Note from JWR: Tomorrow we will announce the winner of Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, and award a four day "gray" transferable Front Sight course certificate. Thanks to the generosity of Front Sight's Director, Naish Piazza, we will be running Round 4 of the contest, with the same valuable prize. (Worth as much as $2,000 if you were paying cash for a course.) The deadline for entries for Round 4 is May 31, 2006. Speaking of Front Sight, the 26 episode weekly reality TV series entitled, Front Sight Challenge will be aired soon on The Outdoor Channel. Check your satellite television guide for dates and times. I anticipate that the wide exposure generated by the TV series will likely result in full bookings for Front Sight classes al through the rest of the year, so book your classes early!
If you haven't done so already, please add a link to your web site to SurvivalBlog.
Pretty please? The more links we have, the greater our visibility to
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showing up at the top of the list in Google when somebody searches on "storage
food", or "Bug out bag",
or "AR-15" means that we'll gain another reader, and each increase
in readership makes us more attractive to sponsors. On and on it goes, in the
chain of "Linky Love." Needless to say, if you add a link to
us, we will be happy to reciprocate with
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Thanks!
Hi Jim,
I haven't e-mailed you in a long while because I know you are really busy with
your blog. I read your site every day and have implemented many of the ideas
you and others have shared. Thanks. If any of your readers have specific
questions about moving to Costa Rica I would be glad to answer them. You
can share my e-mail address: costaricakelly@yahoo.com.
The info you shared in your March 30th blog post about Central America is
accurate. I would stay away from
the rest of
Central
America. Panama still has some nice areas
up
in the mountains. Belize is English speaking but it is also mostly black (I
can't use the term African American in this instance.) There are two other
web sites that SurvivalBlog readers might find interesting: www.amcostarica.com is
a daily newsletter, www.ticotimes.net is
a weekly newspaper here in Costa Rica and has news online. Congrats on giving
up your "day job" and
concentrating solely on your blog. - Mr. Coffee
Jim,
Yes it is vital to regularly check your alarm system. I used to be the station
supervisor for a UL alarm company,
and I have seen maybe not all, but a lot. For one thing lightning has a bad habit
of fusing alarm circuits--including
window and door sensors in the closed position. This will most of the time also
take out the control panel, but just replacing it is not enough. The whole system
should be thoroughly inspected. Also never forget that if you have an alarm system,
USE IT. I cannot tell you how many times I heard..."we forgot just this
one time to turn it on, and that had to be the time when we got robbed." Another
thing to remember is the fact that as I used to tell our clients, "when
it comes to security you do get what you pay for." In other words there
are many levels of security. Banks and Jewelry stores tend to have very good
alarms, but they would also cost the home owner a fortune. You have to chose
the best you can afford, and then use it. But you must also keep in mind that
a true professional criminal will probably still be able to get into your house
undetected, unless you have the very best "bank like" system. Hope
this helps someone. Sincerely, - Gung-Ho
This story is amazing: http://www.phishhook.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=550448 Of course this was criminal enterprise, but some of the same techniques could be used to conceal entrances for secret rooms and/or an underground retreat.
o o o
Eric Fry of The Rude Awakening
e-newsletter notes: "22-year highs in
silver; 24-year highs in sugar; 25-year highs in gold; 26-year highs
in platinum; all-time highs in copper, crude oil
and natural gas...Welcome to the commodity markets of 2005-06."
o o o
Fred the Valmet-meister says: "If you liked Frontier House on PBS a few years ago, you'll like the new "Ranch House" miniseries (eight parts) about life in the Old West. They are going to do the same thing they did in Frontier House, but do cattle drives and live in the high desert and Texas. It will be aired in May."
o o o
One last reminder that the big sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods at SafeCastle ends at noon TODAY (March 31, 2006). The sale pricing includes free shipping anywhere in the U.S.--even Alaska and Hawaii.
o o o
A couple of stories on the recent run-up in precious metals prices, at Marketwatch and Reuters.
"To my eyes, FANNIE MAE is a train wreck moving in slow motion…” - Bill Fleckenstein – Contrarian Chronicles, 2005
Note from JWR: There are now SurvivalBlog readers in more than 60 countries. (See our hit map.) BTW, you can now click on the map to zoom in for detailed maps showing hits in various regions.
I'm often asked by SurvivalBlog readers and consulting clients about where to look for an offshore retreat. Today, I'll discuss general selection criteria, and briefly discuss Central America.
With a few exceptions, most of my consulting clients seem to agree on the following criteria:
Political stability
Economic stability
Relatively self-sufficient agriculture
Livable climate
Allows expatriates to own land outright, or at least provided long term (60+ year) renewable leases
Free enterprise and private banking
Favorable tax situation
Minimal gun laws
Low crime rate
Free of Malaria and at minimal risk for other insect-borne diseases
Well established infrastructure (power, phone, water, sanitation, Internet,...)
High percentage of English speaking residents
Looking dispassionately at this list, we can eliminate most countries in Central America in short order: Mexico has both a high crime rate and horribly restrictive gun laws. Guatemala and El Salvador have too much poverty and insubstantial infrastructures. Nicaragua and Honduras have enough crime that I reduced them to "maybe" status, aside for a few hoi polloi gated communities. Panama, although recently quite stable, has its problems. Most notably it has recently caved in and forced its banks to open its books to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. In my estimation, this leaves just Costa Rica and Belize as the most likely prospects in Central America. Belize is particularly captivating, since it is a former British colony and therefore has a largely English-speaking populace. Both of these countries are quite stable and quite receptive to expats. I will write some details on both countries in future SurvivalBlog posts. If any readers have first-hand knowledge about offshore retreat locales, I'd appreciate you input, via e-mail. In the interim, here are a couple of resources for you to investigate:
For some first-hand information on Costa Rica, see the Retreat Owner Profile on "Mr. Coffee" at the bottom of our Profiles page.
General information about Belize:
http://www.belize.com/For information on how to buy land in Belize and some Belize facts, see:
http://www.belizerealestate.com/belize/index.htmlGeneral information on Ambergris Caye (Off the northern coast of Belize), see:
http://www.ambergriscaye.com: (The cayes are the healthiest places to live in Belize.)
This real estate agency has a good reputation:
Belize Real Estate (The oldest real estate company in Belize)
U.S. Phone (via VOIP): (813) 322-3899 -- Ask for David Doering
Belize Office 011-501-226-2090 / Fax 011-501-226-2245
P.O. Box 15
San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize
website: http://www.BelizeRealEstate.com
e-mail: bzreal@btl.net (Tell David that Jim Rawles of SurvivalBlog sent you.)
General information about Costa Rica:
http://www.infocostarica.com/
Dear Jim:
Per your suggestions, I have been doing a lot of research into the American
Church Trust Precious-Metals IRA [offered
through Swiss
America]. However, I have several questions that I would like to ask. [JWR's
replies are in-line, in bold.]
1.) I noticed in a recent post of yours on this subject that you
have your IRA backed by Gold American Eagles. Could you explain why you
chose gold instead of silver?
Because of the much higher "per ounce/per dollar" purchase
premium on U.S. Mint Silver Eagles, I prefer U.S. Mint Gold Eagles, in this
case. (At the time those were my only two options. I'm not certain
what they currently offer.)
2.) Are you concerned about the USG ability
to confiscate gold as they did in 1933 since the law to do so is still
on the books?
IMO, the chance of another gold confiscation is fairly slim. (And
almost nil for silver.) I can't predict how any confiscation executive
order might be worded. However, there is the chance that it would
exempt both numismatics and U.S. Mint American Eagles.
3.) And if this did happen, what would be the effect, if any, on a
gold-backed IRA?
Anything that is held in a well-documented IRA or kept in a bank safe
deposit box could conceivably be subject to confiscation. It
is a gamble, but in my estimation the odds are a lot better than leaving
you IRA or 401(k) in dollar-denominated investments, which are almost certain
losers in the event of mass inflation.
4.) What precious metals do you recommend for the Church Trust IRA
today?
Since the spot price of silver has recently greatly out-paced gold--leaving
gold temporarily relatively under-valued--I think that gold American Eagles
would currently be your best bet.
5.) Are you continuing to make contributions to your IRA presently
or are you moving in a different direction?
I am no longer adding to that account. I only created it originally
because at the time I had a 401(k) from a corporate job that I needed to
roll over. All of the gold and silver that I've bought in the past
five years ave been physical metals (primarily silver), which are held in
a private vault. BTW, I recommend Swiss
America for those purchases, too. Be sure to shop around. You might
get a slightly better rate at your local coin shop, coin show, or gun show.
I appreciate your informed opinions. B'shem Yahshua HaMoshiach, - Dr.
Sidney Zweibel, Columbia P&S
Jim,
For those folks out there who are incorporating a door/window alarm system
for their home as part of layered protection, it pays to personally check
each window, door every six months to see if the connections still work.
After having our home windows/doors/motion sensor-monitored alarm system
for about
six years built in new into our country home, we found recently that some
of the window sensors didn't work when the windows were opened. The monitoring
company visited and said that as our home settled, some wires got pinched,
some separated and it was not uncommon to have that happen. So it pays to
check your battery-powered remote door sensors and window/door connections
periodically to ensure that they are still functioning. Regards, - Redclay
The wizened Dow Theory sage Richard Russell comments on the U.S.
Dollar and the Housing Bubble:
o o o
U.S. Marines in Iraq say: "Too
Much Body Armor":
o o o
Here is an interesting blog that I just found today: Airborne Combat Engineer
o o o
The Associated Press reports on Enormous Pro-Illegal Immigration Rallies in the U.S. Unfortunately, I think that congress is likely to cave in to the pressure and institute some form of amnesty. To the left wing of the Democrat party, the conservatively estimated 16 million illegal aliens in the country represent a potentially huge voting bloc. To corporate power brokers, they are a pool of cheap labor. This has created an informal alliance that favors continued illegal immigration. What a sad state of affairs. I am not a racist, but I certainly don't like seeing mass illegal immigration. If illegal farm and factory workers can sneak in with ease, then so can terrorists. We need less porous borders, and some collective backbone. Please pray that congress does the right thing, and then make a few phone calls to your congresscritters.
o o o
Our friend Noah at the Defense Tech Blog discusses "Chameleon Weapons" that
Defy Metal Detectors
o o o
Spot silver passed the $11 per ounce mark yesterday. I won't say anything more than "I told you so!"
