Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." – John Quincy Adams, eldest son of President John Adams and sixth President of the United States, 1767-1848

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 7 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 $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If you want a chance to win Round 7, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 7 will end on November 30th. Remember that the articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Herbal Survival Medicine by KLS in Ohio

Here in the U.S. we have grown up in an age where hospitals and family clinics are an accepted, common place necessity. Our medical professionals with their full range of antibiotics have the best triage training in the world. If you’re in a car accident in the U.S. you are most likely to survive if you make it to a hospital. They’ll fix you right up! But they aren’t well equipped in preventing disease. As in Jim’s novel “Patriots” when the character ‘Mary’ used herbs such as Comfrey to treat their wounded, we may not have access to modern medicines in a TEOTWAWKI situation. I have been studying herbal treatments for my family in my spare time for 15 or so years and have discovered I’ve only scratched the surface of an abundant resource given by Our Creator.

Modern American Pharmaceuticals only utilize a little over 500 herbs as a base to synthesize medicines, but cultures older than ours have found a vast array of restorative remedies from plants. Chinese medicine utilizes over 5,700 herbs. Traditional Ayervedic (religious) medicine of India uses about 2,000 plant species. Arabic medicine uses over 2,000 herbs. Current U.S. medical treatments are based on the idea that “the absence of symptoms is health”. Conversely, Chinese medicine has a 3,000 year history and is based on the idea that “the absence of disease is health.” Arab herbalists developed effective remedies using the practice of combining three or more complementary herbs to treat many diseases and illnesses while Europe was in the Dark Ages. Even Native American Tribal cultures developed many remedies using the indigenous plants of our continent.

How sad it would be if we were to loose the work of thousands of years of herbal medical knowledge in a SHTF moment. Granted, there have been those charlatans, weird hocus-pocus and “snake-oil” traders of the past. But have hope! Modern science has confirmed volumes of effective herbal remedies that have been used for thousands of years in many cultures around the world.

Did you know that your kitchen spice cabinet holds many powerful remedies for common ailments and very few herbal remedies have dangerous side effects when used properly? For example; Black Pepper, garlic, cloves, parsley and ginger are powerful partners for digestive tract disorders. Fresh blue spruce tips steeped in hot water for 15-20 minutes suppresses chronic coughing. Chickweed provides a dose of salt in a difficult wilderness situation. Raw pumpkin seeds crushed and followed by 12 ounces of water 30 minutes before each meal for 7 days will expel worms. Black Cumin, Garlic and All-heal Herb have natural antibiotic/ antiviral properties. And this is just the start!

There is no reason to fear remedies that look like something from the spice cabinet rather than a Colorfully labelled, hermetically sealed package. Get some books and start reading. Cross-reference between a few books for any remedy before using it and with the more dangerous stuff. PLEASE CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL/TRAINED HERBAL PRACTITIONER. There is no substitute for genuinely knowledgeable people to teach us and help us to be and do our best in this life. Don’t guess – either know it or find someone who does.

Books that I can recommend are: Natural Health Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier, FNIMH; Growing 101 Herbs That Heal by Tammi Hartung; Wilderness Medicine, by Paul Aurbach; Peterson Field Guides-Edible Wild Plants, by Lee Allen Peterson; What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell, M.D.; The Ultimate Survival Guide by John Wiseman.

For further training you could do Home Study with “East West School of Herbology.” I’m sure Mr. Rawles and the Memsahib have excellent recommendations as well. – KLS in Ohio

Odds ‘n Sods:

I recently drove down most of the length of Idaho on Highway 95. Many of the Idaho stretches of this highway would be classified as a “secondary road” in most other states. But it is Idaho’s only north-south corridor–the equivalent of California’s Highway 5. It connects two economically distinct regions. Southern Idaho is economically tied to the humble potato, and adjoining Utah. It is on Mountain Time. Northern Idaho is economically tied to logging and to the easternmost portions of adjoining Oregon and Washington. It is on Pacific Time. Highway 95 is so pitifully under-engineered that it earned the nickname “The Goat Trail” by former governor Cecil Andrus. But I digress… I saw dozens of great looking deer and elk on my drive, including a nice 5×4 bull elk. He just stood there looking at me, a short 70 yards away. Too bad that I didn’t have an Idaho elk tag, and that our digital camera was in the vault at home. You gotta love Idaho: Where the roads are marginal, but the wildlife is spectacular.

