Letter Re: Be Prepared to Perform Tooth Extractions

Hi Jim,
A late night espresso kept me from sleeping, so I dove into some analysis of my dental office [records] for 2006. I practice in northern Idaho, so you know the population base I serve. My numbers surprised me. On average, I pull four teeth per day, perform three root canals per day, and fill 11 teeth per day, four days per week.
So in my office I treated about 1,350 people in varying degrees of pain in 2006. Those cavities I filled if left untreated would eventually cause mild to severe pain. Combine those numbers with all the other offices in the area, and the odds are at best that any person has a 12% chance of being inconvenienced with dental problems. Perhaps painfully inconvenienced.
People take their teeth for granted. It drives me crazy. Imagine your post-civilization lifestyle: try doing hard physical labor sunup/sundown with severe pulpitis. Try staying focused while standing guard when you are so swollen you look like elephant man. Try to shoot straight when the rifle recoil smashes into that rotten molar. Try getting your sweetie to kiss you when your mouth smells like jungle rot.

Now I haven’t read the book :”Where There Is No Dentist“, but it would probably be a good thing to have on one’s bookshelf. Laying on top of that book should be a #304 elevator, a 150 forcep, and 151 forcep. [Available from Zoll Dental and other Internet dental instrument suppliers.] I’ve pulled thousands of teeth with just these three instruments. Remember: elevate first and foremost! Get that tooth rocking, don’t force it or it will just snap and then the novice oral surgeon is probably SOL (the patient even more so). Check YouTube and the web, there might be some close-up videos of extractions. Get the instruments from eBay.
As I told an acquaintance: Research it now, or you’ll wish you had, later. Otherwise, you might be walking bare-a**ed and buck naked up my hill with nothing but a basket of eggs to hide your junk. That way I know you mean well and intend on bartering for my services. Alright, Alright, I’ll let folks wear boots and skivvies.
One other thing. I know your opinion on fluoride is negative. But as I treat people from all over the world, I can tell you from experience that fluoridated teeth are harder and much more resistant to tooth decay that non-fluoridated. I would have you consider this: post-civilization human life expectancy is going to drop. Violence and effects from malnutrition will be the primary killers, I imagine. Lets say you are right and everything you believe about fluoride is true–something else is going to kill you long before the effects from that element. I’d keep some on hand. Just my most humble two cents (copper) worth. Regards, – J.

Letter Re: Safety of Storing Ammunition in a Gun Vault

Jim,
Sorry if you’ve covered this topic before. First off, I’d like to thank you for the information on your blog. I bought a gun safe yesterday, and thanks to Bruce H.’s question a few weeks ago about the effects of an EMP on a safe’s electronic lock, I didn’t make the mistake of buying one with such a lock. (I’m close to Nellis AFB and somewhat close to the Nevada [nuclear] test site)
After I got done putting in my guns, family heirlooms, coin collection, etc., I put 500 rounds of .223 in the safe, too. I figured that if there was a break-in, flood, fire, or whatever, I’d still have some ammo to roll with. After I closed the rather large, armor plated door, I thought, “Now let’s see a burglar or inferno try and take our stuff away from us!”
Then the thought occurred to me: “What if it’s not the fire that destroys our stuff? What if it’s the 500 rounds inside that destroys our stuff after they cook off in there?” The manufacturer claims that the safe will withstand 1,275 degrees F for 90 minutes and writes about the safe, “Designed to maintain an interior temperature of less than 350 degrees.”
My question is this – Will ammo inside a safe at or near 350 degrees F cook off inside there? Thanks, Bill in Las Vegas


JWR Replies: Ammunition inside a vault will not “cook off” until temperatures reach very high levels–by that time your house will doubtless be totally engulfed in flames. And even then most ammunition is far less of a hazard than the house fire itself. (They essentially pop like firecrackers–their projectiles have very little velocity.)