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government
are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are
numerous and indefinite." -James Madison, Federalist Papers, No. 45
Note from JWR: Today we welcome our newest advertiser: The Alert System.com. This is an automated system that sends out e-mails to subscriber mobile devices (such as cell phones and pagers) for less than a dime a day. It was started as a project to keep the inventor's like minded friends informed of the latest important news, and to coordinate any bug out/in. Since then, at considerable expense this project has been scaled up to handle thousands of subscribers. Check it out.
Starting in April, I will be quitting my day job, and blogging full time. To put bread on the table, I will need about twice as many advertisers. I'd greatly appreciate your help: If you know of a potential advertiser, please call or e-mail them, and ask them to get a banner ad at SurvivalBlog. They cost as little as $55 per month. Many Thanks!
Regarding the very enjoyable letter about the Spanish Flu in1918, I can't resist one comment. It is with incredible relentlessness that Big Pharma in their zest to sell vaccines keeps stating that we have 30,000 or 36,000 deaths per year from the flu. If you take the time to examine the actual CDC published data it is a bit different. I did a while back, and I seem to recall the 2003 and 2004 numbers being closer to 600 to 900 deaths per year from the flu. The deaths from pneumonia are close to 35,000 per year, so it appears they are adding them together to get to commonly trumpeted 36,000 deaths. Unfortunately they are not actually the same thing and you cannot combine them and call it one or the other. So, the relative difference between the percentage of the population that died from the Spanish Flu and current flu death rates is actually even more impressive than Tim described. I also am hesitant to accept the current death rates of this newest avian flu simply because it is rare enough that I suspect many of the cases that folk have had and recovered from are not being correctly documented or reported. However, perhaps doctors are universally more observant than I presume. Who knows? - B.F.
I read the first-hand accounts of Argentina's decline from wealth and prosperity
to near lawlessness that were linked to here a while back and they stuck with
me. How could a prosperous nation with generally well-regarded policies sink
so far so fast? Far more importantly, what caused it, could it happen in other
places (i.e. here), and what indicators were missed? Luck would have it that
I stumbled across the answers to two of those entirely serendipitously. The
answer is actually rather simple: debt. The Argentinean economy was in good
shape in the 1990s, it had good growth, good employment, and highly regarded
economic policies. What it didn't have was a good understanding of how much
debt it was
getting itself into. For various reasons, Argentina failed to turn the money
it borrowed from foreigners into solid, growing tax revenues.
This failure caused it to seek out more and more credit and this worried lenders
into raising interest rates. Just like the in-debt-up-to-his-eyeballs suburbanite,
Argentina was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and financing its debt with
more debt. The figures on this page ( http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economics/letter/2002/el2002-31.html )
illustrate the failure of the Argentine government to curtail its borrowing.
What the world witnessed (none more so than its citizens) was bankruptcy on
a global scale. Given (and to some extent assuming) the reasons outlined above,
I started to think about what parallels this might have to the current US economy.
There are several major differences between Argentina and
the US that make even simple comparisons difficult. The first is size. The
US economy is quite simply the 800 pound gorilla in the world market, towering
over Argentina's meerkat. The second major distinction is the difference in
the balance of incomes in the two countries. The US derives a far greater percentage
of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
from exports making foreign lending less one-sided. The similarities, however,
are not to be ignored. The US has hugely expanded the amount of debt it has
taken on ever since World War II (Please ignore the tone of this article,
I do not necessarily endorse it, it merely has a good graph: http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm ). Fortunately, these
massive increases in debt have happened alongside equally tremendous growths
in GDP. The number to watch for, then, is the percentage of
debt-to-GDP.
Clearly, the US can withstand a higher debt-to-GDP ratio merely due to its
huge size and world influence, but determining it for sure would likely lead
to
a rather severe recession. One of the difficulties here is that there are very
few examples in history for what happens when national debts of large, industrialized
nations gets out of control. Argentina was a learning experience for the world
economy (and hugely more so for the Argentineans), and hopefully the Japanese
economy will handle their 90% ratio with less drastic results. I suggest that
among the other economic indicators that are bandied about on the talking-head
cable news networks, you pay attention to the debt-to-GDP ratio as an indicator
of the health and sanity of the U.S. Federal budget. One hopes that talk of
an overvalued dollar and a hissing housing bubble will not devolve into a panic,
but always remember that a panic is merely a mass of individuals making the
obvious choice. - P.H.
I've been running night vision since I learned to fly with them back in 1978.
Not to disparage the writer's comments about how good the "Mini-14" monocular
is, because it is a good unit. However, it's been my experience that the PRC-14Delta
(Government) model is even better. Yes, a papered version costs more than a
civilian Mini-14 but
it's worth the money. And, as an additional note, the manual gain adjustment
of the PRC-14D is invaluable. It's there for a reason. You strap it on and
adjust the gain until you have maximal effectiveness of both eyes (One aided
eye and one un-aided eye). Auto gain doesn't allow for that and limits you
to only using one eye to effectively see. It's normally too bright to utilize
both eyes, especially in dark arenas.
I use automatic gain adjusting Night Vision weapon scopes, but for the head
unit, automatic gain adjustment doesn't work well.
Further, don't confuse ABC (Automatic Brightness Control) with gain adjustment.
ABC is a protective function to turn the scope off before it's tolerance to
bright light is exceeded.
Also, even though NVDs are
really neat, you don't actually need an NVD unless it's so dark you can't see
you hand in front
of your face. This was one of the original design parameters. BTW, they can
be effectively and comfortably utilized with the PASGT original
Kevlar helmet, as well as the new Army ACU or
the Marine helmet. However, the Navy SEAL Boat
Helmet (which was the original MICH (Modular
Integrated Communication Helmet) is the best I've found. It's available, custom
built, from privatesnuffy@yahoo.com.
Regards, - The Army
Aviator
I just stumbled across Rogue Turtle, an interesting site with a wide range of survival and preparedness information.
o o o
Wiggy's (one of our first advertisers) is offering a special 15% discount on all of their sleeping bags until the end of April. These are the best sleeping bags I've ever used. They are extremely durable. Their two-bag FTRSS is my personal favorite. Every well-prepared family should have a full set of Wiggy's bags. Even if you plan to "bug in" rather than "bug out", a warm sleeping bag could be an absolute life safer in the event of a long term power failure and/or fuel shortage.
o o o
Plan on being better armed and providing a higher volume of fire than this gent in Denver who had his home invaded.
o o o
A brief reminder that the big sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods at SafeCastle ends on March 31st. The sale pricing includes free shipping anywhere in the U.S.--even Alaska and Hawaii. The sale ends on Friday, so don't hesitate.
o o o
Nifty laser sights and rail mount flashlights:
http://www.advancedefence.com/DacsaPortal/?pageid=34
o o o
SurvivalBlog reader Keith mentioned that The Discovery Channel has a new series of shows called "Perfect Disaster" on Sunday evenings at 9PM EST. The first two were entitled "Super Tornado" and "Solar Storm". Tonight "Typhoon".
o o o
Our recent letter on Tannerite binary
reactive rifle targets prompted Doc at www.bigsecrets.cc to
mention this interesting alternative for rock blasting: http://www.archerusa.com/Product_Dexpan_En1.html
"Freedom of speech and of the press guarantees one's right to speak or publish at one's own expense, but not to be heard nor read." - Rourke
My mentor in the law, when asked to prove the depravity of man, produces from
his pocket a common set of keys. He then asks, if men are not morally depraved,
why he must lock his home when he leaves it. His belief in the common depravity
of man is such that he (quietly) celebrates the fact that many of the lawyers
in the office carry concealed sidearms, believing that the fact that many of
us are armed makes all of us safer. Everyone who locks his door has taken the
first step toward securing his home, but there are many further steps that
better ensure the safety of your family and possessions. While we can talk
about these steps as a good idea in times of relative peace and order, they
become critical lifesaving decisions whenever the thin veneer of civilization
collapses.
The signs of a gathering storm, which we daily read from the pages of our papers,
call us to the preparation for a lawless future, where we face the hand of
evil men who hold themselves accountable to neither the law of God nor the
law man. In the day of that storm, which may come slowly or arrive with great
force, you will need a mentality of preparedness centered on deterrence, detection
and deadly force. In preparing deterrence, you will hope that the evil man
will see the height of the prepared ramparts and choose other targets. If he
approaches, preparedness for detection will allow you to know he is there
and preparedness for deadly force will allow you expel him with the minimum
necessary proper force.
Much of what I write here is centered toward the needs of the urban survivalist.
My family and I make our life in the heart of a great city, on 1/3 of an acre.
Much of what I write here will also apply well to the rural retreat, but some
of it will not. The principles of deterrence, detection, and deadly force are
constant; how you apply them will vary with your own terrain.
Deterrence involves creating in the enemy two beliefs. First, you want him to
believe that there is nothing in your home and lands worth stealing. Second,
you want him to believe that, even if the target is tantalizing, the cost is
simply too high. You seek a very specific deterrence. Seek to alter his incentives
and to convince him that the rewards are greater and the risks are lower someplace
else. That a man wishes to perpetrate a felony is none of your affair; seek merely
to compel him to do so elsewhere. Deterrence, it must be said, is fairly passive
in the hour of urgency. Deterrence is all about what you did before the balloon
went up. Well-planned deterrents are designed to self-execute, even in the absence
of a power grid.
For the first point, that there is nothing worth stealing, it should be your
constant habit to hide from view things that are of great value. Expensive automobiles
are a decadent form of foolishness; they scream that portable wealth is to be
had for the easy taking. Similarly, small items of personal property in plain
view are an evil. Good order and discipline forbids clutter left about, and good
order and discipline will compel you to hide expensive items, like cash or a
pistol or electronics, from plain view from your window. Discipline yourself
to put up your tools and your toys. Almost anything can be stored in a proper
cabinet or drawer. Dummy electrical outlets can serve as safes for small valuables.
Gun safes can be tucked away in closets (and bolted to the deck—don’t
make it easy). You can hide a rifle in the wall by cutting a hole in the wall
and mounting your medicine cabinet over the hole. If the repairman or the deliveryman
comes to your home, reduce his access to your house to the greatest extent possible,
and hide from his view those things which are valuable. And don’t leave
keys to the house laying about in plain view; make the attacker believe he must
cut his way in through a window and kick his way out through a door. This first
point is a thorough going discipline; you have to do these things all of the
time.
