Letter Re: Shelf Life of NiMH Batteries?

JWR,
There have been a few posts about batteries lately and a question I have been unable to find an answer to is:

Do Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries have a limited storage life before they are put into service (receive their first electric charge)? It would be nice to know if I can buy a quantity and store them away until needed. I’ve not seen this addressed anywhere and maybe you know or one of your readers knows the answer. Regards, – Keith

JWR Replies: That goes beyond my base of knowledge.  Would any readers care to chime in on this one?

Note From JWR:

Note from JWR:  Please help boost the worldwide readership of SurvivalBlog. We now have readers in 40+ countries!  (See:  http://clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=https://survivalblog.com ) Please tell all of your friends and relatives that live overseas about the blog, especially ex-pats, and deployed military service members. And for those of you in the corporate world, please tell your co-workers that are at off-shore centers. Thanks!

Letter From David in Israel Re: Fire Protection for Log Homes

James,
In response to The Army Aviator: Sodium silicate a.k.a. waterglass might be able to make wood water resistant. I would treat a shingle and then test it with a blow torch.

I am a big proponent of Barricade gel which is the same dry gel which is in baby diapers. (See: http://www.barricadegel.com/ ) It was available in a home protection kit and is probably the next best thing to a house-sized fire shelter but for a much lower price. The only problem is that Barricade needs to be sprayed on around 24 hours before the flames come. Otherwise it will dry out and become less effective. – David

Letter Re: Seeking Advice on 27 Year Old Storage Food

Jim,
I apologize if you’ve already covered this in previous archives – I searched several, but not all, of your blog archives. I did see your comment, “Wheat stores for 20+ years…” I have a LOT of wheat purchased in 1979 after reading Howard Ruff’s “How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years.” I have other items – Navy and other types of beans. It is by Neo-Life, “NEST” storage, “Nitro-Guard” protection – it was stored in #10 cans purged with with nitrogen. So it is all 25+ years old. I have been storing this stuff in my basement, which is cool and mostly dry, on 2×4’s up off the floor. I keep the humidity below 40% with a de-humidifier. My question is, have these items lost enough of their nutrition value to where it would be a waste of time trying to use them? My wife wants to throw it all out, and I probably will, unless you someone can point me to a source that would say this stuff is probably still good to use. Surprisingly, “Google” has failed me this time – I spent several hours looking for an answer, to no avail (I have used Google for literally hundreds of searches and it almost always gets the information I need.) What do you think? – Mike from Chicago

JWR Replies: Some items like salt will store for centuries as long as they are not contaminated by the rust or decay of their containers. If stored dry, hard red winter wheat still retains 98% of it nutritive value after 20 years. Ditto for sugar or honey. Most dehydrated foods, (such as rice, beans, TVP, and the ubiquitous Neo-Life Stroganoff) will have lost too much nutritive value to be useful after 27 years, even if they were nitrogen packed.  They might still be palatable, but unless you are dieting, what is the use of eating them if they have lost 90% of their nutritive value? My advice:  If in doubt, throw it out. Ideally, you should continuously rotate your storage food to avoid such waste. If nothing else, mark the cans/cases of your subsequent batches of storage food, so that you can religiously use the oldest lots first.

One tidbit of trivia for you:  Some wheat that was found in an Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb. A small fraction of it still sprouted after 2,600 years. If you have any canned gardening seeds, try them out.  The sprouting yields will be low, but there could be some marginal utility there. Just don’t expend too much effort tilling and tending those those rows in your garden!  BTW, the same logic applies to canned sprouting seeds.

Letter Re: Advice on When to Sell Silver?

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I read on The Claire Files that you think silver will be going to $40 an ounce. My spouse and I can’t agree when we should sell our 8,000 ounces of silver. I think we should hang on to it all until it gets to $20 and ounce then sell. But my spouse thinks we should start selling now. What do you think? By the way, we purchased most of it at $5 an ounce in the form of 100 ounce bars. We also have about a bag and a half of “junk” silver dimes.- F.L.

