SHTFblog.com - are YOU ready?

This blog has helped pass the short days of winter, but now the days are longer, and there is extensive yard and gardening work calling my name. This is on top of children pulling at my pant legs every time I sit down to blog.

My preparedness efforts are best spent this time of year in the yard building the base for food production, insulating the house, building a pantry, etc. I have spent about the last 6 months helping spread the preparedness word. Now I must focus on my own efforts.

For this reason posts will be very sporadic during the summer months. Rather than check back every now and then for a post, if you want to read them when they arrive, sign up for the e-mail subscription. No worries, I don’t spam, and neither does Betty.

Thanks for everyone’s support the past 6 months. There is a good chance I’ll kick things back up full-on in the Fall, so stay tuned. You know, unless someone wants to buy the whole blog from me.

- Ranger Man

BTW: If this is your first time here, and you’re looking for some survival blogging action, check out these regularly updated blogs:

Frugal Survivalism - Bison Survival Blog

Survival Blog

Total Survivalist Libertarian Rant Fest

Suburban Prepper

Urban Survivalist

Kaiser Von Texas

Before I begin today’s post, a few of you e-mailed me about my recent non-post Saturdays to say how Saturday’s just aren’t the same without a post, about how you wander about the day lost and looking for direction thirsting for your daily SHTFblog doom, love, and gloom . . . okay, so only one of you mentioned it . . . and it wasn’t quite that dramatic, but Ranger Man is here to say - “I hear you!” You’re soooo gonna get a sweet treat tomorrow.

****************

The post gets dedicated to my SHTF homie “Bert” who used to argue with me alllll the time over whether to pack a tarp while hiking or not. He was, and still is, a big tarp advocate, always ranting and raving at me, because I thought leaving the tarp at home in favor of less weight in the pack was the best idea, particularly when we often slept in shelters that were positioned to stay out of the wind and rain. It also goes out to some of my college homies who formed a group called “the tarpers” whose sole mission was to go into the woods off campus at night, in the winter, with a tarp to sit on, and use intoxicants - lol - “the tarpers.”

Tarps! You got ‘em? Get ‘em.

At Ranger Man’s keep I keep a whole plethora of tarps. I’m not sure how many I actually bought, but very few, maybe none of the tarps I have now. For whatever reason, tarps are one of those items that just seem to come free. Someone lends you one and they don’t want it back, you find one here or there, you get one at the dump, or they just appear over time. Learn to love them. Lay on them, curl up in them, rub them - LOVE them. I use them for a multitude of purposes including:

• covering the tops of wood piles to promote drying
• making tents for the kiddos
• placing under the floor of “real” tents to help prevent soggy wet tent floor action
• as a drop cloth for painting
• to hold construction debris like plaster

I also have a tarp in the trunk of each vehicle for the “just in case” car equipment. This is a particularly great place to keep a tarp. Come TEOTWAWKI time your tarp could become even more critical. Think of how you could use the tarp then:

• provide shade for cool weather crops
• packed in your bug-out-bag if you’re making a long journey by foot
• used as a makeshift “shelter” for your SHTF homie remotely positioned as a sentry
• covering lots and lots of firewood
• constructing rapid shelter for the farm animals you suddenly found yourself keeping
• cover your roof if you sprung an unexpected leak

I’m sure there are many uses I’m not thinking of. Their biggest advantage is they’re versatile. It seems like the most common color is blue, but I also have a green tarp and a camouflage tarp. Brown would also be sweet. If you need further convincing, just read the totally depressing TEOTWAWKI book The Road and you’ll see how a tarp can mean all the difference between life and death.

There is a big disadvantage to tarps, though. They’re not breathable. I remember reading a case a number of years ago about a few kids that went hiking on Mount Washington. They camped at the base of the mountain somewhere near the parking lot. It was during wintry months, and it started to rain - freezing rain. The dudes decided to cover themselves with a tarp to stay dry in their sleeping bags. BAD IDEA. The freezing rain froze the tarp the ground. The dudes died inside, probably in their sleep. Imagine being pinned under a tarp. That’d suck! Here is a link to a similar story, only the tarp let go, and froze to the ground with their goat underneath.

Ending on a more positive note, here is a great link on “Tarp Camping 101″ which details how to build sweet tarp tents.

- Ranger Man

BTW: The entire world is now complaining about the high costs of food, particularly 3rd world countries complaining about the cost of rice. But you, the SHTF good Samaritan, you can send these people FREE rice. Free to you, free to them, AND you get the added benefit of flexing your SHTF mind muscle in the process. The equation goes something like this: flex brain muscle around word definitions + get correct answers = send free rice.

It’s as easy as www.freerice.com. The more questions you answer correctly, the harder it gets. They have a warning on the site that the game may make you smarter, improve job performance and such, so be careful.

