I was overwhelmed by more than 80 responses to my recent Seeking Reader Input for "Patriots" Sequels post. I now have more than enough volunteers! (The only subject area where I still need some more input is Belize.) My apologies if I don't send all of you immediate replies. In many cases, I won't be replying with follow-up questions until I'm actively engaged in writing those particular parts of the manuscript. My sincere thanks for your input, folks!

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Today we present the final entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. (BTW, I have some others that recently arrived now in the queue, but those will be considered in Round 23.)

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Introductory Proviso from JWR: The following article is intended for educational purposes only. DO NOT attempt to administer anesthesia without the proper training. There is a very fine line between unconsciousness and death, and this path should be tread only by a trained specialist. This is a very delicate art (and science) that requires advanced training, constant practice, and some advanced monitoring equipment. All vital signs must be closely monitored closely. Even for someone with an "MD" after their name, it is EXCEEDINGLY EASY to mess up, and the consequences of doing so are tremendous. (In short: If you are untrained and inexperienced and try to anesthetize a patient with diethyl ether or chloroform, then the odds are high that you will be more lethal to the patient than the trauma that you are attempting to repair!

Survival medicine requires thought given to pain relief and anesthesia. It is all well and good to have sutures and skin staplers in the SHTF kit, along with instruments for debriding wounds sustained when the nearest doctor is buried under 50 tons of rubble. But how can we do minor surgical procedures without effective anesthesia? If a survival group member sustains a bad fracture, how can we relieve their pain with only aspirin and head off stress ulcers?

We can just put on our hearing protection, give the patient a thick stick to bite down on, and set that bone or debride that wound, while hardening our heart to their cries of agony. This way we save some expense and eliminate the need for several hours of extra intense study by the group's designated medic, and maintain a very low profile. But few would forgo stocking tools which can reduce the suffering of a wounded comrade.

We can, of course, talk our friendly family doctor into writing us prescriptions for local anesthetics, morphine, and for ketamine. The local anesthetics will probably be fairly easy to get obtain if we can show our doctor that we can competently utilize the agents. But the DEA will probably want a word with you and your doctor after you fill those prescriptions for morphine and ketamine both of which are DEA Scheduled drugs.

But what if our doctor is scared of the DEA, and refuses to help your group obtain any of the above agents? You can read this article and find alternative anesthesia and pain relief medications that are either “over the counter” (OTC) or non-Scheduled drugs.

So what can we easily stock for pain control and basic anesthesia? I have some ideas, based on my eighteen years as a chronic pain patient as well as some training as a dental assistant and EMT, including some specialized anesthesia training.

What follows is a simple “anesthesia module” for a group survival medical kit that can be put together with minimal legal difficulties and for modest cost. It will enable the user to deal with acute and chronic pain issues such that the patient can be well cared for. It will also allow one to provide good analgesia/anesthesia when perform basic minor surgery procedures such as wound closure, wound debridement, or bone setting. Even, in extremis, used to facilitate care for a gunshot wound as described in"Patriots" ..

This article will certainly not enable a layperson to become a skilled anesthesiologist. What it will do is point out possible solutions, possible agents and references to learn more about this subject. It will provide a list of agents which will facilitate providing simple anesthetic care to injured group members who require minor surgery or who have sustained significant, painful injuries.

This article will cover basic anesthesia definitions. “OTC” agents, divided into chemicals/meds and herbs, will be covered for both oral and inhaled use. Then a few relatively easy to obtain prescription agents will be described. An annotated bibliography follows the article.
For the purposes of this article, anesthesia is defined as a state in which the patient does not react to surgical activities in a significant physiological way, has amnesia for the procedure, and feels no pain or “touch” sensations during the procedure. Analgesia is defined as a state of reduced to no awareness of the sensation of pain, though awareness of pressure and stretch may remain.

The state of anesthesia is traditionally divided into four Stages. The agents, with few exceptions, described in this article enable putting our wounded comrade into only Stages 1,2, and the 1st Plane of Stage 3. This is fine, as our concern as survivalists will mainly be with performing minor surgery . The 1st level of plane 3 equals light surgical anesthesia; deep enough to enable us to safely and comfortably perform these minor procedures for our injured companion, light enough to avoid significant respiratory or circulatory problems from the agents used.
The first Stage is analgesia and amnesia; it lasts from the start of relative pain relief and drowsiness to the loss of consciousness and loss of the eyelid reflex. The second Stage is excitement, marked by delirium, breath holding, and, likely, regurgitation. The third Stage is surgical anesthesia. It consists of three Planes. We will only be working with the 1st Plane, light surgical anesthesia. Note that at this Plane, our patient may move in response to surgical manipulation and their heart/respiratory rate may change, though they will not have any memory of the procedure. The 3rd Plane is the level needed for major surgery, such as abdominal surgery. The fourth Stage is the time from complete paralysis of the chest muscles until the time of shutdown of the circulation.

Anesthesia requires some basic tools and capabilities. Suction must be available to keep the airway clear, especially if any of the ethers are used. Manual powered units are widely available from such suppliers as Moore Medical. Oxygen is very useful and should be considered along with the masks and tubing necessary. Oxygen can make a great difference in the outcome for patients and is relatively inexpensive, so consider adding an oxygen rig to your group kit.

Masks for administering inhaled agents and simple vaporizers must be bought or locally fabricated. The absolute minimum for patient monitoring is: precordial stethoscope and a BP cuff. Having a pulse oximeter is recommended though the precordial stethoscope will give more “advanced warning” of breathing issues. The oximeter would be most useful when used with an oxygen rig to track improvement in oxygen saturation.

One must be able to recognize developing severe allergic reactions, bronchospasm and other medical emergencies and have the meds and skills necessary to save the day. Study of respiratory and circulatory systems, coupled with a good grasp of the basic principles of pain control and anesthesia will enable the designated medic to use these drugs and equipment to improve the patient's situation, and not generate additional medical problems. Only then can one put together a useful anesthesia kit for Survivalist Field Hospital.

OTC Agents
We start with the classics here. Aspirin, , ibuprofen and naproxyn will see us through most needs for pain control and reduction of inflammation from sprains, tears, or arthritis. All are non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and work very well. For pulled muscles or arthritis pain, we can also add in such roll-on or “smear on” agents as Biofreeze, a very versatile, herb-based agent which works surprisingly well for arthritis pain, or use such venerable creams as Icy Hot or Ben Gay.
A few cautions with these. Avoid giving the patient multiple NSAIDs at the same time as chance of side effects such as bleeding tendencies, slowed blood clotting, and stomach damage increases greatly. Also, beware of using other salicylate-containing meds, such as Ben Gay cream or Pepto-Bismol along with an NSAID as overdose can result easily.

Other OTC pain relievers include Tylenol, which will lower fever and relieve pain. But it will not reduce inflammation . Tylenol is very toxic to the liver and kidneys so it is vital to not exceed the maximum 24 hour dosage. Menthol, applied topically, is useful for relief of the pain . Biofreeze is a good menthol-based product which can currently be obtained from physical therapists, sports medicine clinics and the like.

What if our companion needs a dislocation reduced? How can we ease the process by relaxing muscle spasm? We could use standardized, to 0.8% valerenic acids, valerian root capsules or liquid extract. Valerenic acids are mild sedatives and skeletal muscle relaxants. Valerenic acids will not be anywhere as effective as giving the patient Valium or other benzodiazepines to facilitate the reduction. But valerian root is OTC, while benzodiazepines are Scheduled drugs.
A quick note on alcohol for pain relief and anesthesia. Alcohol provides pain relief in the same way a punch to the jaw can assist one in going to sleep, by deranging the brain's functions. Only in Hollywood can a patient be anesthetized with alcohol for the simple reason that alcohol is a very weak anesthetic such that the anesthesia dose is functionally equivalent to the fatal dose.
All the agents below can cause some nausea so don't forget to include some Benadryl or Dramamine in your medical kit. Either will help reduce the nausea and also provide some sedation for the patient. Dramamine will also help reduce the copious secretions that occur especially with usage of diethyl ethers.

We now get into our OTC anesthetic agents. All three are relatively common chemicals which can be used in simple inhalers, such as drip masks or simple vaporizers. All are general anesthetics which means they can be used to put the patient “completely under”. Note that it is vital to do the necessary study before using any of these agents as there is always the potential for death or serious problems when using general anesthetics. In addition, none of these three agents should be allowed to contact the skin as they can cause bad dermatitis.
There are three “OTC” inhaled anesthetics available that fit our needs; for safety, for efficacy, and for ease of use. Diethyl ether (DEE), is the safest inhaled anesthetic for “lay usage” as it has a very slow onset, with very clearly defined “descent” through the Stages of anesthesia. Divinyl ether, DVE, has a shorter induction time and less incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) than DEE. It is also less irritating to the throat and lungs than diethyl ether. Trilene, TCE (trichloroethylene), provides excellent analgesia at low doses, is non irritating to the airway, and is non flammable . Careful monitoring of anesthesia depth for more extensive procedures is critical with usage of trilene. All three of these agents were widely used up until the 1950s, even the 1960s for trilene and diethyl ether.

These three agents are not equal in capability. Trilene can only be used for such things as debriding wounds, suturing, or tooth extraction as it is a very potent agent that sensitizes the heart to stress . This could result in heart problems if Trilene was used for a long or extensive procedure or the patient was given epinephrine. Trilene provides anesthesia only to Stage 3 Plane 1, light surgical anesthesia, because it cannot be vaporized to a high enough dose for extensive procedures. TCE must not be used with a closed circuit system as it forms phosgene, a war gas, when it contacts soda lime.

It has the great advantage of quick recovery time when only used for short procedures. One surgeon mentioned that his patient was [by observation only] fully recovered 10 minutes after surgery. It was successfully used for wound repair, bone setting (some reports), childbirth (the most common usage), and dental procedures. It is “tailor made” for “self-administered” anesthesia and is associated with less incidence of PONV than with the two ethers.

On the downside; it is a known teratogenic and carcinogenic chemical. It also cannot be used in simple “drip masks” as it doesn't vaporize well below body temperature. But a trilene vaporizer can be made by any handy person with a basic grasp of how carburetors work.
Divinyl ether is only for short procedures, though it does provide good surgical anesthesia (up to 2nd Plane of 3rd Stage), as it is toxic to the kidneys and liver if used for long procedures. Induction doses and recovery time will be a little less with DVE than with DEE.
On the downside; it requires very careful storage, away from light and moisture, or else it will polymerize easily into [literally] a useless lump. DVE is fabulously expensive, up to 30+ fold the cost of the other two agents.

Diethyl ether is usable for procedures of any length, provides excellent analgesia at low doses, muscle relaxation, and anesthesia to 3rd Plane of Stage 3-and beyond if you aren't paying attention! It also improves cardiac efficiency and stimulates breathing so it is useful in the shocky patient. Theoretically it is the ideal anesthetic for our use.
DEE administration does elicit heavy secretions and coughing so it is makes more work for the “survivalist anesthesiologist” and her assistant than Trilene does. It is highly flammable and can cause explosions, so all sources of ignition must be far from the surgery. It must be stored in the dark, with moisture absorbers, and preferably with oxygen absorbers. Recovery times for the patient will be long, over 6 hours. Diethyl ether and Trilene are roughly the same low cost (ca $34/500ml).

Chloroform is not even considered here even though it seems to be an ideal agent for our use at first glance. Sure; it is not flammable, it doesn't induce the heavy secretions and coughing that the ethers above do, and it is a potent agent. But it has serious disadvantages. First, it has a very narrow margin of safety and requires a true expert in anesthesia to use it safely. Second, it strongly sensitizes the heart to stress, so if the anesthesia is too light and the operator starts the incision, the patient could go into nearly instant cardiac arrest--something we will not be able to treat.

Herbs
The herbs described below are widely available in most jurisdictions and can be used for pain relief and the induction of light anesthesia in survival situations. However, they are also “evil” in the eyes of the DEA and the like. Some fools have used these herbs irresponsibly and ruined it for legitimate researchers and survivalists. I strongly encourage those who use these to use them responsibly, otherwise we give our friends at the DEA more targets.

These herbs are psychedelics, some call them hallucinogens or even entheogens. They provide pain relief and [very] light anesthesia by two mechanisms: making all sensory input “equal” so that pain becomes no more important than the fact that the sun is shining and these agents facilitate a disassociative state in which the patient's interpretation of pain or pressure signals can be radically altered by simple measures such as playing music, reading of Bible verses or the like.

Extensive research in the 1950s and 1960s on LSD, for example, found that the drug provided much better [for disassociative] pain relief than morphine, with few, if any, side effects. The few formal studies done on salvia, the second agent below, found that it also offered strong, albeit short-lived pain relief and has the potential to be used as a general anesthetic.
In using these herbs, one must pay special attention to two vital factors; set and setting. Set refers to the state and focus of the patient's mind; a relaxed patient who is focused on positive thoughts will be unlikely to experience an anxiety attack whether given one of these herbs, ketamine, or morphine. Setting refers to how pleasant, or at least non-chaotic the treatment or convalescence area is. Operating in a quiet, clean room will help allay patient anxiety and thus reduce the need for additional meds during the procedure.

The first herb might be as available as your garden; morning glory seeds, preferably Heavenly Blue or Flying Saucers. Yes, these are the real names. But the truth is that the active agent in the seeds, lysergic acid amide, is a strong analgesic that can provide six or more hours of pain relief with a single dose of roughly 150 seeds that are chewed thoroughly and swallowed. The downside is that tolerance, of about three days duration, develops quickly. So that a second dose given for pain control 10 hours after the initial dose must be roughly twice as large and so on. The total effects last for upwards of 12 hours. The seeds must either be non-treated or must be washed free of the arsenical which is commonly used on the seeds.

The taste is vile and tends to induce moderate nausea and vomiting, treatable with mild anti emetics such as Benadryl, so the patient will probably never want to repeat the psychedelic trip. This agent will permit wound debridement or closure as long as the patient's attention is captured by music, art, or a deep discussion about whatever interests them at that millisecond. It would provide good relief of pain for bone setting but careful monitoring of the patient's blood pressure and heart rate would be required because this agent is a poor anesthetic and provides little, if any amelioration of the patient's body's response to the surgery. Used in conjunction with one of the strong pain killers described in this article and/or one of the inhaled agents, then bone setting becomes possible.

Salvia divinorum, a member of the sage family, is an herb which could be useful in Survivalist Hospital for pain relief and in easing the pain and discomfort associated with minor surgical procedures. In terms of the Stages of anesthesia, salvia enables Stage 1 (analgesia). At very high doses, it produces a profound disassociative state, coupled with a stormy Stage 2 of anesthesia that barely reaches Plane 1 of Stage 3. It could be used when setting bones when combined with an inhaled agent. Salvia frequently produces a calmness and “afterglow” for up to a few days post-usage that will help greatly in reducing post-op pain and anxiety.

It also produces a slowed reaction time and coordination side effects so the patient should not operate the retreat's armored car or tractor for several hours after salvia dosage. Since it acts on the kappa-opiod receptor in the brain, rather than the mu-receptor affected by morphine and the like, salvinorin A is highly unlikely to turn the patient into a raving, addicted, member of the Army of Darkness. Euphoria is very uncommon with salvia use, indeed people do not tend to ever take it for “kicks”. It also has potential for treatment of addiction as the kappa-opiod receptor is key in addictive behavior.

Overdose will not kill per se, but it will result in a dangerous agitation of the patient though of short, under 30 minutes, duration. The patient can leap up and charge about, resulting in secondary injury. Salvia is usable for our purposes only if the operator pays very close attention to dosage, using only enough to enable the surgical procedure, but not so much that the operation suddenly becomes catch-the-delirious-staggering-patient!

My personal experience with salvia has been with use for relief of chronic and acute pain. It has reliably relieved pain of level 8 (roughly the pain from a leg being shattered in a bike wreck) completely for 1.5 hours, and kept said pain at endurable levels for three hours or more from a single salvia dose. Tolerance does not develop so analgesic doses of salvia can be given consecutively.

A salvia researcher, Daniel Siebert, has published a good on line guide to salvia which includes his model of “planes of the salvia experience”. As “survivalist anesthesiologists”, we will be getting our patients to Siebert's “plane” 4 (vivid visionary state-with eyes closed, outside world is “gone”) to 6 (amnesiac state, also high movement potential!).
Salvia can be purchased as a live plant which grows very well in the Northwest USA as an indoor plant. It is also available as dried leaves. Dried leaves are only marginally usable for our purposed though. It is also available as a crude 5x or 10x concentrate, or as a standardized extract. The standardized form is obviously the best choice for our purposes.
It can be administered by mouth, by chewing 15-20 fresh leaves and holding the chewed leaves in the cheek for 15 minutes. The effects then last about 45 minutes. Ingesting the leaves or concentrate is useless as the agent is inactivated by stomach acid. Or it can be "smoked", (inhaled as a vapor). Vaporization allows the best titration to effect, it also is associated with a high “failure rate” as it is very technique sensitive. When vaporizing salvia concentrate, it is vital that the concentrate be heated as much as possible, the smoke drawn deeply into the lungs, and held there as long as possible. Throat and lung irritation can happen when using the vaporization method . I have asthma; salvia vapor does not induce bronchospasm for me, but “your mileage may vary”.

The active agent, salvinorin A is extremely potent, being effective at 200-500mcg for an inhaled/vaporized dose. Its effects begin in under 30 seconds which makes titrating an analgesic dose fairly easy. It provides good analgesia, being about as potent as morphine, though it only provides, at best, two hours of strong pain relief. After inhalation, drug effects begin to fade within 3-5 minutes of dosing.

At higher doses of 500-1,000mcg, it provides relative disassociative anesthesia for about 5 to 7 minutes. However, at these doses the drug causes severe “motor hyperactivity”. Think a PCP zombie who also drank three double espressos! Titrating the dose to true disassociative effect, Siebert's “plane” 6, without the patient lashing about and injuring herself can be tricky.
If used for just relieving the pain of simple wound debridement, having the patient “smoke” small amounts of concentrate until they report no sensation when the intact skin is pricked with a sterile needle . If possible, capture the patient's attention while the wound is cared for. Patient will probably still be somewhat aware of pressure and stretch sensation, thus the need to capture their attention elsewhere.

If a bone must be set or extensive wound debridement is required, then a higher dose of salvia must be used, preferably along with one of the inhaled agents listed above. This will mean a brief excursion back to pre-19th Century surgical practice; the use of sturdy assistants to hold the patient in place. The purpose here is to keep the patient from moving about and injuring themselves or facilitating a horrible surgical disaster.

By Prescription:
There are some useful prescription pain killers that are not on DEA lists and should be fairly easy to obtain. All have the potential for significant side effects so thorough study is required before using these drugs.

Toradol (ketorolac) is the strongest drug in the NSAID class and is available in pill , eye drops , and injectable forms. It provides excellent relief of post-operative pain. It is also an anti coagulant so any bleeding must be under good control before giving Toradol. It also can cause serious liver or kidney problems. Because of these “side properties”, Toradol cannot be used for more than 2 days of continuous dosing for injection or 5 days of oral dosing

Tramadol is a pain killer which works well for moderate to moderately severe pain. Or in layperson's terms, it will do for pain relief for most of the common injuries the survivalist might deal with . It is available as both a pill and in an injectable form. It does not elicit as much nausea as other opiods such as morphine and unlike morphine, will not completely shut down the drive to breathe at high doses. Another bright spot is that Tramadol is rarely associated with addiction as it relieves pain without euphoria. If needed, it can also be used for your dogs or cats.

On the downside, it does lower the seizure threshold so it is a poor choice if the patient has a history of seizures or is taking other drugs which lower the seizure threshold.
Nubain® (nalbuphine) is a very strong pain reliever that is only available in an injectable form. It is incompatible with ketorolac and is an “opiod effect reverser”. This means that giving Nubain to someone who is addicted to opiods will result in withdrawal symptoms. I was told by an Army medic, who had completed the US Army Field Anesthesia course, that Nubain is ineffective for bad war wounds.

There are a few prescription “para anesthesia” drugs which should be stocked. For reversal of overdoses of opiods, stock Narcan (naloxone). It has significant side effects, be aware, be proactive.

Murphy's Law says that the group member who requires emergency surgical care will have a full stomach, risking aspiration of vomitus, a serious complication. Reglan (metoclopramide) is an anti-nausea/vomiting drug and it accelerates stomach emptying. But do not rely solely on Reglan in the patient who ate or drank within a few hours pre-surgical need. Phenergan (promethazine) is a venerable anti emetic and sedative that also helps dry up secretions. It is available in both pill and injectable forms. If injecting it, dilute and give slowly and carefully as it can cause tissue damage and pain on injection.

Anesthesia and pain control must be factored into planning a survival medical kit. I hope this article has helped point you in a useful direction. With the items described in this article, you can provide better, more comfortable medical care to your group members in a crisis environment. In a 96 hour crisis, you will have the ability to perform exigent minor surgery. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, you will have a solid base for providing general anesthesia care to your group members.

Bibliography:

Introduction to Anesthesia ; 9th Edition; Longnecker, edited by: David E. and Murphy, Frank L.; Saunders; 1997. Good coverage of the theory and practice of anesthesia from the ground up.
[Textbook of Military Medicine] Anesthesia and Perioperative Care of the Combat Casualty; edited by: Brigadier General Zajtchuk, Russ and Grande, Christopher M., M.D.; GPO; 1995. Thorough coverage of the practice of anesthesia in a military setting. If you need to know how to handle the anesthesia for a wounded comrade, this is the book. Slanted toward more “high tech” care than usual survivalist group can deliver but good for its explanations of procedures and caveats. Also available online, as free PDFs.
U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook ; Citadel Press; 1982. ISBN: 0806510455 A very good general reference. Good, simple chapter on anesthesia using the inhaled agents discussed in this article with excellent charts showing signs of anesthesia depth.

Internet Resources:
New York School of Regional Anesthesia. How to do regional blocks if you have local anesthetic agents in your kit. Thorough, with very good illustrations.
Several Power Point lectures on various basic anesthesia procedures as well as presentations on wound care, orthopedics, and womens' issues.
All the volumes of Textbook of Military Medicine are available online; for download as [free] PDFs or as hardcover books for purchase. Lots of useful information for Survivalist Hospital on anesthesia and wound care, care of environmental injuries, NBC issues, etc. A very informative site that deals with psychoactive chemicals and herbs. It can be a good research tool for the survival anesthesiologist. Use the site for research, and be responsible.

Leap in U.S. debt hits taxpayers with 12% more red ink

GG flagged this: Silver poised for biggest monthly gain in 22 years; gold rises

Items from The Economatrix:

Economy Shrinks 5.7% in First Quarter

Taxpayers Could Lose Billions in GM Revamp "GM expected to file bankruptcy on Monday."

Ford's Top Supplier Files for Bankruptcy "Visteon bankruptcy protection filing is another blow to auto supply base."

Bond Markets Defy Feds as Treasury Yields Spike "The US Federal Reserve may soon be forced to launch fresh blitz of quantitative easing whatever the consequences for the US dollar, or risk seeing economic recovery snuffed out by the latest surge in long-term borrowing costs."

Oil is Plentiful, Demand is Weak. Why are Gas Prices Going Up?

Countrywide Can't Dismiss Mortgage Lawsuit "Federal judge rejects bid in case that alleges racketeering, conspiracy, unfair mortgage practices."

Fed Dilemma as Property Recovery Falters

Ireland Set to Go Bust, Claims Economic Historian

"Peak Silver"

FDIC Fund Running Dry

Advanta Bank to Close All Credit Accounts This Week

How Manipulated Markets Really Work "Daily the corporate media trumpet them to lull the unwary into believing the global economic crisis is ebbing and recovery is on the way. Not according to longtime market analyst Bob Chapman who calls green shoots "Poison Ivy" and economist Nouriel Roubini saying they're "yellow weeds" at a time there's lots more pain ahead."

The Second Crash: On the Way and Unstoppable. (JWR Adds: I should mention that this essay includes the same alarming chart on mortgage rate resets that I pointed to in SurvivalBlog a few weeks ago. Once again, we are nowhere near the bottom of the real estate market in the US! This summer will later be seen as just a lull in the storm. Do not hang on to any extra properties "waiting for the market to recover." Dump them at break-even, if need be, but get rid of them, pronto!)

Bond Vigilantes Confront Obama as Housing Falters "Washington is really out of control and that there is no fiscal discipline whatsoever.”

Bill N. sent this great tip: Something Down The Drain? Retrieve it Without a Wrench

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Safecastle's semi-annual 25% Off Mountain House storage food sale ends on June 5th, so get your order in soon! Buyers will get a free copy of the novel One Second After by William R. Forstchen if they purchase four or more cases of Mountain House foods.

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From Florida Guy: Mormon lessons in self-reliance can help families survive tough times. JWR Adds: While I'll never see eye-to-eye with the LDS Church doctrinally, I give them nothing but praise for encouraging food storage. They have also been very gracious in opening up access to their canneries to folks that are not LDS members. Kudos!

"Today, prayer is still a powerful force in America, and our faith in God is a mighty source of strength. Our Pledge of Allegiance states that we are 'one nation under God,' and our currency bears the motto, 'In God we Trust.' The morality and values such faith implies are deeply embedded in our national character. Our country embraces those principles by design, and we abandon them at our peril." - Ronald Reagan

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

It's been said, “It takes a village to raise a child”. While I do not agree with much of anything else Hillary says, that was certainly true in my case. My upbringing consisted of guidance and council from a rather diverse group of individuals, a large segment of whom were 1970s-era survivalists, (How many of you remember Mel Tappan's “Personal Survival Letter”?). These were self-sufficient, hard-money, common sense, salt-of-the-earth type people. A few even had underground bunkers, (I mean “root cellars”). Given the mind set of my mentors, you might assume that I’m all stocked up on beans, bullets, and band aids. Regrettably, I am not as well prepared as I should be. As I analyzed why this is so, I was forced to admit that I had fallen prey to a fault that could prove to be uncomfortable or even fatal, if not corrected. Please bear with me as I illustrate with personal experience.

I was raised in rural America, and have hundreds of hours in canoes. One clear October morning, my friend and I took a hankering for some fresh trout, and we knew of a lake a couple of hours paddle downstream from his house. October is nigh winter in the North, and we figured since the bugs had been frozen out for a week or so, the trout would be ravenous.
We arrived at the lake after a leisurely downstream paddle, and were delighted to find only half the lake's surface in winter's early grasp. Our strategy was simple, we would cast our lures onto the edge of the ice, reel them back ever so slowly, until they slipped into the water with hardly a ripple. With such a quiet entry, the unsuspecting trout were inhaling our spinners. We sure had it our way; no bugs, no bears, no tourists, and the fishing was hot! In my mind's eye, I could see my wife's beaming smile, she loves fresh trout.

Then, while netting another candidate for the skillet, my friend leaned over a bit too far. The canoe tilted and several gallons of water poured over the side. My fast-thinking (but clumsy) friend, realizing that he was going to capsize us completely, rolled over the side, into the lake. The canoe righted itself but, all the water that had poured over the side seconds earlier, now ran to my end of the canoe. The combination of my body weight plus several gallons of water was enough to submerge my end, and water poured over the bow into my lap. Having no recourse, I (gracefully) floated out of the swamped canoe, into the lake. We stayed with the canoe, and kicked our way towards shore, however, the closest “shore” in this case was a raft of muskeg several yards away. (Muskeg is a thick mat of vegetation so dense it floats, common in the North country).We clawed our way onto the muskeg, and it immediately started to sink beneath our weight, so once again the water came pouring in. Everything reached equilibrium and we stopped sinking at about knee deep, so we stripped down and wrung out our clothes, dumped the canoe out and headed for home. The upstream paddle was a blessing in disguise because the hard work kept us relatively warm.

We made it back, and even managed to save the fish. And yes, my wife did beam a brilliant smile; she loves fresh trout you know. But legend has it that, every October, the animals gather at lakeside. They tell a tale of a couple of hapless fisherman, who stood on the edge of the muskeg, naked to the waist, knee deep in icy water, hyper-ventilating while they wrung the water out of their clothes, and then disappeared upstream, never to be seen again.

My point is simply this, through no fault of my own; my situation had deteriorated from relatively pleasant to a little chilly, and a lot life-threatening. Never before, or since, have I been unintentionally thrown from a canoe. Just that once... but that's all it takes, right? “Just that once”. I suspect you and I are a lot alike. Despite our experience, (remember my “village”), we keep living our lives as though the “canoe is never going to tip”. It's called denial.

The people who study the psychology of survivors, tell us that the mental progression in wilderness survival situations is similar to that of someone who has just received some disastrous news. Countless situations have devolved from rescues to recoveries because the participants refuse to acknowledge that they were in a dangerous situation. The survivors are the ones who get through the denial stage the fastest. The don't waste a lot of energy wondering “Why has this happened to me?”. They get over it, and get on with the business of surviving.
The preparedness process can seem overwhelming at times. There are so many necessities that, deciding where to commit time and/or resources can be disquieting. The truth is, its way easier and cheaper to stay in denial, because after all, the canoe is never going to tip, right? To help get you off high center, I'd like to offer a decision making matrix; a method to help you decide where to expend your time and resources to your best advantage.

Industry has developed a procedure called "Process Hazard Analysis". If you’re responsible for the safe operation of a facility of some kind, you gather your engineers, technicians and operators together and discuss the risks involved in running your plant. Big picture it works like this; you pick an event, and rank how likely it is to happen, the severity of the consequences if it did, and any safeguards in place to prevent that particular event from happening. With this prioritized list you are able to see where to put your maximum effort. If you’ve never had the joy of sitting through this procedure... I’d suggest a mid-October swim instead. But, if you think of an “event” as a condition that produces an undesirable result, then you can see how we can apply this process to our preparedness efforts.

Make 6 columns down a piece of paper. Title the first "category/event", the second "Likelihood", the third "Consequences". "Safeguards", "Total" and "Action" are the titles for columns 4, 5, and 6.
The rankings for the “likelihood” and “severity” columns will be 1 through 5, with 1 representing "highly unlikely" (for likelihood) and "Insignificant" (for consequences), 3 representing "Probable" and "Serious but Repairable", and 5 representing "Highly Probable" and "Financial Ruin/Fatality". (I'll include a complete list of the rankings I use in an appendix at the end of this article).

So, for example, if I picked a category of "Civil Unrest" and an event of "Riots", my thought process would go like this: There has never been a riot in my hometown and it's very unlikely there ever will be, so "Likelihood" would get a rank of 1. I live a ways out of town so, even if there was a riot in town, it's very doubtful that it would spread to my place, so "Consequences" gets a 1. I have locks and an alarm system and a big dog, so I'm "Confident" in my safeguards, I'll give them a 3. You can see that I don't need to spend a lot of resources preparing for riots. On the other hand, you may live in a neighborhood that has experienced nearby riots. You rankings would come out different and perhaps indicate that you should spend some time thinking about how to mitigate that risk. Note however, that a category of "Civil Unrest" with and event of "Burglary" would rank higher in my situation, because that particular event has happened in my area.

Had I chosen a category of "Natural Disasters" and an Event of “Forest Fire", my likelihood rank would be 5 (because forest fires have occurred in my area). The consequence rank would be 5, because the worst case consequence is a fatality. My safeguards, (detectors, and extinguishers) are adequate but could use improvement, so safeguards get a 2. Add column 2 (likelihood) and 3 (severity) and subtract column 4 (safeguards) and I have a total of 8 out of a possible 10, a high priority. You can see through this extreme example that, it makes more sense for me to focus my efforts on upgrading my fire plan, than it does preparing for a riot. I should probably place a higher priority on fire extinguishers than firearms, hard to do given the emotion of today’s situation. Examination of your situation may well result in a different conclusion. The important thing is that emotion is removed from the decision making process.

We all have a tendency to “lock up” when faced with an intimidating task. It is my hope that, by introducing this decision making process, you can remove the paralyzing emotions from the decisions that must be made. By thoughtfully following the process, you’ll create a touchstone that will anchor you when self-doubt or well-meaning friends criticize your actions, and you are tempted to procrastinate or worse. If your beliefs don't impact your actions then they're just worthless mental baggage. How many times have you heard the word "unprecedented" lately? That means that we have never been in this situation before, not in all of mankind's history. So we really have no idea how this will end. There is still time to act, the canoe hasn't tipped yet. Use this matrix to assess where you are in the preparedness process and, most importantly, act on your decisions.

Suggested Definitions of Rankings

Likelihood
1. Has not happened to you, or in your local area
2. Improbable, unlikely
3. Possible
4. Probable, likely
5. Has happened to you or in your local area.

Severity
1. No significant consequence
2. Disagreeable, minor physical/financial loss
3. Significant but repairable
4. Major injury, financial hardship
5. Financial ruin, fatality

Safeguards
1. None
2. Low confidence, needs improvement
3. Confident, has been adequate
4. Extremely confident
5. Absolute confidence

Add the Likelihood and Severity numbers, and subtract from that the safeguard number for a personalized risk ranking of a specific event.
You can see that, events with high likelihood, severe consequences and low safeguards are going to require action, say any event with a total risk ranking of 8 or more. Total risk of 5-7 deserves some serious consideration. Total risks of less than 4 are low priorities. If you decide an event requires action, it may be possible to add safeguard points, and diminish the risk, with simple lifestyle changes before committing resources that could be better used elsewhere.

The following is an example of a Crisis Decision Matrix. (Modify to fit your particular situation.)

Hungary's Economy Minister warns of currency crisis, "social collapse" without deep reform

GG sent this Los Angeles Times piece: From deflation fear to inflation panic, so soon?

Items from The Economatrix:

Exploding Debt Threatens America With no change in policy, US debt will equal US GDP in just five years.

Coming Dollar Bust--All But A Few Have No Clue "The failure of the housing market is only 40% to 50% over. All this is happening as policymakers, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citicorp, etc., and the rest of the elitists are shifting all the debt from the financial sector to the American people. Virtually no one talks about what is really going on. The same people at the Fed, in banking, on Wall Street and in government are supposedly solving the problems they created. We have news for you; they are not solving anything. They are just pushing judgment day a little further out. That is costing us $2 trillion in additional debt a year, which we can ill afford. The bomb gets bigger every day and you won’t want to be around when it explodes."

Dollar is Dirt, Treasuries are Toast, and AAA is Adios

Meltdown 101: Why is the Dollar Weakening?

Moody's Affirms US AAA Rating Despite Rising Debt

Yield Curve Steepens to Record as Debt Sales Surge

Rise in Rates Jolts Markets

Mortgage Nightmare: Who Owns My Loan?

GM Bankruptcy Filing Could Shake Up Dow Index, GM Could Be Delisted

Cheryl spotted this on a Israeli news site: WWIII Has Started

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JHB sent is a link to a new variety of self-contained fingertip pulse oximeter. Being able to monitor heart rate and blood oxygen saturation will be crucial, especially if you are handling a trauma case or severe illness case where respiration is shallow and your supply of medical oxygen is scant.

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In the "signs of the times" department, comes this from Powder Valley: "At this time we are not taking any new backorders for primers that are not listed here. We currently have over 50 million primers on backorder..."

"Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty." - Samuel Johnson

If you have any favorite quotes that relate to survival, preparedness, faith, patriotism, Constitutional rights, or perhaps something on economics, then please e-mail it to me, and I'll likely post them as Quotes of the Day. Thanks!

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Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Something you may not have given much thought about in your planning for long term food storage is Pest Control. All the hard work, preparedness and money spent on stockpiling and storing food can be quickly ruined by pests. You need to protect your investment. As a former exterminator I have seen my share of these pests and can share my experience and knowledge of control measures. While some of these measures are just ordinary common sense, we all know that common sense isn't all that common.

A few things to consider:
Most infestations come home from the store with you. You would be surprised to learn what I've found in the average, clean looking big name grocery store!
Dry pet food is notorious for being infested. Pet food is not processed and packaged with the same standards as "people food".
90% of Stored Product Pest Control is not about chemical treatments. We will use poisons sparingly and effectively.
Some, but not all, pests are disease carrying.
While there are hundreds (or thousands!) of individual species of pests you could have to deal with, we will focus on the three main problem pests when it comes to Food Storage: Pantry Pests, Rodents and Cockroaches.

PANTRY PESTS
Pantry Pests generally include Moths, Beetles and Weevils. There are too many species to list individually, but luckily the identification, prevention and control measures are all similar enough to lump into one category. Most Pantry Pests have a similar mode of action: the adult bores a hole into the grain/kernel/meal, lays its egg and repeats. The larva hatches inside the grain/kernel/meal, then eats it's fill until ready to pupate. The pupa hatches out of the grain/kernel/meal as an adult, and the cycle repeats itself.
They usually appear after bringing home a product from the store that was already infested, however some indigenous species do infest crops, and so may infest the grain in the field first.
If you spot moths, beetles or other stored product pests in your home or food storage areas, it's already too late. As mentioned above, the adults are not what will be eating your food, it's the young inside your rice, corn or wheat that is destroying it. While it's fine to eradicate the adults you see, the real problem is in the food itself. Once cut off from the food source, the adults will die off without having reproduced.

Inspection
All stored product should be removed from storage and inspected for infestation. Do not skip over anything just because it's an unopened box or what you think is an airtight container, go through it all. You may see webbing (like flat spider webs) inside a heavily infested product. You might see active adults working to lay their eggs, or holes bored through packaging like waxed paper and plastic bags. If you can afford to, throw this infested product out. While not the most economical approach this is what most homeowners will do.

Sanitation and Exclusion
Once your cupboards are bare it's time to get cleaning. All cracks, crevices and corners should be vacuumed clean of dust, flour and food stuffs that may have fallen in. In absence of a vacuum, wipe out everything you can with a wet rag, then blow out the voids and repeat until as clean as possible. You can treat the cracks and crevices with a general purpose pesticide at this point if you like, but it is not necessary. The cracks and crevices should now be filled with caulk, or something similar. This serves the dual purpose of both sealing out future food spills and pests, and sealing in anything you may have missed.

Control
As mentioned above, throw out all known or suspected infested product if you possibly can. If that is not an option, there are things we can do to kill the critters inside without losing the grain. Please note that while these bugs might seem disgusting to us, and they are eating your food, you can eat them without adverse consequences as most are not disease carrying. How shall we cook them? Let's bake!
An oven set to 130 degrees for four hours is the minimum standard for killing the larvae and adults. No promises on the eggs as they can be extremely tough. A slightly higher heat and more time will likely net better results, but use caution not to damage the grain.
Freezing the grain can also kill the larva and adults, and again, no promises on the eggs. This method is not as effective as baking, and may be impractical.
A professional will use fumigation to treat a large amount of infested product, say a grain silo full of weevils, but it’s very expensive, and may not always be available to you. In any case, you can’t just go pick it up off the shelf, you need a Pest Control Operators License to purchase the chemical, and rightly so, it is highly toxic.

Storage
The packaging your food comes in from the grocery store is not good enough. These pests can bore a hole into the toughest shell nature can provide, do you think a cardboard box or waxed paper will stop them? Of course not. The best containers are glass or metal and airtight. Tupperware/Rubbermaid type containers are second best. Ziplocs and plastic bags are not acceptable for long term storage at all. It's not a bad idea to store bulk food in many small containers rather than one large one. Don't put all your eggs in one basket!
Finally...
Check your food stuffs regularly. Periods of dormancy are a part of an insect’s life cycle. Just because you don't see them now, that doesn't mean they're not there!

RODENTS
Mice and Rats are some of the most damaging creatures we have to deal with. They eat what we eat, live where we live and carry parasites like lice and fleas. Because they are very similar to us biologically (one reason they are used extensively in research laboratories) it is easy for them to transmit disease to humans.
Luckily, control is actually very simple.

Identification
The only important reason to differentiate between a rat and mouse problem, is to choose what trap to use. A rat trap is just too big to effectively kill mice (something akin to killing an ant with a sledgehammer), they sometimes completely miss the mouse, and mouse traps only serve to make the rats mad.
The telltale signs of mice and rats are holes chewed into objects and food packaging, droppings, odors and noise.
As with all rodents, both mice and rats have large incisors (front teeth) that never stop growing. Because of that fact, they must constantly chew anything and everything in order to keep them ground down (I've seen pictures of a rat, not allowed to chew at all in a laboratory, whose lower teeth grew up over his head and into his skull!). You may see two parallel scrape marks in some materials from these teeth, the size will tell you if it's a mouse or rat. They will chew electrical wiring, and are the cause of a surprising number of house fires (they are actually attracted to wiring because it looks and feels like one of their natural foods, grass shoots).

They both leave droppings wherever they go, black in color, tube shaped like a grain of rice. Mouse droppings are about the size of a grain of rice, and rat droppings are naturally bigger than that, about a half inch long by a quarter inch wide. Both species also urinate everywhere they go, and so will leave urine trails and odors behind.
A sound at night like someone scratching their nails lightly on the wall indicates a mouse problem. People with rats in their homes describe it as sounding like "elephants in the attic". You may not hear anything at all, though, and still have a problem with either pest, sounds are just an indication. Rats love to nest above the water heater and furnace where it's always warm, especially in winter. There is usually a screen vent above those appliances, where you may see nesting materials like candy wrappers and snail shells (a favorite food). Rats do, but mice do not drink water, they get all the moisture they need from their food.

You may mistake a baby rat for an adult mouse, you can tell the difference by the tail, a rats will be thicker and almost as long as its body. A baby rat will have very large feet as well, all ages of mice have small, delicate feet.

Exclusion
Exclusion is the first step. Seal any and all openings into the house. A rodent’s skull is the only solid part of his body, if he can squeeze his head through, he can flatten the rest of his body out to squeeze through, too. A mouse's head is about the size of a dime, or you're little finger. If you can fit a finger in a hole, seal it up. The smallest rats head is about the size of your thumb, but we're going to seal up all the holes we find anyway, right?
Check and seal all vents to the crawlspace, especially around the air conditioning tubing, with steel wool, expanding foam or other inedible material. Do likewise to the soffit (attic) vents. You don't have to make it bulletproof, just enough to discourage them. The bottom of a side garage door is almost guaranteed to be a problem, it's required building code -to allow carbon monoxide gas from cars to escape. While I would NEVER suggest you break the law or bypass any safety measure, some people install a weather-stripping door sweep to keep the mice and rats outside where they belong. Trim all tree limbs that overhang, or worse, touch the house, as this is the Roof Rats favored method of entry. Anyplace two roof lines come together, climb up and seal the gaps in the soffits. Clothes lines and the like should not be attached to the house in any way. Ensure that any fences or other structures don't come within several feet of the roof, rats are excellent jumpers. Think of squirrels, they are basically just cleaner rats with furry tails. Keep ground-cover, especially ivy, trimmed back from the house, at least 2 feet. Wood piles should not be stacked against the house, you're just inviting trouble. Check the entire footprint of the house for tunnels, Norway Rats like to tunnel in, I've found many getting in that way.
Rats and mice do not live exclusively in your home, they come and go as they please.
Once the structure is sealed up, one of two things has happened: You have sealed them out, or you have sealed them in. If you've sealed them out, great, you're done! If you've sealed them in, how should we get rid of them?

Trapping
Trapping is hands down the preferred method of killing them. There is no better mouse trap! The standard mouse and rat snap traps are exactly what you need, and they can be used over and over again. Use a very small amount of peanut butter underneath the trigger for best results. A big glob will soon dry up and a crafty rodent can just gently pick it off. Smear a little underneath, and he has to jump up there with both feet to dig at it and, well, you get the rest. An old trick is to use a wire twist tie to secure a nut or a snail to the trigger for an especially tricky rat. Both size traps should be slid in perpendicular to the wall (skinny end with the trigger goes against the wall), mice and rats both travel in straight lines against the wall (they use their whiskers to feel their way along in the dark). Trapping also insures that you control where the bodies will be for retrieval and disposal. You can place traps anywhere you've had activity that is convenient for you. The mice and rats sealed in will eventually get hungry enough to explore and find your trap, I promise.
Do not bother with live traps or glue traps, you risk getting bit and infected, and if released from a live trap they will probably just come back anyway.

Maintenance
Once you have stopped catching mice and rats, and you're very sure the problem is solved, then you can consider using baits (poisons) as a prevention measure. If a rodent somehow gets in later, he will take the bait, which are all slow acting (several days) and leave when he starts to get sick. Mice are small enough that they don't cause too many problems if they die in a wall, they just don’t have the body mass. Rats, on the other hand are horrible to deal with in a wall. If you don't follow my advice about trapping and go right to using a poison with a rat, I promise you will regret it, I've learned this the hard way. The stench of death (rotting meat in your walls), the brown goo leeching through the drywall, the flies and maggots will remind you of these words.
Be extremely careful using baits outdoors. In fact, I don't recommend it. There is nothing you can do to keep pests out of your yard, all you can control is the structure of the house. Most baits today are pretty safe, but I have had a customer kill her own dog by not following my advice and putting her own store bought bait under a wood shed. Can you imagine if a child had gotten into it? When a professional has to bait outdoors, he uses a tamper-proof metal or plastic box. These can be purchased if needed.
This last statement is going to upset some people, but cats are NOT the best rodent prevention and control measure. Yes they will kill mice and rats, and they can thin the herd, but they will never eradicate them all. Mice are a staple food to scores of predators like birds of prey and snakes, and the mice still manage to be the second most successful mammal on the planet! Have all the best mousers you like, they will help, but follow my advice above for best results.
And please, don’t leave pet food out at night! Keep dry pet food and the like in metal cans with tight fitting lids, and far from where you store your own food.

COCKROACHES
Cockroaches are filthy, disease-ridden creatures. All species thrive in unsanitary conditions. They breed incredibly fast, that's part of the problem. A male and female German Cockroach, given an ideal environment can produce 1,000,000 offspring in one year. They are typically brought home from somewhere else like the grocery store, in someone's luggage, etc.
In the old days they were extremely hard to get rid of, today, it's a piece of cake.

Identification
There are many species of cockroach, but we will gear our attack toward the German Cockroach, as he is the main culprit in ruining foodstuffs. Outdoor Roaches like the American or Oriental are not usually an infestation problem inside the house, they are just a nuisance.
The German Cockroach is about a 1/2 inch to 3/4 of an inch long. Tan or brown colored, usually with two distinct black parallel lines on its head. They will hide in cracks and crevices under a sink, in cabinets or the baseboards, behind wall paneling, etc. (in the wild, they live under rocks and tree bark). As with other pests, it's not a bad idea to fill these cracks and so eliminate their habitat. They will leave droppings that look something like black pepper, egg sacks after hatching, and their shells after they molt (shed their skin, so to speak). They avoid light, and will scatter for cover if you turn on a light while they're out.

Sanitation
Clean grease and spills thoroughly, especially under the stove, oven and sink. Be sure to clean all surfaces well, including the cracks and crevices. Keep your food in pest proof containers. Do not give these guys an inch. Without proper sanitation it is impossible to get rid of them, you must take away the food sources (clean up spills)!
Control
Do not bother with any kind of spray, use a Bait Gel. It's safer and much more effective, in fact, in my opinion it revolutionized the Pest Control Industry. It will come in a mini syringe with the active ingredient Hydramethylon. My experience is that it kills about 75% of a population in 2 weeks. Then 75% of what's left in another 2 week follow-up visit. After 6 weeks, I can call a job done. For contrast, using conventional sprays, I could kill about 10% of a population per visit, and slowly make ground on them over many months.

CONCLUSION
It would be wise to stock up on pesticides just as you would medications. They are just not something you can replicate yourself. None of these products are terribly expensive, you can probably pick up everything you need for about $100. Note that these products do have a shelf life, so use them or give them away before they expire, and replace as needed.
You can see that 90% of Pest Control is not about chemical warfare, it's about common sense and cleanliness.
Here's the top ten things I recommend you stock up on:
1. General Purpose Pesticide like Malathion or Diazinon. Try to find a "Wettable Powder", it keeps longer and can be mixed to whatever strength required. It also sticks better than liquids after application. In addition to a powder, try to find a Granular product, it is applied with a seed spreader and activated by water.
2. Ant Bait Gel with the active ingredient Fipronil. Combat brand is a good “over the counter” choice. The ants will carry it back to the nest to feed the other 99% of the ants you don't see, including the queen, workers, soldiers and the "babies".
3. Wasp Spray aerosol cans. This stuff shoots a stream about 10 feet away and will drop them dead in the air. Use on wasp nests, yellow-jackets and bees. While not specifically labeled for them, it will kill just about any insect you don't want to get too close to (like Black Widows and scorpions). Any brand will do.
4. Flea Spray. Fleas are tough. Bathe and treat your pets first, clean your carpets and then treat the house.
5. Bug Bombs. These are not terribly effective, even the "prescription strength" ones in the industry are not that great. Still, I'd keep a few in stock.
6. Snap Traps for rats and mice. A dozen or two of each size should last many years, maybe forever. Try to find the ones with the big, yellow triggers. Much safer to set than the older metal ones, trust me, I've broken a finger setting a rat trap, they are no joke.
7. Rodent Bait. Decon will work, but the Combat brand (big, waxy blue blocks with the active ingredient Bromadiolone, an anti-coagulant) are better. It keeps longer and can be thrown into far corners of attics and crawlspaces.
8. Roach Bait Gel. Maxforce or Combat brand, active ingredient Hydramethylon.
9. Termiticide. A liquid will kill more than just termites and so is more versatile, but the commercially available baits (wood stakes impregnated with a stomach poison) are much more effective.
10. Building Repair Materials. Screening, caulking, steel wool, foam, etc.
Please, follow all warning labels on each product you use!

I recently signed a contract with Atria Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) to write two sequels to my novel "Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse" Unlike traditional sequels, the storylines of these novels will be contemporaneous with the economic collapse and invasion described in the first novel. There will be some overlap of characters, but most of the action will take place in different locales. My goal is to use these two books to write about a lot of different tactics, techniques, and technologies for survival.

I'd greatly appreciate getting some tidbits of information from readers that would help add realism and authenticity to the next manuscript. I have fully outlined the book, but have thusfar only written three draft chapters. I'm hoping that there are some subject matter experts out there in the SurvivalBlog readership that can help me out with:any of the following information and insights:

• Commercial fuel distillation, and how it might continue (localized) if the power grid goes down.
• Details on natural gas "drip oil" collection and its use in gasoline engines
• Experience with a 30-foot to 38-foot blue water sailboat
• Raised in the Creole culture
• Knows the current aggregate value of the Property Book of a Stryker Battalion. (Yes, I know that Strykers cost $2 million each, but...)
• Recently lived in the Four Corners region
• Done bicycle touring in France and Germany, preferably with winter bike touring experience
• Lived in Belize for several years
• Experience with reconstructive facial surgery, following trauma. (Surgeon or patient)
• An F-16 fighter pilot within the past 10 years.
• Experience with Laron Starstreaks or similar "Light Experimental" class aircraft
• Lived in or near Prescott, Arizona
• Worked in a commercial cornmeal processing plant, preferably "old school", small scale
• Recently stationed at Luke AFB
• Owned a Lahti 9mm pistol
• Raised in the "Texas-German" culture (such as New Braunfels)
• Lived in Wisbech or a similar town with a yacht harbor in southern England
• Experience using compact QRP 40 meter band HF transmitters.(Paperback book size or smaller, preferably DC-powered)

If you can answer "Yes!" to any of these, please send me an e-mail. I'll try to keep my queries brief, and not pester you too much. In exchange, you are welcome to equivalent consulting time in any of my areas of expertise.

Anger Over Breach of Quarantine in Oz

Swine Flu Infects 13,000 People in 46 Countries

D.S. suggested this Gerald Celente audio clip "When this Bubble blows - it's over"

Also from GG: U.S. Inflation to Approach Zimbabwe Level, Faber Says

Yet another from GG: Roubini says U.S. economy may dip again next year

Items from The Economatrix:

About 12 percent of U.S. homeowners late paying or foreclosed

Signs of More Trouble For Housing "Wall Street is so hungry for good news that stocks rallied at the barest hint of upbeat indicators several times this month."

The Greatest Swindle Ever Sold

Insanity Gone Rampant (Mogambo Guru)

Stocks Down Amid Worries About US Debt

1Q Home Prices Fall By 19% to 2002 Levels "It is unlikely that we are anywhere near a bottom."

UAW Trust to Get Up to 20% of GM Shares "GM will give the UAW up to 20 percent of its common stock, $6.5 billion of preferred shares and a $2.5 billion note to fund a trust that will take over retiree health care costs starting next year. The funding is part of a tentative agreement that union members will vote on this week as GM tries to pull together the remaining pieces that would allow it to restructure outside of bankruptcy."

Virgin: No Airlines Will Make Money This Year

Obama: The Stimulus Bill Has Created or Saved 150,000 Jobs (Has anyone told him that jobs are being lost at the rate of over 600,000 per month?)

Dallas Federal Reserve $99 Trillion in Unfunded Liabilities

GM Says Bondholder Committee Supports Sweetened Deal

The Fed's Balance Sheet Very soon America's largest creditor will be ... America

Hitmen Contract to Bust COMEX

April Truck Tonnage Plunges 13.2%

It Is Failing--ALL OF IT!

Rail Traffic Hits Year's Low

US and South Korea On High Alert After North Korea Renounces Truce

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Jim Wiseman (a pseudonym), the prepper that was featured in the recent AP wire service article on survivalism was interviewed for three show segments (45 minutes) on the nationally-syndicated Marc Germain Show, and he will soon be be featured on CNBC, as well.

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Clearly, the preparedness movement seems to have struck a chord with America's collective psyche. Even assorted Greens and left-wingers are jumping on the band wagon, as evidenced by this article from Philadelphia: Survival of the Fittest (not just for white right-wingers anymore). Ditto on popularity in Australia, where we read: Survivalists stock up ready for the worst

"Globalization creates interlocking fragility, while reducing volatility and giving the appearance of stability. In other words it creates devastating Black Swans. We have never lived before under the threat of a global collapse. Financial Institutions have been merging into a smaller number of very large banks. Almost all banks are interrelated. So the financial ecology is swelling into gigantic, incestuous, bureaucratic banks – when one fails, they all fall. The increased concentration among banks seems to have the effect of making financial crises less likely, but when they happen they are more global in scale and hit us very hard. We have moved from a diversified ecology of small banks, with varied lending policies, to a more homogeneous framework of firms that all resemble one another. True, we now have fewer failures, but when they occur ….I shiver at the thought." - Nassim Nicholas Taleb: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (2007)

Welcome to the thousands of folks that have discovered SurvivalBlog because of the recent AP wire service article on survivalism that was picked up by umpteen news outlets. In the two days since, our number of web site visits has almost doubled. To come up to speed, I recommend that you read the SurvivalBlog About page first, ad then my page on my Precepts. Keep in mind that there are now nearly 7,000 archived articles and letters, all searchable and available free of charge. If there is a topic related to preparedness that interests you, odds are that you can find what you need in our archives, with the "Search Posts on SurvivalBlog:" box at the top of the right-hand bar. Welcome aboard!

Good evening Mr. Rawles,
My name is Ignacio, I'm a Cuban-born American. The three best days in my life were when I married my wife, when I became an American citizen and when my daughter was born (in this country). I am an avid reader of your blog, and working hard to get prepared, we bought a small place (1.5 acres in southwest Florida, it's in the woods) it was the only thing we could afford to get ready. But I am very concerned that my neighbors might not like us because we are Hispanic (although my wife is blue-eyed and has blonde hair.). I can assure you that no one loves this country more than we do, but I understand that most of the Hispanics do not like our country.

What would be a good way to approach my neighbors? Sincerely, - Ignacio R.

JWR Replies: I recommend that you do your very best to get to know your neighbors, and make it clear that you are are part of the community. Get involved in community activities. For example: join the local volunteer fire department (they offer great training, by the way!), make the effort to introduce yourself to your neighbors, invite them over for barbeques and other social events, join the local church, Rod and Gun club, ham radio club, and so forth. I also recommend joining (or forming) a local Community Watch organization.

It takes time, but with effort, you can make yourself an insider in a community. I am confident that you know in your heart that you are "an okay guy", but you just need to demonstrate that to the folks in your new community. If you work hard enough at it, they will consider you not just a neighbor, but an indispensable neighbor and a genuine "go to guy".

Several times in SurvivalBlog, I've mentioned what sociologists call the We/They Paradigm. The bottom line is that you need to immerse yourself into the collective "we" (insiders), so that you aren't seen as part of the "they" (outsiders). In my experience, race and even religion need not be barriers to becoming part of the "we". It is clear from your letter that you love our Nation. Just make it clear to your neighbors that you love your community, just as much.

Cementing your relationships with your neighbors can take years. Or, in the case of South Florida, just one hurricane season. If a time of deep trauma or deep drama comes up (such as severe weather or wildfires), then jump in and help out with disaster relief, starting with your nearest neighbors. Check on every one of them, and ask if there is anything that you can do to help. Based on what you demonstrate of your character, your neighbors will quickly learn that you are someone that can be trusted when the Schumer Hits the Fan. And, BTW, it will give you a chance to size them up, as well.

James:

Regarding storing baking powder. Reader LCHS wrote:

• Baking Powder does not have a long shelf life and will let you down if it’s old or improperly stored, but some things cannot be made without it.
• Baking Soda has multiple uses; besides the original anti-acid and an ingredient in toothpaste, adding some to the filling of pies will cut the need for sugar as it cuts the acidity. It cannot, however, be substituted for Baking Powder.

This suggests that availability could be a problem post TSHTF. A quick web-searching expedition confirms that Baking Powder does not, as LCHS states, store well. However, it can be made on demand with the following recipe found at the Frugal Living web site:
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch (optional)

A little more research suggests that if baking soda and cream of tartar are put up individually that they will store "indefinitely".

• Shelf Life of Cream of Tartar
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda

I am not a chef or student of the culinary arts, nor have I played one on television. I do enjoy problem solving though and would enjoy reading if others have practical experience with making their own. - Robert W.

JWR Replies: Thanks for that valuable information. OBTW, SurvivalBlog reader PWO sent us a link with a bit more detail on making your own baking powder, from Wise Geek.com.

Hi Jim,
Here is a bit about the progress of Swine Flu in Australia with this article about a quarantined luxury cruise ship.

We now have a cruise ship, the P & O Pacific Dawn, being quarantined at Willis Island on the Great Barrier Reef – with 2000 people on board. Yesterday the ship was photographed flying the yellow quarantine flag! Our “brilliant” state health departments let 20 infected people disembark at Sydney and they [then] flew throughout Australia .

[Some background:] 13 of these people turned up at the Robina Hospital at the Gold Coast and the staff at the hospital had no idea what to do with them. The people were put in a single room with a single bed and most of the family was made to sleep on the floor. Authorities seemed to be clueless.

They (the New South S]Wales government) then let new passengers embark on the infected ship and let the ship leave Sydney on a trip. They also let three infected staff sail on the new voyage. No prizes for guessing what happened next. All people on board now exposed to the swine flu and the ship has been quarantined.

I really enjoy your web log and I have been sharing it with my friends. Keep up the great work and my prayers and best wishes to your wife with her illness. Yours sincerely - Jamie in Queensland, Australia

Hazardous WHO Phase Daze "The constant rewriting of the phase system to avoid calling a phase 6 pandemic a phase 6 pandemic does significant harm in the monitoring of the pandemic, as well as raising public awareness of the seriousness of the evolution and spread of swine H1N1."

NYC Confirms Two More Deaths

56 Cases Confirmed In New Jersey

Frequent content contributor GG sent this Los Angeles Times article: Early retirement claims increase dramatically

Cities disincorporating? Towns Rethink Self-Reliance as Finances Worsen. (Thanks to GRK for the link.)

I found this linked at The Drudge Report: IRS tax revenue falls along with taxpayers' income

Items from The Economatrix:

Carmakers' Woes May Cost Six Million Jobs

Oil Down to Around $61 Ahead of OPEC Meeting

Stunning Reversal: Russian Economy Shrinks 23%

Is the US Dollar Heading for a Mighty Crash?

The Credit Default Swaps Cancer Inflicting the Financial System "CDS is the root-cause of systemic risk which connects hundreds of financial institutions together in a lethal daisy-chain that threatens to crash the entire system if one of the main players goes under."

Stock Market Rally Over, Prepare for New Bear Lows " ...it would appear that a sizeable proportion of the TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) funds not thus far deployed have been used to drive up the stock markets in order to create a positive environment for the banks to issue secondary shares and thus raise equity. While this is perfectly understandable, it also means that once the banks have finished selling this stock to the public, or the market is simply exhausted by being soaked in this way, it is likely to go into reverse in a big way."

Marty Weiss: Memorial Day Disaster--Foreigners Dumping Dollar Assets, Stocks & Bonds

Stock Market Rally Red Flags

Fed Admits No Credit Crisis, Bailout, TARP Exit Strategy

Global Debt Deleveraging Recession Gets Worse as Government Deficit Grows

GM Says Bond Offer Fails, Bankruptcy Likely

Chrysler in Court For Key Bankruptcy Hearing

Survey: Most Economists See Recession End in '09 (Gee, you've gotta give them points for their optimism. Perhaps they think that Disco will also make a comeback, later this year.)

Governments Pay More Burial Costs in Bad Economy

Roman suggested an article that ties in nicely with my suggestion of the "Three Ks" concept for recession-proof jobs: The Case for Working With Your Hands

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Cheryl mentioned this book review: Vaccines: Crossing Immunological Boundaries

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I recently had an Internet retailer contact me about advertising on my blog. I made some inquiries, and it turned out that about 60% of their merchandise is made in mainland China.
Unless or until China does away with the laogai system of prison factories, I will not accept advertising from any companies that have a more than 20% of their products made in mainland China. (These days, it is difficult to avoid having some Chinese content, especially at the component level, even if you try.) I'll be updating my advertising policies web page, to make this long-standing policy abundantly clear.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt

Would you like to be on NBC's Today television show? A producer of the show contacted me and asked for some background information on the growth of the preparedness movement, and for help in locating a guest for a taped interview. They are looking for a "typical suburban survivalist" somewhere within 200 miles of New York City, for an interview. E-mail: Josh Weiner of NBC.

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Today we present two more entries for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

When my companion and I began our 18-month transition period of moving to and living in the woods, we also began a period of education. We discussed and planned much. We bought books and magazines and took classes on everything from solar collecting to gardening.
One subject evaded me: cooking on a wood-burning stove. Every time I saw a magazine that flashed headlines on wood stoves, my hands would tremble in anticipation as I reached for it. However, the wood stoves in question were for heating, not for cooking.

Since we were looking at a self-sufficient lifestyle and wood on our 160 acres was virtually free, there wasn't even a consideration to use anything but wood for heating and cooking. Our land is approximately 95 percent maple, a steady source of excellent quality hardwood. Labor intensive yes, but since we were quitting our jobs, we had the time.
Initially, we tried to find a real antique stove for our kitchen. Since the 20' by 24' kitchen/dining/living room was to be the main focus of our new house, we wanted the stove not only to be functional but attractive as well. The antique stoves we found were either attractive but of questionable functionality, or functional and downright ugly.

Deborah's wood-fired cook stove
We bit the bullet and bought a brand-new, old-fashioned looking Enterprise King from Lehman's (if you ever have the chance to visit there, do it!). To this day, I'm glad we spent the extra money. Not that there aren't good old stoves out there, but we never found one.
Our stove has a warming oven overhead, a tip-down butter warmer, a washable porcelain clad oven with thermostat and an optional water jacket. The firebox has a side lifter lid and easily takes a 20-inch log. And it looks good.
But I still didn't know how to cook on it.

Being an experienced cook (translation: I love to cook), I figured I was tough. I was smart! I was inventive! I was lost. So I learned the hard way, by trial and error, lots of practice and even more patience. I've burned a few things, but only because I wasn't paying attention.
The functioning of the stove is really quite simple. They will last for generations with proper care, since there is so little that can go wrong with them.
One end has a firebox, and outside the firebox are vents. Mine has four "dials" which regulate how much air is fed to the fire. The more you open the vents, the hotter the fire. The ash door can also be opened for a surge of air, but this needs to be watched very carefully.

There is a sliding mechanism towards the back of the firebox. This diverts the smoke coming from the fire to go around the oven box before it escapes up the chimney. This heats the oven more consistently. The position of the slide unit is most important before lighting the stove.
Because a draft needs to be created when first firing up, the slide needs to be directed to the chimney. The positioning for my stove is to the right to light, to the left to bake. If you forget to reposition the slide, the result will be a roomful of smoke.

You can't set it at 350 º and walk away! The biggest challenge is keeping the oven heat even. Unlike a gas or electric stove, when you put something in the oven to cook and the temperature drops as the food absorbs the heat, nothing kicks in to compensate. What to do? Feed the fire wood that will burn quickly and offer more heat.
As the food begins to cook and its internal temperature rises, a longer, slower-burning piece of wood will maintain the heat. Open the oven door if it gets too hot - but not for long. Your oven may even have "hot spots" like mine. During baking, I turn bread or cookies 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Stay in the kitchen when there is cooking to be done. In winter, it's the best place to be.

Range top cooking is similar to a gas or electric stove, but you have more room available. The entire surface is hot, not just four little burners. No, those circles are not burners, as I once thought.

The surface area can be divided into three major temperature zones. The hottest is right over the firebox, whether it is on the right or left. The next warmest would be in the center, and the coolest is the front of the side opposite the firebox. After the coffee perks over the firebox, it stays warm sitting on a far corner.
Everything needs to be watched carefully, as the heat can drop or flare in a very short time. Don't be discouraged. Once you get used to the heat always being there (it doesn't shut off with the twist of a knob), cooking on a wood stove is easy

Grilling takes some patience, but it can be done. You can get pretty good results by removing one of those little circles over the firebox and placing a heat-resistant grate over the flame. I use half of a hamburger basket meant for grilling. I also lay aluminum foil around the opening to keep splatters to a minimum. Since most barbecuing is done inches above hot coals, some adjustment is necessary. I let flames do the grilling rather than coals. Since the grate is so much further from the heat, I use a hotter fire.
The cleaning and care you give your wood stove is important. Most cook stoves have three types of surfaces. There is cast iron, porcelain or enamel-finished sheet metal and decorative trim. A wet rag or sponge wiped daily on the decorative trim should suffice. For baked-on spots, a bit of non-abrasive cleanser like Soft-Scrub works very well. Prevention is the best approach to cleaning. Avoid spilling or splashing, since you can't wipe it up right away.
Don't put a wet pot on the stove. Remember, the surface is cast iron and will rust, even when hot. The least of your cleaning worries will be the rust ring, but the worst will be the ring underneath the rust that is there forever. Spots that are left on too long will pit the cast iron. By first taking a razor blade to spills, you can scrape up lots of gunk and save your buffing pad and shoulder.

Scotch Brite Very Fine is a metal sanding pad that is unsurpassed for cleaning even the toughest spots on cast iron surfaces. Always buff back and forth in one direction, from front to back, or you will get a scratched look. Always let the surface cool before buffing, or you will melt the cleaning pad.
Once the entire surface has been buffed, use a soft flannel cloth and wipe a thin layer of cooking oil over the whole surface. This seasons the top and makes it easier to clean the next day.
A word of caution: The oil has to be spread thinly. I've used too much, and when I lit the stove the next morning, the kitchen smelled like cooking popcorn.
When necessary, you will need to wipe down the metal back splash and warming oven. Warm, soapy water or a non-abrasive cleanser will do the trick. Clean the soot from under the oven monthly in the summer and weekly in the winter when the stove is constantly running. There is a small opening concealed by a decorative nameplate directly under the oven. Use a long-handled scraper to remove the blackish soot and hardened chunks. It's best to do this when the stove is cool, or the draft will keep pulling the soot back in. Don't forget the sides of the ash compartment. Cinders don't always fall into the ash pan.

One of the most overlooked areas for cleaning is the top of the oven box. Remember, you keep diverting smoke around the oven. If enough ash collects there, it will have an insulating effect, and your oven won't heat properly.

A friend and neighbor (around here, a neighbor is anyone who lives less than 10 miles away) complained that her recently purchased antique stove was giving her fits when she tried to maintain a steady temperature. I didn't hear another complaint after making this suggestion: The cooking surface is made up of two to four panels of cast iron. Remove these panels when the stove is cold and set them on newspapers, as they are sooty. This exposes the top of the oven box. The first time I did this was after a year of cooking, and I had over two inches of ash. Carefully brush this ash into the firebox, where it can fall into the ash pan. Do this too quickly and you'll raise an ash cloud.

Then take your long-handled scraper and scrape the sides of the oven box. Soot will fall to the bottom, where it can be removed through that little hidden door. The whole process should take about 15 minutes, and it will make a world of difference in your oven temperature. This cleaning should be done monthly or bimonthly in the summer and weekly in the winter.
The gasket around the top of the stove should be carefully inspected every year and replaced if it is too worn. I never concerned myself with the gasket. Two and a half years later, there was no gasket left! My stove had lost its air tightness, and I hadn't even noticed.

Most stove gasket packages I've seen include 84 inches of material, but my stove requires 100 inches. There is no loss of efficiency when material is pieced together. Just scrape the old stuff off, lightly sand, wipe off, glue and install the new gasket. This takes only 15 minutes and a few dollars, but what a difference it makes. Back when we started thinking about Y2K, we realized that it would be wise to keep a few gaskets in storage. You never know if they'll be available in a few years.

Cast iron pots and pans are nice, but certainly not necessary for wood stove cooking. Ceramic casserole dishes are great. Use common sense with pots that have plastic or wooden handles. Don't put anything into the oven that wouldn't go into a conventional oven, and don't position handles over the cooking area that you couldn't expose to a gas burner. Never put a plastic bowl on the stove, even if you think it's cold.

I purchased two pieces of cast iron cookware for $5 at an estate sale last summer. They were valued at over $80 new in a catalog. The old pieces cleaned up quickly and are among my favorites. One major advantage of cast iron is that it stays hot. That might not seem like a big deal until you serve a pot of stew or spaghetti on a cool evening.
Use the warming oven to your advantage. I keep four plates (two meals) and two soup bowls in my warmer. Having a pre-warmed plate at mealtime can make a big difference. I also have a biscuit stone (a terra cotta disk that is heated and put in the bottom of a basket of biscuits or rolls) that I rarely remember to heat up on time, so I just leave it in the bottom of the oven.

What I cook since we moved to the woods has changed, but that's because we've changed the way we eat. We eat less meat and more home-grown vegetables, more soups and bread. I now have the time to bake, and homemade, fresh-baked bread tastes like heaven. Soup is easy to simmer on the stove.

We have very little waste, because everything goes into a soup jar. This is something every cook can do. If you open a can of mushrooms, pour the juice into a jar and freeze it. After you cook vegetables, pour that liquid into the jar. I even save the liquid from soaking the roasting pan. To prevent overeating, put the last few mouthfuls of veggies, rice or potatoes in the soup jar. It makes for some very interesting, economical, healthy and work-free soup. For me, it's a conscientious thing to do, as I care about not wasting things.
Here in the Upper Peninsula, the weather is fairly cold all the time, so the stove is always running except in mid-summer. The first thing I do in the morning is light the stove. While the kindling is catching, I feed Muffin, our 15-year old cat. Then I add three or four pieces of wood, light the kerosene lamp, check the temperature outside and add larger logs to the fire. Now it's time to put the coffee pot over the fire box. Then it's back to the warmth of the bed. It takes about 20 minutes for the water to boil and another 20 minutes to perk. By the time the coffee is ready, the room is also warm.
I bake something almost every day. Since our refrigeration (an antique ice box) is limited, I bake only one loaf of bread at a time. Cookies and biscotti are favorites around here. Dinner is usually started around 4 P.M., and I let the fire go out. The coals are ready to be knocked down into the ash pan by 9:00. Since I don't want to mess with all the details when it's cold in the morning, I lay a new fire, clear the stove top and fill the coffee pot at night. I'm ready for a new day.

Note: This article was first written more than 10 years ago. Here is an update: the cat is gone, the companion is gone, but the stove and I are still together!
- Deborah in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Solar and wind electric generation systems are affordable and efficient, but there are a many areas of the U.S. where wind systems are not feasible, and few localized areas where solar systems are not feasible. A diesel powered generator with a large underground tank is reliable, but under adverse conditions the tank could run dry. Fortunately there are two systems capable of generating electric power with wood, a fuel readily available in most parts of the country.

Gasification is a process of burning wood or other solid biomass in a specialized combustion vessel (basically an upside-down wood stove) that generates hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO) gases as by-products of the high temperature combustion. The exhaust gases can then be used to fuel an internal combustion engine. Gasifiers were used across Europe during WWII to power tractors, trucks and buses when gasoline was not available. The return of gasoline after the war caused gasification to drop off the radar. A group of American pioneers have revived the technology and made great strides in bringing this lost technology back to the market.

All Power Labs in California sells do-it-yourself kits and complete gasifier systems, known as gasifier experimenter's kits (GEKs). GEKs have been used to power cars and generators, it is potentially a complete solution. GEKs are operating around the world. GEKs is an open source project, that is, the plans are free and users are encouraged to experiment and share their knowledge. The design and operation of the gasifier requires wood blocks/chips, pellets or similar sized fuel. Split firewood is not an option when operating on a small scale.

The other option is small scale steam. Steam engines powered the industrial revolution and were in use well after the advent of petroleum products and the electrical grid. Mike Brown in Missouri manufactures a range of small scale steam engines, from 1-to-20 horsepower.

Operating a steam engine requires specialized knowledge and skills, steam is dangerous in inexperienced hands. Mike Brown has a package of instructional materials for sale and will insist you do your homework before purchasing of one of his engines.

Steam engines require a boiler to generate the steam to drive the engine. Boilers can be made from copper tubing and junkyard scrap for a few hundred dollars providing there is a metal worker in the neighborhood; plans and a how-to video are available from Mike Brown. ASME-certified boilers are available in limited quantities.

Both systems will generate electricity when gasoline, diesel and propane fuels are unavailable, the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing . These systems are best suited for short term backup power or as a supplement to a solar/wind system. Neither system is “off the shelf” ready, they both require back yard engineering skills and American ingenuity Both systems require a stock of wood or other solid fuel to operate for any extended time. They both require tending and maintenance. Relying on steam or gasification for a year-round supply of electricity for a retreat is unrealistic in most cases . Note however that life in the future may become very unrealistic.

But will these systems power a retreat? If you had a 3 hp steam system the answer is yes. I did some rough calculations; in which I could be off by ±25%. I am assuming a battery bank for storage. A 3 hp system steaming for 6 hours per day for a month would generate approximately 400 KW. For comparison, 400 KW is less than one half of what the average American household uses in a month, but far more than most solar or wind systems will generate. We get by on less than 400 KW per month and the retreat is all electric, including hot water, range and refrigerator and I run many power tools in the shop. 400 KW is a huge amount of electricity in terms of the creature comforts it can provide. Under emergency conditions 100 KW/month would drive a well pump, laptop, lights, radios and cell phone chargers.[JWR Adds: Don't forget that when drawing DC power from a battery bank, that inversion to AC with a modern inverter is about 80% efficient in typical use, and they can be about 90% efficiency under optimal conditions. To understand the concepts of kilowatts and kilowatt hours (KWh), see Wikipedia.)

If oak were used for fuel it would take 13 cords of firewood per year (that is a lot of wood). At $225 per cord it would cost approximately $3,000 per year plus many hours of manual labor. This is not what the modern American considers convenience, but under lock-down conditions you may be the only one within 100 miles that is powered up after a week. Under emergency conditions you will be at home with enough time on your hands to stoke the fire every hour. I have not done a similar analysis of the gasifier. A gasifier is a very efficient use of biomass, I would expect you can achieve much the same results as a steam system. GEK users will be happy to share what they know.

Gasifier
Pros: Technically within the range of the do-it-yourselfer. Will power many internal combustion engines. Will burn chipped/blocked wood and forest scrap, walnut shells and more. Waste heat from the gasifier and IC engine can be used to heat water (which can be used to heat a home). The exhaust gas from the IC engine is water vapor and there is no smoke, the smoke has been converted to a combustible gas.
Cons: Requires small, consistent-sized fuel such as dry wood chips. Generates carbon monoxide (CO), a deadly gas although this gas can be used to fuel an outdoor stove. Cannot be installed within a living space (same with steam). Limited supply, however plans are free and a gasifier can be built with scrap steel and junkyard parts by any welder/metal worker.
Cost: Approximately $1,000-3,000 (not including engine, generator or storage batteries).

Steam Engine
Pros: The most reliable and simple of backup systems. Quiet. Steam can be used for multiple purposes including space and water heating and making bio-fuels, including alcohol. Can be powered with both solid and liquid fuels.
Cons: Requires a good bit of self-study. Potentially hazardous. Limited source of supply for engines and boilers although both should last a lifetime and be worth their weight in silver should it come to that.
Cost: Approximately $7,000 for 3 hp engine and boiler (not including generator or storage batteries), the greater part of the cost for a manufactured boiler.
Steam engines are precision machines available in limited quantities. Cost aside, it could be months before you take delivery, but remember patience is a virtue. If time and money is of the essence then the GEK is the best bet; a team of garage mechanics could have a GEK up and running in a week. GEKs can be manufactured from plans without royalties, potentially a great business opportunity.

Hello Jim,
I recently finished reading [the recently-released novel] One Second After [by William R. Forstchen].The potential realities of this story can grab you. [In the novel] a young girl who dies because her insulin supply deteriorated. Lack of adequate refrigeration degraded the quality and effectiveness of the insulin.

I was reviewing some bug out literature and ran across a list of equipment that included a portable 12 VDC cooler unit. This would be great for transporting heat sensitive pharmaceuticals during a move of some distance.

My question is this: What effect would an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack have on this kind of machine? Does it contain modern circuitry that would be susceptible to the EMP effect?

The second question:
Are solar panels susceptible to EMP effect?
I am referring to just the panels and not associated secondary storage, control and electrical connections.

The third question:
The chargers that come with solar panels, spotlights, hand held radios, scanners and the like seem to be simple transformers.
But do they contain any circuitry that an EMP wave would destroy?

I read your site every day. Cordially, - JWC in Oklahoma

JWR Replies: In answer to your questions:

Even if your refrigerator has some microcircuits, it is probably not at risk to an EMP waveform, especially if it is running from a stand-alone 12 VDC power system. (Generally, devices that are connected to grid power are at greater risk of EMP coupling.) But just to be safe, when your compact refrigerator is not in use, you should store it in a galvanized steel garbage can (with a tight-fitting lid), to act as a protective Faraday cage.

Solar panels themselves are not at risk, but charge controllers and possibly inverters are, because they use microcircuits. Since protection via zener diodes is not always reliable, the most practical solution is to buy a couple of spare charge controllers, and store them in ammo cans.

Scientist: UK Swine Flu Really 30,000

Swine Flu Spreading Wider Than Official Data Shows So, if just 1 in 20 confirmed cases are being reported in the US, then there are possibly now 100,000 US cases

Reader Mike W. sent this: At Estates of the Fabulously Rich, Gilded Era is Going, Going, Gone

D.S. recommended the ShadowStats primers series. D.S. comments: "Most folks that read SurvivalBlog are economically savvy - still, the 'primers' by John Williams at Shadowstats.com are excellent and help us understand the systematic distortion (okay, bald faced lies) about the real US Economy ... I think this may aid folks as the economy 'sails off the map' or as flat earth maps stated 'beware, beyond here lye Dragons'. Hmmm, think there is a correlation between 'flat earth cartographers' and today's sheeple?"

From Jack B.: China Warns Federal Reserve Over 'Printing Money'

Items from The Economatrix:

Global Collapse in Milk Prices Wipes Out Dairy Farmers' Profit

America's "Pink-Slip" Capitals

Job Losses Push Safer Mortgages to Foreclosure

This Crisis Isn't California's Alone 47 states have budget gaps and not many solutions

Why a GM Bankruptcy Would be a Disaster

US Bonds Sales Faces Market Resistance "The US Treasury is facing an ordeal by fire this week as it tries to sell $100 billion (£62 billion) of bonds to a deeply skeptical market amid growing fears of a sovereign bond crisis in the Anglo-Saxon world."

From veteran analyst Richard Maybury: What Obama Does Not Know

Federal Reserve Holding Over $2 Trillion in Darkest Balance Sheet in Financial History

Last Hope for Survival (The Mogambo Guru)

There is an excellent thread of discourse in progress over at TMM's Gulching/Self-Sufficiency Forum titled, Burn a CD with survival and gulching information on it, what would you include?

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As you've doubtless already heard, the "rogue state" nuclear threat index just increased. I consider "Kim Jong Il " and "Unstable" synonymous.

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Florida Guy sent a news article on the latest manifestation of hoplophobia: New York. proposes new bill to register and track all state ammo sales

"Unlike any other nation, here the people rule, and their will is the supreme law." - William McKinley

The Associated Press just ran an article on the survivalist movement that briefly quoted me: Crisis spurs spike in 'suburban survivalists'. Meanwhile, ABC news ran a similar article: 'Recession Apocalypse': Preparing for the End of the World" Economic Survivalists Hunker Down for Doomsday; Recession Triggers Movement Toward Self-Sufficiency. Okay, its official: In the eyes of the mainstream media, we're now a "Movement".

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Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Cooking as you once knew it, from cabinets bulging with a variety of packaged items, store bread and cookies, or a quick trips to the store for box cereal and meat in a neat packages, with an armful of deli tubs and rotisserie chicken – just ended. Think about this statement for a minute. If you have never learned to cook with simple ingredients and don’t have the right kinds of cookbooks you’re not only going to have trouble using that stored grocery staple food, it’s going to mean a steep learning curve at a time when you need it the least. You’ll have a houseful of kids usually in school, perhaps people sick; sporadic or no electricity and few of the conveniences modern kitchens run on, but the ‘three squares’ will be marching on every day and need to be nutritious enough to keep everyone healthy and keep a breath of normalcy in life.

The family that has allowed everyone to ‘do their own thing’, eat whatever and wherever they like with no care for anyone else in the family, will have a far worse time than the family that has learned to cook, wash and dry dishes together, help each other, compliment good cooking and pitch in as things get hard. These traits are made, not born, and can be worked on now, before the need is critical. The scariest thing about life after TSHTF for me is not home invasions, it’s the homes already invaded by selfish, unskilled individuals used to having someone else stock the larder, who are allergic to work and worst, have no loyalty to the family or its well being.

My first recommendation: start cooking now and learn to make breadstuffs especially. Then set a date with your family for a home-cooked meal at least once a week and stick to it. Solemnly determine that these will be good times, with no arguments, ‘tudes and volatile subjects – make a separate time for family ‘meetings’. Make it old fashioned – get out the kerosene lanterns and wash the dishes by hand. After the Disaster, especially if it means being stuck at home (as in a quarantine or bad storm scenario) this will be one of the hubs of normalcy for family life if you’ve made it that way before you needed to.

Recipes included in this article are mine, come from the cookbooks recommended at the end of the article, or (in the case of simple breads, muffins and dumplings) can be found in any practical, pre-1970 cookbook. I have used all the techniques and recipes listed.

If you’ve been awake to issues in modern America, you’ve stored what your family can and will eat, thought through simple family recipes and have the ingredients on hand. Rotation of old to new goes without saying.

Know about your ingredients: what they can do and how to use them.

• Baking Powder does not have a long shelf life and will let you down if it’s old or improperly stored, but some things cannot be made without it.
• Baking soda has multiple uses; besides the original anti-acid and an ingredient in toothpaste, adding some to the filling of pies will cut the need for sugar as it cuts the acidity. It cannot, however, be substituted for Baking Powder.
• Vanilla will cut the need for sugar in recipes such as cornbread, in half. Vinegar is a good cleaner as well as essential for pickling (see below). Spices aren’t really optional if you hope to lessen the sense of deprivation, and some, like cinnamon, have medicinal uses (it is an anti-fungal). Spice merchants will tell you storage time is one year, but I have used older ones to good effect. They don’t seem to go bad but flavor may fade.
• Besides the many cooking uses of Kosher salt, it can be used to make normal saline for[medicinal] irrigation (1/4 tsp to 8 oz water plus 1/4tsp baking soda). .
• Sugar is a molecule almost miraculous in its ability to produce many different things. The same 2 Cups of sugar is a staple of fudge, the basis of fondant, the icing on a cake, the basic ingredient of peanut brittle, mixed with alcohol will preserve a fruitcake for over a year, keep fruit from oxidizing and make fruit last for a long time in the form of jams and jellies. See the book ‘On Food and Cooking’, listed below, as a primer for knowing your ingredients and what they can do.

Although we have long-term grain storage, I have a year’s worth of flour stored in large, air-tight, screw top containers for convenience and because one family member is on a low-fiber diet. I wrap each bag of flour separately to segregate any infected with grocery store meal moths from rest (although this has never actually happened), marked each one with the date bought, and NEVER stored any other item (especially ones with a strong smell) in the containers, as the entire batch will absorb the smell over time. We learned this by storing soap with other items. FYI, the best plastic bags are the oxygen-impermeable ones that cereal comes in. Although it’s hard to find ones big enough for a 5 lb bag of flour, other items keep well in them if your budget doesn’t extend to a machine for extended storage. Wash these, discard any that still smell of fruit, etc., after a washing, and use the rest.

We have several 1940 era cookbooks, Mennonite/Amish cookbooks and a thin book of ingredient substitutions as well as good, basic ones at least 30 years old. They’re priceless for simplicity, economy and few ingredients. This will mean going to the used bookstore or surfing Amazon. Avoid modern cookbooks that assume access to lots of ingredients and avoid cookbooks from the 1800s because they do not have standard measurements and assume things you might not about how to assemble ingredients, cooking times, pans and temperatures.

We’ve stored sugar for years in airtight containers, buying it when it is on sale. But don’t store white and brown sugar together, since brown sugar tends to begin to smell as if it’s fermenting after a while and will make the whole lot smell the same. Instead store molasses and make brown sugar if you need it by adding about 1/8 C molasses per cup of white sugar. Molasses is useful in many other ways, too, for syrups, for flavor and for pies. Sugar is also a preservative – fruitcakes made and glazed properly will keep a very, very long time – I used to make them for two years storage when the family was larger and keep them in an old fridge in the cellar, tightly wrapped. That last cup of canned fruit, mixed with an equal amount of sugar and simmered, will make a quick jelly. Simple candy is easy to make and good therapy for bored and frightened kids.

Soured milk products are easy to make from starters and will last a very long time if kept cool or made often – this is why they were originally invented. The ‘good bugs’ keep ‘bad bugs’ at bay as long as conditions are kept constant. A cup of buttermilk put into a quart of fresh milk will thicken, in a day or so at room temperature, depending on how hot/cool the ambient temp is. A new starter is made with the last of the old and put into a jar newly sterilized with boiling water and then allowed to cool a bit so as not to fry the starter. This is where you get buttermilk for pancakes and myriad recipes from your old cookbooks that call for ‘sour milk’, and the bonus is that all ‘sour milk’ recipes use baking soda. Heating homemade ‘sour milk’ makes it ‘clabber’ like starting the process of cheese making and it can be drained to make a simple cheese very like ricotta. Yogurt is a bit trickier, requiring more careful temperatures to make it thick like the commercial product, so I no longer make it.

When everything has to be made from scratch, get used to less variety. You’ll be baking bread for sandwiches, for example. To conserve fuel, plan your baking with the items that need the hottest temperatures to be cooked first, and multitask, i.e., start the yeast dough that needs to rise before beginning quick breads. Cook in the cool of the day in summer; use the stove to augment heat in the winter. Consider dual bread recipes, i.e., those usually sweeter sandwich bread doughs that can be made into sweet rolls, sticky buns, coffee cakes, etc., to get two birds with one culinary stone.

With no refrigeration and no preservatives, your baking should be used up before the next batch. The leftovers are never wasted: crumbs from the end of bread become the topping for a casserole, (grate the bread like a lemon on your hand grater) or can be used to thicken a dish, made into croutons or added to stewed tomatoes.
Some items last well in air-tight containers: biscotti and springerle for example, or bagels, and can be made less often. The same dough will make French bread or bagels; the difference in texture and shelf life is in the boiling bagels get before baking. Careful rotation of your recipes will help keep the sense of deep deprivation at bay.

Let’s say, that in your store you have Crisco, flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, yeast, and powdered milk, potato flakes and eggs. Beginning with those things that use the simplest ingredients here are some suggested products: from flour, salt, yeast, water and a small amount of sugar, you make French style bread to bake for bread and rolls. Add a boiling to formed ‘donut’ shapes and you have bagels. Same dough: roll out flat, top with whatever you have to make pizza or focaccia – these can be baked on a covered grill, by the way. Keep them small and bake on the highest rack, remembering that these types of breads don’t have to be round. Don’t forget doughboys, fried in oil, for quick energy if you have hungry people working the land or keeping the perimeter of your homestead safe, especially in cold weather.

Flour, yeast and water in a different ratio gives you soft pretzels. The addition of potato flakes, milk and an adjustment of proportions gives you English Muffins. Adding more sugar and milk gives a silkier, sweeter dough for sandwiches, coffeecakes, etc., as previously mentioned.

. So far we’ve used no shortening, except perhaps to grease the pans or fry bread we needed in a hurry. So, now, with Crisco, flour and salt you make piecrust, which can also be dusted with sugar and cinnamon and baked or rolled up, slashed and baked to make a delicious, primitive cookie. Add milk and you have biscuits or dumplings. Add sugar, eggs and cinnamon, and you have the basics for quick breads, muffins, donuts and simple (one egg) cakes, plus non-fruit fillings for pies. (Lancaster Crumb, Chess). Add potato flakes (or leftover, sieved potato) and you have English Muffins and can also make light, sweet breads. Some of these doughs will keep in a cool place for a few days. Check out ‘refrigerator dough’ in your old cookbooks. Since boiling and baking are major cooking techniques, be prepared for several ways to do these. I have an old tin oven that belonged to my grandmother. It looks like a big black box with a thermometer in the front, (similar to those round ones people have on their wood stoves), and some grates inside. Special small pans were made to go in it. The box sits over the burner on a stove and creates an environment one can bake in. Very handy if your gas stove has an electric glow-plug and you don’t have electricity, or you have only the cook top on your wood stove.

English muffins are made on a grill, like the one used for pancakes, or in a large fry pan. I’ve done this when it was too hot to bake. A big, cast-iron pot with a grate in the bottom and a small pan that fits inside will also serve as a makeshift oven. We college kids made Bisquick coffee cake in small quantities using the old style popcorn popper, with the ‘popper’ as the ‘oven’, a piece of wadded up tin foil to keep a small pan off the bottom and a careful eye through the glass lid as it baked. (This was a fire hazard, but it shows what can be done in a pinch.) If you have to resort to this, you will have to bake in small quantities or the item won’t be done in the center before it starts to burn.

If you want to boil food at various heat levels on a wood or coal heating stove, you’ll need a set of graduated trivets to move the pot closer or farther from the heat source. Just before Y2K I suggested this in a ‘back to basics’ magazine and created a run on trivets. Now, I see that a couple of the main suppliers stock them in more than one height.

People have lived through disasters before, have eaten tough meat, have gotten along without eggs or milk. Your 1940s-era cookbook will have wartime recipes for these circumstances, and your substitutions pamphlet will tell you how much water or applesauce to substitute for an egg if you don’t have one and what recipes will take this and which ones won’t.

Old time recipes make food go a long way, deliciously. Example, you have a chicken that you’ve decided to sacrifice for a dinner for 6, or some tinny chicken in cans you bought during a stock up phase. Impossible? Try croquettes. Simmer the old girl slowly until somewhat tender about two hours. Use the broth for soup. Pull off the meat and grind, chop or otherwise process until very fine, the texture of tuna. Add fresh breadcrumbs (your bread, grated on an old-fashioned flat grater, the kind used for cheese) in a ratio of 1 to 2 of meat (you can go up to almost 1 to 1) and chopped, cooked leftover or canned vegetables, hold all together with your basic white sauce, season carefully. Form into balls or patties; fry. Make enough extra white sauce for a ‘gravy’ to go over (don’t forget that broth can substitute for milk). Rolling the balls in egg and more crumbs is nice if you have them. It’s incredible how far that bird will go, and it tastes good because the old chicken makes up in flavor for what she lacks in tenderness.

Venison cookery is an art I don’t pretend to, but we make a simple tasty stew here by browning the meat in oil, deglazing with wine or broth, then covering the pot tightly and cooking at the lowest possible setting until tender. (Think trivet here.) Since most lids don’t fit tightly, I use a folded strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the pan, then press the lid down tight. I find this an essential cooking technique for tough meats. Add veggies later.

Don’t forget you have the ingredients for pickling, if fresh things become available, and it only takes minutes to get a batch going. Green Beans, for example, in a solution of vinegar and sugar, will last six months in a cool place. (The ‘Three Bean’ salad. It can be made from just green beans, green and wax, or add cans of drained shell beans and a small amount of onion.) Not only are such recipes big time-savers when you have to cook everything from scratch; they are a quick way to preserve items if you have storage of 40 degrees. On our little homestead, pickling cucumbers, beans and fish have become valuable additions to canning and freezing because they are quick to prepare at a time when we have a glut of the food, but then keep until the following summer if not eaten, first.

I will include here the recipe for pickling fresh fish, because we could not find one and developed it here with the help of some elderly Swedish ladies in our church. We used herring until our state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said you couldn’t take them, now we use small bluefish. The result is like Vita herring you get in a jar. The main problem with the Swedish recipe was that it called for salted fish, and we had fresh. We had to find a way to safely salt our fish and did it by borrowing from the techniques for making corned beef.
Read the whole recipe before starting. Obtain 14 –15 fish 8” to 12” long. Clean fish very well, fillet and scale them. Bones don’t need to be removed from the fillets. Salt them liberally with Kosher salt in a large glass container, alternating fillets and salt. Let stand overnight, weighed down with a plate. Liquid will form. Mix: 1 gallon water, 2 Cups Sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking soda. Pour this mixture over the fish and weight down again. Let stand 7 days at 38 degrees. Turn the fillets every day or so. Some salt will just lie on the bottom, this is okay. Remove fillets, rinse. Fish will now be translucent on the edges like gummy candy and skin easily, and the side bones should come off with the skin. Skin fillets and cut into pieces on the slant. Mix: 1-/1/2 Cups White Vinegar, 1 Cup Water, 1-1/2 Cups thinly sliced Onion, 1 Cup Sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. You will also need: 7 whole allspice, 6 bay leaves [remove after cooking], 8 peppercorns, and 1-/1/2 teaspoons mustard seed. Place herring and spices divided between large jars and pour the solution over them. Place one clove at the top of each jar (this makes a big difference in the final flavor, adding sweetness.) Make sure no fish or onions are above the liquid level – I use cut up plain (clear) plastic lids for this and weigh them down. Let stand at 38 degrees for at least two weeks. Fish will become softer and more flavorful with time. After 6 months, fish will become soggy, so use it up. Don’t use any plastic container for brining or storage you don’t want ruined, and do not use metal lids unless you put plastic over to protect the lids from the brine or they will rust.

My favorite picks for cookbooks:

• Mennonite Country-style Recipes and Kitchen Secrets by Esther H. Shank, Herald Press.
• Substituting Ingredients by Epstein/Klein, Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, CT.
• The Victory Binding of the American Woman’s Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute by Consolidated Book Publishers, Chicago, 1942 ed. with Wartime chapters.
• Amish Cooking, Deluxe Edition, Herald Press, Scottsdale, PA.
• On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, Collier Books, MacMillan Pub. Co. (useful for understanding ingredients and cooking methods.)

Jim,

The June / July 2009 issue of Outdoor Life magazine is out, and they again rate the top 200 towns to live in based on the following data:
1. Gun Laws
2. Huntable species
3. Fishable species
4. Public-Land access
5. Trophy potential

Their top Five? Lewiston Idaho, Marquette Michigan, Idaho Falls Idaho, Rawlins Wyoming, and Pocatello Idaho.
They also rate the 30 places to live for hunters and fisherman based upon the cost of living index. (Your dollar goes further there.)
This magazine is out now, and also has an excellent review on many current binoculars and spotting scopes.
Look for the big: "200 Best" on the cover.(BTW, I am not associated with this magazine.)

Regards, - FloridaGuy

JWR Replies: It is no surprise that Idaho, Wyoming and Montana have held prominent positions in the Outdoor Life rankings for two consecutive years. After all, some of their criteria is quite similar to what I used in my Recommended Retreat Areas state-level rankings.

Dear Mr. Rawles
I would like to add one last letter in response to “Uninvited Guests” and to let your readers know that the only effective means to control head lice is by “mechanical” removal. We were unfortunate to live, for a time, in an area of the country where head lice had become resistant to the OTC treatments. This is because most people did not realize that in addition to the application of something such as Rid, one must also clean one’s living quarters, as well as systematically go through the lice sufferer’s hair—strand, by strand, by strand…. Now this may seem very laborious, but it is amazing how easy this becomes if you do this once a day for at least a week along with the essential oil treatment that I have listed below. It took my daughter having lice twice, and the school where my children attended to tell me that they had, during certain times of the year a 45% infection rate! Through several conversations with the local health department, and doctors, the conclusion was reached that the lice had become resistant to the OTC preparations, which are also not good for anyone—this stuff is poisonous! Once I came up with my own treatment, my daughter never had lice again, and thankfully we moved back to Texas away from the lice infested area that we had lived in. Here is the treatment that I recommend, and have given to several people I know. For the most part, the supplies are readily available and plentiful—for now and everything is non-toxic!

Supplies

-One very fined tooted comb—a metal one with a handle (like a rat-tailed comb) if you can find it-plastic will not hold up as well
-One regular comb(don’t use this one for lice removal)
-A set of metal hair clips (about 4 or 5)—like the ones hair dressers use to separate hair when they are cutting it
-Plastic wrap or a hair cap
-a coffee can with a lid-- with olive oil in it—so when you find a bug or a nit, you can place it in the can to smother it
-a pair of pointed hair trimming scissors
-a pair of pointed tweezers to pick up individual hair strands
-a bright light to shine on your work
-a couple of bath towels
-Essential Oil Mixture- 1 oz of olive oil, 5 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops rosemary oil, 3 drops oregano oil
-Plain Olive Oil

When I was going through my daughter’s hair, I would have her sit on the floor with her head resting on a pillow covered in plastic on the coffee table. That was she was comfortable, and could read a book, or watch a video—we are not connected to trash TV). I would sit on the couch with her body between my legs


Step One: Infuse the hair with the Essential oil mixture, making sure to coat the scalp, and all the hair strands. Place the plastic cap on the coated hair and leave on the hair for 30 minutes. This has a two-fold purpose-the body-heat helps the oil to soak into the strands of hair for ease of running the very fined toothed comb through the hair, and the heat also helps to kill the bugs.
Step Two: Part hair down the middle and clip each side with the hair clips
Step Three: Beginning with one side of the head, separate and comb out a very small section of hair from the clip (it is better to go through fewer strands of hair at a time), and run the fined-toothed comb through each strand of hair
Step Four: As you inspect each strand of hair, look for nits at the base of the hair near the scalp. Lice lay their eggs at the base of each hair strand—it is important to get all of these since these are the viable ones and missing one may start the lice-cycle all over again—any nit higher up is more than liking not a viable one, but these should be removed as well.
Step Five-If you find a nit on a hair strand single it out with the tweezers and cut it as close to the scalp with the scissors. Same for a bug( adult lice) No you will not make your child bald—even if the infestation is severe! Lice attach their nits with a glue that makes it almost impossible to remove without losing the nit in the environment—it is best to clip the hair strand with the nit attached and place it in the olive oil in the coffee can.
Step Six- After each small section of hair has been inspected, use another clip to twist the hair and separate the now “clean” hair from the rest of the hair that needs to be inspected. Depending on the amount of hair—my daughter has very thick hair—you might need to use several hair clips
Step Seven-after finishing with the first half of the scalp, repeat steps four through six on the other half of the head

When I got the hang of it, I could go through one half of my daughter’s head in 20 minutes

Step Eight-when the process is complete wash hair a couple times to wash out the essential oils. Then massage a few drops of plain olive oil into the hair and comb from the scalp to the tips (Remember—don’t use the nit picking comb—you do not want to accidentally re-infest) If the child’s hair is long enough braid very tightly! The one thing that I was told that lice do not like oily hair, or hair that is tightly bound—they cannot attach themselves as readily!
Step Nine-clean and vacuum your house. Any stuffed animals placed an airtight plastic bag. Any nits that hatch have to have a human host soon, or they will die. Keep non-washable items in a plastic bag for about three weeks. Wash bedding daily, and if possible, hang out on the clothes line in the sun to drive.

Repeat this process daily for one week, and then do a preventative once a week. It is better to catch an early infestation, than to have to deal with a full out battle! The olive oil also makes hair very shiny!

Although lice infestation may seem like a curse, my daughter and I certainly made the best of it, and enjoyed our “nit picking” time together! Best Regards, - Susan M.

Dear Mr. Rawles,
As a Registered Nurse, during my tenure at a local hospital, a nurse practitioner showed me a simple test to determine if scabies were present in a patient showing possible symptoms of an infestation.

Use a Sharpie marker to draw lines between a person's fingers. Allow this to dry. Take an alcohol wipe and wipe off the dried ink. If dark, narrow lines are left after the surface ink has been wiped away, it likely indicates the presence of scabies. The reason is that the critters tunnel under the skin, leaving a narrow track for the ink to penetrate.

All the best to you and yours, - Publius

Face Protection Effective in Preventing the Spread of Influenza, Study Suggests

Swine Flu Hits Spanish Military Base; 500 Quarantined

18 US Soldiers Have H1N1 in Kuwait

GG sent us this: Gold bugs at last have their perfect trinity

Also from GG: The American peso. JWR Adds: As I've mentioned before in the blog, 72 is the crucial level to watch for in the US Dollar Index (USDI) . Anywhere south of there for more than two weeks could signal a collapse in international confidence in the dollar.

Mike W. flagged this piece by Caroline Baum: Inflation ‘Cure’ Exposed When In-Laws Move In

Also from Mike W comes this Wall Street Journal article on self-employment: Ready to Be the Boss?

From HPD: Jesse's Café Américain: Bernanke's Wager with the US Bond and Dollar

Items from The Economatrix:

Rising Unemployment Raises Threat of Social Crisis

Unemployment 20% Higher in Democratic Strongholds

Californians Revolt, Slash Governor, Officeholders' Pay 18% Arnold asks for $6B bailout, may set precedent for other states

Governator Proposes Terminating Welfare Benefits For California Residents

Recession Suddenly Humbles High Tech Sector "When Google is laying off you know something is going very wrong."

Novel Ideas Surface for Bank Execs' Pay They arre moving away from stock options (I wonder why?)

G8 Leaders Urge Oil Price Stability

China Economist: Yuan Should Be Regional Currency to Rival Dollar

Investors Await Housing, Consumer Confidence News

Are Liberal Arts Degrees Worthless in This Economy?

I was disappointed to see that my novel "Patriots" has slipped from the 4.5 star rating that it consistently held on Amazon.com for the past nine years, down to just 4 stars. The reason? It is obvious that several readers who just don't "get it" when it comes to the concept of preparedness bought copies of the novel from the racks at their local bookstores. Perhaps they thought that it would just be another in the endless parade of Tom Clancy clones--formulaic "techno thrillers", which seem to invariably be set in either New York City, or inside the DC Beltway. These novels most typically portray the protagonist saving the day just short of an economic meltdown, or de-escalating a full-scale armed international conflict. Perhaps my novel is just a bit too jarring for the psyches of some readers. They don't want to be confronted with the prospect of an actual economic meltdown, or an actual global war, and the nitty-gritty consequences that will thence ensue. The other group of vocal critics are clearly folks that are horrified to see my protagonist characters actually praying and honoring Christ. Clearly, I've offended someone's sensibilities. ("How dare they repent and beseech God for for guidance, providence, and protection?") Perhaps actually practicing Christianity is too far removed from their world view. Oh, and I must also mention that a couple of reviewers that panned the book admitted to never even reading it. That is hardly fair. Now, I don't claim to be a literary genius, and I'm not begging for Brownie Points here, but if you have a different opinion of the novel, then I'd greatly appreciate seeing your review posted at Amazon.com. Just a paragraph or two from you would balance out the strident voices of the anti-survivalists and the anti-Christians. Thanks!

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The Great Ethanol Scam (Thanks to Cheryl for the link.)

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Farms Downsize With Miniature Cows More sirloin and less soup bone.

"A radical does not mean a man who lives on radishes," remarked Crook, with some impatience; "and a Conservative does not mean a man who preserves jam. Neither, I assure you, does a Socialist mean a man who desires a social evening with the chimney-sweep. A Socialist means a man who wants all the chimneys swept and all the chimney-sweeps paid for it."
"But who won't allow you," put in the priest in a low voice, "to own your own soot." - G.K. Chesterton, in his novel 'The Innocence and Wisdom of Father Brown'

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

[Introductory note from JWR: I have made some changes to the following text, regarding safety issues. ]

Storing food is an important part of preparing for disasters, natural or man-made. Much has been written about survival foodstuffs: what to store, how long it can be stored, and what foods are needed to form a balanced diet to aid in living through a TEOTWAWKI scenario. How to prepare food is almost as important as what sorts of food to store. In a disaster scenario, circumstances will change radically from the every day life of today, and food preparation and consumption will also change.

One common characteristic of many crisis scenarios is this: fuel shortages. In any significant societal collapse, economic breakdown, or military conflict, re-supply of fuels will be difficult or even impossible. Grid power and piped-in gas might be intermittent or unavailable. All cooking will be done using wood fires, wood stoves, camp stoves, solar ovens, and other “non traditional” (for 21st century first world individuals) methods. Unfortunately, the staple foods of survivalists, which are beans and rice to that make a complete protein source, usually require long cooking times. These long cooking times mean that large quantities of scarce fuels would be needed to prepare them.
This is where a handy and mostly unconsidered item is most useful: a pressure cooker.

Water boils at 212 degrees F (100∞ degrees C) at sea level. When the air pressure is higher than it is at sea level, water boils at a higher temperature. The pressure lowers the boiling point, but enables higher temperatures. (Liquids won't generally go above their boiling point because they turn to vapor.) This creates superheated steam that forces heat through the food to be cooked. A pressure cooker at usually has fifteen pounds of pressure inside it when in use; at these pressures, water boils at 257 degrees F at sea level. This super heated, steam filled, environment inside the pressure cooker quickly cooks the food.

Pressure cookers have the following characteristics: A four-, six-, eight-quart, or larger saucepan has a clamp down lid; it may, or may not, have a rubber gasket used to generate a seal between the lid and the saucepan body; a ‘vent pipe,’ a small weight known as a pressure regulator [or "bobbler']; and a special plug that serves as an over-pressure valve.

A small amount of water is placed in the cooker, along with the food to be cooked. For foods that can ‘foam,’ such as rice and beans, they may be placed in a small bowl inside the cooker. Food and liquid will be placed in the bowl, and additional water placed outside the bowl, to a depth of at least half the height of the bowl. Be sure to use a metal bowl, or a glass bowl that can easily handle the thermal shock of cooking, such as Pyrex or pre-1999 Corningware dish. Before sealing the lid on the cooker, look through the vent pipe and be sure it is clear. This step is extremely important; if the vent pipe is not clear, pressure can build up dangerously. This will cause the overpressure valve to release, spewing the hot contents of the pressure cooker over the walls, ceiling, people, stove, and anything else in its range. The lid should be sealed on the cooker, the pressure regulator placed on the vent pipe, and the cooker set on a heat source. The heat source may be a stove, a camp-stove, a barbeque grill, or a wood fire.

As the liquid heats, it boils and then makes steam. The steam fills the cooker, and pressure builds in the pot. When it reaches a level where it is equal to the force needed to ‘rock’ the pressure regulator, it will start to do so. A steady (but not fast) rocking of the pressure regulator indicates that the cooker is up to temperature, and so timing of the recipe may begin.
The pressure regulator should have a steady rocking motion. If the regulator stops rocking, and the heat under the pressure cooker is constant, immediately turn off the heat and leave it alone until it cools. The vent pipe may be clogged. Once the cooker cools, it should be opened and checked. If the vent pipe is clogged, clean it with a threaded sewing needle; pass the needle through the vent pipe and remove the clog.

After the cooking time is finished, the pressure cooker must be removed from the heat and cooled so that it may be opened. The only safe way to cool the cooker is to set it aside, where it will cool slowly. [DO NOT it in cold water or under a running cold water faucet, which could cause a dangerous rupture.] Typically, items such as green vegetables, which need only to cook for 1-2 minutes, should be cooled quickly. Root vegetables, such as beets, may cool slowly. If you are using a pressure canner, it should be cooled slowly. If it is cooled quickly, the contents of the jars in the canner might be drawn -out by the rapid change in pressure inside the canner. The cooker is cool when the pressure gauge bottoms or when no pressure is indicated by the bobbler.

This article is not an article about canning and much more information is needed before you can pressure can safely. Please consult other reference material that will explain the process for pressure canning in detail, including the precautions needed to do it safely.

A pressure cooker is useful in a survival situation because it saves a huge amount of fuel and may be used with ‘canned heat’ sources that were mentioned previously. If you are trying to maintain a low profile, you want to avoid much smoke from a cooking fire, the odor of cooking food, and cooking fumes, and other byproducts of every day life.

Rice and beans are considered a staple food for survival situations, as together they supply a complete protein. To cook rice and beans in a pressure cooker is straightforward:
Take a small bowl of the type described above, and place 1 cup of white rice and 1 1/2 cups of water in it. Add salt as desired. Place the bowl in the pressure cooker, add water around the bowl, seal, and place on the heat. When the pressure regulator begins rocking, start to time for four minutes. At the end of this time, remove the cooker from the heat, and place to one side, allowing the pressure to drop naturally. To cook beans such as navy beans or cranberry beans, soak one cup of beans in 4 cups of water overnight. Place in the same metal bowl, cover with 1-1/2 inches of water, place in the pressure cooker, seal, and heat. When the pressure regulator starts rocking, cook for ten minutes. Let the pressure release slowly. It is possible to cook beans without pre-soaking them, but presoaking them yields much better results. If you do not pre-soak the beans, they may not soften properly no matter how long you cook them. An additional tip: do not salt the beans and rice until after they are cooked. Adding salt to cooking beans makes the skins tough.

If not using a bowl to contain the beans, do not fill the pressure cooker more than half full, and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil per cup of beans to prevent frothing and subsequent clogging of the vent pipe.

It is possible to use bowls that will nest, to cook the beans and rice at the same time. Experiment with this, to discover what tastes best to you, as it is easy to end up overcooked rice or undercooked beans.

Total time required for cooking when cooking rice and beans separately: 14 minutes, with time required to allow the cooker to cool.
Brown rice and navy beans both take ten minutes to cook – but as brown rice gas a shorter shelf life than white rice, many people concentrate on white rice in their long-term food storage setup.

The fuel savings in using a pressure cooker is huge: It takes 20 minutes to cook rice, and several hours to cook beans with a ‘conventional’ stove and pot. But by using a pressure cooker, you can both the beans and the rice in less time, using less fuel, than conventional cooking of the rice alone.

Additional Resources:

Cookbooks:
Numerous pressure cooker cookbooks may be found in your local library, or at an online bookseller such as Amazon.com. Popular cookbooks such as Joy of Cooking (Rombauer, Becker, and Becker) often have sections on pressure-cooking.

Note: Most pressure cookers come with recipe leaflets when you buy them. If you find a pressure cooker second hand, such as at a Goodwill store, then contact the manufacturer and they will more than likely send you all instructional material free of charge.[JWR Adds: Many of these manuals are now also available in PDF, and can be found with web searches.]

Food Preservation:
Greene, Janet, Hertzberg, Ruth, and Vaughan, Beatrice. 1992 (Fourth Revised Edition).Putting Food By. Plume Books: This is the best reference that this author has seen on the topic of food preservation. It covers many types of food preservation, including boiling water bath canning; pressure canning of meats, vegetables, and seafood; freezing; curing with salt and smoke; drying; root-cellaring. .

Hupping, Carol. 1990 (Revised Updated Edition). Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide Fireside Books: Another invaluable reference to home preserving of foods. More recipes that use honey, rather than white sugar to sweeten canned items. Not my favorite flavor, but others may like it. Very complete work, covering canning, freezing, juicing, drying, root cellaring, and preserving dairy products.

The Ball Blue Book of Preserving may be found where canning jars are sold. This book is another ‘bible’ of home preservation.

Internet Resources:
MissVickie.com: This web site has many pressure cooker recipes, and ‘Beginner Basics.’ It is an excellent resource.
There are many other useful canning and cooking web sites, too numerous to list! Use your favorite search engine to seek them out.

Available Brands of Pressure Cookers:
Two classic US companies, Presto and Mirror, have made Pressure Cookers for many years. In researching this article, I discovered that both companies have moved their manufacturing to Asia.
The All American company makes a pressure canner that may also be used as a pressure cooker, in sizes from 10 to 41 quarts. Their web site indicates that they are still made in the USA., and "[u]nlike other cooker/canners, these do not have rubber gaskets that will eventually wear out, but instead are machined to have a metal-to-metal seal and a positive action clamp to lock the cover to the base."
Disclaimer: I have no commercial interest in any of these companies or suppliers.

JWR Adds: Used pressure cookers and pressure canners are often available quite inexpensively, or even free, through Craigslist and Freecycle. One important proviso: Make sure that your pressure cooker's "bobbler" (weighted pressure release valve) is working properly. Without it, you essentially have a bomb on your stove. If your cooker has a pressure gauge, make sure that os functional.

It also bears mentioning that a pressure cooker is particularly useful in extending the life of stored dried beans. Once beans have been stored in excess of six years, they become so hard that even days of soaking beans will not soften them. But two viable solutions to this problem are grinding them, or cooking them in a pressure cooker.

Mr. Editor,

I've purchased ammo for self protection and for future barter. Is it best to keep the ammo in the original boxes (e.g. the nice green UMC boxes with the plastic insert that holds the rounds in place) and put those boxes into ammo cans? Or should I just dump all the ammo into an ammo can loose? I could fit many more rounds in each can by dumping them in loose, but I'm concerned about impacting the future barter value of the ammo. And also, if I end up selling some of the ammo before TSHTF, I would imagine keeping the rounds in the box would make the seller happier. Any thoughts?
Thanks for what you do. - Alex

JWR Replies: Unless space is at an absolute premium (such as for someone on a live-aboard boat) I recommend that you leave ammo in the original factory boxes, as it will be worth far more in barter, or in an eventual cash sale. Just as importantly, you will also be able to keep "like lots" together. (Usually lot numbers are printed on the inside of the box flaps.) There are sometimes subtle differences between lots, and the point of impact can vary a bit. This particularly important for long range rifle shooting. Also, although they are rare, ammunition recalls are not unheard of. Without lot numbers you'll have no way of correlating ammo lots to recall notices. And, needless to say, store those in mil-spec ammo cans with soft seals.

Sir;
I try to keep a gun shot trauma kit with my shooting range supplies; when I was ordering some new medical supplies from North American Rescue I was informed that the public can no longer purchase Quikclot ACS+ or any other such hemostatic from them. The operator proceeded to tell me that the [U.S.] Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began regulating these products mid-May because "they go inside the human body." I was able to order some of my other products in the "scrape and light cut" size" but none of the larger quantity hemostatics. Perhaps some other SurvivalBlog readers might have some insight into this situation and can offer some advice. Regards, - "Pop N Fresh"

JWR Replies: That is a most unfortunate development. Much like last year, when Polar Pure iodine crystals were taken off the market, it sounds like another window of opportunity is closing. I strongly encourage readers to stock up on Celox and QuikClot while there is still some remaining inventory available from individual retailers. Several of our loyal advertisers-- including Safecastle and Ready Made Resources--carry these products, and probably still have some left on hand. I'm sure that they would appreciate your patronage. BTW, please mention SurvivalBlog whenever you contact any of our advertisers. Thanks!

WHO Chief Says to Expect Severe Flu

Genetic Analysis of Swine Flu

WHO Warns of Double Influenza Threat

Kevin A. sent us the link to a video clip about Mandelbrot protege Nicholas Taleb, of "Black Swan" fame: The Risk Maverick: Present Economy Worse than Depression.

Mac F. recommend this basic, commonsense article: Money Shaky? 10 Ways to Get Your Financial Footing

Items from The Economatrix:

Fed President Says Inflation To Increase

GM Borrows Additional $4 Billion From Treasury Didn't publicly disclose how it would use the money.

Fed Changes Rules to Benefit Government Carmakers

California Faces its Fiscal Day of Reckoning

Propane Suppliers Quietly Reduce Size of Refills Consumers unaware they are getting less for the same price

Recession Turns Malls Into Ghost Towns

Brent F. recommneded a site that focuses on Third World technology: How to Make Everything.

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A Sunset magazine article flagged by reader LRG: Make your own backyard adobe oven

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William Atkin has posted a very useful guide to sprouting. There is also a PDF available for download.

"In a pandemic, if it's worldwide, you realize in the first five minutes of studying it that you're on your own" - Bob Kennedy

Mr. Rawles,

I have read and enjoyed your blog for some time now and thank you for it daily.

Regarding the recent post on control of head lice, I have found simple light cooking oil to be startlingly effective. Massaged through the afflicted's hair and scalp and left for a few hours the oil is meant to suffocate the lice and eggs. I have used this several times, once I needed to repeat the processes to be effective, but in most previous infestations, once was enough.
This treatment can be made apparently more effective by including some Tea Tree oil in the mix. Hope this helps, - Regards, JeMe.

Jim:

I keep getting such great info that I would not usually think of. Thank God that your readers are thinkers as well. Regarding, the letter dealing with uninvited guests I saw in my local Florida newspaper about using Listerine for lice. It reportedly works the first time. SurvivalBlog readers should do Internet searches on herbal or all natural cures for dealing with these uninvited guests, for the pets as well. Thank you for the web site. - Dawn

James,

With reference to "Dealing with Uninvited Guests", there is an easy way to get rid of head lice. Using copious amounts of cheap hair conditioner on hair, then leaving it in, stops the nits from being able to cling on to the hair shaft. You must comb it through well to ensure every hair is coated. Once they drop off they don't survive long without a host (a matter of hours). You need to treat the whole family otherwise it just passes on the problem. When my daughter was young, we spent a small fortune on head lice products and nit combs, until my local hairdresser told me about the conditioner trick.

To help prevent infestations, add a couple of drops of tea tree oil to a final hair rinse.
Blessings and prayers for your Memsahib, - Luddite Jean

JWR:

I have "been there, done that" with head lice and my daughter. Toxic concoctions like “Rid,” “Kwell,” etc are costly and worthless. When my daughter was 8 years old she would come home from school scratching her head. We finally figured out it was head lice. I went on internet and read up and decided that getting “Rid” or some Permethrin based solution would be best so we tried it. The lice would just swim around in the “killer” liquid on my daughter's scalp. We tried another brand with Lindane and the same result. Be aware that many of the “Lice Information” web sites are fronts for a particular (useless) product. I went back to the internet where there were many “kook” solutions like suffocating the lice in olive oil – what a waste of olive oil. There were other “green” concoctions which were designed to suffocate or poison (naturally) the head lice. I concluded that all the kook remedies were worthless and were debunked on most of the mainstream web sites as worthless – good luck trying to suffocate the nits and adult lice. It really drove me mad to think of my beautiful daughter with her beautiful long hair having “bugs” crawling around on her head. I wanted them dead and I wanted them dead now. I was desperate. Then I read some where about merely using plain old hair conditioner – i.e. putting it on after a shower in copious amounts and leaving it in – and mechanically removing the noxious lice with a metal nit comb. I was tired of poisoning my daughter (read the labels – it is poison) and from what I read the prescription medication was way more toxic. So we tried it - we bought two quality metal nit combs and slathered on the hair conditioner and carefully followed the instructions that came with the nit combs. We mechanically removed the nits and the live adult head lice. You get a cup of hot water and dunk the nit comb and watch the “body count” of the adult lice add up. It is satisfying to physically remove them one by one. After two days there were no more adult lice to be found. The nits were another matter and for the next couple days we went through my daughter’s hair strand by strand and pulled out each nit with our finger nails as the nit combs were ineffective in removing all the nits. It took a total of three to four hours over the course of three or four days to remove the adult lice and all the nits. Victory – free at last. A few months later when we found the early stages of a new infestation we knocked it down quickly in just two days.

Another aspect of this is the extensive instructions on the web sites and written instructions about how to treat bedding etc. If you followed all the recommendations you would spend hours on decontamination and spray toxic poisons around the bed and house. Thankfully. head lice can only live in hair/scalp otherwise they die fairly quickly. We found that merely washing the pillow case and sheets was sufficient without spraying poison in the carpet and all over the place another bad toxic idea. I shudder when I remember one of the coaches of my daughter’s baseball team spraying lice “killer” in the batting helmets and when I asked it was because of widespread lice in the local school. Nice. My daughter had her own helmet and we told all the other kids it was only for my daughter to use. Notes: Where we went wrong – we took our daughter to her pediatrician early on to have her head checked out and we told that the nits were old and there was no current problem. Wrongo bongo. The full blown outbreak occurred days later. We called back to request the heavy duty prescription medication and were told to try the over the counter stuff as the prescription medication was really toxic and they only prescribe it when absolutely necessary. Lice have adapted and have developed immunity to the over the counter medication so aside from it being toxic it is worthless and expensive – I saw this with my own eyes. I tried it over and over - to the limits on the warning instructions. Also, when you go on the Internet you read a bunch of politically correct nonsense about how kids who spread head lice are not “dirty and unkempt” but some parent(s) at my daughter’s school were sending a kid(s) to school with head lice – It’s not the kid’s fault but I disagree, the parents were dirty, inconsiderate slobs in my opinion.

So, bottom line – get two or more quality nit combs, slather on the (non-toxic) hair conditioner, follow the combing instructions and remove the adult lice and as many nits as possible and then physically remove all the remaining nits one by one with your finger nails as those nits really glue themselves to the hair. Carefully dispose of the adult nits you remove – I treat them as if they were black plague contagions – and wash the bedding every day until you don’t find any more adult lice and have removed all the nits. Mechanical removal has several advantages – it is non-toxic, it uses common hair conditioner (easily stored), it is inexpensive, and most importantly it works. It may be the only method that actually works. In a true survival situation you could substitute olive oil or some other similar substance in place of the hair conditioner. Hopefully we will never have to deal with the problem again but all the dread is gone and we are equipped, once and for all to deal with this problem because we have lots of hair conditioner and three quality nit combs. Simple solution – the best solution - Keep is simple.

On another note, I just finished reading "Patriots". It was a great read, and I could not put it down. Thank you - John M.in California

From frequent content contributor KAF: Congressional Budgeters Predict 10.5 Percent Unemployment Rate Next Year

Also from KAF: The Inside Story of Bank United. (How all those Option ARM loans came back to bite them.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Three More Banks Closed This Week

Federal Reserve Cannot Account for $9 Trillion

The Economy is Down But The Cost of Living is Going Up (Most canned vegetables at Wal-Mart were 50 cents per can last summer, now they are 72-to-74 cents per can.)

US to lose AAA Rating?

Dollar Falls to Four-Month Low Against Euro

Stocks Hit '09 Low on Ratings Fears; Stocks Dip

Geithner Vows to Cut US Deficit on Rating Concerns

Cattle Rustling on the Rise as US Recession Bites

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Credit Bill OK'd with Gun Provision

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With the Economy Tough, the Tough Go Camping

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America's Poor Are its Most Generous Givers

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SF in Hawaii mentioned the Local Harvest web site, and their map of family farms. SF's comment: "Thinking about relocating? Take a look at this map. It might be nice to have some small farm neighbors.".

"Today, prayer is still a powerful force in America, and our faith in God is a mighty source of strength. Our Pledge of Allegiance states that we are 'one nation under God,' and our currency bears the motto, 'In God we Trust.' The morality and values such faith implies are deeply embedded in our national character. Our country embraces those principles by design, and we abandon them at our peril." - President Ronald Wilson Reagan

I laughed heartily, reading this Times of London online article about the mainstreaming of survivalism: Swine flu...recession...should we all be reading Neil Strauss to survive? It must be bad: survival manuals are racing up the book charts. Ordinary folks are preparing for the worst. The author started out describing the book "Emergency" by Neil Strauss, but then took a hard right turn and went on to spill copious ink--or should I say bits or pixels--about my novel.) The reviewer has a real gift for comic writing.

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Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. A proviso: It is strongly opinionated and overtly political--so not everyone will agree with him--but despite our differences of opinion, I believe that it has some good food for thought.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried foods, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I believe that America is facing a perfect storm…A rapidly cooling climate, a committed socialist president taking over during an economic crisis, and an unfinished war with fanatical murderous thugs. I am only 49 years old, but I think my Father’s generation faced a similar storm starting in 1929. I believe we could handle any one of these problems by itself, but maybe not all at once. I wish I could suggest that we have more time and perhaps our economy will recover before a second crisis event occurs. Since the banking crisis started in August of 2007, and recessions typically last 2 -to-3 years, it should right itself by late 2010 if our government does not do something stupid. However, they are stupid and I believe we only have five months left to prepare.

I believe the climate is turning much colder due to a drop in sunspot activity. The most recent climate data shows this even if Al Gore insists on a recount (apparently Al flunked both math and science). I mention this because during the last Little Ice Age (1300-1850) global temps dropped by 3˚C, the farmland north of where Interstate 80 now transits reverted back to frozen marshlands, the Pacific Ocean cooled, and the resulting drop in moisture caused a prolonged drought in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Perhaps a change to the climate of the primary agricultural areas of the US may affect your personal survival planning.

The drop in sunspot activity will also decrease the Earth’s electromagnetic field (Van Allen Belts) and ozone layer so in addition to cooling the planet it also and makes us more susceptible to solar induced damage to our nationwide electrical grid. If you here warnings about Solar flares or Solar mass ejections, wear sun block and a hat, and unplug your sensitive electrical equipment. If you are using solar panels expect a reduced output and be prepared to unplug and protect them as well.

Recently-elected President Obama is an immature Pollyanna with disturbing Marxist/Socialist friends and tendencies. He is taking over as the economy is rapidly contracting due to the falling stock market and declining home values. This crisis was actually caused by 25 years of expansionist policies of the US Federal Reserve, the US Treasury Department, and the US Congress. The massive bailout bill will not stop this, but instead will continue to feed the debt-based economy and currency expansion that caused it. Federal nationalization of the commercial banking system is just the beginning. Obama is loading up his cabinet with the most partisan members of the Clinton Administration. While Government intervention into banks and businesses is already occurring, it is likely that they will also nationalize/regulate individual retirement accounts, taxable investments, and individual rights and choices of work, travel, and association. This is not what he tells us he plans to do, this is what socialists always do, this is the change you can not afford.

We have fought to contain the terrorists in the Middle East and are finally winning in Iraq. However, keeping them there will require a continual military presence. Obama has promised to pull back the US military from Iraq, perhaps worldwide, and may reduce the size of the regular Army to fund his civilian defense force. What we learned about terrorist is that any pull back in our military posture will encourage them to strike us again. The only way to win is to aggressively pursue them and the only way to loose is to pull back and let the extremists take over the Iraqi and Saudi oil fields.

The President and the people now running DHS, FEMA, the Justice Department, and Interior Departments believe in the power of the Federal Government like a prostate religion. While they would not think this far ahead, it is inescapable that when they meet with resistance from the people the will use the US patriot act against us. Since he will be so busy spying on the vast right wing conspiracy, I expect a terrorist attack on major US cities could again occur within 6 – 8 months of Obama taking the oath of office and turn the economic crisis into a full blown depression.

No matter what the trigger event, President Obama, and his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, stated that they will use this crisis as an opportunity to turn the county socialist. Some of the conditions I have described have distinct warning signals, such as censorship of the internet and talk radio or onerous gun control laws, but some of them are naturally occurring and completely unpredictable. I don’t believe it much matters what the event is, I believe that the result will be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Civil War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death).

Scenario 1: Collapse of the Banking System, Devaluation of the US Dollar, and Civil War.
The US credit market has already frozen up once (Oct 08) due to the failure of several investment banks and credit insurance companies. Without a systematic effort to draw down the risk exposure of these banks to bad home loans and derivatives it is nearly certain that many of the largest commercial banks will fail as well. The FDIC does not have the money to pay off account holders, so the US Congress will just print more money and effectively nationalize the banks.

I expect that the world economy will continue to slide into a multi-decade depression with the Dow dropping to 2,000 and unemployment reaching 20%. I expect this to cause rioting, starvation, and civil war occurring in every state and country. If we can not feed them, I expect that over one third of the world population could die due to starvation and disease.
The US may literally split politically between the urban dominated cities of the Northeastern states trying to tie themselves to Europe and the rest of the US dominated by the Midwest, Rocky Mountains, and Ohio Valley which will tie themselves to domestic agriculture and re-industrialization. Only the far western fringe will remained tied to trade with China and the Pacific Rim. There should be no expectation of receiving by Federal Retirement, Social Security, Medicare, or 401(k) money. In fact, I expect that the US Dollar will be abandoned by most folks long before it is officially replaced by silver coins. Before this time most folks will prefer to trade using storable food, ammo, and labor as the coin of the realm.

Scenario 2: Multi-City Terror Strike and Loss of Constitutional Rights.
It is also very possible for a deeply planted terrorist cell living in the US pull off a coordinated strike using conventional explosives to rapidly disperse a chemical or radioactive agent. They may attack the large cities, the critical Military bases, shipping channels, ports, and locks, and our remaining overseas Navy and Air Force Bases. These strikes will kill a few civilians, but mostly they will force the permanent evacuation of our major cities and ports.

They will cripple Washington DC, but will not kill off many of our politicians. The initial reaction from the Obama Administration looks like suspending the Constitution and our rights to gun ownership, private property, free association and travel. I believe they will quarantine the cities, suspend air travel, limit interstate travel by citizens, and turn the electronic eavesdropping ability of the NSA on the American people.

What is left of the economy will crash. Few people will have jobs and no one will be able to buy food and fuel on the open market. We will have to survive on what we have stored, what we can grow, trade, or what little the government can supply.

While rolling blackouts are inevitable, maintaining natural gas and at least the semblance of electrical power will be a priority. No doubt maintaining power in the remaining cities will come first. Most of the oil refineries will be affected and the gas and diesel that is refined will not be distributed evenly. Our system of intensive, almost industrial scale farming will collapse, and that year’s crop will fail due to the loss of irrigation. People will starve while crops rot in the fields.

Preparedness Measures

SurvivalBlog is full of detailed advise on preparing so I will only hit a few highlights.

Prepare yourself physically:
Every possible scenario will be physically and mentally stressful.

Have a Plan B:
Have a bug-out kit ready at all times, store fuel, and maintain your ride.
Have a hard copy of important papers, account and insurance numbers and phone numbers.
Have portable weapons and ammo ready to haul.

Logistics and Planning:
Route selection is very, very important.
What to drive, what to pack.
Avoid the swamps (the inner cities).

Long Term Considerations:
Build a survival retreat in a viable agricultural area.
Plan on needing a lot more supplies than you think you might.
Plan and decide how to deal with the Feds (hint: lie, lie, lie).
Plan and decide how to deal with unprepared people

Mr. Rawles
I have been a faithful reader for about a year now and would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your contributors for the wealth of information found on this site. I would also like to thank Anon T. for his article on quarantine procedures, though I'm wondering if it should be expanded to include "debugging". I'm referring to head lice, body lice, crabs, bedbugs, mites, and fleas. Nobody wants to believe that it will happen to them. It doesn't even have to be a WTSHTF scenario. In today's economic environment many people are loosing their homes and moving in with family or friends. With more and more people and their belongings under one roof, personal and residential cleanliness may begin to suffer. In a SHTF scenario, add to this stressful situation, not being able to properly bathe, wash hair, clothing, and bedding as often as they should, and the possibility of "unwanted house guests" rises.