Letter Re: Oregon’s Willamette Valley as a Retreat Locale?

Mr Rawles,
First off, I just wanted to thank you for having such a fantastic blog site, so much information and advice from one site is truly a time and hopefully life saver, thank you. Both me and my girlfriend have been rudely awakened by Peak Oil after watching [the documentary] “The End of Suburbia” on PBS last year, and after gathering as much information as possible from sites ( Peakoil.com, LATOC.com, TheOilDrum.com, et cetera) with what little spare time we have had, we have come to the conclusion that this will be the opening salvo for TSHTF. Add in global climate change, a collapsing economy and we come to the possibility of the beginning of TEOTWAWKI. We hope not yet.
Our question to you is about Oregon, specifically the Eugene area. We think this area might do well, but would consider all advice from someone such as yourself. Again thank you for your time.
Keep safe, – Todd and Kaye

JWR Replies: I do not recommend living anywhere within 125 miles of Portland. I do recommend some portions of eastern Oregon, and southwestern and south-central Oregon (detailed in my recently-released nonfiction book Rawles on Retreats and Relocation), because of their relatively lower population density–much lower than Portland and the Willamette Valley that stretches to the south. Although it is a agricultural region with a mild climate, the Portland-Eugene corridor has far too much population to leave me with a confident “comfort level.” The region might fare just fine in a 1930s-style depression, but in the event of something more severe–like a grid-down socioeconomic collapse, in my estimation there are about three or four times too many people than can be supported peaceably. (OBTW, if you’d like a glimpse of what the Willamette Valley might be like in a worst case economic collapse, read S.M. Stirling’s science fiction novel “Dies The Fire“.) Since you are concerned about a post-Peak Oil collapse, you might look particularly at the Grande Ronde Valley. Its population density is much more in line with sustainable self-sufficiency. And it gets a lot more sunshine than western Oregon, so it is more advantageous for photovoltaic (PV) alternative power systems. Just be sure to get a parcel that has plentiful water. And unless you have your heart set on Oregon, my personal recommendation for a much better Peak Oil retreat locale is the Palouse Hills region of north-central Idaho. It is a very good agricultural region with reliable rains, but it is far removed from the population centers of Portland and Seattle, as well as California’s enormous Golden Horde. (Again, for details on the Palouse, see Rawles on Retreats and Relocation.)

Two Letters Re: SurvivalBlog Hats and T-Shirts

Mr. Rawles,
I’ve talked to you a few times via e-mail and once in person. Recently you said you would like a photo of one of your hats being worn in Afghanistan or Iraq. I am headed back over again in a few weeks and would be glad to do that. I didn’t see a link to your hats etc. on the web so I thought I’d drop you a line and see how to buy one. Take care. – W.

JWR Replies: May God grant you safety on you next trip to The Big Sandbox. In answer to your question, SurvivalBlog hats, T-shirts, bumper stickers, tote bags, mouse pads, mugs, and so forth are available from Cafe Press, which is also the print-on-demand publisher of several of my non-fiction books sw well as my “Pulling Through” screenplay.

Hello Jim,
I have purchased four SurvivalBlog shirts from Cafe Press and have had the same results in public. Once in awhile someone will ask what the [quote on the] back of the shirt means, or makes a positive comment,… however, no one has commented about your blog as the blog name is only printed on the front. Since 50% of the shirt [surface area] is on the back side, I think it would be a huge value to your readership if you would put “survivalblog.com” on the rear. We wore ours out to Front Sight over the weekend and struck up some great conversations after going prone. Since we can’t always engage conversation with everyone, I think the change would be monumental on expanded readership and hopefully sponsorship/donations.
One of the range masters commented on how it took him several times to “get” everything on the rear of the shirt, it may be important to use a different font, size of letters, color, (which obviously adds cost therefore not as productive), or location on the shirt. Since shirts get tucked in many times, I feel readership would be best just below the neck, (i.e.- above the current text). This may still be visible if one was to wear to a college class just above their backpack as well. Of course, longer hair may impair some readability, but FFTAGFFR.
We had a great time in some crazy “combat conditions”, but an excellent result nonetheless.
Please do not consider this as chastising, rather desire to expand your success! Thanks Jim, – The Wanderer

Odds ‘n Sods:

Plant vault passes billion mark

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Readers Tom and “K”. both mentioned that D.S. Arms is another great source for FN-FAL magazines. They even have some 30 rounders.