So you want to paint your rifle camouflage. I painted mine 2 years ago and this is how I did it. The information in this post could also apply to equipment you may want to paint. Chances are high you’ll have paint left over anyway.

The idea to paint my rifle came from a local gun dealer. The rifle in question is a bolt-action Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in .308 caliber. It’s all stainless steal with a black synthetic stock. I hump the woods with this thing, so I wanted stainless and synthetic. I’ve had bad luck hunting shitty weather with a blued rifle, and I’m always cautious about banging up the wood stock.

On the rifle I mounted a Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8 x 36mm scope. The scope matched the stainless barrel. I took it to a local store for scope rings. The dude looked at it and said, “Dude, why don’t you paint that thing?” I admit, it looked space-age like. Hey, here it is before I painted it:

And look - deer meat!

To read more about those sexy boots click here.

The guy then goes into the back and brings out a rifle that he painted. It was camo - sort of. It was a rough job, let’s just put it that way. But it was functional in the attract less attention department. This set about my desire to eliminate the beacon of light reflecting off the shiny gray whenever the sun shone down. At first I was reluctant to painting it, so I thought I’d go temporary with some sort of camo tape, but then I figured it’d just collect moisture under the tape and the tape would become slippery in the hands when wet. It was then my thought that I’d send the rifle to a professional and have the rifle painted entirely in Real Tree. I eventually found a place, but the prices were totally outrageous, plus the shipping, and every part you added on bumped up the price big time. Screw that.

So I set about searching the web endlessly for good information on painting it. There was no perfect page, so I blended the information from many and used the following approach. Leaf, twig, and grass stencils are readily available if you don’t want digital camo, but it was my view that digital would look the best. Let’s roll!

To replicate my approach you need the pictured paints:

From left to right is 220 grit fine sand paper, Dupli-Color “Adhesion Promoter”, Krylon 1318 All Purpose Primer Gray, Krylon 8141 Khaki Ultra-Flat, Krylon 8142 Brown Ultra-Flat, Krylon 8143 Olive Drab Ultra-Flat, Krylon 8140 Black Ultra-Flat, and Krylon 8149 Light Gray “Special Purpose” Camouflage. It was a little tricky assembling them all. If I remember correctly the 4 cans of Ultra-Flat came as a package purchased somewhere online. The Adhesion Promoter and Primer I purchased at a local auto parts store. The Krylon special purpose light gray I ordered as an individual can - somewhere online.

In addition to this you’ll need masking tape and stencil material. The stencil material I bought at Wal-Fart. Just go to the back of the store to the craft section where all of the old ladies hang out. Look around and you should find 8.5×11 (or so) flexible plastic sheets of this stuff. I cut digital patterns into the plastic with a razor blade (an Exacto knife would be better).

I took the gun apart, the scope, rings, bolt, trigger guard, stock, etc. I stripped some electrical wire to hang the stock and barrel with. It provided some rigidity, but it was also flexible (plus I had some on hand). I lightly scratched the surface of the stock and the scope with the sand paper. I carefully taped everything I didn’t want painted: internal parts exposed, sling studs, the scope lens (I provided ample safety here and went near the edge of the scope which is later covered by scope covers), wicked cool Browning logo, etc.

Then I applied the adhesion promoter to the stock (helps the paint bond to the plastic). Then came the Krylon primer over everything, a few coats. I decided to use the Khaki as my base and I covered everything in it, the barrel, the stock, the parts.

Mind you I was in no rush to do this, so I did it over the course of a week, giving each layer plenty of time to dry. I just started in with the stencils, alternating colors, bit by bit:

You’ll notice that I used NO black. The military eliminated black in the new camo for a reason - it stands out. I favored light colors. The darkest I went was brown. Note: When I did apply paint to the scope I went exceptionally light where the magnification numbers are. I can still read them fully. Be careful with the scope.

I painted until I was happy with the stencil pattern, but something was still missing. The “digital” lines were too sharp. It didn’t blend as well as I liked, so this is what I did. From about 3 feet back I sprayed a real fine olive drab mist over everything. I let it fall in place very lightly and it made the difference.

Be careful where you set your finished rifle down. I added a camouflage sling. It’s been two years since the paint job. I have a few misc. dings and twig scratches on the paint job, but these actually end up improving the camouflage (I think). After finishing the job I told the Mrs. I wanted to paint our son’s room this way, only with bigger stencils . . . it didn’t fly.

If you see someone in the November woods of Maine with this thing say, “Hey, Ranger Man!” and tell me where the deer are.

Happy painting!

- Ranger Man

BTW: this post was partially inspired by a post Kaiser published. Coming from a guy that totally picked up one of my raging sexy EMP-proof, grid down field manuals, how could I not respond?

