware on the East Coast and San Francisco on the West Coast ,
b) Major rivers like the Hudson (New York), Susquehanna (Pennsylvania), Potomac (Maryland/Virginia), Mississippi plus tributaries (Midwest),
Ohio (Midwest), and Columbia (Oregon) , and
c) Either side of major barriers like the Rocky Mountains, the deserts of Nevada/Arizona, and the Sierra Mountains
3) Note that it’s possible that an Avian flu pandemic might persist for several years, since flocks of migratory waterfowl form a “reservoir” in which it can culture –in the same way that the plague is preserved in prairie dog colonies of the Southwest USA and infects people every year. See: “Plagues and Peoples” by William McNeill.
4) As an exercise in “survivalist paranoia”, it’s interesting that Porter Goss abruptly resigned as Director of CIA back in early May — a few days after the White House released it’s Pandemic Flu plan. Most people don’t know that Porter Goss is quite wealthy –well over a million net worth. In the 1960s after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Porter Goss left the CIA and settled on Sanibel Island near the bottom of southwest Florida — one of only a few spots in the USA that would have survived the massive fallout from a Soviet Nuclear Strike.
5) Now, the news reports that “Goss and his wife own a central Virginia farm, where they raise cattle, sheep and chickens. ” See very bottom of this article
It just so happens that Porter Goss’s Central Virginia farm is one of the few spots in the country that does not have geese carrying Avian flu flying over it.
6) When the pandemic hits, interstate transport shuts down and the politicians in Washington are feeding on each other like cannibals –literally, not just politically — Goss will be setting on his front porch eating homemade cheese, sipping homemade Cabernet and enjoying the rural sunset. Laughing his behind off as he tells his wife about how Donald Rumsfeld talked
Vice President Dick Cheney into buying a $2.9 Million estate on the Chesapeake Bay–an area which receives the largest dump of migratory goose droppings in the country. Regards, – D.W.

Two Letters Re: David in Israel on “When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer” Syndrome, and Building a Post-TEOTWAWKI Shelter

James:
G’day, just a quick comment on David’s well reasoned article. Ragnar Benson has a good set of plans and quite well written instructions on building an “A” frame cabin, from scratch, along with a list of kit you will need to make it easier contained in the book ‘Living Off the Land in City and Country’. We used it as the basis for our ‘holiday cabin’ (that’s what we tell
our friends/relatives) and it seems to work quite well even after five years of weathering the varied Australian seasons. It is a bit more involved than a simple lean to, but if you are planning a long stay, it could well be worth the effort. Ours took the two of us four weekends and one full week (call it 14 days all up) to complete.
I did like the bit about the greenhouse, can anyone guess the next thing to be built on our scrub block? As a plus, it will give us some additional rainwater catchment area. I would not have thought of the large garden shed approach, but in hindsight, it seems obvious. The shed, a potbelly stove for heat and cooking, a portable greenhouse, a means of collecting and treating the rainwater runoff, and you would be well ahead of the curve, at least in the shelter department. Cheers, – Dave

JWR Replies: Benson’s book is still in print an available through Amazon.com. But for the best price, get a copy through eBay.

Jim,
A book I highly recommend is “One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey” by Sam Keith. It shows how to make a cabin with the most simple tools. Excellent DVD on this as well. Though Alaska is not the ideal locale for long term , this book shows what a desolate lifestyle is like. Excellent read! – Jason North Idaho

Letter Re: .50 BMG Rifles on AR-15 Receivers

Dear Jim:
I was reading Boston’s Gun Bible last night and he recommended purchasing a 50 BMG rifle because he believes that it is most definitely at the top of the “too be banned list.”

1.) Do you think that the .50 cal. is an intelligent purchase for a survival scenario?

2.) Boston mentioned a 50 BMG AR-15 conversion package where the .50 caliber upper is used on an AR-15 lower receiver to convert it to a [single shot] .50 BMG. (And, no FFL is required.) What is your opinion of this system? (The approximate cost is $2,000 for a single-shot bolt action. No magazines are used.)

3.) Barrett makes a .50 BMG rifle for about $8,000. And, for this price, do you like this brand? Or is there another .50 cal manufacturer that you would recommend? – B’shem Yahshua HaMoshiach, – Dr. Sidney Zweibel, Columbia P&S

JWR Replies: I do recommend buying one .50 BMG rifle for each family or group retreat, if you budget allows it. However, I’d recommend buying one only after you have bought your primary .308 rifles, your .45 ACP handguns for each adult as well as your key food storage and other logistics.

The brand that I recommend is the Spider Arms Ferret .50. It is a no-FFL .50 BMG upper kit that goes on a standard.223 AR lower. I believe that the “paperwork free AR upper” approach is preferable because it is both the most economical and low profile. It is important to use all legal means to avoid a paper trail, since “.50s” on Form 4473s might be subject to close scrutiny at a later date.) OBTW, I prefer the longer (36″) barrels. (The 18″ barrel offered with the Ferret .50 is way too short and the standard 29″ is a bit short to maximize the ballistics of the .50 BMG cartridge.)

In answer to your question on Barrett rifles, I would rather have a Ferret .50, or perhaps two of them, plus a lot of .50 BMG ammo and cash left over–all for the price of one Barrett.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mat the Prop Wizard sent a link for another great article from Make magazine. This one describes emergency arc welding, using automotive batteries. Cooool! I had heard this technique described by some off-road jeep rally buddies, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen the details in an article.

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Rourke mentioned that the Sci-Fi Channel is getting into the act, with their own “Countdown to Doomsday”–with numerous Doomsday Scenarios

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Independent Petroleum Geologist Jeffrey J. Brown’s commentary: “Has oil peaked?: Yes”

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The Homeland Security Department says that The U.S. is Not Ready for Disasters

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Man’s mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him, its content is not. To remain alive, he must act, and before he can act, he must know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain food without a knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a ditch — or build a cyclotron — without a knowledge of his aim and the means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think.” – John Galt in Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged