Letter Re: Updated Nuclear Weapon Targeting Data?

Hi Jim,
A couple of things for you. First, nuclear target data, from www.armscontrolwonk.com

Though it’s not nearly as cool as the real thing (much less with the effects computer), a scanned version of the 1977 edition is available online either as a single PDF or broken up by chapters. The 1957 edition is also available.
1977 as a single PDF
1977 divided by chapter
1957 as a single PDF

Second…
I’ve just received thousands and thousands of pages of new nuke, civil defense, sheltering, Soviet military history, very interesting field manuals and more. The stack is over four feet height. I’ll be producing a list of titles, data, page counts and more the next few weeks. Many I’ve only dreamed of finding. Now the SurvivalRing Survival library has over 20,000 new pages of PURE DATA.

A good chunk will be scanned in over time. Two great deals…one on eBay, and the other from Greg Overbay who’s been on my SurvivalRing mailing list for years. He had to sell his library to prepare for a move to South America. I covered postage, and gave him 26,000 pages of my survival data on my two CD productions…we both came out ahead. The data to come online from these finds and purchases can save millions of lives, should any balloon go up. Contact me at SurvivalRing.org. – Rich Fleetwood

Letter Re: An American Source for Canned Bread

Mr. Rawles,
My the Lord bless and keep you and yours. In response to your mention of the Japanese bread in a can. I found [a similar] canned bread locally (through a friend in West Virginia) at a “Martins Grocery store.” They are mostly a Northeastern U.S. operation. The canned bread is made by B&M (the same company that makes the beans) for about $2.65 a can if I remember right. Tried the Bread and Raisins and it must be kept moist and it is best (IMO) warm and with butter. It is very good, but I have no idea of the shelf life [since] it is not [marked] on the can. I have nothing against the Japanese and who knows B&M might be Japanese owned, but I find it easier to get here. You can cut it by opening both ends [of the can], and then pushing out the desired amount, using the edge of the can as a guide, cut it exactly how you want. This is a link that is almost amusing about the bread.

Here is a link to a place (on the net) that sells American canned bread.

Here is a site that did a nutritional analysis of the bread.
I found the following statement interesting (from that site)

The Good
This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Selenium, and a very good source of Manganese.
The Bad
This food is high in Sodium.

All the best – C.K.

JWR Replies: As you’d expect, my preference is for well-prepared families to grind their own whole wheat flour (from their stored hard red winter wheat) and bake their own bread. Together with the other store bought ingredients, this is a source of nutritious whole wheat bread with a net cost of around 1 to 2 cents per ounce. For comparison, consider that typical store bought bread is 9 to 18 cents per ounce. Canned bread is 29+ cents per ounce, not counting postage, if you buy it via mail order. But of course fresh bread lasts two or three days, whereas canned bread stores for two or three years. So canned bread does have its place in preparedness planning.

 

 

Letter Re: North American Amateur Radio Field Day

Hello Jim,

This weekend (June 24 & 25) is field day for Amateur Radio. This is when Amateur Radio operators practice operating in the field using emergency power. Most clubs around the country and the world will be camped out somewhere in the neighborhood or countryside operating for a 24 hour period. The public is invited to come learn about Amateur Radio and the public service they provide in disasters and try operating themselves. You can find info about local clubs from the ARRL web site or just search the web as most local clubs have their own web sites nowadays. – D.C.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson recommended this 24 Hour World Disaster Map.

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SurvivalBlog reader Fred the Valmet-meister mentioned this essay by Pat Buchanan, about the decline of General Motors.

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David in Israel Recommends: “Start stocking up on UV resistant plastic sheeting which can be purchased from garden and many hardware and farm stores. This sheeting can be used to collect rainwater, patch a roof, make solar still, and build greenhouses. It can last up to three years in sunlight.” JWR Adds: One of the major brands of semi-transparent polyethylene plastic is “Visqueen.” For longest life (in sunlight) and the greatest versatility, be sure to get the thicker (6 mil) variety. Another great product to stock up on is UV resistant white shrink wrap. This is the heavy white sheeting that you’ve probably seen on power boats that have been “winter wrapped.”

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Mr. Bravo spotted this story about the mountains of disaster relief supplies that the American Red Cross has warehoused. Upon reading this, I realized that in a truly major disaster that transport will be disrupted, so odds are that the vast majority of those supplies will not make it into the hands of the people that need them. This underscores the importance of every family being well-prepared and self-sufficient. Folks can’t depend on the cavalry charging over the hill to their rescue. For most of us, natural disasters are a YOYO (“You’re on Your Own”) situation. I just hope that enough people get my preparedness course and use it to get their key logistics squared away.

