Letter From Mr. Sierra Re: My SurvivalBlog T-Shirt as a Conversation Starter

Jim,
Excellent Survival Blog T-Shirt! It arrived in the mail the other day and I wore it to work and my fellow employees wanted to read the quote on the back. My boss said he always wanted to see if he could survive on a remote State of Maine island with just some parachute cord, a fish hook, a tin can, matches, fire starter and space blanket for a few days. I said why not try something a lot easier, and just shut the electricity off on some Friday night at your house, and turn it on again on Monday morning and see how you can manage two small children, wife, food preparation, entertainment, etc… He sighed and said, "Now that would be tough!" – Mr. Sierra

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace–but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
– Patrick Henry March 23,1775

Note from JWR:

Our prayers are with everyone on the Gulf Coast. One last warning: The chances of nationwide fuel shortages in the wake of Rita are 90%+.

Today, I’m covering Wyoming, the last of 19 western states, in my rankings of states by their retreat potential. This series will be followed by some detailed recommendations within these 19 states. OBTW, I’d appreciate hearing from easterners with their specific recommendations for good retreat locales outside of my “top 19 states” list.

State By State – Wyoming

Wyoming:
Population: 493,780.
Population Density: 5 per square mile (Rank 19 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 97,800 square miles (rank 9 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $646/yr. (rank 44 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $484/yr. (rank 20 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 7 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 93%.
Per capita income: $27,372 (rank 28 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 16 of 50.
Plusses: Low population density, very low crime rate, no income tax.
Low car insurance rates.
Minuses: Brutally cold winters, especially at higher elevations. Minimal growing season. (Snow has been reported in every month of the year in every county in Wyoming!) There are missile fields (see map) in the southeast corner of the state. (Part of the large array of missile sites that overlaps into northern Colorado and parts of Nebraska.) These ICBM missile silos would be primary targets in the event of a full scale nuclear exchange.

Wyoming is not recommended for a survivalist with a small to moderate budget. However, if you are someone who is wealthy and who can stand the cold, Wyoming should be bumped up to your top choice. Taxes will be a big issue for you—and Wyoming has no income tax. As someone “of means” you will be able to afford lots of food storage, voluminous fuel storage, and a large greenhouse to make up for the severe climate. Look for natural gas producing areas so that you can run your vehicles on “drip oil.” Anyone considering relocating to Wyoming should read Boston T. Party’s novel Molon Labe, which depicts a Libertarian political coup in the state, as part of the nascent “Free States” migration movement. Two related groups are currently encouraging libertarians to move to New Hampshire and Wyoming to create a political sea change. See: www.freestatewyoming.org and www.freestateproject.org.
Note: I probably should have given Wyoming a higher ranking, due to its favorable gun and tax laws. However, its severe climate and minimal growing season pushed it down the list. If you can stand hard winters, by all means consider Wyoming a top choice.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 5 of 19.

Investing Philosophy + Free Economic Newsletters and Websites

You may have noticed that I only write sparingly about economics and investing. I do follow economic trends closely, but I don’t consider myself an expert. If you want to categorize me, then you could say that I fall into the “Guns and Groceries” school of survivalism rather than the “Krugerrands and Plane Tickets to Offshore Havens” school. My current advice is fairly terse: Concentrate on buying tangibles. (Namely: productive farm land, storage food, practical tools, guns, and common caliber ammunition.) Then after you have your retreat fully squared away with logistics, it is time to consider buying some gold and silver. For the record: I consider gold at anything under $500 an ounce and silver at anything under $8 an ounce as genuine bargains. In the long term the dollar and all other paper currencies will be relegated to their proper use, as kindling. The other reason that I don’t write voluminously about the markets and investing because these topics are already well covered at a variety of great “hard money”-oriented web sites. For commentary and analysis, my favorite of these sites is Gold-Eagle.com. So for me to add my (pre-’64) $0.10 worth would just be redundant.

Part of my daily routine is reading economics newsletters. Parenthetically, you can subscribe to many of these e-mail newsletters free of charge. Some have daily issues while others are e-mailed weekly. These include: The Daily Reckoning and its sister publication The Rude Awakening, Whiskey and Gunpowder, The Sovereign Society Offshore A-Letter, What We Know Now (from Casey Research), and Dr. Gary’s North’s Reality Check. If you have the time to do some reading, then I highly recommend all of these newsletters! But if your time is limited and you need to pick just one, then make it The Daily Reckoning.

