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Notes From JWR: Today, I'm covering Nevada, the tenth of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.

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State By State – Nevada (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Nevada)

Nevada:
Population: 2 million.
Population Density: 18 per square mile (Rank 13 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 110,561 square miles (rank 7 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $937/yr. (rank 7 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $479/yr. (rank 21 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 49 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 76%.
Per capita income: $29,506 (15 rank of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 25 of 50.
Comments: One editor listed in the acknowledgements stubbornly insists
that my ranking below is unfair to parts of Nevada. Nevada is really “a tale of two states”: Las Vegas and then all the rest. Las Vegas has the same urban problems as Los Angeles, which affects the insurance and crime numbers above. Las Vegas has a severe desert climate that is hostile to agriculture, and most residents are dependent on water from elsewhere. Las Vegas is not worth of consideration, and its influence on the state’s statistics conceals a very viable and potentially desirable relocation alternative in Northern Nevada.
Plusses: No income tax, relatively pro-gun ownership, except for Clark County's (Las Vegas) handgun registration laws. Northern Nevada, particularly Reno and the Carson Valley (which will be listed second tier relocation region in my subsequent posts) have mild summers not requiring air-conditioning, ample water from snow melt from the Sierra Nevada mountain range, widespread ranching and hay production, better schools than Las Vegas, and solidly conservative political demographics (except for inner Reno). Healthy economy with many companies relocating from California. Northern Nevada is considered an ideal off-the-grid solar power location, with plenty of sun during the moderately chilly winters.

Nevada is not recommended for a survivalist with a small to moderate budget. However, for someone who is wealthy and who can stand the climate, Nevada should be bumped up a notch or two. Taxes will be a big issue for you—and Nevada has no income tax. As someone “of means” you will be able to afford lots of food storage, voluminous fuel storage, and a large greenhouse to make up for the hot summers/cold winters climate of the Nevada high country. (See my posts in a week or two for specific recommendations within Nevada.)
Minuses: Expensive land in the more desirable areas with plentiful water. May suffer from the "Golden Horde" effect--a huge wave of refugees and looters pouring in from more populous California in in the event of an abrupt TEOTWAWKI. Water is scarce in Nevada, at least south and east of the Sierras.Also consider: extremely high crime rate (Las Vegas severely skews this statistic), minimal agriculture (except for some hay growing and ranching in the northern portions of the state), high sales tax, expensive car registration for newer cars (but a friend in Nevada reports that a 10-year-old vehicle that was originally purchased for $50,000 costs only $68 per year to register), exploding population growth (the fastest in the U.S. due primarily to Las Vegas), the lowest church attendance rate in the country (ranked 50 of 50 - the state is more libertarian than conservative), and heavy dependence on gambling for tax revenue. Has a low rating in “education freedom” (ranked #47 of 50). While Nevada's calculated per capita “tax burden” is 12% higher than the national average for all 50 states, much of this comes from tourist gambling revenues, so those non-gamblers in their prime earning years may still find Nevada to be a relatively low tax haven. Nevada has refreshingly lax incorporation laws. There is a risk that statewide political control could shift to the pro-tax liberals of Las Vegas (although the state Constitution requires a 2/3 majority to create an income tax). Some central and northern regions of the state with plentiful surface water are recommended—but with provisos.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 14 of 19 (Note: I’d probably rank it at 7 or 8 if it weren't for Las Vegas.)

The Ghillie Suit--The Ultimate in Camouflage (SAs: Field Gear, Camouflage)

Back in the 18th century, game wardens in Scotland were engaged in an occasionally deadly game of cat and mouse with poachers. These wardens--called "ghillies" in the local parlance of the day were experts in field craft. To catch a poacher was difficult, so the ghillies would cut tree or bush limbs and cover themselves with them as camouflage while in laying in wait. This was laborious, but worked well. Then a warden whose name is lost in history came up with a clever idea: A camouflage body suit that was made of shredded rags in dull earth-tone and foliage-toned colors. From a short distance, the man wearing it resembled a bush, and could not be easily recognized. Thus was born the Ghillie Suit. The first use of ghillie suits by military organizations recorded by historians was during WWI, when Scottish ghillies served with Lord Lovat's Scouts, brought their camouflage suits with them for the fighting in the fields of France. The ghillies in the Lovat Scouts shared their expertise in stalking, long range shooting, and camouflage, which spread to other British Commonwealth armies.

The modern ghillie suit, re-popularized in the late 20th century in the British and U.S. armies is now standard wear for sniper teams in most western armies. These modern ghillie suits use the same concept, providing four key attributes: they look like like plant foliage, they occupy three dimensions (unlike camouflage printed cloth), they break up a soldier's distinctive silhouette, and they muffle noise. There are two common designs:

(BTW, I prefer the latter, especially in hot climates.) Both designs are nearly always used in conjunction with a camouflage face veil and a boonie-type hat with similar ghillie garnish.

Ghillie suits and capes are commercially made, but these tend to be very expensive (since they are labor-intensive to assemble) and the choice of colors used will not always match your local terrain. Avoid the cheap commercial ghillie suits that are made out of plastic. They are indeed three dimensional but they do not blend in well in the boonies compared to natural materials like burlap and jute. Some commercial sources include:

Do It Yourself (DIY) ghillie suit/cape construction resources on the web include:

If you want to save money and assemble all of the materials yourself, rather than buy a commercially-made assembly kit:

Heavy duty black or brown nylon netting--such as deep sea fishing net material-- (the 1.5-inch square mesh works best) is often found for sale on eBay.

The folks at http://www.gunpartscorp.com sell fairly inexpensive military surplus rolls of 1.5" wide burlap that is already dyed green and brown. Stripping out most of the horizontal crossbars (the Memsahib--who is a weaver--tells me this is properly called "weft") is time consuming, but it is necessary to make burlap frizz up into a proper three dimensional look.

Two more points, in closing: Don't overlook the need to integrate a hydration pack (such as a CamelBack or clone thereof) with a drinking tube when you build your ghillie suit. (This is not a big issue with a cape, but it is with a full ghillie suit.) It is also very important that you thoroughly soak your completed ghillie suit in flame retardant before using it. Without it, all of that frayed burlap is a fire accident that is just waiting to happen! In my experience the FlameCheck brand retardant (made in England) works well, because it does not leave a white residue like some other brands.

Article on Revised U.S. Nuclear Strike Doctrine (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Military Strategy, Nuclear Threat)

The Pentagon has drafted a considerably new strategy on nuclear strike options. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/10/AR2005091001053_pf.html This is some serious FFTAGFFR! From the standpoint of national security, it is probably a sound strategy, but in some instances (such as the emerging threat from North Korea), IMO it will raise the risk of a full scale nuclear exchange. Plan accordingly! (If you live in the blast radius or downwind from a potential nuclear target, then it is wise to move.)

Letter Re: Request for Clarification Regarding Diesel Engine Invulnerability to EMP (SA: Survival Vehicles)

Jim, I'm no expert but I have some limited knowledge regarding the topic of diesel engines and EMP. What you want is a diesel engine with a mechanical fuel injector pump, not an electronic one. Diesel engines don't require ignition systems to run, no spark plugs, distributor, etc. and the old ones used a mechanical fuel pump. All you need is a starter to turn the engine over, it runs or fires by the heat generated by the compression stroke. [JWR adds: A glow plug is also needed for the fuel to reach flash point at low ambient temperatures. Some of the newer diesels use an electronic glow plug control, which could possibly be bypassed if they are someday fried by EMP.] No ignition system, therefore impervious to EMP. Since the mid to late 80's manufacturer's have switched to electronic fuel pumps so even though you don't have spark plugs, etc., the engine has "electronics" for fuel regulation. Now you have EMP problems. Hope this helps. - T.N.

Letter Re: Blood Transfusion Equipment Available (SAs: Medical Gear, Emergency Surgery)

I read the letter you posted from "Mr. Lima" about what his friend "W" had told him. Other than knowing your blood type ahead of time, the rest of the letter is wrong. I'm not sure if "Lima" misunderstood "W." or if "W." only works in a lab on samples and machines and has never had any patient contact or he just mistook one substance for another after so many years in the lab. FWIW, the laboratories and blood banks in today's hospitals are two separate and different departments. Short and sweet: EDTA anticoagulated blood can (and mostly likely always will) kill a person. EDTA has never been used (at least not since the days of trying to infuse humans with cows blood) to anticoagulate donor blood and has never been available in "blood donor bags from the blood bank". EDTA bonds with calcium (irreversibly) and prevents clotting in blood sample tubes (vacutainers) and has seen some use in certain lab machinery. EDTA is a chemical compound and has other issues that could cause massive problems to a person aside from coagulopathy, it would alter a persons blood chemistry and I can only make educated guesses as to the outcomes since no data is available on EDTA entering a person's vascular system. EDTA bonds with calcium because it is a metal ion, which means any metal ions in the blood (and finally the body) could be bonded. All those 'guesses' would result in major systemic problems that would invariably lead to death, 99%+ could be assured in a SHTF situation and not much better even with access to modern medicine. Coumadin (a.k.a. Warfarin) is not an anticoagulant in the sense of preventing clotting when drawing blood. Warfarin drugs work by inhibiting certain functions of the body from producing different factors that make up the clotting cascade. This is why they are commonly referred to as 'blood thinners'. Obviously giving Coumadin to prevent immediate clotting won't work, because it doesn't deactivate the clotting cascade, it just prevents certain factors from being replaced once they expire normally in the body. It is unlike Heparin in that Heparin works immediately to interrupt the cascade rather than removing a factor or two. Getting blood bags with Citrate (CPDA-1 or ACD-A) from the blood bank is what a person would want and is also my personal choice. I keep some Heparin as well as a backup, but I wouldn't use it until I exhaust my supply of CPDA-1 bags. So, never give Coumadin in the field. If there is some sort of need to 'thin' a patient's blood (high blood pressure perhaps) then go on an aspirin regimen. Another bonus of Citrate as an anticoagulant is that once the blood is back into a person's body the calcium in there body replaces the bound calcium and you almost instantly viable platelets again! Thus you kill two birds with one stone. Fresh RBCs and more coagulation factors and platelets to stop the bleeding. It's really a beautiful thing. If you have any atheist friends, tell them to learn about blood. Just blood. Once they know it, I would be surprised if they can still deny that Divine intervention led to our existence. The complexity of how everything works just to form a clot a clot, let alone fix the clot is astounding. That is another topic however. In the future I would suggest getting some independent people to review some of the letters you put on the blog before you post them. I don't know where anyone would find EDTA easily other that breaking open those vacutainers and just the thought of that sends chills down my spine. EDTA is used in cases of lead poisoning, but it's is a sterilized and specific format. The patient's blood gases and values must be constantly monitored to ensure no harm comes to the patient. This is not the same thing as the EDTA powder in laboratory vacutainers! I would be more than happy to review the hematology aspects of those posts, however I like most medical professionals are like insects. We specialize and I have already forgotten a lot of that too :( I'm working on that as part of my preparations as well. I love the blog and keep it up!
P.S.: If you have free time (wishful thinking) drop by AssaultWeb.net, we have a good group of Christian Patriots on the board.

JWR Replies: Thanks for setting us straight, Buckaroo! I will remove that erroneous post so that nobody mistakenly refers to it in the future.

Letter Re: Koyaanisqatsi--and Getting Back In Balance (SA: Survival Mindset, Self-Sufficiency)

James,
I debated for four or five weeks about whether or not to write an email to you, as I know that you must receive too many already, and others probably offer information and mine only offers praise and thanks. I finally decided, that everyone could use encouragement and praise, so here goes…
I read your novel [Patriots] for the first time many years ago, several times since, and have worked it into my 5-6 book current reading stack. It was my first exposure to another way of viewing the world, and it alone, was responsible for opening my eyes and mind to a looming menace in our present “Koyaanisqatsi”. ["koy-yan-iss-katsi"--meaning "life out of balance" in the Hopi language.] I grew up on a farm in Kansas and have been living my adult yuppie life in Kalifornia for twenty plus years now. I have returned mentally, to my agrarian roots and self sufficiency that my grandparents taught me when I was a child on the farm and am PREPARING. I am currently making plans to leave our suburban existence and move my family to a rural farm setting. My wife and I are both readying for the transition. I found your blog soon after you started it by re-visiting bookmarks in by browser folder, titled “TEOTWAWKI”, that I created when I read your book the first time and what a great resource!
I hope to have information in the future to share with you and the readers of your blog as another silent member of your blogosphere whose life you have touched by your creativity, willingness, and drive to share what you imagine and see. In short, Thanks, God Bless, and keep up the good work. - C.J., Southern California

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"If you can be seen, you can be hit. If you can be hit, you can be killed." - The First Law of the Modern Battlefield

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Note From JWR: Today, I'm covering Nebraska, the ninth of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.

State By State – Nebraska (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Nebraska)

Nebraska:
Population: 1.7 million.
Population Density: 21.9 per square mile (Rank 12 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 77,355 square miles (rank 15 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $649/yr. (rank 42 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $499/yr. (rank 18 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 12 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 64%.
Per capita income: $27,630 (rank 26 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 5 of 50.
Plusses: Low crime rate.
Minuses: Tornado prone (ranked #4 out of top 20 States). Few local firewood sources.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 11 of 19.

VHF Marine Band and Out of Band ("Freeband") CB Radio Modifications (SA: Communications, Disaster Preparedness)

Proviso: The following is for informational purposes only. Do not modify radios as described unless it is a dire emergency. (FCC regulations do not permit out of band transmissions except under emergency situations.)

One aspect of preparedness that is often overlooked is secure radio communications. As I've mentioned in some of my previous blog posts, buying a pair of VHF Marine Band radios makes sense if you live in an area that is both inland from the coast and away from the Great Lakes. You will essentially have a band all to yourself. Another approach to increasing communications security is modifying CB radios to transmit just above or just below the designated Citizen's Band.(The so-called "Freeband".) Although your transmissions will still be vulnerable to interception with any scanner, they will not be noticed by anyone that has a standard (unmodified) CB radio. Freeband modification was very popular in the U.S. back in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Citizen's Band was very crowded. It also had some popularity in Australia.

The earliest CB radios used crystals. In those days you could order specially cut "bastard" crystals to give your the ability to transmit out of band. But very few of those radios are still on the market. Then along came the early synthesized CBs. These could be modified for freeband by clipping wires or soldering-in a few jumpers. (Some modifications were very clever. In one instance a panel light switch became a freeband toggle so that the freeband modification was un-noticeable to the casual observer.) The latest production CBs are also synthesized, but have virtually all of their frequency-setting electronics burned onto a chip. So those are not easily modified for freeband.

Many of the early synthesized CBs from the 1970s/1980s "golden age" of CB radio are suitable for out of band modification. One of the most popular of these is the Cobra 148GTL. (BTW, lots of other Courier, Galaxy, GE, Midland, Realistic (Radio Shack), Uniden, and President brand CBs from the same era can be similarly modified.) There is a lot of information on the WWW if you look around. Books like the CB Hacker's Guide also describe these mods in detail. You will occasionally find a CB that has already been modified up for sale on eBay. But to be sure that a freeband mod is done right, your best bet is to find a standard Cobra 148GTL (or similar) with "low hours" and do the modification yourself.

In closing, I need this admonition: Do not be tempted to install a linear amplifier for illegal transmission in excess of five watts. That would be like waving a red flag to the FCC. Remember: "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down."

Two Survival Stories from Hurricane Katrina (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Lessons from Katrina)

Letter from "Doug Carlton" Re: Budget Survival Firearms Batteries (SA: Survival Firearms, Night Vision Gear, Training)

Hi Jim,
On Survival battery on a budget: It doesn't really matter what you have as long as it is of good quality and you know how to use it. For instance, an M1 Garand is certainly a viable rifle, especially in areas where others may not be legal, but it may not be the best rifle for me. For others it might be the best choice over anything else. The key reason is training. My father (drafted for the Korean War in the 50's) would be much better off with an M1 Garand than a FAL. Why? Because he knows it inside and out. The same goes for many folks that have military experience. If I were to choose a 5.56mm, it would be an AR-15 platform, not because it's the best rifle ever made, but because after ten years in the Army it's an extension of myself. Training and experience is the key. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you're better off buying a cheaper gun and spending money on training, than buying an expensive gun and shooting it from the bench once or twice a year. Gizmos, gadgets, and dollars do not make up for skill. Only skill matters. Get professional training from one of the many instructors that teach carbine or rifle classes. Which brings me to J.B.'s question on night vision, etc. Training is again the key. It doesn't matter if you have NVG's if you can't use them effectively. It takes training, and a lot of it to really use the potential of night vision systems. Don't fall into the expensive trap of buying a night scope and thinking you "own the night." The scope is just a tool. You have to know how to use the tool effectively. Now night is just another environment. Since it can be half the day or longer farther north, it's pretty important to know how to operate at night. Again, training is the key. The only way to get good at night is to train at it. You won't make up for lack of training, by buying gadgets. Training at night will put you ahead of those that don't when you're in that environment. Too many people get hooked on the gear and ignore training. Your brain is your primary survival tool. - "Doug Carlton"

Letter Re: Firearms Laws as Criteria for Retreat Location Selection (SAs: Gun Control, Retreat Selection)

Mr. Rawles,
I see that when evaluating retreat locations you consider the state's gun laws. It appears that the more favorable the gun laws, the better the state as a potential retreat. Your site seems concerned primarily with the "SHTF" or "TEOTWAWKI" scenarios. Should either of these come to pass, I don't see where gun laws would matter one way or the other. Who's going to enforce them? Regards, - J.G.

JWR Replies:
I strongly disagree. You still have to live and to train/practice with firearms somewhere in the interim. Why subject yourself to living under bad laws? And what if things deteriorate in a "slow slide" scenario a la the U.S. in the 1930s, or Zimbabwe in the present day? Think about it: In both cases--still a viable government to contend with. So gun laws do matter. If you live in a state that isn't gun friendly, then I strongly recommend that you vote with your feet! Refer to my previous posts and Boston's Gun Bible for details on the various state gun laws.

Letter Re: "Fugitive Kit" Alternatives to G.O.O.D. Kits (SA: Field Gear, G.O.O.D. Kits, Disaster Planning)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice Doggie!' while you are looking for a rock." - Will Rogers

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Note From JWR: Today, I'm covering Montana, the eighth of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.

State By State – Montana (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Montana)

Montana:
Population: 903,000.
Population Density: 6.1 per square mile (Rank 18 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 147,000 square miles (rank 4 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $671/yr. (rank 38 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $451/yr. (rank 26 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 10 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 92%.
Per capita income: $22,518 (rank 46 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 8 of 50.
Montana Agriculture reference: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/MONTANA.htm
Montana Crops: Potatoes, sugar beats, sorghum, alfalfa, grass hay, and grains.
Plusses: Very low crime rate! Very low population density. Minimal gun laws. Good schools. A very non-intrusive government. (For example, in the 1990s there were a few years with no daylight speed limit on most of Montana’s highways outside of city limits.) Low car insurance rates.
Minuses: Very cold winters, especially east of the Great Divide, and a short growing season. (The number of frost free days range from 139 days in Glendive to just 39 days in Ovando!) Insufficient crop diversity. Low wages. Montana's missile fields are still in the Russian target structure.
Lower elevation areas west of the Great Divide (and upwind of the missile fields) are recommended.
Note: I probably should have given Montana a lower ranking, due to its cold climate and short growing season. However, because of Montana’s favorable gun laws, low crime rate, and light population density, I bumped it up the list.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 2 of 19.