JWR Replies:  First, you need to distinguish between a core holding (for barter), and what you bought for investment purposes. My advice is to sell your family core holding–perhaps 800 to 1,500 ounces–only as a last resort. As for the rest, be dispassionate about selling it. Don’t try to time the top of the market. Since spot silver is currently at around $9.80/oz., (and it was recently $10.18) so it is has essentially doubled since you bought it. At present, you could sell half of it and recoup your original investment, and still be sitting on 4,000 ounces at essentially no cost. (BTW, don’t forget to consider both taxes and the “opportunity cost” of missing out on the interest that you would have otherwise earned in a dollar-denominated investment during he same years that you held the silver.)

There is an old saying on Wall Street: “Bulls make money, and bears make money, but pigs get slaughtered.” If you wait until silver hits some magic/arbitrary number, you might miss the peak, and hence get slaughtered when the metals go back into a bear market cycle. That is what happened to a lot of folks, back around 1981. When silver ran up past $35 an ounce, they decided to hold on “a little while longer.” Oink oink. Big mistake. They should have gradually averaged their way out, during the second half of the the run-up.

Based on my assumption that you have 80 bars (100 ounce bars) that had a purchase cost of $500 each, here is my specific advice on when to sell:

Core holding: (All of your circulated “junk” coin bags.) Hold and don’t sell unless you are in desperate need.

Silver exceeds $10 per ounce:  Sell 8 bars.($8,000)

Silver exceeds $12 per ounce:  Sell another 8 bars. ($9,600)

Silver exceeds $15 per ounce:  Sell another 8 bars. ($12,000)

Silver exceeds $20 per ounce (4x cost):  Sell another 8 bars. ($16,000.) This gets you past your “break even” point on your original investment. Everything past this will be gravy.

Silver exceeds $25 per ounce:  Sell another 16 bars. ($40,000)

Silver exceeds $30 per ounce:  Sell another 16 bars. ($48,000)

Silver exceeds $40 per ounce (8x cost):  Sell your last 16 bars.($64,000)

Even if silver crashes after passing $20 per ounce, you will still have recouped your original investment and have 48 bars (4,800 ounces) of silver remaining. But if silver runs up past $40 per ounce, you will have $197,600 in cash. Not bad for a $40,000 investment!.

Odds ‘n Sods

I’m down in Reno this weekend for the The Big Reno Show. Quite a gun show! All quality gear–no flea market Schumer. I dropped by the table run by Darryl Holland (of Holland’s of Oregon), and sent him home a Browning A-Bolt bolt action rifle for “the usual” treatment:  I have him thread the muzzles of all of our hunting rifles with 1/2″ x 28 threads for a Holland’s muzzle brake. The same threads can also be used for Smith Enterprise Vortex flash hiders. This way the rifles can serve double duty as tactical guns. I highly recommend that you do likewise. OBTW, I also highly recommend all of Darryl Holland’s gunsmithing services and videos. And I also have his cheek rest stock pouches on five of the rifles up at the ranch.

   o o o

The U.S. HHS‘s reserved view on the flu: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/

   o o o

A warning from The American Spectator about war with Iran: http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp?BlogID=2198

   o o o

SurvivalBlog reader Steve H. recommends this source for inexpensive 9 VDC Lithium batteries ($2.50 each), and numerous others in all sizes and types. http://www.cheapbatteries.com

Letter Re: Question on Dried Foods Versus Dehydrated Storage Foods

Jim,
Is there any difference between dried food and dehydrated food, and if there is, what is the difference? – G.P.

JWR Replies: I’m glad that you asked that, because it is often a point of confusion. Although semantically they mean the same thing, the difference is that “dehydrated” storage foods typically are dried to a greater extent than typical dried foods–such as the raisins and other dried fruits that are sold at your local grocery store. However, due to their lower moisture content and because they are usually sold in sealed, nitrogen-packed, cans makes them store for several years instead of just a few months. Also, don’t forget that “dehydrated” is far different than freeze drying, which can result in even longer storage life, particularly if canned.