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A reminder that the October sale just for SurvivalBlog readers at Mountain Brook Foods ends Tuesday! The following discounts are available for in-stock items only:
20% off Orders of $100 to $249
30% off Orders of $250 to $499.99
40% off Orders over $500, not to exceed $2,500.
To place your order go to www.mountainbrookfoods.com. There you will see there full line of storage foods and books. Note, however, that their web site lists only their standard pricing. To get the SurvivalBlog October special pricing, enter “SurvivalBlog” as the coupon discount code. If you have any questions about this special offer or any their products you can contact Mountain Brook at: support@mountainbrookfoods.com or call toll free: (877) 668-6826.

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Over at Gold-Eagle.com, Eric Janszen warns: Don’t let the 12,000 DJIA fool you. He describes it as a”dead cat bounce” rally in the midst of a secular bear market that began in 2000.

 

 

Note From JWR:

If you read SurvivalBlog at least once a week and you find it useful, then please sign up for a 10 Cent Challenge subscription. SurvivalBlog subscriptions are entirely voluntary, and gratefully accepted.

Letter Re: Conjecture on North Korea’s Intentions

Mr. Rawles:
In looking at the situation that has unfolded over the past month in North Korea, I see two possible paths that North Korea could be headed towards. Path one is the atypical playground bully turned armed robber who has become accustomed to people putting up their hands when confronted, only he has had the misfortune to run into someone who has attended a Front Sight course and carries a full frame 1911… ’nuff said. The game is up, and the robber just soiled his boxers. If this is the case, we won’t be having any more trouble from this nation. They tried to play nuclear poker and realized that their opponents are stronger, better equipped, and when confronted with a nuclear strike will have no hesitation on the retaliatory strike.
Path two is more insidious. In this situation, Kim Jong Il has tested the waters of nuclear politics with his live test of a device, and has found the waters to be hostile. Because his nuclear arsenal is in the early stages of development and cannot be effectively deployed, he’s doing a political tactical withdrawal, with the intent of pushing the program under deep cover. Once he’s apologized, the sanctions lifted and several years have gone by, he will resurface with a strong and deployable arsenal, capable of reaching the US.
My money is on path two. The threat with North Korea and Iran is real, and they have developed societies that hate America and all that America represents. If they could get international acceptance by detonating a test device, they have moved up a rung on the prestige chain. If they get sacked diplomatically (as is the case), they have a clearly defined path which takes them to the same destination, which is to have the capability of executing a first strike against the continental United States.
I don’t think we’ve seen the last of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, and my suspicion is that Iran is not-so-quietly developing similar capabilities. – Mark from Florida

Letter Re: Handgun Caliber Selection–Advice on .357 SIG and .40 S&W?

Jim:
Had any experience with .40 S&W and .357 SIG? I’m trying out a .40sw conversion and a .357 SIG conversion for my KelTec P-11. Oughta be wild with a 14 ounce frame handgun.
Just wondered if you’d shot either and what your thoughts were. I know, they are both uncommon calibers. But this is just for funsies. I am still mainly .22,.45, .223, .308 & 12 gauge. I’m just doing this on a lark. Gotta do a lark once in awhile to keep the perspective. Neat thing about the KelTec. (A cheap but well built gun) is to change from 9mm to 40 S&W, just swap slide and barrel assembly, and put in a 40 S&W magazine. Easy and effective. Then, once it is in 40 S&W configuration, just swap the barrel to .357 SIG and you’re done. (Gosh, what a high pressure round.)
Hopefully it will be fun and I can always move it on since the dual package is highly sought on eBay. One just went for $430 and so far, I’ve only got $206 in this one (not counting the $85 for tritium sights).
Probably just me but I try to have tritium on everything. (I’ve just been too timid to have my Detonics changed over since if they mess up the slide, there’s no replacement available.) (Sure wish there was a good way to put tritium on the Detonics.) Say, do you know of anybody making snake shot for calibers under 9mm/45? I haven’t found any yet. Thanks and Best Regards, – The Army Aviator

JWR Replies: I’ve never shot much of either caliber. (Just a few shots with guns belonging to friends at the range.) I agree that .357 SIG is a bit of an oddball, so I wouldn’t recommend it unless A.) You were able to switch the pistol back to 9mm (retaining all of your original parts and magazine) and B.) You stock up on .357 SIG ammo in depth. The .40 S&W is less of problem since it is becoming a popular cartridge both for law enforcement and civilians. If your local police department or sheriff’s department issues .40 S&W pistols, then it may actually be a good choice. I now list it as a “common” caliber–but that might be subject to regional vagaries. Needless say, if you select any unusual caliber then stock up on ammo.