A Recent Relocatee to Montana Adds The Following:
Jim: I am not a religious nut when I tell you the Holy Spirit impressed my entire family we were all to leave where we lived and head to Montana. So I started visiting
the real estate web sites searching for homes that might fit our particular requirements. We arrived with a list of 46 homes in a binder sorted by area/city etc. After
spending seven days working out of the Flathead Lake / Kalispell area and looking at 28 homes we were discouraged. We looked at properties up to $450,000. Price was not the issue. The issue was being at peace with our purchase. After seven days my son in law called to say we should go up to Eureka and look at the houses we had printed out for that area. So I called a realtor's agent and gave her a list of eighteen properties with the liberty to weed out those that she thought would not fit. We looked at eight properties and one twice.
All of the properties appeared to belong to Christians of one flavor or another. Some we met just outright stated they were believers. After leaving the realtor we discussed the merits of one property some more. It had all the things we require: five bedrooms, two for offices, 2 plus acres, multiple bug out routes, two tillable acres, about two feet of snow per year, plenty of wood nearby, a lake filled with ducks and geese. Plus we have plenty deer, elk, bears, game birds, chickens in the spring, and more available land in the general area. The growing season is 158 days. The land is sub irrigated and we have a deep thirty gallon per minute well. Water is just seven feet down. After several hours of contemplation, some prayer the Holy Spirit simply said you will be safe here. After purchasing we learned the seller failed to disclose the presence of a questionable unrecorded easement and spring. These undisclosed issues will work themselves out in time. We are about 20 miles from the Canadian Border. I am an American, so I will stay here regardless of what happens. This is a very nice home, but it may just prove to be our base camp while establishing something more remote. In the coming times of confusion, I believe that boldness, good planning, stealth and mobility will be key to retaking our nation. The wind currents are favorable to protect us from most fallout. We are situated on the edge of a valley between two mountains. I can close the roads with chain saws and some old vehicles stored nearby without trouble. The hillside provides three good LP/OP positions with places for many spider holes. Bug out into the National Forest is behind the home or down the road. The plus side of living here is that most of the people profess to be Believers without ever asking them. There are the drug pushers and users in the high school and we will gather their names for future reference. Everybody works hard at whatever they do. The down side of moving to a non-affluent area is that the people do not have the wherewithal to prepare for what is coming. Some are on welfare. So if they do not leave they will eventually become part of the problem. The only thing I will be able to help them with is seed and prayer. Unless we get a windfall my family of twelve is all I can prepare for.
I am 64 years old and splitting six cords of wood. We have sufficient food to carry us for a good while plus seed, game, and fish. We will be putting in a garden and canning vegetables and storing, smoked meats (am building a smoke house in the spring). We are putting up enough fuel to last us for at least two years. My priorities are water, food and seeds, fuel, fire heat, natural medicine, clothing, shoes, trade goods, tools, trade coins etc. We have sufficient weapons and supplies. Our choice of weapons are .45 ACP, .22, .223, .308, plus other hunting calibers. We would like to see things remain stable for two more years so I can pay this place off, but can get by if things crash ten minutes from now. All of us need to remember if we have a real financial crash as the result of any disaster, all of us will be in the same boat. This includes the bankers as well. The crash will be worldwide. We who survive the crash, food riots, anarchy, civil war and the attack on America that follows can purchase property for reasonable prices with real money. My home insurance is about $1,000 per year but my rural auto insurance just went down. License plates for vehicles twelve years and older are a onetime $76. Food costs are not too bad yet. We make a weekly trip to the larger stores in Kalispell to buy in bulk. We are filling our fuel tanks quietly. I recently learned that before 911 there were sixteen Border Patrol in the area. Now there are about seventy. They appear to have police powers twenty five miles south of the Canadian border and they act like we Americas were the enemy. Something to remember when you move close to the Canadian border.
Lord bless you and your family with happiness and joy. - M. in Montana.

Letter Re: HK-91 Magazines for CETME Rifles (SA: Survival Guns)

Jim, just to let you know, for anyone on a budget like me, the surplus G3/HK-91 magazines for sale by Tapco function very nicely in my CETME. No hangups or malfunctions. I bought 100 of these and some require a little cleaning, but at $1.99 each they are a good bargain. With all the recent news of gun confiscation in New Orleans this may be just the "crisis" the feds are looking for to 'slow down' or stop entirely surplus gear. I suggest everyone buy 'in quantity' any firearms supplies of this nature.

JWR Replies: In case Tapco has sold out, the same alloy G3 magazines are also sold by Cheaper Than Dirt. At that price, everyone with an HK-91 or CETME should buy at least 50 of them. OBTW, one important proviso: G3/HK-91 magazines fit and function in most CETMES, but not vice versa!

Letter Re: Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt (SAs: Survival Psychology, Faith)

Hey,
I am Mr. Sierra, and yes I bought a SurvivalBlog T-Shirt... as well as survival Freeze Dried Foods and Water Barrels and Pump...so following the advice of the Blog have done that. I do have a surplus Military Winter Sleeping Bag with a Gore-tex cover. Carrying my snubbie around as a concealed carry firearm while returning a video to store etc, is
comforting, concealable, and better than my pointed index finger in my jeans pocket. ;-)

One thing I read on the Blog today was about Stress Reduction [David in Israel's article, posted on 12 Sept. '05] which I found very helpful. On the one hand, by buying the SurvivalBlog T-shirt with Robert A. Heinlein quote of what a human being should be able to do...and I thought, one of those things, if one has a faith in the great beyond, heaven etc...is that we are all going to meet our maker someday. No matter how much we have in stock to prepare for the worst or whatever, being obsessively survival minded stresses out the spiritual sensitiveness and has the tendencies to keep us thinking we are only a human piece of meat and nothing more that needs to survive. That produces stress, and keeps are mental focus on just the physical. We are more than physical bodies and matter right? I desire to keep a balance of being able, like Heinlein, to weed a garden, program a computer, change a diaper, and shoot nine holes in a pie plate at 100 yards with my M1A, and meditate and connect with that greater source of myself to be calm and peaceful, with a clear mind and able soul. Survival and preparedness is a important factor, and we should be able to work thru most any emergency that threatens our lives, homes, and families...while connecting to that spiritual source within us that can transcend the negative evil in this world, and give us peace and happiness and thankfulness for having what we got. Great Blog! - Mr. Sierra

Letter Re: Leatherman and Craftsman Pocket Tools (SA: Survival Tools)

Leathermans are great, but I also have two different ones from Sears Craftsman. My favorite one has its main tool as lineman's pliers that are slip joints, replaceable screwdriver tips, and very functional wood saw (which I think is important). Their other one that I like is a vise grip style needle nose. I bought these about 3 years ago and either they stopped selling them in the People's Republic of New York or they discontinued them all together. I wanted to buy an extra of each. BTW--your book is great, as is your website, I bought it from Fred’s M14 Stocks as well as a few copies for friends--that love it also. Will you be writing another one? - D.F

JWR Replies: All of the major U.S. made brands (like Gerber, Leatherman, and Craftsman) each have their strong points. Personally, I like the Leatherman, but some folks swear that the pliers on the Gerber Multi-Plier tools are superior. To each his own... But regardless, be sure that you get an American-made tool, since the ones made in mainland China are flimsy junk, and are made with lao gai system slave labor!

Yes, I have more book in the works. The first will be a book titled Rawles on Retreats and Relocation.That should be available for ordering in early Aught Six.

Letter Re: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina (SA: Disaster Preparedness)

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I post as "Preacherman", one of the moderators on The High Road (www.thehighroad.org), a forum for firearms enthusiasts and the Second Amendment. I wanted to draw your attention to two threads I posted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, containing "lessons learned" on the ground (I live in Louisiana). There have been many member responses, often including good points and valuable information. The threads may be found at:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=153978
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=154894
There are a number of other threads in our Strategies & Tactics forum dealing with lessons learned after Katrina, particularly bug-out and survival needs. I hope you'll find them of interest. Thank you for your interesting and informative Blog. I'll be a regular reader! God Bless - Reverend. P., Louisiana

Letter Re: Survival Battery on a Budget (SA: Survival Guns)

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I have followed your writings and bought your book Patriots which I have read several times. Now I am enjoying reading your blog everyday and all the profiles and exploring your links. You have lots of great ideas and have obviously spent a lot on equipment and supplies. Not everyone has many thousands of dollars every year to put into preparations, so I am wondering if you could say something about a low-cost strategy.

For example, a no-holds barred firearms battery may include (in various quantities):
* FAL .308 ( most are $1,000 - $1,500) plus 20 or more magazines, plus spare springs, extractor, firing pin, ejector, etc., plus 1,000+ rounds of ammo
* .308 bolt action such as Rem M700, plus a few extra magazine, spare parts, scope, and another 500+ rounds of .308 ammo
* 12 ga. pump shotgun such as Rem 870 Police 7-shot (about $400), plus spare parts, and 500+ slugs and shotshells
* 1911 .45 ACP (about $600), plus 10+ magazines, spare springs, extractor, firing pin, ejector, and 1,000+ rounds of ammo

On the other hand, a lower cost version might be:
* .308 bolt and scope such as a Savage 110 for less than $500, plus spare parts and 1,000 rounds of ammo
* 12 ga. "Plain Jane" Mossberg or Remington pump or double barrel coach gun (such as Stoeger) for about $250, spare parts and 500 shotshells; or even a lever action carbine such as a Winchester or Marlin in a pistol caliber (.357, .44, .45 LC)
* .357 Ruger GP100 plus 1,000 rounds of ammo, or perhaps a Hi Power clone such as from FEG, or even a Makarov (under $300)

Practically every defensive situation I can think of except all out war seems as though it could be handled primarily by the shotgun with slugs or buckshot, with a handgun for “always there” carry, and the scoped rifle for hunting and defensive beyond 50 yards. Magazines can be a huge expense so eliminating as many of those as possible would keep costs down.

Another example: I like the idea of “owning the night” in a chaotic situation. But what can those of us who cannot afford many thousands of dollars for multiple sets of night vision goggles do that would give us an advantage without all the technology?

Anyway, I would appreciate reading your thoughts along these lines. Especially if you could include the “ideal” and the “low cost alternative” for each factor you discuss in the future. Many thanks for your inspiration and ideas. You have taken a bold step to sound the warning and help others. Sincerely, - J.B.

Yes, budgets do vary. But prioritizing is the key. What is more important? That big screen HDTV or jet ski in the garage, or the lives of your wife and children? TANSTAAFL.

Your "lower cost version" battery would definitely do in pinch. As I often say, it is the man or woman behind the rifle that determines its effectiveness. In the right hands a $150 sporterized WWI vintage bolt-action Springfield or Mauser rifle is much more to be feared than a $3,000 Steyr AUG or SIG-AMT.

Regarding Handguns: You mentioned FEG Hi-Power clones and Makarovs. But for about the same amount of money you could buy a used military surplus Argentine M1911 clone (M1927 "Systema Colts".) Do consider that .45 ACP is much superior to 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Makarov for stopping two legged predators!

Regarding Night Vision Gear: If you are on a very tight budget, think in terms of tanglefoot wire, concertina wire (sometimes available at scrap metal prices at U.S. Army DRMO auctions) and trip flares to give you an advantage in defending your retreat at night.

Regarding Magazines: I am of the firm opinion that six magazines per weapon is a bare minimum. If you can't afford that, then perhaps you need to consider a less expensive rifle.As I pointed out in previous posts, some rifles such as Valmet .308s, Steyr AUGs, and AR-10s (from some makers) are essentially limited to accepting only very expensive OEM magazines. One reason that I like FALs and L1A1s is that the magazines can usually be found for $6 to $8 at gun shows. HK-91/CETME magazines are even less expensive than that! (See the letter on this subject in today's blog entries.)

Regarding Lever Action Rifles/Carbines Chambered in Pistol Calibers: I do not recommend these, except perhaps as secondary small game hunting/marksmanship training guns. IMHO, they are underpowered for stopping both deer-class wild game and men. The advantage of having both a handgun and a long gun chambered in the same cartridge is far outweighed by the disadvantage of having an under-powered long gun! If you want a lever gun, I recommend that you make it a .30-30 or .45-70!

Letter Re: Diesel "Rustling" in California's Central Valley (SAs: Fuel Storage, Retreat Security)

Letter Re: Request for Clarification Regarding Diesel Engine Invulnerability to EMP (SA: Survival Vehicles)

Jim, after checking out the articles on the best transportation during EMP, I'm a little confused. I read, but may not have
understood, that the older pickups (1988) with diesel engines were best. Also that 1994 and older were best, and that
the newer trucks are protected today. Can someone help since I am looking for a diesel pickup? - G.C.

JWR Replies: Frankly, I'm also a bit befuddled by the conflicting data. Perhaps some kind soul out there that has more knowledge on the subject than I do can clarify exactly which makes/vintages of diesel engines are EMP resistant, and which are not. (I have never owned a diesel, since the exhaust fumes give the Memsahib headaches. So I've never studied this subject in detail.)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Monday, September 12, 2005

Note From JWR: Today, I'm covering Louisiana, the seventh of 19 states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential. Note that I wrote the following a year ago--long before Hurricane Katrina arrived. I certainly was right when I warned "Coastal Louisiana and +/- 50 miles inland is in the hurricane zone"--but I didn't need to be any sort of sage with arcane knowledge to figure that out...

State By State – Louisiana (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Louisiana)

Louisiana:
Population: 4.5 million.
Population Density: 94.2 per square mile (Rank 2 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 47,751 square miles (rank 8 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $928/yr. (rank 30 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $721/yr. (rank 2 of 50)
Crime Safety Ranking: 50 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 94%.
Per capita income: $23,090 (rank 45 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 34 of 50.
Plusses: Mild climate. Low property taxes. Firearms freedom.
Minuses: Coastal Louisiana and +/- 50 miles inland is in the hurricane zone.
Very high population density (by western U.S. standards.) Louisiana has the lowest crime safety ranking the U.S.! (New Orleans is ranked one of the least safe cities in the country: It is ranked #13 in the “Top 20 Most Dangerous Metropolitan Areas.) The second least well-educated population of any state--ranked 49 of 50. Very high car insurance rates. Extremely high home insurance rates. (Average of $721 per year. Ranks #2 in the country!) In a true TEOTWAWKI situation, folks in some rural areas may see non-Cajuns as expendable “outsiders.” High humidity (over 60% in the southern half of the state.) Low wages.
Some northern portions of the state are recommended, with strong reservations.
Note: I probably should have given Louisiana higher ranking, due to its favorable gun and tax laws and favorable climate--at least in the northern half of the state. However, its extremely high crime rate and high insurance costs pushed it far down the list.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 18 of 19.

Zimbabwe's Tragedy Continues (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, International Politics, Economics)

If you want to see a full scale "slow slide" economic collapse in action--one that rivals the severity of what I portrayed in my novel Patriots--then just look at modern day Zimbabwe. Comrade Mugabe and his ZANU-PF cronies have absolutely ruined a once prosperous nation. Please take the time to read the August and September letters archives at the Cathy Buckles web site. IMHO, Zimbabwe needs our prayers, and a vigorous counter-revolution!

From David in Israel Re: Survival Psychology and Stress Reduction (SA: Survival Psychology)

In my days as EMS system director I had to do quite a bit of psych and stress management on my firefighters and medics. We were living the survivalist lifestyle where every day was TEOTWAWKI for the people we responded to when we were on shift. Humans and animals share a common bond deep in our nervous system. Deep below out intellect and ego we
have two basic modes fight/flight or rest/digest. We live our whole life sliding in between these two areas. When you feel stress form being shot at by terrorists or worrying about your credit card bill the same processes take affect the sympathetic nervous tone increases adrenaline release increases, blood pressure, pulse and breathing rates all rise, pupils dilate blood flows from the digestive organs and rush to the skeletal muscles and brain. Long term living in stress causes a weakened immune system, lack of proper rest, chronic cardiac issues, digestive problems, and increased fat retention or loss. While I have had to deal with crew members who suffered from the opposite of the fight/flight symptoms it was often due to emotional stresses which lead to a chemical/neurological condition known as depression this is in my opinion the most likely problem on this end of the scale. Throwing away all feelings of bravado and coach inspired speeches depression becomes a real medical issue which the patient cannot just "snap out of" in stressful situations. Patients can endanger their teams safety by having lack of mental clarity, disregard for personal or team safety, and sometimes suicidal intentions. There are times when a person may swing between the two extremes of high and low this is known as bi-polar. The patient may seek stressful or dangerous situations and these "adrenaline junkies" if lacking basic responsibility can endanger their team.

Stress and associated adrenaline release is not caused strictly by an immediate threat in humans but can be caused by fear or dwelling on perceived future threats. One of the most powerful chronic stressors is the worry of things that the stressed person feels they have no control over. In some survival situations the loss of radio, Internet, cellular, and normal social networks is a sudden shock. Since you have no idea what is happening away from your direct area of observation the stress can be quite acute. Hindsight 20/20 will also be cause for a stress, replaying a personal failure during an incident or just the priceless item you forgot that only cost a few dollars can cause sleepless nights, you cannot relive the past, analyze for learning purposes and then drop it. In many people stress and the associated symptoms can be mediated with a proper diet including green vegetables and fiber as well as a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic rate exercise daily.

The ideal candidate for stress resistance. Studies show that people who have the following traits will be more resistant to stress disorders and depression following traumatic events. Having a functional relationship with a loving spouse and family is very important. A religious faith which recognizes the creator as having ultimate control for the best of his creatures gives meaning to the temporary suffering we may feel or see. Sense for mission and a clear purpose motivates a team even if they are not sure of all the details for tactical reasons. A healthy body supports a healthy mind. Get a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic level exercise (that means hard enough you can't sing but easy enough that you can talk), a proper diet including green vegetables and fiber avoidance of relying on refined sugar and starch, saturated or animal fats, and processed foods to meet your energy and nutritional needs. Junk food is bad for you and will make surviving harder. Proper amounts sleep and exposure to bright light during the day keep your somatic system in check.
Kol Tov, David

Letter Re: Leatherman Wave Pocket Tools (SA: Survival Tools)

James,
I noticed that you asked for some input on knives. Well, I just wanted to tell you that I have been using a Leatherman Wave tool since they came out...what, six years or so?....And the last year it has been used everyday on my job as a Handyman. I just don't know what I would do without it. It is a fine tool and knife, that will stand up to some hard use. Though I have always tried to use it within reason, and not abuse it to much (the day I tried to make it work as a small hammer, maybe was a bit over the top) it really seems to stand up to a lot of hard use. BTW, I now own two Waves and one of the new Ti Charge models, which comes with all the changeable bits. IMHO in a SHTF type situation, they will be worth their weight in gold. Now I do not care for Tim Leatherman's politics, (he endorsed Kerry) but he does make a fine product. - Gung Ho

Letter Re: Feral Dogs, Pre- and Post-TEOTWAWKI (SAs: Retreat Livestock, Emerging Threats, Disaster Preparedness)

Hello,
This link is to a newspaper story from Johnson County, Iowa, regarding a huge pack of feral dogs that is terrorizing a small town, West Liberty, about 15 miles southeast of us. Iowa City, the "capitol" of Johnson County is an extremely anti-gun, liberal town and this is an interesting battle about wild dogs, self protection, property rights etc. Thank you for everything that you write and promote.See: http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050909/NEWS01/509090313/1079

Letter Re: Concealable Handguns (SA: Survival Guns, CCW)

Jim
It has occurred to me that someone staying in a zone where authorities are going to harass gun toting survivors ought to consider having at least one or more covert sidearms. If a survivor has to step out in a no-gun carrying zone,they can still be armed. I currently own one J frame Model 36 Chief's Special and may well seek out another. This might possibly be one of those new Scandium 357 snubbies. A couple of five-shot snubs hidden in matching pocket holsters are better than a full-size service pistol that cops will hassle you over. It seems to be an acceptable alternative for someone who has to step out from their home to collect food or make repairs. They would be good enough to fight ones way back to the serious guns secured at home. - L.K.

JWR Replies: I concur that there is a need for compact/concealable handguns for some circumstances. Since my primary handguns are .45 ACPs, I personally prefer the AMT Backup .45 ACP. (A very compact .45 ACP automatic pistol, with a 5 round magazine.) It is a lot of gun in a small package. It is no larger than many .380 ACPs yet is chambered in a fairly potent caliber. Its sights (actually just a "sight rail" inlet) are marginal but the gun was hardly designed for long range shooting, anyway.