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Wheat prices rise on scares

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SurvivalBlog reader Cliff mentioned that he was in the Douglasville, Georgia WalMart and noticed that they have, on clearance, boxes of sandbags, 100 bags for $5, marked down from $14.95. He said that these are all tagged on the boxes “www.911sandbags.com.” You might check your local WalMart to see if they have the same product and price.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” – C.S. Lewis

Letter Re: Advice on Enhancing Cool Basement Food Storage

Mr. Rawles:

We are building a new house with a basement. I am planning a food storage room in the corner of the basement that is the furthest underground. Can you guide me with details about how to plan that room, mainly about temperature. I know that cooler is better. The basement has poured cement walls. Should I insulate the [other] two walls [that are partitions] inside the basement? The rest of the basement will be heated, should I leave the vents out of that room all together? What about the vent that pulls air in for circulation? We are in Kentucky and have cold winters and hot summers. I am excited to finally have enough room to prepare my family for anything. Any help you can give me will be appreciated.
Thanks, – Linda

JWR Replies: To take best advantage of the ambient ground temperature and isolate the food storage area from the heated portion of your basement, you should definitely construct well-insulated partition walls–preferably using 2x6s and two bats (two thicknesses) of insulation. The thickness of the door through the partition wall is not as crucial as it being relatively airtight–to keep the cool air from "spilling out" from under the door. In my experience you should omit any vents unless the humidity is high, but your mileage may vary (YMMV).

Letter Re: Barbed Wire and/or Concertina Wire to Supplement Retreat Defense

James,
It is 4:00 PM and I have been out since 7:00 AM this morning repairing and running new barbed wire on my property. I ran about two miles worth today. While I was out enjoying the sun and spring air I got to thinking about some of the profiles in your database and how some of our friends say they X amount of Razor Wire ready to be installed when TSHTF. I would like to suggest that during or after TSHTF is the wrong time to be doing this kind of work. It is back breaking, dangerous work to be done by experienced people.

As I take inventory of the puncture wounds, the cuts, the scrapes and other sundry wounds I incurred today I wonder how in the world a city couple with little or no experience is going to manage putting up plain old barbed wire much less seriously more dangerous Razor Wire in a hurry after some event ends the world as we know it.

I have been doing fencing here for over 20 years and therefore have some degree of experience doing it. No matter how you try you will tear up your leather gloves, put holes in your t-shirt and your Blue Jeans. You have to stretch Barbed Wire and you need the proper tools to do that. Even if you wrap the wire around your hands and lean backwards to stretch it and have your wife run from post to post either nailing or wiring it up you will be dead tired and bleeding some multiple places. Oh, and by the way so will she.( I know this because the first time I did it I watched my wife running from post to post). Barbed Wire is heavy and uncooperative. It wants to roll back up onto the reel it just came off of.

So a word to the wise, if you really think you need to have that Barbed or Razor Wire consider putting it up now while you can do it leisurely or have the local Amish do it for you. – Carl in Wisconsin.

