Letter Re: Stocking Up on Shoes and Boots for Survival

In regard to Matt’s statement in his letter on survival footgear: “BUT, you cannot fake or approximate footwear!” Don’t be so sure about that. See: http://www.indigenouspeople.net/tarafeat.htm I have yet to scale a 10,000 foot peak in tire sandals or moccasins, but I’m going to give it a try one of these days: http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm  Less along the lines of “field expedient footwear” and more along the lines of “Post-TEOTWAWKI skills,” here’s a link to a site that deals with making “medieval style” shoes: http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/shoe/SHOEHOME.HTM
If things ever get bad, having the skills to make well-fitted shoes could make one a welcome addition to any community. Regards, – Moriarty

De-Nuked Tridents?

A tip of the hat to Noah at the DefenseTech Blog, who alerted me to a recent Washington Post story. Apparently some 24 submarine-launched Trident missiles will be converted to carry improved conventional munitions for a “global strike” capability See: http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/2006/01/a_bad_weapon_in.html#more. According to the story, some observers suggest that a launch of any of these retrofitted missiles (which could carry up to four MIRVs each) might cause a false alarm in
trigger-happy nuclear nation states like North Korea. That could create the excuse for a retaliatory strike with nukes, which would of course be a very bad thing.

Letter Re: Stocking Up on Shoes and Boots for Survival

Hi Jim,
As always, SurvivalBlog is the top of my morning reading list. Great discussion today about arming your unprepared non-shooting neighbors during or after TSHTF. I have always considered the training of non-shooters to be almost a sacred duty. Just as we do not turn away the repentant prodigal son from church when he awakens, we must gratefully take the opportunity to train and arm our neighbors when crisis hits. This is an example of enlightened self interest at work, for as you say, it is hard for a family to protect four quadrants. Much better to have semi-trained “flankers” out, even if they only provide a trip wire or early warning. In time, they can be trained to a higher level.

On to my idea of today: shoes for survival. I would advise folks to hang onto their halfway worn out shoes. Just store them somewhere that they won’t rot. After TSHTF, survivors will be able to fake or make do for most clothing articles. You can wear clothes that are far too big, you can hitch up big britches with a belt, you can cut a hole in a blanket and call it a poncho. BUT, you cannot fake or approximate footwear! Going about with rags wrapped around your feet (think Valley Forge or the rebels at Appomattox Courthouse) will afford us ample opportunity to wish that we had not thrown out our partially worn out shoes! I have saved a few “worn out” pairs of sneakers that I would not be seen wearing in public for filthy jobs and yard duty, and it’s surprising how much “life” they usually still have in them, often as much after being “worn out” as they had before. Sometimes they just keep going and going for an incredibly long time before actually falling apart. So my suggestion is to never throw out any partially worn out shoes. They may be ugly in good times, but they will sure beat rags and cardboard wrapped around your feet in bad times. Of course, it goes without saying that when you find a good pair of shoes or boots for sale on closeout or at discount prices, don’t buy just one pair! But a few extra pairs and store them away unused in their boxes for a time when good footwear in your size may simply be unavailable anywhere at any price. – Matt

Odds ‘n Sods:

Can anyone in this country do anything without their cell phone? Today a co-worker told me that her husband refused to keep a date to go out to dinner because he had misplaced his cell phone. Instead of spending a romantic evening together, they spent two hours frantically searching for his cell phone. They finally found it in his car, where they had searched twice before. If I recall correctly, life was possible before everyone had a cell phone.

  o  o  o

The RWVA’s Spring Appleseed Tour series of rifle training sessions/matches is shaping up. They have shoots scheduled for North Carolina and Kentucky (both in March), Indiana (in April), and Wyoming and possibly Wisconsin (both in May.) It is dirt cheap to attend, so don’t miss it. “Goooood training!”  OBTW, I’ve also found that the marksmanship targets that they sell are a great training aid for youngsters and newbies–and a good refresher for older shooters.