About 8 years ago, my then two-year-old brought head lice home from day care. Before I realized it, I was also beset by lice. My mom said "getting lice isn't a sin, keeping them is." But getting rid of these little bugs was just short of impossible. As soon as you think they're gone a nit that you missed hatches, and it starts all over.
Hopefully this won't be a problem for most of your readers, but they should be prepared and informed.
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Treatment products like "Rid" won't be easily rotated before they expire, so it may be cost-prohibitive to stock it. are there any natural or more cost affective alternatives? I'm wondering how we will deal with this in the future when products like "Rid" might not be available. and maybe someone out there could explain identification and treatment for those readers who have never been through this. - J.C.M.

JWR Replies: I agree that it is wise to stock up on anti-parasiticals (pediculicides and scabicides ) The active ingredients in Rid and Lindane ("Kwell") can be effective for several years. Most of the Rid variants are a 0.5% solution of Permethrin. The Lindane solutions (typically 1%) are sold under trade names such as BBH, Bio-Well, G-well, Kildane, Kwell, Kwildane, Scabene, and Thionex. Some traditional treatments for lice that were used in the 19th Century and early 20th Century might still be viable, but most of them are harsh an potentially toxic, so they should be considered only in absolute worst case disasters, when modern anti-parasiticals are unavailable. The 1996 article titled Control of Human Lice Infestations: Past and Present (in PDF) from American Entomologist provides some interesting history on lice control, including some lousy methods from the 19th Century. It might sound severe, but when modern anti-parisiticals can't be found, head shaving is a good starting point. (But it will give you the Sinead O'Connor "I'll never be accused of being infested" look.)

Kudos to KAF for sending this piece: Researchers: Swine Flu Genes Swirled for Decades Undetected

Emergency Preparedness Exercises Held at Banks

Swine Flu Spreads in Australia

Some Older People May Be Immune to Swine Flu

Swine Flu Extends to Tokyo; 11,000 Cases Worldwide

56 Hospitalized with Swine Flu in NYC

Dr. Niman's World Flu Tracking Map

Reader GG suggested: Uncle Sam's 'F'-rated bonds

GG also mentioned this piece by Mish Shedlock: FDIC to Open a Temporary East Coast Satellite Office. (Could they be expecting more bank failures or perhaps bank runs?

The MOAB keeps expanding: Feds give $50 Million in aid to towns hit by auto layoffs. (Thanks to Tony Y. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Here Comes the Option ARM Explosion

Russia Dumps US Dollar as Basic Reserve Currency

Fannie and Freddie in "Critical" Condition

Real Unemployment, GDP, Etc. Numbers

Britain's AAA Rating Threatened by S&P's Stark Warning

Conjuring Monster (The Mogambo Guru)

Eric wrote to mention that the Survivalist Groups Listing Page URL has changed.

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Chris--the editor of the LDS Preparedness manual that I recently mentioned--wrote to say: "Version 6.00 of the manual is almost complete and will be released in June.
But for now, you can get a printable PDF copy of the Preparedness Manual for LDS Members, Version 5.01 (Nov.1, 2008) There are also hard bound printed copes available--rather than downloading and printing 200+ pages. It can also be found on my homepage."

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GG spotted this: Spam sales soar as buyers seek value.

"Once each May, amid the quiet hills and rolling lanes and breeze-brushed trees of Arlington National Cemetery, far above the majestic Potomac and the monuments and memorials of our Nation's Capital just beyond, the graves of America's military dead are decorated with the beautiful flag that in life these brave souls followed and loved. This scene is repeated across our land and around the world, wherever our defenders rest. Let us hold it our sacred duty and our inestimable privilege on this day to decorate these graves ourselves -- with a fervent prayer and a pledge of true allegiance to the cause of liberty, peace, and country for which America's own have ever served and sacrificed. ... Our pledge and our prayer this day are those of free men and free women who know that all we hold dear must constantly be built up, fostered, revered and guarded vigilantly from those in every age who seek its destruction. We know, as have our Nation's defenders down through the years, that there can never be peace without its essential elements of liberty, justice and independence. Those true and only building blocks of peace were the lone and lasting cause and hope and prayer that lighted the way of those whom we honor and remember this Memorial Day. To keep faith with our hallowed dead, let us be sure, and very sure, today and every day of our lives, that we keep their cause, their hope, their prayer, forever our country's own." - President Ronald Wilson Reagan

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Because I recently dropped Front Sight as an advertiser, the list of contest prizes for this round has been revised:

First Prize: A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I've been working on getting prepared for about 20 years now. During that time, I've collected a large amount of information. Let's face it, there's a lot of information out there, and to this day I'm still collecting. I currently have four sets of encyclopedias (including 1947 and 1954 editions). I have a fairly good library of books that encompasses a wide variety of topics and, of course, I have lots of information from the Internet. First, I'd like to tell you why I collect it (and why you should too) and then the “what and how”.

One reason why I collect information is because the source of the information may not always be there. How many of you trust that our government will always allow information to flow about freely? Do they now? How many of you can get information about how to build a nuclear weapon? I can't, and I don't want it. That information wouldn't do me any good, but in a worst case scenario, information on building a small IED may be very valuable. What happens if that information is censored between now and TEOTWAWKI? Also, when TSHTF, the power grid and therefore the Internet may be down. Libraries and bookstores may be closed or burned to the ground. You get the picture.

Another reason why I collect information is that I may not be alive when the stuff hits the fan. Most of my preparations have been so that I can keep my family safe. If I've passed on before, or maybe while the stuff hits the fan, then having the information available (in a handy location) for my family may help them survive. Maybe it won't help my wife or kids, but maybe my grandkids or my greatgrandkids.

The third reason why I collect information is that I can't remember everything. (hard to believe, isn't it?) I try to remember the type of information that can quickly save a life and I practice those skills. The quicker it can become life threatening, the more you need to know the skill (like emergency first aid or armed self defense). However, things like how to construct a foxhole, how to make hard tack, what radio frequencies to listen to, how far apart to plant cabbage, etc., can all be documented and the information retrieved when it is needed.

As a word of caution – Just because you have the “information”, doesn't mean you are prepared. Collecting the information, and making sure it is available when it might be needed, is just a small part of the preparedness process. Remember to actually learn those skills that may instantly save lives and remember to gather the supplies that can keep you and your family alive over the long haul.
Okay, now you may want to know “what” type of information you might want to collect. I break it down into groups, just like you would with your preparedness supplies. With the supplies, you can think “worst case scenario”, but it's not always possible to be “supplied” for the worst case. In other words, most of us can't buy a 400 acre ranch, with a totally underground bunker, which is supplied with goods and equipment to keep your family and friends in safety and comfort for a year or more. It is, however, feasible to gather most of the “information” you might need for any worst case that you think you could possible survive. With that in mind, I focus my information on food, gardening, shelter, water, transportation, defense, energy, medical, and communication.
Most often, I ask myself questions about how to do something. If the answer is not very obvious (and most of it isn't) then I collect information on it. I don't just ask if the answer is obvious to me, but is it obvious to everyone. I must remember that the information might be needed and used by my children or their children.

Often, when you've gathered the information to answer your question, it will bring to your attention an additional item you may need to purchase, or another skill you need to learn. Consider the following questions, as starting points for your research and information archiving project:

FOOD – What do I need to eat to meet my nutritional needs? What type of recipes might I need? How do I make a meal from what I have stored? How do I make the very basic breads? How do I make sourdough? How do I make yeast? How about other ingredients? Can you make your own mustard if needed? What are refried beans made of? How do I make oil for cooking? How do I make jerky? How do I make pemmican? How do I make a root cellar? How do I dehydrate food? How do I trap animals? How do I hunt and fish? How do I butcher an animal? What parts can I eat? What native plants are edible? Can I plant a garden (see below)?

GARDENING – What seeds grow best in my area? What changes should I make to the soil? How do I compost? What plants are the most nutritious? How do I keep pests away? What plants yield the most food? When should I put seeds into the ground? What plants produce the food that I can store for later? What can I use for fertilizer? How do I use urine as fertilizer? What tools do I need? How do I save seeds? How long will my seeds stay viable? How do I keep weeds to a minimum? How much area do I need? What plants give me seeds that I can extract oil from? What tools do I need?

SHELTER – How do I make a shelter from a tarp? How do I make an effective Foxhole? How do I shelter from radiation? How do I build an underground shelter? How do I make a perimeter alarm? How do I build or maintain a shelter with no power-tools? What hand-tools should I keep? How is my shelter protected from fire? How do I secure my shelter from intruders? How do I keep my shelter warm? How do I keep my shelter cool? Do I know basic carpentry, welding or electrical skills?

WATER – How many places can I get water? How can I transport it? How can I store it? How can I make it safe to drink (from bacteria, viruses, chemicals, or radiation)? How do I dig a well? How can I pump water?

TRANSPORTATION – If I have a retreat, what vehicle should I use to get there? Which route should I take? What are alternate routes? How do we get there if the vehicle breaks down? Can I hot-wire a car? Do I know basic mechanics, or even how to change a tire? If I travel across wilderness, how do I find my way? Do I know how to use a map, compass and GPS? Do I know how to pack a backpack? What items should I take, given the type of transportation I have available?

DEFENSE – What do I need to defend against? What guns might I need? How much ammo do I need? How do I store it all? How much force can I legally use? Do I know unarmed combat? What intermediate threat weapons do I need (pepper spray, etc.)? Do my morals justify my use of force? How do I maintain my weapons? Do I have schematics for them? How do I make an “early detection” alarm system? How do other common weapons operate? How do I use camouflage? How do I use cover and concealment? How do I communicate? How do I make a booby-trap? How can I successfully block a road? How can I avoid a confrontation at all?

ENERGY – How can I make electricity if there is no “grid” power? Do I know how to operate and maintain a generator? Can I build a windmill? Can I make a mini-hydro out of an automotive generator? Can I construct a solar electric system? How do I maintain a bank of batteries? Can I make a solar water heater? How do I disconnect my house from grid power? How do I store extra fuel? How long will stored fuel last? Do I know how to make a small steam engine?

MEDICAL – What items should I have in a properly stocked First Aid Kit? Should I have an advanced medical kit? If so, how do I store antibiotics? How long will they last? What are the dosages for each medication I have stored? How do I suture a wound? How do I start an IV? How do I put in a catheter? How do I give an injection? How do I deliver a baby? How do I diagnose an illness? How do I sterilize instruments? How do I help prevent illness in the first place. How do I meet basic sanitation needs? What maintenance medications does my family need? What is the blood type of all my family members?

COMMUNICATIONS – Do I have written plans for my family? How do we communicate if we become separated? How many ways can we communicate? What hand signals should we learn? What Ham frequencies should we listen to? What local (police, fire, etc.) frequencies should we listen to? Do I have a written list of relatives, and their contact information, in my three-day pack? Do I have supplies to educate my grandchildren if they are no longer public schools?

Other Considerations
Think through how you will collect and store your archive of useful information. First, I'd highly suggest that you try to get your information from a wide variety of sources, so you can be more confident the information you've stored is accurate. So what sources should you use? I use just about everything but the radio.

Books are a great source. If you can buy them, then that's great. Maybe you can only check them out of a library. If that's the case, then maybe you can photocopy the parts you really need. Better yet, scan and print those parts. That way you can have a digital and a hard copy of the information. Sometimes, with some topics, the only information you can find is from very old books. Information you find in an old encyclopedia might be left out of a newer set.

Another source of information is the Internet. Not only can you find lots if it, but often it's free. If you look hard enough, you can find entire books that can be downloaded. Because some of the information you store will be in digital form, don't overlook the value of video clips. There are programs such as Replay Media Catcher that can automatically capture a video as it's being played from a web site, such as YouTube.com. You then have a “stand-alone” file that you can play in your media player, even when the Internet is down.
If you wanted, you could record information from the television. Programs such as Survivorman have a lot of good information.

Don't underestimate the information you get from direct contact with a person. I'm lucky enough to have a very qualified emergency room doctor as a close friend, who has the same preparedness mindset as me. He has given me valuable information. If it's given to me verbally, then I go home and write it down so I can preserve it. The information might come from a hunting buddy, your mechanic, or your grandfather. There are lots of people out there who have a lot of expertise in their field. Take advantage of it.

Regardless of where you get your information, make sure you store it so it's there when you need it. My system is to try to keep as much, as reasonably possible, in a printed form, especially the important stuff. Keep the bulk of that at the location you plan to need it. For instance, you don't need printed information about how to insert a catheter or snare an animal at your home in the big city, but you will probably need it at your mountain retreat, where you have those supplies located. All printed material needs to be properly stored so rodents or moisture don't destroy it. Be sure to put some of the information you've printed into your Bug Out Bag (BOB).

Tons of information can be stored, digitally, on your computer and on a DVD. Don't keep it only on your computer or you may loose it if the computer crashes. With the information on a DVD, you can keep copies at your home, in your BOB, and at your retreat. The DVD is fairly easy to store and common sense should tell you where to keep them.
Clearly, the type of information you gather is up to you and your individual situation. Again, keep in mind that the information you don't think you'll need, may in fact be what you need in an unforeseen future. That information may not be easily available at that time, or you might not be the one who actually needs the information.

JWR Adds: Keep in mind that there are now nearly 7,000 archived SurvivalBlog articles and letters. The blog content is copyrighted, but it all available free of charge. I strongly encourage SurvivalBlog readers to make electronic copies of the posts that you find useful, or print out hard copies, and organize them by topic in a file folders. In essence, as long as it is not being sold or being re-used without proper attribution, then I am glad to see the information from SurvivalBlog put to good use. If you find it too time-consuming to delve into the archives and do umpteen "copy and paste" operations, then keep in mind that I self-publish the book SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog - Volume 1. That book covers the crucial first six months of SurvivalBlog, where I covered lots of "core" topics. Also, be advised that in October, 2009, Penguin Books will be releasing my new book "How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It. That 352-page book is also sourced primarily from my writings in SurvivalBlog, over the past four years. BTW, it also includes a special chapter on medical topics, most of was guest-authored by numerous subject matter experts in the medical field.

It is noteworthy that the price of non-volatile memory USB Flash Drives (commonly called "pen drives", "thumb drives", or just "sticks") has plummeted in the past couple of years. (I was recently astounded to see USB thumb drives for under $4 each). So there is no reason why you can't buy four or five 2-Gigabyte capacity sticks and store copious quantities of reference information from SurvivalBlog and other web sites, for your personal, non-commercial archive. If possible, keep three copies: One at home, one at your retreat, and one in your Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D. backpack.)

Dear Mr. Rawles,

This sale ends Saturday so maybe it's too late to share it, but True Value Hardware stores around the country are selling boxes of six (6) solar powered pathway lights for $11.99.


These would be great to use for an extended power outages - just bring them in inside each night without the pole. There's two LED lights in each one, and they will shine for 8 hours. I tried them out last night and was able to read with two of them. Using all six lights in the box lit up my small house enough to where I wouldn't need a flashlight or lantern to get myself safely around.

I just thought I'd share since the price was so low. Wouldn't this be great for those living in apartments? - Rod McG. in Virginia

CDC Finds Patterns in Swine Flu Hospitalizations

Swine Flu Combined with MRSA Could Kill Many

US Swine Flu Deaths Hit Double Digits 21-year-old Utah man is #10

HPD found this: Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Automotive Pension Disaster; $42 Billion in Pension Promises Completely Unfunded

Also from HPD comes word that another bank has bit the dust: BankUnited Bidders Said to Be Told Bank to Be Seized

GG sent this bit of MOAB expansion news in the Wall Street Journal: Fed Boosts Efforts to Aid Commercial Real Estate

Items from The Economatrix:

Geithner: Major Banks Have Raised $48 Billion (Under the new FASB accounting rules or the old?)

China Grows More Picky About Debt

Local Banks Face Big Losses "Study of 940 lenders shows potential for deep hit on commercial property."

Big Changes in Store for US Credit Card Holders

John Deere Second Quarter Profit Tumbles 38%

US Housing Starts Plunges to Record Low

GM Bankruptcy Plan Eyes Quick Sale to Government

JPMorgan, Others, Line Up to Throw Off TARP Yoke

Gulf Currency Plan on Brink of Failure

Japanese Economic Decline: An Awesome Warning

Asian Shares Fall on Jitters Over US Recession

Gold: Investor Demand Soars Amid Inflation Fears

Dollar Hit as Geithner Hails Recovery Hopes

Fed: US Economy to Shrink 2% This Year

US May Create Financial Product Regulator

Day of Reckoning Looms For US Dollar "...a 'serious case of dollar damage' [is] underway."

Former Head of Pension Agency Takes The Fifth

Very Bad ... And Getting Worse (The Mogambo Guru)

Safecastle has announced a 25% Off Mountain House storage food sale that will be running from May 23 to June 5th. As a bonus, you'll also get a free copy of the novel One Second After by William R. Forstchen if you purchase four or more cases of Mountain House foods

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Struggling Families Look at Adoption

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Peak Phosphorous? GG sent us a link to a summary of a new Scientific American article: Phosphorus: A Looming Crisis. (The full text of the article is not yet available on-line.)

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Brian H. was the first of several readers to mention this interesting wire service story about new ATMs that dispense gold: Gold To Go.

"Surely, The Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." - Amos 3:7 (NKJV)

Please keep The Memsahib (and her doctors) in your prayers. Her health is still quite precarious.

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Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Because I recently dropped Front Sight as an advertiser, the list of contest prizes for this round has been revised:

First Prize: A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

When either you or your group is confronted with a biological threat [such as a pandemic or biological warfare], you must determine the following before making decisions either for yourself or for your group.

1) What is the threat?
2) What is the incubation period prior to showing symptoms?
3) How contagious is the threat?
4) By what means is the threat contagious?
5) What is the morbidity rate?
6) What is the mortality rate?

Once you have determined these things, you can make sound decisions that can get you and your group through a trying time.

Quarantine:
In the event that you are forced to deal with new members joining your group, [during a pandemic] you will need to quarantine them for a set period of time. This will assure you and your group that the new-comer's presence does not cause harm within your group.

To set up quarantine you will need the following items which will be detailed below:

Shelter
Food & Water
Disinfectant
Communication equipment -or- Another pre-determined way of communicating with the quarantined.
Medicine
Symptom measuring devices and charts.
Rules that the quarantined must follow if they wish to become part of your group.
A plan should the quarantined not follow those rules.
A plan should the quarantined show symptoms and/or become sick.
A way for the quarantined to expel waste that does not pose a risk of infection to other members of the group.
There is not a single point above that can be neglected for any reason. Having to survive a biological threat has nothing to do with niceties or with comfort.

Shelter:
A place [that is downwind,] away from all group activity for the person(s) in question to be quarantined. How far away is far enough? Miles would be great but it is probably not economical so do with what you have to ensure that your group never gets within a 1,000 feet of the quarantined.

Food & Water:
Whatever the food and water that you supply or that your possible guests bring, they must have means of making it safe for human consumption.

Disinfectant:
You and the quarantined must be able to protect yourselves from the environment and the biological threat. A strong bleach solution, a rag and a bucket would be fine for disinfecting everything. Alcohol sanitizer and anti-bacterial soap are luxuries if you can afford them.

Communication:
The group and the quarantined must be able to communicate for numerous reasons. Humans get pent up if they are left in a confined place to their own devices for long and to limit the risk of the quarantined coming too close to the group, they must be able to communicate with the group from a safe distance.

Two-way radios with rechargeable batteries and a way to recharge them at the quarantine site make the best answer to the communication problem, the only problem is that they are expensive to have spares around and impossible to outlast the quarantine if power isn’t available to recharge them.

In the absence of two way radios, your group should have a pre-determined plan for communication should anyone be at risk for the threat, including any quarantined individuals.

The group should never risk entering a place of possible contamination if it can be avoided in any way, so a group should have a Communication Center set up some distance away from the quarantined and a further distance away from the group.

To allow the best ventilation, Communication Centers should never be indoors so a tree, a table or a large rock, all make adequate places.

Each member (the group and the quarantined) should have a pen and multiple sheets of paper (A dry erase board for each group would do fine) of their own to write on and leave at the communication center. Each member should understand the nature of the quarantine and the time at which the papers will be picked up, read and possibly replied to that is consistent with the length of time that the biological threat is thought to stay active on paper.
(e.g: Every 3 hours from __ a.m. - __ p.m.)

Medicine:
Your group should have medicine that can be used to treat common pains and injuries so that the quarantined can be comfortable and it will be easier to gauge their symptoms if they should have any.

Symptom Measuring Devises:
You should include devises that allow the measuring of all symptoms familiar to the threat. Some adequate symptoms measuring devices include a Thermometer, a watch for checking pulse and blood pressure and so on.

Rules:
Your group should have rules that everyone in the group must follow and separate rules that the quarantined must follow if they wish to eventually enter your group. These rules must include items like; Staying at least _00(0) feet away from every member of the group at all times, keeping the quarantine area clean and free of infection, following proper communication procedures, washing all contaminated clothing upon entering the quarantine area and being honest with the progression of any and all symptoms including minor symptoms that may or may not be related to the threat.

Contingency plan for symptoms within the quarantined:
This plan needs special consideration because the quarantined may be members of one’s own family or close friends and particular thought must be given to how they will handle the onset of symptoms and how the group must handle the quarantined should they become less than complacent including delivery of proper medication to treat the threat.

Contingency plan if the quarantined does not follow the rules:
This plan should be relatively simple. Anyone who puts your group’s health and safety at risk by not following the rules is not a valued member of any group and should be avoided like the threat itself.

Waste Expulsion:
Human waste is possibly a carrier of the threat and since it cannot be avoided it should be taken into consideration.

If there is a working toilet and sink at the quarantine site, by all means use it.

In place of a working toilet and sink, the quarantined will have to take special measures to not endanger the group. In an outdoor environment, the group will have to dig a hole at the quarantine site (Prior to the visitor’s arrival) at least 5-6 feet deep and mark that area with a flag easily visible to both the quarantined and the group. The quarantined will then need to expel all human waste in that hole and only in that hole (to limit the exposure of contaminants to the quarantine site) and then kick a little bit of the pre-dug dirt back into the hole covering the excrements.

This is the time where a little lime would go a long way. If at all possible to acquire, get some lime prior to the threat to have on storage for just such a need.


Quarantine Items:
2 - 5 Gallon bucket(s) or the equivalent.
Bleach
Rag(s)
Anti-Bacterial soap
Food that does not need cooking (Min. of incubation period worth of food if able to spare) and additional food left at communication center every day.
Water or a clean water source
2 way radios with rechargeable batteries and a battery charger
Paper and Pens should the 2-way radios give out
Gloves
Mask(s)
Flag(s) for marking human waste site
Watch for keeping time for communication and symptoms
Thermometer
Toilet Paper (If available)
Quarantine Item Set Up:
All should be able to fit within the 5 gallon bucket with the exception of food and water (Though a little will be placed in there in advance) including the following items placed on the top:

Rules of the group
Expected quarantine Time
Rules of quarantine
Rules of communication



Rules:
This will be a pre-printed or pre-written page that will be given to the prospective guests to read and decide whether they are willing to do the things necessary to join the group.

Hello,
We are very glad to see you healthy and well and are taking the health and wellness of our group extremely serious. In doing so, we have implemented rules that you must adhere to without exception if you wish to join our group.

These rules may seem tedious but we are not taking chances when human life is at stake just as we will not take chances in protecting your health or the health of any new members to our group.

Firstly, we will not be having any face to face communication. In place of this, we will provide, among other things, a 2 way radio, rechargeable batteries and a battery charger so that we may communicate with each other at all times (or another way of communicating as described later).

The current known incubation period of the threat that we face together is ____ hours or __ days. If you wish to join our group, you will be forced to quarantine yourself in a location that we provide or set for ____ hours or __ days to ensure your safety and the safety of our group. If you are not willing to follow these rules including duration of quarantine, kindly set down this sheet of paper now and walk away.

At no time will a group member come within 500 – 1,000 feet of you during your time in quarantine. This is for the protection of all members of the group and yourself. Do not violate this rule – Use the radio or the aforementioned way of communicating in it’s place.

Once you enter your quarantine location, you will be required to stay within _00(0) feet of your quarantine location until the time of quarantine is over. If you breach this _00(0) feet marker which we will set or determine, you will no longer be eligible for joining our group. Please follow this rule.

If you do not have food and water with you, food and water will be provided for you at a drop point that we will disclose later.

Human Waste:
There will be a pre-dug designated latrine that will be used for the disposal of all human waste. Human waste, which already poses a health safety hazard is not to be expelled into any container but dropped directly from your body into the designated latrine as you “go to the bathroom” after which you are required to kick dirt or shovel lime back into the latrine to cover the waste.

Food disposal:
Only prepare as much food to eat and you are going to eat. Any food that is not consumed is to be buried with the waste as noted above.

Self evaluation and symptom reporting:
We will provide you with the tools necessary to evaluate yourself. You will be required to evaluate yourself twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. You must answer all items honestly. You are to report the following items to the group:

Appetite: None, Normal or Excessive
Vision: Clear, Blurry or Normal
Fluid Consumption: Normal, Heavy or Low
Temperature:
Physical Well-Being: Tired, Energetic or Normal
Medications taken within the last 24 hours:
Pain: None or on a level of 1 – 10 with 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever felt.
Stress Level: Low, Moderate or High
Symptoms: ________
Urine Excretion: Yellow, Cloudy or Clear (Was there a hot or burning sensation when urinating?)
Waste Excretion: How many times a day and; Loose, firm, normal or painful.
Staying Healthy:
We expect that you came to us healthy and we want to see you remain that way. Please eat 3 meals every day, drink plenty of liquids, busy yourself with items you brought or by writing a story (not involving the current situation but rather one that is purely fictional) and following the listed daily exercise recommendations:

Walking: Even in a confined area, walking moves the blood through your system and will provide a healthier you.
Arm and leg stretches: Stretching your arms and legs is a fundamental need that every body has.
Not staying in one spot or position for an extended period of time.
Brushing your teeth daily with or without toothpaste and brushing your body down (dry shower) with a rag are two essential ways of staying healthy.
Please do not perform any muscle building or muscle retaining exercises during this time. Muscle building exercises break down your current muscle to rebuild more and releases toxins into your system. Refrain from any such activity during this time so as not to confuse the symptoms of muscle breakdown with symptoms of the threat.

Positive Thought:
Negative thought will not be tolerated in our group. You are a strong person and you will get through this. Please do not let the dire nature of this threat overwhelm your sense of self worth or the free will that God gave to you. If the threat seems overwhelming, know that you are strong and pray for the endurance to see this through.

Carried Item Quarantine:
Please understand that the items that you brought with you may carry the threat on them for an unknown amount of time. The group will decide which items can be cleaned, used or disposed of without hesitation or regard to personal feelings. You may at no time keep an item that the group feels is dangerous.

That is it. Those are the rules required by anyone who wishes to join our group and anyone who leaves our group for any amount of time.

If you are not 100% sure that this move is right for you and 100% sure that you will abide by these rules, there will be no hard feelings between us. Please put this paper down on the ground, wave a goodbye and walk away now.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during these difficult times that we all must face.

If you are positive beyond doubt that you will abide by these rules and any rules that the group may impose in addition to these, please fold this paper up and place it in either your shirt or pants pocket. At this time we will disclose the location of items that we will be providing you and further our communication together.

Go on to Document #2


Document #2 – On a separate sheet of paper

Hi,

We are very glad that you have chosen to quarantine yourself from our group before joining it. This shows that you care as much about our well being as we do yours and proves your willingness to put the group’s needs ahead of your own. In no way does quarantine mean isolation, we look forward to communicating with you using the two way radios that we will provide or the use of a communication center that we will set up.

We know that this can be an emotional time. Please do not let your emotions run your self control, will for life or care for others. We are here to communicate with you throughout this entire time and we look forward to spending time with you once you join our group.

The location that you will be staying in during your quarantine is:

________________________________________________


We will provide the following items for you if you do not already have them on hand.
2 - 5 Gallon bucket(s) or the equivalent (for the cleaning of clothes and items.)
Bleach
Rag(s)
Anti-Bacterial soap
Food that does not need cooking (Min. of incubation period worth of food if able to spare) and additional food left at communication center every day.
Water or a clean water source
2 way radios with rechargeable batteries and a battery charger
Paper and Pens (In case the 2-way radios give out or for story writing)
Gloves
Mask(s)
Watch (for keeping time for communication and daily health evaluations.)
Thermometer
Toilet Paper (If available)


Radio Operation:
Provide instruction for radios here

Communication Center:
The communication center will be at the following location.



________________________________________________

We will be using the communication center for the supply or re-supply of all goods including the items that you will get once entering quarantine. We will also use it for communication if the radios fail to work properly. We will be checking for communication every ___ hours (1 hour beyond the time that the threat is thought to survive on paper) from ____ a.m. to ____ p.m. daily. Please flag a new communication by placing __________ over the paper or dry erase board for the group to see.

Proper Communication Etiquette:
As you can probably tell, we are limited by the items that we have on hand including paper. Please write legibly and please tear off the paper at the bottom of your communication so that the rest of the paper may be saved for later use.

To limit the risk of exposure, we will not be touching any communication items at the communication center. It will be your job to dispose of all paper used for communication by placing it in the latrine.

Emergency Communication:
A true emergency is something that is life threatening and that cannot wait until our next communication. We will never cry wolf to you so please express the same care and respect for us.

If the need should arise for emergency communication, the universal distress code that we will use is 3 of anything, 3 seconds apart. That means 3 loud whistles 3 seconds apart, 3 bangs on the bottom of a bucket, 3 shouts using the word “Emergency” or 3 blows on an air horn.

We will continue to use this code every 3 minutes until visual confirmation can be made of the person issuing the emergency code and the group.

Example use of the Emergency Distress Code: Whistle Whistle Whistle – Wait 3 seconds - Whistle Whistle Whistle – Wait 3 seconds and then finally Whistle Whistle Whistle now wait 3 minutes and repeat.

That covers it. We are so glad to see you well. Please fold this paper up, place it in your pocket and follow the schedule below:

Schedule:

Now:
Gather your items and bring them with you to the quarantine site.
Leave all items well outside of the quarantine site until proper decontamination can be fulfilled.
Before entering the Quarantine Site: Remove any outer clothing which may be contaminated and place all items inside the bleach/water solution that is in the bucket provided for you at the site.
Next, take a rag and rinse your body over with the bleach and water solution from head to toes. Bleach will not hurt you at the strength it is diluted to. Please wash well your hair, face, hands and all exposed body parts.
Dry off with clean rag provided.
Enter Quarantine site

Dear Mr. Rawles,
As an avid SurvivalBlog reader since '05, I've got to say, the quality of your blog continues to go up and up. Just when I think I can't possibly absorb anything more, new posts appear that make me think, plan, and act.

Upon your blog's advice, I have begun taking an EMT class at a local college to expand my medical knowledge base. What the Paramedic teacher said today in class gave me the chills. We were discussing all manner of diseases and then he touched on H1N1, the Swine Flu and its possible affects upon the EMS system. He said that during the SARS crisis, which in our neck of the woods was just a brief scare, the volume of calls into the 911 center went up 10% for several weeks due to everyone that had a cold thinking they had SARS. The EMS crews were advised that if they transported a patient with symptoms consistent with SARS, that they were to disinfect the entire truck with a bleach and water solution from top to bottom and then allow the truck to air dry for three hours
before it was placed back into service. He noted that in our county of around 1/2 million people, there were 20 to 30 ambulances on duty at any one time. He dryly noted that it would not take much of a crisis in public health to bring the EMS system as we know it to it's knees just based on the increase in call volume,not to mention the ambulance down-time to disinfect the vehicles.

One solution [that the instructor] hypothesized, was a system of 911 triage in a pandemic that said to callers, we will not transport you if you have the flu; you are on your own to get to the hospital. I think this point should be obvious to most SurvivalBlog readers but it dovetails nicely with the pharmacist's postings regarding securing your anti-viral drugs now.
All the best to you and your family, - B.H.I.

JWR Adds: For anyone that missed my May 1st post about getting ready for an influenza panic, this portion bears repeating:

I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers seriously think through the implications of successive waves of Mexican Flu sweeping around the globe for the next three years. From what we've already seen of its virulence after the normal "cold and flu season", then the next couple of winters could bring very high rates of infection and overwhelm the healthcare system. Please take the time to watch Dr. Henry Niman of Recombinomics discussing"Swine" flu. His projections are disturbing, to say the least! Think this through folks, on a macro scale: How would a pandemic impact your work? Commuting? Grocery shopping? Church activities? School? (If you are not yet homeschooling, then you should plan on it!) Your vacation plans? Summer camp? Family holiday get-togethers? Sports and cultural events? These implications are enormous. As SurvivalBlog readers, you are already accustomed to contemplating abstractions at this level and getting "ahead of the power curve." You also likely have the benefit of superior training and a deep larder. And, hopefully, many of you took my advice three years ago, and began to develop home-based businesses. (Mail order businesses will undoubtedly flourish, as people shun face-to-face sales.)

