Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader J.K. mentioned that FEMA has a very informative booklet available, “Taking Shelter From The Storm” See: http://www.fema.gov/fima/tsfs02.shtm. This booklet includes case studies and engineering drawing for several different safe room locations.

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SurvivalBlog reader Overhill spotted this Asian Avian Flu planning guide from Uncle Sugar: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/planguide/

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And you thought that the U.S. 1994 “Assault Weapons” ban was dead and buried–or at least “sunsetted”? Guess again. The ultra-liberal wing of the U.S. Senate has re-introduced it, as new legislation. (S. 645) The sponsors are mostly “the usual suspects”: Lautenberg, Corzine, Schumer, Boxer, Kennedy, Durbin, Mikiluski, Sarbanes, Reed, Akaka, Dodd, and of course Hitlery Clinton. Time to call your senator’s office and get this piece of Schumer stopped, pronto.

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As cited in Wednesday’s issue of The Daily Reckoning, The Mortgage Bankers Association expects U.S. mortgage originations to drop off
by 20% this year; it says refinancing should fall by 40%.

Jim’s Quote of the Day

“I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” – John Wayne as J.B. Books in The Shootist

Letter Re: Shelf Life of NiMH Batteries?

No one seems to know about storing new NiMH batteries pre-charging for a long term, I wouldn’t try it with testing it for several years first as any chemicals of this type age with time. Here is some specific info on the storage and longevity of NiMH batteries, from Wikipedia and other battery FAQs. They are your best bet for power density and economy for rechargeables, but for really long term storage 5-10 years the single use Lithium type batteries are the best (and are available in AAA, AA, C, D and 9 volt sizes).

Disposable alkaline batteries are designed to be used only once. Even if never taken out of the original package, disposable (or “primary”) batteries can lose two to twenty-five percent of their original charge every year.

Many people believe that storing batteries at cool temperatures, such as in the refrigerator, reduces the rate of these side reactions and extends the storage life of the battery — this may have been true in the past with older technology batteries. Modern batteries should be stored in a dry place and at normal room temperatures.

All rechargeable batteries self-discharge more rapidly than disposable alkaline batteries. In fact, they can self-discharge up to three percent a day (again, depending on temperature).

With the exception of lead-acid batteries, most NiMH batteries can be recharged 500-1000 times while NiCd batteries can only be recharged about approximately 400 times. Nickel metal hydride batteries have a high self-discharge rate of approximately 30% per month and more. This is higher than that of NiCd batteries, which is around 20% per month.

Like any rechargeable battery, even the one in your car, some capacity will be lost after a certain amount of time when rechargeable batteries are stored and not used for extended periods of time.. Normally all that is required with most NiMH batteries is to run them through 3 charge / discharge cycles and normally this will revive them to full capacity. Also keep in mind that even when used on a regular basis, some capacity is lost with each cycle, although very small.