If you are going to opt for a snubbie revolver, make it a .357 Magnum. (Since .38 Special snubbie is a marginal stopper, at best .) But do keep in mind that a .357 magnum with a 1.5" barrel generates a muzzle velocity that is roughly comparable only to a .38 Special with a 6" barrel! "Sound and Fury..."

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Notes From JWR: Thanks to the graphics talent of my #1 Son (age 13 and home schooled, naturlich), you can now order SurvivalBlog logo T-shirts, sweat shirts, hats, mugs, tote bags, and bumper stickers. This serves two purposes: Showing our URL will help spread the word about preparedness, and it generates a little cash to pay for the site bandwidth. Wearing a SurvivalBlog T-shirt is a great conversation starter and is the height of fashion at the range, at gun shows, or anywhere on the Gulf Coast! Tacking up a SurvivalBlog bumper sticker in your cubicle is sure to make your liberal co-workers squirm. (And it just might attract like-minded co-workers that you never knew existed.)

Today, I'm covering Kansas, the sixth of 19 states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.

State By State – Kansas (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Kansas)

Kansas:
Population: 2.6 million.
Population Density: 31.7 per square mile (Rank 10 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 82,000 square miles (rank 14 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $688/yr. (rank 36 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $593/yr. (rank 8 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 23 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 68%.
Per capita income: $27,374 (rank 27 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 4 of 50.
Plusses:
Minuses: Little crop diversity. Few local firewood sources. Tornado prone (ranked #2 out of top 20 States). High car insurance rates. High home insurance rates. The flat terrain is difficult to defend. (Because there are too many avenues of approach.)
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 12 of 19.

A "Must Read" Piece on Gun Confiscation in New Orleans (SA: Disaster Preparedness, Gun Control)

Don't miss David Kopel's editorial "Defenseless on the Bayou" --about how the Mayor of New Orleans, has grossly exceeded legal authority by ordering both forced evacuations and gun confiscation for the few remaining residents of the city. Can you spell lawsuit, boys and girls?

Letter Re: Knife Selection (SA: Survival Tools)

In the area of knives: I carry a Swiss Army Knife with me at all times, along with a Gerber Multi-tool. When I go into the field (Hunting, camping, whatever) I carry a fixed blade knife from Anza Knives. I've owned a lot of knives and used even more and I have sold every sheath-knife I owned and bought Anza's. These things are sharp as razors, tough as nails, and as easy to sharpen as any knife I've ever had, and at $60 or less for each of them they are on of the best bargains I've ever run across as well. The one problem I have with them is the high-carbon steel starts to rust if it rains on television. I'm getting DuraCoat ( http://www.lauerweaponry.com/ ) applied to all of them shortly which will cure this problem, and I've talked to the owner of Anza and he is considering providing it as an option. DuraCoat is my second choice for refinishing as I prefer hard black Chrome, but the Anza knives have wooden handles which are stuck on with a space-age glue that simply cannot be removed, the DuraCoat can be applied over the metal and the wood and needs no heat curing.
Keep up the good work and I'll keep reading. - W.

JWR's Reply: I have heard good things about Anza knives from other sources. I appreciate hearing recommendations about other brands of both fixed blade and folding knives from SurvivalBlog readers who have first hand field carry experience. OBTW, be sure to bead blast or otherwise remove all of the oxidation before you apply a finish. Most people don't realize that rust can continue to do damage underneath a protective finish!

Letter Re: G.O.O.D. Gear (SAs: Survival Gear, Disaster Preparedness)

Mr. Rawles, do you have a list of gear that we should all have say on our persons or in our cars at all times? I finished your book, and more recently Boston [T. Party]'s Molon Labe and with what is happing down South, I need to prepare.

JWR's Reply: I think a workable baseline is the list that is recounted in my novel Patriots, where the Doug Carlton character appears for the first time, and he is searched. I encourage readers of this blog to e-mail me their suggested G.O.O.D. Kit / Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.) packing lists. I think that by working together, we can come up with a combined list that is far more comprehensive than one that is based on just my individual experience. Engage synergy mode, folks! OBTW, the letter below has a link that is another good point of departure.

Letter Re: G.O.O.D. Gear List (SAs: Survival Gear, Disaster Preparedness)

Letter Re: Veterinary Antibiotics (SAs: Survival Medicine, Biological Warfare)

Here is a hot topic. I'm not sure how a person is to post it on the blog with the liability issues. (Please don't mention my name)

Disclaimer: The following is for veterinary use only.
See: http://lambriarvet.com/Antibiotics.php This company had the best prices I have found for antibiotics, the last time that I checked. These are the most useful for human use. They don't sell the really expensive cipros or i.v. antibiotics to mere mortals like us.

During the three years before we moved we were on a microscopic budget and without insurance. Using veterinary antibiotics saved my wife three times: once from a kidney infection and twice from bladder infections. The Merck Manual has all the info you need for dose, etc.
OBTW, I seem to remember you mention the fish medications in your novel [Patriots]. - U.G.

Three Letters Re: California's Retreat Potential (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, California)

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I'm a CA resident and a CA high school history teacher, and just read your retreat observations regarding my state. My experience with out-of-state critics of CA is that they often exaggerate wildly about conditions here as well as frequently blame voters here for the conditions we have (I've
voted against all aspects of the present socialist nightmare but look what we have). In your case, however, I can honestly say that your analysis and summary are 100% accurate and spot-on. I regret only that your summary isn't printed in the Op-Ed section of the Los Angeles Times and circulated.

FWIW, I am looking for a teaching job elsewhere so I can get the heck out [of California] before TSHTF. When it happens here, it will make Katrina's aftermath look like a kindergarten dance.

Take care and keep up the great work, - S.

Mr. Rawles,
I love your site. It is the first thing that I read in the morning now. I just wanted to point out Alameda County [California] sales tax is now 8.75%, the highest in the state except for Catalina Island! I drive to Monterey (the nearest county with the state minimum 7.25% sales tax) for any decent sized purchase, except autos because the DMV charges you by the county of residence. BTW, the county listed on the registration determines your insurance and whether or not you need a smog inspection. (yes some counties don't require smog tests or not as stringent tests) if you have property or a friend with an address you can use. Modoc County car insurance will be much cheaper than Alameda County, I guarantee you.
Since the hurricane, I have doubled my efforts and consolidated down my BOB, working on one for my wife's car. I picked up three times the amount of canned goods this last weekend at our regular shopping trip (stuff we actually eat on a regular basis). I sold a few more of my excess firearms, put the funds towards supplies and hard money investments (no debts except mortgage) one benefit of CA gun laws is that no 'out of production' guns can legally be brought into the state for sale This includes vintage Smiths and Colts and even recent stuff like Colt Delta Elites. So the price of these in the People's Republic of Kalifornia (PRK) is way out of whack compared to the rest of the country, as seen by prices on the firearm auction sites. I sold a few old S&Ws that I was into for $200 and $300 for $650 and $750.. just because you can't 'legally' get them here! After I move to free America, I can repurchase at lower prices if I want. Acreage properties in Modoc, Plumas and Trinity or Sierra counties up in extreme northern CA as you suggest are way too expensive (relative to acreage on the Oregon or Nevada side of the line) now. There is little to NO industry or jobs up there and logging is being legislated out of existence. Unless you have money or have a home-based job that you can do from your computer, good luck up there. Possibly as a retreat location but you are still sometimes 4-8 hours drive to some of those places on Friday night from the [San Francisco] Bay area. Double or triple that time in Katrina like escape traffic on I-5 or I-80. Though fishing and hunting up there is second to none!
BTW some of your profiles are awesome. If I had even 1/100 of Bill Gates' budget mine would be even better. - T.L.

James,
You sure hit the nail on the head when you wrote about California, and the northern counties of Humboldt and Trinity. Life IS different up here, but you still have to contend with the lunatics down south, and the stupid laws they make. (Not to mention that some parts of Humboldt (Arcata) are just full of "hippy" types....Yes, there are many left, and this is where they pooled.) Many people up here just do not seem to understand that they ARE subject to these laws. I have been told not to worry so much about certain things, because even the cops (up here), just don't care. But the bottom line is the fact that this creates a huge "if they want ya, they got ya" type situation. Now most people already live with this to some extent, but it is FAR worse out here. Then there is the fact that the people that were born and raised out here, if they are under 30, just have no idea what it's like to live in a semi free state. Some just cannot believe it when I tell them what is still legal in a state like Florida or Wyoming. It is very sad. This is a beautiful part of the country, with a great climate...but I know I will not be able to stand it long. - Gung-Ho

Letter Re: Blood Transfusion Equipment Available (SAs: Medical Gear, Emergency Surgery)

Reading your blog for 9-10-05, I was reminded of what I read in your book Patriots a few months back about transfusions. In Patriots blood is drawn off into a sterile bag with no mention of anticoagulation. There is a huge risk here IMO. I am a director with a major university hospital . Here are some things to consider and what I plan on doing for transfusions WTSHTF. You are correct that person to person transfusion is too risky. Depending on vein size and the size of the needle / catheter you could have a flow of 1 ml per minute to 5 or 6. Also, once the line is de-aired, without a optical fluid analyzer you have no way of knowing how fast it is going, let alone if it has stopped -which it can and does. Blood does clot! Moving through a system that has not been anticoagulated will cause many microaggrete clots at best. This is very dangerous IMO. Of course if someone is going to die anyway, why not risk it.

Viable options for anticoagulation drugs:
Citrate: AKA CPDA-1, ACD-A
Ratio: 1ml of either ACD-A or CPDA-1 per 7 ml of blood. These forms of citrate are premixed, unlike Heparin.
Risks: Aside from transfusion reactions, citrate is readily neutralized and absorbed by the body. Calcium negates Citrate. Risk of mis-dosing the PT (via over anticoagulated blood) is minimal. DO NOT use any IV fluid such as LR (lactated ringers) to prime or 'chase' this blood because it contains calcium and could clot in the IV line. No worries once the blood is in the patient (PT), LR is fine after the line is cleared. Use .9 NACL during infusion. Once blood is drawn off into a pre-citrated bag, you have 6 hours to reinfuse it at room temp. of 72 degrees.
Bonus: In some areas outside the USA, CPDA-1 blood bags can be purchased without a prescription (RX). The bags store for a printed shelf life of about 24 months. A "must have" if it is legal in your AO.

Heparin: A very distant second choice, EASY to overdose (OD). Basically impossible to properly fix in the field (unless you can wait it out) without PT and PTT tests from a lab or mobile device.
Heparin: Porcine or bovine. (Note: most bovine is expired or nearing expiration, porcine is the current standard)
Ratio: 30 units per 7ML of blood. Here is where it can get VERY confusing. Heparin comes in many different concentrations. From 1,000 units per ML to as high as 20,000 units per ML (some may be around in higher concentrations, but it is rare to see nowadays because of overdosing issues). You must pay strict attention.
Risks: Many. Using Heparin in the field means you must PRECISE. Under anticoagulate and the blood clots before it goes in. Over heparinize the blood and the PT could become anticoagulated. Unlike citrate, heparin attaches to the platelets. You have to wait out the heparin in order for it to go away. Theoretically you could give protamine, but if you knew how much you OD'd your PT you wouldn't have to give it anyway. NEVER give protamine in the field. Blood can only be stored for an hour once drawn off into heparinized bag.
Negatives: As stated, risk of OD and your PT bleeding out because of it. You must have a pen and paper or calculator to determine how much heparin to use. You also must have a spare bag of .9nacl (preferably) to dilute the heparin in. There is just a lot of room for error at the moment when your most likely to make an error.
Advice: Don't use it unless it's truly life or death, make out all you calculations and such ahead of time and keep them with the heparin. Also, heparin requires a RX in the USA.
Afterthoughts:
Blood Volume (in MLs)= Weight in kilograms x 65
6500ml=100Kg x 65
1ML=1CC
1ML=1 gram (if you have a scale and want to weight the transfer pack, that comes in handy).
A full transfer pack looks like it is going to burst.
A 40 micron blood filter would be a big plus to have along with your other transfusion equipment. Running non-anticoagulated blood through one isn't a good idea.
Keeping iron pills on hand (legal in the USA) is a great idea to boost red blood cell (RBC) production after a transfusion or before it.
I hope this info helps... - Dr. Buckaroo Banzai

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Note From JWR: Today, I'm covering Idaho, the fifth of 19 states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential. I rank it as my top choice for buying a survival retreat.

Be Ready for the September 11th Anniversary (SAs: Emerging Threats, Disaster Preparedness, EMP Protection)

The Al Qaeda terror network tends toward maximum psychological impact for their attacks, so it stands to reason that there is a higher than usual likelihood for an attack tomorrow-- September 11th. (9/11/2005). Be ready. Although the statistical chances of Der Tag are very low, I still recommend that you do the following today:

State By State – Idaho (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Idaho)

Idaho:
Population: 1.3 million (and about 2.1 million cattle.)
Population Density: 15.5 per square mile (Rank 15 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 83,437 square miles (rank 13 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $608/yr. (rank 48 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $326/yr. (rank 50 of 50).
Average Home Price in Clearwater County: $112,725
Average Home Price in Idaho County: $109,500
Average Home Price in Kootenai County: $112,849
Average Home Price in Latah County: $118,325
Crime Safety Ranking: 9 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 97%.
Per capita income: $23,727 (rank 41 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 15 of 50.

Plusses: Low Very low crime rate. (For example, it ranks second from the bottom in car thefts of the 50 states.) Low property taxes. Inexpensive building permits. Minimally intrusive government. Inexpensive car registration ($20 to $50 per year, plus a one-time-only $15 plate fee.) Low car insurance rates. Low health insurance rates. Extremely low home insurance rates. (An average of $326 per year. Ranks #50 in the country!) The most wilderness area in any of the 48 Continental United States. (Only Alaska has more.) 21.6 million forested acres. Minimal gun laws. Class 3 guns (machineguns short barreled rifles and shotguns, and suppressors) are legal to own after the $200 Federal tax and background check. Open carry of handguns is legal and fairly commonplace. CCW permits must be issued unless someone has a prior criminal record. (“Non-discretionary.”) No CCW permit is required for concealed carry outside of city limits. Vehicular carry of loaded guns is legal and very common. Automatic knives are legal to own and carry. Minimally regulated home schooling. Low population density. Low elevation portions of the state have a fairly mild climate. Hunting and fishing are excellent in many parts of the state, so there will be no shortage of protein WTSHTF. High ratio of horse ownership, so I anticipate that transportation will be available in the event of a long term TEOTWAWKI. By 2025, Idaho is projected to be the 40th most populous with 1.7 million people. (It is currently the 39th most populous state.) Affordable property: The median home price for all of Idaho is $105,403. One useful web site: Idaho Department of Commerce Community Profiles.

Minuses: Has a relatively high state income tax. Sadly, 63.7% of Idaho’s lands are owned by federal government. (Mostly National Forest and BLM land.) But at least that provides a "really big back yard" for hunting and cutting firewood. Cold winters at the higher elevations. (Look for property in the low river valleys if you can’t stand snow!) Low wages compared to most coastal states.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 1 of 19. (JWR’s top choice!)

Letter from John Adams Re: Foraging (SAs: Foraging, Gardening)

Last week Abigail and I were out picking elderberries. After harvesting all we could find at our place we stopped and asked the neighbor if we could hunt for some on their farm. My neighbor's'30 year old son, who has spent a lot of time in the woods, sent us to one spot his Dad to another. When we got to the son’s spot we indeed found a huge batch of berries, but they were pokeberries, definitely not what we were looking for! Lesson learned: Make sure you know what you are picking and eating.

It did get me to thinking about variety in our diet if the “event” happens. At the Adams house we currently supplement our diet with what we can find in the wild. blackberries, raspberries, mulberries, elderberries, all make great cobbler and jelly. We also harvest walnuts, hickory nuts morel mushrooms, ramps, dandelion for greens and gravy, nettles, clover, and violets for greens. All these are seasonal of course but make a pleasant break in our current fare. If someone was on a constant diet of wheat and beans the ability to identify and cook these wild plants would be a godsend for the palate, and a nutritional gold mine. Naturally different places will have different “wild fare” that will be out there to harvest. Now is the time to be learning what nature is providing in your own part of the world. This web site has over 187,000 recipes, basically if you can kill it or pick it, you will find a way to cook it here.

I would caution anyone that is new to foraging to find someone that is very knowledgeable with the plants in their immediate area. Someone that has picked their own plants and eaten them too! Don’t get started with someone like my neighbor’s son, who thought he knew what he was talking about but had never eaten his own harvest! - John and Abigail Adams

Letter Re: Blood Transfusion Equipment Available (SAs: Medical Gear, Emergency Surgery)

James,
I am a fan of your work and am glad that you are now doing a regular blog. I found something that might be of interest to your readers while going through my regular slew of catalogues in the mail today. I remember reading in your novel Patriots about how one of the characters jerry-rigged a person-to-person blood transfusion setup. I noticed that Deutche Optik, a militaria surplus dealer, is carrying a new in the box German surplus person-to-person blood transfusion device. I went ahead and ordered one, on the off chance I may need it one day and have someone around who is medically qualified. Here's the description:
Blood Transfusion Device “Assa” [NS011] $45.00 (Very Limited Availability) Yeah… we know! Sounds bizarre and macabre, but a damned useful, brand-new, 25ccm instrument. As the German description states: for the use of blood transfusions from vein to vein; infusion and extraction of fluids from body cavities (pleuritis exsudativa); irrigation of serious, bloody and septic joint injuries. Gorgeous tool. 200° C glass with nickel-plated syringes and hardware. Surgical rubber tubing enclosed. 7.5”

JWR Replies: I do not recommend person-to-person transfusions, except as a last resort. Under the stress of an emergency surgery, it is too easy to lose track of time and the next thing you know, you have two patients! It doesn't take that much longer to draw blood from a type-matched donor into sterile packs and then transfuse by gravity from those packs. Proviso: Don't attempt any sort of transfusion unless it is a dire emergency and until you've been taught the proper techniques by an M.D. or other medical professional. (BTW, a phlebotomist or surgical nurse with regular daily experience is probably the best teacher for how to find a vein and set up a Luer lock. A lot of non-surgical docs tend to get a bit rusty.) Blood typing and all of other typical precautions (for shock, embolism, etc.) must also be observed. In the absence of other equipment, one of these Deutche Optik kits would suffice.

Letter Re: Silver Coinage and Ammunition for Barter (SAs: Ammunition Storage, Barter, Contrarian Investing)

Dear Jim:
I am thoroughly enjoying your web site and appreciate very much all of your quality information. Recently you had an article about storing coins and ammo for barter and trade purposes. I would like to ask several questions about this subject.
1.) You mentioned pre-1965 silver dimes, but what about silver quarters and half-dollar coins?
2.) Do you recommend gold coins? I understand the inherent problems with gold bars and bullion, but what about .10, .25, and .50 ounce gold coins for barter?
3. What types and quantities of .22 ammo do you suggest? Stingers, hollow points or FMJ? and in what quantities of each?
4.) Do you recommend storing up primarily hollow points or FMJ in the other calibers?
I'm sure that the other blog readers have similar questions and we thank you for your help.
B'shem Yahshua Ha Moshiach, - Dr. Sidney Zweibel, Columbia P&S

1.) I mentioned pre-1965 silver dimes only because they are the smallest denomination U.S. 90% silver coins. Dimes will be perfect for barter transactions like a can of beans or a loaf of bread. Quarters, half-dollars, and even silver dollars are also good to keep on hand for bartering--but only for larger items/quantities, unless you want to use a cold chisel. BTW, U.S. silver dollars are much more expensive per ounce, but since silver coinage has been out of circulation in the U.S., for 40+ years and public knowledge of them is fading, silver dollars are undeniably the most recognizable silver coins for barter with the Generally Dumb Public (GDP). I recommend that you get a mix of coins, but mostly dimes.