  o  o  o

Warren Buffett has issued a new warning on the trade deficit, saying that it does not bode well for the economy.  See: http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/18/buffett-deficit-economy-cx_cn_0118autofacescan02.html

  o  o  o

Winchester, now owned by a foreign conglomerate, has just closed its last U.S. plant. The Winchester lever action –“the rifle that won the west” will be dropped from the line, and the remainder of their line will be made exclusively off-shore. Signs of the times.  See: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2006-01-18-winchester_x.htm

  o  o  o

Aerial IEDs?  Those insurgents are getting crafty. See: http://www.defensetech.org/

  o  o  o

The folks at the Sniper Country website now offer free on-line instruction.  Their long range shooting and field craft techniques have some applicability to folks interested in preparedness, so take a look.  See: http//www.snipercountry.com/training.html

  o  o  o

The RWVA’s Spring Appleseed Tour series of rifle training sessions/matches is shaping up. They now have shoots scheduled for North Carolina and Kentucky (both in March), Indiana (in April), and Wyoming and possibly Wisconsin (both in May.) It is dirt cheap to attend, so don’t miss it. “Goooood training!”  OBTW, I’ve also found that the marksmanship targets that RWVA sells are a great training aid for youngsters and newbies–and a good refresher for older shooters.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Americans are the best entertained and the least informed people in the world." – Neil Postman, author, and NYU professor, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Penguin Books, 1985

Note from JWR:

There are just eleven days left in Round 2 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!)  The deadline for entries for Round 2 is the last day of January, 2006. I also have some good news: Thanks to the generosity of Naish Piazza (the founder and director of Front Sight), we will be extending the writing contest for at least one more round! Round 3 will begin February 1st and end on the last day of March. We’ve already had plenty of motivational pieces submitted.  Please keep your contest entries focused on practical skills.  So start writing, folks!

If you know anyone that sells preparedness-related good or services, please ask them to advertise on SurvivalBlog.  Thanks.

Letter Re: Surplus Ultra-Cold Medical Storage Freezers

I have been watching the U.S. Government surplus auctions for ultra-cold medical storage freezers. This one (“KELVINATOR, MDL: UC50RFMS, LAB REFRIGERATOR”) recently sold for just three hundred bucks. See: http://cgi.govliquidation.com/auction/view?id=743367&convertTo=USD

Not a bad price at all. I hope that it went to some frugal individual who will be using it for long-term storage in the event of TEOTWAWKI! I’ve become hopelessly addicted to the
govliquidation.com site. Keep up the good work. A 10 Cent Challenge check is headed your way. – T.K.

Eric Roseman’s Commentary on the Inverted Yield Curve

The following are some excerpts from some commentary by Eric Roseman that was included in a recent issue of  The Sovereign Society’s Offshore A-Letter: When the rate of return for short term investments exceeds that of long term investments (the yield curve “inverts”), it is generally a sign of bad economic times ahead.

Over the last two years, investors have barely kept pace with inflation in benchmark intermediate term US Treasury bonds. After enjoying a massive rally since 2000, bond yields hit a 40 year low in 2003 at 3.3%. Despite thirteen Federal Reserve rate hikes since June 2004, bond yields have actually declined twenty basis points (0.20%), a worrisome signal Chairman Greenspan called a “conundrum” last fall. Yield curve inversion is a dangerous anomaly because it portends to economic weakness; the last three inversions all resulted in economic recessions.

Indeed, the bond market might be signaling big trouble for the US economy in 2006. The benchmark yield curve, or the difference between the two-year and ten-year Treasury yields, inverted in late December. An inverted yield curve occurs when short-term interest rates yield more than long-term interest rates. This phenomenon is a rarity in bond markets and typically indicates that bond investors think the US Federal Reserve is tightening the monetary screws too aggressively. If this is the case, then there is a good chance that the United States might suffer a recession later this year, especially if the yield curve stays inverted. – Eric N. Roseman, Montreal, Quebec. Editor, Renegade Investor E-mail: enr@qc.aibn.com Web site: http://www.eas.ca

JWR Adds: If you do not yet already subscribe to The Sovereign Society’s Offshore A-Letter, then I highly recommend doing so. Subscriptions are free. See: http://www.sovereignsociety.com/

Odds ‘n Sods:

There is some very useful information on battlefield survival skills at this static web site: http://www.survivethewar.com.  Much of this info is applicable for preparedness-minded folks like you and me. Take a look.

  o o o

Gary North quoted sage economist John Templeton as stating that when the housing bubble pops, real estate house prices might decline as much as 90%.  Dr. North is less pessimistic. My personal view is that as the housing bubble collapses, “Helicopter Ben” Bernanke will be simultaneously cranking up the printing presses. The net effect will be that your house won’t go down significantly in dollar terms, but those dollars won’t buy even half as much in another five years. Charming.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  The second half of the “Aughts” will be a lot like the second half of the 1970s, with plenty of inflation.

  o o o

In a recent commentary, economic pundit Doug Casey recommends: “Stockpile beans, bullets, bullion, booze and barter items.” See: http://www.kitcocasey.com/displayArticle.php?id=485

  o o o

The Daily Reckoning reports that personal bankruptcies have hit an all time high in both the U.S. and England.  But they tell us that we are in the midst of an economic recovery. So how many bankruptcies will there be in the next recession?