For the second point, that the risks of breaking and entering are too great,
let the whole world see your preparations, and layer them at differing perimeters.
As a first perimeter, a fence too high to be easily jumped, surrounded by cactuses,
and topped with spikes, will deter the lazy. At a second perimeter, rosebushes
and cactuses surrounding windows will discourage the undetermined. Between the
second and third perimeter, have a very barky dog, and maybe a clothesline to
deter nocturnal attackers. At a third perimeter, visible window locks and alarm
sensors tell the professional thief that penetration into the building will be
a slow and uncertain process. Motion lights make the thief wonder if he has,
in fact, been detected. A sign from an alarm company, whether you have an alarm
or not, warns the felon of the difficulty of finding enough booty before he is
detected and apprehended. If you are inclined toward burglar bars, they complicate
entry and exit considerably. Within a fourth and final perimeter, heavy interior
doors, heavily locked with deep throws, give a place for your family to hide
(behind a door and a receiver) and prepare, and they encourage the evil man to
stick to that which may be easily stolen and to forgo other, more heinous, acts.
The hone st truth is that some men will not be deterred, and they must be detected.
From the moment that a felon decides to enter your home, he has seized the initiative
in the critical encounter that results from his actions. The element of surprise
is his advantage until the moment of detection, and you must make that moment
happen before he has closed within the range to do you real harm. Detection is
not passive. While you may deter men with preparations before the hour of danger,
detection must occur through vigilance at the hour of need. Specifically, you
must be alert to the telltales of impending jeopardy, but you should expect subtle
cues. It is unlikely that you will see the enemy coming through NVGs while standing
post; we will all be too busy for that luxury. The only one with the vigilance
and adequate night-vision is your dog.
Detection must also be layered. The combination of an indoor dog and an outdoor
dog is very wise. It is also wise to give your next door neighbor’s son
a puppy (with parental consent). In the outermost layer, telltales may be very
subtle. I am a fan of the little solar walkway lights. If something walks in
front of one of them while I am looking out the window, even at a good distance,
I notice; I also investigate. These solar-lights are particularly handy in that
they are even more useful in a grid-down disaster.
Closer to my home, I am installing motion lights, such that you will not be able
to get within five feet of a door or window without setting off a light that
gives me an idea of trouble in a particular area. If you choose bright enough
lights,
you can also blind an assailant. You may want to choose a supplemental power
system for the lights, to prevent problems when the grid is down. A denizen of
the French Quarter also implemented an excellent grid-down alert mechanism, a
perimeter of thin (displaced) roofing slates. They crackle when you step on them,
alerting you to the presence of heavy footfalls. Install peepholes at every door.
Some people like video cameras, but cameras need power.
I will talk for a minute about alarm systems. Most of them are applied so superficially
as to be useless. In candor, sensors are more valuable than monitoring, and this
may encourage a do-it-yourself approach. Brinks will attempt to sell you a sensor-light
monitoring-cost-heavy package. They will try to alarm some doors and not others,
missing your real need in the process. First, you need spare batteries to operate
the system and sensors if the grid is down. Otherwise, the entire system is useless
on the morning after the balloon goes up. Second, you need open/close sensors
at every window and door, coupled to glassbreak sensors at every window. This
provides you with the appropriate level of perimeter security. Assuming that
the perimeter is thwarted, motion detectors in core rooms of the house are very
handy. Spend money on sensors before you waste money on monitoring. If the Schumer
and the fan are commingled, then knowing the enemy is present is more valuable
than calling for help. On that note, though, thieves frequently cut phone lines.
A cellular backup for your alarm is handy.
Ultimately, though, the key is vigilance. The telltales may be subtle, and everyone
has to know how to read them. Train your wife to realize that a dead phone line
and a motion light suddenly on are signs that trouble may be afoot and she should
get to the safe room and draw a gun. Train your children to realize that, if
the alarm system or the dog is acting strangely when they arrive home, they should
clear the scene with all haste. Train your dog to bark at the things to which
you need to be alerted, and not to bark otherwise. It is of note that my dog
is sufficiently well trained that, if he barks during the night, the M1911 finds
my hand immediately. Train yourself to look through a peephole every time you
open a door, not merely when you have reason to think someone is outside. The
sound of broken glass is a late warning. Listen for the clues that come before
the enemy is that close, and you can retake the element of surprise.
I have spoken repeatedly of dogs in this discussion. Dogs are the 4th ‘D’ of
home defense, and, while you could argue that some people do not need guns, everyone
needs a well-trained dog. A dog provides deterrence, both in the threat of detection
and in the threat of deadly force. Dogs also work when the grid is down. By the
way, when someone kills your dog, you can count on something: they just told
you who is next.
Finally, we come to deadly force. When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem,
he worked with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. It should be likewise
with you. If you have to step more than once to reach a lethal weapon in any
room of your house, you need more lethal weapons. The same goes for your car.
A good pistol under the seat is a minimum. A good rifle behind the seat is good
preparation, and a second pistol in the glove box is a courtesy to your passenger.
Even as I write this, on a quiet Friday evening in my own study, I am wearing
a pistol in the waistband of my gym shorts. I wear that same pistol when I turn
the compost pile.
If you’re not comfortable with guns, buy tactical batons and knives. I
am plenty comfortable and a little proficient with a gun, and I keep ASP batons
and
knives discretely and in plain sight in places where gu ns are not appropriate.
You also need to think through your tactical situation. Identify the choke points
in your house, where you can place yourself and your firearm, like the Spartans
of Thermopylae, between the people that you love and danger. In my house, there
is a nice ‘dead-man’s corner’ in the hallway to the bedrooms.
Woe be unto the man that enters that hallway as an uninvited guest. Use the minimum
force necessary to stop your assailant, but be sure that he is stopped. Go for
solid projectiles. We saw in the Denver papers today that scattershot is generally
not enough force.
Once upon a time, I came home from work, and I found the door unlocked. I took
that as a warning; I don’t leave doors unlocked. Not being one to let that
warning go unheeded, my sidearm and my hand promptly found each other. As I entered
the house, I discovered a (now very) scared repairman, who claimed that my air
conditioner was fine, and that he couldn’t find the problem. I asked his
name. I then politely explained that I hadn’t called for service, and that
I would consider it a great courtesy if he stood very still while I phoned the
apartment manager to verify his identity. My gun had never left my backpack,
but he had ascertained that the hand that he could not see was important. The
apartment office vouched for him, and we got along quite well after that. I am
always grateful to God that he was what he claimed to be, and I pray that the
Lord will keep me the type of person who locks doors (deterrence), who notices
when they are not locked and should be (detection), and who reacts forcefully
when a threat is identified (deadly force).
I hope that you are also such a person, and that the words that I have written
will keep the ramparts of your own home secure and quiet.
Jim,
I always see broken shell extractors for sale on web sites and at gun shows.
I have yet to ever see a need for one. Do you have any experience in the need
for one?
Also, exactly how do they work? Would one for a .30-06 work for a .308, or
a 7.62x39, or vice-versa?
I have pondered this for a while, and am hoping you or a fellow reader might
be able to answer this.
Also, what causes the need for one? Would a dirty chamber cause a cartridge
case to stick in the chamber, thereby ripping the bolt extractor off the bolt,
or just
tearing the base off the case?
Talk of spare parts is good, but how to avoid needing them might save one's needing
a part at a critical moment.
- Sid, near Niagara Falls
JWR Replies: Your surmise was correct. Broken shell extractors are are indeed used in instances when a case head (the rear half of a cartridge case) completely separates. Head separations are common when bass has been reloaded too many times, or with rifles that suffer from excess headspace. Unlike simple a extractor "rim tear through" where a cleaning rod can be used to remove a stuck piece of brass, when a head completely separates, there is nothing for a cleaning rod to "catch." In the event of a head separation, the tool is inserted into the chamber from the breech, and tightened with a screwdriver--or perhaps the rim of a cartridge case. It expands and grabs the front half of the case. A cleaning rod can then be inserted (at the muzzle) and the brass ejected.
A .30-06 broken shell extractors can be used in a .308, but not vice versa. I recommend getting a proper-fitting broken shell extractor for each high powered rifle in your firearms battery.
Hi James,
Spring has sprung and it is getting close to time to plan and start gardening
prep. I am far from a green thumb and wondered if anyone has a solution for
keeping moles and gophers from ruining the garden? Last year, 95% of my sweet
corn was destroyed by these pests. Come time to count on the garden after TEOTWAWKI,
I don't want to watch my food supply vanish. I tried trapping these pests with
no luck. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
-The Wanderer
JWR Replies: Garden pests are typically just a "nuisance" in good times, but post-TEOTWAWKI they can mean the difference between eating well, and starvation. There is no single "magic bullet" that will eliminate all garden pests. Be prepared to take several approaches simultaneously:
A sturdy fence that is tall enough to protect against deer and with a fine mesh lower section that is tight enough to repel rabbits and ground squirrels.
A couple of cats that have been trained by their parents as effective mousers. Good mousers are usually also death on gophers. Or how about terrier dogs? Before the advent of modern poisons, small dogs were used to dispatch mice, moles, and gophers. BTW, the Memsahib is currently training our terrier to be a mouser.
Plenty of traps, including underground (buried) mole/gopher traps, as well as surface mouse and rat traps.
Lots of .22 rimfire ammo and patience. More than just protection from birds and squirrels, a scoped .22 can also be used to nail tunneling gophers when they come up to push out dirt. If you live inside city limits, you will also want a high-powered air rifle.
Depending on your personal beliefs, pesticides to control insects. Unfortunately, these will also kill beneficial insects. (See below.)
Natural pest killers, such as Ladybugs (for aphids), Lacewings, and Praying Mantids. These are available seasonally from Bugological Organic and Home Harvest.
To repel birds; get a couple of big plastic owls to perch on your fence posts, lots of reflective (mylar) reflector strips (cut up used mylar party balloons), and throwaway CD-ROMs (strung on monofilament fishing line, and positioned so that they will spin in the wind.) Ah-ha! You finally have a use for all of those AOL CD-ROMs that you get in the mail! Anti-bird netting is also available from the larger mail order gardening suppliers.