There are no guarantees, but you have a better chance of getting through this unscathed than most of your neighbors. Hopefully, all of you read the backgrounder on family flu preparedness, that I've had posted here are SurvivalBlog for more than three years. But if not... Now is time to make the requisite adjustments to your daily routine and to top off your logistics:

• Now is the time to order several boxes of N95 masks and rolls of bandage tape (for sealing any mask edge gaps )
• Now is the time to buy a steam vaporizer (new, or used -- Try Craig's List for used ones)
• Now is the time to approach your family doctor, and ask for a scrip for Tamiflu.
• Now is the time to lay in a supply of Sambucol (Elderberry extract.)
• Now is the time to lay in supplies of hand sanitizer (with aloe) and latex gloves--or nitrile gloves for those with latex allergies
• Now is the time to stock up on Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Guaifenesin expectorant
• Now is the time to buy a couple of Bag Valve Masks
• And lastly, for this and umpteen other contingencies, now is the time to acquire an honest one year supply of storage food (or more) for your family. Buy some extra, for charity.

If you wait too long, then those supplies will either be non-existent, or exorbitantly priced. By the time most of the sheeple think this through (or have it explained to them by the talking heads on the Idiot Box), you will have long since "topped off" your preps. But not if you hesitate. As my friend Bob in Tennessee is fond of saying: "Panic now, and avoid the rush."

Mark my words: A true pandemic will disrupt supply chains, starting with relatively exotic items (such as antivirals), but eventually working down to basic commodities. Be ready.

WHO: Is This The Calm Before The Storm?

NYC Toddler Death, Adult In Missouri Raise Swine Flu Concerns

CDC: Not Out of the Flu Woods Yet

Swine Flu vs. Bird Flu: Which Is The Greater Pandemic Threat?

The Economy's Search for a "New Normal" (Thanks to Richard S. for the link.)

Currie sent us this: Europe in deepest recession since War... "...The declaration was made as it emerged that Europe's biggest economy has now suffered a worse "lost decade" than Japan and is deeper in recession than any other major economy."

Also from Currie: Japan - Major banking groups report massive losses

Items from The Economatrix:

From the French think tank: When The World Steps Out Of A 60-Year-Old Referential Framework

As Detroit Crumbles, China Emerges as the Auto Epicenter

Don't Count On China to Rescue the World Economy

Was The Bank Bailout Even Necessary?

BofE Makes 1 Billion Pound Profit Off of Financial Crisis Worst financial crisis in modern history = biggest profit in BofE's 300-Year History

Companies Face Higher Derivatives Hedging Costs

Time to Get Out the Wheelbarrows? Another Look at the Weimar Hyperinflation "It was horrible. Horrible! Like lightning it struck. No one was prepared. The shelves in the grocery stores were empty.You could buy nothing with your paper money."

Goldfingers Wonder When to Switch to Assets

Japan's Economy in Record Plunge

Mark A. sent a link to a LDS Preparedness Manual in PDF. This is a 222-page manual about food storage and some other topics.

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Farming and Hunting magazines among very few to increase advertising revenue. (Thanks to GG for the link.)

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The folks at the Ancient Pathways outdoor survival school mentioned that they have expanded the survival gear section of their web site and are now offering two new instructional DVDs.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -President Theodore Roosevelt

For the past few weeks I've let the news headlines speak for themselves, but I now feel convicted to comment on the deteriorating economic conditions. The global economy in general, and the economies of the English-speaking nations in particular are in deep, deep trouble. A massive credit bubble has popped, and all efforts to re-inflate it have failed. National congresses and parliaments, are throwing trillions at the problem, but they have done no good. The policy wonks in government, and their cronies at the central banks are essentially clueless. Their uniform reaction to each failed "stimulus" policy seems to be: "Well, that money creation didn't work, so it obviously wasn't enough!" This is something akin to a frustrated Emergency Room doctor, trying to resuscitate an obese cardio patient that has suffered a massive myocardial infarction. This fat blob lays torpid on the gurney, with a"flat-lined" heart monitor. The first three attempts to revive the patient didn't work, so all that the doctor can think to do is keep increasing the voltage and slap on the paddles again. Whether the doctor is Ben Casey, or Ben Bernanke, doesn't matter. All attempts to revive the patient with the tools at hand have failed.

As I mentioned in a recent interview with a German journalist, the central banks are using the public treasuries to attempt to re-inflate the credit bubble. This will only make the situation worse, and it will most likely turn the recession instead into a lengthy and deep depression. We are witnessing a complete meltdown of the global credit system. More credit is not the solution, and in fact loose credit via artificially low interest rates was actually the cause of the problem.

In my estimation, the only genuine long term solution to the continuing boom-bust cycle is to do away with fractional reserve banking. What we needed instead is traditional warehouse banking (without interest), and currencies that are fully-backed (1-for-1 redeemable) in gold and silver. (The only difficulty there might be the eventual drift in the ratio of the relative values of silver and gold.) Another part of the solution is in the creation of private credit clearing circles. It is noteworthy that private credit clearing has been done successfully by WIR Bank in Switzerland, for more than 60 years.

On a personal level, I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers get ready for the worst. Be prepared to hunker through a depression that may last a decade. As I've written before, we are are likely to see general price deflation for a couple of years followed by a nasty bout of high inflation. The latter will come once the huge cash injections work their way through the economy. Let me explain: Currently, bankers are terrified of risk, so they are refusing to lend. But eventually, realizing that because of Treasury loan guarantees that have come hand-in-hand with the Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB), most bank lending will no longer have any risk or real consequences. So they will begin to lend money lavishly. The trillions of dollars in new "out of thin air" money in circulation will benefit from the multiplier effect, and mass inflation will ensue.

Given the misguided government intervention that is perpetuating widespread malinvestment, I can foresee many years of trouble ahead. Don't consider any of the following to be firm predictions, but here are some possibilities for the next decade, in brief:

• Declining residential real estate prices, perhaps as much another 50% in some markets
• Declining commercial real estate prices, perhaps as much another 65% in some markets
• A chronically weak consumer market.
• Very few retail stores will prosper--mainly just "second hand" sellers.
• A substantially higher personal savings rate
• Huge corporate layoffs, resulting in a high unemployment rate
• High property crime rates, characterized by waves of home invasion robberies in the cities and suburbs.
• Further spikes in the foreclosure rate, most notably in 2011.
• Higher taxes and fees at all levels, as legislators scramble to make up for lost revenue
• Huge new "make work" programs similar to the WPA and CCC in the 1930s
• Severe restrictions on expatriation of currency, precious metals, and gemstones
• More frequent and larger bank failures,and possibly some bank runs
• Major dislocation, as millions of out of work families move to find work or move in with relatives that still have reliable income
• Crowded colleges and universities, as out of work young people gamble on increasing their marketable skills
• The military "full up", and turning away thousands of would-be enlistees
• Huge pension fund failures, both private and public.
• Huge municipal bond failures
• Drastically scaled-back city, county, and state services--including police and fire departments
• A stock market roller coaster ride, with multiple "sucker" rallies
• Enormous over the counter (OTC) derivatives failures with many counterparty risks not revealed until post-facto (post-schumero)
• Employment benefits and perquisites scaled back drastically
• Collapsing prices for fine art collectibles, vintage wines, vintage cars, and other luxury goods.
• Spectacular hedge fund failures
• Traumatic bankruptcies for airlines, auto makers, newspapers, truck manufacturers, cruise lines, aircraft makers, and many other industries
• Many major department store chains merging or going out of business
• Consumer price deflation, followed by high inflation, with multiple currency changes
• Wage and price controls
• A nationalized health care system
• Tighter immigration controls
• A continuing and ever-expanding Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB)
• A few bright spots in the economy may include entertainment, firearms, home security, precious metals, storage companies, some aspects of healthcare, and gardening/home canning products

In summary, we are headed into some very bad times. Be ready to hunker down and be able to fend for yourself.

Mr. Rawles,

Regarding the filter design suggested by "Dim Tim": Consider replacing the modified stockpot with a sink. A deep stainless utility sink would be ideal, would require little alteration, and could be set up outdoors at the downspout to drain directly to a retention barrel or bladder. In a SHTF scenario, an existing indoor sink could be modified by removing the trap underneath the sink. Collected water can then be poured into the sink, filter through, and drain underneath (a food grade plastic five gallon bucket fits quite nicely.) Regards, - Tamara S.

Jim-

I want to publicly commend “SH from Georgia” on his excellent and concise article on stocking prescription drugs for a TEOTWAWKI scenario. I agree with just about every point that he has made. Adding metronidazole to the list is a great addition, and his comment about having medications on hand so that a physician might use them to your benefit is a point that I was contemplating, as well. Of course, the list of “med-prep” logistics that one could store is lengthy, and will be limited by 1. budget; 2. knowledge base, and 3. storage ability. SH’s list is very doable from all of these angles. If I were to make my own list, my only point of departure would be to emphasize again that these drugs will be quite precious. Most of the upper respiratory infections that are currently treated with antibiotics would resolve spontaneously without them, e.g., acute sinus infections, mild ear infections and a sore throat not accompanied by fever. I purposely left out amoxicillin because it is a wimpy antibiotic that is currently rarely effective for the sort of infections that will unequivocally require antibiotic therapy in an austere environment. A final recommendation: for anyone stockpiling prescription meds, having a current copy of the Physicians Drug Handbook (Not to be confused with the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR)) would be indispensable. - RangerDoc, MD, FACS

JWR:
A quick note on one of the medications that SH from Georgia mentioned: Metformin does not usually work until you reach 1000-to-1500 MG dose. Also, it is important to note that the tablets [of this particular medication] should not be cut. Everyone should always double check everything concerning medications. All the drugs [in this family] are also now going to have black box warnings soon for possible heart problems! - Russell M.

Hello,
I am a retail pharmacist in Philadelphia. The letters with regard to stocking up on medication and medical supplies were great. I'm glad to see other Pharmacists into preparedness. There are a few other things I thought I would mention.

A good topical anti-fungal cream could prevent a lot of unpleasantness. Generic Lotrimin (clotrimazole) applied twice daily for a week or two can treat ringworm (a fungal skin infection), athlete's foot and jock itch. Lamisil and Lotrimin Ultra are a bit more potent but probably aren't worth the additional cost.

SH's letter was great and he really knows his stuff. Another antibiotic that might be useful in people who are allergic to amoxicillin/penicillin, etc (those same people can also be cross-sensitive to cephalosporins (keflex, etc)) is azithromycin (z-pak) or erythromycin (ery-tab). They are broad-spectrum and are usually tolerated well (some G.I.side effects like cramping and diarrhea).
If someone is unable to find a like-minded prescriber there are plenty of veterinary medicines that can be used by people available at pet supply/agricultural stores. I have seen tetracycline, amoxicillin, and sulfa drugs which were to be used on everything from fish to horses. These would be fine to use in post-SHTF circumstances. They go by different brand names but are the same medicine. One would just have to take care to use appropriate dosing as they are usually in different strengths than human dosage forms. Ragnar Benson has some books on these topics.

Another thing is to have a good supply of natural medicines available(grow echinacea as an antibiotic and elderberry as an antiviral (flu prevention/treatment). There are many others.
Staying in good health and thinking "preventative" is a good way of decreasing the effects of some of the major killers. It seems as though the American way of life conditions many people to wait until a problem occurs to start thinking about their health, but you wouldn't wait until your engine locks up to change your oil. Diabetes, heart disease and cancer risk can be reduced by proper diet, exercise, stopping smoking, etc. This will allow you to be free of any "maintenance medications", insulin, etc. that might be difficult or expensive to stockpile.
I just finished reading "Patriots" , it is awesome work! Take care, - S.T. in Philly

WHO May Raise Flu Level--Japanese Cases Leap

Japan Reports 173 Swine Flu Cases, Closes Schools

WHO: No Swine Flu Vaccine Available For Months

Readers "Bigbird" and Trapper Mike both sent this: Brazil and China eye plan to axe dollar

John Hussman warns: Inflation Ahead! The Destructive Implications of the Bailout - Understanding Equilibrium (Thanks to GG for the link)

Frequent content contributor GG sent us this: Tax Revenues Tanking. Yikes! Look at the tax receipts for April of '08 versus April of '09. I suspect that the panic reaction in Congress will be raise the marginal tax rates.

Thanks to DS for sending this: Stocks waver after surprise drop in housing data (This leads me to ask: Why are journalists so surprised that the housing numbers are continuing to decline?)

Items from The Economatrix:

GM Bankruptcy Seen as All But Inevitable

Notes from Another Credit Card Crisis

Economy Limiting Services of Local Police

Obamarket Update #80: Jussssttt a Bit Outside

New Rules: Work 'til You Die

Condo Associations Dying as Fees Dry Up

Chrysler Expands Buyouts, Early Retirement Packages

Geithner: Economy Expanding But Jobs at Risk

US Workers Paying More For Healthcare

Hotel Crime Rises In Recession, But Hotels Say They Are Still Safe "The current downtrend is associated with significant cuts in security."

Stocks Waver After Surprise Drop in Housing Data

Housing Construction, Permits Hit Record Lows

Oil Prices Bounce Above $60 in New York

American Express to Cut 4,000 Jobs

Jobless Horrors (The Mogambo Guru)

Reader RTK recommended a New York Times Op-Ed piece: All Disasters Are Local

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Here is a link to a brief YouTube segment on how to seal foods in Mylar bags, using a Foodsaver

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Big-Box Stores Comparisons

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Disaster risk increasing, says UN

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From Trapper Mike: GPS system 'close to breakdown'; Network of satellites could begin to fail as early as 2010

"The difference between truth and fiction: fiction has to make sense." - Mark Twain

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Because I recently dropped Front Sight as an advertiser, the list of contest prizes for this round has been revised:

First Prize: A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Personal Background:
I am 65, have never been active duty military, nor in law enforcement. I have, however, legally (licensed CCW) carried a concealed handgun on a regular, daily basis, for most of my adult life. This includes CCW permits in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Indiana. When specific circumstances justified doing so (in my personal opinion at the time), I have also carried concealed in California "from time to time" without a CCW. I helped teach a concealed weapons class when living in Alaska by demonstrating how to carry effectively, regardless of weapon size. I have also had no fewer than seven instances in the last forty years when I have had to legitimately use a concealed handgun for personal defense of self or others. These include a home invasion attempt, an attempted "run my wife and I off the road" on a dark, deserted stretch of highway one night, two serious mugging attempts, two cases of effecting citizen's arrests at gun point for attempted thefts while working as a late night cashier at a convenience store, and (most recently), intervening in a domestic dispute gone bad where the male half attempted grave bodily harm on his (ex)fiancee by taking a shot at her in front of my house. Please note my use of "attempted" in all of the above cases. Thanks to my being legally armed at the time, none of them were successful. Equally fortunate, all were successfully resolved without my actually having to fire a shot in any of them (although three were really, really close). The above is just to support that my personal opinions below are based on many years of actual street experience as a civilian carrier of a legally carried concealed weapon.

Legal Considerations:
There was a recent post about an individual in Washington State who was pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Said individual happened to have two loaded, concealed weapons in his vehicle, one handgun and one rifle. What said individual did not have was a CCW. In addition to whatever resulted from the traffic stop itself, both weapons were confiscated and the individual ended up with a conviction for carrying a concealed weapon without a license.
I too been pulled over for routine traffic stops while carrying concealed, once in Anchorage, Alaska (failure to signal a lane change) and once in Seattle, Washington (cracked windshield). In Anchorage, I immediately informed the officer that I was licensed and carrying and asked if he wanted to secure the weapon. His reply was "No. You have done what you are required by law to do - inform me that you are carrying. It is safer for both of us if you just leave it in the holster."

The difference between Anchorage and Seattle is that the two officers in Seattle did want to secure any weapons. By the time I was done divesting myself of any questionable items, there were two J Frame S&W .38s (both with Crimson Trace laser grips), a Colt Mustang Pocketlite .380, a Benchmade lock-back folder, a Leatherman Wave, a Swiss Champ knife, a canister of Pepper Spray, and an ASP tactical baton on the hood of my car. Reaction to what the liberal media would describe as a walking arsenal? One officer turned to the other and said "S***, he's got better gear than we do."
In both cases, I drove away with nothing more than a verbal warning, one to watch my lane changes and the other to get my windshield fixed. I have always suspected that my being legally armed and cooperative was a factor in receiving verbal warnings instead of written tickets.

I am a Life Member of the NRA, as pro Second Amendment as anyone reading SurvivalBlog, and personally believe that the only two states that have "got it right" are Vermont and Alaska, both of which allow concealed carry, with no permit required [even inside city limits]. Having said that, I also recognize that the remaining 48 states DO have restrictive laws governing the carrying of concealed weapons. I also recognize that, at least for the time being and immediately foreseeable future, they also have functioning law enforcement and judicial systems. While I may agree with the sentiment that no law abiding citizen should be required to have a license to exercise rights guaranteed under the Constitution, I also have no sympathy for anyone who assumes that position, gets caught, and ends up paying the legal price.

The question I would ask anyone who is considering carrying concealed without the necessary legal permit is this: Is the exercise of your principles worth the risk of losing the weapon(s) you are carrying, a criminal conviction that will probably result in failed background checks for any future purchases requiring Federal paperwork, and the distinct possibility in today's political environment of the stop/conviction triggering a search warrant of your home (and subsequent confiscation of any weapons found there) because DHS criteria suggests that you are obviously a dangerous extremist, if not an outright terrorist? Let your conscience be your guide. Just be sure to very carefully think through the potential ramifications of your actions.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM:
The absolute Rule Number One of gunfights is simple and basic: Have a gun. Not only do I totally agree with Rule Number One, but without exception, all other considerations in the concealed carry decision process are insignificant compared to Rule Number One.

Rule Number Two generally involves weapon choice - revolver versus semi-auto. Depending on who is on the soap box at the moment, myriad reasons will be

Rule Number Three generally involves the best caliber. As with the revolver versus semi-automatic decision, one size does not fit all. While there is much truth to the old statement that a 9mm may expand but a .45 will never shrink, the size of the hole is of far less importance than the location of the hole. Bore diameter is nowhere near as critical as shot placement.

Rule Number Four deals with the How and Where to carry. The vast majority of gun writers/instructors teach/preach strong-side hip, preferably in an inside the waist band (IWB) holster. This is an excellent choice. But as with Rules Two and Three, one size does not fit all. There are numerous reasons why this may be a less than optimum method of carry, depending on specific circumstances at the time.

Rule Number Five is to always carry at least one reload of spare ammo in either a spare magazine for a semi-auto or some kind of speed loader for a revolver. I totally agree about carrying spare ammo. I just don't necessarily agree on the best way to do it.

Rule Number Six is to always use "aimed" fire by focusing on your front sight.

Rule Number Seven is the true weapon isn't the gun; it is the person holding it.

UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM:
Rule Number One: See above. No disagreement here at all.
Rule Number Two: See Rule Number One. Whether it is a revolver or semi-auto, your first choice should be the biggest (in terms of both caliber and capacity) that you will always have with you. A $2,000 tricked-out custom [Model] 1911 with all the latest bells and whistles is worthless if it is back home in your gun safe (you do have a gun safe, don't you?) when you need it on the street. Having a carry gun that you don't carry all the time because it is too big, too heavy, interferes with your clothing style, or any other lame excuse you come up with, makes no sense at all in my book. If you have made the decision to carry, then do so. Period. No exceptions. It makes not one whit of difference if that choice is a revolver or semi-auto as long as it is one you will always have on/with you. It makes a whole lot of difference if it is at home and you aren't, regardless of type.
Rule Number Three: See Rule Number One. Years ago (before the days of high performance JHP bullets) caliber choice did make a difference in terms of proven street performance. After many, many years of documented shootings, the 125 grain JHP .357 Magnum still holds the position of number one, one shot stop performance. It is followed very closely now by the .40 S&W, with the .45 ACP marginally behind the .40. Today's high performance loads for .32 and .380, however, are vastly superior to the old 148 grain lead round nose .38 Special police loads, which were notoriously poor stoppers.

The point is that the caliber itself is not the key factor. What is the most effective (note that I said effective and not largest) caliber that you can comfortably handle and reliably control? My daughter and a personal friend of ours both have a medical condition which makes it physically impossible for either of them to control any semi-auto chambering more than a .380. "Muzzle flip" with heavier loads will literally dislocate their wrists because most of the recoil force is transferred directly to the wrist joint. Both of them, however, can very easily and comfortably control full frame .45 revolvers. This is because grip angle on the revolver transfers recoil into the web of the hand between the thumb and pointer finger and then in a direct line through the wrist and down the forearm. Not only is perceived recoil considerably reduced, actual recoil force applied to the wrist joint is in fact reduced.

Re-stating Rules Two and Three: See Rule Number One. What works best for you? You need to stop caring about what works best for someone else. Concentrate instead on what works best for you and in a type/caliber configuration that you will always have with you. Front Sight's motto of "Any gun will do, if you will do" is absolutely true.
Rule Number Four: Are you ready? Can you guess? See Rule Number One. There is no question that a good IWB holster is one of the most effective ways to carry (and more importantly conceal) any handgun, especially full frame revolvers or semi-autos. Because the holster and lower portion of the weapon are inside the pants, nothing is visible below the level of the belt. Being inside the pants also allows you to cinch your belt tight, pulling the entire gun frame into your body instead of allowing it to flop outward, "printing" on your shirt or jacket. This is especially important if you are carrying a small revolver in a belt holster because they are "top heavy" with a tendency to have the butt of the gun flop or sag away from the body. But unless the IWB holster is properly designed to stay open with the weapon removed, it is virtually impossible to re-holster the gun one-handed.

But as effective as it might be, an IWB is not always your best choice. Do you spend most of your working day behind the wheel of a vehicle? Try drawing from a strong-side hip IWB holster some time while you are sitting behind the wheel, with your seat belt going over your jacket. Under these circumstances, a good shoulder or cross-draw holster would be infinitely more practical. Or maybe you work in an office that doesn't have air conditioning in the hot and humid summer months. I can guarantee you that your co-workers will find it odd or strange that you are the only one in the office who never removes your coat. Been there. Done that. Switched to a different carry method.
Rule Number Five: Again, See Rule Number One. Given the proliferation in recent years of high capacity semi-autos using double stack magazines capable of holding 15 or more rounds, there is a tendency for the neophyte (and even some with more experience who should know better) to assume that spare ammo is unnecessary. The logic runs "If I can't resolve the problem in 15, or 17 or 19 rounds, I won't need spare ammo anyway." I don't care who the manufacturer is or how high the quality of the product, if it is mechanical, it can break or malfunction. Or, as I read recently, "Anyone who tells you they have never experienced a breakage is either lying or they don't shoot enough." With proper training, you can very quickly clear typical semi-auto jams or malfunctions. But if the magazine itself fails (like having the floor plate come loose, dumping all remaining rounds on the ground), the only way to get back in action (short of picking up one round at a time from the ground and hand feeding it in the chamber), is having a spare reload.

In spite of the argument that revolvers are more "functionally reliable" than semi-autos, they are not immune to problems. Older style firing pins can break. Inadequate crimping can cause bullets to pull forward from the case, locking up the cylinder. The early-production Model 586 L Frame S&W .357 Magnum had a design flaw that would cause primers to back out of the primer pocket, which would also lock the cylinder, preventing cylinder rotation. There is no "rack and tap" clearance drill for a locked up revolver cylinder. The only remedy is disassembly, which is best left to a qualified gunsmith. I was fortunate that my 586 locked up on me while testing it at the range and not in the middle of some serious social interaction. Or I should say, the 586 that I used to own.
Where I personally differ from Conventional Wisdom is that I don't carry spare ammo for my primary strong side hip holstered weapon (either a Browning Hi-Power in .40 S&W or a Kimber Gold Match 1911 in .45 ACP). I carry a spare gun (Taurus 605 .357 Magnum with a 2-1/2 inch barrel). What I give up in the way of spare rounds (5 rounds of. .357 vs 10 .40 or 8 rounds of .45) I more than gain in speed and versatility. This is what is known as a "New York Reload" based on NYPD's famed Stake-Out Squad. Simply put, the fastest reload in the world is a second gun.

That by itself is enough reason for me to carry a spare gun instead of spare ammo for my primary. But there are other reasons that, again for me, are even more important. If you are ever faced with multiple assailants and are with someone, tossing them your spare magazine won't do either of you much good. Tossing them your spare gun might. What if you are out with your family some dark and rainy night and your car breaks down in a questionable area, requiring you to walk for help? (Yes, you should have a functioning cell phone for those situations. Is it fully charged? Do you have a charger in the car just in case it isn't? Are you in a dead zone with no phone reception?) If it is necessary for any reason for you to leave them while you seek help, do you take your gun with you (leaving them defenseless), or do you leave your gun with them (leaving you defenseless)? This becomes a non-issue with a spare gun.

What if you are assaulted (mugged) on the street and your assailant grabs your gun hand/arm, preventing you from accessing your strong side weapon? This also becomes a non-issue if you are carrying two guns, strong and weak side, allowing you to quickly access a weapon with either hand. One of the two previously mentioned mugging attempts involved two assailants who positioned themselves in front and behind me while I was walking down the street one night. The only reason the lead assailant was unable to pin my gun hand/arm was that I had deliberately positioned him to my left when passing him. When he suddenly lunged at me, grabbing and pinning my left arm against my side, I was still able to access my weapon on the side away from him. Needless to say, he did a very quick "oopsy two-step" while disengaging from the encounter. That was forty years ago and when I first started thinking through the wisdom of carrying a second gun.
Before anybody says/thinks that the other reason is that this acts as my back-up gun, no, it does not. I refer to it as my secondary/spare, not my back-up. I do so for a reason, that reason being that my true "back-up" is either one of those previously mentioned J Frames or the Colt Mustang in my left front pants pocket. If you are beyond remedial math skills, you quickly realized that 1+1+1 = 3. The small J Frames or the Mustang are my always guns. I switch between the J's and Colt based on the pants I'm wearing at the time. If the pockets are deep enough, I carry one of the Smiths. If not, I carry the Colt. Either way, if I am wearing pants, I will always have one or the other on me, even inside my house.

As an aside, legality of carrying multiple weapons (even with a CCW), varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In some states, the CCW allows the holder to carry whatever make/model/caliber and number of guns that suits their individual fancy. Not so in others. Some states are so restrictive that the CCW is weapon specific, including right down to make, model, and serial number. You are allowed to carry the exact weapon shown on your CCW and nothing else, period. Act according to what is allowed in your jurisdiction. The best advice if you live in one of the more restrictive jurisdictions is this: Move.

Rule Number Six: Once again, see Rule Number One. There are a number of very good "pocket" (Always) guns that don't even have effective front sights. Full size weapons that do have decent "standard" sights may be very effective in well lit situations but become virtually worthless in the dark. Sorry, but you simply can't focus on your front sight if you can't even see it in the first place.
There are three effective ways to address this potential problem: glow in the dark "night sights," laser grips, and "pointer fire." Higher end (read more expensive) guns may come already set-up with night sights, or more recently, even Crimson Trace laser grips. Decent after-market night sights can be picked up for between $70 and $100, depending on brand, plus installation cost if you have it done by a gunsmith. Crimson Trace grips will run, on average, plus or minus $300 depending on make and model of the gun. Of the two options, there is no question that laser grips are the more versatile choice. You have to be looking down the top strap of the gun to see and use your night sights. Not so with lasers. Lasers are also an effective "force multiplier." Putting that red dot on someone's chest will almost always immediately cause them to "reconsider" whatever it is they are doing. End result is problem solved without your having to actually pull the trigger. Believe me, you really don't want to have to pull the trigger if you can avoid it. I am such a huge fan of Crimson Trace grips that my Hi Power, Kimber, Taurus, and both J Frames are all equipped with them (as do my son-in-law's three and my daughter's two carry guns). My only carry gun that doesn't is my Mustang. And the only reason it doesn't is that always doesn't make grips for it.

Pointer fire doesn't work? Tell that to Bill Jordan, one of the fastest and deadliest real gunfighters of the last century. Or Thell Reed and Arvo Ojalla, both of whom were almost unbelievably proficient at "hip shooting." Remember the old Gunsmoke television program, which always started with Matt Dillon having a classic "walk and draw" face-off on Main street? His "opponent" in that clip was Ojalla (who spent much of his career training Western actors). Ojalla's "trademark" trick was to place a target 21 feet away. He would then, in one continuous motion, throw a knife at the target, draw, and fire a single action Colt - from "the hip." The bullet would hit the target first, followed almost immediately by the point of the knife going into the bullet hole.

I personally "honed" my gun handling skills in the days before it became common knowledge that "pointer fire doesn't work." My "test fire" procedure for any new carry gun is six full loads (magazines in a semi-auto or cylinders in a revolver) at a standard silhouette target 21 feet down-range. I use 21 feet because contact to 21 feet is the distance at which the vast majority of actual gunfights take place. My first load is aimed fire, center of mass. My second is aimed fire, head shots. My third is slow and deliberate strong hand pointer fire. This is followed by the fourth load of rapid fire strong hand pointer. The fifth and six loads are slow and rapid weak hand pointer fire. If I cannot consistently keep all of my rounds on target at 21 feet, I don't carry that gun. I do the same basic drill whenever I add laser grips to a new carry gun, with two modifications. I eliminate the two rapid fire sequences and move the target back to 25 yards. All "sighting" is then done using just that red dot on target. It should be obvious, but I will say it anyway. Pointer fire becomes even more effective if you have the added visual benefit of a red dot on target.

In this regard, weapon choice can and does make a huge difference. Some guns are "natural pointers" in that the grip angle naturally aligns the bore with the shooter's hand, wrist and forearm. The gun "points" where the shooter points. Probably the two best grip designs for "pointability" in the history of firearms are the Colt Single Action Army and the High Standard Sentinel. As a general rule, with some exceptions, most revolvers are reasonably good natural pointers. This is not at all true for semi-autos. Some are excellent while others are absolutely horrid. You test this by holding the gun naturally in your hand, waist high, and point it at a target. Does the bore follow a straight line through your hand, wrist, and forearm? Or does the muzzle point up (or down) from a line running down your arm? If it does, you would have to make an unnatural compensation in your grip by "cocking your wrist" to bring the gun "on target" with pointer fire. Learning to be able to consistently do that, especially while under stress, isn't worth the time, trouble, or ammo expense. Choose a different gun to carry.
When time and distance are appropriate, absolutely follow conventional wisdom. Focus on your front sight and use sighted/aimed fire. But I would strongly suggest that you have an effective, workable, fall-back option for those situations where conventional wisdom might be found lacking in real life.

Rule Number Seven: Don't ever bluff with a loaded gun. Under the law, you will be held to a higher standard of conduct just from the mere fact that you are armed. If you are not mentally and emotionally prepared to pull the trigger if put in a situation that justifies doing so, then don't carry a gun. And don't ever make the mistake of thinking that someone is going to immediately comply with your wishes just because you pull a gun on them, because an uncomfortable percentage of the time they won't. What are you going to do after you draw down on them and they then tell you "You don't have the (whatever) to use that" and keep on coming? You are either justified in using deadly force or you aren't. If your immediate situation does not justify deadly force then keep your gun in your holster.
Besides, it isn't the gun itself that compels compliance, it is how you present yourself. Do you come across as confident or fearful? Resolute or timid? What does your manner and attitude convey to the other person? And I don't mean acting aggressively, either. Very often, the difference between having to actually pull the trigger or not hinges on the other person's perception of your willingness to do so if necessary. Or stated differently, if they believe you will, you probably won't have to.
One of the two late night convenience store incidents involved two very "mouthy" individuals who proceeded to tell me "You think you're such hot stuff with that piece? You better remember that there are two of us and just one of you." And this was while they were being held at gun-point. Their attitude suddenly changed when I held up the J frame in my hand and said "Two to one? No. I count it five to two."

An even stronger example of the impact of "presentation" wasn't even included in my list of seven incidents. That was the night I backed down seven Gypsy Jokers (outlaw Biker gang) without ever giving the slightest indication that I was even carrying. After a fairly tense few minutes that included numerous threats concerning what they planned to do to me (during which I never once raised my voice or even flinched), one of them talked the rest into leaving the store. That particular individual came back to the store by himself a couple of nights later. I thanked him for defusing the situation. That's when he told me "You should have been making wet spots on the floor. You weren't. I didn't want to find out why not."

Two weeks later, he came back in, by himself. Only this time, he cornered me in the back room when I had both hands full of empty six packs of bottles. He also pulled a knife on me with the comment "Now I've got you where I want you." I simply said "Whenever you're ready, make your play. All I'm going to do is open my right hand and then put two just above your belt buckle before the first bottle hits the floor." He responded with "You're not that good." I answered with "You think not. I think I am. Whenever you're ready to find out which of us is right, go for it." His parting words before he left the store (after putting his knife away) were "You're not worth it." I never saw him again. He may not have believed that I was good enough to pull it off, but he knew I was sure going to try. He also knew the other side of the coin to Rule Number One: Never bring a knife to a gunfight. "Presentation and Perception" were the keys that kept a bad situation from getting worse. Oh, and this incident was also not included in the list of seven because I didn't actually "use" the gun that I was in fact very mentally prepared to.