Letter Re: Alternative to Creosote for Preserving Wood?

James:
I have taken a leave and am now caught back up on the blog. I was away and talked to my wife every night and she always stated that I must be going crazy not reading SurvivalBlog every night! She was right! Upon returning home, did I return my calls, e-mails, or mail first,.hardly, it was a crash course of GBID (get back into Dodge) mentally by reading what I had missed on Survivalblog. A few topics have arisen that I wanted to comment on (FWIW).

FENCING/CREOSOTE/TELEPHONE POLES-
I have had the benefit of picking the pocket of an old timer that owns and operates a saw mill. He states that the unique properties of White Oak offer a huge resistance to insects and rot. He gives a 15 year “warranty” on 4″ diameter and larger posts. He claims to get 25 years out of a 6″ post. Both buried in the ground with no topical treatment process. He recommended adding gravel at the base and around the post for added longevity.
He also mentioned that longer lengths are getting harder to get, (i.e.- 16 feet). The disadvantage is the hardness of the item. In a cattle/livestock operation he almost instantly recommended the soft wood poplar or cottonwood as good (give/take) type fences. Not hard and brittle, but fairly resilient.
I know that utility companies are pulling out the “evil” creosote poles and replacing with green treated or chromated copper arsenate (CCA) impregnated posts. These are very inadequate comparably. Talk to your local utilities. Ask if you can get on the list to receive these used poles for next to nothing or free. You may have to sign a waiver that you will not hold the company responsible if you use these for structural purposes, (i.e.- Morton building), etc.
I personally can attest that the worst part of these poles is the part that is highest in the air. You can typically get four very heavy duty corner posts out of each pole. Not to mention the copper staples and wire that is still attached to them for reclaiming at the steel yard.
Another thought just came to mind. In the event of TEOTWAWKI, communication lines would likely be down. If running long strands of hardwire, (such as field phones, intercoms, etc.) Why not use ultimate caution and attach your wire to the “worthless” utility company poles until a later time when you can “trench” in your wire? You may be able to connect to a neighbor or a far end of your property without the labor of digging a lengthy trench to bury the wire in. This could get you up and running very quickly rather than weeks of excavation. Safety would have to be a must, instead of using a ladder that you can reach up to the danger height of electrical wire contact, dedicate a short ladder that gets your communication wire just above reaching height without the inherent dangers of contacting the power lines. This suggestion of course is a last recourse and is intended to be of benefit to you in the event of a GRID DOWN situation where the power lines would likely have been rendered inert. Please use your head.

SURVIVAL GAME-
A fellow blog reader mentioned something about a survival game. I have purchased one and am not giving it my recommendation yet, but would be interested in knowing if the information is in fact accurate and applicable. The name of the game is: “The Worst-Case Scenario Game” by University Games. It has approximately 600 questions that are noteworthy if accurate. My family very much enjoys playing the game, however we find more enjoyment in just reading the cards as almost no one scores well. (This is a good thing as we are learning from it). Even the repeat questions are a good thing. I would recommend separating the cards into four equal groups. Wrap a rubber band around each of the four. Put three bundles of cards into a Ziploc baggie, and concentrate on the first group. It may prove more retention if the same card is asked twice at some point. This keeps things interesting for all age groups.