Note from JWR:

You will notice that there are several new advertisements in our scrolling “ad bar.” And even more ads will be posted there in the next few days. Vendors have gradually come to the realization that SurvivalBlog is the place to be to attract customers! Some advertising space is still available at our low rates, but be advised that there will be a rate increase on October 1st. This is the “last call” to lock in an ad contract (for up to six months) at the current rates.

Today, I’m covering Washington, the 18th of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential. This series will be followed by some detailed recommendations within these 19 western states. I’d also appreciate hearing from easterners with their specific recommendations.

State By State – Washington

Washington:
Population: 5.9 million.
Population Density: 86.6 per square mile (Far less in the eastern half of the state!) Very high population density (by western U.S. standards.) (Rank 3 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 68,100 square miles (rank 20 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $803/yr. (rank 19 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $428/yr. (rank 31 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 30 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 57%.
Per capita income: $31,230 (rank 11 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 10 of 50 (tied with Oregon).
Plusses: Low property taxes in some of the eastern counties. (But rising!)
Whitman county Washington taxes rose 80% from 1988 to 1995. In 2002,
the annual tax bill was $3,047 on a $200,000 home. (Second highest in the state.)
The median home value in 2000 for Washington was $168,300, up 38 percent
since 1990, adjusted for inflation. The average statewide property tax rate in Washington is $13.53 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Minuses: Creeping Californication. Highly regulated home schooling. Fairly high crime rates in the Western counties and in the larger cities in the eastern half of the state—such as Spokane, Yakima, and the Tri-Cities (Richland/Pasco/Kennewick) region. A draconian business gross receipts tax of 1.5%-to-3%. Marginal gun laws. Very high sales tax. (8.8%)
Parts of the state are recommended. (See my detailed retreat locale recommendations posted starting September 24, 2005.)
Note: I probably should have given Washington a lower ranking, due to its mediocre tax and gun laws. However, like Oregon, its favorable climate and growing season pushed it up the list.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 4 of 19.

A Reader in Washington Adds:
Just a few nits to pick (grin), RE: “A draconian business gross receipts tax of 2-to-3%. Marginal gun laws. Very high sales tax. (8.8%)”
Can’t disagree with draconian. Can disagree with the B&O rates, slightly. They depend completely on the type of business. My business is taxed at 1.5%.
Sales taxes vary per county over a very wide range.
Gas tax is $0.28 per gallon.
Just for fun, check out this link for “major” taxes in the Evergreen state. Yikes.
http://dor.wa.gov/content/taxes/MajorTaxes.aspx
There are also more than a few badges (not obvious, but there nonetheless if you know what to look for) at our local gun shows at the County fairgrounds. Keeping an eye on who, what, and how much. Not particularly comfortable about that one. Best Regards, and keep up the good work. – T.S.

From The Memsahib–Moving Back to the Land, “Successfully”

In the 1970s there was a well-publicized “Back to the Land” movement. Hundreds of thousands of America’s young generation wanted the freedom of self-sufficiency. But most of them eventually returned to urban life. We can analyze their failures to avoid making the same mistakes. Happily, someone else has already done this for us! Eleanor Agnew’s book Back From the Land is a fairly detailed analysis of why the “Back to the Landers” went back to the big cities. Here is a summary of some of the conditions that led to their failures:

1. The realities of rural life were much harsher than those portrayed on television or in popular books or magazines.
2. Farming and raising livestock was not profitable, so they either lived in extreme poverty or had long commutes to jobs in town.
3. Local “town” jobs were low paying.
4. Poverty was not as genteel and romantic as portrayed in books and movies.
5. The harsh realities of rural life put undue stress on marriages, especially when the spouses were not in agreement about living self-sufficiently.

We moved to Idaho in 1992. I observed all of these conditions among our neighbors who moved to rural Idaho in preparation for Y2K in 1998 and 1999. (Yep, we experienced a couple of these ourselves, as much as I hate to admit it!)

In our part of rural Idaho, we observed that the vast majority of families that departed post Y2K left for economic reasons. Most of the local jobs available were minimum wage. The local economy was depressed. Start-up businesses that required the patronage of the local population failed.