Note From JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction (for a fully stocked M-17 Advanced Medical Bag/Rucksack) has advanced again, to $255. Special thanks to the fine folks at Ready Made Resources, who kindly donated the kit. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on the last day of June.

Guns for Unobtrusive Backpack Stowage

I recently had a consulting client on the hurricane prone Gulf Coast of Texas ask me about what he should do about his firearms in the event of a natural disaster. He was concerned that in a “worst case” his family might end up as refugees at an emergency relocation center. Guns could be a contentious issue in the event that officials order that refugees be disarmed “for their protection.” (It has happened before, and it might happen again.)

In my younger days, before I had land of my own, I had considerable experience with backpack stowage of rifles. I often went plinking on a piece of U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered land that was only accessible by a short trail that passes through State Park land. To avoid explaining to the park rangers where I was planning to go shoot, I stowed the whole works in a traditional (exposed tubular frame type) backpack. At the time, I had a CAR-15, a AR-7 .22, a folding stock Remington Model 870 riot shotgun, a Savage Model 24F (.223 Remington over 12 gauge), and various handguns. My pack could accommodate any of these guns. (But obviously not all at once.) I only had to make one modification to my pack to make it work. That was to cut out and re-sew part of the stitching that divides the upper from the lower compartment of the pack, leaving a tunnel between the compartments. With my pack, this provided about 22 inches of usable space.

For the guns that have barrels that are too long for the pack, I keep a handy 9 inch length of white 2″ diameter PVC pipe with a standard PVC end cap attached to place over any part of the barrel that protrudes from the top of the pack. With this sticking out of the top of the pack, it looks like you are carrying a broken-down fishing pole, rather than a broken-down long gun. Such PVC tubing is standard equipment for backpackers that carry fishing poles, so it never got more than a passing glance. (Occasionally, thinking that I’m a fisherman, folks asked where the fish are biting.) In five years of going to my favorite piece of BLM land, I was never stopped, questioned, or searched. Keeping a low profile avoids the time and trouble of answering questions posed by “officials” that may or may not have an adequate understanding of applicable local, state, and federal firearms carry and use laws. Why put yourself at risk, needlessly? Words from the wise: When transiting public lands, it is best to stow your guns in your pack and keep your mouth shut. But be sure to consult you local and State laws on concealed carry before doing so.

Notes on particular gun models and varieties:
Handguns: Soft “butterfly” cases are more compact and flexible to stow in packs than hard cases.
Armalite/Charter Arms/Survival Arms AR-7: The perfect backpacker’s plinker. Compact, lightweight, inexpensive, .22 ammo is also lightweight and cheap, quick assembly and disassembly. Spare magazines are inexpensive. It is small enough that it will even fit unobtrusively in a small backpack such as the Army issue LC-1/LC-2 series packs. BTW, the Marlin “Papoose” semi-auto takedown .22 has similar dimensions when stowed.
AR-15, M4, CAR-15: The M4 and CAR-15 stow best. Buy an after-market AR such as an Eagle Arms, Olympic Arms, or Bushmaster. These come with two quick takedown pins rather than the bogus rear-takedown pin and “two-screws-instead-of-a-front- takedown-pin” nonsense that is used on the original Colts. The Colt front takedown screw design is a monstrosity. It takes three hands and two screwdrivers used simultaneously to disassemble or reassemble the Colt-made guns. This hardly qualifies as “easy takedown.”
Savage Model 24: Relatively quick takedown into two halves that are readily stowed in a pack. These have takedown similar to most single shot, side-by-side, over-and-under shotguns and combination guns. For this type of gun, barrel length is is the most important consideration. Barrels longer than 20 inches are a problem for covert pack stowage.
Remington Model 870 and similar pump actions: Will only fit in a pack if a folding stock or pistol grip is installed. They tend to sting if shot with a pistol grip and when thus equipped they are horribly inaccurate, so I recommend that you buy a folding stock. If you insist on buying a pistol grip, buy the Pachmayr “Vindicator” grip. It is rubber coated so there less of a sting. (But still no fun with 3″ magnums.)

Letter Re: My Portable Solar Power System

James,
I thought I would just write a quick note, you and your readers may be interested in the portable solar power setup I built for using my Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine on extended camping trips. See: http://mtoal.dyndns.org/solar Regards, – Hannibal

JWR Replies: Folks with chronic health conditions (for example sleep apnea, diabetes, or dependence on medical oxygen) definitely need to plan ahead for TEOTWAWKI. I commend you both for your ingenuity and your foresight. BTW, you must be one burly dude to carry that battery box. Put that thing on wheels and save on chiropractor bills!

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!