THE RECENT INTERNET DISCUSSIONS ON MULCH-
I have read varying opinions on the reality of the warnings about landscaping mulch coming from the disease and termite infested regions of New Orleans, or other such disaster affected areas. A person would be ignorant to think that micro-organisms could not exist in a plastic bag that is placed in the sun for weeks and delivered across the U.S.A. Last time I opened a bag of mulch, it was soaked with condensation, (prime breeding grounds for disease in my opinion). What the extent of these organisms are, would be, or could be, are open for discussion. I don’t know if termites could survive the packaging/processing, but it IS possible in my opinion (i.e.- tears in bags). This cause for concern should follow right into purchasing vehicles, appliances, furniture, or any used home furnishings that may emerge from disaster areas. Do the research, eBay can be great, ask for a copy of the title or registration, and verify that this vehicle was not registered in those regions.

Again, wishes of success during your transition into full time blogging. It is a selfish wish along with a supportive wish. The practical information I receive does not have a dollar amount on it. Thank You! – The Wanderer

Letter Re: PTR-91 Clones of HK91 Rifles, and Set Trigger Modification

Mr. Rawles:
In answer to the question from Steve (posted on March 9, 2006, the PTR-91 clone is considered one of the best on the market, I have original 1980s versions of the factory HK91s and I think that they compare well.
Williams Trigger Specialties provides a modification I would highly recommend. I have the set “paddle” trigger on all of my HKs and the work is excellent and the results are amazing – a crisp set trigger breaking at 4 pounds. Lower than the 5 to 6 pounds advertised. Worth every penny. Their site: http://www.williamstriggers.com/page4.htm They state: “WTS PSG1 style trigger modification is also available for your factory HK or factory JLD PTR, for $200.00 + $14.00 return Shipping/Handling/Insurance. Your lower receiver is required for this work. Because of questionable trigger parts quality, no other clones trigger assemblies are acceptable.” – Wotan

Odds ‘n Sods:

Rourke mentioned this cool site about hidden storage and passageways. (Best viewed with a broadband connection.) See: http://www.hiddenpassageway.com/

   o o o

A firm in Utah that offers the ultimate in off-site records storage–inside a solid granite mountain: http://www.perpetualstorage.com/index_home.htm

   o o o

Bulk ammo shortage?  See; http://urbansurvival.com/week.htm

   o o o

Doc at Big Secrets  (www.bigsecrets.cc) recommends this site on how to build your own small battery charging generator: http://theepicenter.com/tow02077.html

   o o o

Talk radio host Steve Quayle cites this piece from the Washington Post:: http://www.stevequayle.com/News.alert/06_Money/060309.retirement.fund.html

   o o o

SurvivalBlog reader “gman” recommends this source for inexpensive 9VDC lithium batteries ($2.50 each), and numerous others in all sizes and types.
www.cheapbatteries.com

   o o o

A Russian virologist’s view on the Asian Avian Flu. This one is quite grim: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060307/43989397.html

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.”- Justice Louis D. Brandeis, U.S. Supreme Court Judge. Source: Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. United States,
277 US 479 (1928)

Note From JWR:

Don’t forget to send you entries for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a “Gray” (first-timers) four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!) The deadline for entries for Round 3 is March 31, 2006.