In answer to you question on .45 ACP snake loads:. I have heard that the 45 ACP snake loads produced by CCI do not function well in semi-auto pistols. The ones that were formerly made by Remington seem to feed the best. (At least they do for me.) I have found that if you have a M1911 with a well-polished feed ramp, you will only get a jam roughly every 10th round. Unfortunately the Remington brand .45 ACP snake loads are out of production. I stocked up on these back in the mid-1990s. I think that I have about 200 rounds left. Perhaps you can find some on the “secondary market” if you post a free WTB (“Want To Buy”) ad on one of the larger gun boards, such as Buddy Hinton’s Sturmgewehr Boards. As for practicality, I’ve found that .45 ACP snake loads are useful for pest shooting at very short range, such as inside a barn or a chicken coop. Our readers in Hawaii and in the Indian subcontinent might find them useful for shooting mongooses. Because they use very small shot they are impractical past about 15 feet. They might prove useful in a survival situation for shooting very small game such as squirrels or quail at very short range. And BTW, do not consider using them for self defense against two-legged predators. They are not “stoppers.” They are more likely to make bad guys very angry. (See the recent Box O’ Truth range test article for details.) Ironically, I’ve actually used very few “snake loads” on snakes, since I’ve rarely had any loaded in my pistol when I’ve come across a rattlesnake near the house at the Rawles Ranch. (I tend to blaze away with the .45 ACP ball or HydraShok hollow points that I typically have loaded, and frankly I miss snakes more than I hit them. (Sometimes six or seven shots to get a couple of solid head or spine hits.) It is not so much the fact that a snake is a relatively small target. That is no excuse, since when I shoot at paper targets I can shoot fairly tight groups at short range in rapid fire. My lack of accuracy during rapid draw-and-fire snake deactivation has more to do with adrenaline.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"If a thing is old, it is a sign that it was fit to live. Old families, old customs, old styles survive because they are fit to survive. The guarantee of continuity is quality. Submerge the good in a flood of the new, and good will come back to join the good which the new brings with it. Old-fashioned hospitality, old-fashioned politeness, old-fashioned honor in business had qualities of survival. These will come back." – Eddie Rickenbacker

Note From JWR:

A gent e-mailed to ask me why I put so many acronyms and terms in my blog glossary–including “ones like AC, DC, AM, FM, and GPS. Those are obvious to anyone.” The reason is that there are SurvivalBlog readers all over the planet, some of whom have learned English as a second language. They don’t all share the American penchant for acronyms. Sorry if this overkill makes glossary seem too voluminous or if it appears that I link acronyms excessively to the glossary.

Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Kernel Corn Storage

Hello Mr. Rawles,
I was wondering if you could give me and your readers more info on whole kernel corn storage/nutritive value after storage and storage life given packing and conditions (weather)? I was also going to inquire about the different wheat’s and their differences but you have answered that already thanks, I would however like to know which mylar bags to use for better protection against the humid and high temp weather in my area (4 mil versus 8 mil thickness) if it matters at all? I don’t think the plastic bag route mentioned in your excellent “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course will be as effective for me as I plan to stock up on wheat, beans, rice, corn and oats and just have them stored for the long haul while using them also to cook with and learn the best cooking methods. I will follow the course but my basic grain/legume/rice storage will be put away and expanded upon according to my usage and needs. A reliable source for the 20″ x 30″ mylar bags at a reasonable price would also be great as in my web research I’ve found many suppliers at different prices and pack contents, what and who would you suggest? Thank you for your time. – CL

JWR Replies: Whole kernel corn can be stored for up to 10 years and still have decent nutritive value. Once ground into corn meal, however, the practical shelf life declines to two years or less. High temperature is real shelf life killer with all stored foods, including corn. High temperatures can shorten potential shelf lives by one half, or even more. Do your best to store your food in the coolest part of your house. High humidity is another problem. It is best to do your packaging in the most dry months of the year for your particular climate. When storing bulk foods in five gallon food grade buckets, be sure to use oxygen absorbing packets as well as a small packet of silica gel. (The only exception would be popping corn which won’t pop if it gets too dry.) Keep buckets sealed until you need to use the food. When you do break the seal, unless you have the need to use the entire contents within a few weeks time, then it is best to open the bucket and pour out just 1/3 to 1/2 of the contents for immediate use and then go through the full re-sealing process with the remainder. In answer to your question on bucket liners: I use 8 mil thickness bags, but 4 mil will suffice. (You need to handle them gently to avoid punctures, regardless of their thickness.) Since you will be sealing the bucket liner bag, the oxygen absorbing packets and silica gel. packets should be inside of that bag, on top of the grain. Mylar bags are available from a number of large Internet food storage vendors including Ready Made Resources and Nitro-Pak. You might also check Promised Land Products, Best Prices Storable Foods, and Lehman’s. OBTW, I have found that a standard size liner will work with buckets of up to six gallon capacity.