2.) As I illustrated in the Barter Faire chapter of my novel Patriots, I do not recommend gold coins for barter.Even the smallest gold bullion coin (1/10th ounce) is still worth about $50 at present and will probably be worth at least four times that When the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF). They are much too compact a form of wealth for most barter transactions. However, gold coins do serve two useful purposes: Firstly, due to their compactness (per dollar), they are ideal for a last ditch "I need to flee the country, tonight" form of portable wealth. (I couldn't imagine lugging a bunch of $1,000 face value silver bags (at 55 pounds each) or 100 ounce silver Engelhard bars under such circumstances. Secondly, gold coins are good long term store of wealth to protect the value of your savings from one side of a monetary crisis to the other. (The "time machine" effect that I mentioned in a previous blog post.) But again, don't buy gold coins for barter. But you should first buy a $1,000 face value "junk" (circulated pre-1965) silver bag each member of your family, for barter purposes. Only then should you consider buying any gold coins or silver bullion.

3.) Stingers tend to have erratic velocity, so I don't recommend them. I do recommend storing standard factory (Remington or Winchester) .22 Long Rifle hollow points for barter. Buy as many as your budget allows. I personally have 15,000 .22 cartridges set aside for small game hunting and target practice, and another 25,000 set aside for barter. The nice thing about .22 rimfire ammo is that it is relatively inexpensive and very compact. You can fit 4,500 rounds in just one ammo can. They are also divisible for smaller purchases. As a barter item, 50 cartridge boxes of .22 LR will be very desirable. (They will mean "meat on the table" for a lot of hungry families.)

4.) I recommend storing primarily pointed soft point ammunition for hunting rifle calibers, (with perhaps 30% in FMJ loadings for calibers like 5.56mm NATO and 7.62x39). Buy nearly all hollow points for your pistol calibers. WTSHTF, people are going to want to acquire man stopper loads rather than plinking ammo.

Letter Re: Relocating to Arizona (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Arizona)

Hi, Jim,
Just adding some thoughts on your assessment of Arizona. There are two Arizonas, the lower half at an average elevation of less than 3000 feet, and the half up on the Colorado plateau at 5000-8000 feet, and the two are totally different. You are absolutely correct about Southern Arizona being too populated, too close the border, and too much crime, almost all of which is in metropolitan Phoenix. If ones does their research (and I am not going to spell it all out here), there are some locations that come in very high. First check your groundwater availability, some areas have intermittent surface water, and no aquifer. Other areas have excellent, clean, well flowing, deep aquifers. You will probably have to put in a well, either wind or solar powered. Solar power has an advantage in that it can be hidden better, but it had the disadvantage of being more technologically complex. [JWR Adds: The folks at Solarjack/SunPumps of Safford, Arizona are both knowledgeable and reputable PV powered pump dealers. I first did business with them in 1991.] With a good well, you not only have drinking water, you can grow crops. There are large concentrations of LDS members in some areas, this is a good thing to look for, crime is low, and they make good neighbors, even if you are not LDS. Land is reasonably cheap ($200-$500/acre) out of the towns a few miles, but you will have the added expense of your well, which will cost $12-$15K including the windmill or solar, and solar electric generation for lights, and other power, which can add that much again, for a modest system. Game is available, and the population density is these localized areas is measured in square miles per person. My nearest neighbor is 3/4 of a mile away, the next closest is two miles in the opposite direction, and more than 3 miles each in the other two directions,yet there is a town of about 5000 people, only 9 miles by rough road, away. (The place I selected, allows my retreat to not be seen from the little traveled rutted dirt road in front of my place; the only indication that someone is even there, is a slightly overgrown track leading over a low ridge through some trees, from a nondescript barb wire fence gate. After one rainstorm, the track looks like it hasn't been traveled for months. The CONEX boxes are painted olive drab, and hidden by trees. blackout curtains are used at night in the neutral colored dwelling, you cannot see the place, day or night, from 40 yards away, even though there are large meadows on two sides, as I made sure at least some trees were between the open areas and the structures.) Cattle and crops are grown in the area, and there is game, ranging from rabbits to antelope to elk. Topography ranges from savannah, to juniper to tall pines, depending on the elevation. You are close enough that you can work/live in Phoenix, if needed, yet have a retreat available less than 200 miles away, just know ALL the ways out of town, and have stuff propositioned. And, if you have the money for $20-40K an acre, there are a few select areas in the 4000-5000 foot elevation that have year round running surface water, good flat ground for crops are isolated, surrounded by high mountains and easily defended, as the only two roads in, can be easily defended, or blocked - AZDoug

Reader M.H. Forwarded This Letter To Dealers From SIGArms (USA) (SAs: Survival Guns, Disaster Preparedness)

Dear Nationwide:
SIGARMS® is responding to emergency requests from law enforcement in the hurricane ravaged areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and is expediting orders to agencies in those states. Already SIGARMS has shipped extra pistol magazines for the Louisiana State Police who carry the P220 pistol, and at the agency's request will be sending all available remaining P220 magazines. As a result, SIGARMS has suspended sale of the P220 pistol magazines to the commercial market. Commercial sales are expected to resume in October. Additionally SIGARMS is working closely with officials at the ATF to expedite required paperwork for law enforcement agency transfer of the SG 551 and SG 552 select-fire rifles. Already, SIGARMS has made preparations to ship several hundred rifles to one Louisiana agency. Due to the magnitude of the emergency facing law enforcement in the region hit by hurricane Katrina and the surrounding states which have taken in thousands of refugees, SIGARMS will give immediate priority to requests from area law enforcement agencies and expedite shipments of firearms, parts and accessories. Agencies in other parts of the country that are sending personnel and supplies to the region will also receive priority status to assist them in their efforts. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our commercial dealers and customers. We deeply appreciate your understanding in this matter. Thank you. - SIGARMS

Reader MH. Adds: I thought everything was "under control ..."

JWR Adds: This is evidence that there will be shortages of firearms, accessories, and ammunition WTSHTF. In this isolated instance, SIGArms is devoting its entire inventory for a full month just for one region of the country. Think about the implications of a more widespread emergency. FFTAGFFR, folks! Stock up.

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"Oh how cruel is the interval between the conception of a great enterprise and its execution! What vain terrors! What irresolution! Life is at stake---much more is at stake: honor!
- Schiller

Friday, September 9, 2005

Notes From JWR: My #1 Son has added a new "Link to Us" button in our navigation bar. This makes it easy for you to add a SurvivalBlog.com image link to your web page/site. Many thanks for helping to spread the word!

Today, I'm covering Colorado, the fourth of 19 states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.

State By State – Colorado (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Colorado)

Colorado:
Population: 4.3 million.
Population Density: 41.3 per square mile (Rank 8 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 104,000 square miles (rank 8 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $881/yr. (rank 11 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $571/yr. (rank 12 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 26 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 74%.
Per capita income: $32,434 (rank 7 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 15 of 50.
Plusses: A low “total tax burden” of 8.4%. Has a high rating in “education freedom” for home schooling (ranked #8 of 50).
Minuses: Fairly high population density (by western U.S. standards.) The emerging Nanny State mentality is also troubling.
Parts of the state are recommended.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 10 of 19.

Letter From "Buckshot" Bruce Re: Feral Dogs, Post-TEOTWAWKI (SAs: Retreat Livestock, Emerging Threats, Disaster Preparedness)

I started writing about this topic after reading that there are 100 millions dogs in America, back in the fall of 1998. Every year people e-mail with more true dog attack stories. Since that time I have put them in my newsletter. The first three articles are still posted here: www.survival-center.com/buckshot/dogs.htm

Now, in today's climate of terrorist attacks, hurricanes that could cause an economy collapse changing America into chaos I think it might be something interesting to share. The premise is the majority of the people in bad times would let their pets go to fend for themselves. These pets would soon revert back to becoming predators. [JWR Comments: I portrayed precisely that in my screenplay Pulling Through--available for free download.] Once the chaos hit the cities and people start killing each other the dogs would start feeding on the dead bodies. These packs will then have a taste for human flesh and you will be considered food.

Canines like fresh kills the best. Something about the blood letting turn it into a frenzy like in a shark attack. If you want to see for yourself next time you've unthawed some meat save the bloody water in the foam tray. Carry this outside and spread it across your lawn. Let your dog out and watch what happens. To really open your eyes have two dogs checking it out at the same time. But I'd better let you know up front I am not responsible for the vet bills or human injuries--so be careful if you do this. In other words you'll do so AT YOUR OWN RISK.

To get a glimpse into what an attack would sound like read this. This was posted to a forum and later e-mailed to me. Pretty graphic bone chilling descriptions. I am sorry I don't know who the author is to give him/her credit.
"That is true primal fear ...."I don´t know what it is about dogs but there is a built in something inside of me that when I hear a pack of dogs attacking .....especially attacking another lone helpless dog (lets just stay with dogs for now)....there is something that goes click in me and every fiber of my being is set on the highest tension a person can experience....all hairs standing on end....stomach churning, panic/fear/tears/screams.....everything reactive instantly and at once. There are some folks alive who have never actually heard this except on t.v. and let me tell you it does not do justice to hearing these sounds for real and seeing the fangs/blood, flying flesh, gouged out eyes and horrific screams...yes screams of bloody murder coming from the dog being attacked....well, if you ever have this experience it will stay with you forever....most assuredly if in that experience you were totally helpless to stop/control/defend/run-from/drive off the pack and those long horrific minutes became unending video stuck on reply....forever. I guess it brings back a deep deep species memory of long ago when the nights were terrifying and not made for sleeping but rather for surviving until the dawn/daylight.... I guess that is why dogs still sleep so soundly during the day though they don´t remember why and I don´t sleep during the night....though I can´t forget. Keeps one alive when civilization is long dead and gone."

I would like to add a few things every time this posted someone will always say "no way dogs will become food" or "coyotes will kill the dogs." While it is true that coyotes do kill dogs mostly smaller ones or loners. Now you take a pack of 15 dogs against a normal coyote pack of 2 to 6 and the coyotes will become the food. Even though there is a number of coyotes in almost every state last time I heard the population average for coyotes in the Lower 48 was 10 million. That is a far cry from 100 million dogs.

The key point most people miss in this is what I call the rule of 50. At any given time the normal city person has about 50 miles worth of gas in their vehicle, less then $50 cash, less then 50 hours of food in the house, and less then 50 rounds of ammunition. If you research into what happen after 9-11. ATM shut down most people didn't have any money, how many gas station were sold out within hours? How many rounds of ammunition were bought that day? How many could not buy any food? The funny ones are the people that think a club will be all they need against a pack of attacking dogs. Ever hit a Rottweiler in the head with baseball bat? Nope, me neither, but I saw it once and all it did was make the dog really mad. Now try it against a pack of 15 dogs attacking you... They will find your bat next to your torn up body.

Here is part of story in one of my Newsletters. Note this was after fighting and killing off most of a feral dog pack:

"The whole walk home I had the feeling I was being watched. I didn't know by who until I went out to my jeep later that night. The last dog followed me home and attacked me as I was walking to my jeep. I think that was the alpha male because he was a ballsy and got me to the ground on his own. I ended up stabbing him about 25 times with my pocket knife before he quit biting me. I found him in an old rusted out car that was in a field about 2 days later."

There are some really important points to be made here. One this is after killing off most of the pack, the Alpha had no fear of humans, the dog thought this human was trying to be the new Alpha and he was not going to let that happen until the two fought it out. What is very startling is the number of wounds from the pocket knife; 25 times. I'm just guessing it was small pocket knife with a 3 inch blade. Still it was a "to the death" fight in the dog's mind. Also, even after all of those knife wounds the dog still got away and died out of sight.

These dog packs will range in size from 6-to-50 dogs. I don't care how good a shot you are--if 20-to-50 dogs are attacking you are deep do-do. Have you ever tried to shoot a running coyote or deer? How many times did you miss? Now imagine trying to hit running dogs coming from all directions? A simple effective solution is to have 10 dozen coyote snares on hand. This is for a homestead-retreat. With some basic snare knowledge you can have 120 guards watching every animal path into your homestead. This will also be a great deterrent for coyotes and other vermin coming to feed on your livestock. Now I am NOT talking about homemade wire snares. Once a 20-to-70 pound feral dog hits one of these he will break it right off. Just like hot knife through butter. This is very bad for a couple of reasons. You just taught the dog to avoid snares making him warily and 10 times harder to catch the next time. No I am talking about real professional grade self locking snares made out aircraft cable rated up to 1,080 pounds of strength. But the large dog is only 100 pounds why so strong? Well the first thing you learn trapping is animal fight the trap or snare. They roll, twist bite, chew and used their strength to escape. Wild coyote have showed they could put 5 times their weight into breaking free. Simple math a 100 pound animal can put 500 pounds of breaking strength on a snare. Next rolling and twisting our snares come with a swivel to help prevent kinking or twisting. Biting ,coyotes can chew through the cable if you are not diligent in checking the snare every day. But this cable is perfect for a 24 hour check. Even with all it's strength a coyote can still [eventually] chew through it. That is pretty amazing to me. - "Buckshot"

JWR's Comment: I've known "Buckshot" Bruce Hemming for about eight years. I highly recommend his traps, snares, scents, and videos. (I have quite a few that I've bought from him over the years.) Buckshot will sell you 10 dozen professionally made coyote snares and a video for around $200. In a real long term grid-down TEOTWAWKI situation, traps and snares will be worth their weight in gold. You'll be glad you have them for both the food and the protection that they will provide. To learn more, visit Buckshot's Camp at: www.buckshotscamp.com, or call (in the U.S. or Canada) for a free catalog: 1(888) 600-6869. If nothing else, at least sign up for Buckshot's free newsletter at his web site. Disclaimer: I haven't been paid or given any merchandise to write this. I'm in awe of the depth of his knowledge on trapping. (If you've seen any of his videos, then you know what I mean!) Lastly, I should mention that Buckshot is a new SurvivalBlog advertiser. But I would have run his letter, regardless!

Letter from The Army Aviator Re: Katadyn Versus Berkefeld Filters (SAs: Water Purification, Disaster Preparedness)

Here are some useful specifications:
Katadyn Drip Filter
0.2 micron ceramic depth filter (Note: This is the ABSOLUTE filtration specification, NOT the Nominal filtration rating.)
British Berkefeld Big Berkey

With filtration rating efficiencies of >98% down to 0.2 microns >99.9% at 0.5 microns >99.99% at 0.9 microns (Spectrum Labs).
Note: Berkefeld's ABSOLUTE filtration specification is 0.9 microns. (See the above line.)

I 've watched the PR advertisements regarding Berkefeld and just sat there shaking my head. I was sent some Berkefeld filter replacements which were touted as equal to Katadyn's but a much better price. NOT! When I read the spec's on the filter, I sent them back and bought Katadyn's. (Actually, it's just as cheap to buy a new complete drip unit as to buy replacement filters. Well, within $15 bucks anyway.) Don't get me wrong, Berkey's do filter .....but Katadyn does it a lot better.

Oh, I tried the Gravidyn filter element by Katadyn, which has the carbon filter built in but they are to be changed every six months. Not worth the cost for me unless I lived in a city. With the Ceradyn filters, you use them until they are worn out. That's a lot better for a long run need and mine generally last 6 years.

I should mention that when you buy a complete new Katadyn replacement unit, you still have the old one which wasn't totally useless. Eventually you end up with ones you could give to the needy neighbors who could get by on it. Just a pet peeve where I think the American consumer is being misled. Gosh, like that's uncommon, huh? I hope that Berkefeld isn't supporting your blog ;-) - The Army Aviator

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Thursday, September 8, 2005

Note From JWR: Today, I cover California--the third of 19 states in my rankings of retreat potential.

I would appreciate your help finding more advertisers for SurvivalBlog. If you know of someone that offers goods or services related to preparedness (such as tools, water purifiers, guns, gunsmithing, custom knives, first aid kits, photovoltaics, communications equipment, food storage, web gear, et cetera) please let them know about SurvivalBlog.com. Currently, small ads are just $40 per month!

State By State – California (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, California)

California:
Population: 34 million+.
Population Density: 214 per square mile (Rank 1 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 158,706 square miles (rank 3 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $765/yr. (rank 23 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $592/yr. (rank 9 of 50),
Crime Safety Ranking: 39 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 30%.
Per capita income: $32,149 (rank 8 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 37 of 50.
Plusses: Mild climate and a long growing seasons in most parts of the state. High wages.
Minuses: Excessive population density, high crime rate, copious smog, high cost of living, aggravating traffic, earthquake prone, over-inflated real estate prices, expensive building permits, restrictive zoning, high sales tax (as much as 8.5% in some counties!), draconian gun control laws, MTBE-tainted municipal and well water, high income and property taxes, multiple terrorist and WWIII targets, mediocre public schools, a cluttered radio spectrum, a state budget crisis that has reduced the state’s bonds to junk bond status, a proliferation of anti-small business and environmental regulations, exploding illegal immigration, anti-home schooling legislators, expensive car registration, high car insurance rates, the highest worker’s compensation insurance cost in the nation ($5.23 per $100 in payroll!), high health insurance rates, a very litigious and biased court system, and an ever-expanding socialistic Nanny State. California K-to-12 students ranks 48th of the 50 states in academics. California is definitely not recommended, except perhaps for those committed to the anti-gun pacifist school of survivalism and willing to home school their kids, and then only in the most remote portions of the state--far northern California. (Such as Humboldt, Modoc, or Trinity County) or perhaps the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.(Such as the Bishop or Lone Pine areas.)
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 19 of 19.

JWR adds: I included California in my rankings of 19 states partly to show some contrasts to the other states listed. Because so many SurvivalBlog readers live in California, I hope that this serves as encouragement for them to "vote with their feet."

Letter Re: Missouri's Retreat Potential (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics)

Jim:
I see that Missouri is not on your list. There are a lot of good things to say about the Ozarks of Southern Missouri (and Northern Arkansas). Self reliant culture which is pro gun and private property and which respects people's privacy. There is very low population density in many counties (such as Shannon population 8,300, Reynolds 6,700, Oregon 10,300, and Carter 5,900). Very low cost of living and a very homogeneous population (mostly Scotch-Irish). You find people from California moving to Missouri since they can live on just their Social Security there. Regards, - "Nearnorth"

JWR Replies: Your point is well taken. however, as a whole, Missouri is too populous to be recommended. It has a population of over 6 million which equates to 1448.4 per square mile. That is more than four times the population density of California, which just barely made my list. Take another look at the "Lights of the U.S." photo maps at: www.darksky.org.

Missouri also has an increasingly intrusive government. Even if you live in a lightly populated county, you still have to contend with the state regulations. (This, BTW, is the same predicament faced by people who live in the rural counties of Colorado, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and northern California.) Also, consider the number of nuclear targets in the state (The following list is courtesy of Richard Fleetwood at SurvivalRing.org):
Primary Targets: Whiteman AFB complex (Minuteman missiles, area within a line connecting Freeman, Richmond, Arrow Rock, California, Gravois Mills, Osceola, Stockton, Sheldon, Rich Hill, west to state line to Freeman again).
Secondary Targets: St. Louis, Kansas City, Fort Leonard Wood.
Tertiary Targets: Columbia, Springfield, St. Joseph.

Letter Re: Large Volume Liquid Fuel Storage (SAs: Fuel Storage, Privacy)

Mr. Rawles,
Many thanks for an excellent web site! I read it daily with much anticipation. Your book Patriots is a first-class work as well.

Storing fuel is a must for a survival retreat. Having said that, how do you get delivered several hundred gallons of diesel (or gas) without raising eyebrows? I live in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina on a mountain top. Very private and quiet, but not a farm. Maybe it is easier than I presume and nothing would raise flags to delivery folks filling a couple of above ground tanks. Is there an approach that has worked for you or your readers?