ADDITIONAL UNCONVENTIONAL TIPS:
Since I have already pretty well belabored Rule One (it does not really matter what you carry, as long as you carry something), I am not going to spend any more time discussing weapon or caliber specifics. Instead, I am going to focus strictly on Rule Number Four - the How and Where of carrying in a less than conventional or textbook manner.
There are essentially just two basic ways to carry a handgun: With or Without a holster. There are, however, numerous specific ways to do both.
True holster carry includes strong and weak side hip (inside and outside the waist band), cross-draw, shoulder (vertical, horizontal, and upside down), ankle, and pocket. There are also variations, such as groin and belly band, that technically fall within the "holster" category but which are not in fact actual holsters in the traditional sense. There are also multiple different ways to attach a holster to a belt (clips, snaps, slots, paddle), as well as many different styles of belt holster. Depending on specific circumstances at the time, I have experimented with every one of the above (and others) over the last 45 years.

Whichever type is used, however, the crucial factors are comfort, concealment, and accessibility. All three are important. Which of these is most important, however, depends entirely on individual circumstances. As with Rules Two and Three, there is no pat answer. It all depends on the individual and their reasons for carrying in the first place. For someone who would be fired on the spot if caught carrying, absolute concealment is obviously more important than comfort or accessibility. By the same token, if you work in a high risk environment, accessibility will have the greatest importance. If neither of these circumstances is present, you would probably be more likely to opt for comfort first.

If the carry method isn't comfortable, you will violate Rule Number One and leave the gun at home when you should have it with you. You will also have a tendency to constantly readjust or reposition it, which is a classic "tell" that you are carrying. If the carry method doesn't adequately conceal the weapon (gun is visible because it is carried too far forward on the hip, allowing it to be seen if the covering outer garment is moved aside when retrieving something from a pocket, it is worn such that the gun butt "prints," or the barrel can be seen beneath the bottom edge of the covering garment, as examples,) two less than desirable results occur. The first is that you immediately lose any surprise advantage should you be put in a position of actually needing to use your weapon. The second, depending on jurisdiction, is that you very well may also lose your CCW. My Indiana CCW allows either concealed or open carry. With my CCW, I am still legal, even if my weapon should become visible (such as having my shirt catch on the back of the chair at the restaurant recently, exposing my weapon). This is not the case in all jurisdictions. Exposing your weapon in public in some jurisdictions is grounds of and by itself for automatic cancellation of your CCW. The third, accessibility, should be obvious. If you can't quickly and easily get to it if you should need it, strict observance of Rule Number One won't do you much good.

The two key determining factors in holster selection can be summed up as lifestyle and dress code. What do you do to earn a living? Do you work in an office behind a desk? Drive a truck or taxi for eight hours? Stand on your feet all day long working retail behind a counter? Are you retired? Are you required to wear a uniform at work (company logo type thing?) Suit and tie? Coveralls (mechanic in a shop for example?) Casual attire? How can you best achieve the three critical factors (comfort, concealment and accessibility) in your specific situation? A holster that works extremely well in one scenario may not work at all in another. You may prefer a particular mode of carry but your job or required dress may prevent it. What works best for you for your specific circumstances at the time?

I have already mentioned the difficulty of drawing from a strong side hip holster when buckled up behind the wheel of a vehicle. You can encounter similar problems when seated at a desk, even without a seat belt. If you are sitting close to the desk (legs under the desk, hands and arms on the desk), the gun barrel will come up under the front edge of the desk when you draw it, unless you first push yourself back from the desk to give yourself adequate clearance.

There are four realistic holster options for desk work: ankle, cross-draw, shoulder, and Cavalry. The "best choice" depends on a number of factors. Do you wear your suit/sport coat while working at your desk or do you take it off? Do you (for whatever reason) only carry one gun? How much of your working day is spent at your desk versus out and around? What is your commute situation? Do you drive or take public transportation? Best choice? The reality is that answers to these questions may determine your choice for you. As I said earlier, what works extremely well in one scenario may not work at all in another. You need to balance the totality of your carry requirements in making your carry decisions.

If you work in shirt sleeves all day long at your desk, an ankle rig may be your only truly practical choice for concealment and accessibility. Your desk will prevent anyone from the front or side seeing it and it will be instantly "at hand" if you need it. It becomes increasingly less practical, however, if you don't spend all day in the office and/or commute by driving.
Wearing a "covering garment" greatly expands your options, whether that garment is a coat or sweater, preferably with front buttons. Either a cross-draw or shoulder holster will put your gun very close "to hand" by allowing you to sit with your elbow on your chair's arm rest, arms crossed in front of you, and your hand inside your coat or sweater. A cross-draw holster lessens the risk of catching the gun barrel on the front edge of the desk compared to strong side hip, but it is still a potential if you are sitting too close. You avoid this by simply "rocking back" in your chair as you draw. As your upper body goes back, your gun easily clears the front edge of the desk as you draw.

The "type" of shoulder holster directly affects both accessibility and draw. Horizontal rigs naturally position the gun above the desk edge. Simply execute your draw. An upside down rig has the same potential for catching under the front edge of the desk as strong side hip or cross-draw. You avoid the desk edge by doing the same "rock back" as with a cross-draw. A typical vertical shoulder holster, however, presents its own little twist to the draw depending on how tall you are and your "torso length" relative to positioning with the front edge of the desk. Draws from a vertical shoulder holster are executed with a "forward and down" motion. Unless you sit high enough, the front edge of the desk will also interfere and get in the way of your clearing the holster and acquiring your target. If you are tall enough to clear, simply execute the draw. If not, again do a "rock back" in your chair to gain the needed extra clearance.

My personal preference if I am wearing a coat or sweater, however, is a Cavalry draw. It is called this because that is the way Cavalry troops carried their handguns in the 180os - strong side hip, gun butt forward. The classic picture of Wild Bill Hickock also demonstrates this method of carry. He wore a sash with a pair of Colt 1851 Navy Cap and Ball revolvers stuck butts forward in the sash. As a point of historical trivia, this method of carry is the fastest known way to draw and fire a single action revolver while seated at a poker table. With modern weapons and holsters, use a left hand holster for a right hand draw (and vice versa). The gun/holster is worn high, butt against your side (lower rib cage). You draw by simply reversing your hand (palm out, back of your hand against your side). Grasp the butt of the gun and then snap your elbow back in against your body. This action brings the gun out of the holster in a horizontal sweep above the edge of the desk. Pull the trigger when the muzzle goes "on target." I prefer this method because it works equally well for sitting at a desk, driving, or walking down the street. [JWR Adds: From a safety standpoint, be advised that this carry and presentation method also "muzzles" your legs if you you use your strong side hand, which is a no-no.]

Ankle holsters can be a practical option, but other than for desk work as described above, I personally feel they should be reserved strictly for deep cover back-up guns and not for your primary gun. They may or may not be comfortable because they have a tendency to chafe on your leg and ankle. To assure concealment, you also need to pay strict and careful attention to the cut of your pant leg for both tightness and length. If your pant leg isn't long enough, it will ride up and over the holster, exposing your weapon. If your cuff is too tight, accessibility will be excessively (dangerously) restricted. My main objections to them, however, are speed and vulnerability while drawing. Of all of the holster options, an ankle rig is probably the slowest from initiating your draw until time on target. And I really don't like the idea of having to either kneel or bend over to get at my weapon if I am in a literal face-to-face encounter with someone.

The only holster style that I have absolutely no use for is Small of the Back (SOB). They are effective for concealment. They are also just as accessible (for speed) as a strong side hip holster, and probably faster than a shoulder or cross-draw rig. The down-side is that they are not particularly comfortable when seated because the gun rests right against the spine. And this is why I don't like them. I don't dislike them because they are uncomfortable. I dislike them because they are dangerous. If you ever slip and fall flat on your back (or get pushed violently against a wall in a physical confrontation) while using a Small of the Back holster, you run an extremely high risk of having your back broken from the impact of hard steel directly against your spine.
There isn't much that needs to be said about shoulder holsters, except for the upside down (old Berns-Martin) style. This is one of only two holster styles I personally know of where you can access and draw your weapon just as easily (and quickly) with either hand. In one sense, it is a vertical rig because the barrel points straight up, with the gun butt pointing toward the rear. If worn on your left side, you simply reach across with your right hand, bringing it up to grasp the gun in a natural grip. You access it with your left hand by reaching up under the covering garment, curling your hand/wrist to also grab the gun with a natural grip. The draw itself is executed by "rolling" your hand in a circular motion toward the rear, down, and then forward and up. Another thing I like about this design is that you can stand with the gun already grasped in your left hand (the outer garment drapes over your wrist and conceals your gun hand) and no one facing you has the slightest clue that you are in fact armed. They just think you are standing with your hand on your hip. At least they did when I "demonstrated" this very draw while working at the previously mentioned late night convenience store. An upside down shoulder holster also tends to conceal better than vertical or horizontal rigs because the top strap of the gun is forward, reducing "printing" potential compared to the butt making obvious bulges under the covering garment.

I mentioned that the upside down shoulder holster was one of only two styles allowing quick and easy access with either hand. The other is a cross-draw holster where you reach across with your strong side hand or use a Cavalry draw with your weak hand. The problem with this approach (and cross draw in general) is that positioning the holster far enough forward on the hip for easy access with your strong hand too often places it in a position where the covering garment no longer adequately conceals the weapon.

Pants pocket carry can go under either category - with or without a holster. Conventional wisdom is to always use a pocket holster because it keeps the gun in a constant position, preventing it from shifting around in your pocket, as well as breaking up the outline of the gun. The other aspect of conventional wisdom is to never carry anything else in the same pocket at the same time - just the gun and holster. While I can understand the logic of both points, and agree in principle, I personally don't care for and therefore do not use a pocket holster myself. I also carry a money clip and small change purse in the same pocket, which I personally use to break up the outline.
Either way (with or without a holster), do not carry any gun with a standard "spur" hammer in your pocket. There is excessive risk of the hammer spur snagging on fabric when you draw the gun. The only way to avoid this is to place your thumb against the back of the hammer and doing so prevents getting a proper grip while drawing. You want either a round hammer like the Colt Mustang and some Browning models, or a hammerless model (the correct technical terminology is internal hammer but most people just call them hammerless) like the S&W 442 or 642 revolvers, something with a hammer shroud like the S&W Bodyguard, or one of the smaller double action only semi-autos that don't have an exposed hammer.

I mentioned earlier that a J Frame or Colt Mustang is my "true back-up" gun. The reality is that it is actually my primary, in that it is the one I would probably be most likely to draw first. The reason is that surprise equals (or beats) speed. Most people stand around with a hand in their pocket, just looking relaxed (or slovenly depending on how fastidious you are). Well, when I am standing there with my hand in my pocket, there is a gun already in my hand (which takes care of any shifting around problem from not using a pocket holster.) Someone might anticipate, and block, a sweeping motion to draw my strong side hip weapon. They wouldn't even see it coming when I pulled the gun out of my pocket because it would be totally unexpected. The surprise factor is also one of the reasons why, contrary to conventional wisdom, that I personally keep my money clip in the same pocket as my back-up gun. If I have been targeted for a strong-arm or mugging attempt because someone has observed me putting my folding green in that pocket, then that is what they are going to expect to see when I remove my hand from the pocket - not their worst nightmare. At contact range (which is when this scenario would go down), I feel just as adequately armed with a properly loaded .380 as I would with a .45.

There are also two particularly effective ways to carry without using a holster at all. One is if you are wearing a suit or sport coat and the other is if you are wearing a vest or coat with flap front cargo pockets. When I used to work in an office where circumstances pretty much dictated taking my coat off during the day (hanging it on the back of my chair), and I therefore could not use belt or shoulder holsters, I carried the gun upside down in my strong side inside coat breast pocket. I would place my checkbook in the pocket and the gun in behind it, using the checkbook to break up the outline. With the barrel pointing up, the butt would be toward the rear (same as an upside down shoulder holster). To draw the gun, grasp the edge of the coat with your right hand, just above the pocket opening. Then reach in with your left hand and pull the gun straight up out of the pocket, using your right hand and the coat to shield the gun from view. Once the gun clears the pocket, simply flip it out with your left hand into the palm of your right hand. If you are being mugged when doing this, make your motions slow and deliberate while saying something like "Take it easy. I'm just getting my wallet." That's the Teddy Roosevelt approach to Diplomacy - saying "Nice doggie" while you reach for the big stick.

For cool and cold weather, my carry number (since I can) more often than not goes from three to five. I still carry strong side, weak side, and pocket. But I will add an outer garment with two flap front cargo pockets, into each of which will go one of the previously mentioned J Frame Smiths. Now when I am standing around, keeping my hands warm in my pockets, I am hanging onto two guns, not one. And I never carry anything other than hammerless J Frames this way. The reason I will only use hammerless revolvers is that, like the fastest reload being a second gun, the fastest draw is no draw at all. It would definitely ruin the vest or coat, but with the hammerless revolvers at arm's length distance, I can shoot right through the pockets without needing to first draw the guns from the pockets. And I can keep on shooting them until they run dry with no fear of either a hammer or slide catching on fabric. If you try that with a semi-auto, you will get one shot before the gun jams with fabric in the action [or short cycles]. You might not get any with a regular revolver if the fabric gets between the hammer and the frame. Like I said, you will definitely ruin the coat. In addition to bullet holes, you might (probably will) also set the coat on fire. But if you ever are in this situation, a ruined coat will be the least of your concerns.

The other mode of holster-less carry that needs to be mentioned dates back to frontier days and is typically called the Mexican Carry: shove the gun in your waistband. I only have one word of advice for this method: Don't. There simply is no way the gun will stay in the same position. It will shift around, slide down inside your pants (and maybe even down your pants leg), or simply fall out onto the ground. And this is just with normal activity. Add running or wrestling to the equation and it will go where it shouldn't even faster. The only guarantee is that it won't be where you put it when you need it.

Movement:
One final aspect of carrying concealed needs to be discussed and that is how movement affects concealment. Before you start carrying, you tend to not think about how various movements affect the drape and fit of your clothes. That instantly changes as soon as you strap on a gun. For discussion purposes, I am going to assume a coat as the covering garment in all cases.
Example one is a strong-side belt holster. Assume you are in a store and have to reach something on an upper shelf, such that you have to stretch to get it. If you reach for it with the same hand/side as your gun, that stretching action will cause your coat on that side to "ride up," potentially exposing your weapon. This is a perfect example of why an IWB is particularly effective for concealment. But if you reach with the opposite hand, the same action will cause your coat to ride even lower on the gun side, maintaining concealment. Now you want to get something on the bottom shelf. If you simply bend over at the waist to get it, your covering garment will pull tight over your weapon, causing it to "print." You quickly learn to avoid bending over under any circumstances. Instead, kneel down, keeping your back as straight as possible while doing so.

Do you spend much time around people who like to "hug?" If you do, it is important that you initiate the hug. If you hug them first, their arms will be forced to go around, outside of, yours. This prevents them from feeling your concealed weapon when they hug you first with their arms inside of yours. Also protect your "personal space" when in crowds to minimize/avoid detection from someone bumping into you.

Proper positioning of belt holsters just rearward of the body's mid-line greatly reduces potential exposure from a frontal view. But it doesn't eliminate it. Minimize the number of things you carry in your strong-side front pants pocket to reduce potential for exposing your weapon when retrieving something from the pocket. Also learn to "sweep" your covering garment into a blocking position, locked in place with your arm, when you reach into the pocket. The other high potential for frontal exposure is if your coat gets blown open by the wind.

My personal approach is to carry something else on my belt in front of my weapon. I use a .45 caliber double magazine pouch on my left side. I have a Streamlight Stinger flashlight in one pouch and my Leatherman in the other. I wear a double Swiss Army pouch with my Swiss Champ and miscellaneous small items on my right side. Both are worn just to the rear edge of my front pants pockets, far enough back to avoid blocking easy access to my car keys and wallet on the right and my money clip and small noise maker on the left. The concealment advantage of doing this is that both are thick enough to cause my coat to drape over them, thereby reducing potential printing of the two holstered guns. They also shield the guns from frontal view by being in front of the guns. Someone's eye will be drawn to them first and not see the guns. You can further reduce potential for the wind to blow your coat open by carrying a tube of fishing split-shot weights in your outer pocket. The added weight greatly reduces, if not outright eliminates, the wind from flipping your coat open when you least expect it.

As for actual "fit," there are some other things that need doing, depending on your chosen carry method. If you choose a shoulder rig for use with a suit or sport coat, you need to have the carry side tailored for extra room to prevent printing. If you choose an IWB belt holster, you need to wear pants one size larger than normal to provide adequate room for the gun and holster. If you don't, your pants will be uncomfortably tight. You also need to use a belt one size longer than normal. Speaking of belts, avoid fancy leather dress belts. They are too thin and do not provide sufficient support. You want thick, reasonably stiff leather, and preferably 1-1/2 inches wide in most cases. Narrower does not provide enough load bearing support and wider may not fit your belt loops. You also want the belt to fit as snugly in the belt loops as possible to reduce shifting.

The preceding are just a few thoughts and ideas from an old Maverick with close to half a century of walking heavy. Always remember Rule Number One - and do it in a way that works best for you and not what someone else who doesn't know your circumstances tells you is "the best" way to go.

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I recently purchased a Kel-Tec P3AT [.380 ACP pistol] and I am having problems physically pulling back the slide and loading/pushing down ammo into the magazine because I have moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. My doctor advised me to wear wrist splints to decrease the pain of my carpal tunnel syndrome and the numbness that goes along with it. Wrist splints have helped me greatly (in combination with several other approaches), but they have also significantly reduced the strength I have in my wrists and hands.

Do you have any specific advice regarding building up hand and wrist strength in order to overcome this issue? Unfortunately, I do not feel comfortable talking with my doctor about owning a Kel-Tec and my need to have stronger hands and wrists. Also, if you do give me advice, please keep in mind that I am a 5' 5" female who weighs about 110 lbs. (Bench pressing 250 lbs is not a viable option for me.) Carpal tunnel is fairly common within the general population and I wouldn't be surprised if other Survival Blog readers are having the same problems I'm having. Thank you.
God Bless!, In Christ Jesus, - Heather

P.S.: The You Tube clip on Archie Bunker and gun control [that was posted yesterday] was priceless. I laughed so hard that my stomach ached

JWR Replies: First, I must ask: Are you trying to pull the slide back by grasping it with your thumb and forefinger? Forget that. The method now preferred for all shooters is to cup your entire hand around the top of the rear-half of the slide, grasping with your whole hand, and pull it back sharply. Use plenty of force, "as if you are trying to rip the slide off the pistol." (That is how one of my pistol-shooting instructors described it ) If need be, you can actually use the combined strength of both forearms by pulling backwards with your non-shooting hand, and simultaneously thrusting slightly forward with your shooting hand.

Consult your local physical therapists about hand and arm exercises. They'll have advice on specific exercises and frequency/duration of training sessions in a regimen that will avoid repetitive stress injuries. .

If that doesn't work for you, then you need to go to your gun shop (or better yet, for the chance to do private transactions, to a gun show) and try "racking" several other brands of pistols, the same way as I described. Ironically, depending on the spring tension, some larger guns may actually be easier for you to manipulate. Find one that you can handle better than the Kel-Tec, and do a trade-in. (Hopefully, BTW, that will be a .40 S&W, since .380 ACP is a marginal man-stopper, at best, and 9mm is only a bit better)

New flu virtually everywhere in U.S. now, CDC says

WHO chief kept flu alert level at phase 5+

New York school vice-principal dies from swine Flu (Thanks to KAF for alerting us to this news story)

A New, New H1N1 In Mexico?

Nations Urge WHO to Change Swine Flu Assessment They want pandemic called only if lots of people are dying (not because it is widespread) because of money: "A pandemic announcement would likely have severe economic consequences: it could trigger expensive trade and travel restrictions like border closures, airport screenings and quarantines, as countries not yet affected struggle to keep the virus out."

Transmission of Swine Flu In Japan = Phase 6

CDC: Swine Flu Virtually Everywhere in US

Military Implications of Pandemic Flu

From frequent content contributor GG: China holds sway over US Dollar "The U. S. should be afraid, very afraid. China is questioning the dollar's status as a reserve currency and, at US $1,000 an ounce, gold has become the world's de facto currency." - John Ing, Maison Placements in Canada

Mike S. suggested a piece titled "Obsessive Housing Disorder" on Michelle Malkin's blog, that describes the history of our dysfunctional housing market.

HPD sent us a link to a piece by economic commentator Mish Shedlock: If You're Not Petrified of Obama, You're Not Paying Attention

Items from The Economatrix:

AP Economic Stress Index: Measuring Financial Strain By County

US Backing for World Currency Stuns Markets

Goldman's $10 Billion Payback

House Price Drops Leave More Underwater

Stocks Jump on House, Bank Optimism

Asia will author its own destruction if it triggers a crisis over US bonds

Investors: Bull Market Has No Legs

From Marc Faber: Lookout! Capitalism Dead. US Going Bankrupt. There Is Going To Be War

Long and Short of Bond Insanity (The Mogambo Guru)

EMB suggested this blog piece: Root-cellar plan

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Thanks to Scott N. for this link: Critics Deride Bill Designed to Keep Weapons Out of Terrorists' Hands

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JRH Enterprises is running a $2,995 special on new 3rd Generation PVS-14 night vision scopes, with brand-new factory-original image intesifier tubes, complete with certified factory data sheets. If you want the ultimate in retreat security, buy one. Most other dealers sell these same scopes for close to $4,000. You won't regret it!

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Police: Man said 30,000 bullets were for target practice. Did I miss something,? Where is the "crime " here? OBTW, I suppose that is a good thing that we don' have Massachusetts-mindset cops here in The Unnamed Western State. Otherwise, they'd come and arrest me, too. (If you include all my rimfire ammo, I have this gent beaten, by a wide margin.) Oh, and will somebody please explain to the newspaper nincompoops the difference between a bullet and a cartridge? Their utter nomenclature ignorance nearly drives me to fits of apoplexy.

"Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives." - Ulysses S Grant

I provided the manuscript to the publisher just a week ago, but Amazon is already taking pre-orders for my new book "How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It". Penguin Books plans to release it in late September or early October. BTW, that is considered a lightning fast turn-around for one of the big New York publishers. I suppose that all the economic and H1N1 flu headlines have them quite anxious to publish a practical preparedness book. OBTW, I am tentatively planning on a "Book Bomblet" Day, so please hold off on ordering. Thanks!

Jim,
In regards to stocking up on prescription medicine your readers may want to use the book "Wilderness Medicine" by William Forgey, M.D. as a good starting point. A couple of other "beginner books" are "Where There Is No Doctor" by David Werner and "Where There Is No Dentist" by Murray Dickson. Amazon.com is running a special on all three books for $42. [JWR Adds: The latter two books are available for free download, but I recommend getting hard copies for your survival reference library.]

I took the book "Wilderness Medicine", to my doctor's office and discussed the list of medicines Dr. Forgey recommends and my doctor advised it was a very good reference. Our doctor advised a lot of the medicines listed were included in his supplies that he keeps at home.

Included in the book is some information on multiple uses of the medicines as well as alternatives if you run out of one of them.

My doctor also recommended the following prescriptions: Cipro, Tamiflu, and Relenza.

We had to search for a preparedness minded doctor but they are out there if you seek them out. Thanks, - Art

Mr. Rawles,
In response to Bryan’s request for a list of medications that may be worth adding to your preps, the following is my humble reply. I am a pharmacist, of the clinical variety (the kind that works in hospitals and clinics helping docs manage acute drug therapy, as opposed to the community pharmacists, who dispense drugs and valuable information to the public) with 27 years of hospital pharmacy experience. Please don’t think that my recommendations are the “gospel truth”. This e-mail is off the top of my head, and I’m sure many others will add to, or detract from, my suggestions. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the course of my career, it’s that there are very few definitive answers to medical questions.

Now, it should go without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that these recommendations are in no way meant to suggest that you should self-medicate under normal circumstances. The safe and effective use of medications is a risk:benefit game, best assessed by your doctor. No drug is absolutely safe, and the proper diagnosis of illness and treatment with medications is an endeavor that consumes lifetimes of study. Having said that, in a TEOTWAWKI situation, the risk:benefit equation shifts, and sometimes the risk of doing nothing will exceed the risk of using some drugs without the oversight of a physician.

To get started, as my good buddy and I always say, “you must define your goal before you can hope to decide on the appropriate action”. So here’s the goal: suggest some commonly available drugs (prescription and over-the-counter (OTC)) which could be stored in preparation for foreseeable calamities in an extended SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation – either for self-medication, or for selection by a “country doctor” who has the knowledge, but not the drugs. I will focus on drugs that may have a chance of making a difference in acute situations without heroic measure beyond the ken of most non-medical folks; that is, no designer drugs for the syndrome of the week will be included. Also, I will stick to generically-available drugs in order to seek cost feasibility. I will avoid “controlled substances” (those federally regulated by the DEA) – a difficult obstacle when it comes to pain management, because we must exclude all of the opiates. Also, though I use mostly intravenous medications in the hospital, this list focuses on oral medications, for obvious reasons. Finally, in TEOTWAWKI, we will simply have to accept that certain conditions lead to shorter life spans, so drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases are not included. Nutrition, trauma, infection are about all we can hope to impact – and surgery is more important than drugs in trauma. Those with diabetes, severe hypertension, heart disease, and other all-too-common chronic maladies will have to wing it….not to say that it isn’t a good idea to have several months of your specific medications on hand to get through a temporary interruption in our normal flow of life.

I will resist the urge to get into details about bacterial resistance patterns, differential diagnosis, viral vs. bacterial infection, dosing, duration of therapy, etc. It would be much better to chat with your local medical person about the specifics. These are just the very basics – I’m sure a rational argument could be made for almost any drug.

ANTIBIOTICS – the breakthrough that promoted chronic diseases and cars to the top of the mortality list

Ciprofloxacin (common brand name: Cipro) – usually dosed 500 mg twice daily, this wonder drug covers a broad spectrum of pathogens, and is reasonably effective in treatment of urinary tract infections, pulmonary infections, skin infections, and gut infections. Bonus: can treat or prevent pulmonary anthrax infection, prophylaxis against bacterial meningitis, and has a fighting chance against gonorrhea. Sold by prescription only.
Cephalexin (common brand name: Keflex) –usually dosed 250-500 mg every six hours. A reasonable choice for upper respiratory (ear, nose, throat) infections and skin infections, including prevention of infections secondary to lacerations. Small risk of problems in folks with severe penicillin allergy. Sold by prescription only.
Metronidazole (common brand name: Flagyl) – usually dosed 250-500 mg every six hours – This oft-overlooked drug has good activity against the class of bacteria called “anaerobes”, and is useful in treatment of diverticulitis, some gynecological infections, and would be a welcome addition to cephalexin in the event that a “home appendectomy” is to be tried on the kitchen table (just kidding…sort of). This drug can also treat (or cause…go figure) a severe, and oft-fatal type of diarrhea, called Clostridium difficile colitis (aka, pseudomembranous colitis). Don’t mix alcohol with this one! But then, who will have booze in TEOTWAWKI anyway? (no offense to the home distillers out there!). Sold by prescription only.
Amoxicillin (common brand name: Amoxil) – usually dosed 500 mg every eight hours – Good for ear, throat, urinary tract, and some soft tissue infections. If started immediately, may prevent bad infections secondary to animal bites, including humans, but if the infection has already begun, bigger guns are usually needed (different bacteria are problematic with various species, but we’re talking generalities here). Bacterial resistance has cut into the effectiveness of amoxicillin over the last 20 years, but it would sure be better than nothing, especially in a more rural setting (the nastiest bugs always hang out in crowds!). Sold by prescription only.

Other possible generically-available antibiotic candidates include good ole penicillin (G or VK), ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate (common brand name: Augmentin), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (common brand name: Bactrim or Septra – a “sulfa drug”), and doxycycline (common BN: Vibramycin)

ANTIFUNGALS – just one
Fluconazole (common brand name: Diflucan) – About the only reason to have this on hand is for vaginal candidiasis. (Ladies, you can probably diagnose that one as well as your doc!). Other uses would be difficult to diagnose at home. A single 150 mg tablet shows very good efficacy in this indication – but I suspect that the 200 mg tabs would be cheaper to obtain in quantity, since the 150 mg tablet is individually packaged for the indication. In this scenario, an extra 50 mg won’t hurt. Perhaps one of my community pharmacist colleagues could confirm or deny my suspicion. Sold by prescription only.

VITAMINS – much more important when on survival rations!
Multiple Vitamins – get several of the biggest bottles of a generic multi-vitamin that you can find at the warehouse club. If you’re eating white rice three times a day, a vitamin a day (or even three times a week) may dramatically extend your chances of survival. OTC
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) – Very good to have around when citrus and greens are not available…remember scurvy? (Though I hear you could eat a pine tree). A couple of big bottles of Vitamin C 500 mg could stave off scurvy for your family for quite a while. A quarter of a tab a day would be sufficient, probably less (Dietitians should fill in the details here). OTC
Vitamin D – If you’re expecting a nuclear winter, you’ll need this in the absence of sun…but then again, after reading [Cormac McCarthy's novel] “The Road”, I’m not sure I would want to stick around for that one! OTC

ALLERGY DRUGS
Antihistamines – Of course, seasonal allergies will have to be tolerated, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some diphenhydramine (common brand name: Benadryl) on hand for particularly bad cases of poison oak and bad (but not anaphylactic) bee stings, etc. Available OTC
Corticosteroids – Along the same lines as above, perhaps a few methyprednisolone dose packs (common brand name: Medrol Dospak) would be good for more serious allergic reactions. Sold by prescription only.
Epinephrine – Though I promised to “stay oral”, I must mention Epi, because it is probably the only thing that may save someone experiencing a bona fide anaphylactic allergic reaction (tongue swells, throat closes down…can’t breathe). The injectable form in ampoules (1mg/ml) is much cheaper, but the Epi-Pen product is a pre-filled syringe that is ready to go. Sold by prescription only.

ANALGESICS (pain control)
Ibuprofen (common brand names: Motrin, Advil) – Pretty good for what ails you, since we’re not talking about narcotics. Strengths are headache, bone pain, tooth pain, and general sprains/strains. It’s a good anti-inflammatory (unlike acetaminophen) and will bring a high fever down. Available OTC
Aspirin – Still good for headaches and fever (except in children--do a web search on Reyes Syndrome), but beware the enhanced risk of bleeding if used for pain secondary to traumatic injury. Though ibuprofen theoretically can cause a similar problem, it’s much rarer than with aspirin. Bonus: Though heart attack mortality will undoubtedly go back up to early 20th century levels in TEOTWAWKI, a chewed aspirin tablet (325mg) at onset of chest pain may improve your odds in the absence of any other medical intervention. If an old bottle of aspirin smells strongly of vinegar, it is probably kaput…but it wouldn’t hurt you to try it.
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Common brand names: Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet, etc.) – I said I wouldn’t include controlled substances, so this one is not included….but just so you know, this combination of an opiate and acetaminophen (Tylenol) is probably the minimum analgesic intervention that would help much with traumatic visceral pain. But the laws involved and the risk of misuse complicate the issue greatly. Be sure you’re not putting yourself at legal risk before deciding to get prescriptions for this, or the more strictly controlled analgesics such as oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet), morphine, meperidine (Demerol), and others.

GASTROINTESTINAL MEDS – “Keep it movin’ – slow it down”
Soluble Fiber (common brand names: Metamucil, Citrucel, Fibercon) – May be essential to keep things moving in the early days of survival rations (though, as it is oft pointed out on this blog, eat what you store and the transition will be much smoother). Available OTC
Docusate Sodium (common brand name: Colace) – stool softener…’nuff said
Loperamide (common brand name: Imodium) – this antidiarrheal could save a life, but be sure to study up on when, and when not, to use it. In bacterial enteritis it may do more harm than good. Available OTC, though if you have a pharmacist friend, they may be able to order a bottle of the caps much cheaper than the OTC boxes.

TOPICALS – Cuts, burns, and scrapes
Antibiotic Ointment (“triple” bacitracin/neomycin/polymyxin or “double” bacitracin/polymyxin) Good to reduce the risk of infection in minor cuts and scrapes. Many folks suffer a contact dermatitis when exposed to neomycin, so many docs are recommending the double formula these days (common brand name: Polysporin).
Silver Sulfadiazine cream (common brand names: Silvadene, Thermazine) – A lifesaver in severe burns, but you’ll need a big jar of it.
Eye Wash – It’s basically just sterile salt water, but good to have when you need it!