The Nuclear Option: As a last resort to large numbers of moles or pocket gophers, you can use probe bait strychnine dispenser (such as an RCO probe), along with a large supply of RCO Omega Bait or Gopher Getter Bait. (Typically, this is strychnine .5%) In some of the Nanny States such as California, these supplies are difficult to obtain locally unless you are commercial grower. (Consult you state, county, and local ordinances before mail ordering this bait.) Beware that this poison could lead to the untimely demise of your cats if they actually eat their prey. (Because they will also indirectly ingest the poison.) There is a trick to using these dispensers: As you insert the probe, when you feel a sudden lack of soil resistance, that means that you have penetrated a "runway" tunnel. That is when you press the trigger to dispense the grain bait. OBTW, you will have a valuable post-TEOTWAWKI barterable skill if you have the ability (and supplies) to poison moles and gophers. You can be the local hero-the legendary slayer of the "Varmint Cong."
"Licensed to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote." - Bill Murray as Carl Spackler in Caddyshack.
Note from JWR: There are just three full days left to submit
your entries for Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog
non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will
win a four day "gray" transferable Front
Sight course certificate. The deadline for entries for Round 3 is March
31,
2006. The first piece posted today is another fine contest entry:
With so much in the news these days about SARS, the Asian Avian flu and others
it is always of interest to look back and see what has happened before. The
last
really
big worldwide flu epidemic was the so-called Spanish Flu epidemic in 1918.
It killed over 40 million people worldwide, with about 500,000 deaths in the
US.
It was called the Spanish Flu because the first publicly recorded deaths from
the disease were reported in newspapers in Spain. Their newspapers were not censored
as many other countries were at the time due to World War I. When reporters wrote
of a deadly new disease hitting that country during the late summer of 1918 most
people assumed it had started there.
However, according to information I have read, the first actual cases were recorded
at US Army bases. The first were reported at Camp Funston in Kansas on March
4, 1918 when scores of U.S. soldiers became ill. The U.S. troops spread the virus
to Europe, but then the disease went into a slight dormancy for the summer. When
it re-emerged in the fall, it became much more lethal.
Much of the problem, as with any other communicable disease, was the movement
of people. In this instance it was soldiers being moved from place to place that
fueled the spread. The disease spread easily in the crowded conditions of the
barracks and troop ships and even more easily in the trenches where crowding
was a factor and living conditions were horrible. From there it spread to civilians
in Europe and came home with troops returning from the front. Travel of the disease
was approximately the speed of travel of the time. It took months for it to move
around the world because that was the fastest people could move back then via
ship. If nothing else, any new disease will certainly spread much faster today.
Due to travel via airlines, it could easily spread around the world in a few
days if not a few hours.
In 1918 the disease began to take a serious toll in the US and Europe in August – when
flu cases became abnormally high and continued until the following July when
the number of cases dropped back to normal levels. During that time it is estimated
that around 20 million Americans became sick and around 500,000 died. In October
1918, when the flu reached its peak in the US, it killed about 195,000 Americans
in that month alone.
These numbers may not appear to be all that high until you remember that the
population of the US was only about 100 million at the time. That means that
20% of the population became sick and 0.5% died of the disease. In a typical
year – with a population of about 300 million today – the flu kills
about 30,000 people or about 0.01% of the population. That means that the 1918
flu was about 50 times more deadly than a normal year! If a disease of the
same virulence were to strike the US today the number of people who became
sick would
be around 60 million with about 1.5 million dead. Those are large numbers indeed.
Another unusual thing about the 1918 flu was the people it struck down. Normally
the flu strikes the old and the young - those with weaker immune systems. However,
this flu struck down those people and the young and strong. In fact, when graphed,
disease tolls usually look like a U with the largest numbers of deaths at the
high and low end of the age scale with only a few in the middle. The 1918-flu
epidemic looked more like a W with a spike in the middle for young healthy
people who normally do not die. In fact, of the 110,000 deaths our military
suffered
in Europe during that fall 57,000 of those died of the flu - “only” 53,000
died in battle!
Back in the US, after deaths from the disease began in earnest, people began
to try to protect themselves. However, viruses were unknown at the time so
the protections people attempted were ineffective. People began to wear masks
in
public, which do provide some level of protection against large airborne particles
but airborne viruses are so small that to them the mask barely even exists.
They pass with impunity. Also, many times the method of transmission can be
through
touch. A person touches an infected person or something that an infected person
touched and then later touches themselves on a mucus membrane – the eyes,
nose, mouth, etc. and the virus is transmitted.
The death rate became so scary that many local governing bodies closed down theaters,
churches, and other public gatherings. For example during one day in October
in New York City 851 people died of the flu! New York City hastily passed ordinances
that made it illegal to spit, cough, or sneeze in public -- with the threat of
$500 fines. Five hundred dollars is a big fine today. Back then it was the price
of the Model T Ford! Today that fine would be ten or twenty thousand dollars!!
They were deadly serious about trying to control the spread of the flu . . .
Closer to home, at Syracuse University during October 1918 the campus was quarantined
for two and a half weeks because of the epidemic. Twelve students died and emergency
hospitals were erected in dormitories. At the time there were about 2000 students
so this was very serious when people of college age would normally hardly be
affected by the flu.
Now let’s move forward to today. The current death rate for people infected
with the avian flu varies from between 30% and 60% depending on the exact strain
and that is with the best of medical care, anti-viral drugs, etc. That is an
appalling number. So far we are very lucky that the disease cannot be transmitted
from human to human. All known cases so far come from contact with birds but
that could change. If it does, we should all pray that the death rate becomes
more along the lines of the 1918 flu or we are in for a very rough ride indeed.
Imagine how our society would be affected and react if a disease suddenly appeared
that killed 25% of those it infected? Even if it only infects 20% of the population,
as the 1918 strain did, that would still mean 5% of the population dead - 15
million in the US alone. Imagine the disruptions that would occur with a significant
number of people in our society dead in such a short period of time. Hospitals
would be overwhelmed and our highly specialized society would be at serious risk
of short-term collapse. That is not a very pleasant thought. How many of us are
prepared spiritually, mentally and /or physically for that sort of collapse?
If a nationwide quarantine had to be instituted it would likely be on the order
of two to four weeks. How many of us have enough food, fuel, etc. to get through
a period of that length? It is certainly something to think – and pray
- about.
Finally, on a more personal note, in the summer of 2003 - during the SARS scare
- I traveled on business to Taiwan. Since there were outbreaks in Asia my colleagues
could not visit the US without spending a week in a US quarantine facility – not
such a pleasant prospect. I was able to travel to Taiwan with no such requirement,
so off I went. When I arrived I found there was an additional step to go through
before one could get to the passport check and immigration control. All passengers
had to pass through a health station. It didn’t really take much time at
all but I found it interesting and it got me to thinking (dangerous!!). There
were a number of Taiwanese health officers there and everyone had to pass through
a control point single file where it was obvious that we were being visually
examined. I was told later that there were infrared temperature sensors set to
monitor people as they passed through. If you happened to have a body temperature
outside of a pre-programmed range or – Lord help you - a fever, you would
be taken aside for “further examination” and possible quarantine.
Thankfully I had no such trouble. If the next flu pandemic breaks out during
my lifetime, I hope that I am not traveling. I prefer to be at home during
such an event, not stuck in some strange place . . .
Jim,
I found this tool for building igloos: http://www.grandshelters.com/ Certainly a useful concept for people in the Midwest, Rockies or further north, for fun, practice and possible emergencies, both personal or regional. - Michael Z. Williamson
Jim,
I agree that nothing beats physical bullion and ammunition for real wealth,
but there may be something to be said for keeping a store of digital wealth
in tact for as long as possible also.
My bank has an emergency plan. They mailed me a copy. So I figured I needed
to incorporate a plan to keep them out of my life during an economic meltdown.
The plan is very simple. I fully intend to eliminate my mortgage with what
is left of my IRA on the day
before doomsday (or thereabouts). My money will ride out the storm on metal
based investments, hopefully holding value while
my fixed rate mortgage devalues. The new metal and oil ETFs are going to provide
a place of relative refuge for institutional investors in the near term future.
I think GLD, OILB and probably the new SIL will attract a lot of capital in
an inflationary emergency.
I am prepared for a quick change. My checking, savings, IRA and brokerage accounts
are all linked online and available 24/7. My IRA is currently about 1/5th of
my Mortgage and neither is very big IMO. I'm set up to liquidate my positions
and pay off my mortgage very quickly, and I will the moment I can.
On most days I am chasing returns with on the TSX, but I am really only 30
seconds away from being in metals, Euros... whatever. I foresee a period of
hyperinflation coming that will render the tax consequences of exercising such
a plan to be insignificant.
Because I believe preparedness is a civic virtue, I plan is to settle all my
financial entanglements digitally, just in case my bank survives doomsday.
I am not wealthy and I think many middle class people who could arrange their
lives in the same way. We may someday find ourselves in a Patriots-like
'Shumeresque' situation, but we will almost certainly find ourselves in a hyperinflationary
recession as globalism grinds to a halt and energy shortages choke our economy.
Also, IMO, this little closed end fund is a great investment for those who
can trade stocks in their IRA. It trades as CEF on the American Stock exchange.
See: http://www.centralfund.com The
fund holds Gold and Silver Bullion and is subject to Canadian, not United States
law! Check it out. Love your blog. Keep up the good work. - David A.
After reading Declan's question and then your answer, I felt compelled
to write in. Many of the survival minded people that post on various boards
swear
by their main battle rifle (MBR),
whether an AK, AR, M1A, FN-FAL, the list goes on. All which are tools that
have certain uses just like a hammer. IMHO,
I
don't
believe
that
we will go to a full scale war zone overnight. With the concealable of a pistol,
it is not as threatening as a MBR in public, mostly because of "out of
sight, out of mind." with a CCW,
a person can began to carry and also have it accessible if the balloon goes
up and their MBR is no where close.
For someone with a limited budget, a quality handgun would be the best first
gun in a survival battery. I also believe that if the person is not experienced
with weapons, the simpler the better. I have shot 1911A1s for the last 30 years,
also carried in the Army. I was fortunate enough that I had an office beside
the armory, and the armorer let me put together a tighter weapon from parts.
Officers never could figure out why my pistol held a tighter group. But, I
digress. The 1911A1 is an easy weapon to work on, but I believe it is still
too complicated for the novice. The locked and cocked issue to be ready is
my concern.