JWR Replies: As mentioned in previous blog posts, I recommend getting the largest underground fuel tanks that you can afford, but of course no larger than the maximum allowable under your local law. I also recommend that you purchase the tanks from a company that is a long distance away, and that you have workmen from that same company handle the delivery and installation. That will keep local rumors to a minimum. For example, one of my good friends in Clearwater County, Idaho ordered his gas and diesel tanks from a company in Missoula, Montana, more than 100 miles away. The shipping was expensive, but this was offset by the fact that Montana has no state sales tax. OBTW, the fiberglass fake basalt rocks covering the filler necks and hose stands are a nice touch.

As for the local companies that fill your tanks, there are a couple of obfuscatory statements that might prove helpful: "I only got this big tank because I want to be able to ride out large price fluctuations." Or, "I need to keep this much diesel on hand because I'm co-owner of a (fill in the blank) company." (Trucking, logging, et cetera)

The most expensive but most discreet approach is available for "Secret Squirrels" with a big budget: As I just described, have your large underground tanks installed by a company from at least 50 miles away. Then order your fuel in small increments (200 gallons or less) from several different vendors, preferably from 30+ miles away. There is no way for them to know the capacity of your underground tank just by looking at the exposed filler neck--unless of course the curvature of the tank also shows. Shelling out for multiple delivery charges is a high price to pay for privacy, but TANSTAAFL. Parenthetically, I have one acquaintance in Wyoming that has an 80 gallon diesel "L" shaped tank (the under tool box type) in the bed of his his dualie F350 diesel pickup. He buys diesel 90+ gallons at a time on his weekly trips to Cheyenne. Once he gets home, he pumps it into his 3,000 gallon diesel tank at home. It is a slow process, by very discreet.

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"I didn't say it would be easy, Neo. I just said it would be the truth." - Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus in The Matrix (1999)

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

Note From JWR: Today, I cover the second of 19 states in my rankings of retreat potential.

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, Disaster Preparedness)

The situation on the Gulf Coast is still fairly grim. The evacuation is nearly complete, and much needed supplies are now pouring in. But the communities that are still hurting the most are the small inland towns that were cut off from communications and that still don't have power restored. The power utilities are making Herculean efforts to get power restored, but is is a slow process. Their crews are working around the clock. These are good men doing a commendable job.

The bureaucrats at FEMA are getting mostly bad reviews for their performance in coordinating the disaster relief effort. Who ever dreamed up the concept of managing an emergency? Methinks that in the long run it will be religious charities and small private charity organizations that will do the most good for the most folks, using funds with the greatest efficiency. Large charity organizations and government bureaucracies always tend toward high overhead costs, misdirected efforts, and gross inefficiency.

There have been some interesting exchanges about the implications of Hurricane Katrina over on The Claire Files (The discussion forums at Claire Wolfe's blog.)

Over at Keep and Bear Arms there are some tidbits about firearm used for self defense, post-Katrina. I'm sure that it is just a matter of time before that hopeless Hopolophobe Josh Sugarman and the rest of the civilian disarmament crowd get around to claiming that privately owned guns somehow caused the looting problem. I have news for them: Guns aren't the cause of looting. They are the solution.

State By State – Arkansas (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Arkansas)

Arkansas:
Population: 2.67 million.
Population Density: 50.2 per square mile (Rank 5 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 53,187 square miles (rank 27 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $721/yr. (rank 30 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $494/yr. (rank 19 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 8 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 66%.
Per capita income: $21,995 (rank 49 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 23 of 50.
Plusses: Low property taxes.
Minuses: High population density (by western states standards.) Tornado prone (ranked #5 out of top 20 States). Poverty. The Arkansas economy barely scrapes by, even in good times. The state has a fairly large welfare dependent under class. This could prove problematic in the event of TEOTWAWKI. Poorly educated populace. For example: High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, (2000 stats): 75.3%, versus 80.4% nationwide. Bachelor's degree or higher, percentage of persons age 25+, (2000 stats): 16.7%, versus 24.4% nationwide. Note: Look for natural gas producing areas so that you can run your pickup on “drip” oil. (See my posts in the Archives on alternate fuels.)
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 16 of 19.

A Recent Relocatee to Arkansas (and Regular SurvivalBlog Contributor) Comments:

I researched for several years and made five trips to Arkansas in 18 months or so and as a "retreat" area North Central Arkansas wins on many levels for my needs. The statistics you quote, I'm sure, are valid as an overall state average, BUT most of the population seems to be in the Southern and West/East portions of the state and that seems to be where most of the tornados occur, and also where welfare recipients live. [JWR adds: This adds credence to my theory that tornadoes are mysteriously guided by some unseen force toward single-wide trailer parks.] There is a very homogenous population in this area with lots of well-attended churches and close family ties. One does not need a Bachelor's to take over Dad's logging or sawmill business or river/fishing guide business. Up here in the North Central area in the Ozarks things are really not fitting your averages. My criteria on a new AO was an sparsely populated area, a longer growing season than the maybe 90 days I had [in northern Nevada] for the last 16 years, better/shorter winter season, water availability, less expensive cost of living for basics, and lack of bureaucratic interference. The northern counties of Arkansas seem to fit the criteria perfectly. So far my propane, building supplies, fencing, food costs, and car insurance/license/tags are far less than I had been paying. Yes, the education system is poor and conventional jobs are scarce. However, the folks are friendly to newcomers without being nosey, one does not seem to need a permit for doing any improvements to property, and self-employment (under the table income) is rampant here and the work provided to customers is excellent. Land is, in my opinion, very cheap here to buy compared to lots of other areas in the U.S. - averaging $500-to-$1000 per acre with the higher pricing on lakeside properties. Good fishing, good hunting, good weather, good friends - just what I was looking for. Cities are cities anywhere one goes and that seems to be where the "problems" or potential problems congregate. Rural is rural, by the same token. I know your focus is/has been communities of like-minded folks banded together for safety and survival. I, personally, think that will happen much more shortly after a SHTF scenario than before such an event(s). I, like many others I know, have been laying the groundwork for that latter scenario, but it's not that comfortable to do it now, in advance. The plans are there, ready to put into action, but in the meantime, we are all working on our own plans for now and in the future and we stay in communication regarding such plans while still maintaining our privacy and property, if that makes sense to you. We, amongst my friends, know who will/can do what and provide what in most any disaster and we keep those plans in mind while we develop our individual projects.

Letter Re: U.S. Population Density, Nuclear Reactors, and Primitive Skills (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Relocation, Wilderness Survival, Primitive Skills)

JWR, It may be of some assistance for you to check out http://www.insc.anl.gov/pwrmaps/map/united_states.php. It will support your position on locating west of the Mississippi by showing Nuclear Power Reactors in the United States in map form. It also is an eye opener!

One of your "Bloggers" recently suggested that more information on primitive subjects should be looked into. Since I have been taking so much information from your Blog, I felt that I must contribute! See: http://www.bagelhole.org//article.php/Food/127/ - G.C.P.

Letter Re: Product Review of Rite in The Rain Waterproof Paper

Hello All,
I have two of the size that fits in your shirt pocket. That’s where this little product endorsement starts. I was out in the bush one weekend and used my note pad extensively. As usual I got really dirty and forgot to retrieve my Rite in the Rain note book from my shirt pocket. Well, I washed it in the washing machine and dried it in the dryer as well. Upon discovering this I felt really silly, however, to my surprise the note book and all my hen scratching was still intact and readable. I could still write on the paper and it is still water proof. So, this stuff really works in my “book”. Regards, Larry

Letter From The Goat Lady Re: Free Survival Medicine Reference

Memsahib:
In your spare time (LOL) you might want to check out this book, downloadable free at http://www.aussurvivalist.com/downloads/AM%20Final%202.pdf or hard copy at http://www.cafepress.com/austeremed.23362365

Survival and Austere medicine would be a REALLY handy thing to have in a SHTF situation as it's practical info, field tested, and doable by a non-medical person. All the authors are in the medical field either as MDs, EMTs, RNs, etc. They knoweth what they are doing and talking about. Chapter 8 is really good on herbs, preps, uses, and the content is approved by the above listed medical personal. I think Chapter 8 is really good for beginner or experienced herb users (I should think it's great - I wrote it).

Anyway, try to find time to give it a peruse - it may be helpful to lots of your readers - the authors do not get any kickback or anything - this was a labor of love and caring, and is a free download for anyone. Best, Norma aka Goatlady

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends." - Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne Of Avonlea

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Note from JWR: Today, I begin a series of articles that compare 19 states in the western U.S. for their retreat potential. I hope that you find this useful. I would appreciate your comments and suggestions to balance my admittedly subjective assessments.

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, Disaster Preparedness)

If nothing else, Hurricane Katrina has verified my long-held belief that we live in a very fragile society with just a thin veneer of civilization. And it is evident that it doesn't take much to peel back that veneer. A "must read" article recently ran in USA Today.

And consider this from yesterdays' Daily Reckoning: "Katrina was the rainy day for which people are meant to save. But Americans of the Greenspan era saw no need to save. The latest figures show them saving in July at the rate of MINUS 0.6% of income. Oh la la...laissez les bon temps rouler!" ("Let the Good Time Roll!")

State By State – Introduction (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics)

The data in this series of posts describes 19 western states. (Note: Much more detailed retreat locale recommendations will be provided in subsequent blog posts, following this series of articles.) After much consideration, all of the eastern states were intentionally excluded from this analysis because they are either downwind of nuclear targets and/or are in areas with excessive population density. (See my post on population density, back on August 5th.) This wasn't just the result of subjective bias. I try to use the dispassionate mindset of an actuarial accountant.

As evidenced recently with Hurricane Katrina, population density is perhaps the most crucial factor to consider when selecting a safe haven. The big cities on the Gulf Coast are hell holes, whereas the small towns are getting by fairly well. I know that this will cause acrimony with a lot of my readers who live east of the Mississippi River, but the plain truth is the East has too much population! Unless you are among the uber-rich and can afford to buy an elaborate fully hardened bunker with HEPA filtration deep in the Smoky or Appalachian Mountains with a five year food supply, I firmly believe that you will be safer west of the Mississippi. That is just my opinion, so your mileage may vary (YMMV). However, before you write me a tirade about how wrong I am and how safe you'll be in upstate New York, please re-read my August 5th through August 10th posts. Also, take a long hard look at the "Lights of the U.S." photo maps at: www.darksky.org. A picture tells a thousand words.

When thinking about where you’d prefer to buy your retreat and/or retirement home don’t just look at climate. Look at all the factors. Depending on your age and interest in true independence from “the system” you might also consider factors like home schooling laws and home birth laws.

Here is my overall Retreat Potential ranking of 19 western states, which I will explain in detail in forthcoming blog posts:

1 Idaho
2 Montana
3 Oregon
4 Washington
5 Wyoming
6 Utah
7 South Dakota
8 North Dakota
9 Arizona
10 Colorado
11 Nebraska
12 Kansas
13 Texas
14 Nevada
15 New Mexico
16 Arkansas
17 Oklahoma
18 Louisiana
19 California

As a point of reference, here is an excerpt from Boston T. Party's Gun Law ranking (for the 19 states on my list), from Boston's excellent book Boston's Gun Bible.

1 Idaho
2 Louisiana
3 Wyoming
4 Montana
5 Arizona
6 New Mexico
7 Texas
8 Oklahoma
9 Nevada
10 Utah
11 Colorado
12 South Dakota
13 Kansas
14 Arkansas
15 Oregon
16 Nebraska
17 North Dakota
18 Washington
19 California

And as yet another point of reference, here are the same 19 states, ranked by the length of their growing season (in the warmest part of each state):

1 Arizona
2 Texas
3 Louisiana
4 California
5 Nevada
6 Oregon
7 Washington
8 Idaho
9 Utah
10 Kansas
11 Arkansas
12 New Mexico
13 Oklahoma
14 Colorado
15 Wyoming
16 Montana
17 Nebraska
18 South Dakota
19 North Dakota

Why not Alaska?
A year ago, I heard one “expert” on the radio recommend Alaska as a retreat destination because it has the lowest population density of any State, and low taxes. IMHO, he couldn’t be more wrong! The biggest problem is that from an economic standpoint, Alaska is essentially a big offshore island. Many essential items are shipped or flown in. What happens when the ships and planes stop arriving? It won’t be pretty--at least not in Alaska's cities. (Ironically, although it is the most lightly populated state, Alaska has the second highest crime rate in the country!) Coastal Alaska is also earthquake prone. Further, you may think that because of the North Slope oil that the state will have plentiful fuel. Bzzzzzt! Wrong answer! There is insufficient refinery capacity of meet Alaska’s “domestic” needs, and insufficient transport to get refined fuels where they are needed. (Current transport is geared to distributing fuel and lubricants brought in from the Lower 48--not locally produced fuel and lubricants.) So the little fuel left in Alaska post-TEOTWAWKI will be jealously guarded--doubtless saved for critical tasks like running farm tractors and chain saws. So there will be virtually none available for fishing boats or between-town commerce.

In a long term collapse, the residents of Alaska's densely populated coastal cities will likely starve and/or freeze to death. Meanwhile, those in inland towns, albeit better fed, will be geographically isolated so that commerce with the coast will be difficult if not impossible. Bush pilots will eventually be grounded due to lack of fuel, lubricants and spare parts. The only people I foresee surviving are a few seasoned Sourdoughs and native tribe members that still have well-honed outdoor survival skills and are still capable of reverting to a self-sufficient mode. The best set up for this would be a small settlement on a clear water (non-glacial) stream with an active salmon run and a couple of productive “fish wheel” salmon traps.
Another consideration is that the Alaska Pipeline is vulnerable to frost heaving and rupture if the power grid goes down. (It is not widely known, but grid power is used to run thousands of refrigeration elements that keep the permafrost frozen around the pipeline supports.) My prediction: In the event of TEOTWAWKI, the Al-Can highway will have heavy traffic with heavily-laden pickup trucks carrying beau coup gas cans, going in both directions: Greenhorns from the lower 48 thinking that Alaska is the place to be and Alaskan Citizens who realize that Alaska is not a viable place to stay in a long term Crunch.

And Hawaii?
Just as in Alaska, what happens when the ships and planes stop arriving? Too much population (1,250,000 and growing!) and too little self-sufficiency. Lousy gun laws, too. The only thing that Hawaii has going for it is a mild climate and the fact that each island produces its own power—albeit with imported fuel. If and when the North American grid goes down, it will be something that Hawaiians will see reported on the evening news. Yes, I know, fish are plentiful and you can walk through the jungle and forage enough fruit in just an hour to feed your family for a day. But the two-legged predators will be out in force. It won't be safe to go out fishing or foraging. Perhaps the residents of some of the smaller islands will pull through a Crunch. Certainly they might on Ni`ihau--the small western island reserved for natives only and their traditional lifestyle--subsistence agriculture, and fishing. But of course: “Haoles need not apply…”

State By State – Arizona (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Arizona)

Arizona:
Population: 5.1 million.
Population Density: 44.7 per square mile (Rank 7 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 114,000 square miles (rank 6 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $438/yr. (rank 30 of 50).
Crime Safety Ranking: 48 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 91%.
Per capita income: $24,988 (rank 37 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 25 of 50.
Plusses: Mild winters at lower elevations. Has the nation’s top rating in “education freedom” (the state is at the forefront of the charter school movement.) Open carry of handguns is legal and perhaps the most commonplace in the Lower 48.
Minuses: Intensely hot summers at lower elevations. Fairly high population density (by western states standards.) Water is scarce in much of the state. Very high crime rate! Expensive car insurance rates. Nuclear targets. Proximity to the Mexican border. Some northern parts of the state are recommended (with provisos). Has a high ratio of illegal aliens. Note: I probably should have given Arizona a higher ranking, due to its favorable gun laws and long growing season. However, its very crime rate, high insurance costs, and proximity to the Mexican border pushed it down the list.
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 9 of 19.

Note: Details on 18 other states will be posted on a daily basis. Stay tuned.

#1 Son's Product Review: "Rite in the Rain" All Weather Writing Paper (SA: Field Gear)

Rite in the Rain is truly waterproof paper. You can even write on it underwater! I tested their Field Binder. They also make binders and paper for many other uses. The paper comes in several templates: Universal Grid paper, CAS Briefing Form (9 Line), Standard Range Card, Call for Fire, Warning Order, Soldier's Personal Data, MEDEVAC (9 Line), and UXO/IED Report (9 Line). The grid paper is useful for writing and graphing/mapping.

Field Binder Design: The green plastic binder measures 7 3/4" x5 3/4"x 1" with six snap rings. It has an inch ruler and a standard/metric conversion table inside the front cover. The back cover has a centimeter ruler and a clear plastic storage pocket. The paper measures 7" x 4 3/4". The binder provides 1/4-inch protection around the sheets, but is open at the top, bottom, and sides.

Performance: The paper will accept writing from ballpoint pens, pencils, and "space" (pressurized) pens when underwater, wet, and dry. New paper dries nearly instantly, the water beading and running off. After being soaked for12 hours the paper is slightly weaker and stays damp for half an a hour, but still works fine. The grain is vertical so it does not rip out of the binder easily. The loops on the binder are sturdy, although they might be jammed by coarse sand.

Recommendation: A highly recommended product, especially if you live in a damp climate or on the water. It is ideal for field tactical operations, or for something as mundane as leaving a note on someone's car window (pinned under their windshield wiper). If you can afford to, buy one for each of your vehicles and each tactical or G.O.O.D. pack. Rite in the Rain field binders and refills are available from Ready Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. (Reviewed by #1 Son--A 13 year old Home schooled kid.)

Letter Re: Staying Put Or Bugging Out? (SA: Disaster Preparedness, Survival Mindset)

Jim,
Reading through the reams of articles and blogs concerning New Orleans, this AP piece stood out. Notice that the person profiled is apparently a Vietnam veteran who had stockpiled food, fuel and firearms, lived in the war zone, and seemed to be just fine without bugging out. And it made me think...

Yeah, we all want a 'retreat' - but this may be possible for less than 1 percent of Americans. Are we as survivalists ignoring the efforts of the folks that are prepared to sit in place in an urban setting? What training or informational resources would be appropriate to their situation? I realize it's just about the same as for those of us who can buy/stock a retreat - but are there any specific things an urban dwellers needs to do differently? Just a few thoughts on this matter:

Blackout curtains
Generator noise reduction (if used)
Disease risks with sewage/garbage system failures
Plans for an urban privy
Rooftop or backyard cisterns

JWR Adds: Don't forget a method for drawing, transporting and purifying water!

Just a side note... I have attempted to volunteer to work as a police officer in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish providing my own food/shelter and doing so without pay. I have not been rebuffed, but even FEMA has/had NO IDEA what to do with my offer or suggestions on a point of contact. I am a peace officer in Colorado, and can get the time off. Telephonic attempts, e-mail, all without answer.

Nobody seems to know who would coordinate these things. It had been suggested to me that I simply show up to volunteer - but this didn't seem to be the best course - I kept telling myself that SOMEONE would contact me. Apparently there is no administrative infrastructure left at these two police agencies.

Contrast this attempt with that of a buddy of mine who contacted Gulfport PD in Mississippi - got asked by a deputy chief to 'come on down' the same day he contacted them to volunteer. - L.D. in Colorado

Letter Re: Lessons from Katrina (SA: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, Disaster Preparedness)

Jim,
You might want to have a section dedicated to the lessons we can learn from this. If you do, my two cents worth would be:
1-The authorities may cut off the water and phones-even if you are a politician. The Feds want you to go to an approved shelter-and they want control of all information. Your life is not really that important to them.
2-The shelter may lock you up for five days or so with no water, food, or medicine. And you can't get out-and charities won't be allowed to come to you.
3-The shelter may have druggies in need of a fix or even stray prisoners let out from a local jail.
4-Charities, the police, or just relatives may be prevented from coming across the only road into the area. Your need for water is not that important to the authorities.
5-You may or may not be allowed to leave on that one road depending upon how soon you try. It may become impossible once the Feds get there and declare that they are going to put down an insurgency. Your need for water is not that important to the authorities.
6-Your neighbors may save your life.
7-Stock up with everything, and store it well. Make that water-proof.
8-Have an extra water filter or two for your neighbors or friends.
9-Don't count on the government, at any level.