Letter Re: More About Understanding EMP and HEMP

JWR:
Your discussion about EMP effects from ground blast or a low altitude nuclear explosion [posted on April 23rd] was excellent. Apart from electromagnetic coupling to conductors, which would extend the destructive horizon, atmospheric nuclear explosion EMP effects are limited in range. This is due to several factors, first by the rapid absorption of gamma rays by molecules in the atmosphere (small absorption layer or boundary effect), and second by the line of sight radiation from the decay of the short lived Compton electrons (limited horizon effect). You correctly discount the likelihood of a high altitude EMP (HEMP) as an unlikely terrorist tactic since it would effectively require an intercontinental ballistic missile to position from outside the continental US (CONUS) or a clandestine ballistic missile launch from North America . There exist terrorist states (and likely terrorist organizations) with the capability to vertically launch a missile to the effective HEMP altitude of 300-450 km.

A little discussed effect of HEMP is that the EMP effect is “mirrored” by the earth’s magnetic lines of force to the opposite hemisphere, known as the magnetic conjugate (note Fig. 3 in the link). Thus a HEMP attack on the CONUS would also produce EMP effects in the southern hemisphere. It would be possible for a terrorist organization or state to launch a relatively unsophisticated nuclear armed missile straight up from a ship positioned in the southeast Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile . Properly positioned, this could theoretically blanket the entire CONUS with the “mirrored” EMP blast from the southern hemisphere.

Given your expertise and experience in military communications, do you know how efficient the magnetic conjugate coupling is, and whether this is a tactic we may need to consider? – NC Bluedog

JWR Replies: The Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) coupling factor is a great unknown, since there have beem no US atmospheric nuclear tests since the early 1960s. There is therefore a dearth of useful data. My advice is to just assume the worst case, and plan/design your countermeasures accordingly.

 

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader JH e-mailed to comment that a road infrastructure weakness has been revealed in Oakland, California. He wrote: “Yesterday a tanker truck loaded with 8,600 gallons of gasoline overturned and burst into flames collapsing the approach to the Oakland Bay Bridge. This bridge handles some 75,000 vehicles per day. Traffic will be re-routed for weeks or months. Does this not increase the strain on the other bridges in the area? What if another bridge/overpass is disabled? Is this not another indication to the terrorists that we are vulnerable in this vital area?” My advice: Plan multiple alternate “Get out of Dodge” routes, folks!

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Marines Ban Use of Commercial Body Armor

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InyoKern sent us this link: Honeybee CCD cause parasite, fungus and virus

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We’re all going to die, but three of us are going to do something” – Tom Burnett, an airline passenger on 9/11/01, just before engaging the terrorists on Flight 93

Note from JWR:

My thanks to all of the recent Ten Cent Challenge subscribers. I’m glad to see that so many of you find SurvivalBlog informative, useful, and worthy of support. Subscriptions are entirely voluntary, but an increasing number of readers are being noble and signing up for the Ten Cent Challenge. Some of you that are “secret squirrels” just mail cash or anonymous money orders, with no return address. That is appreciated just as much. My sincere thanks!

Letter Re: Any Utility in Caltrops or Tire Spikes for Retreat Defense?

James:
How do you rate caltrops for retreat defense? Would they flatten tires quickly enough to be useful? Perhaps on a long driveway? Thanks, – LKP

JWR Replies: Caltrops have been used as a defensive measure for centuries. I have my doubts about their utility in daylight, but they might prove useful at night. To be useful in daylight for defense against vehicle-borne looters approaching a retreat slowly, caltrops or tire spikes would have to be concealed, which is a huge legal liability. Because we live in very litigious times, I DO NOT recommend using caltrops or tire spikes in in anything but an absolute worst-case TEOTWAWKI situation, where you are completely on your own to defend your retreat, and there is no longer a functioning law enforcement or court system. Using them in any lesser situation is an invitation to a hugely expensive civil lawsuit and possible criminal sanctions. An ambulance-chasing attorney would have a field day, and the likely result would be that you would lose everything that you own in settling a lawsuit. Ironically, this is an example of where using deadly force against an intruder (namely, a firearm) is less likely to result in a lawsuit than a non-lethal weapon. Civil court juries tend to be very sympathetic to “maimed” plaintiffs, and are prone to award disproportionately huge “pain and suffering” damages.