Since 1989, I have fell in love with Glocks. Yes, I pack plastic. To me the
grip is very similar to the 1911. The simplicity of the design also won over
the engineer in me. Currently they can be found in the .40 and .45 caliber
for around $350 dealer cost. These are trade-ins. I have purchased three this
year
that were trade-ins. The weapons were in great shape. Also, there are many
used "law enforcement" only hi-cap mags [made during the 1994-2004
U.S. Federal magazine ban] out there for $10. Sure beats the $100 each they
were just a few short years ago.
For
around $500
a person should
be able
to
arm themselves with a Glock, six magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. The
next step is practice, practice, practice. Proficiency is not acquired on the
Internet,
it is available only at the range. That's enough for now. Love your site.
I'm a proud "10
Cent Challenge" donor. - The Sarge
JWR Replies: Yes, handguns have their role in survival planning. They are handy for concealed carry, and as a means to have a weapon close at hand when you are doing heavy work and you can't carry a rifle. (It is hard to dig post holes when you have a rifle slung across your back.) But handguns are not a proper substitute for a rifle or riotgun when faced with deep drama. Another writer said it best when he opined [my paraphrasing]: "A handgun is just a tool that buy you time to fight your way back to your rifle."
Sir:
I heard a radio host talk about the value of having certain parts for guns on hand. Can you recommend a dealer or source for good quality parts for firearms? I am not a gunsmith. Does anyone make parts kits for the most commonly broken parts like springs,etc. It would be nice if you could buy them for say a 1911, AR, etc. I guess the AR is full of small things that get lost and cannot be replaced or made. Maybe you could elaborate with a posting on a list of what to buy etc, thanks. - Boosters
JWR Replies: The selection of spare parts will vary widely, depending on maker and model. Some models have a propensity for excessive wear, loss, or breakage on certain parts. For example, AR-15, M16s, CAR-15s, and M4s are notorious for broken ejection port dust covers, and buffer retainers, as well as galled gas tubes, gas tube keys, and cam pins. Parts for most autopistols are "drop in" replacements about 80% of the time. In contrast, revolver parts, especially hammers and triggers, usually require fitting. So unless you have experience at stoning and honing, there is no point to buying most spare revolver action parts. (BTW, this is one reason that I tend toward autopistols.)
Here are my basic spare parts vendor recommendations:
M1 Garands, M1/M2 Carbines, M1As and M14s: GunThings.com and Fulton Armory
AR-10s: Since some parts and magazines differ dimensionally between makers, buy spares directly from your rifle's manufacturer American Spirit, Armalite, DPMS, Knight, Rock River, etc.)
AR-15s, AR-15s, M16s, and M4s: Bushmaster,
DPMS, DSArms, Vector, and Kaiserworks.
M17S Bullpups (The poor man's AUG): BushmasterGunThings.com,
L1A1s and FALs: Gun Parts Guy, GunThings.com, Akron Armory, Kaiserworks, and DSArms
HK91s (and clones): HK4ever, Vector, HK-USA, and perhaps POF-USA. (The latter's parts are made in Pakistan.)
AKs: Akron Armory, GunThings.com, DSArms, Vector, and KVAR
RPDs: Vector
Steyr AUGs and SSGs: Guns South.
Galils: Vector or CDNN Sports
Uzis: Vector
Mauser Bolt Action Rifles : Tennessee Gun Parts or Hoosier Gun Works
M1919s: GunThings.com
Berettas, Brownings, Remingtons, and Winchesters: Midwest Gun Works
Rugers: Omega Man Enterprises or direct from Ruger.
M1911s: Wilson Combat, Chip McCormick, Clark Custom, or Ed Brown
Glocks: Glockmeister or Top Glock
Makarovs: Akron Armory
For more obscure or hard-to-find parts, there is always Gun Parts Corp. (They are the world's biggest gun parts seller, although their prices tend to be high for some models.) For gunsmithing tools and supplies (such as bluing salts, fiberglass bedding kits, etc.) as well as a wide assortment of magazines and customizing parts, I also highly recommend Brownell's. BTW, the only parts dealer that I avoid like the plague is Sarco of Stirling, New Jersey. ("Be afraid, be very afraid!")
If any SurvivalBlog readers with real world experience on spare parts histories would care to chime in, I will be happy to post their recommendations about which spares to keep on hand for individual makes and models.
OBTW, if you patronize any of these firms, please tells them that you saw them mentioned on SurvivalBlog. (Some of these firms are SurvivalBlog advertisers--and the rest should be!)
Survival Blog reader S.H. recommends a site with free PDF field manuals, including TC9-56 SKS Rifle, M16A2, et cetera: http://www.chqsoftware.net/catalog/freestuff.php This Canadian company also has a interesting looking CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training series...something folks should consider if they are in an urban environment.
o o o
Missouri Teenager Survives a 1,300 Foot Tornado Ride:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/14158868.htm
o o o
The H5N1 virus responsible for the current virulent strain of bird flu has
evolved into two genetically distinct strains, US scientists have confirmed.
They fear this could increase the risk to humans - and complicate the search
for an effective vaccine. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4828078.stm
o o o
Greenhouse Theory Smashed by Biggest Stone: http://www.physorg.com/news11710.html
o o o
An interesting blog: "Urban Ecology, Renewing the World One Backyard at a Time": http://www.futureofecology.blogspot.com/
o o o
Rourke (moderator of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/survivalretreat) recommends
this site on the Asian Avian flu: http://www.birdflumap.com (Be
sure to see the three week spread of the 1918 Pandemic.) See:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/maps.
o o o
SurvivalBlog's global readership is growing. See: http://clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://www.SurvivalBlog.com You can now click on the map to zoom in for detailed maps showing hits in various regions.
"As it now stands, they all seemed to agree, USDA’s proposed program could be compared to a finely crafted blueprint for a concrete blimp. It may look great on paper, but out in the real world, no amount of hot air will ever get it off the ground. - Livestock Weekly on NAIS
In a time where large machinery is unavailable because of fuel shortages, blasting becomes even more important. It is a viable means of clearing stumps, excavating, and clearing rock slides. Tannerite is available in the mail from Skylight Explosives. Tannerite a binary blasting mix which if prepared on site immediately before blasting, and requires no permit. Speak to Danny Tanner, a G-d fearing man, and friend to the small Jewish community in Eugene, Oregon. A few years ago I took some 19 and 20 year old guests to shoot with Danny. You should have seen the look in the eyes of the six New York yeshiva boys as we set out to fire battle rifles at 100 meter distant dynamite sticks. That was priceless! These guys had never even held a firearm before what a day. Unfortunately Danny didn't have time to grab his Class 3 guns before that shooting trip. Skylight gives blasting safety classes and this is a very worthy investment. See: http://www.tannerite.com/
Jim:
Check this site for some information on human-powered BOVs:
http://pedalrv.bravehost.com/
Regards, - Doc at www.bigsecrets.cc
Jim,
FYI there is already a two seated bicycle on the market called the Rhoades
Car.
http://www.rhoadescar.com/?icall=24151
- Neal W.
Jim:
I love your site. As to moth balls, I'm pretty sure they are a moth repellant
and have no effect on moth larva. So, once you pack your clothes in a moth-proof
container,
they will do absolutely no good against moths and they'll make your clothes
stink. If a moth has already laid eggs, the little darlings will still hatch
and chew up your clothes. After all, flying moths don't eat clothing, only
the larvae do.
That said, I have heard that moth balls act as a rodent repellant also. So,
if you're worried about mice, rats, squirrels, etc making a nest out of your
plastic wrapped clothing, then moth balls might keep them away. Thanks
for the information that you provide. - Marty
Jim:
I've had good luck storing wool clothing items and blankets for years by using Space Bags and aromatic cedar wood - a piece of wood in each bag. So far, so good. Semper Fi - Sarge
Mr. Rawles,
You had an inquiry on your site about long term storable charged batteries.
Such a topic came up recently on the amateur radio reflector called hfpack.
There is one such battery that is well suited for storage. It is called a silver
chloride battery, and they are activated by adding salt water. One
use is
in torpedos - see http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/electrical/hbl/.
Another source of information is at:
http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byP/batP/batt/btora/bType/sizn/silverzinc.shtml.
These have a high energy density, but are primary cells and not rechargeable.
Still, if you plan for an urgent one time need arbitrarily in the future,
silver chloride batteries may be the best bet. - "Sun Dog"
James:
One of your readers asked about the PTR-91 clone of the HK91. I think it is a very good battle rifle. For @ $700 you get an accurate, .308 cal, magazine fed rifle designed for combat. I prefer the 308 over the .223/5.56 round for the extra power and penetration. If you do the math with bullet weight and velocity, it calculates out to around 2.5 times more energy. If you disagree with this you can delete point as I don't wish to stir the pot. I am not an expert but I am experienced with weapons from my military and law enforcement careers and have reloaded since my teens. I am just getting back into reloading at close to 40 years of age. I have a PTR-91 and love it. Open sites at 100 yards with just a block for a rest, I was able to keep a 2" group. I am no sharpshooter either. I can do very well with a scope, but suffice it to say that this rifle will definitely out shoot most shooters. The rifle weighs a little over 9 lbs. Magazines are very affordable [still under $3 each] and have not had a jam or failure to feed (FTF) yet. I have found only two drawbacks to the rifle and one is because I am left handed. The charging handle is definitely designed for a right handed person but a lefty can get used to it. I also wish that the bolt locked back after the magazine is empty so you know instantly that the rifle is "dry". I had the chance to check out the rifle side by side with an HK91 and was still impressed. If you can find a better battle rifle in .308 for less, I want one. You have a great Blog.- "Nightshift" From the Gulf Coast.
A SurvivalBlog reader mentioned a source for MRE entrees, MRE crackers, full MRE meals, and T-Packs: See: http://www.longlifefood.com/
o o o
Joining the U.S. Army and Marines, the U.S. Air Force jumps on the digital camouflage uniform bandwagon: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,91425,00.html?ESRC=dod-b.nl
o o o
Survival Blog reader S.H.sent us this news story: "Oregon family
found after 17 days in mountains." Always nice to see some happy news
in the media these days. It seems that they were prepared. "The family
lived through the ordeal on dehydrated food and other provisions."