Suggestion: Make sure that your income does not rely on the local economy and that you will have enough income to sustain a standard of living not too far below your urban standard. If the drop in your living standards are too drastic, your spouse and children are likely to rebel. Even though you may be preparing for a time in the future when the grid is down, and you’ll have to be totally self-sufficient, don’t insist that your spouse do without the modern conveniences in the meantime. (Okay, maybe the washer and dryer are going to be giant paper weights if the balloon goes up. But I don’t want to start washing clothes by hand one day sooner than I have too!) If you make life drudgery for your family, the contrast of how the rest of America lives will be so great that they may question your sanity!

Eleanor Agnew’s Back From the Land tells it like it really is. If you are contemplating a move back to the land, you should read this book!

Back From the Land by Eleanor Agnew, Published by Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 200. Hardback, 274 pages. Cover price: $27.50 ISBN 1-56663-580-2

Letter Re: JRH Enterprises Recommendation and PVS-14 Belt Hard Case

Just a recommendation for Robert Henry of JRH Enterprises and his wife. Good man, dependable and fair. His merchandise is always a good product.
Whenever I’ve dealt with him, I can only say it was “always a pleasure”.

Oh, for your PVS-14, they finally came out with something handy and servicable.For $44 U.S. Tactical sells PVS-14 hard case for your belt. Fits with the mounting arm attached and has capacity for two spare AA size batteries. I’ll let you know how well it lives. Regards, – The Army Aviator

Letter Re: Doug Carlton’s Article on Concealed Carry

Letter Re: Doug Carlton’s Article on Concealed Carry (SAs: CCW, Holsters, Survival Guns, Survival Mindset, Firearms Training)

Greetings Jim,
Thanks for an outstanding blog–it is on my “must read” list everyday. Doug Carlton’s article on concealed carry is right on target. One of his best points is to practice the way you carry. I try to do this often to hone my skills. Being a practicing pharmacist I am exposed to all kinds of people. The ones that concern me are the thugs/pill heads/stop-‘n-rob types whose desperation has risen to new heights. But, I do have the luxury of wearing a white lab jacket while working, which nicely conceals my carry piece from prying eyes. I routinely practice drawing from concealment with my lab coat on to simulate a work-place encounter of the worse kind. I’ve never had to unholster my weapon, but you just never know. My philosophy is “They need only be right ONCE, I have to be right EVERY TIME”. One other point I might add is to keep the fact that you carry concealed (especially in the workplace) to yourself. No one else needs to know. Keep up the fine work! – S.P.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Our institutions were not devised to bring about uniformity of opinion; if they had we might well abandon hope. It is important to remember, as has well been said, ‘the essential characteristic of true liberty is that under its shelter many different types of life and character and opinion and belief can develop unmolested and unobstructed.”
– Justice Charles Evans Hughes

Note from JWR:

Please pray for all those living on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Hurricane Rita looks fearsome! Most of you have surely already done so, but don’t neglect to stock up on fuel. (Fill your gas and diesel storage tanks, fill all you car/truck tanks, and order a “top off” of your propane and/or home heating oil tanks.) I predict that there will be widespread fuel shortages after Rita does her damage. OBTW, the PRI-G and PRI-D stabilizers are available from Ready Made Resources (RMR) and several other vendors.

Today, I’m covering Utah, the 17th of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.

State By State – Utah

Utah:
Population: 2.23 million.
Population Density: 26.2 per square mile (Rank 11 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 84,900 square miles (rank 11 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $718/yr. (rank 32 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $378/yr. (rank 43 of 50.)
Crime Safety Ranking: 14 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 76%.
Per capita income: $23,436 (rank 44 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 7 of 50.
Plusses: A great state to live in if you are a LDS (Mormon) Church member. On average Utah has the best prepared families in America. (By church doctrine, one year of food storage is considered mandatory.) That is commendable. The norm for home construction in the state is to include an extra large pantry to accommodate storage food. (Commonly called a “fruit room” in LDS parlance.) Nearly every LDS ward has its own food storage cannery. Fairly low crime rate. (Utah has two of the safest metropolitan areas in the country: Orem, ranked #7, and Provo, ranked #9.) The only significant street crime is on the west side of Salt Lake City. Low car insurance rates.
Minuses: Ground water is scarce in parts of the state, so check on well water before buying. Utah might be a poor retreat/relocation choice if you are not a LDS Church member. Non-LDS members of any religious persuasion are derisively called “gentiles.” If you are not LDS, you might be ignored or perhaps even seen as conveniently expendable when push comes to shove. In practice, many LDS families do not have a true full year of storage food. Highly regulated home schooling.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 6 of 19.