Right Out the Window, by Rourke

Windows give you natural light and solar heat gain, but they are also the most strategically vulnerable part of your home or retreat and largest source of heat loss in conventional construction. The R value (measuring insulation or resistance to heat flow, the higher the more insulting something is http://rvalue.net ) may be an incomplete, and “apples to oranges” number as pointed out by David South of Monolithic Domes http://www.monolithicdome.com/plan_design/rfairy/ but, for my purposes here it does give us a reasonably quantitative basis for comparison. Remember, the higher the R number, the higher the degree of insulation. Here in Wisconsin, builders now try and reach R [insulation] values of 29 for exterior walls, and R40 for attics. People tend to take notice if those numbers are much lower, such as a wall in an old house which is ONLY R12. Yet, people don’t seem to even notice or care that their windows, even the “high efficiency” double casement windows, are but a mere R2 or maybe R3. That, and the transparency of glass for both light and infrared heat, serves to work against you especially if faced with dangerous temperature extremes (survival situations). In the summer, when you want to cool your home, light comes pouring in, quickly heating your home since the thermal mass it shines on is usually inadequate to absorb the energy without heating up substantially. At night, the reverse happens, and the heat goes pouring out of your home through your windows. The other big downside to windows is their vulnerability. Obviously they are easy to break through, unless you use very expensive Lexan or Plexiglas products. Worse, particularly during high winds, tornados, and hurricanes, projectiles coming through non-tempered glass can create a highly dangerous sharp shower of glass for anyone in the line of fire far worse than the original projectile. The rest of this article is to suggest some simple solutions to mitigate the problems of having windows, and to provide numerous links to expose you to some of the products and ideas out there on the topic.
We can start by talking about high efficiency windows, but R numbers are so low, even for the good ones, that it becomes a minor factor against other things you can do. First, at least make sure you windows have tight air seals, no drafts. That exceeds even the low R value of windows problem, especially in high winds. We just want to have to worry about solar and infra red heat gain and losses http://www.humboldt.edu/~ges7/windows.htm so grab some plastic, tape, weather stripping, caulk, and maybe that 3M product you apply and seal with a hair dryer http://besttop.ru/cat495374 and get those windows sealed up tight before you consider anything else.
To keep the warmth out, there are exterior screens http://www.rollac.com/screen.html. A great inexpensive source for items including sunlight controls is http://www.growersupply.com/. Order the catalog, it is so full of great stuff and also goes over using water as thermal mass. This link has been on SurvivalBlog before, and for good reason, get it. There is also such thing as a blast curtain safety drape: http://www.safetydrape.com/options.php#gallery
To improve cold weather energy efficiency, keep the heat in, consider adding triple honeycomb cell pull shades one the inside, giving you a R value gain of R3.3 to 3.8 (the numbers are cumulative, you can add them, i.e. window R2 + honeycomb R3.5= R5.5) A good source is http://www.smithandnoble.com and more specifically the honeycombs here: http://tinyurl.com/3ybq8. Two more European solutions are between the window models: http://www.swissshade.com/fauser_complete_system.htm and exterior roll downs http://www.betterhaus.com/ , or see a US model on the subject for hurricane protection: http://www.rollac.com/shutters.html.
For exterior storm protection, there are new windows made to take greater punishment, and after Katrina this has become a growing market. One example is Silverline’s Weather Stopper series: http://www.silverlinewindows.com/index.cfm. Another shatter guarding product, perhaps even more extreme is http://www.shattergard.com/home.html or from 3M http://www.tropictint.net/commercial.html. Although the idea of fabric is usually to block the sun, a new breed of hurricane fabric shutters for external window protection now exists http://steelframehousing.org/specialty%20products/fabric_shutters.htm
Then there are good old fashion window shutters. This is a decorative step up from your 5/8” Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plywood. If you plan to go the way of plywood though, at least build your frame in such a way that attachment will be solid and quick to do. The extra consideration here is to insulate your shutter (or plywood) if possible, in addition to making them strong enough to do the job. This is another area where there are many new choices with recent high hurricane years http://www.stormshutters.com/, http://www.windshutters.com/, http://www.floridashuttersinc.com/ and don’t forget a good set of hinges http://www.hardwaresource.com/ . Also there are accordion shutters for the inside http://www.roll-a-way.com/products/products.html#Accordion
Alternatives to windows all together include products such as solatube http://www.solatube.com/residential.php or the more extreme idea of “piping” in light, without the heat, concentrated by a collector dish through fiber optics http://pesn.com/2005/07/27/9600139_Fiber_Optics_Bring_Sun_Indoors/ .
So don’t let your window to the world be a gateway for heat loss, unwanted solar gain, or the very unwanted point of uninvited entry. As a closing thought, consider also a quality periscope before you go peeking your face out in the window: http://www.telescopes.com/products/Sportscope_Zoom_4x-9x_Periscope_18172.html This is no toy, it works great. – Rourke   website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/survivalretreat/