Letter Re: Motorcycles as Bug-Out Vehicles

Dear James:
Since I am tied to the outer edge of a major metro area for business and family reasons I have been wrestling with an alternative to a car or truck as a bug out vehicle (BOV).I am very worried about an EMP strike sooner or later – it just makes too much sense from an enemy’s point of view, so EMP-proofing is critical in my book. By the way, the Lights Out online novel about an EMP strike is a very good read, and it gets you thinking of many factors that are not obvious at first glance. After thinking it through, motorcycles look to be the best “Get Out of Dodge” vehicle if the roads are all clogged with debris, crowds or stationery vehicles, etc., etc., as you can weave around obstacles, and go off-road if need be. You give up the carrying capacity and protection of a few thousand pounds of steel, but you get more mobility, the ability to squeeze through tight spots, and to go off-road on trails, sidewalks, utility rights of way, etc., etc.So I was looking for a motorcycle, specifically a diesel, because of the reduced fire hazard from diesel versus gas, so you can store it more safely (especially important when carrying fuel cans). And, if memory serves, diesel stores significantly longer to boot. The ideal situation: you fuel your EMP-proof diesel truck, and your motorcycle BOV out of the same fuel canister (and keep your bike BOV in the back of the truck, or on a trailer.) Once upon a time, there was a fair selection of diesel bikes, see:
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_bikes.html Now you have the new military diesel motorbike:
http://www.dieselmotorcycles.com/newsletter/newsletter_nov_05.htm
but $19,000 :-O for one of 200 “collector bikes” made this year seems a little steep for a motorbike – diesel mil-spec or not.The only well-supported DIESEL bike I have found is a newer entry into the off-road bike market called the Ecorider (The Hippo model.)
http://www.ecorider.us/ Advantages: DIESEL, very robust, very reliable, quiet, light at 330 lbs., can tow 500+ lbs. (comes with tow bar), idiot-proof to ride (no shifting other than reverse, very low and High, all done when you are stationary) and the diesel engine gets 120 mpg!!! Made in Scotland, of all places, with high quality, mostly European parts. German Hatz engine which, I’m told is well supported in the US. http://www.hatzusa.com/home.php Disadvantages: Only goes 32 mph (maybe 35+ pushing it), but you probably don’t want to be speeding your way into TSHTF trouble anyway. Proceeding extremely cautiously is the best way, as is so well illustrated in the “road trip” in Patriots. Does have some EMP-vulnerable electronics in the Glow Plug controller. But, worst case, if these are fried and no battery, I’m told that some vigorous pull-starting should heat things up enough for a cold-weather start (electric AND pull start standard). Any engineers with expert opinion on this? There is also a fuel line solenoid, but this can be manually bypassed as well. Does not have power to BOTH wheels like the gas-powered Rokon (http://www.rokon.com), but unlike the Rokon, has no critical electronics in a gas engine ignition, and looks to be a higher quality design (and the Ecorider is $1,000 less expensive)
Just in case I sound like a salesman for Ecorider – I’m not! Just looking forward to adding one to my preparations. I’ll keep you posted on my experience riding and trailer hauling capabilities. Regards, OSOM – “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”

Letter Re: The Vault Room: Preparedness in Tornado Alley, and Beyond

JR-
Safes and safe doors are a statement of the times. I have to laugh and gasp when I see those old glass fronted, wood gun cabinets of our grandfathers generation. Today they make good bookshelves or curio cabinets… with that in mind, I would really appreciate it if you could sometime look into finding someone or some firm that makes an affordable "do it yourself" gun safe or a walk in safe door. Lets face it, many of us are on a shoestring budget, long on talent and time but short on money. Short of stumbling upon an absolute "steal" at an estate sale etc, (and I have been too late in all cases to buy them) there has to be an alternative to just "buying" a safe solution from a high dollar dealer. Even with several makers close by, I find their prices still too high for our budget. There are those of us not really interested in buying a safe designed to survive an encounter with the devils own firestorm, or one that is affordable but to small to provide any storage. Some simply want to prevent or slow down an intruder, and provide a greater peace of mind- there has to be an alternative. Perhaps if you or someone out there is knowledgeable and very creative, a reader perhaps could share their experiences with low, or no budget walk in safe door designs. Perhaps someone has converted a former Navy ship door or blast door for that purpose. And perhaps they would be willing to share how they constructed a good camouflage for that walk-in door… Going one step closer, I would encourage anyone out there with the skills and talents who has done such a project to consider marketing their idea and making it available to a niche of buyers who might be interested in such affordable products. Thanks. – Boosters

Odds ‘n Sods

A BBC crew is filming a documentary on life at a Fairhaven Hutterite settlement near Ulm, Montana. See: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/03/03/news/state/55-hutterite-filming.txt

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Col. Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries are now available at: http://harris.dvc.org.uk/jeff/

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Fox News warns of housing bubble pinprick: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,187831,00.html

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I just heard from Vic at Safecastle (one of our advertisers) that there has been a rush of large orders for Mountain House freeze dried foods because of Asian Avian Flu preparations. Order fulfillment timetables are now two months out, as many of the Mountain House foods are now out of stock. However, Vic can still take orders for SurvivalBlog readers at the deep discounts previously mentioned here, and he will still offer free shipping on any order booked before March 31. But be aware that delivery will now take a couple of months. Get your order in soon, to take advantage of the sale price and to get delivery before the backlog stretches out any farther!