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"Along the debris-choked Mississippi River, pharmacist Jason Dove watches as people scramble in the parking lot of the downtown convention center for cases of airlifted water and shakes his head. 'We created this Frankenstein,' he says. 'It's showing how fragile this society is.'" -as quoted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, USA Today, Sept. 2, 2005.

Monday, September 5, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, Disaster Preparedness)

Law and order are still scarce commodities on the Gulf Coast. It was reported yesterday (Sunday, September 4th) that police shot eight armed people, killing at least five of them, after gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors that were traveling across a bridge near New Orleans on their way to make repairs. Meanwhile, 200 of the formerly 1,500-strong New Orleans Police department have either formally resigned or have deserted, and two have committed suicide. WorldNetDaily and other sources have reported that looting and assorted acts of lawlessness are continuing in inland areas of Louisiana and Mississippi that were spared the worst of the hurricane's effect but that are still without power. I'd appreciate hearing some accounts from SurvivalBlog readers close to the scene that would confirm, deny, or clarify the foregoing.

If you want to donate to the relief effort, here is a fairly extensive list of relief organization contacts, courtesy of our friends of Little Green Footballs. I believe that it is best to donate to church-sponsored charities like ADRA, since their overhead is much lower than bloated bureaucracies like the Red Cross.

JWR's Advice on Food Storage (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Food Storage)

If and when it comes, TEOTWAWKI will certainly mean a disruption in food production and distribution. You should have enough food stored for your family to last a year, and much longer if you can afford it. Keep in mind that: you will need extra to dispense as charity, to your "head-in-the sand” relatives, to neighbors, friends, fellow church members, and refugees. So store lots of extra wheat, rice, beans, and honey. They are cheap now, but may be very expensive later.
You can “do it yourself” for nearly everything required for home food storage except canned powdered dry milk. It is messy to re-pack yourself, and because of milk’s butterfat content it only stores well for long periods with commercial nitrogen packing.

As previously mentioned, I sharply disagree with the LDS (Mormon) church on their religious doctrines, but I commend them for their food storage philosophy, practice, and infrastructure. Your local LDS ward probably has a cannery, and they will let non-LDS members use it on a “space available” basis. Members are usually on hand to train “newbies” how to operate the equipment.

Bulk wheat, rice, and beans are best stored in 5 or 6-gallon food grade plastic pails. Walton Seed in Montpelier, Idaho has excellent prices and they have top quality products.

If you use your own pails, make sure that they are certified “food grade” (buckets made for paint are not.) And if you re-use food grade buckets, make certain that they were only used for non-smelly foods. (Re-using pickle pails for rice will give you pickle-flavored rice!)

Date mark all of your storage foods. Consistently use FIFO (First In, First Out”) rotation.
Buy replacement cooking oil and Crisco every two years. This will be your biggest “recurring loss” food storage expense. (Donate the old oil and Crisco that is nearing its expiration to your local food bank. If you have any vegetable oil that has gone rancid, it can be saved for use as biodiesel. See my previous posts on this subject.)
If you can adapt your diet, buy more stable oils such as peanut oil and coconut oil that have a longer shelf life. They re also more healthful than Crisco or liquid vegetable oils.
Canning lids and rings—buy plenty of extras for barter.
Salt—stock up in quantity, particularly if your retreat is more than 30 miles inland!
Sulphur for drying fruits.
Vinegar-Buy a couple of cases of one-gallon bottles.
Don’t forget:
Spices.
Baking soda.
Yeast.
Food storage (freezer and vacuum) bags.
Aluminum foil (Buy lots! 101 uses, including making improvised solar ovens.)
Deer bags.
Dog Food. Note: One of my old high school buddies, Scott T. who is now an attorney once quipped “A real survivalist would eat his dog.” But seriously, if your dog(s) will be useful for providing security, then store two years of dog food. Make sure that the dog food has a low fat content (for better long term storage) and that you store it in vermin-proof containers. Galvanized trash cans work fine for this purpose. You can get away with storing much less dog food if you live in an area with profuse deer, bear or elk; or if you raise a lot of livestock. Rotate your dog food just like you do the rest of your storage food.
Date mark all perishable foods with a medium point Sharpie pen. If you have a lot of canned goods to mark, then a date stamp will work.
Rotate your foods consistently. Always place the newest cans at the back of the shelf. Keep a multi-year rotation calendar.
Long term storage multi-vitamins and other food supplements: You should plan to supplement with a good quality double encapsulated multi-vitamin, a good quality B-complex tablet, and a 500-milligram vitamin C tablet. See Vita Cost for some of the least expensive vitamins and nutritional supplements available via the Internet. They should be consumed and replaced at least every three years. Store them in a cool, very dark place. (Light kills vitamins quickly!)
Natural laxatives. (Your diet may shift heavily toward meat, and this could cause problems. Plan ahead.) Bulk Metamucil is one option.
Preservation Methods:
Most families should do their own wet-pack canning and dehydrating. We also buy commercially canned (nitrogen packed) foods, some freeze dried foods, and some MREs (retort packaged.) As I will describe, some methods are more appropriate than others for certain foods.
See Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living (published by Sasquatch Books)--a MUST for every survivalist's bookshelf. The basic guideline for edibility is 2 years for meats and other "high acid" foods, and 4 years for all others. (See Carla’s book for a complete chart.) Edible, yes, but keep in mind that the nutritional value won't all be there in four years. So store as many vitamins as you can rotate without going past expiration dates. (Roughly three to four years worth, unless you have an ultra cold medical freezer--I'd love to find one of those, used. They cost $3,000+, new!)
Nitrogen Packing is good for roughly 8-to-10 years for most foods and much longer for whole grains. I do not recommend storing flour. It only keeps two or three years.
Whole wheat stores for 20+ years with 80% or more of its nutritional value. Buy whole grains and a hand wheat grinder.
I recommend buying commercially nitrogen-packed cans only for the items that don't store well otherwise (e.g. dehydrated peas, powdered milk, peanut butter powder, and textured vegetable protein (TVP).
You are better off buying some items in bulk (honey, whole grains, beans, and rice) and canning or otherwise "containerizing" them yourself. Canned nitrogen-packing of these items is ridiculously expensive, and there is very little advantage in storage life. Pack bulk grains and legumes in 5 or 6-gallon plastic buckets by yourself, and you will save a lot of money! Note: Make sure that you use oxygen-absorbing packets available from Walton's or the dry ice displacement method to kill all the bugs/larvae before you seal up each bucket. (Again, see Mr. Hagan's Food Storage FAQ.)
Commercially canned “year’s supply type units are needlessly expensive. (Even the salt comes canned. Talk about overkill packaging!) In the instance of wheat, you are paying two to five times as much for the product because of the packaging. (My most wheat purchase was at just $11 per hundredweight! Of course, I had to re-pack it all in six-gallon buckets.)

MRE Storage Life (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Food Storage)

I do recommend MREs as a supplement to a well-rounded food storage program. Because they are fairly compact, lightweight, and require no cooking , they are ideal to pack in your "Get Out of Dodge" (G.O.O.D.) backpack (or "BOB").

My old friend who has profile under the pseudonym Mr. Tango had a round of correspondence with the U.S. Army's Natick Laboratories in Maryland, on the potential storage life of MREs. Like all other storage foods, MREs must be stored at low temperature to maximize their shelf life. The data that they sent him was surprising. Here is the gist of it:

Degrees F / Months of Storage (Years)
120 / 1 month
110 / 5 months
100 / 22 months (1.8 Years)
90 / 55 months (4.6 Years)
80 / 76 months (6.3 Years)
70 / 100 months (8.3 Years)
60 / 130 months (10.8 Years )

Note 1: The figures above are based on date of pack, rather than inspection date.
Note 2: MRE’s near the end of their shelf life are considered safe to eat if:
A.) They are palatable to the taste.
B.) They do not show any signs of spoilage (such as swelled pouches.)
C.) They have been stored at moderate temperatures. (70F or below.)
Note 3: Not enough data has yet been collected on storage below 60 degrees F. However, projections are that the 130-month figure will be extended.
Note 4: Time and temperature have a cumulative effect. For example: storage at 100 degrees F for 11 months and then moved to 70F, you would lose 1/2 of the 70F storage life.
Note 5: Avoid fluctuating temperatures in and out of freezing level.
JWR’s Comments on MREs: The above-cited figures are for palatability, not nutritive value. You should plan on storing vitamin supplements. Again, vitamins should be stored in a cool, very dark place for the longest shelf life. (Many tablets are light sensitive—this explains why they are usually packed in dark brown bottles rather than clear glass.) I recommend rotating your vitamins every two years. The bottom line is that most of the fat, carbohydrates, and protein will still be available in MREs, even after many years of storage, but the vitamins will not. Plan accordingly.
Because MREs and other emergency foods are relatively high in bulk and low in fiber, I also highly recommend storing a bulk fiber supplement with each case of MREs. Don't overlook this precaution! Also, get yourself some sprouting supplies, and practice sprouting before The Crunch. Sprouts are an ideal source of vitamins and fiber!

Letter RE: The Myth of Copper Toxicity for Sheep and Goats (SA: Small Livestock)

Jim,
I wanted to let you know that a correction needs to be made in your statement that copper is toxic to sheep and goats. I own dairy goats on our homestead. Copper is indeed toxic to sheep, BUT COPPER IS CRITICAL FOR THE GOOD HEALTH OF GOATS. In fact copper sulfate is given as a supplement at times, especially with the darker goats to keep them from turning chocolate brown instead of the black coat color they should have. The belief that copper is toxic to goats is a common misconception and I have had nearly knock down drag-down fights with different feed store employees who didn’t want to sell me the copper salt blocks when they knew I had goats. See David Mackenzie’s excellent “Goat Husbandry” for more information, or “Natural Goat Care” by Pat Coleby. Both available from Amazon.com. - Midwest Farm Mom

JWR's Reply: I defer to to your experience and study on the subject. I have corrected my original post. Many Thanks!

Letter from "F1" Re: Trapping and Snaring (SA: Self-Sufficiency)

Hi Jim and Memsahib:
An overlooked area for putting meat on the table is trapping and snaring. Perhaps the reason is it is an almost lost skill because most people live in cities or the suburbs today. However, WTSHTF it may mean the difference between having meat on the table or none at all when, if the supply runs out. Those who live in cities and suburban areas normally have squirrels, rabbits, woodchucks, deer, raccoons and other edible animals available if they have the knowledge and equipment to obtain them. Many in rural areas who are preparing plan on using a firearm to obtain their meat because they too lack trapping and snaring skills and equipment. I am attracted to trapping and snaring for manifold reasons. One, it provides a means to obtain food without drawing attention by the sound of a firearm going off, thus providing an almost silent means of acquiring meat in almost any environment. Two, traps and snares can be used repeatedly year after year making them one of the cheapest investments in long term food gathering. Three, IMHO, traps and snares will be high on the list of bartering items in some areas when, if TEOTWAWKI occurs. Four, using traps and snares increases your firepower by saving bullets. "Buckshot" Bruce Hemming, one of the best trappers in North America can teach everyone in their own home by using the same videos the United States Rescue & Special Operations Group uses to teach their students. The knowledge from the videos may save your life. The professional grade traps and snares sold here were chosen for military aviator survival kits through extensive testing of several commercially available traps and snares. There is a wealth of survival information and products to check out for knowledge and ideas whether one lives out in the boondocks or in the heart of the city. See: Buckshot's Camp - "F1"

JWR's Reply: I agree wholeheartedly with all of the points in your letter. I have done business with Bruce Hemming for more than 10 years. He really knows his stuff, and he sells top quality products at great prices. His videos are a must for every serious survivalist.

Letter Re: The Alpha Strategy" (SAs: Retreat Logistics, Barter, Disaster Preparedness)

I just checked with both Amazon.com and ABE books and there's probably a couple hundred copies of The Alpha Strategy by Pugsley available from used book sellers around the country. I just ordered mine and thanks for a great blog! - J.K.

Letter from Fred Re: A Good Handgun Site (SA: Survival Firearms)

Jim:
I know you get a lot of email! But I found an interesting web site. It is one man's experience with handguns, yet very practical. It covers lots of issues with handguns. Fun to read if you have the time. Fred (The Valmet-Meister)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"It's downtown Baghdad," said tourist Denise Bollinger, who snapped pictures of looting in the French Quarter. "It's insane." (as quoted by The Associated Press, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina)

Sunday, September 4, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, MSM, US Politics)

The floodwaters have not yet subsided, but the Monday Morning Quarterbacking, finger pointing, and general recriminations about the FedGov's handling of Hurricane Katrina relief effort have already begun. For example, see the quotes posted Chrenkoff's blog.

Meanwhile, the MSM is frantically backpedalling, apologizing for having been so insensitive. They've realized that in their haste to report the news that they actually televised images of black people breaking into stores and taking other people's property and referring to it as looting. I have news for them: It was looting. It is both a crime and it is a Biblical sin. And it wasn't just blacks that were doing it. Whites and Hispanics were looting too. But since the New Orleans population is predominantly black, the TV camera crews just didn't happen to catch folks of other races in the act. Shame on the looters, and shame on the MSM for being so spineless and Politically Correct.

Stocking Your Retreat (SA: Retreat Logistics, Disaster Preparedness)

Stocking a retreat is a complex series of tasks that should be done dispassionately. It will be expensive and may take several years, so make your purchases systematically and in strict order of priority.

At present, the only items that I would recommend bumping up in priority would be the private acquisition of your core firearms battery. (One rifle, pistol, and shotgun for each adult family member, and a .22 rimfire rifle for each child.) With talk these days about “closing the gun show loophole” (requiring a paper trail on all gun purchases), this should be one of your top priorities!

For Starters...
Go through your cabinets with clipboard in hand and calculate what you use at home every month. Everything: from envelopes to toothpaste to paper towels to motor oil to teriyaki sauce. Everything! Then do some multiplication, depending on how long you expect to have to hunker down. Then double or triple those numbers, depending on how many extra people are likely to show up at your retreat on TEOTWAWKI+1. And there will almost certainly be newcomers! Just look at the number of people from the Gulf Coast displaced by Hurricane Katrina last week that just drove a thousand miles or more and are ending up on the doorsteps of their relatives. Some of them have very few possessions. I imagine that a future full scale TEOTWAWKI will create dislocations and refugee mass migrations an order of magnitude larger. So be prepared to dispense lots of charity, and be prepared to have a lot of people under your roof.

Keep shelf life in mind. (You can’t store 10 years worth of vitamins, because they won’t store that long unless you buy an ultra-cold medical freezer.) You will soon find that you’ll need a lot of shelving, plus metal mouse-proof lockers for the items that come in paper or plastic packages. Buy your shelving and lockers used, from a surplus office or industrial supply house.
One key reference on stocking your retreat is the book The Alpha Strategy, by John Pugsley. Sadly, this book is long out of print, but it should be available via inter-library loan. Borrow a copy and make yourself photocopies of the most important sections.

Start With a "List of Lists" (SA: Retreat Logistics, Disaster Preparedness)

Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living in the Rockies.

As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main (or propane tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.) Spend that weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage food, preparing it on a wood stove (or camping stove.)

A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that you take for granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions will be shattered. Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly, some of the most thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written by candlelight! (Note: I've posted the two preceding paragraphs before, but it bears repeating.)

Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post is in outline form, but it would take a full length book to discus all of the following in great detail)

Water List
House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)
Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most people can handle without back strain.
For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple of heavy duty two wheel garden carts--convert the wheels to foam filled "no flats" tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)
Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can afford it, buy a “Big Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter. (Available from Ready Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure spring water at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good filter could be a lifesaver.)

Food Storage List
See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent letter from David in Israel on this subject.

Food Preparation List
Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because odds are you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing, and clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or 6 gallon PVC buckets--for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying. They will also make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr. Gary North: “Nails: buy a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)
Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.

Personal List
(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected to arrive at your retreat.)
Spare glasses.
Prescription and nonprescription medications.
Birth control.
Keep dentistry up to date.
Any elective surgery that you've been postponing
Work off that gut.
Stay in shape.
Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if you don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable garden every year. It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes now, when the loss of crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.
“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games, CDs, chocolates, etc.)

First Aid /Minor Surgery List
When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months without power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket shifts exposed in the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors being wielded by newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With all of this, add the possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical diagnostic equipment. Put a strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies. Don’t overlook do-it-yourself dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full minor surgery outfit (inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you don’t know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.) This is going to be a big list!

Chem/Nuke Defense List
Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter), rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for covering window frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects), duct tape, HEPA filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI) tablets to prevent thyroid damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor shower rig for just outside your shelter entrance.

Disinfectants
Hand Sanitizer
Sneeze masks
Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine silver rod.)
Natural antibiotics (Echinaecea, Tea Tree oil, …)

Gardening List
One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall deer-proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer on your garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up, it could mean the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.
Tools+ spares for barter/charity
Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The Ark Institute
Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinaeca (purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.

Hygiene/Sanitation List
Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!
TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight, but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel about stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.
Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)
Bottled lye for soap making.
Ladies’ supplies.
Toothpaste (or powder).
Floss.
Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)
Sunscreen.
Livestock List:
Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic, carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator and bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads, leashes, collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets, bulk grain and C-O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight fitting lids to keep the mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools, et cetera. If your region has selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural extension office) then be sure to get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather than plain white salt blocks--at least for those that you are going to set aside strictly for your livestock.

Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos on trapping and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very reasonable prices.)
Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging
Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a waste of effort. Have the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They will also make very valuable barter items.
Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical spin casting equipment.
Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term Crunch.
Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps if you have crawfish in your area.
Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing WTSHTF.

Power/Lighting/Batteries List
One proviso: In the event of a “grid down” situation, if you are the only family in the area with power, it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night. At the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets. Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully opaque curtains for your windows.
When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel cadmium technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)
If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator--with a carburetor that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas. If you heat your home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator. (And plan on getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In a pinch, you can run your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating oil.
Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also make great barter items.)
Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog posts.

Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns, underground tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case, do not buy an aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road or navigable waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook buying plenty of kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two gallon cans.) Stock up on firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.) Get the best quality chainsaw you can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas. If you can afford it, buy two of the same model. Buy extra chains, critical spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle oil will be great for barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are expensive but they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear gloves, goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t cut up your wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in a hurry.

Firefighting List
Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and the prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails at your house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without the aid of a fire department. Even without looters to consider, you should be ready for uncontrolled brush or residential fires, as well as the greater fire risk associated with greenhorns who have just arrived at your retreat working with wood stoves and kerosene lamps!
Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.
2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water volume for firefighting)
Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.
Smoke and CO detectors.

Tactical Living List
Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your local thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical clothing on short notice.
Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available in large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now, stock up so that you can make camouflage ghillie suits post-TEOTWAWKI.
Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)
Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing more outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.
Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.
Mosquito repellent.
Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat, plus a couple of spares. The Wiggy’s brand FTRSS (Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System) made byWiggy's of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended. (See my recently posted review.)
Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house
Subdued flashlights and penlights.
Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts--or perhaps a reader would like to send a brief article on this subject)
Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles (fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush plantings, “decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal and residential), anti-vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter boxes”, razor wire, etc.)
Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat security.
A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient light by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight--albeit a green and fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first developed during the Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”) starlight scopes can cost up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s technology scopes can often be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a piezo-electric generator instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They should not be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are on a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4, with a Gen 2 (or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new or “low hours”, has a high “line pair” count, and minimal scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight gear from a reputable dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers. One dealer that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs STANO Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent blog posts I will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators and tritium sights.
Range cards and sector sketches.
If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps, with your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize map board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary line and current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.) Study and memorize both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a phone number/e-mail list that corresponds to all of the names marked on the map, plus city and county office contact numbers for quick reference and tack it up right next to the map board. Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it up just like a military commander’s map board. (This may sound a bit “over the top”, but remember, you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to know your neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in town, you will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the road between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will be impressed, and you will seem like an instant “old timer.”

Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment, carrying cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets and target frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality (original military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines. Note: Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use, and logistic support will be covered in a forthcoming SurvivalBlog posts. In the interim, read my FAQs.

Communications/Monitoring List
When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from your retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.
If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region, leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any two-way radio communications are secure!)
Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use, security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.

Tools List
Gardening tools.
Auto mechanics tools.
Welding.
Bolt cutters--the indispensable “universal key.”
Woodworking tools.
Gunsmithing tools.
Emphasis on hand powered tools.
Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.
Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).
Sundries List:
Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you might need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various gauges, duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts, weather stripping, abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.

Book/Reference List
You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf page. For some, you will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla Emery’s Encyclopedia of Country Living. This is because these books are so valuable and indispensable that you won’t want to risk lending out your only copy.

Barter and Charity List
For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable, and either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on the items that other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply. Some of my favorites are ammunition. Jeff Cooper refers to it as “ballistic wampum.” WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver. Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get plenty of .22 LR (most high velocity hollow points) plus at least ten boxes of the local favorite deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own a rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop about their top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the local police department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if you don’t own a pistol chambered for this cartridge.
Ladies supplies.
Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)
(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)
Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available after a collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)
Gas stabilizer.
Diesel antibacterial additive.
50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).
1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.
Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting "dry bags").
Thermal socks.
Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)
Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters, magazine pouches, et cetera.)
Pre-1965 silver dimes.
1-gallon cans of kerosene.
Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.
Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.
Spools of monofilament fishing line.
Rolls of 10 mil "Visqueen", sheet plastic (for replacing windows, isolating airspaces for nuke scenarios, etc.)
I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I've corresponded, who recommended the following:
Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)
Playing cards.
Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)
Rope & string.
Sewing supplies.
Candle wax and wicking.
Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that you might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair, locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business (preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.
Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.
Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel Patriots for lengthy lists of potential barter items. I will have lots more on barter in a forthcoming blog posts. (BTW, I would greatly appreciate your suggestions via e-mail to add to the preceding list!)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

“Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food and clothing and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food-free" - Thomas S. Monson, "That Noble Gift--Love at Home," [LDS] Church News, 12 May 2001, 7).

Saturday, September 3, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina)

Next, a letter from our regular correspondents, "John and Abigail Adams" in Ohio:

It looks like we will be seeing some relief in regards to gasoline and diesel supply and prices in the very near future. Crude oil is now being shipped into Ohio and the refineries are producing product once again! Supply is opening up and prices are dropping! Some stations in our area have run dry, but they should be re-supplied shortly. Our cost on 87 octane is currently at $3.41 per gallon, it will drop around 23 cents per gallon this evening. Hopefully nothing else will take a swing at us, if not we should be looking at normal prices and supply within a week or two.

Also the federal government has made steps to easy supply on diesel fuel. See the following message that I received this afternoon.

IRS WAIVES DIESEL FUEL PENALTY DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA: The Internal Revenue Service, in response to shortages of clear diesel fuel caused by Hurricane Katrina, will not impose a tax penalty when dyed diesel fuel is sold for use or used on the highway. This relief applies beginning August 25, 2005, in Florida, August 30, 2005, in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and August 31, 2005, in the rest of the United States, and will remain in effect through September 15, 2005. This penalty relief is available to any person that sells or uses dyed fuel for highway use.

Many states have been rationing diesel to truckers on the interstates, hopefully this too will pass shortly! Things are looking up. - John & Abigail Adams.

JWR Adds: Isn't that just like a Federal bureaucracy to formulate differing dates for the suspension of the tax penalty. Oh well, at least it is some goods news for a change!

On Retreat Selection: (SAs: Relocation, Retreat Selection)

Deciding exactly where to relocate is not an exact science. You can gauge the potential threat and plan accordingly. But you can never be sure what will happen and where you will truly be safe. But you can sleep well, knowing that at least your percentage chances will be higher if you make the move.

There is an apocryphal story about a man who was living in Virginia in the late 1850s. He could see the U.S. Civil War brewing, and he wanted no part of it. He realized that his native Virginia was likely to be heavily contested territory, so he set about finding the safest place possible where he could shelter his family during the coming war. After much searching and deliberation he finally found a peaceful place that was far, far away from where the anticipated the battles would occur. He moved his family up to Pennsylvania--a little farming town called Gettysburg.

Basic Criteria
Once you have selected a potential region to concentrate on, select an experienced local real estate agent. Odds are that you won’t be able to find one that specializes in retreat properties. So it may take a while and a few false starts before your agent starts showing you the right type of properties. The following is a basic criteria list that you can give a real estate agent. (Tailor to suit your particular needs):

My personal preference is to select a retreat in a mixed farming/ranching/timber region in low-humidity western state, preferably in the inland northwest. I generally discourage folks from living in coastal regions for health reasons, risk of tidal waves or hurricanes, oil tanker mishaps, visits by foreign terrorists, and the outside chance of dramatically rising or falling sea levels in the event of a climate shift. I also discourage relocating to anywhere within 150 miles of the Mexican border. (Note: I'm not a racist--just a realist. The crime rate is higher near the border, and in the event of civil war in Mexico or any number of variations on TEOTWAWKI there could be a huge influx of illegal immigrants.)

Family Ties as a Factor in Retreat Selection (SA: Relocation, Retreat Selection)

Consider giving priority to a rural region where you have deep family roots. Even if you have just a few scattered relations in the area, if your surname is familiar then you will have the instant cachet of an “old timer“ in the eyes of most locals. So if you have relatives living in a rural area in any of my “Top 19” western states (you can refer to my posts about these states next week), then you might start your search there. That is something that would otherwise take a decade or more. To enhance these familial ties, get busy researching your genealogy and how you are related by blood and marriage to other local families. Share that information widely, and you will build extremely valuable bonds that will be remembered when The Crunch comes.

From David in Israel on Selecting Storage Foods (SAs: Food Storage, Disaster Preparedness)

I have been searching through our tiny food storage auditing its contents. We have been slowly adding to the contents since we moved but it still is enough for only about two weeks. Since we eat what we store it is much more mixed than the econo basic mix of:

The price tag for my laying in a supply of all of the above was $200-300 when I bought in the USA, years ago. The items on this list are fine if you are going to go buy a year supply today for emergencies while you are building a proper food larder, they are also perfect for helping out neighbors in need. Red wheat properly packed in sealed oxygen free containers lasts longer, retains more nutrition, and is able to be sprouted for part of it's useful life. A good grinder is among the top items to buy for your family, cheap grinders are on the market but the burrs and parts will not survive the year you are expecting to survive off of your reserves. The highly touted Country Living grain mill [hand powered/convertible to electric] is over $300 that is a months rent for me! I have a Back to Basics mill which seems to be the lowest rated on the market.

The other end of the spectrum of survivalist buys several pallets of MREs to live off of, price tag over ten thousand dollars for just 3 people. The payoff to MREs is that after a day of exhausting work drop a few packets into boiling water or a MRE heater and you have dinner, throw everything away and get some sleep.

We have decided to take the middle road. Prepared canned food that can be eaten with a spoon is cheap storable and can be included into our weekly food rotation. If there is a family in need we can give freely without having the weirdness of handing out military grade goodies. Packing away olives, corn, crackers, Graham crackers [aka digestive biscuits, for those of you in the British Commonwealth], peanut butter, tomato sauce, pasta, you get the idea now--stuff you eat every day but rely on your own just in time delivery system. If you have successfully stored an item for too long [without eating any of it] cross it off the list, you are unlikely to eat it unless starvation sets in and unwelcome food is a good way to destroy morale during hard times. Rotate and consume your food stores, but keep track of popular foods and boost their quantities in your pantry.

From David in Israel on Sanitation (SAs: Hygiene, Sanitation, Disaster Preparedness)

The sanitation problem may be one of the worst aspects of the tragedy in New Orleans. Polluted water is full of parasites which once ingested inhabit the digestive tract causing dysentery or even cross over into other organ systems. In a flooded world people are dying of dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhea. The best way to combat bad water is with a large gravity filtration system like the Big Berkey [British Berkefeld ceramic water filter, in a stainless steel housing, made in England] or its plastic cousin filter for a whole family with little effort. Hand filters are good for camping but require a person to spend time every day at the water collection point pumping for all of the days water needs, in an emergency especially when food is restricted plans to eliminate extra exertion must be put into place.

Clean water is not just for drinking but also for food preparation washing of hands and face and washing surfaces and vessels which contact food. If you fear that there are larger parasites such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium. Longer treatment periods are required to kill these parasites. Often, if infected, the treatment for these parasites is Flagyl aka Metronidazole. Speak to your doctor about a prescription for Metronidazole.

Sodium hypochlorite--better known as household bleach--can be used for the following purposes: A 1 in 5 dilution of household bleach with water (1 part bleach to 4 parts water) is effective against many bacteria and some viruses, and is often the disinfectant of choice in cleaning surfaces in hospitals. The solution is corrosive, and needs to be thoroughly removed afterward, so the bleach disinfection is sometimes followed by an ethanol disinfection.

For shock chlorination of wells or water systems, a 2% solution of household bleach is used. For larger systems, HTH is more practical because lower rates can be used. The alkalinity of the sodium hypochlorite solution also causes the precipitation of minerals such as calcium carbonate (lime), so that the shock chlorination is often accompanied by a clogging effect. The precipitate also preserves bacteria, making this practice somewhat less effective. Sodium hypochlorite has been used for the disinfection of drinking water, at a concentration equivalent to about 1 liter of household bleach per 4000 liters of water is used. The exact amount required depends on the water chemistry, temperature, contact time, and presence or absence of sediment. In large-scale applications, residual chlorine is measured to titrate the proper dosing rate. For emergency disinfection, the U.S. EPA recommends the use of 2 drops of 5%ac household bleach per quart of water. [JWR Adds: Be sure to stock up on PLAIN household bleach. Check the label before you buy! The only ingredients should be sodium hypochlorite and water. Formulations with scents added or any other ingredients are probably toxic.]

If infected with intestinal parasites the treatment is Flagyl (aka Metronidazole) Speak to your doctor about a prescription for Metronidazole or the other meds mentioned in the Wikipedia articles.

Letter Re: Best Grain Grinder on a Budget? (SA: Survival Tools, Food Preparation)

James,
A request for your comment on best hand powered grain grinder for us poor folks. The Back to Basics? The Corona? (The Country Living is $350!) - D.J.

JWR Replies: A hand grain grinder is an important tool to have on hand. They are essential for grinding corn and wheat, which are of course indigestible unless ground. (Soaking wheat in water overnight to make "wheat berries" will suffice, but flour is what you'll need for most recipes.) If you can possibly afford one, buy a Country Living mill. They work well hand powered, and they are also set up to take a V-Belt so that they can be converted to be powered by an electric motor or even from a bicycle frame for someone that has mechanical skills. They are available new from Ready Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. You might look for used ones on eBay. They don't come up for auction in used condition very often, but you might be fortunate enough to get one for under $250.

For someone on on a tight budget, the Corona is probably the best bet. They are not designed for a lifetime of use, but they will do the job. You can occasionally find them at thrift stores in the western United States. Otherwise, new, they are typically around $75. For those of you Down Under, these are also available in Oz.

Jim's Quote of the Day:

“God gives all me all earth to love,
but since man’s heart is small,
ordains for each one spot shall prove,
beloved over all.” - Rudyard Kipling

Friday, September 2, 2005

Note from JWR: I'm amazed that in just the blog's first 28 days we've had 23,500+ unique visits and over half a million page hits! Thank you, folks! Please continue to spread the word about SurvivalBlog.com. When your friends, neighbors, and co-workers bring up the subject of Hurricane Katrina and its after-effects, please mention SurvivalBlog to them. Hopefully, reading this blog will get them motivated toward some concrete preparedness and substantive charity.

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina)

I'm sorry that I can no longer send many personal replies to your emails. I hope that you understand that I have to concentrate my effort and make the best use of my time. I'll try to primarily cover the aspects of Hurricane Katrina that are getting overlooked by the MSM.

JWR Adds: A simply amazing blog. Talk about "first person" reporting! Follow the photo link URLs. Its like looking at news footage of Beirut in the 1980s...

Just spoke to my father who is a driver out of Birmingham, Alabama. He is gassed up and ready to get to South Georgia to a small town of Thomasville to pick up ice. They are making and bagging around the clock. He will caravan with five other trucks to Meridian, MS where the Army is staging 200+ semi’s at the state fairgrounds. They have set up a secure temporary truck stop with showers and three squares-a-day.

They must wait to be deployed with full armed escort vehicles to deliver to disaster zone. There is no diesel fuel from Mile Marker 50 at near Atmore, Alabama until you get to East Texas. Ice and water are being brought in from Missouri, Arkansas and as far away as Illinois.

The only access to NawLens is from the West-Zero access from all other sides.

Big Decisions--Weighing the Risks and Benefits (SAs: Relocation, Retreat Location Selection, and Survival Mindset)

When doing radio interviews or giving lectures, I'm often asked where the "perfect" place is for a survival retreat. The short answer is: There is none. Granted, there are a lot of places that are much better than others, but there is no single "one size fits all" perfect place. Like buying a pair of boots, the decision has as much to do with the size and shape of the foot as it does the maker of the boots. Everyone has their personal needs and expectations. Some people prefer dry climates while others can't stand them. Some folks like the feeling of privacy provided by a wall of trees where others would feel claustrophobic. Some need the stimulation of exposure to the arts, while others could care less. And some have good health, while others need to live close to medical specialists.

Even more importantly, before deciding where you might move, you have to weigh the Risks and Benefits of moving at all. From an actuarial standpoint, you might have nearly as good a chance of living to a ripe old age if you stay in the suburbs. It all depends on your personal "worst case scenario". If your worst case is an economic depression similar to that of the 1930s--with a relatively intact infrastructure--then you might conclude that there is no need to relocate. (You can just "stock up" and stay put where you are.) But if your worst case is a full scale whammy--such as a terrorism campaign that levels cities and/or causes a long term grid-down societal collapse, then you will probably want to move to a remote, lightly populated farming region with plentiful water. I'm not in the business of making scenario-based decisions for people. Those decisions are up to you, as an individual. Once you decide that you definitely want to move, then, yes, I certainly have some good suggestions on potential locales for you.

Lastly, as a Christian, I believe that any major decision should be preceded by prayer. Seek God's providence for your life. You can only do that if you have repented of you sin and have begun a Christian walk. In deference to the nature of this forum and the wide range of views held by my readers, I won't go into great detail about this. But you know where I stand.

From The Memsahib: On Being a Modern Homesteader (SAs: Survival Mindset, Practical Skills)

You may have concluded by now that while my husband is a "guns and groceries" style survivalist, I can more accurately be called a homesteader. A modern homesteader is a person who tries to live self-reliantly on their own land. Our satisfaction and peace of mind come from growing our own food, heating with our own fuel, and even knowing how to make our own clothes if necessary! Happily survivalism and homesteading dovetail nicely.

My homesteading mindset was developed early in my childhood as I listened to parents and grandparents talk about living through the Great Depression. My father’s parents were town people. His Dad soon lost his job at the newspaper. They had meager savings. My father said after that they ate potatoes--just potatoes. At harvest time each year they found a bit of work picking fruit. Then they ate whatever fruit they were picking, and only that fruit. Then it was back to potatoes again. And forget about money for new clothes, or gas for the car, or doctor's bills, or anything else.

Meanwhile, my maternal Grandpa worked in town as a machinist, but they always lived out in the country on a small farm. Grandpa cultivated a large garden and orchard, had a few milk cows, raised a couple of hogs, and Grandma raised 100 chicks every year to sell as fryers. My mother’s father lost his job during the Depression too. But they had fresh milk and butter from their cows, eggs, chicken, and beef and pork, fruits and vegetables in season, and lots of canned produce. (Plus my mother’s family still had a small income and a ready source of barter from the farm produce.) It so happened that their house was next to a church on a rural highway. And many times Grandma fed “poor folk” who had come to their house thinking it was the church parsonage. And she could--because of the bounty of their farm!

My Dad had a miserable youth through the Depression. He suffered a profound change in quality of life as they experienced extreme poverty. My Mother on the other hand, did not experience much of a change because her parents were self sufficient on their farm. I intend to emulate my self sufficient grandparents. And with God’s grace, my family will have a good quality of life--no matter what the economy does.

Book Review: How to Find Your Ideal Country Home (SAs: Relocation, Retreat Property Evaluation, Retreat Selection Criteria)

How to Find your Ideal Country Home by Gene GeRue. 1999 Edition, Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-67454.
I had my first look at this book back in 1994, when the author contacted me after having read the draft edition of my novel The Gray Nineties. (Which was then available as shareware.) At the time, Gene GeRue had just come out with his first edition. I was impressed with how thorough he was. His premises were sound, and his research was excellent. Imagine my surprise this year when I found an updated edition. It is even more thorough, and even more detailed!

GeRue systematically details the criteria to look for in a country home. He hits all of the key factors: climate, topography, soil, vegetation, water, demographics, agriculture, services, taxes, land/home prices, and so forth. He includes a lot of fairly detailed maps.

The author also includes a section on analyzing you. This is important and shouldn't be overlooked. It is important to understand your personal needs, expectations, and personality. Some people just aren't cut out for living in the country! The book also delineates between wants, needs and fantasies. Sometimes people have preconceptions that require a "whack upside the head."

This book is not all "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm." There are some great doses of reality--such as finding a job or developing a home-based business before you move to the hinterboonies. He also discusses risks such as flood plains, fire prone regions, prisons, toxic waste, radon gas, incineration, and so on. he also describes the factors in choosing an existing home versus building on bare land.

I highly recommend this book. Referring to the content of GeRue's book as a baseline, you can add the factors that you find important for a true survival retreat. (See my previous blog posts for some suggestions.)

Letter Re: Is Katrina a Harbinger of an Economic 9/11? (SA: Economics, Disaster Preparedness)

Jim:
Not looking good these days. It is chaos down south. Those poor people, may God be with them in their time of need. What is your opinion on the current state of
the union? Gas prices, oil supplies in doubt. Do you think this could be the harbinger of an economic 9/11? I hate to admit it, but I do.

JWR's Reply: Perhaps you might be right. There is the outside chance that this could be "it": You know, The Big One. WTSHTF. Total wipeout. The Day. TEOTWAWKI. The Crunch. But something that drastic would surely take several more dominoes falling first. (Read my August 5/6/7 posts for details on my conception of a full scale TEOTWAWKI sequence of events.)

Something big such as a major earthquake or a major terrorist incident could tip several dominoes all at once. The next likely domino after something like a fuel crisis would be a major jump in interest rates. I think that because of Katrina the Federal Reserve may stop its current cycle of raising interest rates, and could in fact start to nudge them downward. That could keep the housing bubble inflating even longer. (So when it does pop, it will be worse.) Also, consider the home construction and home supply sector (the latter including companies like Home Depot and Lowe's) which had been faltering, may actually benefit from Katrina.

The big imponderable is the drag on the economy caused by the present upward spiral of fuel prices. At the minimum, I think that this could throw us back into a recession. Worst case is that it could cause a depression, exacerbated by the concomitant pop in the housing bubble. (Read: A very painful and a long term economic whammy--perhaps a decade or more.)

Buckle you seat belt. We are in for a roller coaster ride. IMHO the Hurricane Katrina disaster means that the likelihood of a hyperinflationary depression (a la my novel Patriots) has increased. (That would be Uncle Sugar's expedient solution to a dollar crisis. They could just inflate their way out of it and conveniently wipe out the national debt in the process. (Along with everyone's life savings--virtually anything invested in anything denominated in U.S. dollars. That explains why I emphasize investing in tangibles.) But regardless, try to get out of debt, because if things tip into a deflationary depression, it will be even more severe than the 1930s.Being a debtor in the midst of a deflation is a Very Bad Thing (VBT).