Caltrops and tire spikes are banned in some states in the US, and Australia.

With all that said, commercially made caltrops are available, as are tire spike strips, although most manufacturers will only sell them to law enforcement agencies ordering on department letterhead. The best of these use hollow spikes, so they can defeat even self-sealing tires. And example of this type is the HOllow-Spike TYre Deflation System (HOSTYDS), manufactured in the UK.

Letter Re: Lead From Car Batteries–Can it Be Recycled Into Cast Bullets?

JWR,
In relation to the question about casting bullets from battery lead: There are a few things you need to keep in mind when dealing with things like old batteries and such. The first is, when lead-acid cells are drained, the metallic lead is converted into lead sulfate. So the ideal battery to use for this is one which is fully charged. I suppose it is technically possible for you to take an uncharged battery, and cook the plates down with a dry base such as sodium hydroxide (mineral wood ash–pour water through wood ashes, remove solids will give you some hydroxide salts KOH/NaOH) and then you are likely to get anything not reduced off as dross.
The other issue is, most batteries have some pretty strange alloy compositions. In many cases antimony, calcium, and strontium are added to the lead to improve it’s structural qualities. While antimony is a good thing, the calcium and strontium do not lend the alloy very desirable casting qualities. Which means your only choice is to try to burn these out. Thankfully both bond rather strongly with chlorine, so if you have a way of producing chlorine gas (electrolysis of salt brine, chlorine gas etc) it is possible to remove these impurities.
Then you have to add something back to the lead (usually tin) that will allow it to whet properly. If you look around, you can find hard lead shot, which often has up to 15% antimony, and occasionally 5-10% tin. If you are careful about weighing your starting materials you could come up with alloys which have the right characteristics for use in this.
As you mentioned, the wheel weights are a good source. At present I cast bullets commercially using wheel weight lead as my starting alloy (to which I add a proprietary number of components to make everything come out the way I want it). The problem is, I don’t think I have enough time in the day to run around and collect the wheel weights from every vehicle I can see. The batteries are a much better source, but are likely out of reach for the amateur.
However, there is much more lead in a car than just the wheel weights. The radiators of most vehicles are full of lead. This is usually a 60/40 lead/tin alloy which is great for creating alloys with any wheel weights you are trying to get to turn out better. In most cases radiators can contain up to a pound, if not more, of lead.
Lead is a very common material. It is resistant to most corrosion, and is used in a wide variety of applications from radiation shielding to pipes in chemical plants, and lets not forget stained glass windows. (But then, I suppose if you’re really hurting for raw materials, perhaps looting the church of the cames might be forgivable.)
If you are truly interested in a source of “after the crash” raw material supplies, look to see what is around you, there may be a harbor, or ship refitter nearby who uses lead for ballast in ships or sailboats, who may trade with you for a more usable product (ammo). Or it may just be abandoned. Lead, copper, and iron are sure to be the most important materials after a serious crash, either because they last in a metallic state, or because we made so much of it, that there is almost no way for it to return to it’s natural state (an ore, oxide, sulfate etc). While aluminum is a commonly
recyclable material, it is difficult to produce without a lot of electrical energy, and the conveniences of gas powered mining equipment.
By far the best solution is to stock up now. I currently have a number of tire shops I have existing agreements with as far as lead [scrap wheel weight] collection. I regularly collect more scrapwheel weights than I need to meet my operating requirements. For the most part, I melt it down with the rest, ingot it out, and stuff it somewhere until ready for use.One true advantage of lead
is that it won’t rot if I bury it. And if you cast big enough ingots no one is going to want to steal them 😉 . The largest single ingot I cast was about 500lbs, it was 21″x21″x~20″ Might have been a touch bigger. I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to do with it, but I do know that I could leave it in any bad neighborhood and no one is going to be successful stealing it. Best of luck to you all. Sincerely, – AVL