Note From JWR:

Special Thanks to SurvivalBlog reader Doug H. who out of the kindness of his heart utilized some arcane scripting voodoo to add an anchor to each entry in The SurvivalBlog Glossary. Henceforth, clicking on each link to the Glossary will result in a specific entry being displayed. For example, try clicking on: “TEOTWAWKI.” Note that it will take us a while to go back through and retrofit all of the existing Glossary links, to make them properly “targeted.” Thanks for your patience.

The Vault Room: Preparedness in Tornado Alley, and Beyond

The recent string of tornados in the Midwest clearly illustrate that point that every family should have a very sturdy vault/safe room. Just a standard basement will not suffice as a shelter.The following newspaper quote came in the aftermath of a tornado in 2005: “…According to Rizzo, Harold O. Orlofske, 54, who died in the Stoughton tornado, had properly sought safety in the basement of his home but was killed when the chimney collapsed onto him…” (See: USA Today Article)

If properly constructed, one room can simultaneously fill several vital roles: Walk-in gun vault, storm shelter, fallout shelter, and panic room. By planning ahead and with only a bit more expense, you can also devise a hidden entrance to your shelter. An example of a well executed under-garage shelter was built by SurvivalBlog reader Rourke. (The gent that moderates the Yahoo Survival Retreat and Secure Home Forum) Don’t miss Rourke’s shelter/vault construction photos at: http://tinyurl.com/np82e.

There are lots of vendors that construct either basement or above ground safe/shelters. But beware: There are a lot of designs that cut corners. Some reputable vendors include: Gaffco (in New York, New York), Ready Made Resources(one of our loyal advertisers, in Tellico Plains, Tennessee), Remagen Safe Rooms (in Monteagle, Tennessee), SafeCastle (another one of our loyal advertisers, in Minnesota), StormSafeRoom.com (in Tulsa, Oklahoma), and USStormShelters.com (in Decatur, Texas).

If you want to have the work done by a local contractor, vault doors are also available separately from a variety of firms. For example: Chief’s Security and Safes (in Dallas, Texas), Fort Knox (sold through distributors throughout the U.S.), Oregon Trail Safe Company (in Hermiston, Oregon), and Rhino Safe (in Caldwell, Idaho).

Letter Re: Advice on Long Term Moth-Proof Clothing Storage?

JR-
A great deal of discussion regarding emergency kits, bug out bags, and general storage of necessities always dominates survival and preparedness related literature, web sites and blogs. I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of the best way to pack clothing for long-term storage. Ideally, vacuum sealing of individual items as well as a complete days worth of clothing would be best, however in the absence of a close to anaerobic environment that would keep out moisture as well as most fiber eating insects such as moths from staying alive to eat holes in your clothes, what can be done to kill or neutralize insects from destroying clothing? Not everyone can afford a vacuum sealer and the costly bags that are necessary. Maybe there is a method to use common good quality garbage bags and “zip lock” bags for success. Are common mothballs sufficient to render insects dead? if so how many etc, Do any readers have any suggestions or old fashioned methods that would be helpful? Are there any Homemakers who might be able to render advice, Are there any web sites dedicated to this topic, Maybe a military Tech Manual dealing with warehousing of items might be available? I think this topic is worth exploring. Thanks, – Boosters

The Memsahib Replies: We have tried several brands of commercially-made vacuum storage bags over the years, and have been disappointed by all of them. Nothing bigger that the small Food Saver bags (which we use for socks and other small articles of clothing) seems to hold its seal for a long period of time. Either the plastic breaks down and the bags develop splits, or they get punctured with handling, or the various sealing mechanisms don’t retain their airtight integrity. 🙁 Do any SurvivalBlog readers know of a brand that really works for long term storage?