See: http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060321153509990009&ncid=NWS00010000000001
o o o
The folks at The
Pre-1899 Specialist report with chagrin that their incoming e-mail
was not getting through for a couple of weeks due to a mail server glitch!
If you've sent them any e-mails recently and got not reply, please re-transmit
it!
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation!" - Psalm 95:1
Hi Mr. Rawles,
I read your novel Patriots for
the first time a few months ago and wanted to tell you that it was one of the
most educational and eye-opening books that I have
read. Plus, the plot made it difficult to put the book down once I started
reading! Patriots really opened my eyes to many survival and self-sustainability
issues that I hadn't considered previously and for that I want to thank you.
I think it is a true service what you have done to those just learning about
these issues and so I have been recommending your book to everyone I know.
I also recently came across your blog and have found this to again be a great
source of information.
I sent an annual payment for the "10
Cent Challenge" a couple of days ago and
wanted to help contribute with a bit of information for anyone looking for
night vision devices (NVDs):
I was looking for a night vision monocular and after researching several of
the sites, I came across an interesting offer on www.opticshq.com.
They carried all of the popular models plus a device called the "Mini-14".
This is a Gen-3 device, which
in comparison to the PVS-14, is 1) smaller and lighter, 2) waterproof to 66ft,
3) uses only one AA battery (or smaller lithium
battery) instead of two, 4) comes with several additional accessories, and,
5) is comparable in price or even slightly cheaper.
The only feature that it lacks in comparison is that it doesn't allow manual
adjustment of the gain, which I've read might be an issue in urban environments
(the gain does adjust automatically though). Now, the interesting offer on
this site was that they had obtained some 'Select' versions, which included
the
[amplification tube manufacturer's] data cards
and were guaranteed to be above certain thresholds in features such as line
pairs
per
millimeter
(LP/mm),
signal
to
noise (S/N) ratio and sensitivity. Moreover, they offered a hand-select service
which assured receipt of the very best of these units. "Mike" is the one to
talk to there. He was very helpful in educating me about the differences between
the various models / brands as well as some of the
more general NVD information. There is a also a nice forum on their site where
users discuss the different units.
I decided to purchase the unit and have to say that it is by far the single
most amazing acquisition that I have ever made (truly worth every penny). The
clarity and brightness at night is jaw-dropping! And, I would have to believe
that this is one of the finer examples of a Gen-3 device. So, I just wanted
to pass along this information in case it would helpful to anyone interested
in these devices.
Thank you very much again for what you have done in educating everyone and
I look forward to many more daily blog updates! - Scot
Mr. Rawles,
I've been a fan of yours for a long time. I read your novel on line years ago
and it had a real impact on my thinking and my preparation efforts. I've
been coming to your site since the second day it was on the net. I'm a former
pilot in the Air National Guard and I'm a degreed electronic engineer and
I presently work for a large avionics manufacturer. I've been giving this
transportation issue (transportation availability after the Schumer hits
the...) some thought and I found this very interesting
web site:
http://www.andygraham.net/railrod/AndyKeithRide.htm
As you can see this guy has invented a side by side recumbent bicycle that
can not only go on the road but it can also go on railroad tracks. Both riders
can pedal. As I looked at this vehicle I realized that it could be modified
in a number of ways. It could be modified to add cargo racks. It could be modified
to add a golf cart electric motor with deep cycle batteries for power. A canopy
could be added on top to keep the sun off of the riders. Also attached to the
canopy could be solar cells that could be used to recharge the deep cycle batteries.
Solar cells have become more efficient and cheaper in recent years.
Anyway such a vehicle would be potentially an excellent recreational vehicle
now, and then later an excellent bug-out vehicle.
Anyway here is an idea. Perhaps you could contact this guy and make a deal
to sell his plans for this vehicle on your web site. Possibly pay him a royalty.
Maybe you have an associate that would be interested in building this vehicle.
I would be willing to help with the design of the electrical and electronic
parts. I thought this, if done right, could potentially increase your revenue.
I know I would be willing to buy a set of plans, or subcomponents to build
a vehicle like this one.
Anyway its just an idea. Thanks for your time. Best of Luck, - S.W.
Jim,
Here is a source for MRE crackers
which seem to last forever!
http://www7.mailordercentral.com/longlifefood/prodinfo.asp?number=C4010&variation=&aitem=2&mitem=4
I ate a pack of crackers last summer during a camp out/ range building weekend,
and they were from 1993. Still were crisp and tasty. - Tom
A little bird just told me that Oregon Freeze Dried's shelves are just about empty, with no re-supply expected until June or July. The demand for long term storage food, spurred by the global spread of Asian Avian Flu has been tremendous. If you want any freeze dried foods then order them soon, while there are still supplies in the pipeline. If you wait another month, you will probably be out of luck. We have four different advertisers that sell freeze dried foods. Please consider giving them your business, and be sure to mention SurvivalBlog when you do.
o o o
If you own a cell phone or pager, be sure to take a look at: http://www.thealertsystem.com. This is a alert system that sends out e-mails to subscriber mobile devices for less than a dime a day. It was started as a project to keep the inventor's like minded friends informed of the latest important news, and to coordinate any bug out/in. Since then, at considerable expense this project has been scaled up to handle thousands of subscribers.
o o o
New Home Sales Plummet in February:
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/24/D8GI0TIO0.html
I expect this trend to accelerate. Since so many houses have been bought "on
spec" in
the past two years (up to 35% of home sales in some markets), a down turn in
the market will make speculative home investors nervous, prompting them to
jettison them, creating a progressive down-ratcheting effect.
o o o
I was recently asked by a SurvivalBlog reader about my favorite news sources.
Of course judiciously applying the appropriate bias/Schumer filter (since there
is no such thing as unbiased journalism), they are:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/
http://www.csmonitor.com/
http://www.newsmax.com/
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page.html
http://www.drudgereport.com/
http://www.defensetech.org/
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/
http://www.gold-eagle.com/
o o o
Houston Residents are Fed Up with Hurricane Katrina Refugees:
http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3745006.html
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - Theodore Roosevelt
Note From JWR: We are currently "back filling" all
of the extant SurvivalBlog posts into Movable Type format. This process should
be completed in about two months.Once done, by clicking
on
any
of the "Categories" in
the right had bar or by using the "Search SurvivalBlog Posts" window,
you will be able to bring up any of the posts, all the way back to our first
posts in August of 2005.
Mr. Rawles,
I came across a website which I thought your readers may be interested in,
especially if anyone is considering building a fallout shelter.
The Swiss, perhaps the torch bearers of civil defense and preparedness, have
made available online a listing of what they call "Civil Protection Components." Essentially
they offer a list of parts approved for use in shelter construction that have
been tested to meet or exceed their requirements for use in a shelter. These
parts lists comprehensively cover building construction parts, sanitation,
ventilation, electronics, generators and transmission equipment. On top of
it all the Swiss have tested all parts for both shock resistance and EMP resistance.
Company names and addresses for all of these recommended parts are included
as well (seems to be mostly Swiss companies).
I thought this info would be a boon for your readers:
http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/en/home/themen/schutzbauten/testet_built-in_parts.html
Kind Regards, - Brian A.
New mutations in parts of the avian flu virus might provide a possible route
for the virus to enter the human population. From the journal Science:
http://www.livescience.com/humanbio..._flu_morph.html
o o o
Silver has been spiking upward for the past few days ($10.65 per troy ounce, the last time I checked), but beware of an impending short-term correction. Every bull market has its pull-backs and profit taking. Buy on the dips!
o o o
The
French
anarchists riot again. This time, we are told, the riots are about job
security. Job
security?
(I guess these are different than those U.S. anarchists, who would never consider
working for "The Man.")
o o o
Dire warnings from The International Forecaster: "You can expect, under these circumstances, that oil will go to $120 a barrel or higher dependent on whether there is further disruption in the supply. The good news is globalization and free trade will be stone cold dead. After a year or two they’ll be a hyperinflationary blow off and a 1929-type collapse, only worse. You have to be only in gold and silver during the hyperinflation and in gold only when the depression hits. The dollar will no longer be a place of refuge. All this should start to unfold over the next two months."
"Laziness casts one into a deep sleep. And an idle person will suffer hunger." - Proverbs 19:15 (NKJV)
Hello James,
Given the abundant information about the state of the economy, what would you
recommend we, (the consumer and fellow American) do when making a decision
about Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) come April 15th? I am concerned
about putting money away and into "paper currency" when
maybe it would be better to just pay down debt. What would you advise to someone
in my situation? I am not necessarily looking for information about the tax
benefits, simply your view about what would be a wise move. -The Wanderer
JWR Replies: This is a bit repetitious to my previous recommendation, but I suppose it bears repeating: I recommend rolling over your existing IRA and/or 401(k) into a gold deposit IRA, through Swiss America. I did so six years ago, and I'm glad that I did, since gold has nearly doubled since then. The IRAs is in the form of U.S. Mint Gold Eagle bullion coins, held in vault storage by American Church Trust, in Texas. In a perfect world, we would be allowed to hold the coins in our personal possession and yet still have them qualify as an IRA--but sadly we live in world managed by bureaucrats and bean counters. The next best thing is a gold deposit IRA, through Swiss America.
Dear Jim:
I spotted this very usual property - http://www.wislakesguide.com/ click
on feature of the month.
25 acres with ponds, but the real value is the five six inch artesian wells
are licensed for 100,000 gallons a day. This could be a profitable survival
business,
that I am already somewhat familiar with from a prior job. The asking price
is $2.2 million. Certainly with that water production potential (bottled water),
not
to mention fish farm and the acreage, that price seems within reason actually
with that kind of capacity.
If you know someone interested have then email me. - Rourke (e-mail: rourke4m@yahoo.com)
Jim,
As I know it's important for you to have and increase your advertisers ads
in order to support survivalblog and as a Survivalblog reader it's also important
to be able to trust your advertisers. I just wanted to drop you a message
about Vic and SafeCastle LLC.
I placed a large order with Vic a couple of weeks back for some Mountain House
cases and I should add that I'm always leery about spending what I consider
a substantial investment with someone I've never done business with before.
Vic responded to my original questions about the order nearly real time via
email and was the type of person you enjoy dealing with for transactions. Today
the freight truck dropped off my order on schedule and on time just as Vic
had informed me they would. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing business with SafeCastle!