Jim’s Quote of the Day

"On every question of construction, carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." – Thomas Jefferson

Letter Re: Getting Your Group to Buy In: The $20 Medical Kit, By EMT J.N.

Mr. Rawles,
I enjoy reading your blog. It is full of useful information. I have a couple of suggestions to add to the 1-13-06 letter by EMT J.N.  Alacer (the makers of “Emer’gen-C”) has an prepackaged instant electrolyte mix available. Just mix with water and drink. ‘Electromix‘ is available at most health food store. It costs about 35 cents per packet. I also would not want to be without aloe vera for burns. Small tubes or bottles are not that much, but it is amazing stuff!! Some Aloe vera products have colorings and such in them; the ones without are much better especially for those who might have allergies to the additives. – Otto

JWR Replies: Electrolyte mixes for rehydration (a.k.a. Oral Rehydration Solutions) are crucial for treating stomach flus. If and when there is ever an influenza pandemic, dehydration caused by diarrhea will probably kill more people than the flu itself.

Along with Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Aloe vera is one of the medicinal herbs that every family should grow at home.

Letter Re: Arming Your Untrained Neighbors

Dear Jim:
Straightblast brings up an excellent point about the many pitfalls of loaning weapons to untrained neighbors, after a crisis has hit, and thus potentially arming bad guys.
He wrote:”Frankly, it scares me. I look at it this way…if the neighbor has no guns (right now), and no gun skills…and the bad guys come to visit…what are the odds that he / she will prevail against them? I think close to zero.”  It scares me too! But I beg to differ that the chances for your neighbor are “close to zero.” Remember your average gang or criminal has not had any formal training. An untrained gang with some weapon experience versus an untrained neighbor BEHIND COVER is a least in the same ballpark as a fair fight – and looters are not looking for fair fights! And if, God forbid, the gang did overcome the neighbor – well the gang already had firearms, so one more gun is probably not that big a deal.
I’m more concerned about unsafe weapon handling, negligent discharges, and/or “friendly fire” from my neighbors than [I am about] the gang getting one more weapon.
In a really bad situation I would rather have one HASTILY TRAINED neighbor for fire support, than to be badly outnumbered by a gang with no fire support. (It is kind of tough to watch four quadrants with two people!) I think that a contingency plan so you have SEMI-trained, armed neighbors is a better option. (This assumes that a suggestion to do some “Tactical Crisis Training” would get the same look as if you just grown an extra head! 😉
Here are my thoughts on a contingency plan:
1. Invite your neighbors – and/or their kids – out for a social day plinking at the range. You can at least get basic gun safety and sight alignment concepts out. They might even get interested in shooting – reactive targets like falling plates, balloons or just tin cans are a blast. If this invitation gets a disgusted reaction, maybe moving now, or bugging out later, is a better option. Who needs gun-phobic neighbors?
2. Have some inexpensive, EASY TO USE, low-recoil firearms, magazines, ammo, AND web belts with mag pouches for your new “Neighborhood Watch on Steroids.” Pistol caliber carbines and .223s would be a good low recoil choice.
3. You might consider selling or bartering them the weapon “package” instead of giving it away, as gifts are often not treated with the same care as purchases. This also weeds out those who are not sufficiently motivated. Selling at a fair PRE-crisis price would be an act of charity which might just be appreciated.
4. Have a plan for a crash training [program for] your neighbors so that they can SAFELY handle their new weapon, and at least shoot from a fixed position, behind cover, to include:
   * The four rules of gun safety
   * Loading and unloading
   * Malfunction clearance
   * Basic sight alignment and trigger control
   * Understanding cover versus concealment
   * Be sure of your target and backstop!
Any more suggestions or comments would be appreciated, especially from instructors who deal with novices. Regards, – “OSOM” – Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Letter Re: Suppressors and .22 LR Conversion Kits for Rifles and Pistols