Letter Re: A Useful Reference on Amateur Radio Band Designations

Jim,
Here is a useful link for a free, downloadable, “.pdf ” format, frequency allocation chart. It is located on the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) web site. It delineates the U.S. amateur bands and their assigned usages from 1.8 MHz to 1.3 GHz. Regards, – Joe from Tennessee

JWR Replies: Thanks for sending that link. The radio band designations can be confusing to folks who are newcomers to the short wave listening and amateur radio worlds. I highly recommend that all SurvivalBlog readers at the very minimum buy themselves a short wave radio and a multi-band police scanner, and become familiar with their use. In a “When the Schumer Hits the Fan” (WTSHTF) situation, hard wire telephone, cellular phone, AM and FM commercial radio, the Internet, and television may be essentially unavailable. (Read: Off the air.) Most radio and TV stations only have enough fuel to run their backup generators for few days. Ditto for the telephone company Central Offices (COs.) After that, there will be an acute information vacuum. You may find yourself listening to overseas short wave broadcasters for your daily news, and to your police scanner for updates on the local situation–to keep track on the whereabouts of looter gangs. Be sure to buy a CB radio and few walkie talkies so that you can coordinate security with your neighbors. (The CB, FRS, and MURS bands do not require any license in the U.S.) My favorite band for walkie-talkies is the MURS band, since most MURS radios can be programmed to operate in the 2 Meter band, and because they have much better range than FRS radios. It is also important to note that the CB channels, FRS channels, and 2 Meter band frequencies will likely be very crowded WTSHTF, particularly in the suburbs, but the less well-known and less populated MURS frequencies will probably be largely available at any given time. (See the MURS Radios web page–one of our advertisers–for details on these radios.)

Once you’ve mastered short range communications and public service band monitoring, the next step is to join your local ARRL affiliate club and study to get your amateur license. Someday you may be very glad that you did!

Odds ‘n Sods:

Sales of Existing U.S. Homes Fall: “The median price of a single-family home fell to $219,800 last month, a drop of 2.5 percent from the price in September 2005. That was the biggest year-over-year price decline in records going back nearly four decades.” I’ve been warning SurvivalBlog readers about this since I first started the blog, back in August of 2005. Buckle your seatbelts, folks! We are about to witness the part of the roller coaster ride when everyone screams. (So far all that we’ve heard have been a few nervous whimpers.)

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Vic at Safecastle mentioned to me that he was able to convince his contract storm shelter/fallout shelter builder to extend a special discount of 5% off the list price of any custom steel plate fallout shelter, storm shelter, or saferoom that is ordered before January 31, 2007. This sale price has never before been offered. Typically, this discount will be between $1,000 and $2,000, depending on the type and size of shelter needed. (The discount does not apply to shipping or installation fees.) The offer is good to anyone who contacts Vic and arranges for a shelter to be built and places the 50% deposit before February 1, 2007. For those that are not be familiar with their shelters, they are the best shelters available in the USA, dollar for dollar. They are engineered and built to exceed FEMA standards, and above or below ground, they will withstand winds in excess of 330 mph. Safecastle’s contract builder has installed more than 400 shelters all over the US over the last 13 years for corporations, government groups, homeowners, and associations. A few have been real-world tested by storms such as Hurricane Katrina and have come through with flying colors, saving lives in the process. Do you want peace of mind? Believe me, there is no better way of getting it than to build a serious storm/fallout shelter for your family. If you are interested, start by looking at Safecastle’s shelter web site. After looking through the site, go to the “Request a Quote” page and submit your no-obligation query. It is simply an initial correspondence that will allow then to start a dialog with you about what kind of shelter you really need.

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We are saddened to hear of the death of four firefighters in California. They died battling a large wildfire near Palm Springs. The fire was reportedly lit by an arsonist.