Most importantly, pray for God's guidance, providence, and protection. That is our only real hope. Trust in God to put you in the right place at the right time, with the right friends. Blessed assurance is the best insurance of all.

Jim's Quote of the Day:

"My life goes on in endless song
above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
that hails a New Creation. Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
it sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?
While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth it liveth.
And though the darkness 'round me close,
songs in the night it giveth. No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing? When tyrants tremble in their fear
and hear their death knell ringing,
when friends rejoice both far and near
how can I keep from singing? In prison cell and dungeon vile
our thoughts to them are winging,
when friends by shame are undefiled
how can I keep from singing?"

Thursday, September 1, 2005

Notes from JWR: Please continue keep all of the folks in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and surrounding states in your prayers! Please donate generously to your local church relief agency or to the American Red Cross. Charity is our Christian duty!

You can use the current Hurricane Katrina situation to emphasize to your relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers just how fragile our society is. Do your best to convince them that it is prudent to stock up. I'd appreciate it if you could also tell them about SurvivalBlog.

Hurricane Katrina Update (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina)

Things have gone from bad to worse on the Gulf Coast. Here are some tidbits that were phoned to me on Wednesday by a regular SurvivalBlog reader who is currently in close proximity to New Orleans. (He cannot currently send e-mail.):

1.) In New Orleans, looters are shooting at police stations, in one instance with a semi-auto AK-47. The looting is completely out of hand, and spreading.

2.) Jefferson Parish Louisiana Sheriff Harry Lee has issued a "shoot to kill" order.

3.) At the Super Dome (cum Relocation Center) there have been countless armed robberies, suicides, rapes, and three murders in the past 72 hours. Conditions are intolerable there (with no running water and no sanitation, so it has been ordered evacuated. Several thousand Super Dome evacuees are being bussed/trucked to the Houston Astro Dome. At least the electricity is working there...

4.) The level of the 13th Street has now essentially equalized with Lake Ponchartrain. Huge 7,000 pound sand bags are being lowered from Chinook helicopters into the levee breaches, but no success yet.

5.) New Orleans residents are caravanning in large numbers to Baton Rogue, and are now putting a tremendous stress on that city.

6.) A local radio reporter that was airlifted to safety from a badly flooded region reported that he saw "hundreds of bodies" floating the water when his helicopter was en route.

7.) Locals in have cleared the roads of fallen trees in many areas around New Orleans (using chainsaws), but no normal commerce has resumed.

Letter from B.D.B. in Baton Rouge (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina)

Well, I was lucky enough to be outside the edge of Katrina’s rampage here in Baton Rouge. I can attest that is was no picnic here and the devastation is widespread and intense.

Beginning on Sunday morning refugees came pouring into town fleeing New Orleans and by mid-day traffic westbound on I-10 was crawling. People were swarming the stores buying supplies and fuel. Gasoline disappeared very quickly but diesel fuel seemed readily available (no surprise there.) Many people were buying useless supplies though, things such as dairy products, meats, vegetables, and such. There was a distinct tension and sense of near panic in the shopping centers in this area. As the day progressed, the clouds started picking up and the wind began blowing, and refugees clogged the major roadways. Many of them had no plan of action; they were just driving west away from the storm but had no plans on where they would go or stay. Many of them had no clue that there were other roads besides the interstate or other major highways.

As of today, there are at least 100,000 refugees in shelters here in Baton Rouge, and probably that many staying with friends and family here in town. There are refugees in every other southern city within driving distance of the coast. Anywhere within say 300 miles of the affected area will have large numbers of refugees--some with with nothing but the clothes on their backs--and nothing to return home to. We have power and water here, but communications channels are choked. Fuel is in short supply but holding out. There is a definite tension in the air, and it’s going to happen soon…refugees will get frustrated and hungry to the point that they may riot or begin looting. There is widespread looting and lawlessness in affected areas of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Looters are firing on the police, police officers trying to help them are getting hit, helicopters and planes are coming under small arms fire. Areas of New Orleans are now under martial law and I’m fully expecting that case to be expanded to other areas such as Gulfport and Biloxi. This disaster will directly impact not only our local economy, but the economy of the rest of the nation. Oil production is shut down not only offshore, but in the refineries as well; transportation systems are damaged; businesses are under water and their employees are out of a job for an unknown duration; the Ports of New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Mobile are not functional; and the list goes on. If this isn’t a SHTF situation, I don’t know what is.

From John & Abigail Adams in Ohio (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina)

Here is a quick update on the gasoline and diesel fuel supply situation in Ohio. As I write this there are 15 oil refineries down in the US, either from storm damage or
lack of power. There are 3 pipelines down due to lack of power, limiting the flow of crude oil to the north. One refinery in Canton, Ohio, our main supplier of gasoline and diesel fuel in this area, has been closed since Monday, because there was no crude oil to refine.

Abigail and I work for a company that is a bulk supplier of gasoline and diesel fuel. Today (8/31) we are out of "On road" diesel fuel and have feet of "off road" diesel fuel in our tank. I have had several semi loads on order since Tuesday morning, but none have been delivered. We are rationing out the remaining product, as our supplier has no idea when he will be able to deliver us any product. I have contacted other suppliers and received the same answer

The industry “word” is that supply interruptions can be expected to last from one to six weeks. If this continues for more than a few days then stations will be running dry.

Our cost on 87-octane gasoline today is in excess of $3.00 per gallon. I do not want to raise a panic here; however I think your readers should be making whatever arrangements they can to get their tanks topped off.

This may not, and should not last very long, and I certainly hope not, but one thing is for certain…for now the fertilizer has struck the ventilation system.

As always if there are any questions feel free to send them our way. - John & Abigail Adams.

Letter From B.H. in Spokane (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina)

I'm a big fan--I have read your novel (Patriots) several times and consider it vital to every home library. I have extensive family in the south. I gave a copy of your book to my cousin T. in Pensacola. They have weathered the last two hurricanes and have come out on the financial up side-they specialize in commercial garage doors. They’ve made a killing after each storm. They have several generators and months of MRE’s for employees, family and neighbors. They used swimming pool water to flush toilets after Ivan.

I also have two cousins in central Mississippi. No word yet but they are both armed well and quite survival minded. One manages a Wal-Mart Supercenter-if it’s still there and stocked. I’ll get some intel on central Mississippi later today.

My father is in Birmingham and they are running out of diesel fuel. He is a long haul driver who has been summoned to Huntsville, Alabama because their power is down and a large food distribution center is out. They need him to get there ASAP so they can transfer frozen food to Nashville before it thaws and spoils. Power is out intermittently over most of Alabama and parts of North Georgia. Cell phones are also sporadic.

We have cousins in Louisiana who have evacuated to Kalifornia to be with family. One cousin is a school counselor-word is no school until after Thanksgiving, if they are lucky. One cousin returned home to Eastern Louisiana and the flood waters had receded but their Acura was gone-floated away. My great aunt’s small town is still under water-a total loss.

Just spoke to my cousin in Madison, Mississippi. Power is back on and phones are down. Cell phone on but some towers are down. Things getting back to normal pretty quickly- he called me from work. Most of the damage is downed trees and every ‘good ol boy’ with a chain saw got busy as soon as the storm passed. But the coast line is a completely different story. No access or economy for months.

As if you needed any more proof what you wrote in Patriots is correct, consider these snippets from Fox News:

Letter Re: The Texas City, Texas Port Explosion in 1947 (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Emerging Threats)

Hi,
I have read you blog for a couple of weeks now. Since shortly after you started it, I believe. In any case I do enjoy it. I noticed that you listed some Natural gas explosions from the past. There was a large explosion of another sort in 1947 in Texas City, Texas. It was caused by a fire on a ship filled with Ammonium Nitrate fertilizer. It killed almost 600 people and pretty much leveled the town. It is an interesting story and shows just how devastating even accidents can be, let alone deliberate acts!

Thanks for keeping us all on our toes. - T.P

Letter From G.G. In Mississippi (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina)

The Mississippi Militia just went to Defcon 2. I am from the devastated area in South Mississippi. I am E&Eing back there tomorrow to the house. I have been preaching and preaching about TSHTF scenarios and using your book as the guide.

The real story has not been told. Hancock County still has not been surveyed and bodies are in trees. This will surpass 9/11 in death toll. Pray and prepare. We will keep up the good fight. Pray for us! - G.G.

Letter From The Army Aviator Re: Polar Pure (Iodine Crystals) Water Purification Bottles (SA: Water Storage and Treatment)

I checked and REI was cheapest @ $10.50 ea. Called my local REI and they had none, but they checked and found that they had 244 in their one and only distribution center. They quoted two weeks for delivery. I ordered my six. But assuming perhaps 2 in stock at each store [JWR adds: Unlikely, given recent events] that's less than 500 available nationwide. That's less than 1 for every 12 SurvivalBlog readers... I wonder which future ransacked city their distribution center is in? Hope it wasn't New Orleans. Kind of unsettling how some things are really pretty scarce already.

Oh, I also have a Product Report: The MSR Chlorine Maker is GREAT as long as you have 6 VDC or a good supply of 3 volt lithium batteries. It came to mind while thinking of "Mr. Coffee" in Costa Rica. The MSR MIOX Water Purifier

Still the "old reliable" is what I have the most faith in, since I've used one since 1976 and that is: The Katadyn Pocket Filter with Output Hose
Regards, - The Army Aviator

Letter From "F1" Re: A Great Source for Survival and Self-Sufficiency Tools (SA: Survival Tools)

Hi Jim and Memsahib:
Have you ever wished you could go back in time to a hardware store circa the late Forties, early Fifties? Imagine finding almost any style of kerosene or oil lamp including Aladdin (creates 60 watts of light using either kerosene or lamp oil) and the fuel for the lamps sold right in the store! Looking for hand powered tools? There are here! Crosscut saws? Yep, they got them. What about timber framing, logsmithing and wood carving tools? Look no further. Looking for self-sufficient dairy supplies? Come and get them! There are many garden tools to choose from too. Some tools you may never heard of before. Have you planned gas for mowing the lawn at the retreat? Forget it! Use one of those old fashion push mowers, except this one is brand new! Exercise and save fuel at the same time. When I was a kid, I liked to watch the grass fly as I mowed the lawn using one of these babies. Maybe yours will too. They have many other hand tools for lawn care available. Wouldn't be nice to have highly efficient electric washing machines and refrigerators? There are here too. Imagine having an old fashion kitchen fully supplied just like great grandma's. Everything you need to make it happen is here. Looking for wood heating stoves? There are several to choose from. Wondering what toys the children can play with when there is no electricity? Here are some old fashion ones that will bring back memories. Have you thought of a composting toilet? Read about the benefits and you might purchase one. There are about 14 types to choose from including a 1 pint flusher. Wondering which propane stove and or refrigerator to purchase? Check out what the Amish use for possibilities. If you are planning your retreat with antique flare, check out Heartland and Elmira kitchen appliances. They are awesome! There are books on every subject. Some are blacksmithing, canning, herbs used by the Amish, the secrets of starting a homestead or farm and the list goes on and on. If you are looking for something for self-sufficient living, chances are you will find it. No matter where you live it can be shipped right to your door. International orders are a specialty. There are so many items not listed many people plan a stop at the store while vacationing. This is a must check out Web site and store for all interested in self-sufficiency. I have made three trips and I am going back again! A scenic vacation can be planned by traveling the Old Lincoln Highway (US Route 250) to the store. It is in Kidron, Ohio. The store? Lehman's -Products for Simple, Self-Sufficient Living - F1

JWR's Reply: I have been doing business with Lehman's for 20+ years. They have a sterling reputation. They are our kind of people. OBTW, they should be advertising here! (Hint, hint.)

Letter Re: SKS Rifle Advice and 7.62x39 Ballistics (SA: Survival Guns)

Dear James:
I have read in your book and in the blog site that you do not recommend the .223 round for a battle rifle. What do you think about the effectiveness of the 7.62 X 39 cartridge? I own an SKS and would like your opinion on the 7.62 compared to the .223 and also the .308. Also what is your opinion of the SKS as a battle rifle? As always, I appreciate your valued input. - Dr. Sidney Zweibel, Columbia P&S

JWR's Reply: Ballistically, the Soviet 7.62x39 (the standard cartridge for the SKS, AK-47, and clones) is almost identical to .30-30 Winchester. So it is better than .30 Carbine or .223, but not by very much. .308 Winchester is in whole 'nother class, ballistically. I only recommend SKS rifles as an interim rifle for someone that is on a very tight budget. The biggest limitation of the standard SKS is its top-loaded 10 round (stripper clip filled) fixed magazine. If you opt for an SKS then you should take some extra time shopping around to find one of the thumbhole stock models that were imported in the late 1980s--these are the SKS variants that use standard detachable 30 round AK-47 magazines. These are scarce but can sometimes be found (used) for around $225 to $275.

If you can afford a .308--even just a $300 to $400 CETME, then you should forget about getting a SKS or other semi-auto chambered in 7.62x39! remember that .308 Winchester / 7.62 mm NATO is a flat shooting man killer with 500+ meter range. In comparison, 7.62x39 is a barely capable man stopper with a rainbow trajectory and an effective range of only about 250 meters. For anyone that can afford $600 to $2,000 for their MBR, see my previous blog posts about FALs and L1A1s. Those are my preferred tools for serious social work.

Letter Re: MotoMail for Deployed Service Members (SA: Supporting Ours Troops)

Hello sir. My name is John [Surname deleted for OPSEC], and I'm an 0351 in the U.S. Marine Corps. I'm about to deploy with [unit designation deleted for OPSEC] to Ar Ramadi, and I wanted to open a line of communication before going. I read Patriots several years ago, and it truly changed my life. I only recently became aware of your blog, and having a lot of training [going on] and limited access to the Internet I was unable to contact you. However, I do wish to thank you. It introduced me to an entirely new mindset, and has helped shape my plans for the future.

I have a small favor to ask. If you feel it is unreasonable please don't feel bad about refusing. There is a free service called MotoMail that allows emails sent to the troops to be printed in-country and delivered in a sealed, bank type envelope within 24-to-48 hours. I would be greatly obliged if you could send periodic updates of your blog to me in this fashion. I'll have very limited computer usage time over there, and I intend to spend as much of this as humanly possible communicating with my wife. If you could send me your blog I wouldn't be tempted to spend time looking at it. :) The website for this is http://www.motomail.us/ Any letters over 1K words will merely arrive in multiple envelopes.

Thank you again, and I'll be writing you from in-country. - John

Jim's Quote of the Day:

For previous SurvivalBlog posts, see the Archive 1

Current SurvivalBlog posts are on the SurvivalBlog Home Page.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

State By State – Nevada (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Nevada)

The Ghillie Suit--The Ultimate in Camouflage (SAs: Field Gear, Camouflage)

Article on Revised U.S. Nuclear Strike Doctrine (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Military Strategy, Nuclear Threat)

Letter Re: Request for Clarification Regarding Diesel Engine Invulnerability to EMP (SA: Survival Vehicles)

Letter Re: Blood Transfusion Equipment Available (SAs: Medical Gear, Emergency Surgery)

Letter Re: Koyaanisqatsi--and Getting Back In Balance (SA: Survival Mindset, Self-Sufficiency)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

State By State – Nebraska (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Nebraska)

VHF Marine Band and Out of Band ("Freeband") CB Radio Modifications (SA: Communications, Disaster Preparedness)

Two Survival Stories from Hurricane Katrina (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Lessons from Katrina)

Letter from "Doug Carlton" Re: Budget Survival Firearms Batteries (SA: Survival Firearms, Night Vision Gear, Training)

Letter Re: Firearms Laws as Criteria for Retreat Location Selection (SAs: Gun Control, Retreat Selection)

Letter Re: "Fugitive Kit" Alternatives to G.O.O.D. Kits (SA: Field Gear, G.O.O.D. Kits, Disaster Planning)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

State By State – Montana (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Montana)

Letter Re: HK-91 Magazines for CETME Rifles (SA: Survival Guns)

Letter Re: Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt (SAs: Survival Psychology, Faith)

Letter Re: Leatherman and Craftsman Pocket Tools (SA: Survival Tools)

Letter Re: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina (SA: Disaster Preparedness)

Letter Re: Survival Battery on a Budget (SA: Survival Guns)

Letter Re: Diesel "Rustling" in California's Central Valley (SAs: Fuel Storage, Retreat Security)

Letter Re: Request for Clarification Regarding Diesel Engine Invulnerability to EMP (SA: Survival Vehicles)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Monday, September 12, 2005

State By State – Louisiana (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Louisiana)

Zimbabwe's Tragedy Continues (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, International Politics, Economics)

From David in Israel Re: Survival Psychology and Stress Reduction (SA: Survival Psychology)

Letter Re: Leatherman Wave Pocket Tools (SA: Survival Tools)

Letter Re: Feral Dogs, Pre- and Post-TEOTWAWKI (SAs: Retreat Livestock, Emerging Threats, Disaster Preparedness)

Letter Re: Concealable Handguns (SA: Survival Guns, CCW)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Sunday, September 11, 2005

State By State – Kansas (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Kansas)

A "Must Read" Piece on Gun Confiscation in New Orleans (SA: Disaster Preparedness, Gun Control)

Letter Re: Knife Selection (SA: Survival Tools)

Letter Re: G.O.O.D. Gear (SAs: Survival Gear, Disaster Preparedness)

Letter Re: G.O.O.D. Gear List (SAs: Survival Gear, Disaster Preparedness)

Letter Re: Veterinary Antibiotics (SAs: Survival Medicine, Biological Warfare)

Three Letters Re: California's Retreat Potential (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, California)

Letter Re: Blood Transfusion Equipment Available (SAs: Medical Gear, Emergency Surgery)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Be Ready for the September 11th Anniversary (SAs: Emerging Threats, Disaster Preparedness, EMP Protection)

State By State – Idaho (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Idaho)

Letter from John Adams Re: Foraging (SAs: Foraging, Gardening)

Letter Re: Blood Transfusion Equipment Available (SAs: Medical Gear, Emergency Surgery)

Letter Re: Silver Coinage and Ammunition for Barter (SAs: Ammunition Storage, Barter, Contrarian Investing)

Letter Re: Relocating to Arizona (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Arizona)

Reader M.H. Forwarded This Letter To Dealers From SIGArms (USA) (SAs: Survival Guns, Disaster Preparedness)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Friday, September 9, 2005

State By State – Colorado (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Colorado)

Letter From "Buckshot" Bruce Re: Feral Dogs, Post-TEOTWAWKI (SAs: Retreat Livestock, Emerging Threats, Disaster Preparedness)

Letter from The Army Aviator Re: Katadyn Versus Berkefeld Filters (SAs: Water Purification, Disaster Preparedness)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Thursday, September 8, 2005

State By State – California (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, California)

Letter Re: Missouri's Retreat Potential (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics)

Letter Re: Large Volume Liquid Fuel Storage (SAs: Fuel Storage, Privacy)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, Disaster Preparedness)

State By State – Arkansas (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Arkansas)

Letter Re: U.S. Population Density, Nuclear Reactors, and Primitive Skills (SAs: Disaster Preparedness, Relocation, Wilderness Survival, Primitive Skills)

Letter Re: Product Review of Rite in The Rain Waterproof Paper

Letter From The Goat Lady Re: Free Survival Medicine Reference

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Update: (SAs: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, Disaster Preparedness)

State By State – Introduction (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics)

State By State – Arizona (SAs: Retreat Selection, Relocation, Demographics, Arizona)

#1 Son's Product Review: "Rite in the Rain" All Weather Writing Paper (SA: Field Gear)

Letter Re: Staying Put Or Bugging Out? (SA: Disaster Preparedness, Survival Mindset)

Letter Re: Lessons from Katrina (SA: Disaster Relief, Lessons from Katrina, Disaster Preparedness)

Jim's Quote of the Day:

Monday, September 5, 2005