See how that works? You buy my crap, I write for you. Amazon beckons; field manuals call your name; the donate button is always present.

What, you’re broke? I hear, just tell your neighbor or co-worker to check the site out, your dog, someone, something, anything, anyone, toss me a bone.

I’m hungry.

*Ranger Man goes to the cupboard - nothing there. He goes to the pantry - nothing there. He walks to town for food only to find a looooong line of people waiting for overpriced rice. They’re rationing what they hand out, and Ranger Man can barely afford the rationed amount. “But I have kids,” Ranger Man says when it’s his turn for food. “So do I,” the man responds. “Me too,” says the woman behind him.*

Good to live in the old U.S. of A. - eh? The above scenario is presently playing out in many parts of the world. Of course, we’re not without our food issues either, but it’s not quite riot level - yet! Here’s an article - U.S. food costs rising at the fastest rate in 17 years!

Yesterday I cited an article that stated part of the reason for higher food costs is the development of biofuels. “E.F.” sent me a link to this news article. It appears that the E.U. is now defending their development of biofuels in the face of food shortages as a way to combat global warming.

Meanhwile Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, head of Nestle, the world’s biggest food and beverage company, last month argued that “to grant enormous subsidies for biofuel production is morally unacceptable and irresponsible”. “There will be nothing left to eat,” he added.

Here comes the U.S. to the rescue! (sorta) Bush is giving an additional $200 million in food aid, drawing the money down from food reserves. Kinda reminds me of the lines in Deadly Harvest where the politicians regret selling food stocks to China, because now they don’t have what they need. Of course, this isn’t the movies . . . right? And other countries are on the verge of instability thanks to food costs and shortages.

“This is the world’s big story,” said Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. “The finance ministers were in shock, almost in panic this weekend,” he told CNN, in a reference to top economic officials who gathered in Washington. “There are riots all over the world in the poor countries … and of course our own poor are feeling it in the United States.”

Also interesting in the article:

“The contrived food vs. fuel debate has reared its ugly head once again,” the Renewable Fuels Association says on its Web site, adding that “numerous statistical analyses have demonstrated that the price of oil — not corn prices or ethanol production — has the greatest impact on consumer food prices because it is integral to virtually every phase of food production, from processing to packaging to transportation.”

But there is an answer being floated by some - the Potato!
Plant it, harvest it, EAT it.

Some are pushing for more potato production read the following from this article:

Potatoes, which are native to Peru, can be grown at almost any elevation or climate: from the barren, frigid slopes of the Andes Mountains to the tropical flatlands of Asia. They require very little water, mature in as little as 50 days, and can yield between two and four times more food per hectare than wheat or rice.

The potato has potential as an antidote to hunger caused by higher food prices, a population that is growing by one billion people each decade, climbing costs for fertilizer and diesel, and more cropland being sown for biofuel production. Though most Americans associate potatoes with the bland Idaho variety, they actually come in some 5,000 types.

Maine is well suited for the mighty potato. We produce a lot of spuds, and they test better than Idaho’s (sorry Rawles).

- Ranger Man

BTW: On the oil subject, the Saudis have made NEW oil finds. Sweet, huh? MORE oil! Not so fast, check the Saudi King’s comments: “I keep no secret from you that when there were some new finds, I told them, ‘no, leave it in the ground, with grace from god, our children need it’,” King Abdullah said in remarks made late on Saturday.

Here is the link. I’m not sure about you, but I find this statement a little worrisome. I mean, I’m glad he’s thinking about future generations and all, but look beyond the comments. WHY is he now be concerned about future generations?

Saudi Arabia has never made public how much oil they actually believe is in their oil fields. I think his comments are a sign that their reserves are dwindling rapidly at today’s consumption rate. Is demand going to slow? Ha! No. Prepare for the post-oil life now.

Lastly, Weaponcraft has opened enrollment for numerous firearms classes scheduled into July. Check the schedule here. Very reasonable rates.

First I introduced you to the new Barton Biggs Book (doesn’t that have a nice ring “Barton Biggs Book”?), and now I present a book review. Okay, well actually I’m just introducing the presenter of the book review, the “Suburban Prepper” who just started a new blog. Take it away - Sub Prep!

Book quotes are in block quote form.

***************

Wealth War and Wisdom – By: Barton M. Biggs, the former chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley.

Your safe haven must be self-sufficient and capable of growing some kind of food… It should be well-stocked with seed, fertilizer, canned food, wine, medicine, clothes, etc. Think Swiss Family Robinson. Even in America and Europe there could be moments of riot and rebellion when law and order temporarily completely breaks down.

My goal for today’s post is not to summarize or review this book. My goal is to tease you with few quotes that pertain to the prepared crowd looking for some insight into preserving wealth.