Obviously, this is a starter list. I will apologize in advance for the glaring omissions that I’m sure friends and colleagues will point out.
A word on stability – as we’ve discussed on this blog before, the manufacturer’s expiration date has been found to have quite a bit of wiggle room by our Department of Defense, that has, commendably, conducted their own degradation studies in order to extend the shelf life of the military drug stockpile, and thus save us poor taxpayers a buck or two. For obvious reasons, this [Shelf Life Extension System (SLES)] data is closely guarded, so we don’t know the specifics. A few details have leaked out, and it seems that most drugs are “good” (meaning within a reasonable range of their original potency – usually 90%) for years beyond the labeled expiration date when stored appropriately. For most tablets and capsules, cooler, darker, and dryer is better (low oxygen is also good). I would suggest that you ask your pharmacist to add the manufacturer’s expiration date to your pill bottle for a frame of reference. Many pharmacy computer systems default to one year from the fill date on the prescription label, irrespective of the actual date on the stock bottle. The bottom line is this: the drugs on this list (with the possible exception of doxycycline) do not degrade to a toxic compound; they only loose potency over time. If you refer to Mr. Rawles’ excellent novel, "Patriots" , you will note how the characters titrated the dose up to allow for potency loss post-expiration date. When to do this, and by how much is a crap shoot, but in TEOTWAWKI it is better to have tried and lost, than never to have tried at all!

Here’s hoping and praying that we all die in our beds at 101 years of age, with our wives (or husbands) lilting voice in our ear, saying, “I told you that you were wasting money on all that survival stuff!!!” Regards, - SH in Georgia

Mr Rawles,
I'm a retail pharmacist working in Louisiana and am new to prepping. Many of my patients come to me asking for advice on low cost medications that will still yield positive outcomes. As a result I've gained valuable insight into the potential for stockpiling medications on a budget. I hope this helps:

Stockpiling mediations for WTSHTF can be a daunting task, even for those with an idea of their current medicinal needs. For those currently taking prescription medication, the question is usually affordability and accessibility. Most insurance plans will not pay for supplies larger than 90 days, and paying cash for prescriptions is usually cost prohibitive. While greater accessibility exists in countries such as Mexico or Canada, crossing the border with large quantities of medication is usually asking for trouble, thus requiring multiple trips. And while the lower costs of medications outside of the US has been frequently touted, quality can be suspect. Internet pharmacies in places such as India or even China will ship to your front door, but only after paying a "doctor" for your required by law "consultation", usually costing anywhere from 75 to 125 dollars. So what are the options?

There is a two fold strategy regarding lowering your drug cost to allow for cost efficient stockpiling. First, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about generic medications. Generics save as much as 80% over their brand name equivalent, are covered on every insurance plan, and because of the cost will allow for bulk purchases. A prescription is good for one year from the date it is written, so unless the medication is a controlled substance, you may purchase as much as a years worth of medication at a time(provided your doctor has authorized that many refills). Second, for those taking multiple medications, talk to your doctor and pharmacist about decreasing the number of medications you are taking by increasing the dose of others or changing the medications altogether. This strategy can best be illustrated in the following example:

Patient "X" is a 55 year old Type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetic with a history of coronary artery disease. His current medications are as follows:
Drug Condition Cost/month
Actos 30 mg diabetes $240
Zetia 10 mg cholesterol $110
Plavix blood thinner $170
Cardizem LA 240 blood pressure $125
Total medication cost/ month= $645
After consulting with his doctor and pharmacist, the following changes were made:
Drug Condition Cost/month
Metformin 500 mg diabetes $4-$10
Simvastatin 20 mg cholesterol $4-$20
Warfarin 5 mg blood thinner $4-$10
Atenolol 50 mg blood pressure $4-$10
Total medication cost/month= $16-$50

These are cash prices, not insurance co-pays. Insurance plans would not allow you to purchase medication for stockpiling purposes.
Also, in the same manner that firearms and ammunition should be purchased in "common calibers" to allow for ease in buying or bartering, so should medications. Even if you do not take maintenance medications it might make sense in the long run to build up a supply. In much the same way as we seek out kindred survival spirits in firearms,food storage, etc, it is possible to find doctors that may write prescriptions for conditions that you could potentially (wink,wink) develop. Medications used to treat blood pressure or diabetes will be in short supply post-TEOTWAWKI, and it will take several growing seasons for herbal remedies to make their way through the production pipeline. Also, family members, friends and other "guests" will undoubtedly forget their medications in their attempt to G.O.O.D.. Of the top 20 drugs prescribed in the US in 2007, four were for blood pressure, three were for cholesterol, three for GERD (heartburn/ulcer), three for depression, three for asthma/allergy, and one each for thyroid,osteoporosis, sleep and blood thinning. For the sake of brevity, let's focus on the three conditions typically undeserved by over the counter medications:

1) Atenolol: A common beta blocker medication used to treat blood pressure. Common dosages begin at 25 mg daily to twice daily. Purchase the 100 mg strength and cut them in fourths.

2) Metformin: Sulfonylurea class medication used to treat non insulin dependent diabetes. While other drugs such as glipizide or glyburide are less expensive they can also lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if dosed incorrectly. Metformin does not have that problem. Can also help lower LDL (cholesterol) and tryglycerides- but so will the average post-TEOTWAWKI diet. Dosages begin at 500 mg, twice daily. Where possible, buy the 1,000 mg strength and cut them in half.

3) Tramadol: Non-narcotic pain reliever. Does not have many of the sedating side effects of Lortab, Vicodin, Norco, etc and is not a controlled substance. Tramadol also does not cause the stomach problems (reflux, ulcerations) commonly seen with ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)). This will make them easier to obtain as most physicians are more comfortable writing prescriptions for non narcotic pain relievers. Typical dosage is 50 mg up to four times daily as needed.

There are thousands of over-the-counter medications used to treat an unlimited variety of ailments. This can make stockpiling medications difficult. Every health care professional has their personal recommendations, but the following are the five OTC items that should be bought in bulk. They are cheap, effective, and each covers a wide range of potential maladies:

1) Aspirin
Can be used to relieve pain, relieve inflammation, thin the blood and lower fever (do not take on an empty stomach)
2) Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
Can be used to treat itching, rash, allergic reactions, and is the most common ingredient in over the counter sleep aids (will cause drowsiness)
3) Pepto-Bismol
Can be used to treat indigestion, nausea, heartburn and diarrhea.
4) Neosporin
Antibiotic ointment for cuts, scrapes and burns
5) Primatene Mist
The only over the counter inhaler capable of minimizing the symptoms of or stopping an acute asthma attack.

No first aid kit is complete without those five. - LA, R.Ph .

JWR Adds: In several places, "LA" mentioned cutting pills in halves or quarters. This is best accomplished a with a tray-type pill cutter, since cutting pills with a knife --especially those that are not pre-scored for cutting--tends to be messy and inaccurate. Note that many drug companies give away plastic pill cutters marked with their corporate logos as promotional items, so the chances are good that your local retail pharmacist will have some available, free for the asking.

Sir:

I understand your comments on Alaska's [poor] potential for survival retreats .Your logic is sound and I have to take seriously someone who has thought about these issues longer than I have. But there is always a but...What about Prince of Wales Island, Alaska? Backwoods Home magazine published an article written by a Jon Stram that I have not got out of mind. The article sold Prince of Wales Island very well, so [for counterbalance] I need an unbiased, expert opinion Thank you, - Russell:

JWR Replies: You aren't the first to suggest that locale to me. it. I must admit, that as Alaska goes, it is captivating and has one of the best climates. The island is bigger than Delaware!. In my estimation, it would be a fine place to be during an economic depression comparable to the 1930s, but not in a full scale collapse where it would be isolated from transport--especially liquid fuels. (Chainsaws, power boats, generators, float planes, and snow machines "no worky".) There are 6,000+ people on the island. That is a lot of people for an island with essentially no large scale agriculture, especially when there is no gasoline, diesel, propane, or kerosene available. The accessible four-legged wild game would probably be cleaned out in short order. After that, things might get ugly. In an absolute worst case, your neighbors might start hunting two-legged game.

CDC: Up to 100,000 Are Probably Infected in US US Deaths at five, all reportedly with underlying health problems. Globally, 7,000 (which means many more cases than have been confirmed)

Swine Flu Cases Continue to Rise But No Pandemic Called Yet "Fukuda notes a pandemic has nothing to do with the severity of the disease, but rather with its geographic spread."

Avian Flu Beaten By Cold Noses

WHO eyes swine flu transmission rates, new vaccine

GG sent us this: CBO admits for first time chance IMF may default

From The Daily Bell: Jim Rogers: Food prices will skyrocket. Raise rates soon or face inflation disaster, experts warn...

Items from The Economatrix:

Hot In Recession: Cheaper Wine, Chocolate, Running Shoes, Spam

GM, Chrysler Dealership Cull to Cost 100,000 Jobs

The Return of the Banker's Bet

$3 Trillion Later... "Could there be a better time to be a bank? Governments are endorsing high leverage and guaranteeing huge parts of the financial system, so you get to keep the profits and palm off the losses on the taxpayer."

US Prices Fall Most Since 1955

German Slump Drags Europe Down Deeper

FDIC: Some Bank CEO Jobs on the Line

Dead Receive Millions in Stimulus Money

California State Workers Outraged at Possible Layoffs

From Jobs to Food Stamps in One Week

Thanks to Kevin A. for sending this: Navajos largely unscathed by recession. Hmmm... Owning livestock, living self-sufficiently, and living debt free. Does this sound familiar?

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Cheryl sent us this: NRA Thrives Amid Fears of Heightened Gun-Control Efforts

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A herd of common sense, from a Cody, Wyoming newspaper: Pioneer spirit needed during tough times.(I was pleased to see that the article quotes my top five states for retreats locales.)

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KAF sent us links to two interesting pieces on the 1930s: The Great Depression: 'We were all in the same boat', and, The Great Depression through Callie Stanley's eyes

"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value -- zero." - Voltaire (François Marie Arouet, 1694-1778)

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Because of the recent shake-up at Front Sight, the list of contest prizes for this round has been revised:

First Prize: A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day OnPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600.

Second Prize: A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I have had this idea floating around in the back of my mind for some time now, and with all the posts on the subject here lately, I decided it was time to share it with everyone. I hope some of you find it useful.

What got me started to thinking about this was a movie on DVD that I watched recently, titled Twenty Years After. (2008) It is about people that have survived a nuke war, the disease and death that follow, and the hope that humanity will still survive. It is not the best post-SHTF movie that you can watch, but as I watched it, I had little flashes of insight to some aspects of survival and preparedness that I thought would be useful, and this is one of the ones that I want to share today.

In the movie, a mother, and her very pregnant daughter, have claimed a house for their place, only to find that the owner has returned to claim some of his things. He makes his presence known to them by pouring a bit of water down a downspout that they have rigged up to send the rainwater to their living space in the basement, where they collect it and store jars of water on some large shelves.

This got me started thinking about the subject of rainwater catchment, and I have a good number of files on the subject, so I did some extra reading on the subject. There is a lot of information out there on it, and all the commercial products that go with it, but what do you do when you have ZIP to start with ?
Start at the beginning.

So, the rain falls on the roof of a building, it runs down the roof to the gutters, then down the downspout to be flushed away from the building. And now you decide to catch the runoff, and put a barrel at the end of the downspout to catch the extra water. So far so good. But what about the bird poop, asphalt chemicals, etc, that are going to be in the water, not to mention all the other germs and nasty pathogens that occur naturally ?

This is where the diverters come onto play, you divert the first couple minutes of the rain water, to get rid of the grit, dirt,etc, and then divert it back to catch the rest. I see this as a waste of water that could be used to keep you and your family alive a bit longer.
You will most likely be filtering the water to drink anyway, so the dirt and germs are going to be dealt with in the filtering process. The filter will only be able to deal with so much in the way of contaminates, so there are a lot of folks who agree that a pre-filter is a good idea to extend the life of the main filter itself, and here is where my idea came from. I know that there are commercial pre- filters that may be a whole lot cheaper to buy from the point of view on the cost of this subject, but this is about constructing your own from found, scavenged, and recycled materials in a SHTF type situation.

The list of materials that you will need is as follows :

A large stockpot.

Cheesecloth or fine mesh nylon or brass window screening.

A dozen bags of kids marbles or flat marbles used for decoration.

A couple shovels full of builders sand. ( Children's sandbox sand is a different type of sand, and has some questionable chemicals in it, so do not use this type of sand. Builders sand is just that, SAND. so be sure to use only this type for your pre-filter )

And a good supply of charcoal.


Tools that you will need are:

• A drill, and a good assortment of drill bits.
• Center punch.
• Heavy machinists hammer or a small, one-pound or two-pound sledgehammer.
• A piece of 2x4 scrap lumber, about two feet in length.
• A good pair of safety glasses [with side guards]. This is the most important piece of equipment you should have when you build this, because your eyesight is very important to your survival. Wear them!
• Four bricks, or 2x4 blocks.
• A large funnel.

To start, place the stockpot on the bricks or 2x4's like you were going to build a fire under the stockpot for cooking or heating water.
Then, take the two foot 2x4, and your hammer, and place one end of the 2x4 into the center of the inside of the stockpot and give a couple of good sharp blows to the top of the 2x4 to make a depression in the center of the pot to allow for complete drainage of the filter. A slight depression of the base is better than a flat bottom, because it will allow the water to drain at the lowest point and not to run all over the bottom and drop off the edges instead,

Now, take the stockpot, and turn it over so that the outside bottom is now face up. Take your box of drill bits, your center punch, and your drill, and use the center punch and your hammer, to make a punch in the approximate center of the stockpot. Now take and punch six or seven more around the center, remembering to space them about an inch and a half apart from each other. These will be drilled out with a half inch drill bit to form the drain for the filter, and the whole thing needs to have an area of holes about the size of one of the downspouts. This will allow for good and proper drainage of the filter. Once all the holes have been drilled, take a larger bit, and use it to ream out the holes, so that there are not any sharp edges or metal shavings to cut your fingers, etc, and the screen material.

Once you have this done, take the stockpot, and turn it right side up again. Now take the cheesecloth or screen, and mold and form it to fit in the bottom of the pot, and going up the sides, and over the top, to form a sort of inner bucket of screen.
Now you are ready to fill the filter with the filtering medium.

Start by grinding up the charcoal to make charcoal powder. !00% pure charcoal should be used only. If you lay in a supply of bagged charcoal, then you will have to determine how much that you will need for further replenishment of the filter, as well as the other materials needed to make it, so that you will be able to replace or repair any of the components as time goes on. If you don't have a good supply of charcoal laid aside, you can always make your own using these sites to help you.

• How to make charcoal like a (eco) redneck. [JWR Adds: Please do not use that gent's "Add a dash of Woof" fire-starting method. Using anything more volatile than diesel fuel is suicidal!]
• The simplest of the simple
• Charcoal (how to make charcoal in a drum) | BioEnergy Lists: Biochar (Terra Preta)

Place about 3-to-4 inches of the charcoal in the pot, tamp it down firmly and evenly as you go. Then once you have that done, form another set of screen material like the first one for the charcoal, and place it in the pot on top of the charcoal filter medium. Fill the pot with 3-4 inches of the sand, just like you did with the charcoal, tamp and level as you go. Now, make one more screen set to go on top of the sand, and place it in the pot.

Now you are ready to add the marbles. Same thing as with the charcoal and sand. Place enough in the pot, to get about 3-4 inches of marbles on the top if the filter mediums.The marbles break up the churning action of the water as it hits the system, and the sand and charcoal act as the filtering agents. By separating all the component mediums with the three screen elements, you are able to lift the materials out separate from each other for refill and repair as needed.

Now that you have the filter completed, you are ready to install it into your system. You can install it at the front of the system, where the downspout pours into the marbles, and the drain fills into your storage barrel, or the barrel drains into the filter, before you send it to the main purification filter. Either way will work fine, and if you want to, you can make two of these and do both. It is your choice on this one.
When you set the filter into place for either one, you can take the large funnel, and set it under the pot to catch and direct the water draining off the filter, so that you catch every drop.

After you have filtered the water through this pre-filter, you can then send it on to the main filter, and know that the main filter will not have to try to strain out the extra dirt and germs that would come without doing this pre- filter first. A good one like the Berkey filters will last a lot longer before you have to replace their filter elements, just by making and using one of these. The most important part to remember about this filter construction, is to use as fine a screen material as you can find. Double or even triple up your cheesecloth or screen if you have to, or even use a combination of both if you want. It is up to you, but you need as fine a screen as you can get.

Here are a couple of sites that I found for material source reference. These are not set in stone type of suggestions, they are for visual aid only, to give you an idea of what to look for. Marbles can be found in all sorts of places, and the same goes for the pots. Stainless steel would be the best choice. The ones to stay away from are the ones with the non-stick surfaces.

A source for marbles:

Glass Gems & Marbles from Wholesalers USA

A source for stockpots:

Stainless Steel Stock Pots @ Yahoo! Shopping

When you use the pre-filter, remember to change the sand and charcoal in the system from time to time.
A recharge every 1-to-3 months should keep everything working fine, and you should be able to make the thing work and last for a very long time to come. Hope that this helps some of you out there doing the rainwater catchment thing to add to your survival and preparedness plans. Watch for a couple of other posts that I will send later, on some other thoughts that I had for some other items that will come in handy after a SHTF event.

Be Prepared! - Dim Tim

Yishai was the first of several readers to mention this "must read" piece: US speeding towards financial crash

Jimmy G. sent this: Stocks still face deflationary collapse: Prechter. I agree that there will be deflation, but only in the short term. I still see Uncle Sugar's only viable option is inflating their way out of this mess. This leads me to coin a new motto: Never underestimate the ability of governments to print money.

Items from The Economatrix:

Six Insurers to Get Billions in Bailout Money (JWR Notes: The MOAB won't stop growing!)

GM to Close 1,100 Dealerships

Consumer Prices Flat, Industrial Production Dips

Exchanges Sense Bonanza In Derivative Regulations. "Exchange trading of all derivatives has not been made mandatory, which is a big relief for the industry,” said an executive at one large derivatives dealer."

US to Roll Out Latest Phase of Rescue Plan

If Consumers Won't Kick Start the Economy, What Will?

Doubt No More (The Mogambo Guru)

New Jersey's Public Pension Bomb "For years, states all across the country have been starving their retirement plans. Here's a look at how the crisis is playing out in New Jersey, where the bill is coming due, and the state doesn't have the money to pay it."

401(k) Investors Can't Get Any Money

Sour Commercial Real Estate Loans Threaten to Hurt Regional Banks

Forensic Examination of the Gold Carry Trade?

Denny Z. sent us a link to a YouTube clip of a comedy classic: Archie Bunker on Gun Control

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"John Smith" suggested a You Tube clip of a James Burke "Connections" documentary episode from 1978. Burke's description of the 1965 New York blackout illustrates the interconnections and fragility of urban society. It is rather prophetic. Given our far greater tecnological dependence these days, it some serrious food for thought.

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Cheryl sent this: Another 1,225,980+ Guns Bought By Americans in April 2009 This number is based on just the background checks by FFL holders--not most private sales, so this is a low number.

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George M. sent an article from Oregon's Capitol city that illustrates the need for security and situational awareness: Man handcuffed, hit by Taser during Salem coin shop robbery

"All who profess Christianity believe in a Savior, and that by and though Him we must be saved." - Andrew Jackson

Congrats to M.G., the high bidder in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction that ended last night.
I've decided to at least temporarily discontinue the auctions, since a few readers have complained that my mention of the auction bids is too distracting and "too commercial." If you'd like to support the blog in other ways, see our Support page. Thanks!

James,

My experience with [US Mint] Silver Eagles is similar to your description [of their lack of widespread recognizability]. I traded 1 silver eagle for some merchandise at $20 USD per Eagle.
The person was happy. I explained to them that this was 1 oz. of silver and at the time of the trade it was equal to the amount that I told them. A few days later I went back seeking to trade again and they told me that since the face value [marked] on the coin was $1 USD that it was all the value they would exchange it for. So then I refused to trade. They were insistent that it was only worth $1 USD . I said sorry you think that way and went down the road. Your point that most Americans wouldn’t know about Silver eagles is correct. I have found that trading Eagles for value is best
done with professional, more educated people. I partially paid for the delivery of our three children with 1-oz Gold Eagles [for each delivery]. The doctor was very eager to settle our bill with that in his hand. Of course the balance due was close to the value of the coin. My chiropractor also will accept Silver Eagles for payment.

Yes it is possible but discuss with the person you wish to trade with before hand, if they are not sure don’t push. You could also get in trouble with the local law if you try to push the issue as the trade nay have second thoughts and make a call on you. Also you might want to look into 10 oz bars of silver with the same rules of purchase as 100 oz bars. Hard times come quickly be prepared! - Jeff B.

This news article was published yesterday: Business as Usual? Front Sight Assets Seized. Please take the time to read it. I haven't yet been in touch with the new management at Front Sight to get any additional details.

Last night, I dismissively posted a piece to SurvivalBlog, castigating the plaintiffs in this case. But then I spent several hours later last night doing web searches about the various Front Sight lawsuits, and it was an eye opener. Up until yesterday, I had thought that only one of the lawsuits had any merit, and that Naish Piazza was merely a convenient target for "deep pocket" lawsuits. Please forgive me for not taking the time to do this research before! I can now see that Naish Piazza had indeed been doing business unethically. I'll be removing the Front Sight ads from my web site, and will discontinue using Front Sight course certificates as writing contest prizes.

I won't promote Front Sight again unless or until it can be established that A.) Naish Piazza has no influence whatsoever with the new Front Sight management and will not profit from the operation, and B.) The existing Front Sight course certificates will be honored by the new court-appointed management.

Please accept my humble apologies for my lack of due diligence about one of my advertisers.

I have no idea about what will happen with the course schedule at Front Sight, and the status of the Front Sight course certificates that are presently in circulation. I will post details as soon as they become available. I must mention that none of the preceding comments detract from the reputation of the outstanding staff at Front Sight, and the quality of the training. It is still one of the premier firearms schools in the country, and I still highly recommend them.

As for the current round of the SurvivalBlog writing contest that was to have had a pair of Front Sight course certificates as the "first prize", I will be substituting other prizes.

Dimitri Orlov on The New Money (A hat tip to Ruby and Vlad’s Mom)

The truth escapes the lips of BHO: Obama Says U.S. Long-Term Debt Load ‘Unsustainable’ I'm praying that he does the right thing, but given the composition of Big Government/Big Taxes/Big Deficits policy wonks that were picked for his Cabinet, I have my doubts.

Thanks to B.H. for this video link: "The Worst Is Yet to Come": If You're Not Petrified, You're Not Paying Attention

GG sent us this: China's yuan 'set to usurp US dollar' as world's reserve currency

Items from The Economatrix:

Even BoE Has No Idea What Will Happen

UK: BT Doubles Job Cuts to 30,000 "BT has slumped to an annual loss for the first time in almost a decade and doubled jobs cuts to 30,000, as the former state-owned telecoms company struggles with a disastrous performance of a key division."

Sony Reports Record Loss Amid Consumer Slump "Sony today confirmed the worst about its performance through the global economic slump by announcing its biggest group operating loss of Y228 billion, (£1.6 billion). The Japanese company also predicted another year of losses for the period ending March 2010."

OPEC: Oil Demand Still Declining

Dubai: No "Green Shoots" in the Desert

Beware of a Premature Return to "Normal" "Forgiveness is wonderful. But if it is granted too soon, miscreants tend to go back to their wicked ways. Markets risk giving some parts of the financial system just such a premature pardon."

Roubini: Prepare for the Demise of the Dollar's Status as a Reserve Currency. "This would have serious costs for America, as our ability to finance our budget and trade deficits cheaply would disappear."

Stock Markets Battle Poor US Retail Sales Numbers

Geithner: Bailout Repayments Will Be Used For Smaller Banks (That is, if it is legal. As the law is presently worded, "...whatever is returned to the Treasury goes into the general fund.")

College Graduates Struggle to Repay Student Loans

Toledo's White Collar Workers Recalibrating Their Lives After Layoff

Economist: Michigan Jobless Rate May Rise to 20%

Japan "Would Avoid Dollar Bonds" "Japan's opposition party says it would refuse to buy American government bonds denominated in US dollars, if elected."

"It's Going To Get Worse Before It Gets Worse"

Inflation Unavoidable (The Mogambo Guru)

KAF flagged this article: U.S. Has Plan to Secure Pakistan Nukes if Country Falls to Taliban

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Jason mentioned that Ammoman is selling brand new original Colt-made 30 round AR-15 magazines for about the same price that most gun show sellers are charging for generic USGI contract magazines.

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Cheryl saw this video clip and recommended it: Lou Dobbs: Obama Pushing Anti-Gun Treaty

"Whole nations depends on technology. Stop the wheels for two days and you'd have riots. No place is more than two meals from a revolution. Think of Los Angeles or New York with no electricity. Or a longer view, fertilizer plants stop. Or a longer view yet, no new technology for ten years. What happens to our standard of living?... Yet the damned fools won't pay ten minutes' attention a day to science and technology. How many people know what they're doing? Where do these carpets come from? The clothes you're wearing? What do carburetors do? Where do sesame seeds come from? Do you know? Does one voter out of thirty? They won't spend ten minutes a day thinking about the technology that keeps them alive." - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, Lucifer's Hammer

As a follow-up to my recent Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper interview, a German blog for ex-pats (and would-be ex-pats) called Auswandern - Adieu Deutschland! posted an interview, in both a German edition, and an English edition.

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The bidding ends at midnight (eastern time) tonight! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. is now at $1,350. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes:

1.) A Three-Color Desert Camo Interceptor OTV (Outer Tactical Vest) size XL only, and a spare Woodland camouflage outer shell, kindly donated by BulletProofME.com. These items have a combined retail value of $960!

2.) A vehicle detection system, which includes: one MURS Alert Probe Sensor (MAPS) with 50 foot probe cable and one MURS Alert Hand Held (M538-HT) transceiver. The MAPS unit's probe can be covertly installed under the surface of a driveway or road to detect vehicular traffic and a voice alert is sent to the hand held transceiver when a detection occurs. Donated by MURS Radio. Retails for $303

3.) Two cases of Yoder's Canned Bacon, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com. (12 cans per case.) A $276 retail value.

4.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value). 

5.) Three Garden Security Collections, and two Garden Bean Collections, donated by SeedForSecurity.com. With included free shipping to any US postal address, this is a $100+ retail value.

6.) Two America Stone knife sharpeners (with belt pouches), donated by the manufacturer. (A $60 retail value.)

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,800. Bidding ends at midnight (eastern time) tonight! Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

Dear James,
We're currently busy in the beginning ground laying of the construction phase of adding a large greenhouse onto our enclosed garden plot, which is completely enclosed with 12 foot high fencing with a solar security system.
This addition was decided in consideration of the foreseeable need for us to be able to add a winter season grow room for year long vegetable growing and over-wintering of our heirloom stock.
It will also allow us to save our best heirloom plants and clone them, from season to season to jumpstart the spring grow times and yields.
I am sharing the attached helpful items we needed to consider before adding this greenhouse to our garden. One major issue you may want to expand on in your thoughts of planning for it's location, is on OPSEC. Of course it is not covered here in this literature. A greenhouse should not be plainly visible to others, unless you intend to sell plants or produce from your site. However, I encourage people to have a selling stand which is not at your home or, instead to sell at the local farmers market or area flea market.

Also, consider photovoltaic panel-powered grow lights and gardens that can be operated for sprouting and growing vegetables year round in your basement or an enclosed work shed!

And, here is a link to some free construction plans for several different designs for outdoor greenhouses. These come from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Happy Year Round Gardening, - KAF

James,
I have just visited with our family physicians about a stockpile of prescriptions medications. Seems that two of them are "preppers" and are putting a plan together for their families.

They physicians are more than willing to write scripts for meds, they really are supportive of the plan and like the Wal-Mart list. For some reason, they will not recommend specific drugs, they will prescribe but not recommend.

I wonder if a pharmacist and Ranger Doc might be willing to put together a specific list of recommended prescription items and you could put it in the blog. This would be a great help.

Thanks. Your blog is my #1 read every day. - Bryan W.

JWR Replies: You are fortunate to be associated with like-minded doctors. Just keep in mind that legally they can only prescribe drugs that are within "the scope of practice" of their respective speciailties.

Mr. Editor:
In regards to EM Joe's post regarding "That Post Die-Off Fragrance," I too spent 30 years in Public Service as a Forensic Investigator attending and investigating numerous death scenes and autopsies involving decomposing bodies. I used to use copious amounts of Vicks Vapor-Rub, both on my upper lip and even stuffed up the nose. One day, while attending an autopsy on a real "stinker", the pathologist conducting the post mortem exam observed me and my faithful jar of Vicks and informed me that if I used enough of the stuff I would eventually erode away the mucus membranes in the sinus cavity. Just Dandy I thought to myself, soooo I asked what would be a good alternative? He responded by saying that a good activated charcoal filter mask would do the trick for a short time. However, for long term the mask and a small single drop of Oil of Clove on the exterior front portion of the mask, between the nose and mouth would work wonders. I employed this method for approximately 25 years with no side effects. A caution when using this method is to use only a single drop of oil and not make direct skin contact with the Oil of Clove. It has a tendency to burn the skin. Regards, - Surfin' Cowboy

Jim:
I worked in around Gulfport, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina as an insurance adjuster. Most of the deaths occurred next to the ocean where the storm surge killed people and animals. You could drive down the interstate 6 to 8 miles north from the kill zone and still smell decaying flesh. This came from all the dead pets, wildlife, sea life, and a few dead people. (a warehouse full of frozen chicken didn't help either)

If it is summertime, the problem takes care of itself in about 2 weeks. We pulled out of the worst area for a week or so to let nature take its course. Obviously the duration depends of the time of year. In the summertime in the deep south we have 100 degree weather and near 100% humidity. Bodies quickly decompose to little more than bones in a very short period of time.

Like anything, you quit smelling it and will not notice it unless you leave the area and come back - J.

Dear Sir,
Regarding comments made in the letter on which form of precious metals to buy, readers should be aware that numerous Chinese fake silver dollar coins exist in today's market. I recently became aware of these by an honest seller who identified the fakes as such, and sold me a couple for comparison purposes.

They are available as common Morgan and Peace dollars as well as more numismatically valuable styles such as draped bust and trade dollars. They look surprisingly realistic and appear to have normal aging and wear consistent with what you would expect. Believe me when I tell you that only a practiced eye would distinguish them by sight only! Clues to their identity exist, but more thorough examination is required. Weight is slightly low but might not be noticed by many buyers unless a scale is used. They are also a little thin, but again might not be noticed without a known good coin next to it or a micrometer measurement. Another method which can be used to identify real silver coins is by balancing the coin on a finger tip and tapping it with another coin. A real silver dollar gives off a low clear ring like a bell. The fakes give off a higher pitched ring which is not as clear and does not last as long. (Try this with a few real coins to hear the correct note.) The biggest tip off is that the coins are magnetic, being made in part from steel, and can be readily identified by their attraction to a magnet. No legitimates silver [or gold] coins will be attracted to a magnet

You's better believe that I am now a much more intelligent buyer, and will be carrying a magnet with me (at least) for all future silver dollar purchases. I would have never thought that it would be worthwhile for someone to counterfeit a relatively inexpensive coin like a Morgan silver dollar. - William L.

Sir,
recently you responded to a young gent about silver purchases. i forwarded your discourse to my sister who brought up a valid point -- you never mentioned in your response where you see the use for Silver American Eagles. I responded to her that maybe your advice was to use/purchase silver in this order: 1) junk silver; 2) Silver American Eagles; and lastly 3) silver bars.Ii chose that order due to the purity of the metal and its recognizability. Is this your opinion?

As far as the silver bars are concerned, I think that you have a point. Will Grigg once wrote of how his father had received payment once in silver bars, and when the 1980s [bull market in silver] hit, he was able to use them to keep the family going. Thanks in advance, - Rick B.

JWR Replies: Unless you have the opportunity to buy some Silver Eagles on the secondary market at a price that is close to the spot price of silver, then I do not recommend buying them. In most circumstances, they are over-priced. Why pay as much as 35% over their physical (silver ) value? This just plain bad investing. Some would argue that Silver Eagles are "readily recognizable? My question is, recognizable to whom? I'd guesstimate that 90% of the American population has never seen an American Eagle, and that 95% of the American population has never held one in their hand. In contrast, at least half of the population is familiar with pre-1965 mint date US silver coinage. (Although I wonder how many people know with accuracy that 1964 wa the last year of their minting.) I stand by my advice: Get pre-1965 "junk" silver coins for barter, and a 100-ounce serialized bars for investing.

Vasilly wrote to mention a computer model that Los Alamos National Lab did in of a "Simulation of a pandemic flu outbreak in the continental United States, initially introduced by the arrival of 10 infected individuals in Los Angeles." He heard about this when listening to Episode 19 of the Preparedness Podcast.

Confirmed Swine Flu Cases in Washington Jump to 236

Fewer than 33% of Americans Would Take Flu Jab

Swine Flu Spreads Worldwide--Over 5,700 Infected

Just as I envisioned three years ago, derivatives are now in thes spotlight: Treasury Seeks More Financial Regulations in Shadowy Markets. (Thanks to Danny S. and KAF, for the link.)

From the Appenzell Daily Bell: Beginning of the end? Fed cannot account for $9 trillion

KAF sent us this: David Frum: Quick fix today, crisis tomorrow in Obama's White House

Redaer GG flagged this: Strong appetite for silver boosts coin production "Mints around the world almost doubled their silver coin production in the first quarter in response to a surge of investor interest in the metal."

Items from The Economatrix:

Chrysler Moves to Eliminate 789 of 3,200 Dealership