The Colt version for the 1911, chopped to Detonics length, on an alloy frame, recoils just as much as full size and with 9mm, saving you 10c a shot. An alloy compact 9mm 1911 variant recoils just as much as a full size and weight .45 ACP. This is great for training, saving you 10 cents a shot. A .223 AR-15, “wearing” an 8″ long, 12 ounce sound suppressor is every bit as “tame” sounding as the Ciener .22 LR unit without the suppressor. [Shooting .22 LR in training] saves you nearly 20 cents a shot, and permits practice at indoor ranges, and other places where the 223 would not be a good idea.

[For those of you with AR-15 family rifles and carbines], be advised that the .22 unit is not very accurate in an AR with 1 in 7″ rifling, is okay with 1 in 9″ rifling (the most versatile) and it typically shoots nice 2″ groups at 50 yards with 1 in 12″ rifling. The point of impact (POI) with 22 LR is plenty close enough (within 3″ at 50 yards) to that of the .223 to make it a fine training tool, and usually, it’s close enough for foraging small game. There’s a way to make the POI of the two [almost exactly the same], too, since the AR has two different “legs” on its [L-shaped flip] rear sight.

If it’s SHTF time, how will you know when it’s okay to have nothing more than a bolt action, a shotgun, or a .22 LR? Suppressors are superb aids in such conditions. I’d much rather have nothing more than ONE 10 round magazine and a suppressor for the CAR-15 (and  the .22 LR unit) than all the spare mags in the world, with a noisy gun.

With a scope, trigger job, free float tube, forend mounted bipod, and 69 grain HPBT match Sierra bullets, at 2500 FPS, [a CAR-15] gets more hits than misses on a 12″x24″ torso at 400 yards. Not bad for an Uzi-size and weight combo. With the assault sling, it need never be out of reach. Our forefathers found ways to always have 15 lbs of Flintlock, powder horn, and possibles bag at hand. The CAR-15 is concealable when disassembled. It comes down in 5 seconds, and can be assembled and firing in 10 seconds. The caliber swap is 20 seconds. With the 10.5″ barrel, (5.56 chamber) I use 27.0 grains of AA2520 to get the 60 grain Nosler Partition soft point to 2600+ fps, for 900 foot-pounds.

I favor a pair of lightweight compact pistols for SHTF times. One is a Beretta M21 .22 LR with an OAL of 9″, including the 3 ounce suppressor. The M21 is 11 ounces, with a .5″ longer barrel, available from GunsNStuff. The other pistol is a pocketable 9mm, rebarreled to 356 TSW, using a special, 55 grain AP bullet, at 2200 FPS, for 590 foot-pounds of energy. The “canned” .22 goes in the leg pocket of my BDU pants The centerfire always rides in a Kydex front pants pocket rig, with Velcro to secure the rig in the pocket. The total weight of the two pistols, holster, spare mags, and ammo, is 38 ounces. Since that’s lighter than an empty .45 Government Model, and the two guns offer much more versatility, they are a much better deal.

If a critter is so close that I can’t swap out to .22 LR, I can hit it with the Beretta. The M21 has been fitted with a PT22 Taurus mag, better sights, and an extractor. The pop-up barrel is a feature [of the] gun, courtesy of a pin thru both the frame and the barrel’s underlug. Take care. – P.P.L.

JWR Replies: Thanks for your knowledgeable comments, P.P.L. SurvivalBlog readers should be advised that there is a $200 Federal transfer tax for firearms sound suppressors (often incorrectly called “silencers”–they do not completely silence any gun), selective fire (fully automatic) guns, and short barreled rifles and shotguns here in the U.S. There are also additional state-enacted restrictions on full autos and suppressors in many states, such as California and Washington. Readers are strongly advised not to purchase or construct an unregistered suppressor. The risk of doing so is the loss of you gun ownership and voting rights for life, and many year behind bars. Don’t take that risk!  Keep in mind that purchasing a registered suppressor will raise your profile, both locally (since it will be your local sheriff or chief of police that will sign off on your license) and at the Federal level.  So you need to carefully weigh the risks versus benefits of doing so. Proceed down that path only after considerable thought and prayer.