JWR Replies: Thanks for yet another confirmation that SafeCastle is legitimate and trustworthy. (I've received similar e-mail from several other readers. Yours is one is just the latest.) OBTW, I just heard that SafeCastle's current very low price special on Mountain House freeze dried foods in one gallon cans includes free shipping anywhere in the U.S.--even Alaska and Hawaii. (Wow!) The sale end in eight days, so don't hesitate.
What the anti-gun mass media has wrought: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/8188403/detail.html As recently as the early 1950s, it was not unusual for residents of the large cities in the eastern U.S. to carry uncased rifles to or from shooting matches on public transportation. But now, the sight of a man with an air rifle causes a panicked evacuation? Ay, ay, ay...
o o o
Walter J. Williams (of www.shadowstats.com)
warns of the possibility of a "hyperinflationary depression." Gee,
this sounds like the storyline from a novel I read once.For an interview with
Williams, see:
http://www.weedenco.com/welling/Downloads/2006/0804welling022106.pdf
o o o
Schools Told To Prep For Bird Flu Outbreaks:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/3/22/101351.shtml?s=lh
o o o
Cold War cache found inside the Brooklyn Bridge:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3739585.html
o o o
U.S. chemical plants are still vulnerable to terrorists. See:
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2003/03/18/chemical_plants/index.html
According to a recent report (http://www.hlswatch.com/2006/02/27/gao-issues-report-on-chemical-security/),
security has not improved substantially since the Salon story was
written, three years ago.
Note from JWR: You've all probably heard about the
Category 5 cyclone that recently struck Australia:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/19/world/main1419446.shtml Perhaps
one of
our readers in Australia could let us know where to send donations. The folks
in the affected region are in our prayers.
Jim, I've been lucky on bullion recently and found some good info and a source.
I found local coin dealers at a gun show, who were selling "junk silver" coins
at barely over spot price. The price was about the same as from the best mass
dealer I could find--http://www.nwtmintbullion.com/--but
in per coin price, not in $1,000 face bags with 715 troy ounces. I'll be hitting
them as funds
and silver price permit. NWTBullion does offer the best price I've seen, and
will deal in bags as small as $100 face value--72 troy ounces, and in small
coin quantities. Each purchase is in a large coin tube (sold for this purpose
and similar to a medicine bottle) with date, silver weight (not counting the
base metal alloy),
and price paid per ounce. I can build up a good stock cheaply without trying
to draw capital on a loan or credit card (Which would cost more than I'd earn
in any reasonable scenario) and without the hassle.
Currently, the best bet for gold bullion on a budget seems to be British Sovereigns--10
coins at just under .25 oz comes to less than $1,400. This is far cheaper than
the 5 coin or more minimum of 1 oz coins (Eagles, Maple Leaves, Krugerrands),
which weighs in at over $2,900. Also, the markup on them is quite moderate.
By judicious selling of silver and buying of gold, one can build a gold portfolio
piecemeal for about what it would cost to buy a minimum chunk from a refining
company up front. I plan to keep silver on hand because it's easier to move
and has greater volatility, but above the minimum level, it can be used as
a resource for gold, antique firearms or other long-term investments.
While it's not a huge market yet, old copper pennies (1981 or earlier) are
still worth more than face value and will continue to climb. Copper isn't getting
any more common, and it's in high demand. Canadian pennies were copper until
1996. JWR Adds: The spot price of copper just hit an all-time high.
Canadian "silver" coins were 80/20 silver/copper, unlike US 90/10, but still had mostly silver content until 1967. They became 50/50 for 1967 and 1968 (quarters and dimes only), and were then .99 nickel until 1999. Nickel is also an in-demand industrial metal, and these coins are readily available. It's well worth pulling them from change, and they'll always have face price, though the reason they're now plated steel is because the nickel is going to be more valuable than face. - Mike
Mr. Rawles,
Please let me commend to your attention the website of the Suburban Emergency
Management Project: http://www.semp.us/
This is an excellent website
with material written by professionals but useful to laymen. There's more info
on this site than I can assimilate in a week. Their "Biots" are short
papers
on a whole panoply of emergency preparedness topics. There are 340 of them, as
of today. Some of my favorites are:
#334: "Please Remain in Your Seat": The Federal Government's
Role in Quarantine (26 February, 2006)
#332: What Is "Earthquake Baroque" Architecture? (21 February 2006)
#259: Revisiting Looting Behavior during Disasters (6 September 2005)
#216: Lessons Learned from a Hospital Evacuation During Tropical Storm Allison (21 May 2005)
#179: A Palimpsest of Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plans (25 February 2005)
#23 Who Was in Charge of the Massive Evacuation of Lower Manhattan? (26
September 2002)
Keep up the great work! - TFA303
Hello, Jim!
I was reviewing my storage of food supplies when a thought came to me: I don't have anything to put all that peanut butter on! I looked through all of the food suppliers you advertise looking for crackers, no results. Have any ideas of something that would store well? - Gerry C.
JWR Replies: The individually-wrapped "shelf stable" bread mini-loafs intended to supplement MRE and Tray-Pack ("T-Pack") squad rations have been available off and on for about ten years. This bread is quite bulky to store. I personally don't like the taste of it (too salty for me), but some people love it. As for crackers, long ago, C-Rations came with round crackers packed in the same can with the round "John Wayne" chocolate bars. (Remember those? Hmmmm... I can still taste them.) The only other storage "crackers" that I've tried were the circa 1980 Neo-Life canned "Sheepherder's Bread." They were bland biscuit-cum-crackers. Not very appealing. Perhaps some other SurvivalBlog readers have suggestions on more palatable varieties and sources that are now on the market.
Navy SEALs to Get Modified M14 Rifles: http://www.janes.com/defence/news/jdw/jdw060317_1_n.shtml
o o o
Asian Avian Flu Raises Hackles in Israel:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395641397&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
o o o
The folks at The Claire Files are organizing a postal rifle match. See: http://www.tcftalk.com/clairefiles/index.php?topic=9031.0
o o o
A bill before the Tennessee legislature would reject NAIS: http://nonais.org/index.php/2006/03/21/tn-bill-refuses-nais/ Let's hope this is the beginning of a groundswell.
"It is a mistake to expect good work from expatriates for it is not what they do that matters but what they are not doing.” - Cyril Connolly, English critic and editor, 1903-1974
Note from JWR: There are just 10 days left to submit your entries for Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day "gray" transferable Front Sight course certificate. The deadline for entries for Round 3 is March 31, 2006. The first piece posted today is another fine contest entry:
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” When people read this, or read about seasons in general, I would imagine that most immediately think of the changes of seasons associated with our climate. Most do not think of the sun, except in that it seems to be much more visible here during the warm months! However, the sun has seasons, or cycles, just like we do here on earth and these can have a large effect on us. One cycle that is most readily observed is that of sunspots. These spots are regions of lower temperature and highly intense magnetic activity that move around on the surface of the sun - sometimes there are more, sometimes less of them. They can be much larger than the diameter of the earth. The spots sometimes erupt into solar flares, or coronal mass ejections, both of which can have effects on our highly delicate modern technology - particularly satellites of all kinds and our power grid – because they cause intense magnetic fields to form around the earth. These fields also cause the aurora borealis or northern lights. Periods of high sunspot activity coincide with periods of the northern lights being much more active and visible in a much greater region than their normal haunts in the Polar Regions. During high solar spot activity the northern lights have been seen as far south as Mexico!
Galileo was the first European to observe sunspots in 1610. After observing
the spots for a number of years it was determined that they have a cycle
of approximately 11 years where the spot activity increases and then decreases
so that about every 11 years there is a peak in this activity. The year 2001
was a particularly high peak. However, the next peak – which should
occur around 2012 - is showing signs of being even more severe. We have just
reached the solar minimum with a serious reduction in the number of sunspots
- from here on out their numbers should increase. In fact, some scientists
are predicting that the next peak could be 30% - 50% stronger than the previous
cycle! During that peak – in 1958 – the Northern lights were
frequently visible in Mexico.
Why should anyone care? During the last peak of 2001 the Northern Lights were
substantially more active and there were actually power interruptions in some
places in Canada due to the magnetic fields that cause the northern lights.
The fields induced eddy currents on the power lines which overloaded some of
the lines and caused them to shut down. These same magnetic fields also induced
currents into other long metallic objects causing damage. One example is the
Alaska oil pipeline. The currents set up a galvanic reaction which caused corrosion
to take place at much higher than normal rates. During solar-induced magnetic
storms, the energy associated with the display of the northern lights is on
the order of 100 million megawatts. That’s quite a light bulb!
Also, we are in only in the middle of the extended solar cycle and in 2012
we may reach or exceed the same level of peak sunspot activity that existed
in 1958 and occurred at the end of that extended cycle. Think of all the things
developed since then - satellites, cell phones, beepers, computer networks
and a computer controlled power grid – electronics in general. What effects
will such strong planet-wide magnetic and electrical fields have on these things?
We could be in for a wild ride over the next few years.
There are other effects as well. The level of sunspot activity has an effect
on the weather here on earth. During the period from about 1650 through about
1710 – and for decades following that period - the weather around the
world was exceptionally cold. During that 60 year period there were only about
50 sunspots observed. With today’s conditions one would expect to observe
about forty five thousand in the same period. That is certainly a significant
difference!
The essentially sunspot free period from 1650 through 1710 is now known of
as The Little Ice Age. This was a time where rivers that now remain ice-free
froze over regularly – rivers such as the Thames in England and the Delaware
in the US. Additionally, the canals in Holland froze solid regularly, the glaciers
in the European Alps advanced considerably and by 1695 there was no open water
anywhere around Iceland – the Atlantic Ocean around the island was frozen!
Since that time the earth has warmed considerably.
Let’s look back a bit further too - at Greenland. Today it is a fairly
inhospitable place. However during the period from around 982 through to about
1430 Greenland was inhabited and farmed. This is also when it acquired its
name – Greenland. Some early maps call it Gruntland or Ground Land. Not
nearly as appealing! It is said that when Eric the Red was exiled to the place
for murder, he named it Greenland in what surely was an early marketing ploy
by Mr. The Red (ha!) bent on selling people on living there. However, the fact
remains that people lived there and raised sheep and some crops for close to
450 years. Yet, the weather changed and the European inhabitants left or died
out. Modern archeology says those who stayed died from malnutrition - probably
brought on by the weather turning colder and crops and animals dying off.