The single most amazing phenomenon was how the stock markets in various countries appeared to be performing and how they were actually performing after inflation was factored in. It appeared that the markets were enjoying healthy increases and people were getting a good return on their money. But after inflation was considered they were actually loosing purchasing power, sometimes severely. Very applicable to today’s US economy.

The Dutch economy: Food was the Best Currency
Just look at the movie Deadly Harvest where the wealthy software developer was willing to trade all his stock, jewelry and other valuables for food. Food stores are the ultimate survival goal. You can never have too much.

Holland … was a huge net exporter of food stuffs, but the Germans stripped the country of its crops … agricultural inventories were nonexistent and that fall the entire harvest went to Germany. … it is estimated that more than 100,000 Dutch civilians literally starved.”
Dutch equities were higher …However, you couldn’t eat stock certificates, and food was what people had to have to survive. To that extent, stocks didn’t work. Food was the best currency in the latter years of the war.

Band Together (Italy 1944 – 1945):
As the survival blogger, Mr. J. Rawles suggests, families should double up. Here is historical evidence that this may help protect you and your family. Vigilantes will look for easy targets as opposed to resolute survivalists:

There was no law and order, and no respect for personal property. Desperate groups wandered the countryside searching for food and loot. Around Lake Cuomo, families that had some wealth banded together, moved their prized possessions to the most defensible villa in the hills, and stood ready to fight for their lives. It wasn’t worth the bloodshed for the roving bands to storm such resolute groups.

Wealth Preservation only via Real Assets and Gold
Is gold the answer to preserving wealth during a catastrophe?

There were three problems with gold as a disaster hedge during those horrendous years. First, in order to sell some of your gold hoard, you had to find either a real buyer or a black market dealer. Both were dangerous in that in a savage society rife with informers and treachery, anything could happen and you might end up in an alley with a knife in your back on the a cellar with the Gestapo.
Second, with either buyer you had to accept a significant discount from the true value of your gold, but that was just a fact of life in an environment in which there was no open market.
Third, you had to hide your gold…. Every … bank had to report the contents … of all safety deposit boxes. The occupation forces used this knowledge to “borrow” the gold by issuing promissory notes.
The people that got rich … during the war were the black marketers. That was where the serious money was made. These sleazy entrepreneurs were adept at converting their profits into real assets, and they used their black money to buy and hoard gold.

It Can Happen To You Too

Once every couple of generations, an epic event occurs that destroys accumulated wealth. A few countries such as the United States … have been lucky – so far – but in Europe the apocalypse has happened in one form or another on a regular, generational basis. The conventional wisdom has always been that owning property (houses, farmland, timberland) are the best safe haven in the apocalypse. Of course land did not meet the instant liquidity test. In the dead of winter … when your family was starving, it was no consolation to be land rich and food poor.

Hyperinflation

One of the most dangerous scourges of wealth and well-being is hyperinflation. This horribly debilitating economic disease occurs when, for whatever reason, a country prints money, which leads to inflation and then, because of lack of political courage, continues to run the printing presses, and the addictive process spirals out of control.

To Preserve Wealth, Move it Out of the Country

The message for anyone who has either created or inherited big money is don’t flaunt it, and no matter how secure and integrated you feel, always keep an escape hatch open and maintain some substantial wealth outside the country. Just be sure the legal entitlements to that overseas wealth are utterly, incontrovertibly clear.

Overall Mr. Biggs puts together a complex book that has hints of great advice for your average survivalist or preparedness-minded reader. However, I do not recommend it to the average survivalist. If you have significant assets and are worried about global diversification, please seek the advice of a global investment specialist, not a survivalist.

-The Suburban Prepper
www.suburbanprepper.wordpress.com

***************

Of course, if you DO want to check it out, you could, I suppose, always order it - RIGHT HERE! Cool how that works, huh? You order one of the used books for 14 bucks through Amazon, and Ranger Man gets like 84 cents. Yes!

- Ranger Man

BTW: This was posted in the comments on yesterday’s scanner post - “Please do a followup article to this post. Many communities have adopted ‘trunking’ and regular scanners won’t work. I wish I knew more, but I don’t!”

Is there a scanner pro reading this? I see police “trunking scanners” for sale right here.

ATTENTION California readers! According to a new analysis, expect THE BIG ONE in the next 30 years - earthquake that is. Read about it right here. This will spell economic collapse for the rest of us when it happens. Of course, better to be financially broke than dead.

Lastly, here’s a good BBC article on why wheat prices are rising so high. What? Too intellectually drained after reading SHTFblog to go visit another article? *sigh* Let me do the work for you. The reasons ARE: curbs on exports by numerous countries, drought, land for biofuels, growing demand, AND speculation by investors. Sounds like the making of a perfect storm.