Letter Re: Asian Avian Flu, Storage Food, and the Current Bulk Ammo Shortage

Mr. Rawles,
Katie bar the door, get your beans and bullets, now. Driving into work I heard the supreme potentate Sean Hannity himself say that he had a stockpile of food as well as a separate broadcast facility closer to his house with generator back-up and its own satellite feed for when “times got bad.” His caller was giving Sean the Mormon guide to foodstuff stocking per adult per year. I don’t know what the lead in for this discussion was about, it might have been Asian Avian flu or the Iran situation, but I thought it was interesting that a national audience heard a national commentator state he had a stockpile in place and thought it was a good idea. I bet Sam’s Club will be overrun tomorrow morning.

Speaking of Bird Flu, I am a nurse in an ER in Texas and we (Doctors/Nurses) just had to complete an internal continuing education course on how to contend with a flu pandemic. After finishing the course we (nurses) came to the conclusion that when this transpires there will not be enough supplies/medication/respirators/positive pressure rooms to go around. It will be beyond most humans’ comprehension how fast the medical infrastructure as we know it will crumble.

A side note on the ammunition threads that have popped up lately. I have the great fortune of living near Cabela’s, Cheaper Than Dirt and numerous Academy Sporting Good stores. Academy has virtually NO handgun ammunition on the shelf in any store. The clerk told me there would be none in the foreseeable future because their warehouses have none. Cheaper Than Dirt has NO 7.62 [NATO] on the shelf and has had none for the last two months. I was at Cabela’s last week and they had the handgun ammo and .223 but I could not find 7.62. The local gun show in Dallas this past weekend did have all types of ammo and that situation was taken advantage of, believe me. I would advise stocking up ASAP, guns/ammo sales are skyrocketing. R.S., RN

Odds ‘n Sods:

A 50/50 chance of mutation and then up to 50% of the world’s population dead?Yikes! This one is a must read: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/AvianFlu/story?id=1724801

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Arab Central Banks Switch Some Assets from Dollars to Euros. See: http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article351127.ece

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I just heard thatReady Made Resources has received some scarce late issue digital TA -1042A/U U.S. military field telephones, brand new in the box. This is the current issue type requires a four conductor wire (or two runs of standard WD-1 commo wire.) The good news is that you can talk in full duplex! Any 12 volt power source works fine: a car battery, motorcycle battery, or a pair of lantern batteries. You can talk point-to-point with these without having go through a switchboard. They have just a few pairs available, so don’t hesitate.

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Bill Bonner, editor of The Daily Reckoning cites an ominous piece that ran in The Wall Street Journal: “More than $2 trillion of U.S. mortgage debt, or about a quarter of all mortgage loans outstanding, comes up for interest-rate resets in 2006 and 2007,” reports the WSJ this morning. “…some borrowers will have trouble meeting the higher payments and may be forced to sell their homes or could lose their homes to foreclosures.”

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Bernanke: Budget Deficits Endanger Economy: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/3/14/163001.shtml?s=br

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Climate change ‘irreversible’ as Arctic sea ice fails to re-form: http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article351135.ece

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More on the Silver Exchange Traded Fund: here

Jim Quote of the Day:

“Thou [art] my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.
Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit [is] falsehood. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth [like] dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.” – Psalm 119:114-119 (KJV)

Note From JWR:

Special Thanks to SurvivalBlog reader Doug H. who out of the kindness of his heart utilized some arcane scripting voodoo to add an anchor to each entry in The SurvivalBlog Glossary. Henceforth, clicking on each link to the Glossary will result in a specific entry being displayed. For example, try clicking on: “TEOTWAWKI.” Note that it will take us a while to go back through and retrofit all of the existing Glossary links, to make them properly “targeted.” Thanks for your patience.