If we look back even further it is now known that there was a Paleo-Eskimo
culture that lived on Greenland which disappeared around 200 AD. I have no
true idea of what the area was like in between. However, could it be that Greenland
becomes more or less inhabitable based upon the cycles of the sun? It is an
interesting thought.
In any case, you can see by looking at the following figure that sunspot activity
has been increasing steadily since the time of The Little Ice Age. In fact,
it appears to follow a “long” – or extended - cycle of about
80 or 85 years where there is a low and then a climb to a maximum in sunspot
activity and then a drop off again. However, if you look at the graph closely
it appears that the steepness of the line from minimum to maximum of each cycle
is becoming slightly more steep with each passing “long” cycle.
Also, note that the minimum of each of these long cycles is becoming more active.
In fact, the minimum in 1970 is much higher than any of the previous minimums
and also higher than all but 2 or 3 of the peaks in the previous “long” cycles!
As I said above, we could be in for interesting times indeed during the next
peaks which should occur around 2012, 2023, 2034 and 2045 before dropping back
down to the solar minimum again.
Where will this next peak take us? I do not know. However, as we are all aware, there is certainly much talk about global warming and it being caused by man. While I do believe that the earth is warming I am not so certain of our complicity in this event. Somehow I do not think pollution here on earth is having any effect on the cycles of the sun! While we certainly do our share of polluting, etc. there are forces at work that we do not – as yet – fully understand which are MUCH larger than any that our civilization could create. Maybe the end of the current “long cycle” will bring a drop off similar to the one between 1650 and 1710 and we will all be happy to eat sauerkraut, turnips and potatoes instead of wheat and corn. Maybe someday we’ll understand it all, but only God knows what is in store for us tomorrow.
Mr. Rawles,
My compliments on your informative blog site, and best wishes for continued success.
I read your thought-provoking and informative novel, Patriots,
and enjoyed it
very much. A few days ago you wrote, “IMHO, ‘tacticalizing’ your
bolt
action
rifles (by threading their muzzles) is a must.” You mentioned sending a
Browning A-bolt [to Holland's
of Oregon] to have the muzzle threaded. In the Survival
Guns section of
your
website, you write, “It
is important to note that scopes are more prone to failure than any other part
of a rifle. Therefore, it is wise to select a rifle with good quality iron sights,
whether or not you intend to mount a scope.” You
also mention that your Winchester Model 70s (which sound like they are set up
very nicely) have threaded muzzles. I’ve got a great rifle with
iron
sights and a scope. How is there room in front of the iron sights to cut threads
for
a flash hider? [JWR Replies: Many brands of rifles have
sufficient "beef"" forward of the front sight to allow threading. For
those that don't, either remounting a front sight or shortening a front sight
base are
simple
tasks
for
any
qualified
gunsmith.] Also, if you have to drill out the
back
of
a
Vortex
flash hider made for 5.56mm bullet clearance,
could you instead use the Vortex that is made
for a .30 cal instead, and not have to drill it? [JWR Replies: I
recommend using the compact .223 Vortex and drilling it out, because it has
standard
1/2"x28
threads,
which
are
the same used on AR-15s and many other rifles. The threads for the .308 Vortexes
are not nearly as common.]
A side note for your readers who may want a centerfire revolver that doesn’t
require a FFL to purchase: R & D Drop-In Conversion Cylinders allow a shooter
to convert several makes and models of black powder revolvers to a similar
caliber metallic centerfire cartridge. They probably shouldn’t shoot
full power loads, but they are readily available from Midway
USA. Though expensive,
they may fill the requirement for a new centerfire revolver you can order directly
from a catalog. I’ve never used one, but
a review I read on one was very positive. Thanks for your reply, and may God
bless
the Rawles household as you encourage your readers to live by the Boy Scout
motto: “Be
Prepared.” Thank you also for your bold witness for God both in your
novel and on your website. A fellow
patriot, - GlobalScout
U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton said on Monday said that it was "increasingly
likely" that bird flu would be detected in the United
States as early as this year.See: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-03-20T182927Z_01_WAT005108_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU-USA.xml&rpc=22
o o o
Category 5 Cyclone Slams Australia: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/19/world/main1419446.shtml
o o o
Hurricane Katrina: What Went Right?: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/12030
o o o
Kevin Sites, a journalist in Afghanistan: http://hotzone.yahoo.com/
o o o
Big caliber safari rifles: http://bigfivehq.com/
o o o
Some interesting economic and investing commentary: http://www.safehaven.com/archives.cfm
o o o
Silver is bouncing along at around $10.30 per ounce. That is a 16.85% gain for the year!
"As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And, it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness." - Justice William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court (1939-1975)
The U.S. housing bubble but has not yet popped, but it is starting to make funny noises. (See: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060306/housing_slowdown.html?.v=2) You have probably read that the Federal debt ceiling has been raised to nine trillion dollars. (See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,138881,00.html) What is the point of calling it a "ceiling" if Congress keeps raising it every year? The U.S. Treasury is now technically bankrupt, but from a practical standpoint, how can you call the man with the printing press bankrupt? He just prints more, as needed. There are just more and more "fun tickets" in circulation, and their value gradually melts away. Ask anyone that has lived in South America. The same drama gets played out over and over again, in country after country. The biggest losers in an inflationary spiral will be bank depositors and pensioners. Is it any wonder that the savings rate in the U.S. is at an all-time low? Starting this week, the Federal Reserve will stop reporting the M3 aggregate money supply. This gives "Helicopter Ben" Bernanke carte blanche to monetize the Federal debt without public scrutiny. Meanwhile, both Iran and Norway are opening oil bourses that will transact their business in Euros rather than dollars. (See: http://www.europe2020.org/en/section_global/150306.htm) The U.S. trade deficit has blossomed to huge numbers--far beyond the level at which Warren Buffet issued his stern warning a year ago. (See: http://www.parapundit.com/archives/002652.html.) Taken together, this does not bode well for the U.S. Dollar. Methinks we are headed for some deep Schumer. My advice can be summed up in one word: tangibles. I recommend that you put your money in productive farm land in lightly populated dry land farming regions, precious metals, and guns. Unlike dollar-denominated investments, at least those can't be inflated away to nothing.
As with many survival related expedient repairs some of these fixes could
present a fire or mechanical danger. As always work/learn with a responsible
experienced mechanic, one who specializes in off road racing will often
have good experience
in how to squeeze a few more miles out of a damaged vehicle.
Diesel Engine
Glow Plugs: if the glow plug control system goes down try running a parallel
power wire from the plugs straight into the cab off of the fuse panel or cigarette
lighter, try to determine amperage draw ahead of time for proper switches and
wiring. Power the plugs for 5-10 seconds before starting, shut off power
to the plugs once the engine is running. Fuel pump: if you have an older manual
carbureted model you can drip feed a carburetor, better still a gravity feed
into the fuel intake will let the carb work normally.
Fuel Injection: A real problem; in case of failure a replacement intake manifold
or adapter and aftermarket carburetor is the best bet, keep a set in the shop
for emergency. Write in with suggestions for a diesel with electronic fuel
injection (EFI). Vacuum line
hose and plugs: even the spark advance and brakes can be plugged but engine
performance and braking power will suffer, most lines run to clean air gadgets.
Air Cleaner: try using pantyhose or open cell foam, be creative but be sure
that it is not going to get sucked into the intake potentially ruining the
engine,
window
screen over the throat of the carb is advisable if attempting a homemade cleaner.
Smaller engines can often be modified for crank starting, but beware kickback,
look at designs for crank-started cold cars and farm equipment.
As for motorcycles an off road bike with magnetos is a good choice, how I miss
my '93 Honda X-200R bugout special. Seek one with electronic ignition over
points (the EMP required to destroy this high energy rated circuit would require
a
detonation so close
by that the bike would be destroyed by heat and blast.) An electronic ignition
lasts much longer than points with no maintenance required until failure.
Here is a site with some useful information on magnetos: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question375.htm
Someone who has access to a shop could modify a diesel generator motor mount
to fit a motorcycle frame, a 12 VDC motor
(scavenge from a car junk yard) could be built into a hand crank generator
to light the
glow plug if a bike without battery is desired. A cable clutch or centrifugal
clutch is needed, possibly some motorcycle
transmissions will mate with a diesel motor, e-mail in if you know of such
a motor/tranny combo.
If your vehicle is designed for survival applications don't let EMP fears
be foremost, instead pick an easily repairable long lasting design that conserves
fuel and other expendables. For the most part even EMP aside maintainability
still leads to an electronics sparse vehicle. In truth as long as there is
power for the ignition everything else is optional.
If EMP is truly a fear you can't put out of your head, [removing and] wrapping
in aluminum foil of the more sensitive electronics containing ICs (integrated
circuits a.k.a. computer chips) will put you at ease. As I have written before,
EMP is not a realistic concern for most vehicles,
look at older EMP posts. Don't swallow the Hollywood/TV science that EMP attacks
will completely destroy communication and electrical infrastructure.
Mr. Rawles,
Could you mention some 'investment grade' firearms for your Survival Blog readers?
In other words, besides investing in silver, what firearms (handguns, carbines,
etc) would be potential investments for long range 10-20 years? Thanks! - Chad
JWR Replies: The biggest price gains will probably be in pre-1899 cartridge guns, as mentioned in my Pre-1899 FAQ. In my opinion, the real "comers" in today's market are (in no particular order):
Smith and Wesson top break revolvers. I anticipate that S&Ws will nearly "catch up" to Colt prices in the next 20 years. The .38 caliber S&W top breaks are often available for less than $300 each, and .44s for less than $800. These are available from a number of antique gun dealers including The Pre-1899 Specialist, and Jim Supica (at The Armchair Gun Show).
Whitney lever action rifles. Long ignored by collectors, the Whitney rifles should appreciate tremendously in the next decade.
FN-49 rifles, especially the Argentine .308 model with detachable 20 round magazine
Colt factory 1980s and 1990s vintage black powder revolvers, but only if they are in minty condition and in original factory black or gray boxes.
Mauser military bolt action rifles that were imported in only small numbers. These include M1894 Swedish Mauser carbines, Persian M1898 Mausers, and Brazilian Model 1894 short rifles.
Burgess pump action shotguns. These are operated by a unique sliding iron pistol